LITTLE WOLF AT LEYTE
The Story of the Heroic USS Samuel B. Roberts, DE413
in the Battle of Leyte Gulf during World War II
By J. Henry Doscher, Jr., Captain, USNR, (Ret.)

The Battle of Leyte Gulf commenced just after midnight on 24 October 1944. This excellent book tells the story of a David and Goliath battle near the island of Samar on 25 October 1944, when four battleships, nine heavy cruisers, one light cruiser and ten destroyers under the command of Japanese Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita surprised a tiny American force of three destroyers and four destroyer escorts which were providing an anti-submarine screen for six small "Jeep" carriers.

The book describes how the vastly outnumbered American force tuned back the Japanese, thus saving MacArthur's military landing forces who were fighting at Leyte.

The valour displayed by the Americans that morning off Samar, is well depicted through the eyes of the men on the Samuel B. Roberts, who fought to the finish against overwhelming odds.

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 25 November 2003

This page last updated 01 March 2020