The orders given to Flying Fish and Seahorse show submarines serving the fleet as reconnaissance assets as well as attack platforms. They were to transmit a sighting report before trying to strike, even though radio transmission could disclose their presence. Warning Spruance could produce a much larger operational effect than an uncertain individual torpedo attack. Flying Fish therefore waited for darkness, surfaced to report the Japanese movement, and only then began its attack approach.
Notable Point · 1:02:03-1:03:32
Submarines report before they attack
American submarines treated a fleet sighting as intelligence for the whole force before pursuing their own torpedo attacks.