One of the less known turning points of World War II, the Battle off Samar began in the early dawn hours of October 25, 1944 near the Philippines. The Battle off Samar was an important episode of the critical four-day long Battle of Leyte Gulf in the Pacific Theatre.

The Japanese Navy had effectively lured the main US force from the region and attacked the remaining units with the largest surface fleet assembled since the Battle of Midway: A Japanese fleet of 4 battleships, 12 cruisers, and 15 destroyers. This fleet was facing a small detachment, (Task Unit 77.4.3 or TAFFY III) only 6 unarmored escort carriers, 4 destroyers, and 3 smaller destroyer escorts under the command of Rear Admiral Clifton "Ziggy" Sprague. The largest Japanese ship, battleship Yamato, the largest battleship in history, it could fire 18-inch shells as a contrast the largest gun in Taffy III was 5 inches.

Taffy 3 was a fleet intended to provide air support from behind the main battle line, it was not a direct naval combat fleet. The escort carriers were not heavily armed or armored and the destroyers and destroyer escorts were primarily designed for sea-to-shore fire, anti-submarine patrols, and mine-sweeping. The heavily outnumbered Admiral Sprague did the only reasonable thing: he ordered the carriers to launch all of their aircraft and flee east while the destroyers and escorts were to lay a smoke screen to cover the retreat.

Heavily outnumbered the Navy has shown an unparalleled gallantry in battle. For instance a destroyer, the USS Johnston charged in toward the attacking fleet zigzagging through heavy shelling and managed to get in effective range. The destroyer then launched her 10 torpedoes and hit the heavy cruiser Kumano taking it out of action, requiring another cruiser to tow her out of the battle. A single destroyer took two heavy cruisers out from the fight. After the success of USS Johnston Admiral Sprague ordered all the other destroyers to go on a torpedo attack. Their torpedoes did not hit the Japanese but they managed to break up their formations and delay their advance on the carriers. The USS Heerman’s torpedoes threatened the Yamato, which turned away and left the battle scene.

The Japanese battleships sank the escort carrier Gambier Bay with surface fire and the St. Lo fell victim to the first ever kamikaze attack. The other four escort carriers continued their retreat east and south. Most of the destroyers were damaged or sunk and the carriers (White Plains, Fanshaw Bay, Kalinin Bay, and Kitkun Bay) owed a debt of gratitude to the brave crews of the small "tin cans." On the other side, the Japanese were forced to scuttle three heavy cruisers, all of their battleships were damaged except for the Yamato. All participating ships were rendered ineffective for the remainder of the war, apart from the Yamato. Due to the ferocity of the attacks the Japanese commander believed he was up against a much larger force and broke contact, changed course and turned away.