The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors Read online

  “This will be a fight against overwhelming odds from which survival cannot be expected. We will do what damage we can.”

  With these words, Lt. Cdr. Robert W. Copeland addressed the crew of the destroyer escort USS Samuel B. Roberts on the morning of October 25, 1944, off the Philippine island of Samar. On the horizon loomed the mightiest ships of the Japanese Navy, a massive fleet that represented the last hope of a staggering empire. All that stood between it and Douglas MacArthur’s vulnerable invasion force were the Roberts and the other small ships of a tiny American flotilla poised to charge into history.

  THE LAST STAND OF THE TIN CAN SAILORS

  It was an upset victory won by overmatched American warships fighting a battle they were never supposed to fight. In a two-and-a-half-hour running cataclysm in the Philippine Sea, the Americans performed the impossible, turning back the Japanese Navy in its last desperate gamble and changing the course of World War II in the Pacific. Writing from the point of view of the men who waged this steel-shattering battle, following them from training camps to the midst of an engagement that the eminent historian Samuel Eliot Morison called “the most remarkable of the Pacific war,” James D. Hornfischer brings to life the valor of individual sailors, officers, and airmen in a riveting account of war at sea as it has seldom been presented before.

  “Spellbinding. Hornfischer has captured the essence of naval warfare…. He relays this story of heroism amidst graphic descriptions of tin can sailors fighting their ships until their shipsare gone—and then they fight sharks, thirst, and delirium. This book should be read by all Americans—and never forgotten.”

  —Rear Adm. Charles D. Grojean, USN (Ret.), Executive Director, The Admiral Nimitz Foundation

  WINNER OF THE SAMUEL ELIOT MORISON AWARD FOR NAVAL LITERATURE

  A MAIN SELECTION OF

  THE BOOK-OF-THE-MONTH CLUB AND

  THE MILITARY BOOK CLUB

  A FEATURED ALTERNATE SELECTION OF THE HISTORY BOOK CLUB

  More Praise for James D. Hornfischer and

  THE LAST STAND OF THE TIN CAN SAILORS

  “A critically acclaimed, blow-by-blow look at a small American force counterattacking into the teeth of hopeless odds.” —Miami Herald

  “An instant and enduring classic of naval warfare and World War II literature.” —Flint Journal

  “Samar is a grand American epic and in Hornfischer it has finally found a narrator to match its scale. This is an exemplary combination of ‘old style’ naval history narrative deeply enriched and elevated by a carefully woven collage of ‘new style’ individual testimonies that hammer home the human experience.… A vivid and brutal portrait of naval surface warfare. No existing work can touch Last Stand in conveying the realities of gunfire and torpedo warfare on vessels powered by superheated steam.”

  —Richard B. Frank, author of Guadalcanal

  “What a treat it was to read this work. Hornfischer … paints a portrait so remarkable he should at least be made an honorary tin can sailor. [His] skillful description makes the old salt reader, as well as the landlubber, feel right there on board those little tin cans, alongside the sailors whose lives become real. The naval historian and amateur alike can learn from this fascinating book.”

  —Vice Adm. Ron Eytchison, USN (Ret.), Chattanooga Times Free Press

  “A brilliant, fast-moving book worthy of the sailors who fought … the first major work to concentrate solely on the Battle off Samar … does admirably for the sailors what Stephen Ambrose has done for infantry soldiers. Will enthrall any reader with even a tepid interest in World War II naval history.”

  —San Antonio Express-News

  “An astonishing story that leaves the reader shaking, breathless, and forever thankful that such a generation of seamen existed to defend this country. This is the most gripping work of naval history in years.”

  —H. W Brands, Distinguished Professor of History, The University of Texas; author of The First American

  “Hornfischer is a powerful stylist whose explanations are clear as well as memorable. He never loses control.… A dire survival-at-sea saga.”

  —Denver Post

  “Epic, elegiac, charged as a torpedo foaming through the water … leads us through violence, grand strategy, spectacle, and shocking loss. A wreath, offered lovingly, to some of the bravest young American seamen ever to sacrifice themselves in battle.”

