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Chapter 5

0035 to 0630
SAN BERNARDINO STRAIT

0035   On October 25, 1944, the Imperial Japanese Navy Centre Force, in single column, exited the restricted narrows of San Bernardino Strait unopposed and entered the Philippine Sea. All hands were alert and at their battle stations expecting the telltale flash of U.S. battleship guns.

A/C    Vice Admiral Kurita rightfully thought he would have to fight is way out of San Bernardino Strait. Fearing the Americans would "cross the ‘T’" of his force as they transited the narrow strait, his ships may well have fallen easy prey to the radar controlled 16-inch guns of Third Fleet’s fast battleships. The Americans would clearly hold the advantage. If caught in this predicament, he would be unable to maneuver in the restricted waters of the strait and would have only the forward guns on his ships able to respond. The American battleline, steaming in formation across the end of the strait, would be in position to bear all their guns on the approaching fleet as it exited the strait one-by-one. All the Japanese ships would be subjected to concentrated fire as they approached the base of the American "T."

A/C    When it became apparent that the American fast battleships were not there to meet him, the next logical consideration under the circumstances was a submarine attack. To the admiral’s relief, there were no torpedo wakes either. Shortly after the last ship exited San Bernardino Strait, they prepared to form a standard night-search disposition.

EVENT    Upon exiting the other side of San Bernardino Strait and entering the Philippine Sea, Centre Force is ordered to head east for open ocean. They form four columns, each five kilometers apart, on a broad 13 mile front, forming a standard night-search disposition.

A/C    Vice Admiral Kurita still expected the Americans to resist their sortie at any moment. As Centre Force sailed along cautiously, the admiral made plans for the morning which he knew would once again bring out the American carrier borne air strikes.

EVENT    The Van and Rear of the Japanese Southern Forces are contacted via ship-to-ship radio by VADM Kurita and are ordered " . . . all forces will meet at 1000 off the southern tip of Samar...."

A/C    This comment sounded quite casual considering what had happened to Centre Force the previous day in the Sibuyan Sea.  Third Fleet carriers would have his force in range during their entire sortie; daylight air attacks were only a matter of time.  Vice Admiral Kurita was set upon making the best of his current situation and he planned accordingly.

A/C    CVEs were known throughout the fleet as Combustible, Vulnerable, and Expendable, or "Kaiser coffins", named after their manufacturer, Henry J. Kaiser. Taffy III's CVEs were CASABLANCA Class escort carriers; 512 feet long, 108 feet of beam, displacing 7,800 tons. Their armament consisted of a single 5-inch gun on their fantail, eight twin 40mm and twenty 20mm anti-aircraft guns. Their biggest asset was their thirty aircraft. On average they carried 12 Grumman TBM Avenger torpedo bombers and 18 Grumman FM-2 Wildcat fighters.

A/C    Taffy III had three FLETCHER Class destroyers in its screen. Each destroyer had five 5-inch radar controlled guns and two 5-mount torpedo tubes. The four smaller destroyer escorts had two 5-inch guns apiece without radar control and only three torpedo tubes. The destroyers were ten knots faster than the destroyer escorts and they required 100 more men.

EVENT    Inside the Combat Information Center aboard Taffy III screening ship DE SAMUEL B. ROBERTS all appears to be routine. Lieutenant Commander Robert W. Copeland, her commanding officer, and LT Everett E. Roberts, Jr., her executive officer, listen to the radio reports of the action in Surigao Strait with great interest.

A/C    Both men had stayed up all night listening to the radio reports concerning the action in Surigao Strait. They probably felt at this time that this was the closest they would ever come in actual combat with an enemy surface fleet. ROBERTS was one of the smallest ships of the fleet, outfitted primarily for anti-submarine duty.

A/C    After being harassed continuously by torpedo boats, VADM Nishimura decided it was time to form his ships into their battle order. This was the formation they would use to enter Surigao Strait and battle their way into Leyte Gulf. He presently knew nothing of the American force awaiting him at the north end of the strait, nor was he coordinating his attack by waiting for VADM Shima’s Rear forces to catch up with those of his own.

0155    Vice Admiral Kinkaid, Commander Seventh Fleet, orders RADM Thomas Sprague, Commander Task Group 77.4 to direct his escort carrier commanders to fly three dawn searches to cover San Bernardino Strait and its eastern and western approaches. This is done mostly to satisfy VADM Kinkaid’s curiosity. He feels quite comfortable knowing (self-convinced) VADM Lee's Task Force 34 fast battleships are guarding San Bernardino Strait.

0208    Vice Admiral Mitscher's Task Group 38 reconnaissance aircraft sight battleships ISE and HYUGA, accompanied by four destroyers.

