In the battle of Leyte Gulf, "Phoenix" was a unit of Rear Admiral Jesse Oldendorf's group which annihilated the Japanese Southern Force in the battle of Surigao Strait. "Phoenix" fired four spotting salvoes, and when the fourth hit, opened up with all of her 6-inch (152 mm) batteries. The target later proved to be , which sank after 27 minutes of concentrated fire from the American fleet. The Japanese also lost and three destroyers in the battle, and American planes sank the next day.