The Battle of Leyte Gulf

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The Battle of Leyte Gulf
The Pacific Ocean roared with fire and steel as the largest naval battle in history unfolded. Thousands of sailors, airmen, and marines braced for an apocalyptic clash that would determine the fate of the Pacific War. The waters around the Philippine island of Leyte, once tranquil, became the stage for an epic confrontation between the United States and Japan. Over the course of four days, fleets clashed in desperate struggles that would decide the course of the Pacific conflict.
The Battle of Leyte Gulf, fought from October twenty-third to October twenty-sixth, nineteen forty-four, pitted the United States Navy’s powerful carrier fleets under Admirals William "Bull" Halsey and Thomas Kinkaid against the remnants of the Imperial Japanese Navy, led by Admirals Takeo Kurita, Jisaburo Ozawa, Shoji Nishimura, and Kiyohide Shima. This climactic engagement unfolded across multiple locations—the Sibuyan Sea, Surigao Strait, the waters off Samar, and near Cape Engaño. Each of these battles played a crucial role in determining the outcome of the larger engagement.
At stake was control of the Philippines, a strategic prize that would cut Japan off from vital oil and resources in the Dutch East Indies. For Japan, this was a desperate gamble, a final attempt to prevent the United States from advancing further into its empire. For the United States, it was the fulfillment of General Douglas MacArthur’s promise: "I shall return." The battle would prove to be the Imperial Japanese Navy’s last great attempt to challenge American naval dominance in the Pacific.
Historical Context
By mid-nineteen forty-four, Japan’s position in the Pacific was rapidly deteriorating. The United States had launched a relentless island-hopping campaign, seizing key territories such as the Marianas and Guam while devastating Japanese forces through superior carrier-based air power. Japan’s fleet had already suffered catastrophic losses at the Battle of the Philippine Sea in June, known as the "Great Marianas Turkey Shoot" due to the overwhelming destruction of Japanese aircraft. With the fall of the Marianas, the United States had established bases that put Japan’s home islands within striking distance of B-twenty-nine bombers.
The Philippines, an American possession before the war, was a crucial objective. Its recapture would sever Japan’s access to vital resources, particularly oil from the Dutch East Indies, effectively crippling its war effort. General MacArthur, who had famously retreated from the islands in nineteen forty-two, was determined to return, making the invasion of Leyte a personal and strategic necessity. The American public had followed MacArthur’s promise closely, and for both military and symbolic reasons, the recapture of the Philippines was a top priority.
Recognizing the high stakes, Japan devised "Sho-Go One" (Operation Victory), a desperate naval counteroffensive. The plan called for a three-pronged attack: a decoy carrier force in the north to lure Halsey’s fleet away, while two surface forces—one through the Surigao Strait and another through the Sibuyan Sea—would converge to destroy United States landing forces. Though audacious, the plan hinged on deception, coordination, and luck. Japanese planners hoped that by drawing American forces away from Leyte Gulf, their battleships and cruisers could inflict devastating losses on the United States invasion force.
The United States Navy, by contrast, had overwhelming numerical and technological superiority. With vast carrier task forces, modern battleships, and extensive air support, American commanders believed they could crush any Japanese resistance. Yet, overconfidence and communication breakdowns would nearly cost them dearly in the coming battle. The Americans had such a significant advantage that they sometimes underestimated the cunning of their adversaries, which Japan attempted to exploit in this decisive battle.
Japan faced a grim reality: its naval strength had been severely diminished, but its leadership was unwilling to concede. The Imperial Japanese Navy, despite its dwindling resources, was prepared to make a final, desperate stand. The Battle of Leyte Gulf was not just a fight for control of the Philippines; it was a last-ditch attempt to halt the inevitable collapse of the Japanese war effort.
The Battle Itself
The vast area of the Philippines set the stage for one of the most complex naval engagements in history. The battle took place in four major locations: the Sibuyan Sea, Surigao Strait, the waters off Samar, and Cape Engaño. Each of these sites presented unique challenges, from narrow straits to open waters, influencing how the battle unfolded. The geography of the Philippines played a critical role, as the Americans relied on their carrier-based aircraft while the Japanese sought to use island cover and night operations to their advantage.
