Captured on the 'night of the 13th' during the Leyte Gulf campaign, this photograph shows emergency flares lighting the night sky over the invasion anchorage. Following the U.S. landings on Leyte in October 1944, the anchored fleet faced repeated night air raids and kamikaze attacks, prompting the firing of flares for illumination and warning. This rare handheld snapshot conveys the tension and disorientation of nighttime alerts faced by Allied sailors during the Philippine campaign. Project: 218722