The Circleville Herald from Circleville, Ohio • Page 8

Pa Eight THE DAILY HERALD CIRCLEVILLE, OHIO Saturday, October 27, 1956 Great Battle For Leyte Gulf Still Rages In Many Arguments Struggle Always Was Classified immm As 'Close Call' 2 Retired Admirals, Kinkaid And Halsey, In Center Of Hassle A number of Pickaway ex-servicemen were involved, directly or indirectly, in what many authorities now call the greatest sea fight in Battle of Leyte Gulf in the Philippines. It claimed more than 12,000 lives. Details of the far-flung en. gagement were somewhat shadowed by the daily flood of war news then pouring in from all over the globe. But even on the day after the battle, it was apparent to the well informed that it had been a touch and go affair a tremendous clash in which the outcome swayed dangerously in the balance for many hours.

The great battle ended officially 12 years ago this w'eek, but many Navy men and others continue to argue its mistakes and timely decisions. The engagements of that battle Strait, Samar and Cape Engano smashed navy and signalled the final phase of the war in the Pacific. THE BATTLE blanketed an area about twice the size of Texas. Japan lost four carriers, three battleships, IO cruisers, ll destroyers and 7.500 to 10,000 men. The United States lost two escort carriers, one light carrier, two destroyers, one destroyer escort and 2,803 men.

The guns have been silent since Oct. 26, 1944, but the Battle for Leyte Gulf still is a battle of opinions and memories. The two chief antagonists are both retired admirals, Adm. William F. (Bull) Halsey, Third Fleet commander under Adm.

Chester W. Nimitz, and Adm. Thomas C. Kinkaid, in supreme command of Gen. Douglas naval forces (Seventh Fleet).

For more than a decade, Kinkaid held his fire, but recently he opened up on Halsey, big that he was lured away bv a decoy force of Japanese ships while another enemy fleet attacked the unguarded invasion a wolf stalking an untended flock of sheep. charges and rebuttal are contained in part in a chapter in the book, Fights and by Hanson Baldwin. A great armada of more than 700 United States vessels had steamed into Leyte gulf at dawn on the 20th of October and by the end of Oct. 21, 103,000 American troops were ashore and only three warships liSMMNI During leyte action a Japanese dive bomber crashes into the ocean, watery grave marked by smoke plume. Scene is off Leyte island.

Black smoke column is from burning (J. S. destroyer. Admiral Kinkaid Admiral Halsey had been damaged. Beneath rain- drenched skies, General MacArthur stood on the beach and said, have However, the desperate Japanese admirals planned to make that return a bloody one.

ONE JAP FORCE moved north out of Singapore under Vice Adm. Takeo Kurita and stopped for refueling at Brunei bay, Borneo. There the force split up. with Kurita heading for San Bernardino strait at night while Vice Adm. Shoji Nishimura steamed for gao strait to be joined by Vice Adm.

Kiyohide Shima, The to the master plan, however, was Vice Adm. Jisaburo Ozawa. His mission was to take his carriers to Luzon and act as decoys for Halsey's forces. U. S.

Navy carrier planes caught up with Kurita and ship after ship went down. Kurita, who had little air power, reversed his course in the Sibuyan sea, then turned around once again and headed back for unguarded San dino strait and the dug-in American troops. Meanwhile, in narrow Surigao strait, Nishimura's ships travel- cd single file into a trap to face Kinkaid Seventh fleet, which which was strung out like the top bar of the letter When tho Japs moved in, all cf ships fired at the lead enemy ship, which could only use her forward gun turrets in the high-w ailed straits. Both Nishimura and Shima were beaten rn one of greatest naval battles, one that was brilliant, inexpensive and decisive. But, elsewhere, other events threatened to nullify this victory.

Ozawa's were snotfed and Halsey gave chase. This tion, Kinkaid claims, left his forces open to attack from Kurita, who was approaching through San Bernardino All that opposed him were 16 small flattops under Adm. Clifton A. F. Sprague.

BACK ON his command ship. Kinkaid radioed Halsey, asking where the battleships were that he thought were gunning San Bernardino strait. Halsey replied the big ships were with his fast carriers destroying Ozawa off Cape Engano. Sprague, off Samar, threw his destroyers against the Jap armada to slow it up. In one of the most stirring spectacles in naval annals, the hurled their torpedoes and then popped their small guns against the giant Jap men-of-war.

The United States toll was heavy. The destroyers Hoe! and Johnston and jeep carrier Gambier Bay went down. Earlier in the battle, the Princetor. had been sunk. A Jap plane fed her a 550- pound bomb and she had to be finished off by her own ships after the crew had been removed.

On Oct. 25, with a dazzling victory in his hands, Kurita broke off the action, turned north and left Samar. The heroic stand of destroyers and planes and a smoke screen helped stop Kurita. but he turned tail because he thought Halsey was nearby and he knew that Nishimura had been defeated. The next few' days were devoted to mopping up operations.

