A missed opening for long-range destroyers?

Japan's attrition plan depended on weakening an advancing enemy fleet before a major engagement. The idea predated Tsushima, although time and information had limited opportunities for preliminary attacks. That requirement suggests destroyers able to travel far enough to strike and return. The parallel preference for large ships and heavy guns also makes the continued emphasis on small destroyers difficult to explain. Saving money for cruisers and avoiding pressure on rival navies are considered possible explanations. The postwar pause in American and British destroyer construction offered Japan an opportunity to gain a larger advantage, in this assessment.