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The Battle of Leyte Gulf was one of the most important naval battles to take place during WWII. This was an offensive collaborated between the American and the Australians. During this battle, the Japanese were on the defensive for most of the battle. The battle of Leyte Gulf was a turning point in the war and showed the world that the Allied nations of America and Australia could deal catastrophic blows to the mighty Imperial Japan.

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Japanese battleships
-Yamashiro
-Fuso
-Yamagumo
-Ashigara
-Akebono
-Yamato
-Musashi
Australian Ships
-HMAS Shropshire
-HMAS Australia
-HMAS Arunta
-HMAS Gascoyne

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The HMAS Shropshire was an early WWII heavy cruiser that was one of the most successful ships in the Australian Royal Navy. During the battle of Leyte Gulf, this ship was part of the infamous Task Force 74. After a Japanese kamikaze attack, the HMAS Australia (the lead ship at the start of the battle) was damaged. This led to the HMAS Shropshire becoming the command ship of the Australian fleet.

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Yamato was the lead ship of its class of battleships built for the imperial Japanese Navy shortly before World War II. Yamato and Musashi (a similar ship to the Yamato) were the heaviest and most powerfully armed battleships ever. This ship was named after the ancient Japanese Yamato Province.

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Yamashiro was the second of the two Fuso class dreadnought battleships built for the Imperial Japanese Navy. Yamashiro had a length of 192.024 meters. The ship displaced 29,326 long tons of water at standard load and 35,900 long tons of water at full load. It was sunk in the Battle of Leyte Gulf by the HMAS Shropshire.

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This ship was an American Aircraft Carrier. It played a major role in taking down one of the most powerful battleships in the world, the Musashi. The destruction of the Musashi by the carrier's plane showed the world that the end of the battleship era was here, and the start of the Carrier was just beginning. This great ship can be seen in the New York Harbor (I've been there!).

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The Battle of Leyte Gulf was the biggest naval battle in history. It was the powerful Japanese fleet of battleships and carriers versus the mighty American Navy supported by the Australians. The initial goal of the Japanese was to halt the transport of goods around Leyte Gulf. Distracted by the escort carriers, the Japanese were disorganized and scattered. They didn't follow the plan and instead commenced suicide plane diving into the American ships. The battle ended after the Shropshire and its allies destroyed the Yamashiro and the infamous Musashi Yamato-class battleship. The battle was a decisive win for the allies and stopped the Japanese advances in the Pacific. For the rest of the war, Japan would have to rely on ground troops as its Navy was virtually destroyed. The battle of Leyte Gulf was arguably the most important naval attack from the allies. It showed the world how powerful the allies (specifically the USA) were.

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Click for Video Summary

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This vintage newsreel documents the second major battle between Allied Forces and the Japanese Empire over the Philipines during World War II.

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1. What island (s) did the U.S invade after the result of this battle?
a) Marshall Islands
b) Philippines
c) Okinawa
d) Normandy

2. Which of the following ships was destroyed in this battle?
a) Musashi
b) Shropshire
c) Intrepid
d) B-2 Spirit of Pennsylvania

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The decisive victory of Leyte Gulf would permit the U.S invasion of the Philippines. The Philippines was a strategic stronghold that would reinforce the allied advance into Japan. For the rest of the war, the Japanese were on the defensive. This battle is comparable to the Battle of Kursk that took place in Soviet territory. These two battles ended the advance of the Axis forces in that specific area, dealing devastating damage to Hitler and his allies.