Three submarines divided navigation, rescue, and supply duties, making the air operation dependent on another fragile chain. The 370-ton cargo submarine HA-106 waited off Minami Daito Jima, while the 1,779-ton transport submarine I-366 carried supplies toward Truk after receiving Type 13 air-search and Type 22 surface-search radar. I-366 had to return for repairs after its formal send-off. I-58 was recalled from a Kaiten mission about 90 minutes from its release point, forcing two Kaiten to be abandoned without any chance to attack. The recall shows how rigid adherence to the written plan displaced practical judgement about sequencing tasks and using forces already at hand.
Notable Point · 31:58-36:03
Submarine support and rigid planning
The submarine plan added logistics, navigation, and rescue tasks while mechanical failures and rigid orders eroded its usefulness.