How a British-Japanese night battle might unfold

What might happen in an all-out Royal Navy versus Imperial Japanese Navy night battle?

It would pit Japanese torpedo skill against British radio coordination, emerging radar, flare illumination, and gunfire used to fix targets, producing a messy action whose outcome requires careful simulation.

The answer sketches a confused fleet action rather than a clean duel. British destroyers could use gunfire to mark targets for torpedo attacks, while aircraft dropped flares and battleships occupied Japanese heavy units; the Japanese would still possess formidable torpedo doctrine. Radio coordination, reconnaissance by fire, and the possibility of British submarines attacking transports broaden the encounter beyond a surface gunnery contest. Radar remained limited in 1939, so any answer needs testing rather than spectacle. The game's radar and smoke mechanics would overstate radar's effect, which means this particular night battle needs a better model before it can support a confident result.