"Battle off Samar 25 Oct 1944 " Topic
5 Posts
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| Tango01 | 13 Dec 2014 10:19 p.m. PST |
Interesting thread here. "Fast battleships and heavy cruisers vs slow jeep carriers and destroyers? Who in the naval academies and training rooms of the US Navy would have ever thought to game this scenario in the years prior to the Second World War? But this is exactly what Clifton "Ziggy" Sprague, Adm, US Navy, was called upon to command in real life on the morning of 25 Oct 1944 when lookouts spotted Adm Kurita's Center Force of 4 battleships and 8 heavy cruisers rounding the corner of Samar Island bearing down on his 6 light carriers, 3 destroyers and 4 destroyer escorts. When the fight ended with Kurita retreating the north, Ziggy Sprague had commanded one the finest running battles in the annals of naval history, forcing a superior force to break off an engagement and retire just as they had Sprague's force well within it's grasp. Sprague was ably supported by the commanders of the escort group, specifically Lt Com Ernest Evans of the USS Johnston, Lt Com Robert Copeland of the USS Samuel B Roberts and Com. Amos T. Hathaway of the USS Heerman, who turned into harms way and sacrificed their ships to save the remainder of the battlegroup, Taffy 3. Their torpedoes and 5in guns were no match for the 8, 14 and 16 inch guns of the Japanese, but they doggedly plowed into the IJN fleet and caused the Yamato and other Japanese ships to head away from the fight several critical minutes, trying to avoid torpedoes. Pilots of the flattops took off without anti-shipping ordinance and repeatedly attacked the Japanese ships, often with empty bomb racks, in vain attempts to divert the attention of the Japanese ships to give the carriers a chance to escape with their 17 knot speed…"
See here
link Amicalement
Armand |
| Blutarski | 14 Dec 2014 4:10 p.m. PST |
….. and thereby saved for posterity the reputation of Admiral Halsey. B |
| Murvihill | 15 Dec 2014 11:15 a.m. PST |
Actually, "…the world wonders." cemented the error in everyones' minds. |
| Florida Tory | 18 Dec 2014 4:06 p.m. PST |
The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors by James Hornfischer is the definitive book about this action and surely one of the best naval books ever written. Rick |
| CampyF | 18 Dec 2014 8:13 p.m. PST |
Can't beat a CVE with one 5" gun taking out a heavy cruiser. (White Plains vs. Chokai). |
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