Battle for Leyte Gulf

This program commemorates the fourteenth anniversary of this battle in the Philippines written about by Dr. C. Vann Woodward, history professor at Johns Hopkins University, in "The Battle for Leyte Gulf." Using maps and U.S. Navy film clips, he describes in detail the strategies and battles of this decisive naval campaign. The U. S. fleets were led by Admiral William F. Halsey and Vice Admiral Thomas C. Kincaid. Key Japanese commanders were Toyoda, Ozawa, and Kurita. Dr. Woodward concludes that Leyte was the last and most decisive battle fought between surface forces. The victory was nearly a disaster for the U.S., and the defeat was nearly a triumph for Japan since sheer chance and human frailty were critical to the outcome.