Small ships, a giant enemy, and a fight nobody expected them to survive.

On October 25, 1944, during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, a U.S. task group called Taffy 3, made up of six small escort carriers, three destroyers and four destroyer escorts, suddenly faced a powerful Japanese force that included the battleship Yamato.

Outgunned, the American ships attacked with torpedoes, gunfire and smoke screens while aircraft struck from nearby groups. Several U.S. ships were lost, but the Japanese commander broke off and withdrew. The battle helped end Japan's navy as a major offensive threat.

Why it still matters: the Battle off Samar is still studied as one of the great stands in naval history.

What do you think makes people fight on against impossible odds?

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