Historical events turn into movies

[Anomalocaris]

Keep in mind the strategic picture at the time of the battle of Samar is the entire imperial Japanese navy only had 68 ocean going surface combatants of all types remaining in its order of battle at the beginning the battle of Leyte gulf, and that fleet had already taken very serious further losses before the Samar engagement itself, including kurita’s own command, and kurita himself had to be fished out of the sea because his original flagship had already been sunk from under his ass.    Kurita understood that by the time his force sighted taffy, what remains of the entire imperial Japanese navy could never exploit any opportunity that might arise from any degree of immediate tactical success in phillipines.

Kurita didn’t really want to fight at Samar because he thought his remaining fleet would likely be completely annihilated in the aftermath if he pressed the attack, while even success in the attack itself could serve no strategic purpose,  So he aimed to put on a show for appearance sake but really focus on withdrawing as soon as it was seemly in order to save his ship to save his men.   But even the degree to which he could make the pretense of engaging in earnest convincing was circumscribed by the fact that his destroyers were nearing bingo fuel, due to unexpected amount of maneuvering and counter marching and then doubling back during the engagements on previous days, and he did want these destroyers make it back as well.

So it is not the tin cans beat off a greatly superior force, rather it is the greatly superior force’s commander had made up his mind to not fight, although some of his subordinate commanders were eager, they obeyed orders.