The world wonders
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"The world wonders" is a phrase which rose to notoriety following its use during World War II when it appeared as part of a decoded message sent by Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz, Commander in Chief, U.
Nimitz (left) and Halsey in 1943
U.S. Navy destroyers and destroyer escorts laying a smoke screen during the Battle off Samar, 25 October 1944. Note the splashes from Japanese shells.
Battle off Samar
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The Battle off Samar was the centermost action of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, one of the largest naval battles in history, which took place in the Philippine Sea off Samar Island, in the Philippines on
The world wonders
…pursuit of a decoy Japanese carrier task force, and, belatedly, reversed some of his ships in a fruitless effort to aid United States forces in the Battle off Samar. During World War II, both basic and (for the time) sophisticated encryption ciphers were used. Some of these ciphers could be compromised through the…
The escort carrier Gambier Bay, burning from earlier gunfire damage, is bracketed by a salvo from a Japanese battleship (faintly visible in the background, center-right) shortly before sinking.
Gambier Bay and her escorts laying a smoke screen early in the battle.
Movements during the battle
Japanese battleship Yamato and heavy cruiser Chikuma entering the battle. Yamato is the largest and most powerful battleship ever built