5. Battle of Leyte Gulf
Formerly known as the Second Battle of the Philippine Sea, the Battle of Leyte Gulf is recognized as the largest naval battle of World War II and by some criteria, historians rate it as the greatest naval battle in history. The battle which commenced from 23-26 October 1944 was fought between combined American and Australian forces and the Imperial Japanese Navy in the waters of the Leyte Gulf, near the Philippine islands of Leyte, Samar, and Luzon. It involved over 270 warships (64 Japanese, 216 American and 2 Australian).
The battle was a retaliatory attempt by the Imperial Japanese Navy to defeat the Allied Forces following United States troops’ invasion on the Island of Leyte Gulf, whose intention was to isolate Japan from the Southeast Asian countries it had conquered, as well as deprive its forces and industry of vital oil supplies.
The Imperial Japanese Navy’s objective failed and was defeated by the Allied Forces even though it had called to arms nearly all of its remaining major naval vessels including four carriers, ten cruisers, eleven destroyers and three battleships along with 12,000 men. The Allies, however, lost only three destroyers, two escort carriers, and one light carrier, and suffered about 2,500 human casualties.