  —Ron Powers, coauthor, Flags of Our Fathers

  “Surprisingly the first book to detail the Navy’s astonishing achievement in the World War II Battle off Samar. A valuable tribute and also a reverent eulogy.”

  —Sea Power magazine

  “An immensely gripping account of the supreme courage and self-sacrifice displayed by the outgunned sailors and airmen. With captivating prose and innovative battle maps, Hornfischer deftly creates a clear picture of what has been characterized by some historians as the most complex naval battle in history. Hornfischer’s work will be welcomed by both general readers and naval enthusiasts. Highly recommended.”

  —Library Journal

  “One of the most outstanding examples of courage in U.S. naval history … a gripping and detailed account … more than just a battle narrative. Hornfischer provides fascinating background on what the U.S. ships, crews, and commanders were capable of in battle.” Classic naval history.”

  —Dallas Morning News

  “Reads like a particularly good novel … this popular history magnificently brings to life men and a time that may seem almost as remote as Trafalgar to many in the early twenty-first century.”

  —Booklist (starred review)

  “Hornfischer tells colorful stories of heroism and companionship. The book is well-told and enjoyable [with] excellent and pertinent notes, documentation and bibliography.” —Associated Press

  “Stirring, inspirational … No account of the running gun battle off Samar has been told intimately from the personal perspective—until now. Hornfischer makes a stellar debut that ranks with John Lundstrom’s The First Team and Rich Frank’s Guadalcanal. We eagerly await his next book.”

  —Barrett Tillman, The Hook

  “Only once in a great while does a book come along that manages to combine authentic historical detail with the fast pace of the thriller. This is an important book and one that everyone interested in naval history should read and that every destroyer veteran should have in his personal library. If you read only one destroyer book about the war in the Pacific, The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors should be that book.”

  —The Tin Can Sailor/The National Association of Destroyer Veterans

  “An absolutely fascinating story … and a valuable and unique addition to the literature of the Pacific naval war.”

  —Rear Adm. Donald Mac Showers, USN (Ret.)

  “James Hornfischer drops you right into the middle of this raging battle, with five-inch guns blazing, torpedoes detonating and Navy fliers dive-bombing. The overall story of the battle is one of American guts, glory and heroic sacrifice.” —Omaha World-Herald

  “A gripping saga of courage and carnage on the high seas … triumphal … a tale that deserves a place among this nation’s greatest wartime epics. Mixing meticulous research with a profound respect for the guts and grit of ordinary seamen, Hornfischer may have written the final military chapter of the Greatest Generation’s heroic sacrifices. Hornfischer’s account combines the epic scope of Tolstoy with Ernie Pyle’s grunt’s-eye view of combat to give a riveting account of what survivors endured.”

  —MetroWest Daily News

  “Hornfischer’s brilliant, breathtaking, page-turning saga is the definitive word on one of this nation’s m
ost critical military moments. This is a stunning work that should be required reading for anyone seeking proof that ordinary people can become extraordinary, transcendent heroes. The book is at once thrilling, cautionary and pulsing with eternal lessons. It is about so many things—a searing battle, a war for the ages and a harrowing, hurtling journey to manhood.”

  —Bill Minutaglio, author of City on Fire

  “A spectacular book. In the best tradition of naval history, it combines the grand sweep of oceanic strategy with the experience of the average sailor, from the admirals’ bridges to the fliers’ cockpits to the gunners’ turrets. It should be required reading for all naval devotees. It is simply first-rate.”

  —Holger H. Herwig, Research Chair in Military and Strategic Studies, University of Calgary; coauthor of The Destruction of the Bismarck

  “Splendid. Drawing on an impressive array of personal interviews and government records, Hornfischer presents a stirring narrative…. A significant contribution to World War II literature.”

  —John Wukovits, author of Pacific Alamo: The Battle of Wake Island and Devotion to Duty: A Biography of Admiral Clifton A. F Sprague

  “The most amazing air and sea battle story you will ever read … I could write a book about this book; it’s probably the most informative, entertaining, engaging and awe-inspiring work of Navy nonfiction I have ever encountered.”

