First of all, do you have another CA? Tatsuta as well as Tenryuu aree great CLs but oly for doing expeditions gven they consume less resources that any other CL.
Maya is a great CA when you are starting because she can remodel at level 18 and get a huge improvement on her stats. I'd recomend you to get another CA: Haguro, Tone, Chikuma or Kinugasa are good options because all of then have Kai Ni remodels. Mogami is also a good choice but I doubt you have her given you have a low admiral level.
There is an important condition that will make you hit more and harder and make the other fleet hit less and softer: Artillery spotting. All BBs, CAs and CLs can equip recognaissance planes. Those are used to fly close to the enemy fleet and help the gunners on your ship to adjust the angle of their turrents and increase accuracy. Also, a fleet with artillery spotting has more probabilities of doing daylight cut-ins for massive damage.
So, how do you get artillery spotting?
You have to equip on every CA, CL and BB you have on your fleet a single reconnaisance plane and get Air supremacy. That's where Akagi comes into play. You only have one carrier and the plane she comes to are very mediocre so the damage she can do isn't that great. You have to use her to get Air supremacy for 2 reasons:
- As stated above, it gives Artillery spotting
- Air supremacy means less planes shot down = less bauxite you spend
So, how do you get Air supremacy? By having fighters, lots of then. Try using the big slot on Akagi for the fighters. A text like this is shown when you get air supremacy: 制空権確保! If you don't get it everytime you enter battle, put more fighters. Now, see on the top right part of the screen if a seaplane appears over the enemy formation circle and if it happens you have gotten artillery spotting.
The optimal loadout for doing damage is
2 main artilleries, 1 recon plane and 1 anti-air artillery (not anti air machine gun)
In case of 3 slots ships, ditch the anti-air artillery.
Anyway, just try reading the wikia and you'll learn most off this. Experience comes into play too but less than theory.
I wanna see how much levels your ships earn beefore actually beating 2-4. Also, modernize your ships already unless you want to get critted by a fucking enemy destroyer.