Battle off Samar....October 25, 1944...."We will do what damage we can."

[1srelluc]

"This will be a fight against overwhelming odds from which survival cannot be expected. We will do what damage we can."

- LCdr Robert Copeland, USS Samuel B. Roberts, Oct 25, 1944.....Taffy 3

Receives the Navy Cross from Rear Admiral David M. LeBreton, at Norfolk, Virginia, 16 July 1945. LCdr. Copeland received the Navy Cross for heroism while in command of USS Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413) during the Battle off Samar, 25 October 1944.

Battle off Samar - Wikipedia

I'm a day late but damn, what balls-o-steel.

 

[whitehall]

Midway was a victory but not the knockout punch that legend claims. The Japanese were still capable of tricking Halsey and Leyte Gulf was a disaster to the U.S. Halsey might have been sucker punched but he knew the Japanese would fail to capitalize on their victory.

 

[johngaltshrugged]

"This will be a fight against overwhelming odds from which survival cannot be expected. We will do what damage we can."

- LCdr Robert Copeland, USS Samuel B. Roberts, Oct 25, 1944.....Taffy 3

Receives the Navy Cross from Rear Admiral David M. LeBreton, at Norfolk, Virginia, 16 July 1945. LCdr. Copeland received the Navy Cross for heroism while in command of USS Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413) during the Battle off Samar, 25 October 1944.

Battle off Samar - Wikipedia

I'm a day late but damn, what balls-o-steel.

I was just watching a documentary on this battle the other night.
Overwhelming odds doesn't cover what the Americans were facing & the victory was miraculous, particularly considering the Japanese Navy were under basically win or die trying orders.

Halsey was totally bailed out after he took the bait & abandoned his responsibility to guard the American landings.
If that Japanese admiral hadn't lost his nerve, that whole battle would be known as a massive defeat of the American forces

 

[sparky]

~S~

 

[AZrailwhale]

I had a great uncle on one of the little boys. From his descriptionI think it was the Samuel B. Roberts. He had been on so many destroyers that were sunk, his shipmates believed he was a Jonah.

 

[westwall]

That destroyer is the deepest known shipwreck as well.

 

[whitehall]

The Yamato was the largest battleship ever constructed but it was obsolete by the time it was used in the battle of Leyte Gulf. The Japanese retreated to protect the Yamato after it received relatively minor damage. A year later the Japanese were short of fuel and air cover and the battleship was hit with a dozen U.S. torpedoes and went down with all hands.

 

[westwall]

The Yamato was the largest battleship ever constructed but it was obsolete by the time it was used in the battle of Leyte Gulf. The Japanese retreated to protect the Yamato after it received relatively minor damage. A year later the Japanese were short of fuel and air cover and the battleship was hit with a dozen U.S. torpedoes and went down with all hands.

It was obsolete by 1940.

 

[DudleySmith]

A nice what if, What if Ching Lee was at Samar with Halsey's fast battleships?
BOOM BOOM BOOM

Most of the crew was probably stone deaf from those big guns.

 

[Mushroom]

Midway was a victory but not the knockout punch that legend claims.

Nobody claims it was a "knockout punch". But it was the high water mark for the Japanese Empire, and they were in retreat for the rest of the war.

 

[Mushroom]

A year later the Japanese were short of fuel and air cover and the battleship was hit with a dozen U.S. torpedoes and went down with all hands.

Hell, her last mission was not even really that.

Operation Ten-Go was essentially a suicide mission for the ship. She was to steam for Okinawa, then beach herself and operate until destroyed as a giant artillery base. Of course, that was pointless as the Japanese still had no idea their Naval codes were completely compromised. The US knew what was coming before the ship even left port, and had barely left the coastal waters when it was attacked and sunk.