The Japanese were defeated at the battle of Leyte Gulf, but the Special Attack force had great success. The first "kamikaze" attack took place on October 21, 1944, against the flagship of the Royal Australian Navy, HMAS "Australia". 30 sailors died in the attack, including its Captain Emile Dechaineux, and many more were wounded. By October 26, 47 more Allied ships had been attacked. Most of them were badly damaged or sunk, like the United States aircraft carrier USS "St. Lo".