For well over one hour, GAMBIER BAY survived the onslaught of the Imperial Japanese Navy Centre Force. At 0800, a single course change placed her nearest the advancing Japanese heavy cruiser line. At 0810 heavy cruiser HIJMS CHIKUMA found the range and set her aft flight deck afire. GAMBIER BAY received her fatal hit ten minutes later when an 8-inch shell exploded in the water and opened the bulkhead to her forward engine room. Flooding was uncontrollable and she lost the use of one engine. Her speed dropped off and she soon fell behind the other fleeing CVE's. Defenseless, she was quickly overwhelmed by the heavy Japanese warships and was hit repeatedly by 8-inch cruiser shell fire. GAMBIER BAY was the only U.S. carrier sunk by naval gunfire in World War II. Virgil spent two days in the water.
