The Battle of Leyte Gulf, Part 7: Where is Task Force 34?

[@tazindayanslothrop68]

Whenever i'm having a bad day I think of Halsey and receiving that message, and his reaction. Very memorable moment in history.

[@ronaldfinkelstein6335]

"The world wonders" is a line from "Charge of the Light Brigade". It was the 90th anniversary of that charge, in the Crimean War.

[@waydel4]

Good description of the battle and very good narration.

[@mbryson2899]

On one hand, the Northern Force did include _Hyuga_ and _Ise,_ battleships that had been modified to carry floatplanes, so perhaps Halsey thought including his own battleships was warranted. On the other hand, since 1940 only _one_ aircraft carrier in the world had ever been sunk by surface combatants (other than scuttlings after being crippled beyond repair). US airpower alone had sent the majority of Japanese carriers to the bottom, the rest having been done in by submarines. Personally, I think Halsey committed a grave error. His carrier Task Force had more than enough power to address the problem, as was amply demonstrated.

[@georgekraus9357]

Typhoon Halsey also made two serious misjudgments after that when he guided his fleet into typhoons two times.

[@kewlshopper]

I did not know before the problem with short messages and the effect this one had.

[@kevinmoore7975]

Halsey’s decision was a stupendous botch. All he had to do was leave TF34 and/or one carrier task group to guard the strait and his reputation as one of the great admirals of world history would have been assured. Unfortunately his lapse of judgment left a cloud over his record. In 1942-43 Halsey was just what the US Navy needed. After the various actions in the Solomons his judgment seems to have waned.

[@williamlouie569]

Till his dying days Halsey defended his decision to abandon the landing and took the bait. The bait!

[@mynamejef7963]

Just gotta ignore two typhoons 3 destroyers and like 900 American lives to keep that image intact tho right?

[@charlesfaure1189]

If it wasn't Halsey's job to defend the invasion force , whose was it? He knew better. He dismissed the possibility of Kurita reversing course and returning to the battle because he was focused on getting his great victory over the Ozawa force--just as the Japanese thought the bullheaded Halsey would indeed do. If Kurita had had the stones to stay and slaughter the invasion force, nobody would even be arguing the stupidity of Halsey not only interpreting "highest priority" as "ONLY priority," but also failing to inform the Taffys that their privy door had been left wide open. I cannot imagine Spruance doing something this asinine. It's not surprising Halsey spent the rest of his life making poor excuses. To do otherwise would be to admit a truly egregious blunder--courtmartial-level stupidity.

[@davidphillips6803]

Exactly. If it wasn't for his hero status and the moral boost that went with it among the navy and the public, he most likely would have been relieved of command. We just got lucky it wasn't a disaster.

[@onesappleone]

"Bull's Run", LOL, I love it.

[@23Revan84]

Quite right, he failed in his duty to protect the invasion force. Seems like he tried to shift blame to others for his mistake. He was duped, pure and simple. So either he has to admit he fell for the Japanese trick or he failed to protect the invasion, either way he screwed up. Like what others say, it is the fact he won’t admit to it that kept this alive.

[@onesappleone]

Your videos are the best I have seen on the naval battles from the Pacific war. I have always wondered why Halsey didn't simply detach a force large enough to protect the landing force in case it was attacked by the Japanese center force. After all, he had more than enough fire power to protect the landing force and go after the Japanese Northern force. This video finally gave me the best and most detailed explanation I have yet to hear after watching a dozen videos about this battle. Thanks for your effort. BTW, this was the first time I heard the term "Bulls Run" which made me laugh out loud. IMO, Halsey really messed up.

[@ProjectFairmont]

Given the benefit of hindsight to the Japanese plan of luring Halsey with the carriers, he was tricked. However, given the opportunity, he did the right thing IMO. RIP to those brave men of the tin can fleet.

[@Navigator001]

Halsey was a great Admiral, it's too bad that he couldn't admit that is was a mistake and everyone would have forgotten about it. Lots of mistakes were made during the war. This one is kept alive by his refusal to admit it.

[@SammyNeedsAnAlibi]

Still, after all this, Halsey made Fleet Admiral (5 stars).. Kinkaid should of gotten it,or even Mitscher, but Halsey really f-d this up. And stay tuned- he also drove his Fleet into not one but 2 Typhoons later on. Yet, he still got his 5th star over others that did far more than he did sans the blunders.

[@raymondmurray1192]

My father was there aboard USS Princeton CVL 23 which was sunk in the Battle of Leyte Gulf By Japanese Kamakase bomb .It took 3 days to put the fires and munitions out.Oct 23 - 25 1944

[@NonsenseFabricator]

He had an opportunity to split his force when he left the strait, a second opportunity when he heard Center Force had penetrated the strait, and a third when he turned around. Any of these would've defeated Ozawa's fleet, and the first two would've destroyed Kurita's. Instead, his ships accomplished basically nothing...

[@petepal55]

Second-guessing the commander in the field has always been a bugaboo. If, indeed, it wasn't Halsey's job to protect the 75th Fleet is one thing, leaving a major waterway unguarded is another. Glad it wasn't my decision, that's way above my pay grade, lol!

[@williamlouie569]

No one was minding the store, resulting the Japanese fleet sneaked up the American landing fleet!

[@TD-mg6cd]

How many must die to indulge an admiral's ego?

[@rickypabello2120]

His decision was too personal, Spruance, a black shoe cruiser admiral had 2 carrier victories, Midway & Marianas. Halsey is a brown shoe carrier admiral had none as he was stuck in Noumea on a shore command. The Ozawa carriers were the last chance to get one. But 3rd fleet staff and Halsey himself was on BB New Jersey part of TF 34. Should he stay behind with TF34 and let Ching Lee have his victory over the Center Force and Mitscher have his victory over the IJN carriers? Maybe detach the New Jersey and go after the IJN carriers? But 2 other battleships of TF34 was too far north to join Lee, leaving Lee with only 3 BBs against Yamato plus 3 more IJN BBs, not good and looks selfish. So he convince himself that Kurita had retired and assumed Kincaid's 7th fleet has the old BBs in case the worse happens.

[@ronaldfinkelstein6335]

The Northern force was impotent. The carriers had nowhere near their ordjnary comploment of aircraft, and tge pilots they did have were so poorly trained that they were ordered to head for land bases after attacking, because they had not yet been trained in CARRIER LANDINGS!

[@JETFOURLITRE]

Halsey made a mistake. We shouldn't forget his enormous contributions earlier, however.

[@George_M_]

Spruance > Halsey Lol between MacArthur and Halsey there was too much ego in the southwest Pacific. Both of them shut down in moments of panic. MacArthur after Pearl Harbor and China entering Korea, Halsey here, tantruming while Taffy 3 dies.

[@nathanwinters1247]

He made the right choice. The Japanese would have agreed.

[@lafouche345]

Halsey …….. just can’t see any way around the fact. He was duped and we were lucky.

[@23Revan84]

Very lucky, it would have be a catastrophe if the Japanese succeed. I can’t imagine the many lives lost and supply ships. The whole Leyte campaign would have been lost.