User blog:Dieragon/Battle of Leyte Gulf

Introduction

The battle of Leyte Gulf is considered one of the largest naval battles in history ... This page has little background, history and other data about the Battle of the Leyte Gulf including timelines, ships used in battles, the battles itself, operations, actors and other information for preparing novice admirals for the next Fall Event 2017 & Winter 2018.

Background


Ending the "Battle of the Philippine Sea" (a.k.a. "The Great Marianas Turkey Shoot"... Zuikaku, Shoukaku and Taihou 's Nightmare) in June of 1944, and thanks to all the campaign the allies executed since 1942  on the IJN and IJA is that the Battle of the Leyte gulf comes to hand. During all this campaigns (Solomon Islands, Bismarck Archipelago, Admiralty Islands, New Guinea, Marshall Islands and Wake Island) the allies managed  to take in many cases or isolate many of the Japanese vanguard out posts reducing the "protection perimeter" that they (Japan) had in all the territory conquered during the beginning of the war, the allies did it by using the same strategy in all the places: amphibious landing force protected by a carrier task force.

Knowing that this was the main strength of the allied forces and recognizing that they could not longer allow the allies to take the Philippines (That was obviously the next step) because it was the last "shield" between Japan and the Dutch Indies (main source of oil and rubber for the Empire), the IJN decided that they must do a counter attack by any mean. They also knew that with the new bases on the Mariana Islands the Allies will being bombing Japan with their B-29, and other outposts in Asia from the Philippines. And right here we must understand the state of the Japanese fleet: After the Battle of the Phillipine Sea where they lost Taihou, Shokaku and Hiyou plus over 500 planes with their pilots... what remains of the once long time ago powerful carrier task force is only an "skeleton fleet".

Preview of the Battle
Before the battle the Japanese fleet was spread out; their aircraft carriers were in the home islands refurbishing with planes, pilots and fuel... While almost all their surface fleet (Battleships and cruisers) where in places like Singapore because there was the fuel aviable to the empire and that was needed to operate.

Knowing the small number of pilots, planes and resources the IJN had on that time, the 18 of October the in a headquarters liaison meeting of the IJN they decided to make a "booby trap" for the allies, the Japanese High command knew that Admiral Halsey wanted to destroy all the CVs (CVLs) of the IJN since the beinning of the war to avenge Pearl Harbor, but they knew their own carriers would never have a chance agains Halsey's Task Force 38 after the Marianas.

Japan for that moment had an strong surface fleet with the Yamato-class and other ships in their hands. But getting away that Task Force 38 was the problem, and they solved it in a "tricky" movement: the plan/strategy was easy, a coordinated movement of 4 fleets in 3 diferent zones around the Phillipines that would culminate in the destruction of the Landing Force and the halt of the north-ward movement of the Allies by a pincer movement..

The Strategy "Sho-Go"
The goal for the IJN was cleas:''' "Lure Halsey's Task Force away from the Landing grounds, move the surface task force to Leyte and obliterate the allied landing force with overwhelming firepower." '''To do this, the admiratly of Japan thought in the following plan:


 * 1) Vice Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa with his (decimated) carrier task force known as "The Northern Force" would come down from Japan's main land to the Philippines and will lure to Halsey's Task Force 38, making them go for them in persuit and away from Leyte gulf where the landing zones.
 * 2) Admiral Takeo Kurita will come with his surface task force "The central Force" from the Dutch Indies, pass to Borneo to refuel, and then go up near Mindoro Island, pass through the Sibuyan Sea, pass through San Bernardino straight and then go down to Leyte Gulf.
 * 3) While Japan's Central Force and Northen forces where moving, Vice Admiral Shoji Nishimura was ordered to meet Vice Admiral Kiyohide Shima's fleet that came from the north, the rendevouz point was near Negros Island. Once together they form "The Southern Force", they must pass through the Surigao Strait and then go north to Leyte gulf to find Takeo's fleet and close the pincer.

The simple explanation to this strategy was: '''"A decoy fleet that takes away the carriers of the allies, once alone the battleships and cruisers will attack the landing forces from 2 fronts." This strategy was called for the IJN as "Sho-Go".'''

