Leyte Gulf: Largest Naval Battle Crushes Japan
The Battle of Leyte Gulf, fought over four days beginning October 23, 1944, was the largest naval battle in history. It involved 367 ships, 1,800 aircraft, and nearly 200,000 personnel across four separate engagements spread over 100,000 square miles of the Philippine Sea. Japan committed virtually every remaining warship in a desperate gamble to destroy the American landing force at Leyte. The plan nearly worked: Admiral Kurita's Center Force broke through San Bernardino Strait and surprised a group of escort carriers, sinking one before inexplicably turning back. Japan lost 26 warships, including the super-battleship Musashi. The battle also saw the first organized use of kamikaze attacks, as Japanese pilots deliberately crashed their planes into American ships. Japan's navy effectively ceased to exist as a fighting force.
October 25, 1944
82 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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