Under fire and fleeing, two screening ships of Taffy III take position ahead of USS GAMBIER BAY (CVE 73) and lay protective smoke. Increasing in volume, heavy black funnel smoke and FS smoke (white) from the escort carriers, destroyers, and destroyer escorts obstructed the Japanese line of sight. As a result, the accuracy of the Japanese gunfire decreased significantly. The smoke screen was used to great effect by all ship's of Taffy III, albeit it was one of the few advantages they held. The destroyers and destroyer escorts zig-zagged in and around the fleeing escort carriers; the hot, humid Philippine climate aided to combine the mixture of black fuel smoke and white chemical smoke, making them mix most effectively. It greatly neutralized the Japanese gunfire accuracy and was a contributing factor to the escape of Taffy III.
