Last Stand of USS Johnston: How a Destroyer Fought a Japanese Battle Line

Headline Wednesday: USS Johnston and the destroyers at Samar, World War II follows a thin line of “small boys” that suddenly find a Japanese battle line bearing down on them off Leyte Gulf. Escort carriers, destroyers, and destroyer escorts meant for anti-submarine work and close air support are forced into a running gun duel with battleships and heavy cruisers. The episode walks through the moment Taffy 3 realizes what is coming out of the morning haze, the decision by USS Johnston and her sisters to turn toward the enemy, and the brutal, close-quarters fight that follows. Headline Wednesday is the Wednesday feature of Dispatch: U.S. Military History Magazine, and the series is developed by Trackpads.com.

From there, the story traces how a handful of light ships and scrambling carrier aircraft built an illusion of greater strength, bought miles and minutes for the Leyte invasion fleet, and finally shook the confidence of a superior enemy into breaking off the attack. Listeners hear how Commander Ernest Evans drove Johnston into repeated attacks, how Hoel, Heermann, and Samuel B. Roberts joined the charge, and how smoke, torpedoes, and low-flying aircraft turned a one-sided gunnery exercise into a confused, high-risk fight. The episode closes with the aftermath at Samar, the honors and losses of Taffy 3, and the enduring lessons for anyone studying naval history, planning a staff ride, or just wanting to understand how a few destroyers changed the shape of a campaign.