The Battle of Leyte Gulf, generally considered to be the largest naval combat in history, was fought 24–25 October 1944 in the waters of the Philippine Islands by elements of the Imperial Japanese Navy's Combined Fleet (bringing together the IJN's 2nd Fleet, 3rd Fleet and 5th Fleet) and the United States Navy's Pacific Fleet (bringing together the USN's 3rd Fleet and 7th Fleet). Of the five separate engagements that made up the battle as a whole, the forces involved in the three principal ones are listed here.
Since the Japanese assumed the tactical initiative in all three actions, their forces are listed first in each section.
Losses in these three actions
IJN: 1 fleet carrier, 3 light carriers, 2 old battleships, 3 heavy cruisers, 3 light cruisers, 9 destroyers, 1 oiler
USN: 2 escort carriers, 2 destroyers, 1 destroyer escort
(according to Book: Tully . Anthony . Battle of Surigao Strait . 2009 . Indiana University Press . Bloomington, IN . 978-0-253-35242-2.)
Southern Force
Vice Admiral Shōji Nishimura (killed during battle) in battleship Yamashiro
Force C (sortied from Brunei Bay 22 Oct)
Vice Adm. Nishimura (KIA)
Battleship Division 2 (Vice Adm. Nishimura – KIA)
2 Fusō-class old battleships (12 × 14-in. main battery)
1 Mogami-class heavy cruiser (6 × 8-in. main battery)
Destroyer Division 4 (Capt. K. Takahashi)
3 Asashio-class destroyers (6 × 5-in. main battery)
1 Shiratsuyu-class destroyer (5 × 5-in. main battery)
Second Striking Force (sortied from Pescadores, Formosa 22 Oct)
Vice Admiral Kiyohide Shima in heavy cruiser Nachi
Cruiser Division 21 (Vice Admiral Shima)
2 Myōkō-class heavy cruisers (10 × 8-in. main battery)
Destroyer Squadron 1 (Rear Adm. Masatomi Kimura)
1 Nagara-class light cruiser (7 × 5.5-in. main battery)
4 destroyers
2 Fubuki-class (6 × 5-in. main battery)
1 Asashio-class (6 × 5-in. main battery)
1 Kagero-class (6 × 5-in. main battery)
Seventh Fleet
Vice Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid in amphibious command ship Wasatch
Task Force 77 (Central Philippines Attack Force)
Vice Admiral Kinkaid
Task Group 77.2
Rear Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf in heavy cruiser Louisville
Task Unit 77.2.2 (Left Flank)
Rear Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf
3 heavy cruisers
1 Northampton-class (9 × 8-in. main battery)
Louisville (Capt. S.H. Hurt)
1 Portland-class (9 × 8-in. main battery)
Portland (Capt. Thomas G. W. Settle)
1 New Orleans-class (9 × 8-in. main battery)
Minneapolis (Capt. H.B. Slocum)
2 light cruisers
Both Cleveland-class (12 × 6-in. main battery)
Denver (Capt. Albert M. Bledsoe)
Columbia (Capt. Maurice E. Curts)
Destroyer Squadron 56 (Capt. Roland N. Smoot)
9 Fletcher-class destroyers (5 × 5-in. main battery)
Newcomb, Richard P. Leary, Albert W. Grant, Robinson, Halford, Bryant, Heywood L. Edwards, Bennion, Leutze
Task Unit 77.2.1 (Battle Line)
Rear Admiral George L. Weyler in battleship Mississippi
6 old battleships
2 Colorado-class (8 × 16-in. main battery)
West Virginia (Capt. Herbert V. Wiley)
Maryland (Capt. Herbert J. Ray)
2 Tennessee-class (12 × 14-in. main battery)
Tennessee (Capt. J.B. Heffernan)
California (Capt. H.P. Burnett)
1 New Mexico-class (12 × 14-in. main battery)
Mississippi (Capt. H.J. Redfield)
1 Pennsylvania-class (12 × 14-in. main battery)
Pennsylvania (Capt. C.F. Martin)
6 destroyers
4 Fletcher-class (5 × 5-in. main battery)
Sigourney, Claxton, Aulick, Cony
2 Gleaves-class (4 × 5-in. main battery)
Task Group 77.3 (Right Flank)
Rear Admiral Russell S. Berkey in light cruiser Phoenix
1 heavy cruiser
1 County-class (8 × 8-in. main battery)
Shropshire (Capt. C.A.G. Nichols, RN)
2 light cruisers
Both Brooklyn-class (15 × 6-in. main battery)
Phoenix (Capt. J.H. Duncan)
Boise (Capt. J.S. Roberts)
Destroyer Squadron 24 (Capt. Kenmore M. McManes)
5 Fletcher-class (5 × 5-in. main battery)
Hutchins, Bache, Beale, Daly, Killen
1 Tribal-class (8 × 4.7-in. main battery)
Picket Patrol
Destroyer Squadron 54 (Capt. Jesse G. Coward)
Destroyer Division 107
2 Fletcher-class (5 × 5-in. main battery)
Destroyer Division 108
3 Fletcher-class (5 × 5-in. main battery)
Task Group 70.1 Motor Torpedo Boats
18 motor torpedo boats (MTB)
MTB Squadron 7: MTBs 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 134, 137
MTB Squadron 12: MTBs 146, 150, 151, 152, 190, 191, 192, 194, 195, 196
See main article: Battle off Samar.
