Wreck of USS Johnston discovered 77 years after its sinking at the Battle of Leyte Gulf

The USS Johnston and 3 other light destroyers were in a line, they were first line of defense. The Commander Evans unilaterally attacked the Japanese fleet. This caused the other destroyers to join the fight. The US destroyers put up a a great fight. Our little ships vs Japan’s huge battleships. They fought like tigers. Commander Evans was awarded a MOH posthumously for his fighting spirit. He was loved by his sailors.

It is by mere coincidence that I know the fate of the USS Johnston. I was quite ignorant of the Pacific War so I did some research. Let me set the scene. Her sinking occurred after we destroyed much of her carrier force. Days after the USS Johnston sinking the US Navy chased the Japanese Navy carrier task force moving on the Eastern coast of the Philippines moving Northward. Our own carrier fleets chased and encountered the Japanese carrier fleet. I believe we sunk all her carriers as she had very few naval aviation assets left. The Japanese Navy shrunk dramatically by this time while our presence became stronger. We had 600+ US ships involved in the Battle of the Philippine sea.

This was the threshold where her navy became somewhat irrelevant. She had no more carriers or naval aviation. The consequence is she could not attack our fleets nor defend her fleets from our naval aviation. We owned the seas and the air. The second order effect is her army was fighting a war of attrition because her fleets could not support her army properly. When we sank all her carriers it was check mate.

A real hero.