Today is the anniversary of the beginning of the largest naval battle in history (depending on how you define "largest"), and in the centerpiece action, the Battle off Samar, the American fleet is ambushed by the Japanese Center force, caught unawares due to some miscommunication on the part of Adm. Halsey. Once the situation is fully realized, the USN attempts to reinforce the beseiged escort carrier groups with a carrier force under Adm McCain and fast battleships under Adm Lee, dispatched from the Halsey's 3rd Fleet. They arrived too late to affect the outcome of the battle. My question is why these reinforcements did not come from Kinkaid's 7th fleet, which included 6 battleships that would have made a major difference in the Battle off Samar. Halsey's 3rd fleet was engaged with Ozawa's Carriers some 300 miles north of the battle, but Kinkaid's forces had just defeated the Japanese Southern force earlier that morning at the Suriago Strait, a mere 70 miles to the southwest.