[Account and Manuscript Map of the Battle off Samar]

Firsthand account of the centerpiece action in the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

This amazing collection of manuscript and printed material was saved by an anonymous signalman stationed aboard both the U.S.S. Fanshaw Bay and the U.S.S. General C.C. Ballou during the Second World War. While several draft handwritten chronologies outline the sailor’s experience in the Navy, I have not definitively confirmed his identity through the available papers. A strong candidate is Eugene H. Hester, based on his inclusion on one of the promotion lists included in the collection and his name on both ships’ muster rolls (found online).

The diverse group of materials offers a fascinating window into the life of a seaman aboard a U.S. Navy ship in World War II. Daily orders, copies of dispatches, and souvenirs from the Pacific Theater are relatively ubiquitous examples of this experience. The aforementioned record of service spans over two years – between enlistment at the Los Angeles Post Office in October 1942 to the receipt of an honorable discharge at Long Beach Hospital in January 1945. Dozens of entries cover ship departures and arrivals, major objectives, leaves of absence, and several combat engagements.

The first deadly strike on the Fanshaw Bay took place in June, 1944 near Saipan in the Marianas. According to the log, approximately 80 Japanese planes attacked the escort carrier, with a bomb striking near the plane elevator and resulting in 14 deaths. Three of these casualties occurred earlier in the day as a result of an accidental explosion, though no distinction is made in the account.

The primary engagement covered by the collection is the Battle off Samar, one of the major actions of the larger Battle of Leyte Gulf. The U.S.S. Fanshaw Bay was one of the unfortunate members of Task Force (Taffy) 3 that endured the wrath of a gigantic Japanese fleet led by the battleship Yamato. One of the largest warships ever constructed, the Yamato displaced more tonnage (weight of water) than ALL of the U.S. Navy ships in Taffy 3 (thirteen total destroyers and escort carriers) combined.

The Yamato was just one of thirty-three Japanese battleships, cruisers, and destroyers aiming the cripple the ongoing invasion of Leyte Island in the Philippines. Their attempt was unsuccessful, thanks in large part to the heroic efforts of the sailors on board Taffy 3’s escorting destroyers. Reckless torpedo attacks and skillful maneuvering to deploy smokescreens allowed most of the American ships to get away, but five were ultimately sunk – the Gambier Bay, St. Lo, Johnston, Roberts, and Hoel. The U.S.S. St. Lo was struck by a kamikaze dive bomber in one of the first such organized attacks in the war.

This event, along with many other highlights from the critical engagement, is described in detail in a 24-page narration written just a few days after the battle. The account, previously unpublished, begins with a severe rainstorm and concludes with the thick black smoke billowing from St. Lo shortly after the order was given to abandon ship. The moving description is accompanied by a more formalized report of the engagement and a manuscript map outlining the precise location of Fanshaw Bay on the morning of October 25th, 1944. The printed copy of the daily orders is included with the collection, along with contemporary manuscript replicas of commendations sent by commanding officers.

The description of the Battle off Samar has been transcribed in full and is available for review here, along with the majority of the additional battle report. The one-of-a-kind archive is an exceptionally scarce commemoration of the engagement, the most important of the broader Battle of Leyte Gulf.