The first Type C ship, No. 1, is identified as the vessel sunk by US Army Air Forces aircraft on 6 April 1945. A Flower-class corvette in the same circumstances is judged similarly vulnerable. Small anti-submarine ships generally lacked the air defence to survive such threats alone. Their role presumed friendly air control, airspace denied to the enemy, or support from a heavier force. By the time many Japanese escorts arrived, the fleet needed to make their operations sustainable had already been lost. Earlier availability in 1941-42 could have helped protect logistics before submarine operations inflicted lasting damage.
Notable Point · 59:05-1:01:16
No. 1's loss and the air-cover requirement of small escorts
No. 1's loss to aircraft illustrates small anti-submarine escorts' dependence on air cover or support from heavier ships.