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Chapter 11

0911 to 1030
RECALL

0911     Vice Admiral Kurita aboard BB YAMATO, sends an immediate message to all ships ordering:

"CEASE ACTION, COME NORTH WITH ME, 20 KNOTS."

Still under aerial torpedo attack, BB YAMATO swings to port and heads north. The remaining ships of Centre Force begin to break off their attack against the remaining units of Taffy III and head northward to regroup.

The American pilots from all three Taffies harassed Centre Force relentlessly with and without torpedoes, bombs, or ammunition for their guns. These efforts alone were the greatest significant factor contributing to Centre Force’s calculated retreat. Also, the sighting of Taffy II to the southeast led him to believe additional heavy U.S. carrier forces were nearby and would soon be adding their weight to the air attacks. He saw his only logical defense was to pull his remaining forces together to optimize their combined air defense and to possibly organize another attack as an effective, cohesive unit.

A/C     Vice Admiral Kurita was physically exhausted by this point. The entire SHO operation had been a great drain on his personal health. The need to stay alert only maximized as they approached nearer to Leyte Gulf, resulting in little or no sleep.

A/C     Also of significance was the actual damage inflicted upon Centre Force since departing Brunei Bay. Originally consisting of thirty-two warships, the entire remaining force now comprised about sixteen ships. Two days earlier he literally had to swim for his life after his flagship CA ATAGO was sunk beneath him and one other heavy cruiser was sunk. The crippling of another heavy cruiser in Palawan Passage and the need to dispatch two destroyers for escort duty significantly weakened his force. Later the next day during the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea his forces came under heavy air attack by Halsey's Third Fleet task groups which cumulated in the loss of super-battleship MUSASHI. Add to that one more damaged heavy cruiser, including another destroyer for escort duties. The unrelenting U.S. carrier aircraft attacks received by his forces today only lessened his resolve. Unable to get past the heavy American air attacks, the entire SHO-GO plan seemed to be falling apart before his eyes and was now appeared to be failing.

A/C      Ships of the task unit change course to 220° T.

EVENT     Shortly after their torpedo attack, the Japanese destroyers of Destroyer Squadron Ten close range and concentrate on DD JOHNSTON, knocking out her remaining engine and fire room with effective, nearly point-blank 5-inch gunfire. All power and communications are lost on DD JOHNSTON, ending the destroyer’s long morning of unrelenting, sustained action.

A/C     The torpedo attack by the destroyers of DESRON TEN appeared to be performed half-heartedly. All destroyers fired at an extremely long range without results.

A/C     The combination of JOHNSTON's stubbornness in challenging the destroyers and VADM Kurita's recall order saved the escort carriers from further losses.

0917     TBS - Small Boys v Taffy 3, "TWO SMALL BOYS GET ON PORT BOW AND MAKE SMOKE."

0917     TBS - Great Danes v Taffy 3, "LOAD AVAILABLE FISH WITH TORPEDOES AND MAKE ATTACK ON THE ENEMY, OUT."

0918     Destroyer escort BUTLER expends all of its 5-inch ammunition. She is ordered to the head of the escort carrier formation to lay more smoke.

A/C     This clearly indicates the intense gunfire action the destroyer escorts were engaged in throughout the morning. With only two 5-inch guns, BUTLER fired nearly 300 rounds from each at ranges of 5 to 10 miles. One note: although she tried, BUTLER was the only destroyer escort remaining in the screen not to fire her 3 torpedoes.

0918     TBS - FIDO v Taffy 3, "HOW BAD ARE YOU HIT?"

0918     TBS - DERBY v Taffy 3, "HOW BAD ARE YOU HIT?"

0918     Placed out of action by taffy aircraft, CA CHOKAI reports she is in serious trouble and unable to continue her pursuit of the escort carriers.

0920     TBS - Mercury 3 v Taffy 3, "AM EXPECTING SOME SMALL BOYS TO COME OUT AND JOIN ME, OUT."

0920     Unknown to VADM Kurita, heavy cruisers TONE and HAGURO have approached to within 10,000 yards of the remaining, badly damaged escort carriers of Taffy III; nearly point-blank range for their 203mm, 8-inch guns. Following VADM Kurita’s orders, they swing hard to port, breaking off their attack and steer northward to regroup with the remaining ships of Centre Force.

