In the greatest naval battle in history, American warships and aircraft inflicted serious losses on the Japanese: 3 battleships, 4 aircraft carriers, 10 escort patrol boats, 13 attack vessels, 5 submarines, and 34 vessels of other types. The destruction of the battleship Musashi , a superb instrument of war, was an especially daunting loss for the Japanese navy, which descended to a new low as a combat force.