Weather conditions also influenced the engagement. While much of the battle was fought under clear skies, which favored United States air strikes, the Japanese attempted to exploit the darkness of night and early morning fog to conceal their movements. Additionally, the sheer scale of the battle meant that different engagements occurred simultaneously, adding to the chaos and difficulty of command. Communication between American fleets was at times disjointed, allowing the Japanese to temporarily gain advantages in certain areas.
Both sides entered the battle with distinct advantages and disadvantages. The United States had overwhelming naval and air superiority, with fast carrier task forces, modern battleships, and long-range reconnaissance. However, the Japanese had experience in night fighting, superior torpedoes, and a willingness to sacrifice their ships and crews in desperate last-ditch attacks. The confrontation that followed would be defined by both strategic brilliance and critical errors.

October Twenty-Third – The Battle Begins
The first blows of the Battle of Leyte Gulf came not from warships or aircraft but from beneath the waves. On October twenty-third, American submarines Darter and Dace were positioned in the Palawan Passage when they detected Kurita’s Center Force advancing toward Leyte Gulf. The submarines quickly moved to attack, launching torpedoes at the Japanese heavy cruisers. Atago, Kurita’s flagship, was struck multiple times and sank, taking hundreds of sailors with her.
The attack also severely damaged Takao, forcing it to retreat, while Maya, another heavy cruiser, was sunk. This surprise strike delivered an early blow to Kurita’s fleet, reducing his heavy cruiser strength and forcing him to transfer his flag to the battleship Yamato. Despite the setback, Kurita pushed forward, determined to break through to the United States landing forces at Leyte. The loss of his flagship and several escorts did not deter him, but the Americans were now fully aware of his approach.
The submarine attack sent shockwaves through the Japanese command. It demonstrated that American intelligence and positioning were effective, making it clear that reaching Leyte Gulf would be far more difficult than anticipated. However, Kurita’s fleet was still intact enough to pose a serious threat, and he pressed forward toward the Sibuyan Sea.

October Twenty-Fourth – The Battle of the Sibuyan Sea
As Kurita’s fleet advanced into the Sibuyan Sea on October twenty-fourth, it was met by wave after wave of United States carrier-based aircraft. American reconnaissance had tracked the Japanese force, and Admiral Halsey ordered air strikes to weaken Kurita’s ships before they could reach Leyte Gulf. The first waves of bombers and torpedo planes targeted the battleship Musashi, one of Japan’s largest and most powerful warships.
Over the course of the day, Musashi was hit by more than nineteen torpedoes and bombs. The immense vessel, despite its thick armor, could not withstand the sustained bombardment. As it attempted to withdraw, it began listing heavily and eventually sank beneath the waves. The loss of Musashi was a significant psychological blow, demonstrating the overwhelming power of American air superiority. Kurita, believing that more United States carrier forces lay ahead, temporarily turned his fleet around, giving the Americans time to regroup.
While Kurita’s force was battered, it was not destroyed. The hesitation in following up on the attack allowed him to later resume his advance toward Leyte Gulf. The battle in the Sibuyan Sea showcased the devastating effect of American carrier air power, but it also revealed the dangers of miscalculations and assumptions, as the Japanese fleet remained a threat.

October Twenty-Fourth to Twenty-Fifth – The Battle of Surigao Strait
While Kurita’s force struggled in the Sibuyan Sea, another Japanese fleet, under Admiral Shoji Nishimura, was making its approach through the Surigao Strait. His mission was to coordinate with another force led by Admiral Kiyohide Shima and break through to Leyte Gulf from the south. However, the Americans had anticipated this movement and prepared a deadly trap.
United States battleships, many of them survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor, lay in wait under the command of Admiral Jesse Oldendorf. The American fleet executed the classic "crossing the T" maneuver, positioning their ships in such a way that they could fire full broadsides at the advancing Japanese vessels while the enemy could only respond with their forward-facing guns. The result was devastating.