  —Pacific Flyer magazine

  “Hornfischer’s protagonists are real men, swabbies and admirals in gold braid, hotshot pilots and fatalistic Japanese officers. He recounts the David-and-Goliath sea battle through the familiar voices of the veterans we see swapping tales in neighborhood coffee shops.”

  —Boston Herald

  “Hornfischer has captured the honor, the courage, and the commitment of sailors who did their duty and beyond in the face of great peril. A fitting monument to one of the greatest sea battles in history. It will stand as a classic of naval literature.”

  —Lt. Cdr. Thomas J. Cutler, USN (Ret.), Professor of Strategy and Policy, Naval War College; author of The Battle of Leyte Gulf

  “Carries a considerable emotional wallop.” —Madison (WI) Capital Times

  “Hornfischer’s captivating narrative uses previously classified documents to reconstruct the epic battle and eyewitness accounts to bring the officers and sailors to life.” —Texas Monthly

  “Hornfischer thrusts readers into the reality of utter destruction…. The first complete account to focus solely on [the Battle off Samar]. A treasure trove of information.” —Navy Times

  “The writing is forceful and vivid, and the book is harrowing and unforgettable. A monumental tribute.”

  —Barbara Lloyd McMichael, Bookmonger

  “Hornfischer expertly conveys the sensory experience of warfare… to produce a gripping minute-by-minute reconstruction of an engagement awful in cost but awesome in importance.”

  —Kirkus Reviews

  Contents

  Part I

  Tin Cans

  Part II

  Last Stand

  Part III

  A Vanishing Graveyard

  Part IV

  Highest Traditions

  Acknowledgments

  Men of Task Unit 77.4.3

  Killed in Action,

  October 25-28, 1944

  Bibliography

  Source Notes

  Photo and Art Credits

  About the Author

  Excerpt from Neptune’s Inferno

  THE INVASION OF LEYTE,

  PHILIPPINE ISLANDS

  October 17–25, 1944

  DRAMATIS PERSONAE

  General Douglas MacArthur

  Supreme Commander, Allied Forces, Southwest Pacific Area

  U.S. Seventh Fleet (“MacArthur’s Navy”) and Leyte Invasion Force

  Vice Adm. Thomas C. Kinkaid

  Commander, Seventh Fleet and Task Force 77

  Rear Adm. Daniel E. Barbey

  Commander, Task Force 78

  Vice Adm. Thomas S. Wilkinson

  Commander, Task Force 79

  Invasion force, embarking Lt. Gen. Walter Krueger’s Sixth Army

  Rear Adm. Jesse B. Oldendorf

  Commander, Seventh Fleet Bombardment and Fire Support Group

  Rear Adm. Thomas L. Sprague

  Commander, Task Group 77.4

  Escort Carrier Group

  “Taffy 1,” Rear Adm. Thomas L. Sprague

  “Taffy 2,” Rear Adm. Felix B. Stump

  “Taffy 3,” Rear Adm. Clifton A. F. Sprague

  U.S. Navy

  Fleet Adm. Chester W. Nimitz

  Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet

  Adm. William F. Halsey, Jr.

  Commander, Third Fleet

  Vice Adm. Marc A. Mitscher

  Commander, Task Force 38

  Fast Carrier Force

  Taffy 3 (Task Unit 77.4.3)

  Northernmost escort carrier task unit of the Seventh Fleet, operating off the Philippine island of Samar

  Rear Adm. Clifton A. F. (“Ziggy”) Sprague

  Escort Carriers (CVE)

  Fanshaw Bay (flagship), Capt. Douglass P. Johnson

  St. Lo, Capt. Francis J. McKenna

  White Plains, Capt. D. J. Sullivan

  Kalinin Bay, Capt. T. B. Williamson

  Gambier Bay, Capt. Walter V. R. Vieweg

  Kitkun Bay, Capt. J. P. Whitney

  Screening Ships

  Cdr. William D. Thomas

  Destroyers (DD)

