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History of United States Naval Operations in World War II #12
History of United States Naval Operations in World War II Volume 12 Leyte
In this twelfth volume of the definitive History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Admiral Morison records the penultimate phase of the Pacific War. The Battle for Leyte Gulf is not only the greatest naval battle of all time, but one of the most controversial engagements in the American War in the Pacific. This account makes the full story now available to the public for the first time.
The Japanese sent three separate fleets to attack the American naval and landing forces in Leyte Gulf. Ozawa's Northern Force was demolished by Halsey's Third Fleet, with Mitscher in tactical command; the Southern Force was wiped out by Seventh Fleet in what probably will be the last battle line engagement in naval history, the night action in Surigao Strait; the Center Force, although lucky to surprise off Samar a vulnerable group of American escort carriers under Rear Admiral Clifton Sprague, was thrown back in confusion and suffered grave damage.
445 pages, Paperback
First published January 30, 1958
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About the author
Samuel Eliot Morison
506 books96 followersSamuel Eliot Morison, son of John H. and Emily Marshall (Eliot) Morison, was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on 9 July 1887. He attended Noble’s School at Boston, and St. Paul’s at Concord, New Hampshire, before entering Harvard University, from which he was graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1908. He studied at the Ecole Libre des Sciences Politiques, Paris, France, in 1908-1909, and returned to Harvard for postgraduate work, receiving the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in 1912. Thereafter he became Instructor, first at the University of California in Berkeley, and in 1915 at Harvard. Except for three years (1922-1925) when he was Harmsworth Professor of American History at Oxford, England, and his periods of active duty during both World Wars, he remained continuously at Harvard University as lecturer and professor until his retirement in 1955.
He had World War I service as a private in the US Army, but not overseas. As he had done some preliminary studies on Finland for Colonel House’s Inquiry, he was detailed from the Army in January 1919 and attached to the Russian Division of the American Commission to Negotiate Peace, at Paris, his specialty being Finland and the Baltic States. He served as the American Delegate on the Baltic Commission of the Peace Conference until 17 June 1919, and shortly after returned to the United States. He became a full Professor at Harvard in 1925, and was appointed to the Jonathan Trumbull Chair in 1940. He also taught American History at Johns Hopkins University in 1941-1942.
Living up to his sea-going background – he has sailed in small boats and coastal craft all his life. In 1939-1940, he organized and commanded the Harvard Columbus Expedition which retraced the voyages of Columbus in sailing ships, barkentine Capitana and ketch Mary Otis. After crossing the Atlantic under sail to Spain and back, and examining all the shores visited by Columbus in the Caribbean, he wrote Admiral of the Ocean Sea, an outstanding biography of Columbus, which won a Pulitzer Prize in 1943. He also wrote a shorter biography, Christopher Columbus, Mariner. With Maurico Obregon of Bogota, he surveyed and photographed the shores of the Caribbean by air and published an illustrated book The Caribbean as Columbus Saw It (1964).
Shortly after the United States entered World War II, Dr. Morison proposed to his friend President Roosevelt, to write the operational history of the US Navy from the inside, by taking part in operations and writing them up afterwards. The idea appealed to the President and Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox, and on 5 May 1942, Dr. Morison was commissioned Lieutenant Commander, US Naval Reserve, and was called at once to active duty. He subsequently advanced to the rank of Captain on 15 December 1945. His transfer to the Honorary Retired List of the Naval Reserve became effective on 1 August 1951, when he was promoted to Rear Admiral on the basis of combat awards.
