[bruoz]

"IJN never went on the offensive again"

Well their surface fleet did at Leyte and almost pulled it off except for Taffy 3 off Samar. Another fantastic battle by the greatest generation of sailors we shall ever see.

[pfflier]

The story of Taffy 3 and the destroyer screen is another spectacular story in it's own right for the US Navy. It was on level with Midway full of heroism and sacrifice

The IJN was finished by then. No aircraft, for it's carriers and they were only used as bait to lure Halsey's TF away from the surface fleet element of the attack. It was by definition the largest naval battle of WWII and is recognized as the battle that finished off the IJN.