The Battle of Leyte Gulf is widely considered the largest naval battle in history. Fought in the waters near the Philippines, it involved over 200,000 naval personnel and hundreds of ships. It was the first battle in which Japanese aircraft carried out organized kamikaze attacks. The Allied victory effectively destroyed the Imperial Japanese Navy as a cohesive fighting force, cutting off Japan from its occupied territories in Southeast Asia and their vital oil supplies. After this battle, the Japanese fleet was reduced to a few ships hiding in home ports, unable to contest the Allied advance further.