  Hoel, Cdr. Leon S. Kintberger

  Johnston, Cdr. Ernest E. Evans

  Heermann, Cdr. Amos T. Hathaway

  Destroyer Escorts (DE)

  Samuel B. Roberts,

  Lt. Cdr. Robert W. Copeland

  Dennis, Lt. Cdr. Sig Hansen

  Raymond, Lt. Cdr. A. F. Beyer

  John C. Butler, Lt. Cdr. John E. Pace

  Imperial Japanese Navy

  Adm. Soemu Toyoda

  Commander in Chief, Combined Fleet

  The Sho-1 Plan (for the defense of the Philippines)

  Vice Adm. Jisaburo Ozawa

  Commander, Northern Force (decoy force)

  Vice Adm. Takeo Kurita

  Commander, Center Force

  Vice Adm. Shoji Nishimura

  Commander, Southern Force

  Vice Adm. Kiyohide Shima

  Commander, Southern Force (Second Striking Force)

  October 25,1944

  San Bernardino Strait, the Philippines

  A giant stalked through the darkness. In the moonless calm after midnight, the great fleet seemed not so much to navigate the narrow strait as to fill it with armor and steel. Barely visible even to a night-trained eye, the long silhouettes of twenty-three warships passed in a column ten miles long, guided by the dim glow of the channel lights in the passage threading between the headlands of Luzon and Samar.

  That such a majestic procession should move without challenge was surprising, inexplicable even, in light of the vicious reception the Americans had already given it on its journey from Borneo to this critical point. Having weathered submarine ambush the night before, and assault by wave after wave of angry blue aircraft the previous afternoon, Vice Adm. Takeo Kurita, steward of the last hopes of the Japanese empire, would have been right to expect the worst. But then Kurita knew that heavenly influences could be counted upon to trump human planning. In war, events seldom cooperate with expectation. Given the dependable cruelty of the divine hand, most unexpected of all, perhaps, was this fact: unfolding at last after more than two years of retreat, Japan’s ornate plan to defend the Philippines appeared to be working perfectly.

  For its complexity, for its scale, for its extravagantly optimistic overelegance, the Sho plan represented the very best and also the very worst tendencies of the Imperial Navy. The Japanese military’s fondness for bold strokes had been evident from the earliest days of the war: the sudden strike on Pearl Harbor, the sprawling offensive into the Malay Peninsula, the lightning thr
ust into the Philippines, and the smaller but no less swift raids on Wake Island, Guam, Hong Kong, and northern Borneo. Allied commanders believed the Japanese could not tackle more than one objective at a time. The sudden spasm of advances of December 1941, in which Japan struck with overwhelming force in eight directions at once, refuted that fallacy.

  In the war’s early days, Japan had overwhelmed enemies stretched thin by the need to defend their scattered colonies throughout the hemisphere. But as the war continued, the geographical breadth of its conquests saddled Japan in turn with the necessity of piecemeal defense. America rallied, the home front’s spirits boosted by the gallant if doomed defense of Wake Island and by Jimmy Doolittle’s raid on Tokyo. As heavier blows landed—the Battle of the Coral Sea, the triumph at Midway, the landings on Guadalcanal and the leapfrogging campaign through the Solomons and up the northern coast of New Guinea—Japan’s overstretched domain was in turn overrun by the resurgent Americans. The hard charge of U.S. Marines up the bloody path of Tarawa, the Marshalls, and the Marianas Islands had put American forces, by the middle of 1944, in position to sever the vital artery connecting the Japanese home islands to their resource-rich domain in East Asia. The Philippines were that pressure point. Their seizure by the Americans would push the entire Japanese empire toward collapse.

  The strength America wielded in its counteroffensive was the nightmare prophecy foretold by Adm. Isoroku Yamamoto and other far-sighted Japanese commanders who had long dreaded war with an industrial giant. As two great American fleets closed in on the Philippines in October, with Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s troops spearheading the ground assault on the Philippine island of Leyte, Japan activated its own last-ditch plan to forestall the inevitable defeat. It was unfolding now. Admiral Kurita was its linchpin.