America at War: The Battle of Leyte Gulf 1944

In October 1944, the US prepared to invade the Philippines to cut Japan off from its resources in Southeast Asia. The Japanese correctly predicted this, and prepared a complex operation to use the remaining strength of its navy to defend its possessions. The Japanese navy was already in extremely poor condition but the Battle of Leyte Gulf resulted in a catastrophic defeat that finished the Japanese navy. After Leyte the Japanese could only conduct desperate and mostly suicidal naval actions. Join Duane E. Shaffer for a discussion of this critical battle.