Attn Mike, update on "least likely to succeed"

Mike wrote:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
Walter E. Scholz, a retired Navy pilot who was voted "least likely to
succeed" by his senior officers during flight training, but managed to
earn a Silver Star, Legion of Merit, two Distinguished Flying Crosses
and nine Air Medals, died of septic shock and pneumonia Dec. 27 at
Inova Fairfax Hospital. Capt. Scholz, operating off the USS Enterprise
during World War II, shot down four Japanese planes. He earned one of
his Silver Stars for his part in the second Battle of the Philippine
Sea, when he and 23 other pilots crippled a fleet of three dozen
Japanese warships, enabling American gunboats and destroyers to move in
and sink the fleet.

- I'm fairly familiar with WW II...the "Second Battle of the
-Philippine Sea" is more commonly called the "Battle for Leyte Gulf."
-But I'm not aware of any action where pilots (24 or any other
-number) crippled a fleet of Japanese ships that gunboats and
-destroyers cleaned up. In fact I'm not aware of gunboats
-participating at all. Could this be:
-- The Battle off Cape Engano, where -
--The Battle of Surigao Strait? No aircraft participated, but DD
- adn PT boats participated along with larger surface gun ships.

Thank you "Mike" for giving us another chance to remember
a departed hero.

Yes, Mr. Dorfman. I agree you are very familiar, and this post is
in no way meant to quibble. I at first also wondered????
But since WWII had so many strange things, with so many
different people. And often not clearly understood or documented.
I have tended to leave "as is" citations supporting honors and obituaries.

Totally unexpectedly today, while reading looking for something
else, I came upon what is probably a reference to the action
cited. It seems all is supportable from their POV at the time.
Lots of details (ex. which BB was which?) will remain 'murky'.
But, it is understandable when two ships are clearly hit and
one is afire, that it was felt helpful to the battle.
Quote from www.combinedfleet.com/kaigun.htm
Go 3/4 down screen on right side is "Mysteries and Untold
Sagas ---" by AP Tony Tully. click
then 3/4 down is "Shell Game at Surigau----". click
(Hope this attempt to copy one paragraph is readable)
xx
The Battle of Surigao Strait
Nishimura's Third Section departed Brunei at 1510 on 22 October, setting
course eastward and slipping through the American submarine cordon
undetected. The American subs had pulled north to intercept Kurita's force,
and a gap had thus opened in Balabac Strait. This fortunate beginning was
followed by a second stroke of luck: though Nishimura's force was attacked
by aircraft from USS FRANKLIN at 0918 24 October, it was the only air
assault he suffered, as contrasted with the deluge that hit Kurita's First
Striking Force the same day. As it was, this single air attack did only
medium damage. Though flagship YAMASHIRO was narrowly missed several times,
she escaped injury. One bomb did hit the quarterdeck of battleship FUSO,
penetrating to the deck below and exploding in the wardroom. The blast
started a fire in the aviation gasoline tanks near the catapult that
destroyed all her float planes. FUSO swung out of line momentarily, out of
the wind, but the fire looked worse than it was, and Ban Masami had it
extinguished within forty-five minutes. Other than the loss of her planes,
the bomb was no impediment to FUSO's battle worthiness and she maintained
her speed. The final air damage to the force was to destroyer SHIGURE, that
lost the gun crew of No.1 gun killed by a bomb hit, but the turret remained
operable.

The carrier raid on Truk of 17/18 Feb 1943 resulted in naval engagement
of fleeing ships. CL Katori, DDs Nowaki and Maikaze were spotted by
New Jersey, Iowa plus their screen. Maikaze was finally sunk by
Minneapolis and New Orleans. This from 'A Battle History of the IJN' by
Paul Dull. BTW the book is not dull and its info comes from IJN
records. Following the Bismarck Sea losses to sircraft the supply barge
operation by the IJN at New Guinea was opposed by a combined
air-surface interdiction campaign which may be what the originator of
this thread was thinking of..
Walt BJ