The Battle of Leyte Gulf, also known as the Second Battle of the Philippine Sea, took place near the Philippine Islands of Leyte Samar and Luzon. It was a three-day battle between American and Australian forces against the Imperial Japanese Navy. It was the largest naval battle of World War II. Some historians believe it was the largest naval battle ever seen. The Battle of Leyte Gulf was the first battle in which the Japanese staged kamikaze attacks and consisted of four battles: the Battle of Sibuyan Sea, the Battle of Suriago Strait, the Battle of Cape Engaño, and the Battle of of Samar. On October 20, American armed forces invaded the island of Leyte as part of a strategy to remove Japan from the countries it occupied in Southeast Asia. The Japanese Navy moved almost all of its remaining ships in an attempt to defeat the Allied invasion. They were stopped by the US Navy's 3rd and 7th Fleets. Because of this, the Japanese Navy suffered many losses and the surviving ships remained at their base for the remainder of the war. Also on October 20, 1944, the 6th Fleet of the United States Navy arrived on the island of Leyte on a mission for the independence of the Philippines. Close naval support would be provided by the 7th Fleet, under the command of Vice Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid. The fleet included units of the United States Navy, the Australian Navy, which included the heavy cruisers Shropshire and Australia, and the destroyer Arunta. The U.S. 3rd Fleet, commanded by Admiral William F. Halsey, Jr., would provide cover and support from further afield. The American fleets had a flaw in their plan: there was not a single American admiral in command. The 7th Fleet and Kinkaid fell under MacArthur as Supreme Allied Commander of the Southwest Pacific, where the 3rd Fleet reported to Nimitz in the Pacific Ocean area...... middle of paper .... As the force approached the Strait of Suriago, they encountered a trap from the 7th Fleet support force. The support force included six battleships, a few of which had already been damaged, four heavy and light cruisers, as well as numerous destroyers and torpedo boats. If Nishimura wanted to continue advancing, he would have to defeat the torpedoes, survive the destroyer attacks, and then fight against the battleships. Nishimura managed to evade the torpedo boats, but was soon after attacked by American destroyers from both sides. One of the battleships was hit by numerous torpedoes and sank, while the other managed to escape with damage. Two destroyers were sunk and one of the other two was hit but was able to sail again but later sank. A second strike force was behind Nishimura's fleet. This strike force was the support of Nishimura's southern force. It was commanded by Admiral Shima