Any idea as to what might look like then, it really was a pre-dreadnought? What class would best fit the USS Dakota? Did 12 in. guns on a ship indicate it as a pre-dreadnought all the time?
Quite a few of the first generation dreadnoughts had twelve inch guns. I recall from the part with Pearl HArbor that the Dakota has a 3-2-2-3 arrangement of turrets. But i'm not sure about hte 12 in guns. I'll have to look again.
As for the Japanese, yes, decisive battle would be their primary doctrine, especially if the Russo-Japanese war still occurred, or if there was a fight between battleships when they occupied the Phillippines. AS for ships, the Kawachi, Fusou, and Kongou classes are all possibilities. Possibly even other ships. I Would wager the Japanese fleet would be larger and probably have some different designs than OTL, since the British would be depending on them, the Australians, and New Zealand to hold the Yankees down in the Pacific.