Nishimura’s fleet was annihilated. The battleships Fuso and Yamashiro were sunk, along with several destroyers. Admiral Shima, realizing the hopelessness of the situation, turned his force around and retreated. The Battle of Surigao Strait became the last major battleship engagement in history, marking the effective end of Japan’s ability to challenge the United States in traditional surface warfare.

October Twenty-Fifth – The Battle off Samar
As Kurita’s force resumed its advance, it encountered an unexpected target: Taffy Three, a small task unit of United States escort carriers, destroyers, and destroyer escorts under Rear Admiral Clifton Sprague. These lightly armed ships were not intended to fight battleships and heavy cruisers, but with the main American fleet out of position, they had no choice but to defend themselves.
In one of the most heroic actions in naval history, the escort ships of Taffy Three launched a desperate counterattack. Destroyers like Johnston and Hoel charged directly at Kurita’s battleships, firing torpedoes and laying down smokescreens to protect the carriers. Aircraft from the escort carriers, many of them without armor-piercing bombs, repeatedly strafed the Japanese ships, attempting to delay their advance.
Kurita, confused by the ferocity of the American resistance and believing he was facing a much larger force, ultimately ordered his fleet to withdraw. The Battle off Samar, though a tactical loss for the United States in terms of ships lost, was a strategic victory. The escort carriers had saved the American landing force at Leyte, ensuring the success of the invasion.
October Twenty-Fifth to Twenty-Sixth – The Battle of Cape Engaño
While the chaos at Samar unfolded, Admiral Ozawa’s decoy force in the north was engaging Halsey’s Third Fleet. Ozawa’s carriers, serving as bait, had drawn the American fast carriers away from the main battlefield. Once Halsey realized the deception, he unleashed his air power on Ozawa’s force, sinking four Japanese carriers, including Zuikaku, the last surviving carrier that had participated in the Pearl Harbor attack.
Though the destruction of Ozawa’s carriers was a decisive blow to Japan, it came at a cost. Halsey’s pursuit of the decoy force left the main landing force at Leyte temporarily exposed, nearly allowing Kurita’s battleships to break through. The oversight highlighted the risks of aggressive offensive action, even when holding the strategic advantage. Nevertheless, by the end of October twenty-sixth, Japan’s fleet was shattered, and the United States had secured an overwhelming victory.
Outcome & Immediate Impact
The Battle of Leyte Gulf ended in a decisive American victory, effectively shattering the Imperial Japanese Navy as a fighting force. Japan suffered immense losses, including four aircraft carriers, three battleships, ten cruisers, and numerous destroyers. Thousands of Japanese sailors perished, many of them going down with their ships. The United States, while losing several ships in the engagements, retained overwhelming naval superiority and continued its advance into the Philippines. This battle marked the last major fleet action of the Pacific War, signaling that Japan’s ability to challenge the United States Navy in open battle had come to an end.
The immediate consequence of Leyte Gulf was the successful American landing at Leyte, which enabled General Douglas MacArthur to fulfill his promise of returning to the Philippines. With Japanese naval resistance broken, United States forces faced only land-based opposition, allowing them to push deeper into the archipelago. The victory ensured that American troops would have the supply lines and naval support necessary to complete the liberation of the Philippines, a campaign that would last until the war’s final months. The ability to cut off Japan from the vital resources of Southeast Asia accelerated the collapse of its war effort.
The battle also marked a turning point in Japan’s strategic outlook. Having lost the bulk of its remaining capital ships and its ability to wage offensive naval warfare, Japan increasingly turned to suicide tactics in a desperate bid to slow American advances. The Battle of Leyte Gulf saw the first large-scale use of kamikaze pilots—suicidal attacks in which Japanese aircraft deliberately crashed into American ships. While initially shocking to American commanders, these attacks would become a defining feature of the war’s final stages, causing devastating damage at Okinawa and later during the battles for Iwo Jima and the Japanese home islands.
For the United States, the victory solidified its dominance over the Pacific. The battle reaffirmed the effectiveness of carrier-based naval power and the importance of air superiority in modern warfare. With Japan’s fleet neutralized, American forces could move forward with their plans for the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, bringing the war ever closer to Japan’s doorstep. The loss of Japan’s naval capabilities meant that its forces in the Pacific and Southeast Asia were now stranded, with no hope of reinforcements or resupply.
