The Navy played a large role in the Battle for the Pacific. They had to fill many to roles in order for the US to gain victory. At the beginning of the war they were assigned to keep the Japanese Navy at bay. This was while the naval force in the US was being built up again after Pearl Harbor. However as the war progressed and the US gained more land in the Pacific and the number of available ships increased the Navy began to provide barrages for the US troops on the ground in land campaigns. This was seen in such battles as Okinawa and Iwo Jima. In many battles they were very integral in gaining the US victory. One of the best examples is the Battle of Leyte, the Navy played a significant role. This battle was decided in a series of four engagements. The battle of Surigao Strait, of Sibuyon, off Cape Engano, and off Samar. All these confrontations were air and sea battles. In total the number of American ships used were 558; this included 150 destroyers and 11 battleships. They had to transport army troops to land, give the soldiers on the ground barrage fire for back up, and fight the Japanese Navy in the air and the sea. For the Navy this was a very successful and a multifaceted campaign. The Navy was able to stand up to the pressure and complete their job. This battle changed the course of the war. It allowed the US to begin their recapturing of the Philippines and take it back. The Navy played a large role in the Battle for the Pacific. They had to fill many to roles in order for the US to gain victory. At the beginning of the war they were assigned to keep the Japanese Navy at bay. This was while the naval force in the US was being built up again after Pearl Harbor. However as the war progressed and the US gained more land in the Pacific and the number of available ships increased the Navy began to provide barrages for the US troops on the ground in land campaigns. This was seen in such battles as Okinawa and Iwo Jima. In many battles they were very integral in gaining the US victory. One of the best examples is the Battle of Leyte, the Navy played a significant role. This battle was decided in a series of four engagements. The battle of Surigao Strait, of Sibuyon, off Cape Engano, and off Samar. All these confrontations were air and sea battles. In total the number of American ships used were 558; this included 150 destroyers and 11 battleships. They had to transport army troops to land, give the soldiers on the ground barrage fire for back up, and fight the Japanese Navy in the air and the sea. For the Navy this was a very successful and a multifaceted campaign. The Navy was able to stand up to the pressure and complete their job. This battle changed the course of the war. It allowed the US to begin their recapturing of the Philippines and take it back.