Easily the most decisive, as well as the most important, battle in the Pacific Theater.
The Japanese Navy was completely decimated by the end of the battle. Virtually all aircraft carriers lay on the bottom of the ocean (one exception being the Shinano, but that one wouldn't last very long either.)
Leyte Gulf is where the Japanese lost the war for good. Without the means to defend themselves by sea, the Japanese were helpless as U.S. ships could travel, unconfronted, through the waters of the Pacific.
And things just went down hill from there for the Japanese.
To read an article about it, check this out:
http://www.journalofhistory.com/Batt...leyte_gulf.htm
Heck, if you're interested, sign up on my online forum, and throw in a couple of posts. I've got politics, military history of the United States and the world... all natures of wars... all kinds of fun stuff.