In Spanish, the word "Engaņo" means "hoax" or "trick", and this is altogether fitting for the battle that was about to unfold. For sailing southwards, off Cape Engaņo was Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa, and his fleet of Japanese aircraft carriers and their escorts. And, for once, the Japanese desperately wanted to be detected, for the entire success of their operation would hinge upon the Third Fleet taking the bait and racing north to engage this decoy force. But for now at least, Admiral Ozawa sailed south – undetected.

In an attempt to gain the attention of Admiral Halsey, Ozawa launched all of his planes to the south to attack the mighty Third Fleet. This strike consisted of fewer than one hundred planes. None of them returned to Ozawa’s carriers, as they were all cut down by the flak of Halsey’s ships or defending American fighters on combat air patrol over the fleet. One dive bomber did manage to sneak in overhead, and was able to hit the Princeton with a single bomb that would start the fires that would eventually seal her fate. But this was not the purpose of this air strike. Sinking this carrier, although one of the few Japanese successes at Leyte, was not what Ozawa needed. What was important was that Halsey start his ships to the north so that Kurita’s mighty force could deliver the knockout blow. But since Ozawa’s aircraft arrived over the Third Fleet at about the same time as a massive land-based air attack, the approach direction of these planes went unnoticed. Instead, the Americans assumed that this small force of naval aircraft was operating from one of many airstrips in the Philippine Islands.

So throughout the day as Admiral Halsey would launch strike after strike at Kurita sailing through the Sibuyan Sea, he kept asking himself "Where are the Japanese carriers?" For although his Third Fleet was on station to cover the invasion underway by the Seventh Fleet, his orders clearly stated "in case opportunity for destruction of major portion of enemy fleet is offered or can be created, such destruction becomes the primary task." And clearly, the Air Arm of the Japanese Navy was a major portion of the enemy fleet. As Kurita retreated to the west in the face of increasing air attacks by the Third Fleet, Halsey ordered his search planes to look to the north and east – the direction from which Japanese carriers were likely to approach. At 4:40PM the search pays off – Ozawa is sighted at last. By 8 PM Halsey has made his decision, and steams north with everything that he has in anticipation of launching a massive attack at dawn.

As the sun rises on the 25^th, more than 114,000 troops have landed on Leyte, and nearly 200,000 tons of supplies have been put ashore. Much of the amphibious fleet has sailed away with their cargoes discharged, and many more will be joining them over the next hours and days. But Ozawa has other things on his mind. Will the Americans accept his bait, and engage him this day as he sails off Cape Engaņo?

Ozawa receives his answer at 7:12 AM, as the first American aircraft appear. He quickly commits all of his defensive fighters to the air. American fighters quickly cut down the thirty aircraft that respond, all that remains of the once vast force that stunned the Americans at Pearl Harbor. And so Ozawa’s force waits to be annihilated, determined to die slowly to keep the Americans busy for as long as possible.

The first wave of American aircraft fatally wound the carrier Chitose. Destroyer Akitsuki explodes under the attack, and the carrier Zuiho and Ozawa’s flagship the Zuikaku takes a torpedo aft which destroys the steering gear, forcing her rudder to be set by hand. The second strike at 9:45AM cripples the carrier Chiyoda, which will fall victim to surface forces later in the day. The cruiser Tama is hit that after noon and sinks later in the day.

When there is a lull in the fighting, Ozawa transfers his flag to the light Cruiser Oyoda, as there is little point in staying with Zuikaku – an aircraft carrier without aircraft, and sure to be the main target of the next wave of the relentless Third Fleet aircraft. From the Oyoda, Admiral Ozawa watches the Zuiho and the Zuikaku go down. The Zuikaku, the last surviving carrier of the original six that launched the attack on Pearl Harbor has finally joined in death so many of the pilots that flew that mission less than three years before.

Ozawa has now lost all four of his carriers, one of his three cruisers, and two of his nine destroyers. The choicest targets now become the two battleships with the catapult flight decks aft – the Ise and Hyuga. But, these ships seem to be unwilling to succumb to air attacks alone. So Halsey closed the distance with six of the finest battleships ever built. His orders state that if he has the opportunity to destroy a major portion of the enemy fleet, that becomes his primary task. With six battleships he can ensure that this destruction will be utterly complete. Halsey closed to within 42 miles of the enemy – less than double the distance of the range of his battleships’ guns.  But as he is engaged in hot pursuit to the North, a battle rages in  the South off the island of Samar - the northern wall of the invasion forces in Leyte Gulf...

(Follow the links to each phase of the battle.)