I just tried this in the simulator with targeting set to nearest, nearest, nearest, nearetst. The results are the same.
Situation: Enemy fleet has one BB armed only with minesweepers and 7 Light cruisers armed with PPB5. I have 15 Light cruisers armed only with armor and engines, set to ram with targeting priority nearest, nearest, nearest, nearest. In the simulation the BB runs for the corner, the ramming ships run after the BB and the PPB ships slaughter the ramming ships without taking any casualties. Take out the BB and its a whole different story.
This is really annoying actually. The all armor and set to ram strategy works decently well against an enemy who is well trained and/or maxed on defense when you are not. But it is so easily counteracted just by putting one of your support ships on a bigger hull that it's not even worth trying to do! Strike one for strategic diversity...
