Birmingham allocated one turret to each Japanese bridge and another to the shore headquarters. The captain, executive officer, and gunnery officer made the targeting decision in the few seconds while both sides' guns were training. At roughly fifty to one hundred metres, superstructure and control positions could be ruined decisively by six-inch shells. Waterline shots were less attractive because a shell might strike the water before reaching the hull's underwater protection. The choice aimed to remove command and fire control immediately rather than gamble on slower damage below the waterline.
Notable Point · 39:20-40:44
Why Birmingham's guns would target cruiser bridges
At extreme close range, the British plan was to disable command positions rather than rely on hull penetration.