The U.S. loss figures given here are one battleship damaged, 123 aircraft destroyed, and 109 dead. Japanese losses are three fleet carriers, two oilers, six other ships damaged, nearly 3,000 dead, and roughly 550 to 645 of about 800 aircraft. This was a decisive battle, but the destruction fell on the force that had designed its strategy around winning one.
Chapter · 2:49:33-2:51:16
The loss totals reveal whose decisive battle it became
The closing loss comparison shows the Philippine Sea fulfilling the decisive-battle idea for the Americans rather than the Japanese.