In the
Battle off Samar, a part of the
Battle of Leyte Gulf, Evans led
Johnston until it was sunk on October 25, 1944, by a Japanese force that was vastly superior in number, firepower, and armor.
Johnston, together with the destroyers and , four
destroyer escorts (including ) and six
escort carriers (CVEs) formed the
task unit 77.4.3, known as Taffy 3. This group, together with planes from Taffy 2 (TU 77.4.2), ultimately forced a Japanese battlegroup consisting of 4
battleships, 6
heavy cruisers, 2
light cruisers and 11
destroyers to abort its original mission to attack the landing beaches at
Leyte under the command of General
Douglas MacArthur, and retreat. The famous battle has become known as "The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors" after the
2004 book of the same name. When the Japanese fleet was first sighted, Evans did not hesitate. After laying a smoke screen to help hide the escort carriers from enemy gunfire, he ordered "Flank speed, full right rudder" and he led his destroyer out of the task unit's circular antiaircraft disposition in favor of charging the enemy alone to make a torpedo attack. Some claim that Evans told his crew over the ship's intercom: "A large Japanese fleet has been contacted. They are fifteen miles away and headed in our direction. They are believed to have four battleships, eight cruisers, and a number of destroyers. This will be a fight against overwhelming odds from which survival cannot be expected. We will do what damage we can." However, contemporaneous sources credit the latter part of this dramatic announcement to lieutenant commander
Robert W. Copeland of destroyer escort , who charged in with Evans on a subsequent torpedo attack. The
Johnston successfully attacked the Japanese
heavy cruiser Kumano, hitting the heavy cruiser with at least 45 5-inch (127 mm) shells, before Evans ordered the torpedo battery to be launched. At least one, but more likely two or three hit ''Kumano's
bow, blowing it clean off, forcing Kumano
out of the battle alongside the heavy cruiser Suzuya
to escort the crippled warship. However, celebration was cut short as Evans and his staff were severely injured when Johnston
was suddenly blasted almost simultaneously by three 18.1-inch (46 cm) shells and three 6.1-inch (155 mm) shells from the battleship Yamato
at a distance of 20,300 yards. In particular, a 6.1-inch (155 mm) shell from Yamato's'' secondary battery hit the bridge, which blew off two of Evans's fingers and his entire shirt. Despite severe injuries, Evans refused pain killers, instead directing all medical attention to ''Johnston's'' crew. Evans ordered the crippled but not sunk
Johnston to continue on, briefly engaging the
heavy cruiser Haguro and the
battleship Haruna. Noticing the
escort carrier Gambier Bay under fire,
Johnston briefly fired on the
heavy cruiser Chikuma, but was engaged by a destroyer line led by the
light cruiser Yahagi. Shell fire left
Johnston dead in the water and without a functioning gun.
Johnston sank at 10:11, and the
destroyer Yukikaze (under Lieutenant Commander Masamichi Terauchi) closed to point blank range, not for an attack, but to salute both
Johnston and the crew for their bravery. The fate of
Johnstons captain was never conclusively established, and remains the subject of continuing conjecture among the ship's survivors. Some say that he was hit by Japanese naval shellfire; others that he was able to jump into a damaged motor
whaleboat. Terauchi later claimed he saw Evans in a lifeboat returning the salute that the
Yukikazes crew rendered as they sailed past. What is known is that he was seriously wounded during the battle; that he lived long enough to give the order to abandon ship; and that he was not among those rescued. Evans was
posthumously awarded the
Medal of Honor for his material contribution to the decisive victory won in
Leyte Gulf, and shared in the
Presidential Unit Citation awarded his group for this action in which he was killed. Evans was reported to be on deck ordering to abandon ship, this was the last time he was ever seen. ==Namesake==