So it's a bit of a specific question, but I'm looking into researching surface combat in WWII in both Pacific and Atlantic.
Mainly I'm wanting to find some technical readings on ship design in terms of armor, weaponry, and maneuverability. Before or after, I also wanted to research more in depth naval doctrine as well, and how that shaped overall ship designs.
An example of this would be the aggressive torpedo-attack oriented Japanese Destroyer designs vs the anti-submarine anti-air defensive American Destroyer designs.
I'm just starting out, so anything from general summarized readings to specific niche tech guides is welcomed.
If you've made it this far, thanks for taking the time to hear me out!
For a good introduction to the thoughts and rationale behind British naval design in the period, my recommendation would be David K Brown's Nelson to Vanguard: Warship Design and Development 1923-1945. Brown describes the thinking and doctrine behind the Royal Navy's ship designs, as well as some of the political wheeling and dealing behind them. While it is a general overview, Brown goes into considerable detail, devoting at least some text to every RN design of the period, as well as the refits some of the older ships went through. Brown also describes how these designs fared during the war, and makes some comparisons to other navies' designs. His Atlantic Escorts: Ships, Weapons & Tactics in World War Two is a more focused look at the ships that won the Battle of the Atlantic, as well as the tactics they used to do so.
For more detailed look at the process behind some of the RN's ship designs, then there are several choices, depending on which ships you're interested in. Norman Friedman has a number of excellent illustrated design histories - The British Battleship: 1906-1946, British Cruisers: Two World Wars and After, British Destroyers and Frigates: The Second World War and After or British Destroyers: From Earliest Days to the Second World War. These describe how ships of each classification were designed, developed and how they were used. R A Burt's British Battleships 1919-1945 is a similarly detailed look at British battleship designs. David Hobbs' British Aircraft Carriers: Design, Development & Service Histories does much the same for aircraft carriers, though it also covers ships outside the period you're interested in. Brian Lavery's River-class Frigates and the Battle of the Atlantic: A Technical and Social History is an excellently detailed work on the eponymous class, describing how it was to live aboard these ships, as well as how they fought and how they were designed to fight. Bruce Taylor's The Battlecruiser HMS Hood: An Illustrated Biography 1916-1941 is a similar work on the battlecruiser. Also worth a read is The Royal Navy, 1930–2000 Innovation and Defence, edited by Richard Harding, a collection of essays describing the development of British naval technology, with several good works on the period in question.