Submarine Attack
During the Battle for Leyte Gulf, when a decisive victory was won after great hazard to the escort carriers and their screens, Eversole screened two of the damaged carriers, rescued downed pilots, and took wounded off one of the carriers. In the early morning of 28 October, Eversole gained sonar contact with a possible submarine. Soon after gaining sonar contact Eversole suffered the first of two torpedo hits. The ship was ordered abandoned, and after the men were all in the water, the submarine surfaced and opened fire, then dived once more. Five minutes later, there was a tremendous underwater explosion which killed or wounded all of Eversole's men. Lights from the survivors' flashlights attracted two other escorts, one of which rescued the 139 wounded survivors, as the other began a series of attacks which sank I-45, presumably the submarine which had torpedoed Eversole.
