Matching destroyer capabilities to naval doctrine

Kagero combined the capabilities needed for Japan's attrition operations and decisive battle. Larger destroyers could, in this counterfactual assessment, have met those requirements earlier in the treaty era. Later boiler improvements made the result more efficient, but an earlier, less efficient ship could still have been worth building if it suited the doctrine. A navy therefore needs either equipment that serves its doctrine or a doctrine adapted to the equipment it can field. The final assessment credits Asashio and Kagero with approaching the required capabilities after a succession of hull improvements and difficult design choices.