Six days after the Canberra was slammed by a “fish” dropped by a Japanese dive-bomber, the Boston and the Crippled Cruisers were met by more fleet tugboats. Two of them each joined in a tandem tow of the cruisers. Next morning, (Oct 20), Boston received orders to rejoin her task group (38.1), which was steaming towards the central Philippine island of Leyte. The invasion was unfolding according to schedule. Task groups 38.1 and 38.4 were ordered to provide support and cover for the invasion.
What unfolded over the next several days was a complex series of naval battles between the Japanese and Americans that stretched over three days and thousands of square miles of ocean in and around Central and Northern Philippines. Between Oct 23 and Oct 26, four separate and very distinct battles developed, with “victory” and “defeat” swinging like a gate for both sides – with substantial casualties and losses of ships for both.
Again, this battle is way too complex to adequately discuss here, complete with much drama, blunders and heroics on both sides. However, when the smoke settled by October 24, the Imperial Japanese Fleet had suffered devastating losses of capital ships — especially aircraft carriers (in the Battle of Cape Engano). The once mighty IJF, which started the War against America by attacking our fleet at Pearl Harbor less than three years earlier, was decimated and limped back to safe ports in the Dutch Indies and Singapore. While this was not the last time Task Force 58/38 would encounter the IJF, what was left of her after the Second Battle of the Philippine Sea was almost a non-issue.
Oh, by the way, after a few days of mop-up following the Battle, the Boston and the rest of her task group was ordered back to Ulithi for replenishment on the morning of October 27. As she steamed east, the crew got news that afternoon that the Cripples had arrived at Ulithi, fourteen days after the first torpedo struck the Canberra.