Centre Force ('Force A') (sortied from Brunei Bay 22 Oct)
1st Section
Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita
Battleship Division 1 (Vice Adm. Matome Ugaki)
2 battleships
Yamato (9 × 18-in. main battery)
Nagato (8 × 16-in. main battery)
Cruiser Division 4 (Vice Adm. Kurita)
1 heavy cruiser
Chōkai (10 × 8-in. main battery)
Cruiser Division 5 (Vice Adm. Shintaro Hashimoto)
1 heavy cruiser
Haguro (10 × 8-in. main battery)
Destroyer Squadron 2 (Rear Adm. Mikio Hayakawa)
1 light cruiser
Noshiro (6 × 6.1-in. main battery)
9 destroyers
8 Yugumo-class (6 × 5-in. main battery)
Akishimo, Asashimo, Fujinami, Hamanami, Hayashimo, Kishinami, Okinami, Naganami
1 Shimakaze (experimental destroyer type with 15 torpedo tubes)
Shimakaze (6 × 5-in. main battery)
2nd Section
Vice Admiral Yoshio Suzuki
Battleship Division 3 (Vice Adm. Suzuki)
2 battleships
Kongō (8 × 14-in. main battery)
Haruna (8 × 14-in. main battery)
Cruiser Division 7 (Vice Adm. Kazutaka Shiraishi)
4 heavy cruisers
Kumano (10 × 8-in. main battery)
Suzuya (10 × 8-in. main battery)
Chikuma (8 × 8-in. main battery)
Tone (8 × 8-in. main battery)
Destroyer Squadron 10 (Rear Adm. Susumu Kimura)
1 light cruiser
Yahagi (6 × 6.1-in. main battery)
6 destroyers
5 Kagero-class (6 × 5-in. main battery)
Hamakaze, Isokaze, Nowaki, Urakaze, Yukikaze
1 Yugumo-class (6 × 5-in. main battery)
Note: Battleship Musashi and heavy cruisers Atago (Kurita's original flagship), Takao, Myōkō, and Maya had been assigned to Center Force, but had been sunk or damaged by air and submarine attacks prior to the Battle off Samar.
Seventh Fleet
Vice Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid in amphibious command ship Wasatch
Task Force 77 (Central Philippines Attack Force)
Vice Admiral Kinkaid
Task Group 77.4 (Escort Carrier Group)
Rear Admiral Thomas L. Sprague
Task Unit 77.4.3 ("Taffy 3")
Rear Admiral Clifton A.F. Sprague
6 escort carriers
Fanshaw Bay (Capt. D.P. Johnson)
Composite Squadron 68 (Lt. Cmdr. R.S. Rogers)
16 FM-2 Wildcat fighters
12 TBM Avenger torpedo bombers
St. Lo (Capt. F.J. McKenna)
Composite Squadron 65 (Lt. Cmdr. R.M. Jones)
17 FM-2 Wildcat fighters
12 TBM Avenger torpedo bombers
White Plains (Capt. D.J. Sullivan)
Composite Squadron 4 (Lt. E.R. Fickenscher)
16 FM-2 Wildcat fighters
12 TBM Avenger torpedo bombers
Kalinin Bay (Capt. T.B. Williamson)
Composite Squadron 3 (Lt. W.H. Keighley)
16 FM-2 Wildcat fighters
1 TBF, 11 TBM Avenger torpedo bombers
Carrier Division 26 (Rear Adm. Ralph A. Ofstie)
Kitkun Bay (Capt. J.P. Whitney)
Composite Squadron 5 (Cmdr. R.L. Fowler)
14 FM-2 Wildcat fighters
12 TBM Avenger torpedo bombers
Gambier Bay (Capt. W.V.R. Vieweg)
Composite Squadron 10 (Lt. Cmdr. E.J. Huxtable)
18 FM-2 Wildcat fighters
12 TBM Avenger torpedo bombers
Screen
3 Fletcher-class destroyers (5 × 5-in. main battery)
4 John C. Butler-class destroyer escorts (2 × 5-in. main battery)
Dennis, John C. Butler, Raymond, Samuel B. Roberts
Task Unit 77.4.2 ("Taffy 2")
Rear Admiral Felix B. Stump
6 escort carriers
Natoma Bay (Capt. A.K. Morehouse)
