Leyte Gulf was a key victory for the United States: its scale dwarfed previous sea conflicts and its outcome created an opportunity for the US forces to invade the Philippines. Four different battles - Leyte, Samar, Cape Engano and the Suriago Strait - occured almost simultaneously as past of a Japanese plan to claim a Trafalgar-style victory over the US forces. Yet they were defeated in the battles on the surface, under the sea, and in the air. This highly accessible book describes the conflict's interweaving battles and the personalities of the commanders involved in what has been called ‘the greatest sea battle of all'. The Japanese navy, after the disaster of the battle of the Philippine sea, some 4 months before, was trying to make the -matador hook- where and when they could find a real winning opportunity; In fact, by the time of the battle, Japan had fewer aircraft than the Allied forces had sea vessels, demonstrating the difference in power of the two sides at this point of the war. It was the first battle in which Japanese aircraft carried out organized kamikaze attacks. This book, as usual with the Campaign series, analyse commanders, the planing, equipments and the armies, before and during the battle and it tells the story from both sides, attacker and defender. Full color 3-D ‘bird’s-eye-views’, battle scenes, soldiers or equipment drawings and maps as well as black and white photographs that support's the text.