The reason they didn't win, the reason they backed off, was because of the famous "Taffy 3," a few tin cans (destroyers) going up against gigantic battleships and cruisers, with some baby flattops, their planes not having the heavy ordinance they needed to be attacking heavy armored ships like these.
A David and Goliath battle if ever there was one, and they pulled it off, David won. The most heroic action in US Navy history. A good read on it is, "The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors."