Battle of Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf and nearby seas, Philippines
What happened
The US 3rd and 7th Fleets under Admirals William Halsey and Thomas Kinkaid, with Australian ships, fought the Japanese navy under Takeo Kurita, Jisaburō Ozawa and Shōji Nishimura. When US forces landed on the island of Leyte, the Japanese navy sent almost all its remaining ships to stop them. Over four days there were four main battles across the seas of the Philippines. Off the island of Samar, a small US force of escort carriers and destroyers held off much bigger Japanese battleships, and the Japanese fleet turned back.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It was the largest naval battle of the Second World War, and by some measures in history. The Japanese navy never again sailed in such force, and it was the last battle between battleships.
What came next
The US landing on Leyte was secured, and organised Japanese resistance on the island ended in late December 1944.
Did you know?
The battle saw Japan's first organised kamikaze attacks, in which pilots deliberately crashed their planes into ships.
Timeline
- 23 October 1944The Battle of Leyte Gulf begins.
- 25 October 1944Actions at Surigao Strait, Samar and Cape Engaño.
- 26 October 1944The battle ends.
- Late December 1944Organised Japanese resistance on Leyte ends.