As time went by, the key to victory in naval battles was no longer the warships themselves, but air superiority.
One of the reasons was "intelligence."
Due to the curvature of the Earth, two fleets about 40 kilometers apart couldn't see each other because their view was blocked by the curvature of the water surface.
Initially, the solution was for sailors to climb up tall masts and use binoculars to look out; the higher you stand, the further you see.
Next, attaching balloons to warships, which could be released for reconnaissance when needed.
After that came seaplanes; battleships launched seaplanes to expand the reconnaissance range and relay intelligence back to the fleet.
However, once it reached the airplane stage, the struggle for air superiority became inevitable.
Seaplanes from both sides would fight in the air before having the chance to discover each other's fleets.
