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(click to enlarge double sized,
both articles and pictures)
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As shells fall near ships in background, the Carrier in the
foreground launches planes.
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| American Naval Forces in the historic Battle off
Samar consisted of six escort carriers (CVEs)
FANSHAW BAY, ST LO, WHITE PLAINS, KALININ BAY, KITKUN
BAY, & GAMBIER BAY, three destroyers (DDs) HOEL,
HEERMANN, & JOHNSTON, and four smaller destroyer escorts
(DEs) JOHN C. BUTLER, DENNIS, RAYMOND, & SAMUEL
B. ROBERTS. They fought the vastly superior Imperial
Japanese Navy at Leyte Gulf on October 25, 1944,
sustaining losses of five warships destroyed and sunk.
Nearly all remaining warships were heavily damaged and
almost 900 American lives were lost. |
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Note damage to the gun during the Battle off Samar.
Imagine the gun crew stationed in that gun when the Japanese shell
hit and passed through.
They had their "bell rung" During the battle, the rear gun jammed,
and the forward gun grew disabled,
so the aft 5" gun crew came forward and resumed operation of the
forward gun.
During the Battle off Samar, the Japanese thought
they were up against much larger
US Navy vessels and were using armor piercing shells against the
lightly armored
destroyers and DE's. Their rounds went through our ships
doing far less
damage than they would have if they'd exploded. jvh
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The USS Dennis, Destroyer Escort (DE 405) rescued
many of the sailors from the sunken ships.
THOSE RESCUED BY THE
DENNIS
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Coming into Guam
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Off Iwo Jima
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Iwo Jima |
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Iwo Jima |
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Patrolling for Battle Wagons off Iwo Jima |
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U.S. Marines raise the American flag in triumph at Iwo Jima. |
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Hospital ship relief off Iwo |
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