) ▁. ▁ ▁S inking ▁in ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Ley te ▁G ulf ▁From ▁July – Oct ober ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁At ago ▁was ▁flags hip ▁of ▁Vice ▁Admir al ▁Take o ▁Kur ita ' s ▁First ▁Mobile ▁St rik ing ▁Force , ▁which ▁compr ised ▁the ▁major ▁remaining ▁surface ▁force ▁of ▁the ▁Imperial ▁Japanese ▁Navy . ▁ ▁The ▁force ▁consisted ▁of ▁five ▁batt les hips , ▁ten ▁heavy ▁cru is ers , ▁two ▁light ▁cru is ers , ▁and ▁ 1 9 ▁destroy ers , ▁and ▁was ▁based ▁at ▁L ing ga ▁Ro ads ▁near ▁Singapore . ▁The ▁force ▁sort ied ▁on ▁ 2 2 ▁October ▁in ▁what ▁would ▁be ▁the ▁last ▁major ▁naval ▁eng agement ▁of ▁the ▁war , ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Ley te ▁G ulf . ▁At ago ▁served ▁as ▁flags hip ▁for ▁what ▁the ▁Al lies ▁term ed ▁the ▁" Center ▁Force ", ▁and ▁was ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁Sent ai - 4 , ▁along ▁with ▁Ch ō ka i , ▁Tak ao ▁and ▁May a . ▁The ▁next ▁day ▁two ▁sub mar ines ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁shadow ing ▁the ▁force ▁attacked ▁in ▁the ▁Pal aw an ▁Pass age . ▁At ago ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁ships ▁hit . ▁Four ▁tor ped o es ▁fired ▁from ▁the ▁sub marine ▁ ▁struck ▁the ▁At ago , ▁setting ▁her ▁ab la ze . ▁She ▁caps ized ▁at ▁ 0 5 : 5 3 ▁in ▁about ▁ ▁of ▁water ▁at ▁. ▁ ▁Of ▁At ago ’ s ▁crew men ,