January 1944
US submarines sink 56 ships.
January 11, 1944
Japanese cruiser Kuma sunk by submarine HMS Tally Ho.
February 1944
Japanese light cruiser Agano Sunk by the Skate.
February 5, 1944
I175 sunk by hedgehog.
February 11, 1944
Japanese submarine RO 110 sunk off the coast of India by Egret class Indian sloop Jumna.
February 12, 1944
UIT-23 ex Italian boat Reginaldo Giuliani sunk by submarine HMS Tally-Ho outside Penang.
Japanese submarine I27 sunk by HMS Paladin and HMS Petard 60 miles from Addu Atoll.
February 17, 1944
Off the coast of Truk carrier based aircraft sunk the Japanese cruiser Naka. The Japanese also lost an aircraft ferry, an auxiliary merchant cruiser, 6 tankers and 17 merchantmen. The USS Intrepid was slightly damaged by Japanese torpedo bombers.
February 29, 1944
US landings Admiralty Islands.
March 1944
Sandlance sank the Japanese light cruiser Tatsuta.
March 29, 1944
The Imperial Japanese naval vessel Musashi torpedoed off Truk by the submarine Tunny.
April 1944
Bluegill sank the Japanese cruiser Yubari.
April 12-13, 1944
Imperial Japanese naval destroyer Ikazuchi sunk .
May, 1944
9 Japanese submarines lost this month.
May 14, 1944
Japanese destroyer Inazuma torpedoed and sunk by USS Bonefish(SS-223).
May 22-31, 1944
USS England destroys 5 RO-class submarines.
June, 1944
10 Japanese submarines lost this month.
June 6-9, 1944
US submarine Harder(Dealey) sinks 4 Japanese submarines.
June 15-16, 1944
Saipan landing.
Battle of the Philippine Sea June 19-21 1944
Imperial Japanese carrier Shokaku torpedoed and sunk by the submarine USS Cavalla(Kossler).
US submarine Albacore(Blanchard) sinks Japanese carrier Taiho.
July 1944
Flasher sank the Japanese cruiser Oi.
7 Japanese submarines lost this month.
US landings in July
August 1944
Croaker sank the Japanese light cruiser Nagara.
Hardhead sank Japanese light cruiser Natori.
August 12, 1944
U-198 sunk off the coast of India by Egret class Indian sloop Godavari.
August 18, 1944
Submarine USS Rasher(Munsen) sinks Japanese escort-carrier Taiyo.
August 22, 1944
HMS Nabob Smiter class carrier torpedoed.
August 24, 1944
Submarine USS Harder(Dealey) lost.
September 16, 1944
Submarine USS Barb(Flukey) sank the Japanese escort carrier Unyo.
September 23, 1944
U-859 approaching Penang torpedoed and sunk by British submarine HMS Trenchant.
October 1944
Jallao sank the damaged Japanese light cruiser Tama.
Bream sank the Japanese cruiser Aoba.
October 3, 1944
The USS submarine Seawolf sunk by US escort forces after the Japanese submarine RO41 sunk one of their number.
October 5 1944
U-168 sunk in the Java Sea by the Dutch submarine Zwaardvis.
October 6, 1944
Japanese chaser no 2 sunk by the guns of submarine HMS Tally Ho.
October 8, 1944
U-168 sunk in the Java Sea by Dutch submarine Zwaardvis.(Tarrant)
October 15, 1944
Off Luzon a kamikaze crashed into the carrier Franklin forcing her to withdraw.
October 21, 1944
HMAS Australia a heavy cruiser hit by a kamikaze.
Japanese losses October-November
Japanese submarine I29 sunk by USS Tilefish?
Leyte Gulf landing October 20, 1944
Leyte Gulf October 23-26, 1944 and its aftermath
Ambush in the Palawan Passage October 23, 1944
Battle of Cape Engano October 25, 1944
Destruction of the carrier force and a destroyer.
Cruiser Kumano damaged by American torpedoes fired by a destroyer, several other cruisers possibly damaged by torpedoes in the same action.
