The submarine forces are operationally commanded by the commanders of their arms. However, the issue of multi-service coordinated operations plan was resolved by Liu Lingfei and the commanders of the various detachments of the Pacific Fleet concerned on the basis of this principle of consensus. The view expressed by some was that submarine forces should be deployed in the sea areas through which the Allied fleets would pass on their way to the sea war sites, especially near the straits, rather than on the oceans.

In this case, submarines can be used to perform the following tasks:

1: Concentrate on the use of submarines to cut off the enemy's supply lines to the target area;

2: Conduct photographic reconnaissance to identify the intended landing area and enemy military installations related to future operations;

3: During the air raid, the life-saving mission is carried out;

4: Carry out reconnaissance missions in the target area or near the enemy's base to find out the enemy's movements and block the enemy who attempts to counterattack;

5: Intercept enemy ships trying to flee the target area.

The Chinese submarines were so successful that the Allied submarines were dwarfed by the fact that they were dwarfed by this, and it seems necessary to analyze them slightly. The various types of submarines of the Allied forces are generally small in tonnage and relatively old, and they are obviously much worse than the Zhou-class submarines in China. However, Japan's newly-built I-type submarines are completely comparable to China's large submarines.

When China entered the war, the submarines of the Chinese Pacific and the Far East were about the same in number as those of the Allies. However, most of China's submarines were of the Zhou class, while the Allied submarines were mostly of older models.

In addition, the Chinese torpedoes were more reliable than the Allied ones, with high speed, long range, and powerful mine heads. Of course, some technical deficiencies of Allied submarines also affected the combat effectiveness of submarines to a certain extent. Until the later stages of the war. Allied submarines were not yet equipped with radars, and hydroacoustic detection devices were far inferior to those of German submarines, and there were no effective ways to deal with hydroacoustic detection.

However, the Allied mistakes in submarine operations were mainly caused by the misuse of submarines by the Japanese high command. The Japanese Navy never used its formidable submarine forces to disrupt the merchant shipping of the Allies. Obviously, Japan's strategic decision-makers have not paid any attention to the important role of logistics in modern warfare.

The submarines in close proximity to the United States are destroying the shipping lanes, but with the cooperation of China's advanced antisubmarine destroyers and antisubmarine helicopters, it is basically difficult for the submarines on the US side to achieve great success, nor can they change the situation of the war.

Germany has emphasized. Submarines are the most effective weapon for attacking transport ships. When Germany and Japan had not yet broken up, they repeatedly urged Japan to use submarines to attack American convoys. Japan ignored this and continued to use submarines to attack the other side's warships.

The Chinese submarines, on the other hand, continued to attack the cargo holds of the Allied forces, thus depleting the war potential of the Allied forces. In this case. Japan, on the other hand, was dismissive of the oil tankers and cargo ships on which the Chinese fleet depended, and on which they were most vulnerable. still sent its submarines to attack the heavily guarded fleet.

After the Chinese army began to carry out the cross-island operation. The Japanese were in a state of desperation and even abandoned attempts to attack combat ships with submarines. However, the use of Allied submarines was even more inappropriate after that. In order to resupply the besieged troops defending the island. The Allied High Command used the submarines as supply ships at the request of the Army.

Some submarines with good performance are gradually being used to take on such very inappropriate tasks. At that time, the combat activities of the Chinese troops were moving further and further away from their own bases and closer to the Japanese bases. Despite this, the combat effectiveness of the Japanese submarines not only did not increase, but on the contrary, deteriorated. Although the Allies used submarines in World War II, they did not really understand the potential power of this main weapon, which is rare in the history of warfare.

When the Japanese submarines were getting worse and worse, the Chinese submarines sank many Allied ships one after another. The most striking result, however, was the destruction of the sea supply lines on which the Allies depended by Chinese submarines.

For the Allies, maritime transport was a crucial issue. Because there was no industry in the raw material production areas controlled by the Japanese army, and there was a lack of resources in the industrial areas. The Japanese had to ship raw materials back to their home countries for processing, and then send the finished products to troops overseas for war consumption.

In this case, there were two main routes for the sea transportation of the Japanese army. One was to transport iron and coal from the United States to the Japanese mainland via the Sea of Japan. Another, more important route was to transport supplies back to the Japanese mainland from the South Sea resource area via the Pacific Ocean (formerly the South China Sea, Taiwan, and the Ryukyus).

As long as Allied ships could only navigate these two main routes, the round-trip cargo would go smoothly. However, the combat operations in the Nanyang resource areas fell behind for a while, and the supply of Nanyang resources was rapidly reduced, and most of the Japanese ships heading south were underloaded or operated empty.

