USS St. Lo Being Hit by Kamikaze

Kamikaze attacks caused incredible damage to the U.S. Navy in the Pacific. With fewer planes and less experienced pilots to fly them, the Japanese air forces were driven to use their aircraft as weapons in order to have any kind of impact on U.S. Naval forces. During the Battle of Leyte Gulf, kamikaze pilots were able to sink the carriers Princeton and St. Lo, along with four other ships.

USS Princeton was the largest American ship lost during the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Though efforts were made to try to save the carrier, a large explosion that occurred after the initial attack caused far too much damage to repair, forcing the crew to abandon ship before it was scuttled by American naval vessels.

Courtesy of the Naval History and Heritage Command