USS John C. Butler
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USS John C. Butler was the lead ship of her class of destroyer escorts in the service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was recommissioned between 1950 and 1957 and finally sunk as a
USS John C. Butler on 1 March 1945
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
USS John C. Butler
…Strait the night of 24–25 October, and just after sunrise bore down on the relatively unprotected Taffy 3, including John C. Butler. The two-hour Battle off Samar which followed has taken a rightful place among the most memorable actions in naval history. The slow escort carriers launched all planes to attack 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