WI-Halsey catches Kurita after Samar

Targeting a destroyer with a battleship's main battery was not too difficult either and frankly I'm unsure why it was brought up as a counterpoint to anything thus posted: large caliber hits on DDs were quite common where such circumstances permitted.

Also, Kurita didn't realize his fleet was facing destroyers, he thought Hoel, Heerman, and Johnston were Baltimore-class heavy cruisers.
 
Also, Kurita didn't realize his fleet was facing destroyers, he thought Hoel, Heerman, and Johnston were Baltimore-class heavy cruisers.

Targetting is one thing, hitting it is another. Even at long range, a destroyer, even when mistaken for a battellhip, or cruiser, is a nimble small target, difficult to hit with slow rate of fire guns. USS Johnston was engaged by Kongo, which scored hits on her, while the destroyer was already damaged by cruiser gunfire, loosing speed. Kongo had been clearly identified as the attacker, not Yamato, as that ship wa s nowhere to be seen at that moment. (still running away due to Heermann's torpeodes and desperately trying to get into action again.) Check the timeframe of the eventsn and you will see it foir yourself.
 
USS Johnston was engaged by Kongo, which scored hits on her, while the destroyer was already damaged by cruiser gunfire, loosing speed. Kongo had been clearly identified as the attacker, not Yamato, as that ship wa s nowhere to be seen at that moment. (still running away due to Heermann's torpeodes and desperately trying to get into action again.) Check the timeframe of the eventsn and you will see it foir yourself.

AARs are only of limited value where qualitative data and the Japanese Center Force is concerned. Johnston's own report mentions two Kongo and two Ise class BBs present, though none of the latter were even involved in the battle. Consequently all large caliber shells were reported as '14 inches,' the displacements of the opponents under-reported ('45,000 tons'), etc.

That Johnston's assailant is commonly identified as Kongo (based on incomplete data) did not mean she was the one who was actually doing the damage.
 
Last edited:
AARs are only of limited value where qualitative data and the Japanese Center Force is concerned. Johnston's own report mentions two Kongo and two Ise class BBs present, though none of the latter were even present. Consequently all large caliber shells were reported as '14 inches,' the displacements of the opponents under-reported ('45,000 tons'), etc.

That Johnston's assailant is commonly identified as Kongo (based on incomplete data) did not mean she was the one who was actually doing the damage.

Don't bother. Debating Warspite on this topic is like bashing your head against a wall, except ten times as painful.
 
Last edited:
Top