Battle of the Sibuyan Sea

24 October 1944, Sibuyan Sea, Philippines, and off Luzon

American victory

Kurita's Centre Force crossed the Sibuyan Sea on 24 October, heading for the San Bernardino Strait, with no air cover at all. Admiral William Halsey's fast carriers sent five strikes, about 260 sorties, against it through the day. They concentrated on the giant Musashi, which took about nineteen torpedoes and seventeen bombs before she rolled over and sank that evening with about 1,000 of her crew; Myōkō was torpedoed and sent home. Kurita turned west, and Halsey's pilots reported him beaten. Meanwhile Japanese aircraft from Luzon struck back at the carriers: a single bomb set Princeton ablaze, and when the fire reached her torpedoes the explosion blew off her stern and swept the decks of the cruiser Birmingham, fighting the fire alongside. After dark Kurita turned east again.

United States Navy

11 ships, 1 lost

Ship	Type	Outcome
USS Intrepid Her aircraft led the first strike	Aircraft carrier Essex class	Survived
USS Cabot	Aircraft carrier Independence class	Survived
USS Essex	Aircraft carrier Essex class	Survived
USS Lexington	Aircraft carrier Essex class	Survived
USS Langley	Aircraft carrier Independence class	Survived
USS Princeton Bombed off Luzon; scuttled that evening	Aircraft carrier Independence class	Scuttled
USS Enterprise	Aircraft carrier Yorktown class	Survived
USS Franklin	Aircraft carrier Essex class	Survived
USS San Jacinto	Aircraft carrier Independence class	Survived
USS Belleau Wood	Aircraft carrier Independence class	Survived
USS Birmingham Wrecked by Princeton's explosion; 229 killed	Light cruiser Cleveland class	Damaged

Imperial Japanese Navy

15+ ships, 1 lost

Ship	Type	Outcome
IJN Musashi About nineteen torpedoes and seventeen bombs	Battleship Yamato class	Sunk
IJN Yamato Kurita's flagship; two bomb hits	Battleship Yamato class	Damaged
IJN Nagato Two bomb hits	Battleship Nagato class	Damaged
IJN Kongō	Battleship Kongō class	Survived
IJN Haruna	Battleship Kongō class	Survived
IJN Myōkō Torpedoed and sent back to Brunei	Heavy cruiser Myōkō class	Damaged
IJN Haguro	Heavy cruiser Myōkō class	Survived
IJN Chōkai	Heavy cruiser Takao class	Survived
IJN Kumano	Heavy cruiser Mogami class	Survived
IJN Suzuya	Heavy cruiser Mogami class	Survived
IJN Tone	Heavy cruiser Tone class	Survived
IJN Chikuma	Heavy cruiser Tone class	Survived
IJN Noshiro	Light cruiser Agano class	Survived
IJN Yahagi	Light cruiser Agano class	Survived
IJN Kiyoshimo Stood by Musashi	Destroyer Yūgumo class	Survived

Flotillas and other craft	Number	Lost
Other destroyers	about 10	0

Forts, batteries and aircraft	Strength	Outcome
Land-based aircraft from Luzon	Three large raids	Most shot down; one bomb hit Princeton

Fleet Ledger

Battle of the Sibuyan Sea

United States Navy

Imperial Japanese Navy

Map