In July-August 1942 he sailed with Commander Destroyer Squadron Thirteen (Captain John B. Heffernan, USN), on USS Buck, flagship, on convoy duty in the Atlantic. In October of that year, on USS Brooklyn with Captain Francis D. Denebrink, he participated in Operation TORCH (Allied landings in North and Northwestern Africa - 8 November 1942). In March 1943, while attached to Pacific Fleet Forces, he visited Noumea, Guadalcanal, Australia, and on Washington made a cruise with Vice Admiral W. A. Lee, Jr., USN. He also patrolled around Papua in motor torpedo boats, made three trips up “the Slot” on Honolulu, flagship of Commander Cruisers, Pacific Fleet (Rear Admiral W.W. Ainsworth, USN), and took part in the Battle of Kolombangara before returning to the mainland. Again in the Pacific War Area in September 1943, he participated in the Gilbert Islands operation on board USS Baltimore, under command of Captain Walter C. Calhoun, USN. For the remainder of the Winter he worked at Pearl Harbor, and in the Spring
He had World War I service as a private in the US Army, but not overseas. As he had done some preliminary studies on Finland for Colonel House’s Inquiry, he was detailed from the Army in January 1919 and attached to the Russian Division of the American Commission to Negotiate Peace, at Paris, his specialty being Finland and the Baltic States. He served as the American Delegate on the Baltic Commission of the Peace Conference until 17 June 1919, and shortly after returned to the United States. He became a full Professor at Harvard in 1925, and was appointed to the Jonathan Trumbull Chair in 1940. He also taught American History at Johns Hopkins University in 1941-1942.
Living up to his sea-going background – he has sailed in small boats and coastal craft all his life. In 1939-1940, he organized and commanded the Harvard Columbus Expedition which retraced the voyages of Columbus in sailing ships, barkentine Capitana and ketch Mary Otis. After crossing the Atlantic under sail to Spain and back, and examining all the shores visited by Columbus in the Caribbean, he wrote Admiral of the Ocean Sea, an outstanding biography of Columbus, which won a Pulitzer Prize in 1943. He also wrote a shorter biography, Christopher Columbus, Mariner. With Maurico Obregon of Bogota, he surveyed and photographed the shores of the Caribbean by air and published an illustrated book The Caribbean as Columbus Saw It (1964).
Shortly after the United States entered World War II, Dr. Morison proposed to his friend President Roosevelt, to write the operational history of the US Navy from the inside, by taking part in operations and writing them up afterwards. The idea appealed to the President and Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox, and on 5 May 1942, Dr. Morison was commissioned Lieutenant Commander, US Naval Reserve, and was called at once to active duty. He subsequently advanced to the rank of Captain on 15 December 1945. His transfer to the Honorary Retired List of the Naval Reserve became effective on 1 August 1951, when he was promoted to Rear Admiral on the basis of combat awards.
In July-August 1942 he sailed with Commander Destroyer Squadron Thirteen (Captain John B. Heffernan, USN), on USS Buck, flagship, on convoy duty in the Atlantic. In October of that year, on USS Brooklyn with Captain Francis D. Denebrink, he participated in Operation TORCH (Allied landings in North and Northwestern Africa - 8 November 1942). In March 1943, while attached to Pacific Fleet Forces, he visited Noumea, Guadalcanal, Australia, and on Washington made a cruise with Vice Admiral W. A. Lee, Jr., USN. He also patrolled around Papua in motor torpedo boats, made three trips up “the Slot” on Honolulu, flagship of Commander Cruisers, Pacific Fleet (Rear Admiral W.W. Ainsworth, USN), and took part in the Battle of Kolombangara before returning to the mainland. Again in the Pacific War Area in September 1943, he participated in the Gilbert Islands operation on board USS Baltimore, under command of Captain Walter C. Calhoun, USN. For the remainder of the Winter he worked at Pearl Harbor, and in the Spring
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 30, 2018
One of the best in the series. As Morison goes along he gets better at this.
February 24, 2026
Authoritative and a great history of the decisive naval battle of course. In addition, great insight into the origins as well as the following three months of operations on/around Leyte.
October 20, 2012
Leyte was the beginning of my Dad's war. He was 17 when he joined USS Langley (CVL-27). He would turn 18 in November, after the Battle of Leyte Gulf.
Fascinating book. As an operational history it can seem dry, but Morison is able to portray naval combat in a wonderful way.
