Story Highlights
- historical event:
- According to the Guinness Book of Records, the Battle of Leyte Gulf was the largest battle in history fought between ships and aircraft. The famous battleships Yamato and Musashi participated in the battle on the Japanese side. These were the largest battleships ever built. The gigantic Musashi was sunk during that battle, in spite of its 65-centimeter armor (it was hit by 19 torpedoes and 17 bombs).
This day in 1944 marked what was according to many indicators the greatest naval battle in the history of warfare – the Battle of Leyte Gulf. The battle took place on the Pacific Front during World War II, and in it the Japanese fought a combined American-Australian fleet. According to the Guinness Book of Records, the Battle of Leyte Gulf was the largest battle in history according to the number of ships and aircraft that took part in it.
Leyte Gulf is located in the Philippines, facing towards the Philippine Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The battle started on this day and as many as 34 U.S. aircraft carriers participated in it (eight fleet carriers, eight light carriers, and 18 escort carriers). The Japanese had a significantly lower number of carriers in the battle – only four – which put them at a significant disadvantage. There were also a total of 44 cruisers and 21 battleships on both sides. Of course, the battleships were then the most heavily-armored and armed ships ever built.
The famous battleships Yamato and Musashi participated in the battle on the Japanese side. These were the largest battleships ever built. The gigantic Musashi was sunk during that battle, in spite of its 65-centimeter armor (it was hit by 19 torpedoes and 17 bombs).