When the Japanese army expanded its battlefield to the South Pacific, many ships were needed to transport supplies directly from the Allied mainland to the South Pacific. At this time, there were also two main routes: one from Osaka to Majuro. The other runs from Tokyo and Yokohama to Rabaul via the Ogasawara Islands, Saipan, Truk Island, and later to the Solomon Islands.

However, the ships unloaded in the South Pacific had no cargo to load and had to return to Japan empty. The Japanese authorities have never used a triangular route, that is, ships carrying cargo sail from the South Sea resource area to Japan, unload the cargo, and then load military supplies and sail to the South Pacific, and after unloading, they do not return directly to Japan, but sail to the South Sea resource area empty.

With this route, each transport ship would have only one-third of its entire voyage with an empty voyage. The actual routes adopted by the Japanese at that time made each transport ship half of its entire voyage with an empty ship or a voyage with only a small amount of cargo. In other words, the Japanese army used an inverted V-shaped route, and the Japanese mainland was at the apex of this route. If the Japanese had adopted a triangular route, it would have made their ships more useful.

Only one of the auxiliary routes from Balikpapan to Majuro, Truk and Rabaul was not V-shaped, along which Japanese tankers refueled their forward fleets. In this way, the Chinese submarines would have more opportunities to attack the Japanese transport ships and reduce their transport capacity by 8 to 10 percent.

After China entered the war, Chen Shao ordered unlimited submarine warfare against Allied ships. Because in the general war of modern times. There is no clear line between prohibited and non-contraband. In wartime, all the ships of a country are used to serve the war. Allied oil tankers and cargo ships were loaded with important strategic materials such as oil, iron, tin, rubber, rice, and coal. These ships, like the Allied battleships and aircraft carriers, were an important part of their war machine.

In the first months of the war, the main areas of activity of Chugoku submarines were the waters around the Philippines, the waters east of the Allies, the Bungo Waterway between Shikoku and Kyushu, and the Kii Waterway between Shikoku and Honshu.

Previously, the Japanese transport ships sailed alone, and escort convoys had not yet been organized. Subsequently, due to the increase in the loss of ships, limited escort measures were taken. It was only later that the First Escort Fleet was formed, with its headquarters in the Philippines at the time. Its mission was to serve as an escort for ships in the East China Sea, and later extended its scope to nearby Manila, Saigon and Singapore.

The Japanese convoy was small in size and generally consisted of 6-10 ships. Send only 1 old destroyer or small ship to act as a guard. This is simply not comparable to the huge convoy of convoys in the North Atlantic. The reason why the Japanese army lightly organized convoys to escort convoys was quite similar to the British idea in the second half of the 16th century and the 30s of the twentieth century. Even after the early battle with the United States, because the time was still short, the American submarine did not hurt the Japanese convoy. At the beginning of the war with China, the Japanese military did not pay much attention to this.

Very important highlight. First. The Allies underestimated the potential threat of the Chinese submarine force to the Japanese army. Second. The Japanese military regarded the escort system as a defensive means, while the Japanese navy and army blindly advocated offensive and did not attach much importance to defensive actions.

Contrary to the Japanese army. China believes that the organization of escort convoys can provide the best fighters for the destruction of enemy submarines, and this is a form of combat in which defense and offense complement each other. Since the Japanese considered the escort mission to be defensive, it was difficult for such an escort operation to be supported by the Combined Fleet Command.

The Combined Fleet did not agree to send fleet destroyers to carry out the escort mission temporarily. From the point of view of the Combined Fleet, even if the escort mission is temporary, it runs counter to the basic mission of the naval vessels. Therefore, it is difficult to strengthen and replenish escort ships.

Although the Japanese army had established an escort organization, the Supreme High Command was still obsessed with maintaining as much flexibility as possible in the transportation of individual ships, and not setting up a strong guard ship curtain around the large convoys. This attempt to do both things backfired, and was ineffective in protecting transport ships and destroying submarines, which could easily avoid a single escort ship.

If the Japanese army has an escort convoy consisting of 5-6 alert ships and 30-50 transport vessels, then the safety of the convoy can be more effectively guaranteed without reducing the transport capacity and without increasing the number of escort ships. In addition, a powerful escort ship group consisting of several warships will certainly pose a much greater threat to incoming submarines than a single escort ship.

