The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors

The Extraordinary World War II Story of the U.S. Navy's Finest Hour.

By James D. Hornfisher

Bantam Books / February 2004

PP499

Review by Roger D. Noriega

While this book has been out for some time, it is one that I have desired to read for some time. Being that I am a student of history, particularly naval warfare in World War II, this book is one that I would read. 

The title itself told me what it was about and upon reading the caption for it in the History Book Club, it was natural for me to purchase this book. I make no bones about my knowledge of history, I am an arm-chair historian who has read a great deal and from an early age. For me, the Battles of the Java Sea, Coral Sea, Midway, The Great Mariana's Turkey Shoot, The Slot, Iron Bottom Bay and the exploits of Mitscher and Halsey are well known to me. 

As a matter of fact, I have written four reports on the Battle of Midway and three netted me an A and one a B. For the B, I was determined to meet with the instructor of my friend that was the recipient for said report. I wanted to make clear that this report was graded an A previously three times! My friend did contribute by means of the drink that kept me awake all night. Pepsi Cola, you are their saviors! Joe, Raul, John, and I forget the other one. Oh, that was me! Raul, sorry for the B. 

I digress. The Battle of Leyte Gulf has gone down in history as the largest naval engagement in the history of modern naval warfare. It may just as well be the greatest route in the history of naval warfare as well, but the Mariana's Turkey Shoot would rate in this debate. James D. Hornfisher paints a marvelous picture about the events in late October 1944. The desperation of the Japanese leadership and their desire to go out in a blaze of glory. While this may be a simplistic and an uneducated opinion, there is some merit to this. The Japanese were short on raw materials, their fleet was doomed to short sorties due to fuel constraints and American naval power was ranging far and wide in the Western Pacific. Guam, Saipan, and Tinian had recently been taken by American soldiers and bombers were now striking at the ancient homeland every day. 

In Japanese history, there were key moments when great battles were fought by its military and were won against overwhelming odds. Divine Intervention was believed in one and the route of the Russian navy in 1905 was another. The Japanese Naval Command was convinced that one great, final showdown awaited where the Imperial Navy along with the Air Force would deliver a crippling blow to Macarthur by smashing the American invasion force. 

The Imperial Navy is fond of complex naval operations with naval forces appearing out of no where to confuse its enemy and the SHO plan was such a plan. The plan was complex in size but simple in design. Macarthur's forces waded ashore on the island of Leyte in the Central Philippines. Should these islands fall, the vital supply lines to Japan from the East Indies would be severed, the war - over. Knowing this, Two small forces would approach Leyte Gulf from the south west, Surigao Straight. The main body of Battleships and Cruisers would enter through the Sibuyan Sea and a decoy force of the remaining aircraft carriers would lay off of Cape Engano to the North in hopes of drawing out Halsey's fleet carriers. The southern force and central force would then converge and meet in Leyte Gulf, smash the invasion and strand Macarthur on Leyte. This would be the decisive battle that would save Japan - Midway in 1942 and Truk in 1943 notwithstanding.

The plan was massive, four fleets, huge air forces, spread over a thousand miles of ocean. The American navy and Macarthur were in for a surprise. A surprise indeed.

The two smaller forces meet with Kinkaid's 7th fleet in Surigao Straight and Halsey sped north after the decoy carriers appeared. Halsey did strike at the Center force on the 24th of October, sinking the Mushasi, sister to the Yamato. Admiral Kurita, overall commander of the Sho fleet had reversed course and was heading west. Halsey was free to do as he pleased and carriers to the north were his targets of preference. The only thing left behind to protect left gulf from the northeast was Taffy 1, Taffy 2, and Taffy 3. All three groups were a collection of six escort carriers and six to seven destroyers/destroyer escorts each. No more than 36 small ships to cover the invasion of Leyte's backdoor. 

It doesn't take a genius to realize that a destroyer is no match for a cruiser or for that matter a battleship. Halsey sailed away and left the barn door open and through it came Admiral Kurita with his Center force that had reversed course the night of the 24th. On the morning of October 25, 1944, Kurita found the northernmost Taffy group, #3, and launched an attack with his four remaining battleships, eight cruisers, and 11 destroyers. Against this force stood six escort carriers, three destroyers, and four destroyer escorts. It was only a matter of time before the Center force would dispatch them and then move on to Leyte Gulf. 

For those that know history, we know what happens, for those that don't, read the book. This book captures the heroism, courage, and bravery of the American sailor when backed against the wall and against superior odds and forces. The American destroyer commanders did not expect to win. Their plan was to buy time so that the jeep (escort) carriers could get away and maybe Halsey or Kinkaid could arrive with reinforcements. Taffy 3 launched all of its planes to attack and the destroyers, along with the destroyer escorts, launched themselves against the Japanese heavies. They were simply overmatched in firepower and sheer strength of numbers.

Captain Copeland of the Samuel B. Roberts addressed his crew over the public address: "A large Japanese fleet has been contacted. They are fifteen miles away and headed in our direction. They are believed to have four battleships, eight cruisers, and a number of destroyers. This will be a fight against overwhelming odds from which survival cannot be expected. We will do what damage we can."

Herman Wouk wrote in War and Remembrance, "The vision of Sprague's three destroyers - the Johnston, the Hoel, and the Hermann  - charging out of the smoke and the rain straight toward the main batteries of Kurita's battleships and cruisers, can endure as a picture of the way Americans fight when they don't have superiority. Our schoolchildren should remember it and our enemies should ponder it."

We all know Midway. We all know Coral Sea. We all know about the Battle of the Bulge, D-Day - lets now discover this moment in history where in the darkness of impending defeat, souls laced with courage and sacrifice shined and to this day shine still in what is clearly the American navy's finest moment. It wasn't a large fleet carrier or a battleship, just little destroyers that by standing their ground against superior forces did they save the day and bring victory to the allied forces that much sooner. 

The story of these fine men, people just like us, who faced insurmountable odds and after the battle, faced greater threats to their very survival must be remembered and remembered they will be upon reading this book.

I rate this book an A. 10 of 10.

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