One of the surprising things I learned was how fast things happened in the Pacific war. It was merely weeks from the final decision to invade Leyte to the operation, while moving thousands of men and ships along hundreds of miles of the Pacific.
Of course, the Battle of Leyte Gulf is the central part of the book. Japan's last attempt at the "Grand Decisive Battle," which they hoped would save them from complete defeat. At the end of the three part battle the Japanese Imperial Navy had ceased to exist as a coherent fighting force.
For a Sailor's-eye view of the battle, I strongly recommend James Hornfischer's "Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors," which concerns the Battle of Samar Island, also known as the Battle of the Baby Flat-Tops.
Fascinating book. As an operational history it can seem dry, but Morison is able to portray naval combat in a wonderful way.
One of the surprising things I learned was how fast things happened in the Pacific war. It was merely weeks from the final decision to invade Leyte to the operation, while moving thousands of men and ships along hundreds of miles of the Pacific.
Of course, the Battle of Leyte Gulf is the central part of the book. Japan's last attempt at the "Grand Decisive Battle," which they hoped would save them from complete defeat. At the end of the three part battle the Japanese Imperial Navy had ceased to exist as a coherent fighting force.
For a Sailor's-eye view of the battle, I strongly recommend James Hornfischer's "Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors," which concerns the Battle of Samar Island, also known as the Battle of the Baby Flat-Tops.
December 26, 2014
This was my fist look into the Battle of Leyte Gulf. This particular book is one of 14 books (15 if you include the Supplement and General Index volume).
I was at the Cypress Jr. College library looking up World War II naval history when I first came across this book. What caught my eye (had very little knowledge at the time about Leyte) and I wondered why it alone took an entire volume. All the other books contained multiple battles - for example "Coral Sea, Midway and Submarine Actions, May 1942 - August 1942" - and Midway was huge! So what was an entire volume entitled "Leyte"?
There are several battles that make up the entire "Battle of Leyte Gulf" - that of the "baby flattops" is perhaps my favorite of them all...
I was at the Cypress Jr. College library looking up World War II naval history when I first came across this book. What caught my eye (had very little knowledge at the time about Leyte) and I wondered why it alone took an entire volume. All the other books contained multiple battles - for example "Coral Sea, Midway and Submarine Actions, May 1942 - August 1942" - and Midway was huge! So what was an entire volume entitled "Leyte"?
There are several battles that make up the entire "Battle of Leyte Gulf" - that of the "baby flattops" is perhaps my favorite of them all...
August 31, 2013
Read the chapters (159-316) that corresponded with my last book, Evan Thomas' Sea of Thunder. Cleared up a few things and left me with a quote referring to the actions of American sailors in times of intense stress:
"Across a fruitful earth and o'er the sea
Shoots a bright beam of noble deeds, unquenchable..."
-Pindar
Samuel Eliot Morsion wrote this history based on his experiences during the war on the decks of 11 different ships (from the book jacket) and numerous primary sources. I had the privilege of serving aboard USS Samuel Eliot Morsion FFG-13 in the spring of 1990, Charleston, South Carolina.
"Across a fruitful earth and o'er the sea
Shoots a bright beam of noble deeds, unquenchable..."
-Pindar
Samuel Eliot Morsion wrote this history based on his experiences during the war on the decks of 11 different ships (from the book jacket) and numerous primary sources. I had the privilege of serving aboard USS Samuel Eliot Morsion FFG-13 in the spring of 1990, Charleston, South Carolina.
February 4, 2015
Very interesting read. I did not complete all since I was mostly interested in the references to the USS Irwin that my grandfather had served on. Was fascinated to read the references to the ship in action.
August 8, 2007
As a naval reference it's good, extremely detailed. Somewhat dry, of course.
December 29, 2012
Excellent read on the U.S. Navy activites in the liberation of the Philippines. Includes detailed account of Taffy's 1,2,and 3.
February 22, 2015
Good. Wonderful timeline of all aspects of the Leyte campaign. Read his other books.
August 23, 2016
Very detailed account of the battle that includes land actions, by both the Allies and Japanese.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews