The Battle of Leyte Gulf at 75

Often appropriately described as the 'greatest naval battle in history', the battle of Leyte Gulf (23rd-26th October 1944) was actually a series of battles in which both sides exhibited courage and resourcefulness, yet suffered from confusion born of poorly conceived command relationships and ineffective communications. Marked by awe-inspiring heroism, failed intelligence, brilliant deception, flawed strategy, effective tactical planning, great controversies, and a host of lessons learned, it involved hundreds of ships, included nearly 200,000 participants, spanned more than 100,000 square miles, and resulted in the deaths of thousands of sailors from both sides. Every facet of naval warfare was involved — air, surface, subsurface, amphibious, and with the introduction of the kamikaze, a forerunner of guided missiles.

Although the Japanese Navy had been seriously diminished in previous battles, particularly in the air arm, there were still a significant number of surface forces available. Realizing that losing the Philippines would be a strategic disaster, the Japanese decided on an all-out effort to disrupt the American invasion of Leyte. In an operation code-named Sho, meaning 'Victory', four separate Japanese forces converged on the Leyte landing area.

The result was a series of inter-related engagements that included an overwhelming display of American airpower, the last clash of battleships in history, a number of missed opportunities on both sides, and several controversial decisions that have haunted both the Americans and the Japanese to this day.

Despite the frustrations and missed opportunities, the battle of Leyte Gulf was a significant victory for the US Navy and would prove to be the last major sortie of the war for the Imperial Japanese Navy, ending its effectiveness in a conventional sense and causing the Japanese to rely on suicide tactics for the remainder of the conflict.

This 75th anniversary look back at the complexity and controversies of this giant battle provides a great deal of inspiration, introspection, and ongoing lessons learned that will be well-received by historians and buffs, strategists and tacticians, and those who simply are looking for a good read. Ten original essays by eminent historians take new looks at various aspects of this rich history, providing fresh insight and offering different perspectives that will answer some old questions and likely pose new ones. This...