Naval engineers wanted to know which parts of a ship failed after the first bomb hit and what changed after each subsequent hit. Pauses for inspection could reveal the order in which damage spread. That sequence would help them design better subdivision and resistance to bombing. Rapidly destroying the target removed the opportunity to observe those intermediate stages.
Notable Point · 2:21:56-2:22:40
The lost sequence of subdivision and ship-design evidence
A bomb-by-bomb record of damage could guide improved subdivision and resistance to bombing.