Submarine Warfare
Silent hunters prowled shipping lanes with devastating effect. American submarines sank over 1,200 Japanese merchant vessels by 1945, destroying 5 million tons of shipping. Supply convoys faced nearly impossible odds reaching their destinations. Rice from Southeast Asia, oil from Indonesia, and raw materials from occupied territories failed to reach Japan’s shores. The Japanese navy never developed effective countermeasures. After early war stocks of depth charges dwindled, Japanese escort vessels barely threatened American subs.
