On the most basic level, the objective of a WWII destroyer attacking with torpedoes was to safely reach a launching point ahead of the enemy using speed, zig-zagging and/or creating smoke. Destroyers were lightly armored and built for speed, making stealth and evading enemy fire crucial. The Japanese were adept at night attacks and practiced for them frequently, unlike the US Navy. US radar systems were primitive in range and accuracy compared to current hardware, meaning small islands or reefs could appear as unidentified ships. Launching and recovering carrier aircraft at night was also impossible at the time, negating the air superiority the US had for most of the war. During the Guadalcanal campaign attacking Japanese ships would often approach with an island in back of them, both to confuse radar and eliminate their black outlines on the water. Ships using searchlights in the beginning of the conflict found that these only made them beacons for enemy fire. Once IJN destroyers reached the launching point they could rely on the most advanced torpedo produced by any side in the war, the Type 93 or Long Lance. These had a maximum range of 6.8 miles and traveled 48 mph, meaning US ships early in the war closing in for close-range gun battles were often hit before they could reach position. Some captains even thought they had hit a mine. Theoretically, after IJN destroyers had picked off ships in the enemy formation and disrupted it battleships and cruisers moved in for the kill, culminating in a more conventional gun battle in the morning. In practice, US air power often proved too overwhelming for IJN ships to engage in protracted battles and survive until morning (i.e. battleship Hiei during Guadalcanal).