Kaba-, Isokaze-, and Momo-class destroyers all contributed at Malta and worked closely with the Royal Navy against Austro-Hungarian submarines. Their force retained its own rear admiral while cooperating in the wider Allied effort. Japan probably ranked just behind the Royal Navy in wartime anti-submarine capability and effort, with crews gaining deep experience in contested waters. Japanese forces acquired deeper immediate knowledge than their American counterparts in this assessment. American forces developed their capability quickly and organised their lessons into a stronger long-term base for World War II. Japan's ships and crews developed the skill, but the interwar navy did not build on it enough.
Notable Point · 11:57-14:27
Japan's Mediterranean anti-submarine expertise
Mediterranean operations made Japanese destroyer crews highly capable submarine hunters, but the interwar navy did not build fully on that wartime knowledge.