November 2009 MAINE COASTAL NEWS Page 9.
CONTAINING THE THREAT
By Capt. George W. Kittredge USN (Ret.) Kuriles in the north and going down through World War II. Go over to the other side. So develops, how do we contain the threat from
The United States Navy has never liked the Japanese islands of Hokkaido, Honshu aside from the inaccuracy of aerial mining, it Chinese nuclear submarines which would
midget submarines. Why? Midget and Kyushu. The chain continues down is possible that the Japanese would provide attack our carrier battle groups?
submarines have been a successful part of through Okinawa and Taiwan, finally a radar screen for the Chinese in case US One way left would be to use midget
submarine warfare ever since the Civil War. reaching the Philippines. Behind the island aircraft started to drop mines the gaps submarines to position mines in the gaps in
In 1864, the Confederate submarine Hunley chain lie the East China Sea and the South between Japanese islands? For that matter, the Chinese defensive island chain. The
was the first submarine ever to sink a warship China Sea. If recent events are any how do we know that Chinese submarines midget submarines which would lay the
in combat. It sank the USS Housatonic, a indication, the Chinese Government regards would use the gaps between Japanese mines could be taken to their launch points
Federal Cruiser. The Hunley was only 40 feet these two oceans as their oceans. During the islands to deploy their submarines? in much the same way as the Italians did off
long but it had some remarkable aspects not last year, the Chinese Navy has harassed US In the early morning of 10 November Alexandria, Egypt or as the British did off
seen in submarines again until World War II. government vessels trying to chart 2004, a Chinese Han class nuclear attack Kaafjord, Norway during World War II. The
The Hunley had a snorkel. The invention of international waters in the South China Sea. submarine made a submerged transit at Italians used the submarine Scire to carry the
the snorkel was wrongly accredited to the So what? Economists say that China needs about 300 feet deep through Ishigaki Strait in three midgets in containers on the deck of the
Dutch shortly before World War II. the United States as a market and we need order to enter international waters. Ishigaki Scire to 1.4 miles off Alexandria Harbor where
At the start of World War II, in China to buy US bonds and Treasury notes. Strait separates the islands of Ishigaki and they released them while submerged. The
December 1941, midget submarines sank two A war is out of the question as long as we are Miyako which is clearly Japanese territory British towed their Xcraft across the North
battleships, the HMS Queen Elizabeth and in a global recession. and the therefore the transit was illegal. The Sea by a large submarines towing each
the HMS Valiant which were moored in Are you sure? The Chinese are building Chinese submarine was tracked by Japanese midget. Would a similar means of containing
Alexandria Harbor, Egypt. Later, British 5 times as many nuclear submarines as we aircraft using sonobouys but the fact that the threat work for us? Who knows. It
Xcraft which were about the size of the are. The June issue of the US Naval Institute the Chinese skipper made the transit in only wouldn’t work now. As far as I know, the US
Hunley, blew the bottom out of the German Proceedings, which is an unofficial voice for two hours, probably meant that he had made Navy doesn’t have any midget submarines
battleship, Tirpitz, which was anchored in US Navy policy, carried on page 36, the the transit several times before. So, if war capable of laying mines.
Kaafjord, Norway. Another British photograph of a Type 94 Chinese nuclear
battleship, the HMS Ramillies, was sunk in submarine which carries 12 nuclear missiles.
Diego Suarez by the Japanese midget Ko- Nuclear submarines like the Type 94 are part
Hyoteki submarine which also sank the of the threat. But why would the Chinese
tanker, British Loyalty, after sinking the want to use such weapons against us now
Bring your boat.
Ramillies. Later, one of the British Xcraft that the world is in a global recession?
sank the Japanese cruiser, Takao in China is in the midst of an industrial
Singapore harbor just before the end of the revolution. Like us, they have an economic
We’ll supply the rest.
war. Besides naval warships, midget stimulus plan. Their industry depends on oil
submarines sank over 100 merchant ships just like ours does. Iran is the second largest Cruise the coast or spend the summer onboard at your slip, surrounded by all the
from Gibraltar to the English channel. oil producer in the Middle East and provides
luxuries of home and protected by our huge breakwater.
Amazingly, if you add up the number of men China with its oil. Ahmadinjah, the President
Easy slip access • Washers and dryers • Power to 100 amps
Wireless internet and cable TV • Fuel dock • Comfortable shoreside lounge
assigned to achieve such a nautical of Iran says he will cut off the oil to China if
Water and ice • Convenience store • Brand new showers
slaughter, the total personnel comes to Iran is attacked by the West. China is The calmest dockage in Casco Bay!
around 118 people. building a base called Gwador at the eastern
When the season ends, we can store your boat right here,
So why hasn’t our Navy pursued the entrance to the Persian Gulf is order to
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development of midget submarines? I think protect its lines of communication. Because
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the main reason is the mind set of the of its industrialization and its large
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Admirals who control the Navy, together population, China will go to war if it can not
with the mind set of big industry. The get oil.
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Admirals after any war, always want bigger What if things get out of control and
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and better warships of the kind that won the there is a major war? Those Type 94 nuclear
last war and the CEO’s of industry want a missile submarines and nuclear attack
larger profit; a profit which will give the most submarines will sortie through the channels
return to stock holders? Which is more likely between the island chain that the Chinese
to satisfy the Admirals and the CEO’s, regard as their first line of defense. How does
building an aircraft carrier with four nuclear the US Navy stop the Chinese nuclear
reactors for propulsion or building a 15 foot submarines from making transits through
midget submarine? Also, what would be the the gaps in the island chain on the way to
reactions, of both the media and the Admiral attack US carrier battle groups in the open
when a reporter asked the question, Pacific Ocean?
“Admiral, we hear you have a secret weapon. One way is by mining the channels that
Would you please show it to us?” And then form the gaps between islands. But how?
the 15 foot midget submarine would be Drop the mines from aircraft? Dropping from
wheeled out and the reporters from media aircraft is not a method that could be
would laugh. The Vice Admiral, standing in depended on. Why? It would depend on the
uniform at the press conference, wouldn’t Japanese Maritime Defense Force. How long
laugh. would the Japanese provide the necessary
So do we really need midget submarines surveillance? They still remember the atom
and if so, what for? If you look at a chart of bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and
the western Pacific Ocean, you will see a Nagasaki. They might declare neutrality or
continuous line of islands starting with the even worse, do what the Italians did during
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