The Battle Off Samar - Taffy III at Leyte Gulf - Softcover

5th Edition softcover (PerfectBind). The true story of Rear Admiral Clifton A.F. 'Ziggy' Sprague's U.S. Seventh Fleet Task Unit 77.4.3, Taffy III, in action against Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita's Imperial Japanese Navy Centre Force on 25 October 1944. Task Unit 77.4.3 consisted of six escort carriers (CVEs) FANSHAW BAY, ST LO, WHITE PLAINS, KALININ BAY, KITKUN BAY, & GAMBIER BAY, three destroyers (DDs) HOEL, HEERMANN, & JOHNSTON, and four smaller destroyer escorts (DEs) JOHN C. BUTLER, DENNIS, RAYMOND, & SAMUEL B. ROBERTS. They fought the vastly superior Imperial Japanese Navy Centre Force at Leyte Gulf on October 25, 1944, sustaining losses of five warships sunk and nearly all remaining warships heavily damaged; with the high cost of nearly 900 American lives. This edition includes maps & illustrations of the battle, biographies of the CVE admirals and a select few of the Commanding Officers. Includes an extensive index.