A coastal-siege analogy recasts Japanese decisive-battle doctrine as defensive warfare transferred to the sea. A defender wins a siege by surviving long enough to exhaust the attacker's time and resources. The Six-Six Fleet sought the same result by threatening enough ship losses to make aggression against Japan unattractive. Its large guns, armoured ships, and torpedo forces could look offensive when considered separately, while together they raised the price of reaching and defeating the home islands. The analogy connects sea denial, deterrence, and decisive battle as parts of the same strategy.
Notable Point · 1:27:30-1:28:25
The Six-Six Fleet as coastal siege warfare at sea
Japan's apparently offensive battle doctrine functioned defensively by making an attacker spend prohibitive time, ships, and political prestige.