Silent victory : the U.S. submarine war against Japan

1020 Pages·43.193 MB·English

by  Clay Blair

Contents
Introduction 17
Part I
1. Background for War 23
Early Developments-Progress in Europe-Submarines
in World \t\-' err I-Submarines and Politics I-Secret
Enterprises-Submarines and Politics II-New Deal for
the Navy-War in Europe-The Main Enemy-Plans
. in the Far East-Intercepted Mail
Part II
2. Pearl Harbor, December 1941 97
The Japanese Attacks on Pearl Harbor and Midway-
First Patrols to Empire Waten-First Patrols to the Mar
shalls-The Sinking of 1-173-Results of the First Patrols
- The Japanese Attack on Wake Island
3. Manila, December 1941 127
The Japanese Attack on Clark Field-The Japanese At-
tacks on Cavite and Manila-The First Patrols from
Manila-The "Battle" of Lingayen Gulf-The Loss of
Manila
10 CONTENTS
Part III
4. Java and Australia, January through April 1942 163
The Japanese Drive to the Malay Barrier-Special Sub
marine Missions-The "Defense" of Java-Retreat to
Australia-Evaluation and Decision
5. Pearl Harbor, January through March 1942 204
January Departures-February Departures-March De
partures
6. Brisbane, April and May 1942 217
Arrival of More S-Boats-The Battle of the Coral Sea
7. Pearl Harbor, April through June 1942 223
April Departures-The Hunt for "Wounded Bear"-
The Battle of M idway-June Departures
8. Washington, June and July 1942 256
The Midway Security Leak-Changes in the Codebreak-
ing Operation-HD.R. Engine Problems
9. Alaska, 1942 267
Japanese Landings on Kiska and Attu--Suhmarine Pa-
trols in Alaskan Waters
10. Fremantle, April through August 1942 273
Torpedo Tests and Experiments-Personnel Changes
Departing Patrols
11. Brisbane, May through September 1942 294
The Battle of Savo Island-May, June, and July Depar
tures-Battle of the Eastern Solomons-August and Sep
tember Departures
12. Pearl Harbor, July through December 1942 307
July, August, and September Patrols to Truk-Patrols
to Empire, East China Sea, cmd Alaskan Waters, July
through October-Subversive Literature-Battles of Es
perance and Santa Cruz-October, November, and De
cember Patrols to Truk-November and December Pa-
trols to Empire and East China Sea Waters
CONTENTS 11
13. Brisbane, OctOber through December 1942 338
of
The Battle Guadalcanal-Submarine Patrols-Changes
in Personnel
14. Fremantle, September through December 1942 349
15. Summary, 1942 359
Part IV
16. Submarine Command, January 1943 365
17. Brisbane, January through May 1943 369
0/
The Death Admiral Yamamoto-"Playing Checkers"
with Submarines-Wahoo's January Patrol-The Palau
Rabaul Convoy Route
18. Fremantle, January through July 1943 389
Experiment at Exmouth GuLf-Patrols and Losses
19. Pearl Harbor. January through March 1943 398
The Casablanca Conference-Submarine Command
Credits and Debits-Departing Patrols
20. Alaska, 1943 416
of
The U.S. Invasions Attu and Kis'ka-Patrols from
Dutch Harbor
21. ·Pearl Harbor, April through August 1943 422
Additions to the Paci~c Fleet-Ultra-directed Patrols-
of
Final Isolation the Mark XIV Torpedo Defects-The
H.o.R. Boats-Some Good Patrols, and Some Bad Ones
of
-First Forays into the Sea Japan
22. Brisbane, June through December 1943 472
Surface-Force Engagements in the Solomons-More
Boats for Australia-Single Patrols-Cooperative Efforts
23. Fremantle, August through December 1943 486
Tankers as Targets-More Cooperative Efforts-Cre
valle's First Two Patrols-Mixed Bags and Special Mis
of
sions-Puffer's First Patrol-Loss Capelin and Cisco
-Final Deactivation of the Mark VI Exploder
12 CONTENTS
24. Pearl Harbor, September through December 1943 505
The U.S. Invasion of the Gilbert Islands-Improvements
in Submarine Weapons and Strategies-Wahoo's Last
Patrol-Ultra-directed Patrols-Davenport, Domin, and
Cutter-Special Missions-More Ultra Information
Patrols Good and Not So Good-The First Three Wolf
Packs-Changes in Command
25. Summary, 1943 551
PartY
26. Pearl Harbor, January through April 1944 557
The U.S. Invasion of the Marshall Islands-Intercep-
tions in the Marshalls and Other Missions-Action Dur-
ing the Palaus Air Strike-Transfers to FremanOtle
Empire and East China Sea Patrols-The Polar Circuit
-Wolf Packs Four and Five-Patrols to the Marianas
Patrols to Okinawa
27. Australia, January through March 1944 606
Codebreaking and the New Guinea Campaign-Patrols
from Fremantle
28. Australia, April through June 1944 620
Showdown in the Marianas-The Joint Strike on Sura
baya-Patrols to Tawi Tawi and Davao--The Japanese
Reinforcement of Biak
29. Pearl Harbor, May and June 1944 642
Patrols to the Marianas-The Battle of the Philippine Sea
30. Pearl Harbor and Australia, June to July 1944 664
The Fight for Saipan-Patrols from Pearl Harbor
Search for the Nickel Ship-Wolf Packs in Luzon Strait
-Patrols in the East and South China Seas
31. Washington, Summer 1944 689
