Two escort carriers off Samar.

U.S. Navy Photograph

from the personal collection of LT (jg) Russell Wood, USNR
Composite Squadron VC-4, USS WHITE PLAINS (CVE 66)

By 0730 the closest Japanese warships were bearing 302° T, 14,000 yards.  Many salvo splashes were noted throughout the fleeing CVE formation as all ships were making maximum smoke.  The ST LO singled out a heavy cruiser at 14,000 yards astern, closing, apparently not under fire from any other CVE.  Three hits were claimed, one forward of the forward turret starting a fire, and two between the bridge and the first stack.   Escort Carrier ST LO’s Action Report stated, "...a CA (heavy cruiser) accompanied by a large destroyer had moved up on the port beam of our formation at an initial range of 16,000 yards which later closed to 12,000 yards and fired very deliberately full broadsides at the ships of the formation."  In the photo above the escort carrier on the left hides behind a smoke screen and comes under intense gunfire from the Imperial Japanese Navy Centre Force.  Three distinct shell splashes can be seen near the same CVE.  The other CVE, on the right, lays a heavy smoke screen and continues to run from the advancing Japanese.

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