Leyte Gulf - USS Natoma Bay CVE-62

But the September and October raids by Task Force 38 had
destroyed most of Japan's trained land-based aviators, just
as, under the designation Task Force 58, it had wiped out
Japan's carrier-based aviators the preceding June in the
Battle of the Philippine Sea.
When Toyoda on October 17 learned that Rangers had landed
in Leyte Gulf, he promptly activated Sho-1 - for the defense
of the Philippines. Despite Japan's weakness in the air, he
scarcely had a choice, for Americans in possession of the
Philippines could permanently divide the Combined Fleet.
Because of the difficulty in getting fuel to Japan, a force
of battleships, cruisers, and destroyers under Vice Admiral
Kurita was based on Lingga Roads, near Singapore, handy to
oil wells and refineries. Admiral Ozawa's carriers and their
escorts were in Japan's Inland Sea undergoing repairs, and
training yet another complement of carrier aviators. Lastly,
there was Admiral Shima's cruiser-destroyer force that had
sallied forth to mop up Halsey's "remnant" and then
retreated hastily to Amami.
By activating Sho-1, Toyoda set in motion the various
elements which led to the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea on
October 24, and the Battle of Surigao Strait, the Battle off
Cape Engaño, and the Battle off Samar on the 25th. These,
together with subsidiary actions, comprised the Battle for
Leyte Gulf, the greatest naval action, in terms of tonnages
involved, in all history. Actual participants numbered
nearly 200,000 men. When it was over the Imperial Japanese
Navy was shattered, no longer a fighting fleet.
Kurita'a force departed Lingga early on October 18,
entered the harbor of Brunei two days later, there refueled,
and on the 22d sortied in two segments. Kurita himself with
5 battleships (including the giant Yamato and Musashi) and
12 cruisers headed for Leyte Gulf via the South China Sea,
the Sibuyan Sea, and San Bernardino Strait. His second-incommand,
Vice Admiral Nishimura, with two battleships and a
cruiser advanced to penetrate Leyte Gulf via the Sulu Sea,
the Mindanao Sea, and Surigao Strait. His and Kurita's
forces would thus close the pincers on the amphibious
shipping in the gulf. To bring the two pincer jaws more
nearly into balance, Toyoda ordered Shima to join Nishimura.
14 Leyte Gulf