NOTE: In the case of the game, if this were an entire "Event", it would have at least 4 worlds ("E"), one for each fleet/movement. Given the fact that there where Submarines attacks, land based planes attacks, night battles, aircraftcarriers battles and surface battles... Each world would be at least one type of those battles.

The Fleets
Here you can see the list of ships on each IJN force in the battle... Some ships hasn't been implemented yet, but are listed anyways. In addition the Allied fleets are listed to save space in the descriptions.



Northen Force (Ozawa's Fleet)*:
With an combined air group of: 80 Type 0 Fighter Model 52, 4 Type 97 Torpedo Bomber , 25 Tenzan , 7 Suisei
 * 1) Carrier Division (CarDiv) 3: Zuikaku, Zuihou, Chitose, Chiyoda.
 * 2) CarDiv 4: Hyuuga, Ise , Ooyodo , Tama.
 * 3) Escort Squadron 31: Isuzu.
 * 4) Destroyer Division (DesDiv) 61: Hatsuzuki, Akizuki, DD Wakatsuki.
 * 5) DesDiv  41: DD Shimotsuki.
 * 6) DesDiv  43: DE Maki, DE Kiri, DE Kuwa, DE Sugi.
 * 7) Second Supply Force: DD Akikaze.

Central Force (Kurita's Fleet)*:

 * 1) Battleship Division (BatDiv) 1: Yamato, Musashi, Nagato.
 * 2) Cruiseres.jpg BatDiv  3: Kongou, Haruna.
 * 3) Cruiser Division (CruDiv) 4: Takao, Atago, Choukai, Maya.
 * 4) CruDiv  5: Haguro, Myoukou.
 * 5) CruDiv  7: Kumano, Suzuya, Chikuma, Tone.
 * 6) Destroyer Squadron (DesRon) 2: Noshiro, Shimakaze.
 * 7) DesDiv 2: Hayashimo, DD Akishimo.
 * 8) DesDiv 10: Yahagi, Nowaki, Kiyoshimo.
 * 9) DesDiv 17: Urakaze, Yukikaze, Hamakaze, Isokaze.
 * 10) DesDiv 31: DD Kishinami, Okinami, Naganami, Asashimo.
 * 11) DesDiv 32: DD Hamanami, Fujinami.

Nishimura's Fleet: Nishimura's_Fleet.jpg

 * BatDiv 2: Fusou, Yamashiro, Mogami.
 * DesDiv 4: Michishio, Asagumo, Yamagumo, Shigure.

Shima's Fleet:

 * CruDiv 21: Nachi, Ashigara .
 * DesDiv 7: Akebono, Ushio .
 * DesDiv18: Kasumi, Shiranui .
 * DesDiv 21: Wakaba, Hatsushimo, Hatsuharu.


 * (DesDiv 21 was diverted for a transport operation on October 21. While steaming towards their intended rendezvous with Shima's Fleet, US aircraft attacked them off the west coast of Panay, sinking Wakaba. The surviving ships returned to Manila and did not participate further in the battle.)

Task Force 77:

 * Left Flank:
 * Cruiser Division (CruDiv) 4: CA-28 USS Louisville (FS), CA-33 USS Portland, CA-36 USS Minneapolis.
 * CruDiv 12: CL-58 USS Denver, CL-56 USS Columbia.
 * Section 1 (From DesRon 56): USS Newcomb, USS Richard P. Leary, USS Albert. W. Grant.
 * Section 2 (From DesDiv 112): USS Robinson, USS Halford, USS Bryant.
 * Section 3: USS Bennion, USS Leutze.


 * Battle Line:
 * BatDiv 4: BB-41 USS Mississippi, BB-46 USS Maryland, BB-48 USS West Virginia.
 * BatDiv 2: BB-43 USS Tennessee, BB-44 USS California, BB-38 USS Pennsylvania.
 * DesRon "X-Ray": USS Calxton, USS Cony, USS Thorn, USS Aulick, USS Sigourney, USS Welles.


 * Right Flank:
 * Cruisers: CL-46 USS Phoenix, CL-47 USS Boise, CA HMAS Shropshire
 * DesRon 24: USS Hutchins, USS Daly, USS Bache, HMAS Arunta, USS Killen, USS Beale.


