What bridge damage could do to a Japanese cruiser

Who takes command if a Japanese cruiser's senior officers are hit?

A senior lieutenant could succeed, but destroying the bridge and control positions could remove several leaders and create a critical period of confusion.

The captain and senior lieutenant would normally be on the bridge while the executive officer occupied the conning position below. Close-range fire could therefore destroy the bridge, conning position, gunnery control, and several senior officers almost simultaneously. A surviving lieutenant might possess formal authority, but first the crew would have to determine who remained alive and able to command. Japanese damage-control practice could also depend on direction from the bridge. The danger is therefore more than formal succession: the ship could lose coordination while already taking catastrophic damage.