Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:50:11

The scale of mining Japan's coast

An effective submarine mining campaign against Japan would need roughly 100 to 200 minelayers depending on the operating base and distance.

Japanese NavyNaval MinesSubmarinesWorld War II
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Question

How many minelaying submarines would the Allies need to mine Japan's coast effectively?

Short answer

Roughly 100 to 200, with nearer bases reducing the requirement and distant bases raising it.

Notes

The estimate is broad because access to bases changes the problem. Operating from the Philippines or Singapore could reduce the requirement to about 120 minelaying submarines. Australian or Hawaiian basing would push the estimate toward 200 because each boat must spend more time and fuel reaching its patrol area. The numbers are scenario estimates rather than a fixed formula, but they make distance and logistics central to the mining campaign.