Submarines in Wwii
The submarine is known as an important invention that proved successful in the World War Two era. Eighty-five of Mussolini’s and a breath-taking seven hundred eighty-two of Hitler’s submarines were sunk during the war, in addition to an unknown amount of Japanese submarines (Rush 35). A 1943 German prototype of this submerged killing machine was capable of carrying fourteen torpedoes or up to sixty mines, showing how submarines were superior to their time period. For example, the USS Perch is renowned for her famous journey in the Arctic Circle, withstanding ice floes and below-freezing temperatures (Rush 69). However, certain drawbacks were also in place in different areas around the world. The Dutch and British attempted to send U-Boats to the Far East in aid of the U.S., but their European-crafted boats were too unstable for the waters of the Pacific (Morison 481). The submarine was also used in reconnaissance and transportation missions. Japanese admirals found the strategy of transporting supplies using submarines quite useful in the Pacific War, and Imperial Navy Admirals set up a major supply transportation system in 1943. The revolutionary technological development of the submarine in World War II impacted the way of war for many countries by creating an efficient weapon that could complete many objectives such as transportation, combat, and reconnaissance. The strategic development of the submarine is the most important aspect of the weapon itself. The world’s major navies relied on its strength, speed, and stealth to attack and defend other military units. Germany had over 1600 submarines constructed at one point in the war, making an all-time record. Hitler’s Kreigsmarine forces overdid all other European forces just by sheer numbers. For example, France had only 77 subs to begin with, which included “38 large (1300 to 1500 ton) ocean boats, 32 medium (600 ton) boats; six minelayers (750 ton), and the monstrous (3000 ton) white elephant Surcouf” (Blair