US Submarines 1941–45

Jim Christley

Feb 2012 · New Vanguard Book 118 · Bloomsbury Publishing

About this ebook

Naval warfare in the Pacific changed completely with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. The strategic emphasis shifted from battleships to much more lethal, far-ranging weapons systems; one of these was the submarine. This book details the design and development, classes, weapons and equipment, tactics and operational history of the US submarine in World War II. Detailed tables, photographs, and superb color plates depict the force that had an effect far beyond its size – the submarine accounted for 55% of all Japanese shipping losses, despite suffering the highest percentage loss of any unit of the United State Armed Forces in World War II.

About the author

Jim Christley retired from the US Navy in 1982 as a senior chief petty officer, having served on seven submarines ranging from diesel to nuclear fast attacks to ballistic missile boats. A student of US submarine technical history, he has written numerous articles and a book on the subject, in addition to providing technical illustrations to several notable books on submarine design and history. He is based in Connecticut, USA.

Tony Bryan is a freelance illustrator of many years experience. He initially qualified in Engineering and worked for a number of years in Military Research and Development, and has a keen interest in military hardware – armour, small arms, aircraft and ships. Tony has produced many illustrations for partworks, magazines and books, including a number of titles in the New Vanguard series. He is based in Dorset, UK.