WW2 Wasteful operations

[Type XXIII]

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

On a slighty more amusing note:

Japan: Battle off Samar
4 Battleships (Including Da Yamato her self), 6 Cruisers, 2 Lights, and 11 Destroyers give chase to 6 CVEs, 3 DDs, 3 DE with 12 more CVEs, 6 DDs, and 4 DE near by. At the end only 1 CVE was sunk with three damaged (and 2 DDs and 1 DE sunk) and the IJN 3 CAs short and 3 a limping.

So much for so very little.

Actually, it was even more for just as little. The Battle of Samar was just the main Japanese strike force attacking the American landing fleet. The whole battle is called the Battle of the Leyte Gulf and was the largest naval battle in history (assuming Herodotes exaggerated the Battle of Salamis, which he probably did.) In the whole battle, including the bombing and sub attacks the Japanese encountered on the way to the battle, and the decimation of both the diversionary force and the secondary strike force, the Japanese lost 1 CV, 3 CVLs, 3 BBs (including Yamatos sister ship Musashi), 9 cruisers, 9 DDs, one tanker and a submarine.

The US Navy, on the other hand, lost 1 CVL, 2 CVEs, 2 DDs, 1 DDE, a torpedo boat and three subs.