As we set the stage for the opening battle of Leyte Gulf, we turn the clocks back to where it all began, in the Surigao Strait, when the night was pierced by the thunder of cannons and the silent approach of torpedoes in the water. This clash, taking place on October 25, 1944, proved to be a strategic and tactical masterclass delivered by the U.S. Navy.
As day faded into night on October 24, Allied forces anchored their might within the Philippines’ Surigao Strait, readying themselves for the impending nocturnal clash. Vice Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf meticulously aligned his 7th Fleet Support Force into a formidable battle line across the width of the Strait, a strategic move reminiscent of bygone warfare. His command included six battleships — the USS West Virginia, Maryland, Mississippi, Tennessee, California, and Pennsylvania — all thoroughbred veterans of Pearl Harbor, yearning for retribution.
Waiting in the wings were four heavy cruisers, four light cruisers, and 28 destroyers. They floated in silent anticipation, their crews steeling themselves for the tumultuous hours to come. The Japanese Southern Force, unbeknownst to the grueling welcome that awaited them, approached with two separate groups: one led by Vice Admiral Shoji Nishimura with the battleships Fuso and Yamashiro at the lead, and a second group trailing behind under Vice Admiral Kiyohide Shima.
Nishimura's combat group was a smaller fleet, consisting of two battleships, one heavy cruiser, and four destroyers. They were soldiers of the Empire, sent forth with the grave task of disrupting the Allied landings at Leyte. However, unbeknownst to them, they would soon be ambushed by a vastly superior enemy.
The Allies struck first under the shroud of night. PT boats sliced through the water, launching the first wave of attacks that caused confusion in the Japanese ranks. Following this initial harassment, Oldendorf’s destroyers laid a lethal gauntlet of torpedoes, of which the USS Melvin figured prominently, skillfully firing their torpedoes to draw the first blood. Japanese cruiser Mogami and battleship Fuso were caught in the crossfire, sustaining heavy damage that would only foreshadow the carnage to come.
As the moon bore witness to this unfolding chaos, Oldendorf’s battle line awaited. Torrents of gunfire illuminated the darkness at approximately 03:00, signaling the unleashing of American firepower. In a span of minutes, over 150 guns from the American dreadnoughts roared to life. The U.S. resolved to annihilate any vessel that dared venture into their kill zone. And so they did; the Japanese battleships became fiery specters in the echoing night, with Fuso splitting in two under the strain of torpedoes and shells, her demise feeding the deep with fire and steel.
The Yamashiro, although battered and outgunned, resolutely pressed forward only to be met with the West Virginia's 16-inch guns, which, along with the rest of the battle line, pounded her until she, too, succumbed to the inevitable, marking the demise of a fleet and the end of an era.
As the sky began to bleed into dawn, the Southern Forces had lost both of their battleships, a heavy cruiser, and immeasurable crewmen — with estimates placing Japanese fatalities over 1,000. In contrast, the U.S. forces suffered relatively minor damage — the destroyer USS Albert W. Grant received heavy fire, and several other ships sustained casualties. The tally on American lives lost was considerably lower, with fewer than a hundred servicemen perishing in the strait's treacherous waters.
Shima's subsequent arrival into the fray was but a somber glance at the devastation that predated him. His force, mirroring the ineffectual quest of Nishimura's, was quick to retreat, having witnessed the U.S. Navy's devastating might through the debris and ruin of the Imperial fleet.
The Battle of Surigao Strait epitomized naval warfare's ancient principles, while at the same time, ushering in the modern era of tactical supremacy via technological advances. It was a definitive statement — the last time battleships would cross their mighty 'T' in combat, marking a bittersweet end to a storied chapter in naval warfare.
In the grander tapestry of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, Surigao Strait served as an opening act to what would be recorded as the largest naval battle in history, setting a lethal precedent for the engagements that would follow. It punctuated the Pacific campaign with a clear Allied message—resilience in the face of adversity, adaptability on the field of battle, and the tireless pursuit of victory.
As we sail away from the tormented waters of Surigao Strait, its tale remains—a vivid demonstration of tactics and heroism, a poignant reminder of the human cost of war, and an immutable testament to the solidarity and strength of the United States Navy. The forges of conflict had indeed shaped them into an indomitable force, primed for the concluding acts of sanguine battle in the expansive Pacific theater.
Comments