Between the 22nd to 26th of October, 1944, Haguro partook in the battle of Leyte Gulf. Haguro operated in Takeo Kurita's center force, consisting of the "super battleships" Yamato and Musashi, the largest and most powerful battleships ever made, the older battleships Nagato, Kongō, and Haruna, nine other heavy cruisers, a pair of light cruisers, and fifteen destroyers. Haguro survived submarine attacks that sank the heavy cruisers Atago and Maya, and crippled the heavy cruiser Takao, completely undamaged. The next day, Haguro survived the US carrier aircraft attacks that sank Musashi and damaged Yamato, Nagato, and the cruiser Tone, again undamaged. After Myōkō was crippled by an air dropped torpedo and forced to leave the battle, Vice Admiral Hashimoto transferred his flag to Haguro.
