Action at Leyte Gulf
During Leyte Gulf Operations US Escort Carrier Group encountered the main Japanese force which included a battleship, several cruisers and a number of destroyers. In order to save the escort carriers from almost certain destruction from a vastly outnumbered Japanese force, the screening destroyers were directed to engage the Japanese force with guns and torpedoes. As Hoel commenced her attack on the Japanese force, the Battleship's 14†guns found Hoel at 14,000 yards and damage was suffered in the Bridge area - at 9,000 yards Hoel launched a salvo of torpedoes at the battleship but all missed their target - Hoel continued to absorb hits from the battleship as well as other Japanese ships as she closed for attack. Subsequent hits destroyed her Fire Control Director and Bridge steering control. Despite extensive damage to the ship Hoel continued her relentless mission and launched another salvo of torpedoes at the Japanese cruisers with at least one hit being scored. After absorbing some 40 hits, an 8†shell from one of the Japanese cruiser destroyed her remaining engine and with her engine room flooding and in a sinking condition, the order was given to abandon ship. While Hoel's crew was abandoning ship the Japanese continued to fire into the ship until it sank some 25 minutes later. A total of 253 died during the action . There were 86 survivors. Her sacrifice help save all but one escort carrier and deflected the Japanese from their mission of attacking the US Invasion force on Leyte
