Better ? ( It took less work than I thought to add some features :)

#!/usr/bin/perl

# http://perlmonks.org/?node_id=1170733

use strict;
use warnings;

my $total = 0;
my $sea = ((' ' x 10) . "\n") x 10;

sub transpose
  {
  local $_ = $sea;
  tr/<>^v/^v<>/;
  $sea = '';
  $sea .= "\n" while s/^(.)/ $sea .= $1; '' /gem;
  }

for my $ship ( 4,3,3,2,2,2,1,1,1,1 )
  {
  $total += $ship;
  my @places;
  push @places, $-[0] while $sea =~ /(?= {$ship})/g;
  substr $sea, $places[rand @places], $ship,
    ('O', '<>', '<#>', '<##>' )[$ship - 1];
  $sea =~ s/(?<=[<>^v#O].{$_}) | (?=.{$_}[<>^v#O])/~/gs for 0, 9..11;
  rand > 0.5 and transpose;
  }
tr/ /~/ for $sea;

print $sea;
my @chars = $sea =~ /./g;

use Tk; # for http://perlmonks.org/?node_id=1170638

my $hits = my $misses = 0;
my $font = 'courier 20';
my $message = 'Click Square to Play';
my $msg;

my $mw = MainWindow->new( -title => "Battleship" );
my $grid = $mw->Frame->pack;
my (@cols, @rows);
for my $y (0..9)
  {
  for my $x (0..9)
    {
    my ($char, $b) = shift @chars;
    $cols[$x] += $char =~ /[<>^v#O]/;
    $rows[$y] += $char =~ /[<>^v#O]/;
    $b = $grid->Button( -font =>$font, -text => ' ',
      -command => sub {
        $b->configure(-text => $char);
        ($char =~ /[<>^v#O]/ ? $hits : $misses) += 1;
        $hits == $total and $message = "You Win !",
          $msg->configure(-fg => 'green', -font => 'courierbold 24');
        $b->configure(-command => sub {});
        },
      )->grid(-row => $y, -column => $x);
    }
  }
for my $i (0..9)
  {
  $grid->Label(-text => $cols[$i], -font =>$font,
    )->grid(-row => 11, -column => $i);
  $grid->Label(-text => $rows[$i], -font =>$font,
    )->grid(-row => $i, -column => 11);
  }
my $frame = $mw->Frame->pack;
$frame->Label(-text => 'Hits: ', -font => $font)->pack(-side => 'left'
+);
$frame->Label(-textvariable => \$hits, -font => $font)->pack(-side => 
+'left');
$frame->Label(-text => " of $total   Misses: ", -font => $font,
  )->pack(-side => 'left');
$frame->Label(-textvariable => \$misses, -font => $font)->pack(-side =
+> 'left');
$msg = $mw->Label(-textvariable => \$message, -font => $font)->pack;

MainLoop;
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