Clifton A. F. Sprague
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Clifton A.F. "Ziggy" Sprague was a United States Navy officer who commanded the Taffy 3 unit within TU 77.4.3 in the Action off Samar, which was closest to a large Japanese surface force that threatened, emerging from San Bernadino Strait after the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, to devastate the transports of the Leyte invasion force. With help from other units' aircraft, it drove back a vastly more powerful force.
- six small, slow escort carriers, with a total of more than 500 planes
- three destroyers: USS Heermann, USS Johnston (DD-557) and USS Hoel
- four small destroyer escorts: USS Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413), USS Dennis, USS J.C. Butler, and USS Raymond.
Prior to the Battle of Leyte Gulf, he was commanding officer of the fleet carrier USS Wasp (CV-18).