ezekill said: I still am wondering why the superstructure and bridge are HUEG
Higher up you are, the better you can see your fall-of-shot. I'd assume it's better for the accuracy of the radar guidance as well, though I'm not sure if the IJN possessed that yet at this point. I don't actually know enough about their ships to know whether that size superstructure is realistic or the artist's flair for this image...
The early Japanese battleships/battlecruisers had huge and heavy superstructures like this one.
During the interwar period, many older Japanese battleships were refurbished with new electronics and other increased control positions. There resulted in the relatively thin forward bridge becoming stacks with platforms, creating the distinct pagoda look of the Japanese battleships of the period.
Also it is that high up because you need to be at a higher location to see further out into the horizon, but unobstructed by cannon blast and funnel smoke. Commanding your ship is easier when you can see more ( which you can in a higher position) as well.
This was after all before there was radar fire control (which didn't come into use until the middle of the war), so you could only aim as far as you could see.
