In late 1944, the Second World War in the Pacific was going badly for Japan. The U.S. Pacific fleet had moved to the Mariana Islands in support of General MacArthur's army, which had landed on the east coast of Leyte in October. The U.S. 7th Fleet was near the Surigao Strait off Leyte. The Japanese strategy was to entrap the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet by its naval forces from the north in the Sibuyan Sea, and with assault from the south from Surigao Strait. On the afternoon of 24 October, 7th Fleet torpedo-boats moved through Leyte Gulf and Surigao Strait into the Mindanao Sea south of Leyte, and by dusk were in position on their patrol-lines. Covering the northern part of the strait, were posted the destroyer squadrons, cruisers, and battleships to form the horizontal bar to a "T" of vast fire power which the enemy would be forced to approach vertically as he moved forward. With overwhelming force, the impenetrable gauntlet defeated the Japanese at Surigao Strait and played a significant in winning the Battle of Leyte Gulf and in so helping to secure the beachheads of the U.S. Sixth Army on Leyte against Japanese attack from the sea.
Walter S. Zapotoczny Jr. is an award-winning writer and editor, with over thirty years' experience. He is the author of over 150 published articles and eight books. Walter is a contributing writer and reviewer for several international publications. He is a former historian with the U.S. Army, specializing in military history, Holocaust studies, and events that transcend single states, regions, and cultures. A native of Pennsylvania, Zapotoczny holds a BA in world military history and a MA in global history from American Public University.
Preface; Abbreviations and Definitions; Introduction; Notable Battles in which Warships Crossed the 'T'; The Strategic Setting in the Pacific in 1944; US Naval Doctrine in Confronting the Japanese Fleet; The US Invasion of the Philippines; Japanese Naval Doctrine; The Japanese Philippines Defensive Plan; The Battle of Leyte Gulf; The Last Crossing of the 'T' at Surigao Strait; Action Reports at Surigao Strait; Battle Analysis; Epilogue; Appendix I: American Fleet at the Surigao Strait; Appendix II: Allied Naval Weapons at the Surigao Strait; Appendix III: Japanese Fleet at the Surigao Strait; Appendix IV: Japanese Naval Weapons at the Surigao Strait; Appendix V: Admiral Jesse Barrett Oldendorf Biography; Appendix VI: Vice Admiral Shoji Nishimura Biography; Appendix VII: Vice Admiral Kiyohide Shima Biography; Appendix VIII: US Ship Readiness and Material Conditions; References.
