Here is a concise summary of the provided text:
**Event:** Battle off Samar, October 24, 1944
**Key Players:** USS Johnston (Commander Ernest Edwin Evans), US Navy's Taffy 3, Imperial Japanese Navy's Center Force (including battleship Yamato)
**Summary:**
* The USS Johnston, led by Commander Ernest Edwin Evans, engages the vastly superior Japanese Center Force during the Battle off Samar.
* Despite being outgunned, the Johnston uses smoke screens, accurate gunnery, and torpedoes to attack the enemy, targeting the cruiser Kumano and later the light cruiser Yahagi.
* Evans, wounded in the battle, continues to command, helping to repel a Japanese torpedo charge and protecting the US aircraft carriers.
* The Johnston is eventually overwhelmed, and Evans orders the ship abandoned after it becomes a motionless, burning wreck.
* **Aftermath:**
+ 141 of 327 crew members survive.
+ Japanese Center Fleet is turned away, thwarting their attempt to crush Allied landings in the Philippines.
+ Commander Evans is posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, the first Native American in the US Navy to receive it.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text, numbered and in short sentences, excluding opinions:
**Event Details**
1. The event took place on October 24th, 1944.
2. The location was Leyte Gulf, during the Allied landings on the Philippines.
**Ships and Crew**
3. The USS Johnston was a Destroyer ship commanded by Commander Ernest Edwin Evans.
4. The USS Johnston had a crew of 327 men.
5. Commander Evans was also known as "Big Chief" by his crew.
**Japanese Fleet**
6. The Japanese Center Force was comprised of:
* 11 destroyers
* 2 light cruisers
* 6 heavy cruisers
* 4 battleships, including the Yamato
**Battle of Leyte Gulf**
7. The Japanese fleet was initially undetected and surprised the American fleet.
8. The USS Johnston and other destroyers provided cover for the aircraft carriers with a smoke screen.
9. American planes launched with available ordinance to attack the Japanese fleet.
10. The Johnston engaged the enemy, firing at the IJN Kumano cruiser.
11. The USS Johnston launched 10 torpedoes at an enemy battleship.
12. The Yamato fired its 18-inch main cannons at the Johnston, hitting it three times.
13. The Johnston suffered significant damage, losing power and radar.
**Later Engagements**
14. The Johnston, despite being crippled, continued to engage the enemy.
15. The USS Johnston targeted the Japanese light cruiser Yahagi, forcing it to retreat.
16. The Johnston and American planes prevented a Japanese torpedo charge against the carriers.
**Aftermath**
17. The USS Johnston was severely damaged, and Commander Evans ordered its abandonment.
18. Commander Evans was last seen ordering the ship's abandonment.
19. 141 survivors of the USS Johnston's crew were rescued after 24-48 hours adrift.
20. The Japanese Center Fleet was turned away, thwarting their attempt to crush the Allied landings.
**Casualties and Honors**
21. Over 1,000 men died across the entire fleet, with 900 more wounded.
22. Only 141 of the USS Johnston's 327-men crew returned home.
23. Commander Ernest Edwin Evans was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
24. Evans was the first Native American in the US Navy to receive the Medal of Honor.