Long-range plunging shellfire and bombs both place the upper surfaces of a warship under attack, creating a related protection problem. The United States consistently planned around long-range gunnery, and Japan increasingly moved in the same direction. British doctrine instead expected decisive battle to close to shorter ranges. Those different tactical expectations shaped how navies understood the threat from above.
Notable Point · 2:27:59-2:28:44
Plunging shellfire and aerial attack stress the same protection problem
Both deliver energy from above, but US, Japanese, and British doctrine approached long-range battle differently.