Allied submarines in the Pacific War

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Allied submarines were used extensively during the Pacific War and were a key contributor to the defeat of the Empire of Japan. A total of 283 allied submarines were active in the Pacific and Southeast Asia between 1941 and 1945, of which 61 were sunk. During the war, submarines of the United States Navy were responsible for 56% of Japan's merchant marine losses; other Allied navies added to the toll. The war against shipping was the single most decisive factor in the collapse of the Japanese economy. Allied submarines also sank a large number of Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) troop transports, killing many thousands of Japanese soldiers and hampering the deployment of IJA reinforcements during the battles on the Pacific islands. They also conducted reconnaissance patrols, landed special forces and guerrilla troops and performed search and rescue tasks. The majority of the submarines involved were from the U.S. Navy, with the British Royal Navy committing the second largest number of boats...

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