Battle of Surigao Strait
A number of sunken Japanese Ships now provide interesting dive sites for the avid divers, while those interested in history can visit the Battle of Surigao Strait War Museum just 5 minutes drive from our place.
Below is a full explanation of the Battle of Surigao Strait, as provided by OpenAI CHAT GPT:
The Battle of Surigao Strait was a naval engagement that took place on October 25, 1944, during World War II. It was a part of the larger Battle of Leyte Gulf, which was fought between the Imperial Japanese Navy and the Allied forces in the Pacific Theater.
Picture Compliments of US NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
The Battle of Surigao Strait was fought between the Japanese Southern Force, commanded by Vice Admiral Shoji Nishimura, and the Allied Seventh Fleet, commanded by Rear Admiral Jesse Oldendorf. The Japanese force consisted of two battleships, one cruiser, and four destroyers, while the American force comprised of six battleships, eight cruisers, and twenty-six destroyers.
The battle began shortly after midnight when the Japanese force entered Surigao Strait, which was guarded by the American force. The American force had laid a trap for the Japanese, which included deploying battleships in a line across the entrance to the strait and using destroyers to launch torpedo attacks on the Japanese.
The Japanese force was caught off-guard and suffered heavy losses as a result. The battleship Yamashiro and the cruiser Mogami were both sunk, and the destroyer Shigure was heavily damaged. The battleship Fuso was also sunk by torpedoes launched by American destroyers.
Picture Compliments of US NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
The Battle of Surigao Strait was significant in that it was the last battleship-to-battleship engagement in history, as well as the only time that battleships used torpedoes in combat. The battle also marked a turning point in the Pacific War, as it demonstrated the superiority of Allied naval power and marked the beginning of the end for the Imperial Japanese Navy.
In summary, the Battle of Surigao Strait was a decisive victory for the Allies, which significantly weakened the Japanese naval power in the Pacific and contributed to the eventual Allied victory in World War II.