A Desperate Battle off Samar Island

In the early dawn hours of October 25, 1944, Rear Admiral Clifton "Ziggy" Sprague confronted a terrifying sight: a Japanese fleet of 4 battleships, 12 cruisers, and 15 destroyers was bearing down on his small detachment off Samar Island in the Philippines.  To resist them, he had only 6 unarmored escort carriers, 4 destroyers, and 3 smaller destroyer escorts.  The largest Japanese ship, battleship Yamato, could fire 18-inch shells.  The largest gun in Sprague's inventory: 5 inches.

Admiral Ozawa, Admiral "Bull" Halsey, Admiral Takeo Kurita, Admiral Ziggy Sprague

In October 1944, the Americans were moving north through the Philippine islands toward the largest island of Luzon. Admiral William "Bull" Halsey's Third Fleet protected the routes to the current beachhead of Leyte Island.  Knowing his reputation for boldness, the Japanese ordered Admiral Ozawa to decoy Halsey to the north with a fleet of four carriers that were not outfitted for combat.  If Halsey left the San Bernardino Straits unguarded, Admiral Kurita could break through with his battleships and destroy the American landing force in Leyte Gulf.  Halsey had exchanged fire with Kurita a few days earlier and thought he was in retreat - Halsey also had permission to attack targets of opportunity.  The Japanese ruse worked perfectly, decoying Admiral Halsey to take his entire Third Fleet north of the Philippines to open the passage for Kurita's fleet.

On the map, the red icons depict Ozawa's fleet to the north and Kurita coming through the straits.  The blue icons are Halsey chasing Ozawa in the north and Sprague in the east with his small force called "Taffy 3."  The island to the left of Sprague's icon is Samar Island.  Taffy 3 was a fleet designed to provide extra air support from behind the main battle line.  The escort carriers were not well armed or armored and the destroyers and destroyer escorts were designed for sea-to-shore fire, anti-submarine patrols, and mine-sweeping.  In view of his long odds, Sprague did the only feasible thing: he ordered the carriers to launch all of their planes and flee east while the destroyers and escorts were to lay a smoke screen for them.

USS Johnston, CDR Ernest Evans, Japanese cruiser Kumano

On board one destroyer, the USS Johnston, the skipper noted that the cruisers and battleships leading Kurita's task force were targeting the small ships making the smoke screen.  Commander Ernest Evans, a graduate of the Naval Academy from Pawnee, Oklahoma, took initiative.  Rather than waiting for the Japanese to find the range, Johnston charged in a zigzag pattern toward the attacking fleet.  Miraculously, she reached lethal range and launched her 10 torpedoes, hitting the heavy cruiser Kumano, and knocking off her bow.  The Kumano left the fight and a second heavy cruiser went with her for security.  The Japanese began to hit the Johnston immediately, but she had removed two cruisers from the fight.

USS Hoel, Commander Leon Kintberger, the Navy Cross

Shortly thereafter, at 7:50 AM, Admiral Sprague ordered the other destroyers to go on a torpedo run.  USS Hoel, USS Heermann, USS Dennis and the destroyer escort USS Samuel B. Roberts moved out past the damaged Johnston and entered the terribly mismatched fray.  The three destroyers launched their torpedoes, which did not hit the Japanese ships, but they did break up their formations and delay their advance on the escort carriers.  The Heermann's torpedoes endangered the Yamato and the largest battleship ever built actually turned away, never to reenter the battle.  The Japanese sank the Hoel, as she dueled with 5-inch guns against the 8- to 16-inch guns of the Japanese.  The skipper, Commander Leon Kintberger, received the Navy Cross, which is the Navy's second-highest award for valor.

USS Samuel B. Roberts, LCDR Robert Copeland

The Samuel B. Roberts was the smallest ship that engaged decisively in the Battle off Samar Island that day.  The other two destroyer escorts continued laying the smoke screen while Roberts' skipper, Lieutenant Commander Robert Copeland, requested permission to go on the torpedo run.  They only had 3 torpedoes, but one of them hit the Japanese cruiser Chokai and, along with bombs from the aircraft, sent her to the bottom of Leyte Gulf.  Japanese fire sank the Roberts in short order, but she had exacted a remarkable toll. 
The small ships' only advantage came from the aircraft, some of which were equipped with bombs and torpedoes.  The fighters strafed the decks of the Japanese ships and harassed them to the best of their ability.   When they ran out of ammunition, the pilots flew dry runs to draw fire away from the armed planes.    

CDR Evans' Naval Academy photo, the Medal of Honor

The Japanese battleships sank the escort carrier Gambier Bay with surface fire and the St. Lo fell victim to a kamikaze, a weapon making its debut.  The other four escort carriers continued their retreat east and south.  One Japanese cruiser led a formation of destroyers on a torpedo run for the carriers and only one ship could do anything about it.  Commander Evans directed the Johnston to "cross the T" of the cruiser, which prompted the Japanese to launch their torpedoes prematurely.  The Japanese then turned their attention on the Johnston, and sank her.  Admiral Kurita, certain that a larger force was on the way to reinforce the small ships of Taffy 3, ordered a withdrawal to the north.  The carriers White Plains, Fanshaw Bay, Kalinin Bay, and Kitkun Bay owed a debt of gratitude to the brave crews of the small "tin cans."
Rescue ships picked up the survivors of the three small ships, including Commander Kintberger and Lt. Commander Copeland.  No one could confirm what happened to Commander Evans, who had been wounded early in the battle and may have gone down with the ship.  Commander Evans had declared that the Johnston would be a fighting ship during her commissioning ceremony.  "I intend to go in harm's way, and anyone who doesn't want to go along had better get off right now."  On October 25, 1944, he lived up to his word.
Read and watch more: James Hornfischer's book Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors is an excellent account of the battle.  The History channel series "Dogfights" features this battle in an episode titled "Death of the Japanese Navy."