This Military Service Page was created/owned by
Ken Burch-Family
to remember
Burch, Francis, CPO.
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Retired and living in Evart, MI. with wife Elsie. Dad would never talk about the war. CPO Burch is buried in the Sylvan Cemetery, Osceola County, MI.
Other Comments:
I asked Dad on occasion about the war. He couldn't bring himself to talk about it. He did mention one time about a Japanese medium bomber ("Betty") ramming into his ship. Dad fought in 7 major battles in the Pacific. Torpedo hit the ship at one time and was sailed backwards to Pearl Harbor and then, I think, to Bremerton WA for repairs. Dad was on the USS Maryland on December 7, 1941. Can't imagine what he was thinking besides the horror and the anger. Dads job during engaging the enemy on board ship was the first turret. I couldn't get him to talk about that either. When not in combat, Dad was an electrician. He did stay with the USS Maryland for the duration of the war. I think that may be a bit unusual. After the war, Dad went into electronics and made his living. He sure was a good guy.
Teresa Burch
Daughter-in-law
Leyte Campaign (1944)/Battle of Leyte Gulf
From Month/Year
October / 1944
To Month/Year
October / 1944
Description The Battle of Leyte Gulf, also called the Battles for Leyte Gulf, and formerly known as the Second Battle of the Philippine Sea, is generally considered to be the largest naval battle of World War II and, by some criteria, possibly the largest naval battle in history.
It was fought in waters near the Philippine islands of Leyte, Samar and Luzon from 23–26 October 1944, between combined US and Australian forces and the Imperial Japanese Navy. On 20 October, United States troops invaded the island of Leyte as part of a strategy aimed at isolating Japan from the countries it had occupied in Southeast Asia, and in particular depriving its forces and industry of vital oil supplies. The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) mobilized nearly all of its remaining major naval vessels in an attempt to defeat the Allied invasion, but was repulsed by the US Navy's 3rd and 7th Fleets. The IJN failed to achieve its objective, suffered very heavy losses, and never afterwards sailed to battle in comparable force. The majority of its surviving heavy ships, deprived of fuel, remained in their bases for the rest of the Pacific War.
The Battle of Leyte Gulf consisted of four separate engagements between the opposing forces: the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, the Battle of Surigao Strait, the Battle of Cape Engaño and the Battle off Samar, as well as other actions.
It was the first battle in which Japanese aircraft carried out organized kamikaze attacks. By the time of the battle, Japan had fewer aircraft than the Allied forces had sea vessels, demonstrating the difference in power of the two sides at this point of the war.
