Submarine Warfare How US Subs Strangled Japan’s Economy
In 1941, Japan’s merchant fleet was the third largest in the world. 6 million tons of shipping bringing oil, food, and raw materials to the Japanese home islands. The merchant fleet was Japan’s economic lifeline. By 1945, Japan was starving. Civilians eating sawdust mixed with rice. Military without fuel for aircraft or ships. Industry shutdown from lack of raw materials. Japan’s merchant fleet reduced to 1.5 million tons, less than one quarter of what they started with. This economic collapse wasn’t caused by bombing. It wasn’t caused by naval battles. It was caused by American submarines. The same submarines that Japanese naval doctrine dismissed as dishonorable, cowardly, and unworthy of a warrior’s attention. American submarines representing just 2% of US Navy personnel would sink 55% of all Japanese merchant shipping. They would accomplish what battleships and carriers couldn’t. They strangled Japan’s economy to death. This is how cultural arrogance led to economic catastrophe. To understand how Japan catastrophically underestimated submarine warfare, you need to understand Japanese naval culture and the Bushidto code’s influence on military thinking. In Japanese naval doctrine, there were honorable ways to fight and dishonorable ways to fight. Surface combat between warships, battleships engaging battleships, carriers launching aircraft in coordinated strikes. This was warfare worthy of warriors. This was warfare that demonstrated skill, courage, and honor.