The commander of the 6th Cruiser Division, Rear Admiral Kakuta, who commanded the heavy cruisers Myōkō and Haguro, as well as the temporarily assigned heavy cruisers Ashigara and Nachi of the 7th Cruiser Division, was contemplating the four American cruisers that were about to engage in battle. These cruisers were likely of the Northampton or New Orleans classes, both equipped with nine 20 cm guns, which were the standard for the US Navy.
The American heavy cruisers are formidable adversaries. In the Battle of Wake Island, the Japanese heavy cruisers Kumano and Suzuya of the 8th Cruiser Division, along with the Mogami and Mikuma of the 9th Cruiser Division, sank four American heavy cruisers: Minneapolis, Astoria, Quincy, and Vincennes. However, the Japanese cruisers suffered considerable damage, with all ships being hit by numerous 20 cm shells. In the end, it was the superiority of the Japanese Mogami-class heavy cruisers equipped with 23 cm guns that allowed them to overcome the American heavy cruiser fleet.
"But this time is different."
Kakuta, overseeing the two divisions and the four Myōkō-class heavy cruisers, was filled with a determination bordering on ferocity. In the Battle of Wake Island that erupted shortly after the start of the war, only the battleships Nagato and Mutsu of the 1st Battleship Division, Ise and Hyūga of the 2nd Battleship Division, and Yamashiro and Fusō of the 3rd Battleship Division were equipped with precision radar for distance accuracy. No cruiser or vessel below had such equipment.
It was not that the Imperial Japanese Navy lacked an understanding of radar; rather, the bitter experience of the bombing of Hankou had led to a paranoid focus on early warning radar, causing a delay in the development and deployment of radar for gunnery. The Myōkō-class cruisers had only recently been equipped with such radar, which dramatically improved their range-finding accuracy in long-range bombardment.
Although the development of gunnery radar was still in progress and had some issues with azimuth accuracy, the distance accuracy was vastly superior to conventional optical range-finding. The performance of the gunnery control system, including the firing targeting radar, played a decisive role in naval battles.
In the Battle of Jutland, German battleships equipped 28 cm and 30 cm guns but with excellent firing targeting systems and network construction skills sank British cruisers armed with larger 34 cm guns, and even came close to overwhelming a formidable battleship with enormous 38 cm guns. The weight difference between the 38 cm and 30 cm shells was twice as much. In a conventional battle, a ship armed with 30 cm guns should not have been a match for a ship armed with 38 cm guns. However, at that time, German battleships were either on par with or superior to British battleships. The superiority of the command communication and firing control system could easily overcome the disadvantage of gun caliber and shell weight. Furthermore, the Myōkō-class heavy cruisers were equipped with 23 cm guns, and their shell weight was 40% heavier than that of the American heavy cruisers armed with 20 cm guns. Additionally, the American cruisers had already suffered significant damage from Japanese dive bombers.
"If we lose this time, it will be a shame for generations to come," Kakuta muttered to himself in a voice too low for anyone to hear. Just then, a report reaches his ears, indicating that the distance between the two fleets was less than 30.000 meters. Although it is a somewhat distant firing range for heavy cruisers, Kakuta planned to commence firing when the distance between them is less than 25.000 meters. Having gained air superiority, there is no reason not to take advantage of the observation planes. Of course, if they fail to score hits, he is considering the option of closing in for a close-range assault at the right moment.
In the meantime, the distance between the two fleets was rapidly closing, and the second round of the Japanese-American heavy cruiser showdown, following the Battle of Wake Island, is about to begin.