As it was, the Battle of Leyte Gulf inflicted irreplaceable losses on the Imperial Navy and ceded control of Philippine waters to the Americans. The battle eliminated any chance that Japan’s navy could positively influence the Leyte campaign, or any subsequent battles in the Philippines. Though victorious, the Americans were fortunate to dodge the consequences of a loosely dysfunctional command arrangement as well as risky operational decisions on Halsey’s part and perhaps Kinkaid’s,
