CMK F72177 USS Gato class crew 3fig+ponton

At the outbreak of World War II, the American Navy had about 75 submarines that operated both in the Atlantic and the Pacific. However, in the course of this conflict, the number of submarines in the US Navy significantly increased - the Gato-type units alone were launched 77! American submarines in the years 1941-1945 were characterized by a fairly conservative design, but had a long swimming range and decent underwater and surface speed. The problem was the relatively small maximum draft. It is also worth noting that the US Navy used its submarines in the Pacific primarily to combat the enemy's merchant shipping and sea transport, which brought fantastic results and caused the Japanese commercial thaw a huge loss. It is estimated that about 55-60% of the losses of the Japanese merchant navy resulted from the actions of American submarine weapons! It should also not be forgotten that it was American submarines that sank many Japanese surface ships - including aircraft carriers, to mention the fate of Taiho and Shinano. During the entire Second World War in the Pacific, the US Navy lost 42 submarines on patrol. It is worth noting that the crews of the Gato-class units usually consisted of 6 officers and 54 sailors.