Which Allied battle is widely considered the largest naval battle of World War II?

The Allied battle widely considered the largest naval battle of World War II was the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Fought from October 23 to 26, 1944, it supported the Allied invasion of the Philippine island of Leyte and ended in a decisive Japanese defeat.

The battle was actually a series of major engagements: the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, the Battle of Surigao Strait, the Battle off Samar, and the Battle off Cape Engaño. Allied and Japanese forces committed hundreds of ships and roughly 200,000 personnel. The Japanese plan aimed to destroy the Allied invasion fleet, but its divided forces could not stop the landings.

Leyte Gulf also marked the first organized use of kamikaze attacks and the last battleship-versus-battleship action in history. The Battle of Midway was more strategically famous, while the Battle of the Philippine Sea was the largest carrier battle, but neither is the standard answer to this question.