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The story of the U.S. submarine force and its activity in the Pacific Ocean
is told in this episode called Full Fathom Five. The goal of the American
Secret Service was to sink as many Japanese merchant ships as possible
during their trolling throughout the Pacific. Sink the ships that carry
the raw materials back the to the Imperial Empire of Japan (oil, gas, iron
ore, rubber, ect.) to help feed the war machine. 4-5 new American submarines
reach Pearl harbor every month. Her crews undergo extensive training and
maneuvers before their arrival in Hawaii. Admiral Lockwood, commander of
the submarine forces in the Pacific realizes that use of American subs in
a coordinated Allied wolf packs and also single vessels will help bring
the war to a close much faster. These underwater ships with names like
Thrasher, Tang, Barb and Silversides help sink tens of thousands of enemy
shipping all over the Pacific. Besides torpedoing the Japanese Fleet, the
U.S. Submarine Force is also responsible for carrying out other secret and
hazardous missions: mining enemy waters, photographing enemy shorelines
for invasion, rescue operations of downed pilots and many other military
operations. The American submarine motto read, “Find Them. Chase Them.
Sink them.” In the war’s end, some 1,392 Japanese ships are sunk with over
6 millions of tonnage, including tankers, freighters, cargo ships and many
types of war ships. The American submarine force helps sink the Japanese
empire. Fifty-two U.S. submarines never return. But for those that did
return, their citation reads, “Well Done.”
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