With the carriers positioned ahead, Japan's first blow would fall most heavily on the concentrated battle line behind them. Aircraft approaching from astern would initially line up on the rearmost battleship. As the strike stream advanced and later aircraft selected targets, the weight of attack could shift to the second ship from the rear rather than distribute evenly across every division. The same geometry can make the second ship from the front vulnerable in a head-on approach. This tactical estimate shows how formation position and attack bearing, not just ship class or armor, could determine which battleships were sunk or heavily damaged.
Notable Point · 1:05:26-1:07:17
A rear attack concentrates damage along the battle line
Aircraft arriving from astern would first acquire the trailing battleships and then tend to mass on the second ship from the rear as successive attackers moved forward.