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Today in History the Battle of Samar
2019-10-25
[Naval History and Heritage Command] Battle off Samar: October 25, 1944

Despite its losses in the Sibuyan Sea, the Japanese Center Force steamed to counter the U.S. Allied forces during the Battle of Leyte Gulf. In the early morning of October 25, 1944, four Japanese battleships, eight cruisers, and eleven destroyers surprised the Allies. Leading the U.S. Navy Task Groups, or Taffys, were Rear Admiral Thomas L. Sprague (Taffy 1), Rear Admiral Felix B. Stump (Taffy 2), and Rear Admiral Clifton A.F. Sprague (Taffy 3). Despite the surprise and great show of power from the enemy, the U.S. Navy servicemen fought heroically to defend their carriers though USS Gambier Bay (CVE-73), USS Hoel (DD-533), USS Johnson (DD-557), and USS Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413) were sunk. For his actions commanding Johnston, Commander Ernest E. Evans was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. Despite these losses, the enemy formation suffered fatal damage to three heavy cruisers Choaki, Chikuma, and Suzuya. The Japanese were so disrupted that is commander, Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita, decided to withdraw. During this engagement, Kamikaze suicide planes hit the CVEs and their escorts, sinking USS St. Lo (CVE-63) and damaging others, making their first appearance as a weapon against the U.S. Navy.

Image: 80-G-47038: Battle off Samar, October 25, 1944. Allied fleet is attacked by the Japanese off Leyte, Philippines. Black smoke rising from funnels of the CVEs, naval escorts lay smoke while being shelled. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Posted by:Bugs Prince of the Danes7415

#4  Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors, Hornfischer.

Slightly off topic, anyone else apprehensive about the coming Midway movie?

First, don't remake a classic.

Second, whats up with the Call of Duty video game noises and briefing graphics and crap? When Wonder Woman does better period re-enactment than your period re-enactment, flags get thrown mate. I would bet a doughnut that sometime in the movie an overhead view from a then unobtainable altitude will zoom in to a ship's con tower.

I would like to see this battle be made into a movie, but nice and dry like The Great Raid *without the damn love story*. I hate how movie makers think that they have to add tons of machines in a scene and give them flying physics of a free smart phone game. People spends thousands to create ship replicas a la Ben Hur to sail around and shoot ball bearings at each other - hybrid that real world with computer enhancements, not some overpaid dweeb downloading skins from World of Warships and letting marketing try to convince you the new Clash of the Titans is superior to the original.
Posted by: swksvolFF   2019-10-25 18:18  

#3  Amen Tom. Amen and amen.
Posted by: Besoeker   2019-10-25 17:27  

#2  This is great stuff. I was born shortly after WWII ended; but I am grateful to all the brave men who fought and died so that I could grow up not speaking German or Japanese.
Posted by: Tom   2019-10-25 17:26  

#1  toxic masculinity
Posted by: Procopius2k   2019-10-25 09:52  

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