A/C     As seen from the port beam of ST LO, TONE and HAGURO had reversed course. Both had been firing steadily, though slowly, at the fleeing escort carriers.

0920     Repairs to the broken breach operating spring on DE DENNIS’ aft 5-inch gun are completed and No. 2 gun crew is shifted aft, placing the gun back in service.

0921     Admiral Halsey receives another plain-English message from RADM Sprague addressed to everyone...Kinkaid, Nimitz, and Tommy Sprague:

"STILL UNDER ATTACK AT 0830".

0921     TBS - DREADNAUGHT v Taffy 3, "I HAVE NO SMALL BOYS WITH ME AT THIS TIME, OUT."

A/C     A number of torpedoes were sighted from the ship. Nearing the end of their run, they were porpoising near the surface. LT Waldrop, radio call sign, 88 DERBY, strafed one which exploded in the wake of KALININ BAY. Another exploded a short distance on the port quarter. The wakes were numerous and the porpoising so continuous that both ST LO and KALININ BAY attempted to explode the torpedoes with 40mm and 20mm fire.

0925     Battleship KONGO, the most resolutely led Japanese battleship in this engagement, breaks off her pursuit of the fleeing escort carriers and turns northeast to regroup with the remaining warships of Centre Force.

0925     TBS - v Taffy 3, "LOOK OUT FOR FISH FROM ASTERN."

0925     TBS - Mercury 3 v Taffy 3, "SIGNAL EXECUTE UPON RECEIPT SHACKLE GEORGE NAN EASY UNSHACKLE. GEORGIA ACKNOWLEDGE." .... v GEORGIA, "WILCO OUT."

A/C     Ships of the task unit change course to 220° T.

0925     TBS - Taffy 3 v DREADNAUGHT, "DO YOU STILL WANT US ON THE PORT BOW, OVER." .... v Taffy 3, "NEGATIVE."

0925     The island of Samar is sighted visually aboard DE DENNIS, bearing 220° T.

EVENT     On board flagship CVE FANSHAW BAY, a signalman, upon seeing heavy cruisers TONE and HAGURO break off action and turn away, yells, "Goddamit boys, they're getting away!" Their retreat signaled the end of the major surface action of the Battle Off Samar.

"AM NOW ENGAGING ENEMY CARRIER FORCE. TG 38.1 WITH 5 CARRIERS AND 4 CAs (cruisers) HAS BEEN ORDERED TO ASSIST YOU IMMEDIATELY."

Belatedly, he also let Seventh Fleet know his position by adding:

"MY POSITION WITH THREE OTHER CARRIER TASK GROUPS..."

A/C     The seemingly endless string of messages sent by Seventh Fleet units to Halsey was probably getting to him. Halsey's reply let VADM Kinkaid know how helpless he was by stating "there was nothing further he could do" at his present location. Once again the miscommunication between the fleets was evident by ADM Halsey stating "...my position...". Embarked in BB NEW JERSEY, ADM Halsey would have been riding along with Task Force 34 had they been left behind to guard San Bernardino Strait. His last message told VADM Kinkaid he was indeed far to the north with the carriers, striking VADM Ozawa's decoy Northern Force.

0927     TBS - Mercury 3 v Taffy 3, "SPEED IS SHACKLE YOKE DOG UNSHACKLE. DEXTER AND FIGLEAF ACKNOWLEDGE." .... v DEXTER, FIGLEAF, "WILCO OUT."

A/C     Ships of the task unit change speed to 15 knots.

0928     TBS - Taffy 3 v DERBY, "I HAVE ONE FISH READY TO GO ON CATAPULT."

0929     TBS - Mercury 3 v Taffy 3, "SPEED SHACKLE ITEM ABLE UNSHACKLE. DEXTER AND FIGLEAF ACKNOWLEDGE." .... v DEXTER, FIGLEAF, "WILCO OUT."

