Erik Thackrey

Posted Thursday, October 26, 2023

6mo

ISTJ

Cancer

6

7

On This Day in History - October 25, 1944

October 25, 1944 #OTD World War II: Battle off Samar During the Battle of Leyte Gulf off Samar Island, in the Philippines, the USS Johnston (DD-557) a Fletcher class destroyer would lead an attack alongside a handful of light ships which had inadvertently been left unprotected in the path of a massive Japanese fleet led by battleships and cruisers. The actions of Johnston and her little escort carrier task unit "Taffy 3" helped stop Admiral Kurita's Center Force from attacking vulnerable U.S. landing forces, and eventually inflicted greater losses to the Japanese attackers than they suffered. Johnston would be sunk during this engagement from Johnston's complement of 327 officers and men, only 141 were saved. Of the 186 men lost, about 50 were killed by enemy action, 45 died later on rafts from wounds, and 92 men including Commander Evans got off before she sank, but were never seen again.