Composite Squadron 81 (Lt. Cmdr. R.C. Barnes)
16 FM-2 Wildcat fighters
12 TBM Avenger torpedo bombers
Manila Bay (Capt. Fitzhugh Lee, III)
Composite Squadron 80 (Lt. Cmdr. H.K. Stubbs)
16 FM-2 Wildcat fighters
12 TBM Avenger torpedo bombers
Carrier Division 27 (Rear Adm. William D. Sample)
Marcus Island (Capt. C.F. Greber)
Composite Squadron 21 (Lt. Cmdr T.O. Murray)
12 FM-2 Wildcat fighters
11 TBM Avenger torpedo bombers
Kadashan Bay (Capt. R.N. Hunter)
Composite Squadron 20 (Lt. Cmdr. J.R. Dale)
15 FM-2 Wildcat fighters
11 TBM Avenger torpedo bombers
Savo Island (Capt. C.E. Ekstrom)
Composite Squadron 27 (Lt. Cmdr. P.W. Jackson)
16 FM-2 Wildcat fighters
12 TBM Avenger torpedo bombers
Ommaney Bay (Capt. H.L. Young)
Composite Squadron 75 (Lt. Cmdr. A.W. Smith)
16 FM-2 Wildcat fighters
11 TBM Avenger torpedo bombers
Screen
3 Fletcher-class destroyers (5 × 5-in. main battery)
5 John C. Butler-class destroyer escorts (2 × 5-in. main battery)
Richard W. Suesens, Abercrombie, Oberrender, LeRay Wilson, Walter C. Wann
Northern Force ('Main Body') (sortied from Japanese Home Islands 20 Oct)
Vice Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa
Carrier Division 3 (Vice Adm. Ozawa)
1 fleet carrier
3 light carriers
Combined air group
39 Mitsubishi A6M2 'Zeke' fighters
42 Yokosuka D4Y1 'Judy' dive bombers
33 Nakajima B6N 'Jill' torpedo bombers
4 Nakajima B5N2 'Kate' torpedo bombers
Carrier Division 4 (Rear Adm. Chiaki Matsuda)
2 hybrid battleship carriers
Ise (8 × 14-in. main battery)
Hyūga (8 × 14-in. main battery)
Combined air group for this operation: none
Screen
1 light cruiser
Isuzu (7 × 5.5-in. main battery)
8 destroyers
4 Akizuki-class (6 × 3.9-in. main battery)
Akizuki, Hatsuzuki, Shimotsuki, Wakatsuki
4 Matsu-class (3 × 5-in. main battery)
2 light cruisers
Tama (7 × 5.5-in. main battery)
Ōyodo (6 × 6.1-in. main battery)
Supply Unit
2 oilers: Jinei Maru, Takane Maru
1 destroyer: Akikaze (4 × 4.7-in. main battery)
6 escort vessels: CD-22, CD-29, CD-31, CD-33, CD-43, CD-132
(according to [1])
Third Fleet
Admiral William F. Halsey in battleship New Jersey
Task Force 38 (Fast Carrier Force)
Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher in fleet carrier Lexington
Task Group 38.2 (Task Group Two)
Rear Adm. Gerald F. Bogan
1 fleet carrier
2 light carriers
2 fast battleships
Both Iowa-class (9 × 16-in./50-cal. main battery)
3 light cruisers
16 destroyers
Task Group 38.3 (Task Group Three)
Rear Adm. Frederick C. Sherman
2 fleet carriers
1 light carrier
2 fast battleships
Both South Dakota-class (9 × 16-in./45-cal. main battery)
3 light cruisers
10 destroyers
Task Group 38.4 (Task Group Four)
Rear Adm. Ralph E. Davison
2 fleet carriers
2 light carriers
2 fast battleships
1 North Carolina-class (9 × 16-in./45-cal. main battery)
1 South Dakota-class (9 × 16-in./45-cal. main battery)
2 heavy cruisers
15 destroyers
Task Force 34 (formed at 02:40 on 25 October, dissolved at 10:55 on 25 October)[2]
Vice Adm. Willis A. Lee
6 fast battleships
2 heavy cruisers
5 light cruisers
18 destroyers