A/C     Ships of the task unit increase speed to 17 knots.

0930     Thirty-six minutes after being ordered to attack the warships of Task Unit 77.4.2 (Taffy II), BB HARUNA ceases action and turns to port to rejoin Centre Force. On the western side of the battlescape, Destroyer Squadron Ten turn east to rejoin.

A/C     HARUNA’s luckless chase of Taffy II was another stroke of luck for the struggling escort carriers of Taffy III. Her eight 14-inch guns were thus diverted from RADM Sprague’s group and fortunately only scored a few near-misses against RADM Stump’s.

0930     After watching heavy cruisers TONE, HAGURO, and the remaining ships of the Japanese Centre Force retreat, RADM Sprague orders the nine remaining ships of Taffy III to form "formation 5 Roger," normal cruising formation.

A/C     The Battle Off Samar surface action has now ended for the nine surviving warships of Taffy III. Of the four ships currently sunk or sinking, unexpectedly, one more escort carrier would soon join their ranks.

0930     TBS - Taffy 3 v DREADNAUGHT, "DO YOU MAKE DAMAGE REPORTS ON THIS CIRCUIT FROM SMALL BOYS?"

EVENT     From the bow of the sinking ship, the last remaining men of DE ROBERTS abandon ship and jump into the water.

0931     TBS - Mercury 3 v Taffy 3, "SIGNAL EXECUTE UPON RECEIPT TURN SHACKLE NAN YOKE EASY UNSHACKLE. FIGLEAF AND DERBY ACKNOWLEDGE." .... v FIGLEAF, DERBY, "WILCO OUT."

A/C     Ships of the task unit change course to 210° T.

0932     As the range between the retiring Japanese fleet and DE DENNIS increases, cruising disposition 5-R is ordered.

0934     Destroyer Escort DENNIS changes speed to 19 knots.

0935     Destroyer Escort DENNIS changes speed to 17 knots.

0935     The escort carriers of Taffy II launch eleven Avengers and eight Wildcat fighters. Only one torpedo bomber is armed with a torpedo, the remainder carry four 500-pound bombs apiece.

0940     Destroyer JOHNSTON dead in the water, becomes the focal point of Destroyer Squadron Ten's gunfire. Destroyers URAKAZE, ISOKAZE, YUKIKAZE, and NOWAKI concentrate their fire on her "...like Indians circling a covered wagon...".

A/C     JOHNSTON was helpless at this point.

0945     Badly battered, sinking, and unable to defend herself, DD JOHNSTON orders "abandon ship."

0945     TBS - Taffy 3 v Taffy 2, "DUMMY EXPECTS TO BE AT SOUTH OF POINT FIN AT 0950." .... v Taffy 3, ‘ROGER OUT."

0945     Destroyer Escort DENNIS changes course to 210° T.

0948     Destroyer Escort DENNIS changes course to 180° T.

0949     TBS - Mercury 3 v Taffy 3, "SIGNAL EXECUTE UPON RECEIPT SHACKLE ITEM JIG KING UNSHACKLE TURN. DERBY AND BRASSLOCK ACKNOWLEDGE." .... v DERBY, BRASSLOCK, "WILCO OUT."

A/C     Ships of the task unit change course to 180° T.

0950     TBS - Mercury 3 v Taffy 3, "SIGNAL EXECUTE UPON RECEIPT SPEED SHACKLE ITEM DOG UNSHACKLE. JUGGERNAUGHT ACKNOWLEDGE." .... v JUGGERNAUGHT, "WILCO OUT."

A/C     Ships of the task unit change speed to 15 knots.

0957     TBS - Great Danes v Taffy 3, "ALL GREAT DANES GET IN POSITION TO PANCAKE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. DEXTER ACKNOWLEDGE." .... v DEXTER, "WILCO OUT."

A/C     CTU 77.4.3 ordered all CVEs to prepare to land aircraft as soon as possible.