The battle was over, but not the controversy. One of the quarrels is over communications. Halsey had sent a message to Kinkaid that he was north with three Kinkaid had intercepted an earlier message (one not addressed to him) that designated four of battleships as Task Force 34. This group was to be used against the enemy is developments warranted. When Halsey told Kinkaid he was north with three Kinkaid thought Halsey was leaving four JOE MOATS MOTOR SALES DESOTO and PLYMOUTH Service 213 LANCASTER PIKE PHONE 301 Reporl of Pickaway Livestock Cooperative Association Sales Od.

24th, 1956 246 HEAD ttfoa OF CATTLE I ON SALE With Best Cattle Offered Selling For $23.30 Down 47 Cattle sold from $18.00 to 34 Cattle sold from $16.00 to $18 (3 Cows sold from $14.25 dow Bulls sold $13.80 dow 70 Veal Calves on sale with top calves selling at $29.00 dow Head Calves sold at $12.50 dow STOCK AND FEEDER CATTLE FOR SALI INQUIRE AT LIVESTOCK VARDS 550 Hogs On Sale With Top Hogs Netting Farmer $15.50 550 Hogs on Sale with 190-220 pound hogs nctl Sows sold from Bulk of Boars sold at Next Special Sheep and La nib Sale Will Be Held October 30. 1956 Please Deliver Your Lambs Before ll Noon Regular Auction Sale Each Wednesday Hogs Handled Monday thru Friday Deliver Your Livestock Early In The Day Any Da Pickaway Livestock Co-Op EAST CORWIN ST. PHONES 182 183 HOWARD MYERS, Mer. IS THE TIME To Prepare Your Auto For Cold-Weather Driving ANTI-FREEZE I BOTH TYPES Lowest Prices In Town Unico Permanent has Ethylene Glycol base with anti-rust additive, WHY PAY MORE? IS Month Guarantee AUTO BATTERIES $1895 to $29 95 According To Type You Need Spark Plugs and Oil Filters At Lowest Prices! PICKAWAY FARM BUREAU COOPERATIVE INC. W.

Mound St, Phone 831 battleships to guard the straits. He I didn't specifically ask Halsey! whether he had left those forces there until the next day. NOW COME the If Kinkaid had not intercepted that ear-1 lier message, or Lf he had asked for clarification of message to him I or if Halsey had said he was leav- i ing all my available the mixup might not have oc- i curred. Halsey claims Kinkaid seemed to have advantage of posi-1 tion and to take care of battered forces. action report further states that Ozawa was pow-erful and dangerous.

Halsey says he still is not sure that force was intended solely as a lure. Kinkaid charges that his ponderous Seventh Fleet was land troops and keep them ashore. not to fight a naval He further charges that evaluation of both forces and those of Ozawa wras incorrect. Thus it stands today. Tile Battle I for Leyte Gulf is history, but for Admirals Kinkaid and Halsey, it is a battle that ended.

Heart Specialist Gives Survival Data BOSTON Dr. Paul Dudley White, reporting follow-up studies on heart cases similar to President Eisenhower's, says that of 19 patients in the age bracket all but one survived five years. That one survived four. Even better, said the specialist who attended Eisenhower after his heart attack a year ago last September, ll of the 19 patients survived IO years. Dr.

White added, concluding a general statistical study, said: I have given you at least a more detailed statistical basis for our attitude about the recovery which a year ago seemed so Roseville Man Gets State Liquor Post COLUMBUS Caton of Roseville, Perry County, has been appointed comptroller to head the accounting division for the state department of liquor control. Director William C. Bryant arf1 nounced the appointment, effective Friday. The name Tennessee is derived from the Cherokee Indian village of Tanasi. or your old tire makes the down payment ON A BRAND-NEW GENUINE GOODYEAR TIRE LOOK Full Year (wintrmticc! not a a the famous Marathon rock bottom priced at Get yours now and Ive miles ahead cm these famous Goodyear Tires.

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Main St. Phone 689 Be Sure and Mark Your Ballot For a POLK Representative To EXPERIENCED CAPABLE GRADUATE OF O.S.U. College of Agriculture (1919) M.A. Wittenberg College (1923) JAMES G. POLK Eight Years Experience As High School Teacher.

Eighteen Years Experience As Member of Congress. Eighteen Years Experience House Committee On Agricultor longer a Congressman remains in office the greater his value to his Editorial Peoples Ider. Veterans never had a better Champion in Leesburg Citizen. His son and two of his sons-in-law are veterans of World War II. Mr.

Polk asks for your opinions on questions and issues in order that he may properly represent you in Congress. POLK for Congress Committee Major Frank X. Frebis, Georgetown, Ohio Robert IL McMullen. Hillsboro, hairmen. Robert J.

Harris, Bethel, Ohio -Pol. Adv. rn A.