How did kamikaze attacks affect naval warfare in the Battle of Leyte Gulf?

The Battle of Leyte Gulf (October 1944) marked the first combat use of kamikaze tactics by the Japanese military. Faced with dwindling air strength and the need to counter the overwhelming naval power of the United States, Vice Adm. Ōnishi Takijirō implemented these suicide missions as a desperate, last-resort measure to defend the Philippines.123

During this engagement, kamikaze attacks were employed against U.S. escort carriers. While these initial strikes demonstrated the destructive potential of using aircraft as "human guided missiles," they did not prevent the Japanese naval disaster at Leyte Gulf, where the Imperial Japanese Navy suffered catastrophic losses of battleships, carriers, and cruisers.3

The introduction of this tactic at Leyte Gulf signaled a shift in the nature of naval warfare, forcing the U.S. Navy to eventually adapt its tactics and ship defenses to counter a threat that could penetrate otherwise impenetrable screens. The effectiveness of these attacks reached its peak later during the Battle of Okinawa, where they inflicted severe damage and heavy casualties on the U.S. fleet.452