0958     TBS - v FIDO, "WE ARE READY IN A FEW MINUTES."

0958     TBS - v DEXTER, "I HAVE SHACKLE HOW UNSHACKLE VT PLANES ON DECK LOADED WITH FISH. WILL BE READY TO LAUNCH IN SHACKLE YOKE KING UNSHACKLE MINUTES."

A/C     KITKUN BAY reports she has six TBM torpedo bombers on deck loaded with torpedoes, ready for launch in ten minutes.

0959     TBS - v DERBY, "READY TO PANCAKE AT ANY TIME."

A/C     ST LO reports....

0959     TBS - DEXTER v Taffy 3, "WE ARE LAUNCHING YOUR BOYS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I WILL COME INTO THE WIND." .... v DEXTER, "WILCO OUT."

A/C     KITKUN BAY reports....

1000      Admiral Halsey, aboard BB NEW JERSEY, is handed a message from ADM Nimitz, Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, in Pearl Harbor. The message reads:

"WHERE IS, RPT (REPEAT), WHERE IS TASK FORCE 34? RR THE WORLD WONDERS."

An irate Halsey cannot control his emotions and throws his cap to the deck!

A/C     Admiral Nimitz, like Kinkaid, Sprague and most others, also believed TF 34 was guarding San Bernardino Strait.

A/C     The actual message text received by BB NEW JERSEY's communications center was:

"TURKEY TROTS TO WATER RR WHERE IS RPT WHERE IS TASK FORCE 34? RR THE WORLD WONDERS."

A/C     The first and last "sentences" were padding, separated from the "meat" of the message by double letters (RR). Padding was routinely placed on messages to confuse the enemy code breakers. When ADM Halsey was given this particular message, the words making up the end padding, "THE WORLD WONDERS," were not dropped by the communications center personnel because plausibly, they appeared to be part of the message. Admiral Halsey, knowing that the double letters "RR" indicated the words in the last sentence were padding, perceived the entire message as a calculated insult from his superior officer. An infuriated Halsey contemplated his next move...

1000     Aboard BB YAMATO VADM Kurita completes his initial battle report summary for GHQ. He reports the sure sinking of two American carriers, one of the INDEPENDENCE class, two heavy cruisers, some destroyers, and damage to several others. Also reported is the serious damage imposed upon heavy cruisers CHOKAI, CHIKUMA, and KUMANO.

A/C     Kurita’s assessment of the battle damage inflicted upon the Americans came from all of his commanders and staff. Later, bloated reports from the Commander of the Tenth Destroyer Squadron inflated the number of carriers sunk to four, all of course, larger than escort carriers since the Japanese had no knowledge of their existence.

1000     TBS - Taffy 3 v MONGREL, "I AM WELL FLOODED FORWARD, AM MAKING SHACKLE YOKE EASY UNSHACKLE." .... v Taffy 3, "ROGER OUT."

A/C     DENNIS, obviously laboring from the flooding, reports her speed as 10 knots.

1000     TBS - Taffy 3 v FIDO, "WE ARE TRYING TO GET INTO POSITION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE."

1000     One Avenger torpedo bomber from ST LO’s Composite Squadron VC-65, armed with a torpedo, is launched in accordance with orders from CTU 77.4.3, with instructions to join a similarly loaded Avenger from CVE KITKUN BAY. Both are under orders to attack the retiring Japanese force.

1001     TBS - DREADNAUGHT v Taffy 3, "DO YOU REQUIRE ASSISTANCE NOW?"

1001     TBS - Taffy 3 v DREADNAUGHT, "I AM IN THE SCREEN. I WOULD LIKE TO SLOW DOWN TO WORK ON MY FORWARD BULKHEADS." .... v Taffy 3, "ROGER OUT."

A/C     HEERMANN reports....

1001     Escort carrier ST LO is ordered to land any composite squadron aircraft of Taffy III.

A/C     Several of the escort carriers’ flight decks were out of commission. ST LO’s flight deck was probably in the best shape of the five remaining CVEs.

1003     Admiral Halsey receives another message, this time from VADM Kinkaid, urgently requesting help:

"MY SITUATION IS CRITICAL. FAST BATTLESHIPS AND SUPPORT BY AIR STRIKE MAY BE ABLE TO PREVENT ENEMY FROM DESTROYING CVEs AND ENTERING LEYTE".

