article_snippet: But in 1944, it was the scene for a battle considered the largest naval encounter of the Second World War - a battle which would be the Musashi's last.
article_snippet: It was the height of the Battle of Leyte Gulf - in which US and Australian forces defeated the Japanese.
article_snippet: the Battle of Leyte Gulf was considered the largest naval encounter of World War II.
article_snippet: For four days in October 1944, the seas around the island of Leyte bore witness to what some believe is the biggest battle in naval history.
article_snippet: The Battle of Leyte Gulf, formerly known as the Second Battle of the Philippine Sea, began on October 23, pitting the combined force of the U.S. and Australian forces against the Imperial Japanese Navy.