Long-range night fire seemed unlikely to succeed if targets zigzagged, which was why British planners doubted its value. Japanese doctrine made a different assumption: good low-light optics, careful observation, and an opponent insufficiently alert to the threat could make a long-range salvo viable. Tassafaronga became the test case. Honolulu maneuvered, but Minneapolis, New Orleans, Pensacola, and Northampton were hit, demonstrating both the power of the Long Lance and the tactical cost of predictable movement.
Chapter · 1:35:50-1:41:34
Tassafaronga showed the danger of night torpedo sniping
Japanese destroyers used long-range Long Lance torpedoes at Tassafaronga, exploiting night observation and an American cruiser formation that did not maneuver enough.