1005     Taffy II's latest strike arrives and attacks the crippled Japanese cruisers, scoring three more hits.

1006     TBS - Taffy 3 v DREADNAUGHT, "MY SPEED SHACKLE KING EASY UNSHACKLE." .... v Taffy 3, "ROGER OUT."

A/C     HEERMANN reports her speed as zero knots, all stop.

1006     TBS - Mercury 3 v Taffy 3, "ALL GREAT DANES PREPARE SPECIAL PANCAKE AND SLINGSHOT. DEXTER ACKNOWLEDGE." .... v DEXTER, "WILCO OUT."

A/C     CTU 77.4.3 directs special aircraft landings and catapult launches.

1006     TBS - v DERBY, "I HAVE A FISH READY TO LAUNCH."

A/C     ST LO reports she has a TBM torpedo bomber ready....

1006     TBS - Taffy 3 v FIDO, "I HAVE TWO FISH READY TO LAUNCH." .... "FIDO, DERBY," v Taffy 3, "ROGER OUT."

A/C     WHITE PLAINS reports she has two TBM torpedo bombers ready....

1007     Destroyer Escort USS SAMUEL B. ROBERTS (DE 413), reduced to a twisted wreck, rolls over and sinks, the third American ship of Taffy III to succumb to Centre Force.

A/C     SAMUEL B. ROBERTS lost three officers and eighty-six enlisted men, many of whom died of wounds on the rafts during the next forty-eight hours.

1008     TBS - Taffy 3 v MONGREL, "REQUEST MEDICAL AID WE HAVE TWO KILLED AND EIGHT SEVERELY WOUNDED. WILL PREPARE SUMMARY OF OUR DAMAGE AND WILL SUBMIT IT AT EARLIEST POSSIBLE MOMENT." .... v Taffy 3, "ROGER OUT."

A/C     DENNIS reports....

1009     TBS - Taffy 3 v DREADNAUGHT, "I AM GOING TO UNLOAD A HOT GUN." .... v Taffy 3, "AFFIRMATIVE."

A/C     HEERMANN reports.

1014     Heavy cruiser SUZUYA, badly damaged by previous attacks, is hit again by US carrier aircraft and is left in a sinking condition.

1015     Aboard DE DENNIS, the Japanese fleet is reported bearing 070° T, 25 miles by radar.

1016     An additional CVE joins the formation.

A/C     The straggling CVE was probably KALININ BAY. She had taken about fifteen 8-inch shell hits during the battle.

1018     Vice Admiral Kurita orders the three damaged heavy cruisers of his force to retire independently. Only CA KUMANO is able to do so, the other two are in dire straits and in a sinking condition. For this purpose three destroyers are dispatched as escort and clean-up duties. From Destroyer Squadron Two, DD HAYASHIMO is sent to aid and screen CA KUMANO and DD FUJINAMI to transfer the men of CA CHOKAI and subsequently sink her by torpedo. To rescue the men of struggling CA CHIKUMA, DD NOWAKI is dispatched from Destroyer Squadron Ten with the intent to sink her after transfer of her crew is complete.

1020     TBS - Taffy 3 v FIDO, "WE ARE LAUNCHING FOUR FISH AND ONE CHICKEN. THAT IS ALL WE HAVE AT PRESENT TIME."

A/C     WHITE PLAINS reports the launching of four TBM torpedo bombers and one FM-2 fighter.

1020     Condition Watches are set aboard CVE ST LO, giving the crew a chance to eat and relax.

1021     The task unit turns into the wind to land aircraft.

1030     American CV HORNET, from Vice Admiral McCain's TG 38.1, launches six fighters to search for Centre Force which is 335 miles away.

1030     TBS - GEORGIA v Taffy 3, "MIKE CORPEN SHACKLE YOKE FOX DOG UNSHACKLE." .... v GEORGIA, "WILCO OUT."

A/C     CTU orders KALININ BAY to course 135° T.

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