Expected To Be Blown Out Of The Water

Northern Advocate, 2 December 1944, Page 5

Expected To Be Blown Out Of The Water

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1

The navy has stated that the four escort-carriers damaged during the second battle of the Philippines were the Calinin Bay, Fanshaw Bay, White Plains and Kitkun Bay. It added that 800 men were saved when the escortcarrier St. Lo went down during the battle, while 600 men from the sunken carrier Gambier Bay were picked up. The Navy lias released a statement by Rear-Admiral Sprague, who commanded the task force which included the vessels named. The task force comprised only six escort-carriers, three destroyers and four destroyer-escorts, but it turned back the major portion of the Japanese fleet north of Leyte on October 24.

Admiral Sprague said: “We discovered a Japanese force of four battleships, seven heavy and light cruisers, and about nine destroyers at 5 a.m. We figured we would be blown out of the water, but might as well do some damage since it seemed certain we were in for it, so I ordered the escorts lo launch a torpedo attack. We scored one direct torpedo hit on a Japanese battleship. The enemy fired about 300 salvoes in the next 150 minutes and scored one vital hit—a 16-inch shell on the Gambier Bay.

“Meanwhile, planes from another task force were working over the Japanese ships, doing considerable damage. The Japanese finally turned homewards at 9.35, with every ship sunk or damaged.”