A/C    The Japanese carriers were actually 210 miles from the Americans. Task Force 34 was then formed and consisted of battleships WASHINGTON (flagship of VADM Lee), ALABAMA, IOWA, NEW JERSEY (flagship of ADM Halsey), MASSACHUSETTS, and SOUTH DAKOTA, heavy cruisers WICHITA and NEW ORLEANS, light cruisers VINCENNES, MIAMI, BILOXI, SANTA FE, and MOBILE, and eighteen destroyers.

0300    Well into open ocean, Centre Force now turns southeast, steaming at 20 knots off the east coast of Samar.

0309    Approaching Surigao Strait in battle order, BB FUSO comes under attack by American destroyers and is hit by at least one torpedo. Numerous fires erupt and her engine room is severely damaged. The fires spread to her magazines and a tremendous explosion blows the ship into two pieces.

0320    Light cruiser ABUKUMA of the Southern Force Rear is struck by a torpedo from PT 137, killing 30 men. Unable to continue north, she is detached from the Rear by VADM Shima and is sent westward to retire at 9 knots.

0320    Destroyer MONSSEN hits BB YAMASHIRO with one torpedo. Badly damaged, two magazines are immediately flooded to avoid a possible catastrophic explosion.

0320    In what is considered the most successful American destroyer torpedo attack of the entire war, the destroyer McDERMUT cripples the Van’s destroyers MICHISHIO and ASAGUMO, and sinks DD YAMAGUMO outright, which explodes so violently it is seen 20 miles away by RADM Oldendorf in CA LOUISVILLE.

A/C    This was the beginning of the highly effective American destroyer attacks in Surigao Strait. The American destroyers approached in groups of three, launched their torpedoes, and retired at high speed back up the strait. At this time several destroyers came under intense fire but none were hit. During this phase of the battle, several Japanese ships were crippled or sunk. Battleships YAMASHIRO and FUSO are both seriously damaged by the attacks.

0330    Rear Admiral Thomas Sprague, Commander Task Group 77.4, orders Taffy II to provide aircraft for dawn searches over the approaches to San Bernardino Strait. The message is received an hour late by RADM Stump on CVE KADASHAN BAY and he later tasks CVE OMMANEY BAY with the mission. Ten Avengers are prepared for this mission on a rain-soaked deck but the planes are not ready to fly until almost 0700.

A/C    The Philippine tropical weather, notably the rainy season, was taking its toll on air operations.

A/C    In addition to their reconnaissance duties, the escort carriers were also notified to standby to attack the Japanese stragglers from the Battle of Surigao Strait. Because of this order, many of the CVEs were prepared to launch aircraft with torpedoes and semi-armor piercing bombs to deal with the stragglers of the Battle of Surigao Strait. Unknown by the CVE commanders, this planning would pay off ten-fold later in the morning during the Battle Off Samar.

0335    Vice Admiral Kurita receives another message from VADM Nishimura’s Van stating his force has sighted three enemy ships.

A/C    The worst was yet to come for the Van. Rear Admiral Jesse Oldendorf had assembled a large reception for the Japanese forces approaching Leyte Gulf from the south. On station northwest of Hibuson island at the northern entrance to Surigao Strait were all six old battleships, four heavy cruisers, and four light cruisers.

0351    The right and left flank cruisers open fire with their main batteries on the approaching Van.

A/C    Battleship YAMASHIRO was about eleven and one-half miles from the Seventh Fleet battleline when the order to open fire was given. The heavy cruisers were stationed about three and one-half miles south of the battleships, closer to the approaching Japanese. Vice Admiral Nishimura’s remaining forces were met with a torrential downfall of 16, 14, 8, and 6-inch shells.

0353    Battleship WEST VIRGINIA opens fire with her 16-inch main batteries on the Van.

EVENT    Vice Admiral Shima’s Southern Force Rear warships proceed northward up the approach to Surigao Strait at 28 knots. His four destroyers lead, followed by heavy cruisers NACHI and ASHIGARA.

EVENT    Vice Admiral Shima shortly thereafter sights what appears to be two burning ships in the water ahead. He immediately concludes they are the Van’s two battleships FUSO and YAMASHIRO. Next he sights the Van's retreating destroyer SHIGURE, which is having rudder difficulties. Heavy cruiser NACHI and DD SHIGURE exchange recognition communications and SHIGURE continues southward.

A/C    The two burning ships VADM Shima sighted were in fact the two separate halves of BB FUSO. After DD SHIGURE encountered VADM Shima’s Rear, the retreating destroyer proceeded southward without giving any information to the advancing Rear about the demise of the Van. This was another clear indication of the lack of coordination and communications which plagued the entire southern pincher operation.