The reaction to the battle varied. In the United States, Leyte Gulf was hailed as a triumph that showcased American naval supremacy. The heroic stand of Taffy Three at Samar was widely recognized, with numerous medals and commendations awarded to the sailors who fought against overwhelming odds. In Japan, however, the battle was a catastrophe. While the full scale of the defeat was not initially made public, it was clear to Japanese leadership that their navy was no longer a viable force. Emperor Hirohito and his advisors faced the grim realization that the war was unwinnable, but they remained committed to prolonging the conflict in hopes of negotiating better surrender terms.
Legacy & Analysis
The Battle of Leyte Gulf remains the largest naval battle in history, both in terms of the number of ships involved and the scale of the fighting. It marked the definitive end of the Imperial Japanese Navy as an effective fighting force and solidified the United States' dominance in the Pacific. After this battle, Japan’s remaining ships were largely relegated to defensive roles, with no realistic chance of mounting another major naval operation. While individual Japanese warships would still engage in combat, the coordinated fleet actions that had defined earlier battles in the Pacific were now impossible.
Strategically, Leyte Gulf was both a triumph and a missed opportunity. For the United States, the victory ensured the success of the Philippines campaign and hastened Japan’s defeat, but miscommunications between American commanders—particularly Admiral Halsey’s decision to pursue the decoy force—left the landing forces temporarily vulnerable. Had Kurita pressed his attack instead of withdrawing at Samar, he might have inflicted serious damage to the United States invasion force, though it is unlikely he would have changed the overall outcome of the war. The battle is often studied as an example of both brilliant tactical maneuvers and costly strategic miscalculations.
For Japan, Leyte Gulf represented a desperate gamble that ultimately failed. The Sho-Go One plan was bold in its conception but was undermined by poor coordination and the overwhelming power of American carrier-based air forces. Some historians argue that Japan should have focused on preserving its fleet rather than committing to a suicidal counterattack. Others contend that the battle was Japan’s last real chance to disrupt the American advance, making the attempt necessary despite the risks. Either way, the battle confirmed that Japan could no longer contest control of the Pacific.
Beyond the immediate military implications, Leyte Gulf influenced naval warfare in lasting ways. The battle demonstrated that air power had fully eclipsed battleships as the dominant force in naval engagements. The destruction of Musashi and other capital ships by carrier-based aircraft showed that even the most heavily armored battleships were vulnerable to air attacks. This lesson shaped post-war naval doctrine, with aircraft carriers becoming the backbone of modern navies while battleships faded into obsolescence.
In a broader sense, the battle serves as a reminder of the immense human cost of war. Thousands of sailors on both sides perished, many going down with their ships in the heat of battle. The heroism displayed at Surigao Strait, Samar, and Cape Engaño underscored the courage and sacrifice of those who fought. Today, the wrecks of ships lost in the battle rest beneath the waters of the Philippines, serving as silent memorials to one of the most decisive engagements of World War Two.

Closing
The Battle of Leyte Gulf was a turning point in World War Two, marking the final stand of the Imperial Japanese Navy and securing the Philippines for the United States. It was a battle of staggering scale, fought across multiple locations, involving hundreds of ships and thousands of men. When the smoke cleared, Japan’s fleet was shattered, its naval power effectively neutralized, and its ability to defend its empire further diminished. As one historian put it, “After Leyte Gulf, the Japanese fought not to win, but to delay the inevitable.”
Beyond its strategic importance, the battle is remembered for its moments of extraordinary courage and sacrifice. The stand of Taffy Three at Samar, the brutal battleship duel at Surigao Strait, and the desperate kamikaze attacks all illustrate the extreme conditions and stakes of the Pacific War. Understanding Leyte Gulf is more than just studying military history—it is a lesson in leadership, strategy, and the cost of war. It remains a testament to the bravery of those who fought and a reminder of how decisive battles can alter the course of history.
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The Battle of Leyte Gulf
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