Delta Tank wrote: ↑31 Jul 2021 02:17
You forgot the 29 submarines that were in the Asiatic Fleet on 8 December 1941. There were enough submarines there to inflict serious damage to the Japanese invasion force. Did any US submarines attempt any attacks on the Japanese invasion force? Number of torpedoes fired?
The torpedo reserve was destroyed 10 December in the bombing of Cavite naval base. That left the submarines with only the torpedos aboard, & a unknown number were docked for maintenance & had none aboard.
The US Army was not responsible to feed the personnel in the Asiatic Fleet. The US Navy had its own supply system that does not involve the US Army. Do you have information that states that the Asiatic Fleet was dependent on the US Army for food?
Mike
After the Cavite base was burned out by the 10 December air attack, then yes, then the Navy had negligible stores ashore.
However: 8th December Adm Hart received a message from CNO Stark to execute War Plan RAINBOW 5. This included the immediate relocation of the Asiatic fleet from the Philippines. <
https://dc.etsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi ... ontext=etd> Most surface ships were gone within the week. The last, a damaged destroyer departed 26th December. Hart ordered all submarines unready for combat to relocate as well. The remainder, all older S class, continued with war patrols. As anticipated the shallow waters around PI were not a hiding place for the submarines & they were driven away to deep water by Japanese aircraft. A few sighted Japanese ships, but I don't have any details on attacks made. At least two sighted one of the invasion convoys, but were unable to execute effective attacks. Enemy air cover was cited as interfering.
By the 22 December Manilia Bay had become difficult for the submarines to use, denying them the surviving stores at Cavite. On Christmas day MacArthur declared Manilia a open city, which forced the Navy to cease operations there. The remaining submarines were ordered south to the Dutch East Indies sixteen days after hostilities started.