The Rise of the Wolfpacks

In the spring of 1944, American submarine commanders were perfecting a devastating naval strategy that would cripple Japan’s maritime supply lines. The concept of “wolfpack” tactics, adapted from German U-boat operations in the Atlantic, was being deployed with increasing effectiveness across the Pacific theater. Under the leadership of visionaries like Admiral Charles Lockwood, the U.S. Navy’s submarine force transformed from a scattered collection of individual hunters into a coordinated killing machine.

The strategic importance of submarine warfare had become undeniable. As American forces prepared for Operation Forager – the campaign to capture the Mariana Islands – submarines played a dual role: strangling Japanese logistics while gathering crucial intelligence. The waters around the Marianas, particularly what American submariners grimly nicknamed the “Convoy College” area north of the South China Sea, became hunting grounds where nearly every Japanese merchant vessel risked destruction.

Anatomy of a Wolfpack Attack

The coordinated attack by USS Bang, USS Parche, and USS Tinosa on May 4, 1944, exemplified the wolfpack’s deadly efficiency. Operating under Commander George Peterson’s direction, the three submarines formed a 10-mile-wide picket line across known Japanese shipping lanes. When Tinosa made first contact on May 3, the other boats converged with military precision.

Their nighttime assault demonstrated textbook submarine tactics: Bang executed a wide turn to gain optimal firing position, while the other boats maintained covering positions. The results were devastating – three torpedoes from Bang struck home, sinking the 5,947-ton Kinrei and an escort vessel. By dawn, the wolfpack had claimed five Japanese merchant ships totaling 30,000 tons, though postwar verification by the Joint Army-Navy Assessment Committee (JANAC) would adjust these figures downward.

The Convoy College Campaign

American submariners gave the grim nickname “Convoy College” to the northern South China Sea, where Japanese shipping routes converged. This area, memorializing a wolfpack training school run by John Brown, became a submarine killing field. As Commander Dick Voge noted, the seafloor there likely became “a graveyard of decaying Japanese hulls.”

Newer boats like Bang quickly proved their worth, sinking seven ships in April alone while damaging several others. The coordinated attacks disrupted Japan’s ability to reinforce garrisons across the Pacific, particularly during critical amphibious operations like the Marianas campaign. Submarine commanders developed an intimate knowledge of Japanese convoy routes, escort patterns, and evasion tactics – intelligence that proved invaluable during the Philippines invasion planning.

Technological Edge and Tactical Innovation

American submarines in 1944 combined several key advantages: improved torpedoes (finally rectifying early-war defects), advanced radar systems, and refined attack procedures. The introduction of SJ radar allowed night surface attacks, while torpedo data computers (when functioning properly) increased firing accuracy.

The story of USS Cavalla’s attack on the carrier Shokaku on June 19 highlights both technological sophistication and human bravery. Despite mechanical issues with his torpedo computer, Commander Herman Kossler made split-second decisions that led to three torpedo hits on the Pearl Harbor veteran. Similarly, USS Albacore’s single torpedo hit on the new carrier Taiho demonstrated how even imperfect attacks could yield disproportionate results when targeting vulnerable fuel systems.

The Human Cost of Undersea Warfare

For all their successes, American submariners paid a steep price. June 1944 saw the loss of USS Golet and USS Herring, with the latter apparently sunk in a surface gun duel near the Kuril Islands. The disappearance of veteran boats like USS Bonefish (which had sunk 12 ships) reminded crews of their perilous profession.

Perhaps most poignant was the loss of USS S-28 during training exercises off Hawaii in July. The boat’s mysterious disappearance in 1,400 fathoms, with no distress signals or wreckage found, exemplified the silent nature of submarine casualties. These losses, though painful, represented a fraction of the devastation American submarines inflicted on Japanese shipping.

Strategic Impact on the Pacific War

The cumulative effect of American submarine operations in mid-1944 was staggering. JANAC records credit U.S. submarines with sinking 42 merchant ships (176,550 tons) and 11 warships (76,570 tons) in June alone. This included two fleet carriers (Shokaku and Taiho), five destroyers, and numerous vital oil tankers.

The submarine campaign achieved what aerial bombing could not – the systematic destruction of Japan’s merchant marine. By July 1944, American wolfpacks had turned the “Convoy College” into a maritime no-man’s-land, severing supply lines to critical garrisons. The success of operations like “Blair’s Blasters” (which reportedly drowned 6,000 Japanese troops bound for Saipan) demonstrated submarines’ ability to influence major campaigns before amphibious landings even began.

Unsung Heroes and Legendary Commanders

The submarine war produced its share of legendary figures. Commander Dudley “Mush” Morton’s USS Wahoo had set early standards, but by 1944, new aces were emerging. Richard O’Kane’s USS Tang achieved perhaps the most impressive patrol of the war, sinking 10 ships (39,160 tons) in just 13 days using only 24 torpedoes – an unprecedented efficiency ratio.

Equally remarkable was USS Flasher’s Reuben Whitaker, who sank the light cruiser Oi in a meticulously executed attack. Meanwhile, USS Parche’s Lawson Ramage earned the Medal of Honor for a daring surface attack where he sank four ships while weaving through an entire convoy at night.

The Intelligence War Beneath the Waves

American submarines served as vital intelligence gatherers. USS Redfin’s sighting of Japanese carrier forces near Tawi-Tawi on June 13 provided critical warning before the Battle of the Philippine Sea. Similarly, coast watchers supplied by submarine-delivered radios (like those near San Bernardino Strait) created an early warning network against Japanese fleet movements.

The submarine service also conducted daring special operations, delivering over 100 radios and hundreds of tons of supplies to Philippine guerrillas. These missions, often led by figures like “Chick” Parsons (who had survived Japanese torture in Manila), created an underground network that would prove invaluable during MacArthur’s eventual return.

Legacy of the 1944 Submarine Campaign

By July 1944, American submarines had achieved what prewar planners could only dream of – near-total dominance of Pacific sea lanes. The establishment of forward bases like Tanapag Harbor (with USS Holland as tender) extended submarines’ operational reach, while wolfpack tactics kept Japanese escorts overwhelmed.

The psychological impact was equally significant. Japanese convoy routes became increasingly convoluted as skippers tried to avoid known submarine patrol areas. The loss of experienced merchant crews and specialized ships like oil tankers created bottlenecks that hampered Japan’s entire war economy.

Perhaps most importantly, the submarine campaign of 1944 set conditions for the final year of war. By systematically destroying Japan’s merchant fleet and isolating its island garrisons, American submariners made the eventual invasion of the home islands unnecessary. Their silent service, conducted far from public view, arguably did more to win the Pacific War than any other naval arm – a testament to both technological ingenuity and the courage of those who served beneath the waves.