[Torplexed]

I've always wondered about the rationale behind these marvelous but ponderous subs. The plan in 1945 was to sail them westward through the Indian Ocean, around the southern tip of Africa, into the Atlantic, then Caribbean and attack the Panama Canal’s Gatun Locks from the east, because it was felt an attack wouldn't be expected from that direction. However, by sailing that route the Japanese proved that a damaged Panama Canal was no hindrance to Allied ship moves to the Pacific other than in time. Plus, by 1945 the vast majority of the US fleet was already in the Pacific so the Canal wasn't that critical anymore. Perhaps if they had available in 1941 they could have made life miserable for the US. But hard targets like canals aren't an easy thing to knock out.