BBfanboy -> RE: OT: Inedited picture of Japan Navy Power at Sea (8/29/2017 3:40:07 PM)
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ORIGINAL: Buckrock As far as I know, Tawi Tawi Bay was only used as a forward anchorage for major IJN fleet units in May-Jun '44. Once the US was aware of that fleet movement, USN submarines became almost a daily presence, patrolling just outside the anchorage, intercepting transiting IJN vessels as well as observing numbers and types of IJN warships present in the anchorage. At no point though do any of the USN subs appear to have attempted entry through the reef passages into the anchorage itself. Other than the reefs themselves, obstacles to entry included constant (day and night) enemy float plane patrols, heavy barrier patrols by small surface escorts of the passages, fast currents around the entrances, "glass-like" water surfaces (making periscope use risky) and finally a maximum water depth within the 5 mile wide anchorage of only 120 feet. As for the Kumano, according to CombinedFleet.com, she was torpedoed by US submarines at sea (accompanying a convoy) and only then made for the anchorage at Santa Cruz where she was later sunk by USN aircraft. I am sure I read about a sub making a couple of tries while she was anchored, but might not have got the hit. I'll try and find the reference. Edit: Could not find the reference, but the Combined Fleet article ( http://www.combinedfleet.com/atully04.htm ) says the subs attacking the TA convoy had three attacks in which torpedoes hit reefs or shore before Kumano took two hits. This makes me think whoever wrote the account I read may have thought the ship was already anchored when those attacks were made or that the sub attacking Kumano at her final resting place did not achieve any hits and was overlooked in the Combined Fleet account of her many lives.
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