The Battle of Ormoc Bay was a series of WWII battles that occurred between November 11, 1944 and December 21, 1944 off the coast of Leyte Island in the Philippines. U.S. General Douglas MacArthur commanded troops to destroy Japanese transports entering Ormoc City carrying supplies for their soldiers. Late into the night of December 2, 1944, three US destroyers – USS Allen M. Sumner, USS Cooper, and USS Moale – sailed into Ormoc Bay ready to attack. Though accomplishing their mission the USS Cooper was torpedoed by the Japanese Destroyer Take shortly after midnight. The USS Cooper sunk on December 3, 1944 at 12:15 a.m. One hundred and ninety one crew members died. One hundred and sixty eight scattered survivors swam to nearby shores, were rescued by local Filipinos in boats, or floated among the debris until rescue planes arrived. The other two U.S. destroyers fled the bay.
All information from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Ormoc_Bay
In-depth information on the Battle of Ormoc Bay.
More information on the USS Cooper.
|