A/C    The order to cease fire was given by RADM Oldendorf because the American destroyer ALBERT W. GRANT of CDR Smoot’s DESRON 56 was repeatedly hit by friendly shell fire from 0407 onward. This was to be the only significant damage suffered by the Americans during the Battle of Surigao Strait, except for a few unlucky PT boats which received only minor damage.

EVENT    Seventh Fleet sends ADM Halsey the following message inquiry:

"...QUESTION. IS TF 34 GUARDING SAN BERNARDINO STRAIT?"

It wasn't. Subsequently, the message is not received by Admiral Halsey until 0648.

0415    Aboard escort carrier GAMBIER BAY Flight Quarter Stations are manned.

0419    Vice Admiral Nishimura’s flagship BB YAMASHIRO, severely damaged by the battleline, is hit on her port side by two torpedoes from the DD NEWCOMB. Unable to sustain further damage, she finally sinks, taking with her VADM Nishimura.

0420    Southern Force Rear heavy cruisers NACHI and ASHIGARA prepare to launch a torpedo attack against two targets gained on their surface radar.

EVENT    Shortly thereafter, VADM Shima’s heavy cruisers launch eight torpedoes apiece by radar. Heavy cruiser NACHI then literally runs into trouble. Unaware that the Van’s CA MOGAMI is making way, CA NACHI is struck on her port side by the Van's damaged heavy cruiser, causing serious damage to both ships. As a result, CA NACHI is forced to retire to assess her damage.

A/C    The Southern Force Van’s piecemeal destruction was closely followed by the Rear’s retreat. Vice Admiral Shima, upon seeing the fate of VADM Nishimura's force, knew he was out-gunned and quickly chose not to go any further. This was the American high-water mark of the Battle of Leyte Gulf followed shortly thereafter by, farther to the north, the Battle Off Samar.

EVENT    Aboard Taffy III's DE ROBERTS in her Combat Information Center, word is heard over the radio that the Japanese fleet has been routed in Surigao Strait. As a result, her Commanding Officer, LCDR Copeland, is lulled into a false sense of security.

0500    The first scheduled flights for Task Unit 77.4.3 are launched.

0505    The last FM-2 Wildcat fighter from CVE GAMBIER BAY’s morning Combat Air Patrol is launched.

0522    The crew of DE DENNIS man their battlestations for dawn alert. Condition Easy is set.

0530    Escort Carrier ST LO launches a Target Anti Submarine Patrol of two Avenger Torpedo Bombers and four Wildcat FM-2 fighters for the Leyte Gulf area.

A/C    Taffy III completed the launching of a Target Combat Air Patrol consisting of 12 fighters to protect the shipping in Leyte Gulf.

EVENT    As daylight proper soon approaches, Centre Force is directed to form a defensive circular formation to maximize their anti-aircraft protection from the air attacks, expected to arrive shortly.

A/C    This circular formation was their best proven defense from air attack. An air attack by Third Fleet aircraft was expected shortly after first light. As before in the Sibuyan Sea, the battleships and heavy cruisers would group in the center with the destroyers on the outside perimeter.

0532    Admiral Kurita receives a message from RADM Shima, Southern Force Rear Commander, stating that VADM Nishimura’s Southern Force Van "has been destroyed."

0545    Rear Admiral Thomas Sprague's Task Unit 77.4.1 (Taffy I) launches aircraft to pursue the fleeing remnant of the Japanese Southern Forces in Surigao Strait.

0545    Air operations complete, DE DENNIS changes course to 350° T, speed 15 knots, and assumes cruising disposition 5-R within the task unit.

0551    Ensign Hans L. Jensen is launched from Taffy II's CVE KADASHAN BAY in his TBM-1C for an anti-submarine patrol mission in the waters off Samar.

0600    Escort carrier GAMBIER BAY and the other ships of Taffy III steam northward off the coast of Samar in their assigned operations area, unaware of the impending danger from the Japanese Centre Force.

0600    Destroyer Escort DENNIS commences zig-zagging according to plan #25 of USF 10A.

0607    A Support Group of four torpedo bombers is launched from the escort carriers of Taffy III. Shortly thereafter, two more are launched as Target Anti-Submarine Patrol sweep in the same area. Aircraft to safeguard Taffy III are also launched.

0614    Sunrise.

A/C    The new day's sun rose slowly with partly overcast skies and occasional rain squalls, typical for this time of year.

A/C    The men of Taffy III considered the "busy work" for the morning over. The first aircraft of the new day were launched without incident. The men of Task Unit 77.4.3 would now enjoy breakfast, relax a while, and prepare for another busy day of providing air support for the invasion troops landed on Leyte.

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