For a warship, there's nothing more awkward than a turnabout.
Even though a warship, a hulking beast weighing several thousand to tens of thousands of tons, can navigate the sea, its turning and reversing are quite cumbersome moments.
Especially during times of war, the turn of an entire fleet could potentially reverse the direction of the battle.
Looking at the layout of warships, the ship guns are typically installed on either side, and there aren't many guns on either end of the warship, so the firepower is relatively weaker in comparison.
Therefore, during a turnabout, one must also be on guard against the resurgence of the Island Nation's fleet. Even if the number of warships is not high, the chances of winning significantly decrease if encountered during a turnabout.
General Witteveen's strategy was to have the first two battleships turnabout, with six cruisers by their side responsible for defense.