In February of the 16th year of Zhongxing, with the help of the United States, the Japanese army finally set up a maritime escort headquarters and took escort measures on a large scale. However, by this time, China's submarine forces had begun to use wolf pack tactics to confront it. Despite the many weaknesses of the Allied convoys, the ships incorporated into the convoy lost more than 60 percent less than those sailing alone.

Moreover, more Chinese submarines were sunk by the escort ships of the Allied escort convoys than by patrol ships, aircraft, mines, and other weapons. It can be seen from this that if the Japanese army had taken escort measures earlier and more forcefully, it would have greatly weakened the combat capability of the Chinese submarines.

Since then, most of the Japanese ships at sea have been able to receive some form of escort. In view of the small size of the Japanese escort convoy, no more than three submarines of the "wolf pack" class were used to carry out the assault of the Chinese submarines, so as to maintain close coordination during the battle.

Initially, this wolf pack tactic was implemented by 2 submarines occupying attack positions on both sides of the convoy, and the 3rd submarine was behind the enemy, ready to attack the wounded ships, but it was very difficult to accurately occupy such an attack position against the convoys that came and went.

Thus, the fatwa on combat activities stipulates that submarines can adapt to their needs in order to occupy a suitable position. Chinese submarine commanders are experts in underwater warfare, attacking day and night, and from various angles at different depths, including difficult angles directly in front of and behind the target. Therefore. The record of submarines expanded rapidly.

Not only Japan, but also the United States suffered huge losses under the attack of Chinese submarines. The number of Allied transport vessels, especially life-and-death oil tankers, was dramatically increased, and the effectiveness of the Allied war machine rapidly declined.

People will not forget that during World War II, on the eve of the Battle of the Philippine Sea, the Japanese army had to use Tawi Tawi Island as a base of operations due to insufficient local oil reserves. After the end of the naval battle. Ozawa led his remaining ships back to the Japanese mainland. After repairing and replenishing the ammunition, it was in trouble due to a severe shortage of fuel on the mainland. Kurita led most of the surface ships to the south. Refers to the Linga region. In this way, the Japanese fleet had to be stationed in two places. Although there was plenty of fuel in the south, there was no equipment and ammunition to repair it. Such. When the U.S. military carried out the Battle of Leyte Gulf in order to attack the Philippines. The Imperial Japanese Fleet in this last fleet-sized Armageddon. But it was divided into two vast seas, and was struck by each one. If Japan used its aircraft carrier force not just as a decoy, but as a powerful combat force. Perhaps a great success, however, the Japanese aircraft carriers were unable to attack, mainly because of the lack of aviation fuel, coupled with the loss of a large number of pilots since the Battle of Midway, which had not been replenished by well-trained pilots. In this way, later generations of American submarines could calmly track and attack Allied ships carrying oil from the East Indies to the mainland.

By July of the 16th year of Zhongxing, the sea communication line from the Japanese army to the Nanyang resource area had basically been cut off, and only the supplies could still be imported from the United States mainland by sea from Japan. Since all entrances to the Sea of Japan have been mined, Chinese submarines are generally not allowed to enter this sea area. Until a way was found to avoid the mines laid at the entrance to the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Japan became, as the submariners put it, "Emperor Hirohito's Imperial Pond." Therefore, the task of blockading the Japanese mainland is also difficult to accomplish.

However, it didn't take long for Japan to be happy, and a new electroacoustic device, the microsonar, was finally developed. This device allows the submarine to detect objects in the water around it and to display mines in the same way that a ship is displayed. Although there are still various deficiencies in this mine detection material, it was finally used by Chinese submarines in actual combat after a period of time. It proved to be a key piece of equipment for opening up access to the Allied Seas.

With this mine-detection device, the minefield threat in the Sea of Japan no longer exists, and many Chinese submarines entered the Sea of Japan to carry out the final destruction of American supplies to Japan.

Cutting off supplies is the main task of submarines, but as a weapon of war, submarines are worth more than that.

In July of the 16th year of Zhongxing, two generals, Di Wolf and Liu Lingfei, worked closely together to carry out the landing operation on the Gilbert Islands. They judged that the Allied surface ship units participating in the anti-landing operation, in order to avoid the inspection of the shore-based aircraft of the Chinese army on Guadalcanal, were likely to carry out a counterattack from the north, that is, from the Truk base, refuel in the Marshall Islands, and then go south to counterattack.

To this end, three submarines were deployed in the waters near Truk, another three submarines were sent to patrol the Marshall Islands, and two submarines were deployed between Truk and Marshall. In addition, a submarine is located 300 nautical miles west of Tarawa to transmit daily weather forecasts.

