On November 29, 1944, USS Archerfish (SS-311), commanded by Commander Joseph Enright, achieved the most devastating submarine attack of World War 2 by sinking the Japanese aircraft carrier Shinano - the largest warship ever sunk by a submarine.
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https://www.youtube.com/@ClearPresentHistory/joinThe Shinano was Japan's secret super carrier, converted from a Yamato-class battleship hull, making it the largest aircraft carrier ever built at the time. Just 10 days after launching and on its maiden voyage, Captain Toshio Abe commanded the massive 71,000-ton carrier as it sailed from Yokosuka Naval Base toward Kure for final outfitting.
Commander Enright's Archerfish tracked the giant carrier through the night, firing six Mark 14 torpedoes in a perfect spread. Four torpedoes struck Shinano, and due to:
1. poor damage control
2. inexperienced crew
3. incomplete watertight compartments
The "unsinkable" carrier sank in less than 8 hours - taking over 1,400 sailors with it.
This naval battle represented a catastrophic loss for the Imperial Japanese Navy and demonstrated American submarine warfare superiority in the Pacific Theater. The sinking of Shinano remains the largest warship ever destroyed by a submarine in history.
---- Contents of this video
00:00 - Introduction: The Largest Warship Ever Sunk by a Submarine
00:40 - Japan's Last Hope: Building the Supercarrier Shinano
01:12 - Shinano's Specifications and Critical Flaws
01:55 - Race Against Time: The Commissioning and the Desperate Order
02:49 - Captain Abe's Warning: An Unfinished Ship
03:11 - The Hunter: USS Archerfish and Captain Joseph Enright
03:33 - The Shinano Sails: A Nighttime Run
04:46 - Contact: Archerfish Detects a Giant
05:33 - Identification: "It was a giant aircraft carrier"
06:23 - Shinano's Warning: Radar Detected
06:55 - The Decoy: Abe's Maneuver and Archerfish's Pursuit
07:38 - Enright's Bold Gamble: Staying the Course
08:16 - Fate Intervenes: Shinano's Engine Failure
08:49 - "A Mad Race": Archerfish Regains Contact
09:11 - Japanese Eavesdropping: The Illusion of a Wolfpack
10:05 - The Trap: Shinano Turns Back Towards Archerfish
10:11 - The Final Setup: Submerged and Ready to Attack
10:37 - Enright's Shallow Depth Tactic
11:27 - Abe's Mistake: Turning Broadside
11:41 - Dodging the Destroyer Screen
12:05 - Fire: Torpedoes Away
12:29 - Impact: Four Devastating Hits
13:10 - The Failure of the Armor: Shinano is Critically Wounded
14:02 - Chaos Below Deck and the Worsening List
14:43 - Outrunning the Sinking
15:50 - The Final Gamble: Flooding the Portside
16:07 - The Breaking Point: Final Moments of the Crew
16:47 - "You Are All Released from Duty": Captain Abe's Final Order
16:57 - The Sinking of the Supercarrier
17:23 - A Chilling Order: Rescue of the "Calm and Courageous"
17:50 - The Toll: Over Half the Crew Perishes
18:18 - Skepticism and the Confirmation of a Secret Ship
19:07 - A Record Set: The Largest Warship Ever Sunk by a Submarine
19:35 - The Legacy of a Rushed Design
20:11 - The Paradox of Shinano's Loss
20:41 - The Lessons Learned from Failure
Producer: Steve Kristoff - Dovos Media / Clear and Present History
Animator: Alex Animonpro - fiverr.com/animonpro
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