Soemu Toyoda
Japanese strategic plans for a decisive battle with the U.S. fleet were already established by September 1944. Anticipating the various options open to American landing forces, the Japanese operational order, code named "Sho" ("victory"), provided four scenarios to counter an invasion anywhere between the Philippines and the Kuriles. The plan was problematic for morale, however, because it broke with IJN tradition by assigning overriding importance to sinking U.S. supply vessels rather than U.S. warships. As a result, the Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet Admiral Soemu Toyoda flew out to the front in early October to rally the troops behind "Sho".