<prompt> Qedela le nkulumo elandelayo: Njengoba amabutho kaHalsey engasekho, amaJapane ayehlose ukuhlasela ama-Allied  <response>: ukufikela eLeyte. I - U.S. yasabela ngamandla ayo ambalwa ayesele, amaqembu amathathu abagibeli bemikhumbi-mkhombe beSikhombisa. Izikebhe ezihambisa imikhumbi kanye nezindiza ezihambisa imikhumbi zazakhelwe ukuvikela imikhumbi ehamba kancane ekuhlaselweni yizikebhe ezingaphansi kwamanzi, futhi kamuva zaguqulwa ukuze zihlasele imigomo yasemhlabathini, kodwa zazinama-torpedo ambalwa, njengoba ngokuvamile zazithembele emikhumbi yempi kaHalsey ukuze zizivikele emikhunjini yempi ehlomile. Le mikhumbi, eyayihlelwe njenge-Task Unit 77.4.3 Taffy 3, futhi iqondiswa yi-Rear Admiral Clifton Sprague, yayingenalo amandla omlilo noma izikhali zokulwa nemikhumbi engama-23 yamaJapane, eyayihlanganisa izibhamu ze- Yamato ezingama-intshi angu-18, kodwa yathatha isinyathelo futhi yahlasela. Ngaphezu kwemikhumbi eyayidubula amaJapane ivela endaweni eseduze, izindiza ezibandakanya i-FM-2 Wildcats, i-F6F Hellcats ne-TBM Avengers, zahlasela, zabhomba, zadubula ngama-torpedo, zadubula ngama-rocket, futhi zahlasela ngamandla amaJapane kwaze kwaphela izinhlamvu. Khona - ke baqala ukusebenzisa inkohliso, kuhlanganise nokuzama ukuhlasela imikhumbi yaseJapane kaningi. Ekhathazekile ngokuthi wayebhekene nebutho elikhulu kunalokho ayeyikho ngempela, umkhuzi wamabutho aseJapane u - Admiral Takeo Kurita wanquma ukuhoxa. 