In reply to <a href="https://cimsec.org/kurita-presses-on-refighting-the-battle-of-leyte-gulf/#comment-309635">Eric Stahlfeld</a>. I just started typing basically the same response you had before I noticed your comment! So, I'll tag on :-) When it became obvious that Taffy 3 was going to be ignored and Center Force would continue towards the landing beaches.. after which point it's composition would be very well understood and shadowed by Taffy 1/2/3 aircraft if not also some destroyers ... the second division of standard battleships would certainly make way to rejoin their TG. I'm not even sure how far apart they would have gotten (it's not like they're fast ;-) ) before the escape of Taffy 3 CVEs was assured and they were not needed for it's defense. I think the scenario we actually have is a full TG 77.2 blocking access to the landing beaches with Taffy 3 aircraft attacking/harassing and perhaps a rear attack by destroyers. In this case, the balance of light forces are not tipped in Kurita's favor, and as to the battle lines.. three of the rebuilt standards had the latest fire control radar on a day with intermittent squalls which could be enhanced by destroyer smoke screens. I believe the cards could fall either way on that one, coming down to the tactical targeting of Yamato (you'll want the 16"ers concentrating on her) and the reduction of the Japanese optical FC effectiveness through natural or man-made causes. The battle cruisers can't absorb 14" shellfire, so as they are picked off more concentrated fire comes onto Nagato and Yamato. In fact, I think Oldendorf has a good chance to come out on top of this one; suppose he doesn't though. There won't me much left of Center Force, and what's left isn't getting home. To your point, it would at most delay slightly the campaign, even if all the cards fell Kurita's way and Center Force was wildly successful. Given the final mission of the Yamato, however, this seems a more fitting end to her career than how history played out.