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With
the exception of a large vessel with a destroyer standing
by to the south- east, none of the enemy ships were seen
by the survivors in the water. This particular ship has
been definitely called a Kongo battleship by a few and
not so positively identified as a heavy cruiser by others
(See Part I -Ship Identification) .
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1300
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Dive
bombing attack (6-8 SBD's or SB2C's) to the northeast.
Planes and AA bursts seen. No bomb explosions or ships
observed.
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1530
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A
group of 40 planes (SB2C's and F6F's) approached at 10-12,000
feet altitude from the northeast, made a complete circle
around to the south, and took departure to the northwest.
(Presumably in pursuit of the retiring Japanese force.
As this flight circled around our group, intermittent
but effective bursts of AA fire were observed, apparently
from the ship or ship's damaged and dead in the water
and by their escorts .
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1800
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Large
enemy vessel (Kongo Class BB?) with a destroyer nearby
in sight during the forenoon still visible and observed
on a northerly heading at slow speed, by some of the survivors.
Note: This ship was not seen the next morning) .
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October
26. 1944
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0900
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1
TBM and 1 FM, together, passed five (5) miles to the east
at altitude 6,000 feet. Red and green Very stars were
fired and dye markers thrown in the water. The planes
apparently saw none of these and continued on their northerly
course.
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0945
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Same
two planes observed at 0900 returning five (5) miles to
the west on a southerly course. All attempts to attract
attention were to no avail.
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1200
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From
time to time, several groups of survivors sighted each
other and closed within hailing distance.
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2230
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All
groups were about equally spaced along either side of
a line bearing 260-0800 35-45 miles from the center of
the coast line of Samar.
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TG
78.12 (2 PC' s and 5 LCI's) sighted Very stars fired by
various groups of survivors. (Note: This task group had
been dispatched from Leyte Gulf to locate and rescue the
survivors of ships sunk in this engagement. They had arrived
at the reported position of sinking, which was about 15
miles southeast of the estimated actual position, at 0800,
26 October . This group made continual sweeps north and
south with the search line running east and west until
they sighted the Very stars indicated above).
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