Gun comparisons against thin-skinned destroyers

The Japanese gun is judged broadly comparable in usefulness to the American 5-inch/38. A slightly higher rate of fire is balanced against a smaller shell and explosive charge. Heavy armour penetration provides a poor basis for evaluating their effect against destroyers, whose hulls carried little protection. The comparison challenges an imagined destroyer with six inches of armour. Suitable guns and a capable ship design still had to be combined with enough hulls to meet operational requirements.