[TorpX]

Originally Posted by Admiral Halsey

I had no clue that they told them to attack via sound only. They really didn't think they would get a ton of hits right?

You have to remember that thinking and doctrine was very different in the pre-war period.

Before the outbreak of war, it was thought that our subs would be either patrolling coastal waters to repel enemy fleets or acting in concert with our own, scouting, and trying to whittle down their cruisers and battleships before a major engagement. Attacking unarmed merchant ships was against the Laws of War, after all.

Along with this, choreographed naval exercises showed aircraft could, and did, spot submarines attempting to "attack" the naval vessels, and the sub commanders, who were spotted, were criticized and their careers jeopardized. You can imagine the effect this had on the way they trained, and the methods employed.

How far did this idea about attacking from deep submergence go? I'm not sure, but the TDC did have a mechanism called a "sound bearing converter" to assist in this method.

In any case, everything changed dramatically after Dec. 7th. The quaint strictures about not attacking merchant shipping were gone. "Unrestricted Warfare" was official policy now. Skippers coming back, even from their first war patrols, were now harshly criticized for not making attacks, or being too cautious. There was pressure on all concerned, to "get results". The Pacific Fleet was a shambles and someone had to fill the gap. In effect, the pre-war submarine attack doctrine evaporated overnight.