Author(s): Mark Lardas; Edouard A. Groult (Illustrator)

History

Before 1939, the world's navies envisioned the submarine as a tool to hunt and ill cruisers and capital ships (aircraft carriers and battleships). Instead, submarines became best known for their abilities as commerce raiders. Yet hunting capital ships remained an important auxiliary role for the US submarine force in World War II. Featuring specially commissioned artwork and maps alongside carefully chosen archive illustrations, this absorbing study focuses on five battles between US submarines and Japanese aircraft carriers during 1942-44. Mark Lardas explains how the technologies and procedures employed by both sides helped to determine the victor in these clashes, from the battle of Midway in June 1942 to the sinking of Shinano, the largest warship sunk by a submarine, in November 1944.