 * Other Groups:
 * TG 79.11 (DesRon 54): USS Remey, USS McGowen, USS Melvin, USS Mertz, DesRon 108, USS McDermut, USS Monssen, USS McNair
 * TG 70.1: 39 PT Boats.
 * TF 77 (At Beachheads): CL-43 USS Nashville, Over 69 DDs, Over 10 Frigates and many Transports.
 * Carrier TF 77.4.3 (Taffy 3), 77.4.2 (Taffy 2) & 77.4.1 (Taffy 1): from north to south between Homonhon Island and Stargao Island.

The Battles
Because the battle of the Leyte gulf was so large, having engagements of ships and airbattles from Formosa Island (Nowadays Taiwan) to Borneo and from the Palawan Passage to Leyte gulf... we must divide the engagements or battles in order... Who faced Who and what was the outcome or goal.

Let's remember that for the 18 of october the IJN has the plan "Sho-go" ready. The 20 of Octobre of 1944 the Allies began the operations Musketeer I, II and III (Basically the Liberation of The Phillippines) by landing the US Sixth Army in Leyte island in the center of the Phillippines, this aiming to attack Luzon. The 22 of October admiral Halsey send to Ulithi 2 of his carrier groups to rearm and provision.

The Battle of Palawan Passage:



This battle  (a.k.a. "The Fight in Palawan Passage") was an engagement between Kurita's Central Force and the USN submarines USS Darter and USS Dace. In the beginging of the Operation Sho-Go, Kurita's fleet departed from their base in Borneo (Brunei Bay) heading direction North-Northeast, this route sent them paralel to the long and narrow island of "Palawan".

By the midnigh of 22-23 of October 1944, at around 00:16 hours the submarines Darter and Dace (Both Gato-class Submarines) where surfaced searching enemies with their radars when Darter's detected Kurita's fleet at 27 kms away. Darter's captain did visual contact with the enemy later and messaged Dace's captain by radio and both began pursuing the fleet. This radio communication was catched by Yamato's radio operator but Kurita's did nothing to set any ASW contrameasures.


 * Darter went ahead of Kurita's fleet and at dawn (5:56 am) thinking that Kurita's flagship was a Kongou -class fastbattleship opened fire with 6 torpedoes... At the same time Dace fired 4 torpedos too another ship. Darter scored at least 4 hits in the heavy cruiser Atago, while Dace's torpedoes went into Maya. At 6:06 Darter fired again and scored two more hit this time in Takao. Both Sisters (Atago and Maya) went down so fast that Kurita had to swim for his life and was tranfered to the Yamato by the destroyer Kishinami. Takao turned back to Borneo escorted by two destroyers and showed by the submarines but neither of them managed to take down Takao after that, mean while Musashi took some of Maya's survivors.


 * In that same morning of the 23 Darter sent the message of the sighting of Kurita's force, at this point Halsey's force is diminished by a 40% to strike the enemy because 2 carrier groups are in Ulithi. They will not arrive until the 24 of October.

The Battle of the Sibuyan Sea.



 * This battle is the subsequent result of the Palawan Passage... Following the north route, Kurita's fleet reached the Sibuyan Sea the 24 of October and were heading San Bernardino Strait... By this moment, Halsey's had only the Task Group 38.2 (TG 38.2) composed only by the CV-11 USS Intrepid, CV-17 Bunker Hill, CVL-28 Cabot and CVL-22 USS Independence to make an airstrike (Note: Iowa was in this task force). 


 * In the morning of the battle, Vice Admiral Takijirou Oonishi had directed three waves of aircraft from his First Air Fleet based (Basically LBAS) on Luzon against the carriers of TG 38.3, each wave around 50/60 planes.


 * 9:00: Nishimura's fleet is found by planes of the USS Enterprise in the Sulu sea heading north to the Surigao Strait. They attack but the damage is minor.


 * 9:38: Despite almost all LBAS being taken down by the USN fighters, some Yokosuka D4Y "Suisei s" managed to pass throught and hit the USS Princeton.


 * 10:30:  TG 38.2 sent planes and did attacks hitting Yamato, Nagato and Musashi. Myoukou was damaged so she went south to Singapore following Takao... Both of them will spend the rest of the war there as AA platforms.


