BLUF
The Shinano, a Japanese carrier built to replace the carriers Japan lost at the Battle of Midway, was sunk by the US submarine Archerfish during the Japanese carrier's sea trials in November 1944.Summary
KEY POINTS.
- Due to the secretive construction of the Shinano, US naval intelligence initially misidentified it.
- It was designed as a support ship for the broader carrier fleet, housing 47 self-defence fighters.
- Captain Toshio Abe of the Shinano went down with his ship.
- Archerfish, some found in Northern Australia, prey on land-based insects by ejecting water droplets from their mouths.
- Four out of the six torpedoes from Archerfish hit their target.
