Voce Admiral Shima Kiyohide led the Second Striking Force at Leyte Gulf; a hastily deployed and inadequately briefed small surface group with #Nachi as its flagship. The plan was to join with Vice Admiral Nishimura Shoji’s Southern Force as it approached the #SurigaoStrait on 24 October 1944 1/3
Paul Allen's crew found the wreck of Yamashiro in the #SurigaoStrait in 2017; like most battleship wrecks she is upside-down, with 1,630 of her crew inside. Less than ten men from the ship survived the war to return to Japan. #NavalHistory #ImperialJapaneseNavy 6/6
Yamagumo was torpedoed in the #SurigaoStrait the night of 25 October 1944 and sank immediately; only one man survived. All six ships that sailed with her were similarly destroyed, either by torpedo or naval surface gunfire: #Yamashiro, #Fusō, #Mogami, #Shigure, Michishio, and Asagumo. 4/5
