A gun crew aboard a U.S. Navy escort carrier watches as thick black smoke rises from a distant vessel struck during the intense fighting off the Philippines in October 1944. This image is part of a photographic sequence documenting the aftermath of Japan's first coordinated kamikaze attacks, which set several U.S. escort carriers ablaze in the days following the Battle off Samar. Escort carrier crews frequently found themselves as helpless witnesses to attacks on their sister ships, underscoring both the danger and the camaraderie of operating in these small, tightly-knit task units. Project: 218487