The Battle for Leyte Gulf
23-26 October 1944
The
Japanese Southern Force
The heavy cruiser Ashigara - part of Vice
Admiral Shima's Force C - seen here in Spithead at the 1937 Coronation
Naval Review
BB = BATTLESHIP - CA = HEAVY CRUISER - CL = LIGHT CRUISER
- DD = DESTROYER
(S) = Sunk
in the battle
'Southern Force' consisted of two groups, the larger (Force
'C') commanded by Vice-Admiral Nishimura,
and the much smaller 'Second Striking Force' by Vice-Admiral
Shima.
These two groups were meant to carry out a co-ordinated
attack, but failed to do so.
Force 'C'
(Van of the Southern Force)
(V. Adm. Shoji Nishimura
in battleship Yamashiro)
2 Battleships, 1 Heavy
Cruisers, 4 Destroyers as follows -
Battleship Division 2 (Vice Admiral Nishimura):
2 BB Yamashiro (S), Fuso (S)
1 CA Mogami (S)(detached
from Cruiser Division 5)
Destroyer Division 4: DD Michisio (S),
Yamagumo (S), Asagumo (S)
DD Shigure (detached from Destroyer Squadron 2)
Second Striking Force
(Rear of Southern force)
(V. Adm. Kiyohide Shima
in heavy cruiser Nachi)
2 Heavy Cruisers, 1
Light Cruiser, 7 Destroyers as follows -
Cruiser Division 21 (Vice Admiral Shima): 2 CA (Nachi,
Ashigara)
CL Abukuma (S)
DD Kasumi, Shiranuhi (S),
Wakaba (S), Hatsuharu, Hatsushimo, Akebono,
Ushio
Acknowledgments
The picture of heavy cruiser Ashigara at the head of page is
reproduced with thanks from
"Japanese Warships of World War II" by A.J. Watts (Ian Allan,
London 1966)
