The Eduard Modeller's Den

The Eduard Modeller's Den is an online paid magazine of Czech company Eduard - M. A. designed for enthusiasts of plastic modeling, history, and related subjects. It offers a diverse range of content, including articles on current events, historical articles, museum travel guides, and interviews with notable personalities.

Strana 49

Eduard Modeller‘s Den No. 6 - JUNE 2025

The Leyte Gulf Zero

49

MODEL & STORY

First, the Americans weakened the

Japanese air forces based in Taiwan with air

raids conducted by carrier-based aircra

from USN Task Force 38 between October

13 and October 16, 1944. Japanese Army

and Navy air units lost over 300 aircra,

while the Americans recorded the loss of

about 100 planes and two damaged cruisers.

The Americans landed on Leyte on October

20 with minimal losses. The Imperial

Japanese General Sta decided that the

decisive naval bale would occur in this area.

The upcoming bale was accompanied by

communicaon issues on both sides.

On the Japanese side, the 1st Strike Force

led by Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita, the

Mobile Fleet under Vice Admiral Jisaburō

Ozawa, and two supporng groups led by

Vice Admirals Kiyohide Shima and Shōji

Nishimura, set out for the bale. Under

their command were 64 warships and over

40,000 men.

Kurita‘s force consisted of the baleships

Yamato, Musashi, Nagato, Kongō, and

Haruna; the heavy cruisers Atago, Maya,

Takao, Chōkai, Myōkō, Haguro, Kumano,

Suzuya, Tone, and Chikuma; two light

cruisers, Noshiro and Yahagi; and een

destroyers. Ozawa’s force included the

aircra carrier Zuikaku—the last remaining

aircra carrier that had parcipated in the

Pearl Harbor aack—along with the light

carriers Zuihō, Chitose, and Chiyoda. Their

weakened air groups had about 120 aircra.

Baleships parally converted into aircra

carriers, Hyūga and Ise, could also carry

a certain number of planes, however, neither

was armed with aircra for this bale. Light

cruisers Ōyodo, Tama, and Isuzu and nine

destroyers provided support.

On the American side, with support from

the Royal Australian Navy, there were about

300 vessels of various Task Forces which

gradually joined the bale. The core of the

forces included eight large aircra carriers,

nine light carriers, 18 escort carriers,

12 baleships, 24 cruisers, and 116 destroyers

or escort destroyers. Approximately 1,500

aircra were ready for combat on the

carriers.

On October 23, Kurita‘s force lost the heavy

cruisers Atago and Maya in the Palawan

Passage due to American submarines, and

Takao was so heavily damaged that it had

to be towed. On October 24, Kurita’s eet

sailed through the Sibuyan Sea without

air cover. Japanese air forces based in the

Philippines were occupied with aacks on

Vice Admiral Mitscher’s TF 38, and despite

heavy losses, they managed to sink the

carrier USS Princeton. Throughout the

day, TF 38 planes aacked Kurita‘s eet,

sinking the baleship Musashi and severely

damaging the heavy cruiser Myōkō.

On October 24, some of Ozawa’s planes

joined the aacks on TF 38, and most of

the surviving crews landed at bases in the

Philippines. The Japanese carriers essenally

TheBaleofLeyteGulftookplacefromOctober23to26,1944,and

wasthelargestnavalbaleoftheSecondWorldWar.Someauthors

evenconsiderittobethelargestnavalbaleinhistory.Itoccurred

inconneconwiththeAmericanlandingonthePhilippineislandof

Leyte,followingtheU.S.decisiononwhichinvasionroutewouldbe

priorized,TaiwanorthePhilippines.Duringthisclash,onenaval

aviatoryingaZerowroteanewchapterinthehistoryofwarfare.

Vice-Admiral Jisaburō Ozawa Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita. Photo:

U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command