Kantai Kessen begins with attrition

Kantai Kessen was more than a single fleet clash. Japan expected an American fleet to advance across the Pacific toward the Philippines, where submarines, torpedo craft, cruisers, and other forces could wear it down. The Japanese battle line would then meet an already weakened opponent nearer Japan, where its own support was stronger and American logistics were stretched. Opening blows were meant to create temporary local superiority and buy time to build defensive depth. The doctrine therefore depended on making the enemy enter a prepared attritional system rather than chasing it into favorable waters.