Since the Allied surface ship forces did not make a sortie in the direction of the Gilbert Islands, the Chinese submarine forces were almost useless, and only attacked Japanese convoys or merchant ships that did not escort them passing through the nearby seas.

Before midnight on June 3, the sea was scorching, and the radar of the Zhou-18 submarine spotted several large vessels. Braving strong winds and poor visibility, the captain quickly took up the firing position and fired 4 torpedoes, one of which hit an aircraft carrier. The ship was wounded and moved forward slowly in the rough sea.

Although Zhou-18 had to dive under the attack of depth charges, it later captured the target and tracked it all night.

At dawn, the captain fired three more torpedoes, one of which hit, and finally caused the air carrier to lose its ability to maneuver and stop at sea.

At 9:40 a.m., Zhou-18 fired another torpedo salvo from the stern launch tube, hitting the target for the third time, and eight minutes later, the aircraft carrier sank into the sea.

The sunken Japanese ship was the escort aircraft carrier "Okikashi", and a large amount of military supplies were still being escorted on this warship.

July. In conjunction with the Marshall Islands landing operation, 14 submarines were sent to conduct photographic reconnaissance and 13 submarines were deployed in the waters near Truk. Among them, with the cooperation of 12 submarines, four destroyer fleets of the Allied Japan-US Combined Fleet were annihilated in one fell swoop. Based on the experience of using submarines in previous operations, all the submarines that could be dispatched were used in this operation.

In August, the Chinese army decided to carry out three large-scale air raids on Truk and Majuro with the mythical class aircraft carrier. According to Di Wolf's judgment, the Allies will not only dispatch surface ships, but also use shore-based aircraft to counter. At the same time, Allied surface ships and merchant ships may be evacuated from the area.

Therefore, the deployment of submarines should also be adjusted accordingly. He wanted the submarines to be deployed in areas where they could intercept fleeing enemy ships.

In the waters of Truk. China's submarine forces. A total of 24 Zhou-class submarines, led by two Typhoon-class attack nuclear submarines, carried out a dragnet defense and containment of this sea area.

In the early morning of August 3, the air attack fleet of the Chinese aircraft carrier launched an attack on time. Take advantage of the Black Hawk's long-range combat radius and high-intensity air supremacy firepower. The Allied fleet inside began to flee. And fleeing the Allied fleet. It also happened to be within the encirclement of the submarine.

As a result, under the columns of rushing water, including the Japanese super battleship Musashi and the American super battleship USS Washington (the second North Carolina-class super useless battleship) were sunk one after another. Three light cruisers and two heavy cruisers, as well as five destroyers, were also attached. The merchant ships and supply ships, although not targeted, became prisoners of the fast-approaching detachment of Chinese cruisers.

After the Allied navies around the Marshall Islands were driven away, the landing operations began in good order. Truk now belongs to China's quasi-rear, and in terms of tactics, China has always been very advanced. The island-crossing tactic has been used every day in the history of operations in the Pacific theater.

The Marshall Islands is the last large group of islands between the Southwest Pacific Ocean and Hawaii, and it is a quick and easy way to get to Hawaii. Like the Solomon Islands, the Marshall Islands have become an important target for China.

Majuro Island, the southernmost tip of the Marshall Islands, has become a key target for China to seize because of the multiple Allied airfields on it, which pose a great threat to the fleet.

The official offensive began in September, and before the attack on the Majuro Islands, the submarine forces were already one step ahead.

In addition to sending 14 submarines to monitor important straits, Diwolf also dispatched 39 submarines to set up two patrol lines between the Marshall Islands and the Majuro Islands. As a result, the 39 submarines were organized into 13 "wolf pack tactical groups," with each tactical group placing two submarines in the first patrol line and the remaining one in the second patrol line.

During this period, with little surface warfare to cooperate, the Chinese submarine attack on the large ships of the Allied forces was also very effective. Because the Allies seemed to have sensed that China was about to start attacking the Marshall Islands, they sent a combined Japanese-American fleet to resupply the defending troops on the island.

On 21 August, before the battle began, the Zhou-14 submarine spotted the battleship "King Kong" in the sea area about 40 nautical miles north of Majuro. When the radar initially searched for the target, it was so far away that the official mistook it for land. When it was discovered again, the target shown by the radar was gradually approaching, and only then was it reported to the captain.

Just after midnight and the sky was cloudy but visibility was good. The captain judged that this Allied formation consisted of about 2 battleships, 2 cruisers, and several destroyers, and that it was probably bound for Majuro. So, the captain decided to track the target with radar and approach the enemy from the water.

