Leyte Gulf - USS Natoma Bay CVE-62

due east, a compromise course that opened the range but was
close enough into the northeast wind to permit him to launch
planes, all of which he ordered to take to the air and
attack the enemy with whatever ammunition they had on board.
He also called loudly for help in plain English. Rear
Admiral Felix B. Stump's Taffy, of similar composition, was
just over the horizon to the southwest. Stump responded
promptly with aircraft, and also by reassurance and good
advice over voice radio. Taffy 1, under the group commander,
Rear Admiral Thomas L. Sprague, was 130 miles to the south,
too far away to lend immediate help; besides, most of its
planes were over the Mindanao Sea looking for the remnant of
the Southern Forces. Six bombers and 20 fighters came over
from the Leyte area to help. Halsey was nearly 400 miles to
the north; McCain, nearly 400 miles to the northeast.
As the volume and accuracy of the Japanese fire
increased, and 14-, 16-, and 18-inch shell splashes began
walking up on and straddling the ships, Sprague ordered his
escorts to attack with torpedoes and then dived with his
carriers into a providential rain squall. Thus concealed, he
turned south and headed for Leyte Gulf, hoping to meet
Seventh Fleet heavies coming to his rescue. When he came out
again into the open, he was relieved to note that the enemy
had not cut corners but was evidently intent on getting to
windward to block the carriers from further air operations.
Meanwhile, Sprague's three destroyers, with the sole
purpose of diverting gunfire from the carriers, had
sped toward the enemy in what they recognized as a
suicide attack. Chasing salvos, making smoke, dodging
into rain squalls, they closed on the oncoming Japanese
and launched their spreads of torpedoes. To evade
these, the flagship Yamato, together with another
battleship, retired northward for 10 minutes, thereby
carrying Admiral Kurita out of sight of the fleeing
carriers, and thus effectively out of the battle. The
heavy cruiser Kumano was put out of action by a single
torpedo from the destroyer Johnston, and at this time
or a little later the heavy cruisers Chokai and Chikuma
were probably also torpedoed. The heavy cruiser Suzuya,
already slowed by air bombing, came alongside the
30 Leyte Gulf