32. Pearl Harbor and Australia, July and August 1944 693
Debate over Pacific Strategy-Patrols from Pearl Harbor
-Four Wolf Packs in Luzon Strait-Patrols from Aus
tralia-The Loss of Harder
CONTENTS 13
33. Pearl Harbor and Australia, September to October 1944 722
The U.S. Invasions of the Palaus and Morotai-Pearl
Harbor Support of the Landings-Wolf Packs from Pearl
Harbor-Single Patrols from Pearl Harbor-Australian
Support of the Landings
34. Pearl Harbor and Australia, October to November 1944 744
Air Strikes on Formosa and the Philippines-The U.S.
Invasion of Leyte-The Battle of Leyte Gulf-Patrols
from Pearl Harbor-Patrols from Australia
35. Pearl Harbor and Australia, November and December
1944 787
u.s.
New Inventions for Boats-Burt's Brooms-The
U.S. Invasions of Mindoro and Luzon-Patrols from
Australia-Patrols from Pearl Harbor
36. Submarine Command, December 1944 812
37. Summary, 1944 816
Part VI
38. Pearl Harbor and Guam, January through March 1945 823
The U.S. Im·asions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa-Patrols
from Guam-Attacks from the Air-Tirante' s First Patrol
39. Fremantle and Subic Bay, January through August 1945 845
The Move to Subic Bay-Pursuit of Ise and Hyuga-
The Remaining Targets: Isuzu, Haguro, Ashigara, and
Takao
40. Pearl Harbor and Guam, April through August 1945 857
New Forays in the Sea of Japan-Rescues and Targets
-The Japanese Surrender
Part VII
41. After the War 877
H CONTENTS
Appendixes
A. \Yorld \Var II Submarine Squadron Commanders, Pacific 889
B. \\'orld \Var II Submarine Skippers Selected to Flag Rank 890
C. Postwar Commanders of Submarines Atlantic Fleet 892
D. Postwar Commanders of Submarines Pacific Fleet 892
E. Submarine War Patrols, Atlantic 893
F. Submarine War Patrols, Pacific 900
C. Top Skippers of World War II 984
H. Best War Patrols by Numbers of Ships Sunk 988
I. Best War Patrols by Tonnage of Ships Sunk 988
J.
Top Submarines by Number of Ships Sunk 989
K. Top Submarines by Tonnage of Ships Sunk 990
L. Submarine Losses in World War II 991
Sources 993
Index 1007
Maps
By Elizabeth Nicoll Felton
(Surface-force tracks and submarine positions are approximate)
Japanese Approaches to Pearl Harbor, Midway, and Wake Island 93
Japanese Attacks on Pearl Harbor and Midway 103
Japanese Invasion of Wake Island 124
Japanese Invasion of Luzon 133
U.S. Submarine Deployment, December 8-15,1941 142
"Battle" of Lingayen Gulf 152
Japanese Invasion of Borneo and Celebes 167
Japanese Invasion of Java 182
Battle of the Coral Sea 221
Retreat of "Wounded Bear" 232
Movements Against Midway and the Aleutians 235
Battle of Midway 240
Blockade of T ruk 311
Recapture of Attu and Kiska 419
Sea of Japan I, Summer 1943 465
Allied Counteroffensive, Summer-Fall 1943 473
Invasion of the Gilberts 507
Invasion of the Marshalls 559
Air Strike on Truk 566
Air Strike on the Marianas 572
16 MAPS
_-\.ir S,rike:":,n ,he Palaus 578
L:~::1:l:es: c'[ :\"e\\" Guinea 608
l
S:~ike on Surabav, a 628
1m-asion of Biak 635
Invasion of the Marianas 648
Battle of the Philippine Sea 656
Ozawa's Retreat, June 20-24, 1944 661
Invasions of the Palaus and Morotai 726
Invasion of Leyte 750
Battle for Leyte Gulf 760
Ozawa's Retreat, October 25-29, 1944 763
Invasions of Mindoro and Luzon 793
Invasion of Iwo Jima 826
Invasion of Okinawa 828
Yamato Sortie 831
Escape of lse and Hyuga 848
Sea of Japan II, June 1945 862
Introduction
During the naval conflict in the Pacific between the United States
and Japan, 1941-1945, there was a little-known war-within-a-war:
the U.S. submarine offensive against Japanese merchant shipping and
naval forces. A mere handful of submariners, taking a small force of
boats on 1,600-odd war patrols, sank more than 1,000 Japanese mer
chant ships and. a significant portion of the Japanese na~y, including
one battleship, eight aircraft carriers, three heavy cruisers, and eight
light cruisers.
A strong merchant marine was vital to the economy and warrnaking
potential of the island nation of Japan. Its ships imported oil, iron ore,
coal, bauxite, rubber, and foodstuffs; they exported arms, ammunition,
aircraft, and soldiers to reinforce captured possessions. YVhen sub
marines succeeded in stopping this commerce, Japan was doomed.
After the United States recaptured Guam and Saipan in the summer
of 1944, U.s. submarines basing from those two islands imposed a
virtual blockade against Japan. Few ships entered or left Japanese
waters without being attacked by submarine; most that attempted it
were sunk. Japan ran out of oil for her navy; gasoline for her air
craft, trucks, and automobiles; steel, aluminum, and other metal for
her industry; and food for her teeming population. After the war,
when the full impact of the submarine blockade became known, many
experts concluded that the invasions of the Palaus, the Philippines,
17