When the order was given to the large FLETCHER Class destroyers of Taffy III to engage the Japanese, light-weight (BUTLER Class DE) ROBERTS joined fleet destroyers HOEL and HEERMANN on their torpedo attack. She chose HIJMS CHOKAI as the target for her three torpedoes and was credited with one hit. Later, she engaged the heavy cruiser HIJMS CHIKUMA with 5-inch gun fire and knocked out her #3 8-inch turret. In the thick of battle all morning long, ROBERTS was finally hit by several 8-inch shells after trying avoid 14-inch battleship shells from HIJMS KONGO. Eighty-nine men lost their lives on this, the only DE of Taffy III to be lost during the Battle Off Samar.
