Battle of Surigao Strait marked today

SURIGAO CITY, Philippines –This city is marking today with an austere celebration the 65th anniversary of the Battle of Surigao Strait, dubbed by some naval historians as one of the greatest sea battles in history.

City officials led by Mayor Alfonso Casurra said among the activities are a pre-dawn memorial service, a flag-raising ceremony, floral/candle offering, and an exhibit.

In the past, a memorial cruise in the Surigao Strait and a grand civil-military parade, even an exhibition by Air Force pilots, were among the highlights of the commemoration. But financial constraints at present prompted a simple celebration.

The Battle of Surigao Strait was also tagged as the last major surface engagement of such a magnitude and also the last one where the classic “T” formation was achieved, in this case by the American forces, against an enemy fleet.

The victory of the Seventh Fleet in the Surigao Strait saved the liberation force of Gen. Douglas MacArthur that landed in Leyte on Oct. 20, 1944 from possible annihilation.

What Prime Minister Winston Churchill called the “Hinge of Fate” finally turned irreversibly in favor of the Allied Forces in the Pacific in the Surigao Strait.

One of the biggest celebrations was in 2004 when US and Australian naval officers headed by Australian Navy Deputy Admiral Arthur Thomas, representing the officers and men of the HMAS Shropshire and Arunta, attended the event. – Ben Serrano