Japanese losses
3 battleships(Musashi, Yamashiro, Fuso)
Fleet Carrier(Zuikaku)
3 Lt carriers(Chitose, Chiyoda, Zuiho)
6 heavy cruisers(Atago, Maya, Chokai, Suzuya, Chikuma, Mogami)
4 Lt cruisers(Abukuma, Tama, Noshiro, Kinu)
11 destroyers(Wakaba, Yamagumo, Michisio, Asagumo, Hatsusuki, Akitsuki, Nowake, Hyashimo, Uranami, Fujinami, Shiranhui).
All but one destroyer of the Japanese fleet taking part in the Battle of Leyte gulf were badly damaged.
An I class submarine was sunk on the 24th and 6 other submarines operating in the area were sunk before returning from patrol after this date.
October 25, 1944
USS Tang torpedoed herself off the coast of Formosa.
USS Darter ran aground while trying to make a run on Japanese shipping. Darter abandoned and her crew taken off.
USS Salmon survied an attack on the 30th, but was written off as a constructive loss.
November, 1944
Japanese escort carrier Taiyo sunk by the submarine USS Rasher Cdr Henry Munson.
American submarine USS Growler lost.
November 9, 1944
U-537 torpedoed east of Surabaya by submarine USS Flounder.
Battle of Ormoc Bay November 11, 1944
Japanese destroyers Shimakaze, Naganami, Hamanami and Wakatsuki sunk along with a minesweeper and 5 transports.
November 14, 1944
USS Halibut survived a Japanese attack, but was subsequently written off as a constructive loss as unable to dive.
November 17, 1944
Spadefish(Underwood) sinks Japanese escort-carrier Shinyo.
November 21, 1944
IJN destroyer Urakaze torpedoed and sunk by the submarine Sealion(Reich).
IJN battleship Kongo torpedoed and eventually sunk off Somosa by Sealion II.
November 29, 1944
New carrier HIJMS Shinano torpedoed and sunk by USS Archerfish(Enright).
America and Leytes gulf
American escort carriers and escorts were surprised by a strong Japanese force. The Carrier Gambier Bay lost along with the destroyers Johnston and Hoel, and the destroyer escort Samuel B.Roberts.
Total American losses 1 light carrier(Princeton), 2 escort carriers(Gambier Bay, St Lô), 2 destroyers(Johnston and Hoel), destroyer escort(Samuel B.Roberts), Submarine(Darter), PT boat. Serious damage was done to the cruiser Birmingham when the stern of the Priceton blew up.
Escort carrier Santee kamikazed and torpedoed by I56, but was able to patch up her damage.
Japanese submarines claimed a destroyer and damaged an anti aircraft cruiser in the next week.
December 1944
Sea Devil and Redfish badly damaged the Japanese carrier Junyo.
Ormoc December 10, 1944
Unopposed landing made by the American 77th Division.
Mindoro December 15, 1944
Unopposed landing covered by fighters of escort carriers of the 7th fleet. Two landing ships were destroyed and several ships including the cruiser Nashville knocked out by Kamikazes. Three destroyers Spence, Hull and Monaaghan were lost to a Typhoon on the 18th and another seven ships were badly damaged with the additional loss of 146 planes.
December 19, 1944
USS Redfish(McGregor) sinks the large Japanese escort-carrier Unryu.
1944 saw the loss of 57 Japanese submarines and 30 destroyers.
In 1944 American submarines sunk 603 ships totalling 2.7 million tons, compared with 515 of 2.2 million from December 1941 to the end of 1943. The 1944 total represents a 50% reduction in the Japanese merchant fleet. Against military targets American submarines sank one battleship, seven carriers, two heavy and seven light cruisers, and about 30 destroyers. One carrier and four cruisers also sufferred severe damage from torpedo attacks. In 1944 19 American submarines were lost of which 6 were accidents. In the whole war America lost 52 submarines to all causes in the pacific and sunk a total of 1,314 ships. The European theatre saw submarine losses far greater than these: Germany lost 781 in action, Japan 130, Italy 85, Britain 75.