Leyte Gulf order of battle


The Battle of Leyte Gulf, generally considered to be the largest naval combat in history, was fought 24–25 October 1944 in the waters of the Philippine Islands by elements of the Imperial Japanese Navy's Combined Fleet and the United States Navy's Pacific Fleet. Of the five separate engagements that made up the battle as a whole, the forces involved in the three principal ones are listed here.

Since the Japanese assumed the tactical initiative in all three actions, their forces are listed first in each section.
Losses in these three actions

IJN: 1 fleet carrier, 3 light carriers, 2 old battleships, 3 heavy cruisers, 3 light cruisers, 9 destroyers, 1 oiler

USN: 2 escort carriers, 3 destroyers

24-25 Oct – Battle of Surigao Strait

Japanese Forces

Southern Force

Vice Admiral Shōji Nishimura

American Forces

Seventh Fleet

Vice Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid in amphibious command ship Wasatch

25 Oct – Battle off Samar

Japanese Forces

Centre Force

American Forces

Seventh Fleet

Vice Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid in amphibious command ship Wasatch

25 Oct – Battle off Cape Engaño

Japanese Forces

Northern Force

Vice Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa

American Forces

Third Fleet

Admiral William F. Halsey in battleship New Jersey