British destroyer doctrine also aimed to deliver torpedo attacks, though Japan carried the Type 93 "Long Lance" concept further as a high-risk, high-reward weapon. The two navies planned for different wars. Britain needed cruisers and large destroyers to cover worldwide commitments, while Japan expected American and British fleets to cross the Pacific and suffer attrition on the way. Japanese expansion later lengthened its own lines of communication and weakened that premise. The Royal Navy had anticipated the possibility of a worldwide conflict before 1939, but complete preparation for such a war was politically unaffordable in peacetime.
Notable Point · 16:07-18:06
Global cruiser needs versus Japanese attritional doctrine
Britain needed cruisers for a global war, while Japan planned to wear down American and British fleets as they crossed the Pacific toward Japanese waters.