How mixed air attacks divided a fleet's attention

A fleet under air attack had to manage several approaches at once. Torpedo bombers came in low while dive bombers approached from above for descending attacks. Level bombers also demanded attention and evasive maneuvers because their bombs could still hit. Attacking fighters added strafing runs, while defending ships had to track their own fighters amid antiaircraft fire. These overlapping demands explain why comparisons between individual weapons give an incomplete account of naval combat. The outcome depended on the interacting ships, aircraft, weapons, and people on both sides.