Quote:
Originally Posted by Kptlt. Hellmut Neuerburg
How much that would of effected the war I can't say since where major shipyards on the West Coast and ship production would probably outweigh any damage done to the Panama Canal itself.
|
By the time the aircraft and these submarines were ready, the fortunes of war had turned so badly against the Japanese that attacks on either the Panama Canal or the U.S. West Coast were ruled out as useless gestures. With 80% of the US fleet already operating in the Pacific after Germany's surrender, striking the canal was seen as pointless. The mother submarines with their aircraft were deployed instead against Ulithi Atoll, the principal American carrier base in the western Pacific. However, the surrender order was received just before the attacks were launched, and the submarines were surrendered to the Americans while en route back to Japan.