 * 11:57:  A second wave of the TG 38.2 scored hits on Musashi with dive bombers. Fron here almost all the attacks will aim to her.


 * 12:00: A third wave of planes hit Musashi with torpedoes from TG 38.2. By this moment Kurita decided to turn around and run away with all his fleet.


 * 13:31: With help of the TG 38.3 and 38.4 that joined the attack with the CV-9 USS Essex, CV-16 USS Lexington, CVL-23 Princeton, CVL-27 Langley and CV-13 USS Franklin, CV-6 USS Enterprise, CVL-30 San Jacinto, CVL-24 USS Belleau Wood... Musashi is attacked again.


 * 15:23: Because the morning's attack, USS Princeton has a secondary explosion, despite that all the fires were under control.


 * 15:25: Musashi is hit again by various planes of the task forces with bombs and torpedoes.


 * 15:30: Vice Admiral Kurita, seeing his fleet being attacked for so many planes decides to run away north and waits for the veil of night to turn back again to San Bernardino... He leaves behind Musashi to her own luck. Admiral Halsey though that Kurita would not turn back.


 * 16:21: Vide Admiral Kurita finds Musashi (Or what was left of her) heading north when he turned back. For this moment Kurita asigns one CA and 2 DDs to escort Musashi while their men were trying to save her.


 * Around this time Admiral Halsey is notified that a Japanese Carrier Task Force in the north is nearing in (The Northern Force). This is the deception the Japanese High Command was planning for Halsey, and he totally takes it. Halsey takes his force north and leaves the Leyte Gulf unprotected... They will sail through the night and have the battle of the Cape Engaño next day.


 * 17:15: Kurita heads back to San Bernardino, thanks to the night he pass through unnoted.


 * 17:50: After many failed attempts to save her, USS Princeton is scuttled by CL-96 USS Reno with torpedoes.


 * Sunk_Musashi.jpgPaul_Allen.jpg
 * 19:15: Musashi reached 12° of listing, the men were prepparing to abandon ship.


 * 19:30: Musashi reaches 30° and all men abandoned ship.


 * 19:36: Musashi capsizes. She goes down with Rear Admiral Toshihira Inoguchi and 1023 men. The 1376 men rescued went to japan or to defend the phillippines, Shimakaze rescued 635 of Maya's survivors.
 * Musashi withstood over 4 hours of punishment and tried to run aground, they tried to beach-her, but she sunk by her damage , some people says she sank by her un even damage . She was discovered in March 2015, by Paul Allen around 1 km bellow the surface.


 * 22:30: Nishimura decides to go through the Surigao Strait without waiting for Shima's fleet that is some hundred kilometers back of him.

The Battle of the Surigao Strait. This is one of the only battle of Naval history where an opponent "T-crossed" the other. The 24 of october 2017, Nishimura's fleet was heading towards the Surigao Strait. Originally in the Sho-go plan, Nishimura should had waited for Shima's fleet, gather both fleets and pass the strait to reach Leyte Gulf.

In guard of the Surigao Strait was the TF 77, Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid that surrounded the gulf of Leyte on its exit to the Pacific Sea with the Taffy 1, 2 & 3 for ASW coverage and enemy approach warning. In the south and east guarding the strait was the DesRon 54 performing an ASW screen.

In addition to this patrol force there was the TG 70.1 that were guarding the strait from the islands Panaon, Dinagat, Bohol, Mindanao and Leyte. All those over 13 groups of PT Boats were order to report enemy sightings by radio and then attack by their own independently.

By observations of the morning of the 24 of october, the allies were waiting for a force of 2BB, 4CA, 4CL and 10DD. This calculation wasn't too far of the reality of the Sho-go plan... with 2BB, 3CA, 0CL and 11DD. But what was waithing to the Souther Force was just overwhelming, waiting them were the Left & Right Flank and Battle Libe of the TF77.

9:00:  Some USS Enterprise's planes found the fleet and scored some minor hists on Fusou, Yamashiro and Mogami, but the fleet continued ahead.

11:55: The fleet is seen for last time heading east in the Sulu Sea.

The Battle Off Samar.

'''The Battle of Cape Engaño. '''



(UNDER EDITION)

NOTES:


 * This fleet needs to be added to and update page of Historical Formations.