[chrisinoc]

Japanese naval tactics did not help either.

Japanese merchant ships, vital to the war production, were easy targets for US submarines largely because they used older ships to escort convoys. Conversely Japanese submarines attacked US capital ships instead of going after oilers and replenishment ships.

In addition US Navy fire and damage control was far superior to Japan's navy. US ships stayed afloat to fight again while Japanese ships sank.

[princeofdarkness]

Good point. I forgot about the devastation our subs wrought on their merchant fleet.