CHALLENGE FROM BELOW

[Music] for 6 weeks War has been waged on a global scale but it is not the nuclear war many free world Nations [Music] expected only conventional explosives have been used [Music] the easy stages by which war became a reality never offered an opportunity to use nuclear weapons without running the risk of being blamed for initiating mass destruction of Civilian populations thus for the present our extensive nuclear reprisal forces have been effectively neutralized by the Communists apparently this is not the war for world domination communist objectives in this war are Continental in scope in Asia the Communists intend to push South and West seizing territory by ground and air action in order to deny the Allies strategic materials and bases in Europe they intend to complete their domination of the continent by seizing all remaining free Nations and the Mediterranean [Music] Sea their primary means of isolating the United States is by using their submarine Fleet in an effort to sever our lines of sea Communications resupplying our allies and our own troops depends upon sea Transportation no other means can move the huge amount of materials required how serious the submarine threat is can be shown by a few comparisons in World War II Hitler started with six submarines deployed and ready for action in the first 6 weeks with submarine operations restricted to Cargo vessels known to be carrying War supplies Hitler submarines sank 300,000 gross tons of shipping as the war progressed and restrictions were lifted Nazi submarines almost succeeded in cutting the Atlantic lifelines [Music] success would have meant a Nazi Victory today only the enemy knows how many submarines he had deployed on the eve of this [Music] war our estimates run as high as 200 and the enemy has waged unrestricted submarine warfare from the [Music] [Music] beginning our shipping losses in the first 6 weeks for both the Atlantic and the Pacific approach 1,000 ships sunk or unreported and presumed sunk gross tonnage exceeds 5 million in the second 6 weeks the weekly rate of sinkings is decreasing the number of enemy submarines destroyed is steadily increasing [Music] every aircraft ship and submarine in our Fleet in its own particular way is engaged in hunting down and destroying enemy [Music] submarines fast carrier striking forces launch powerful attacks against enemy submarine bases repair facilities and building yards escorts as available protect merchant ship convoys hunter killer groups search out wolf packs our submarines deployed in barriers intercept and Destroy enemy sub submarines can we defeat the submarine Menace soon enough to prevent our allies from being overrun firsthand testimony on the effectiveness of our anti-submarine Warfare methods is now available this submarine Commander is one of the few survivors of a sunken enemy submarine his testimony when added to our own information is of Great Value to us at this time [Music] soon after the war started this officer proposed a toast to Victory with three fellow submarine commanders all four were leaving on assigned missions the following morning a few hundred miles west of the uian islands was their home Port an excellent submarine base three Subs were snorkel types the other was nuclear powered approximately 3 hours before their scheduled departure three United State submarines arrived off the harbor entrance a fourth us submarine nuclear powered and equipped to launch guided missiles with atomic Warheads was on station to seaward ready to fire missiles if nuclear war became a reality the mission of the three us Subs was to mine the entrance of the harbor and then establish an anti-submarine barrier Patrol the mines were set to arm themselves after the submarines were a safe distance away at dawn one enemy submarine with surface escort steamed through the harbor entrance traveling at high speed it was still an hour before the mines would arm when clear of the harbor the sub turned South heading toward one of our barrier Subs [Music] counterattacking escorts forced our submarines to take evasive [Music] action the other three enemy Subs sorted unopposed days later and 2,000 Mi South one of these Subs joined an estimate 25 operating west of Hawaii Convoy bhq3 was transiting the area at this time the ships carried supplies vital for the continuation of ground and air operations from our Asiatic bases the scen consisted of two destroyers and two Destroyer escorts all that we could provide long range Patrol planes covered the area ahead of the Convoy suddenly the Convoy ran into [Music] trouble no screening ship had had a sonar contact the pattern of this attack has occurred again and again one escort was sent back to locate or drive off the enemy submarine [Music] simultaneously a patrol plane ahead of the Convoy picked up a momentary contact the pilot investigated and dropped a son boy pattern [Music] the boys heard the sub and transmitted the signals to the plane the pilot confirmed the contact with his magnetic detection equipment and dropped a homing [Music] weapon an explosion indicated a Kill our harbers are also Prime targets for enemy submarines the mission of the third enemy submarine was mining Harbor entrances along the Pacific coast if the sub could approach undetected within 2 or 3 miles it could launch self-propelled mines to form an unseen barrier across the harbor entrance while the sub withdrew from the area the mines would arm themselves if the mine field were undetected ship's leaving or entering Port might be sunk [Music] sweeping the mines from the channel and clearing the entrance of sunken ships would tie up the harbor for days or weeks less than 2 days off the West Coast the third enemy sub was approaching a strategic California port between the sub and its objective was a US aircraft submarine barrier a new and effective combination of anti-submarine forces the enemy sub traveling on snorkel detected the barrier aircraft it secured snorkeling and shifted to battery propulsion once past the aircraft barrier the submarine Commander decided to snortle and charge his batteries in preparation for the final submerged approach to the harbor snorkling was his greatest [Music] mistake unknown to him us submarines were working with the aircraft a US submarine miles away running quietly on batteries heard and tracked him our submarine took position to intercept the enemy and fired a homing torpedo [Music] until the next enemy submarine comes along the harbor is safe the fourth enemy submarine was on course to the Panama Canal when it entered an area in which a US hun water killer group was operating here in one task group was the most powerful and flexible type anti-submarine force in the world built around the carrier which is screened by various Destroyer types the hunter killer group combines the best features of aircraft and surface [Music] forces fixed wi aircraft launched from the carrier continuously search for enemy submarines they extend the detection range of the group Far Beyond the Horizon at almost the same moment an enemy sub and one of the search planes detected each other the aircraft pilot immediately made a contact [Music] report he dropped a son of boy pattern his magnetic detection equipment picked up one indication but contact could not be regained a homing torpedo was dropped results were considered negative helicopters launched from the carrier upon receipt of the contact report arrived in the area hovering a few feet above the ocean they lowered their sonar domes following a prescribed pattern they searched the contact area meanwhile ships designated as the search attack unit proceeded to the area at the fifth dip station one of the helicopters got a contact since surface units were close at hand the helicopters were directed not to launch their homing weapons when the surface units established sonar contact the helicopters withdrew to take station on the perimeter of the [Music] area the ship that first gained contact made the [Music] attack sonar operators heard the submarine breaking up overseas projection of US military power depends first upon our ability to counter the submarine [Music] Menace we must keep the sea lanes open to provide the mass overseas Mobility required to defeat the enemy only flexible and mobile Naval power on the surface in in the air and under the surface can ensure control of the Seas [Music] the