Kammala wannan jumla: An sanya shi kusa da 7th Fleet, "McDermut" ya ba da rahoto a ranar 1 ga Oktoba a tsibirin Manus, yankin da aka shirya don
Aikin Leyte. A ranar 11 ga Oktoba, rundunar ta tashi daga Seeadler Harbor, ta shiga Leyte Gulf a cikin sa'o'i na safiya na 20. A wannan safiya, "McDermut", yana duba jigilar kayayyaki yayin da suka kusanci yankin saukowa na Dulag, ya kori jiragen sama na abokan gaba kuma ya ceci matukan jirgin Amurka da aka saukar. Da rana, an umurce shi da ya shiga tare da masu hallaka da kuma a cikin wani jirgin ruwa na jirgin ruwa a cikin Surigao Strait. Daga baya, yayin da aka kara rahotannin motsi na jiragen ruwa na Japan zuwa hare-haren iska na yau da kullun akan jigilar kayayyaki a Leyte Gulf, wasu jiragen ruwa biyu na Destroyer Squadron 54 (DesRon 54), da, sun shiga allon.