The Battle of Leyte Gulf was in many ways the twilight of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Despite being the closest the IJN ever came to fulfilling its grand strategy for a decisive or "final" battle ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kantai_Kessen ''kantai kessen'']) with the United States Navy, the Japanese failed at the tactical level in disrupting the American landing operations in Leyte Gulf and at the strategic level in stalling the American advance across the Pacific. Devastated by personnel and materiel losses and low on fuel, the Combined Fleet effectively ceased to exist as an effective fighting force after the battle. The only major naval operation to follow was [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Ten-Go Operation Ten-Gou], the sacrifice of the ''Yamato''. | The Battle of Leyte Gulf was in many ways the twilight of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Despite being the closest the IJN ever came to fulfilling its grand strategy for a decisive or "final" battle ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kantai_Kessen ''kantai kessen'']) with the United States Navy, the Japanese failed at the tactical level in disrupting the American landing operations in Leyte Gulf and at the strategic level in stalling the American advance across the Pacific. Devastated by personnel and materiel losses and low on fuel, the Combined Fleet effectively ceased to exist as an effective fighting force after the battle. The only major naval operation to follow was [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Ten-Go Operation Ten-Gou], the sacrifice of the ''Yamato''. |