Tribune: "American Fleet, Convoy in Leyte Gulf Decimated.... 7 More Warships Blasted off P.I." Daihon-ei issued two communiqués ten minutes apart. 1) Japanese land forces were heavily attacking the Americans. 2) Collective air and sea exploits resulted in five transports sunk, eleven set ablaze, two sent aground and another two damaged, plus seventeen large-sized landing ships sunk, and two damaged and set ablaze.

Yet another box score of American losses is out with a total now of 130 ships, including 35 aircraft carriers sunk or damaged.

"Foe bombardment on Leyte ceases.... Weakening of U.S. Task Force Shown in Feeble Raids on Leyte." So all American carriers are confined to hospital or the bottom of the sea, and yet we were on Alert from 0800 to 1700 in this rainy weather. Hardly any planes were up except for 20 Japanese fighters that flew in from the north with external fuel tanks.

I waited several hours for an update from Nimitz, but he didn't give us one in 24-hours so it's probably all over. Here are the tallies:

Northeast Luzon: The Formosa contingent¹ lost three carriers sunk, two battleships "probably" sunk, plus two cruisers sunk. Two battleships, three cruisers and some destroyers were damaged and are now limping home. With hardly any planes, hardly any damage was inflicted on the Americans except for the Princeton, sank earlier.

East of Samar: The 20-ship central force², including 4 battleships, went through the San Bernardino Strait and sailed down the east coast of Samar, where it surprised and attacked a unit of "baby flat-tops" protected only by destroyers. The destroyers charged through their own smokescreen to attack the superior Japanese force while the slow, lightly armed escort carriers launched planes and ran to open up the range. Within 70 miles of Leyte Gulf the Japanese fleet turned back after sinking one escort carrier and three destroyers, and damaging another two carriers and destroyers.

Surigao Strait: The 16-strong southern force³, including two battleships, reached the Strait after shrugging off a brave torpedo-charge by PT boats and destroyers, only to sail into a heavily-laced trap of U.S. cruisers and battleships. Only one cruiser and five destroyers escaped undamaged. The Americans lost a number of PT boats, and one destroyer suffered damage.

Leyte Gulf: Nimitz is all too silent on American merchant fleet losses there. Yesterday, land-based Japanese planes made 12 raids on this sector. I got part of a broadcast by the Mutual Broadcasting System in Leyte, and it was illuminating. Japanese claims this afternoon list one transport sunk, 6 set ablaze, 11 damaged and 29 "left burning" — skip the warship reports.

So that's the story of the greatest naval battle in history. Nothing matches it for the number of ships, oceans and seas covered. But it's only one phase of a greater battle, the Battle of the Philippines, which is just beginning.

Admirals Ozawa¹, Kurita² , and Nishimura³