Ernest E. Evans and Samuel B. Roberts' Stand at Leyte Gulf

Jan 08 , 2026

Ernest E. Evans and Samuel B. Roberts' Stand at Leyte Gulf

Ernest E. Evans stood on the bridge of USS Samuel B. Roberts as the sea boiled with death and fire. Eleven Japanese warships barreled toward him—monsters of steel outnumbering his crew nearly ten to one. No retreat, no mercy. Just raw guts and resolve. He keyed his radio and barked orders that no ship his size should have survived—but would.

The Battle That Defined Him

October 25, 1944. Leyte Gulf. The Roberts was a destroyer escort—small, lightly armed, a mere bow against a tidal wave of Japanese battleships, cruisers, and destroyers. Admiral Ernest E. Evans knew his ship couldn't win in a fair fight. So he fought unfairly.

Charging headlong into the enemy formation, Evans steered his ship through a hailstorm of shells and torpedoes. His gunners fired everything—five-inch guns, torpedoes—into the larger enemy. Each blast a defiant No. The aging skipper aimed to disrupt, to slow, to buy time for the American escort carriers and battleships.

His ship took hits that should have sent her to the deep. Evans ignored exploding magazines, flooded compartments, and roaring fires. He kept his men fighting, maneuvering, defending. Their ragged lines held just long enough. His courage became a shield for thousands aboard the carriers behind him.

At the cost of his own life, Evans’s sacrifice delayed the Japanese advance. The enemy’s assault faltered. The Americans won the day because one man refused to break.

A Warrior Forged in Faith and Duty

Raised in Valley City, North Dakota, Ernest Edwin Evans was a self-made man with a quiet strength. His Navy career started slowly, but his steadfast discipline and tactical mind earned him command of the Samuel B. Roberts, nicknamed the "destroyer escort that fought like a battleship."

Evans was a man of faith, steady and unshakable. His shipmates recalled his deep reliance on scripture when facing death. He once quoted Psalm 23: “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” That wasn't just faith—it was a code lived under fire.

He led with personal sacrifice, never asking more from his crew than he would give himself. He made decisions anchored in the protection of those he commanded, embodying a warrior’s honor fused with a servant’s heart.

Fury on the Sea: The Fight off Samar

The Battle off Samar was part of the larger Leyte Gulf campaign—one of the largest naval battles in history. The Japanese Center Force under Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita was a lethal steel fist aiming to crush American landing operations.

Evans’s orders came from nowhere near the force’s main power. Task Unit 77.4.3—“Taffy 3”—consisted mainly of escort carriers and a handful of small destroyers and escorts, like the Roberts. Against towering battleships and cruisers like the Yamato and the Kongō, Evans’s ship stood little chance.

Yet Evans charged. He ordered a full-speed torpedo attack, closing the gap under fire so brutal it shredded other ships. When his steering was rendered useless, he maintained speed by transmitting engine orders directly to the engine room. Guns blazing, the Roberts slammed into enemy cruisers, launching torpedoes that forced foes to split formation, losing momentum.

His wounds—severe—but Evans pushed on. When the Roberts was down to barely steering and fighting capacity, he remained on the bridge until convulsions overtook him. He died a few hours after being evacuated.

“Lieutenant Commander Evans gallantly gave his life in battle, exhibiting the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.” — Medal of Honor citation[¹]

Honors Wrought in Fire

Evans received the Medal of Honor posthumously for those desperate actions. His citation crystallizes his fearless leadership against impossible odds.

His shipmates called him “the Spartan,” a man who willingly embraced death to protect those he led. Rear Admiral Clifton Sprague, commanding Taffy 3, praised Evans, saying his aggressive assault “won the day.” His sacrifice was a keystone in the chain that repelled the Japanese fleet.

One crewman remembered: “He never hesitated. Always first in the fight. We followed him into hell and trusted he’d bring us home or die trying.”

Legacy Written in Blood and Steel

Ernest E. Evans teaches that courage isn’t measured in strength or size—but in heart and conviction. Outnumbered and outgunned, Evans did what the scripture urges—to stand firm, to not be afraid though the darkness surrounds.

His life is a testament to sacrifice born from faith, command born from compassion, and victory earned through relentless will.

Today, when veterans face battles unseen—within themselves or against a world that looks away—they draw from men like Evans. The lesson is clear: fight for others, stand unyielding in fear's face, and in sacrifice, find redemption.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11

Ernest Edwin Evans died a warrior but lives forever in the marrow of American valor. His story demands we never forget the cost of freedom—and the power of a single soul who refuses to yield.

Sources

1. Naval History and Heritage Command, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II 2. Morison, Samuel Eliot, History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Vol. 12: Leyte June 1944 – January 1945 3. Friedman, Norman, US Destroyers: An Illustrated Design History 4. "The Battle Off Samar," Naval War College Review, U.S. Naval War College