Ormoc Bay naval battle on December 3, 1944 – The last victory of IJN surface ships
Eugen Pinak, Master of Law, Board member of the Ukrainian Association for American Studies
Abstract
The article examines the last victory of surface ships of the Japanese Imperial Fleet over surface ships of the United States Navy, which took place in Ormoc Bay on December 3, 1944. Because of mistakes during the preparation and conduct of the battle, superior US force was unable to destroy Japanese convoy and was forced to retreat.
The purpose of the article is to investigate the actions of surface ships of the United States Navy against the enemy surface ships in Ormoc Bay on December 3, 1944, and to analyze the causes of their failure.
The Ormoc Bay battle provides us with a good example of independent actions of small US surface force, unsupported by aviation. The battle clearly demonstrated, that superior combat power of the ships and well-trained crews does not guarantee victory in the absence of the factors which author describes in the article.
While this small battle hardly changed outcome of the battle for Leyte or introduced something new in naval warfare, it shows us, that without air support US surface ships’ actions were far from perfect. This battle also confirms enormous importance of planning and leadership in naval battles, where success often lies in meticulous planning and swift, but sound command decisions.
Keywords
Pacific Ocean theater during World War II, Battle of Leyte, Ormoc Bay Battle, combat operations of surface ship, US navy during WWII.
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References
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