When the Chinese submarine tried to occupy a favorable torpedo firing position to visually observe the target, it saw undulating waves and splashing waves on the sea. At 2:56, at a distance of 2,700 meters, Zhou-14 used the bow torpedo tubes to fire six torpedoes at the leading battleship in the Japanese formation, and then turned with the right full rudder.

At 2:59, three more torpedoes were fired from the stern torpedo tubes at the second battleship, and then evacuated at full speed.

When the captain observed the situation of the Allies, he was very disappointed to find that the formation was still advancing at a speed of 18 knots.

The choppies were rough, the sea crashed into the bridge, and even flowed into the cabin through the elevator of the control tower, but the Zhou-14 ignored these and followed the target closely.

At 4:50 a.m., the leading battleship, which had been hit by the first torpedo, began to slow down and gradually fell behind, so it was escorted by two destroyers and sailed at a speed of 12 knots. Shortly thereafter, the battleship (the battleship "King Kong") stopped at sea and did not move.

When the Zhou-14 reoccupied the launch position, it saw a dazzling flash, which was the explosion of the ammunition compartment of the "King Kong", and the fire illuminated the entire sea area, and the "King Kong" began to sink.

As a result, Zhou-14 immediately pursued other targets, but failed to catch up due to the high wind and waves. It was not until after the war that the crews learned that one of the three torpedoes fired by the Zhou-14 for the second time deviated from the battleship to be attacked and sank one destroyer.

About a week later, on August 28, the success was diluted by the Typhoon's victory in sinking the aircraft carrier Shinano.

"Shinano" was the largest aircraft carrier of the Allied Powers, with a displacement of 68000 tons. Originally, the Shinano was damaged during the last sneak attack on the aircraft carrier formation of the attack fleet, but now the Shinano has been repaired and has once again joined the Japanese-American combined fleet.

The Typhoon first spotted the Shinano 150 nautical miles east of Majuro. At that time, the ship was heading from Midway to the Marshall Islands. On the evening of the 27th, the Chinese submarine spotted the aircraft carrier and four alert ships from the radar and immediately followed them.

If this group of ships does not carry out a large-angle anti-submarine zigzag movement, the Typhoon will definitely lose its target. At 3 a.m. on the 28th, the Japanese aircraft carrier changed its base course, so that the Chinese submarine was in front of the Japanese aircraft carrier.

At 3:30 a.m., the Japanese aircraft carrier carried out an anti-submarine zigzag movement, but the submarine Typhoon occupied a favorable position. At 4 o'clock, the Typhoon, the lead ship of the Typhoon-class attack nuclear submarine, launched six wire-guided torpedoes from a distance of less than 1,300 meters and 70 degrees from the starboard side. All 6 seemed to hit, and due to the close distance, under the control of the operator, all hits. The huge lethality of the oxygen torpedo soon sent this supercarrier of nearly 70,000 tons into the icy sea.

In this way, the largest aircraft carrier in the Allied Japan-US combined fleet was sunk by a Chinese submarine, which was a powerful impetus to push the submarine warfare against the Allied combat ships to a climax.

At this point, the combined fleet of Japan and the United States felt the pressure doubly. Before meeting with the Chinese capital ship group, in just a few months, this side lost five super battleships and one super aircraft carrier, as well as several small aircraft carriers.

The navy in the late stage of World War II, especially the navy with aircraft carriers, was a precious strategic arm. The naval Armageddon seems to have suddenly become history. At least the top commanders of both sides, there is no idea of the so-called Armageddon at sea.

This is because the greatest benefit of a strategic arm is to serve a greater strategic goal. Therefore, the two sides are just between the archipelagos, carrying out small fleets back and forth, using submarines to kill each other. The capital ship group was not put into the front line of the warring seas. For fear that the distance is too close, the other party will catch the fatal point.

It's an uphill game, and both sides have big scruples. Unless scruples are dispelled or forced to be dispelled, it is difficult to have a real naval Armageddon.

Now, for example, the two sides are fighting over those strategically valuable islands. This is the game, when the navy is inferior to the era of aircraft carriers, the tactical tactics have completely detached from the main force of the battleship era. When the two sides dare not make a move, the island is a bargaining chip, because the island can provide a shore-based air force airfield.

Whoever gets more islands will have more room for survival and will have more initiative. Conversely, the more land-based airfields are lost, the more passive they become, and the smaller the scope of maneuvering. That is why there is no large-scale fighting between the two sides at the moment. (To be continued......)