Battle of Surigao Strait: HMAS Shropshire on the firing line

The Battle of Surigao Strait was the largest clash of warships of World War II. Japanese, American and Australian forces engaged at night in the last great naval battle between big gun "dreadnaughts". Among the lineup was the Australian heavy cruiser HMAS Shropshire and the destroyer HMAS Arunta. Here veterans describe the lead-up to the historic battle and the roles they played in history's final clash of battleship titans. Part of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, Surigao was fought on the night of October 24 and 25. Except for the USS Mississippi, all the battleships that took part were damaged during the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941.
The Allied force, consisting of six American battleships, eight cruisers, and numerous destroyers, was under the command of Rear Admiral Jesse Oldendorf. The Japanese force, comprising of two battleships, one cruiser, and four destroyers, was under the command of Vice Admiral Shoji Nishimura.
The battle began late at night on October 24, with the Allied forces ambushing the Japanese fleet. The first phase of the battle was fought by the American destroyers, which fired torpedoes at the Japanese fleet, causing significant damage. The second phase of the battle saw the American battleships engage the Japanese force, firing salvos of shells that inflicted heavy damage on the Japanese ships. HMAS Shropshire was part of the third phase of the battle, in which the Allied cruisers engaged the Japanese force.

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VIDEO CONTENT

0:00 Introduction
2:11 CHAPTER 1 - Mobilisation
7:59 CHAPTER 2 - The Ship
17:10 CHAPTER 3 - Invasion Fleet
24:17 CHAPTER 4 - Counterstroke
28:10 CHAPTER 5 - The Battles of Leyte
32:19 CHAPTER 6 - Surigao Strait
47:08 CHAPTER 7 - Aftermath
56:23 End Titles


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