A Politician’s Press Conference and the 800 Sailors Who Likely Died as a Result
When a politician during World War II proved that loose lips can indeed sink ships.
The submarine proved to be a powerful weapon of war during both World Wars. In World Wars I and II, German U-boats made merchant shipping across the Atlantic a living hell. The Nazis wreaked havoc in the Atlantic.
The same could be said for the Allies in the battle for the Pacific. The Allied submarine effort in the Pacific was dominant. Shipping lanes on the high seas became deadly as the Japanese struggled against the Allied submarines.
In all, the U.S. submarines are believed to have destroyed over 1,300 enemy warships in the Pacific. This equates to roughly 55% of all Axis power warships and over five million tons of shipping.
What Your Enemy Doesn’t Know
A driving catalyst for Japanese troubles stemmed from not understanding the technologies of Allied subs, primarily the depths at which they could reach. This proved to be problematic as the naval conflict waged on in the Pacific.
For many battleships in World War II, a common defense against submarines was the use of depth charges. These barrels of explosives would be set with a depth charge’s fuse primed to detonate once it reached the targeted depth.
They could be deadly to a submarine, even without landing a direct hit. The force of the explosions themselves could result in breached hulls. These breaches could quickly flood a submarine, sending it to the ocean floor.
It stands to reason that if a destroyer is not aware of an enemy submarine’s depth capabilities, their depth charges would be largely ineffective. This was the case for the Japanese in World War II. As a result, early survival rates for Allied submarines were rather high.
Your Own Team Can’t Keep A Secret
The Allied Balao-class submarines used widely throughout the war had the ability to reach depths of 400 feet - much deeper than the Japanese depth charges were set to. Thus, during the first year of the Battle of the Pacific, the Allies enjoyed this strategic advantage. It afforded them opportunities in combat and preserved the lives of countless Allied soldiers.
When a visiting Congressman from Kentucky named Andrew J. May learned of this fact, he became so excited and impressed with the Allied military’s superiority. The excitement blended with pride led Congressman May to conduct an infamous press conference.
In his 1943 press conference, he boasted that many American sailors were surviving as a result of depth charges consistently being set too shallow. Much like the world being thrust into a global war, so too the media became a globalized platform. Not surprisingly, the Congressman’s quotes found their way to Japan.
Vice-Admiral Charles Lockwood learned of Congressman May’s press conference and was understandably seething. While Lockwood was angered that the Congressman divulged classified military information, he was more angered at what it would mean for his sailors.
Shortly after Congressman May’s press conference, the Japanese adjusted their fuses. Though not definitively linked to May, be it new intel or coincidence, the once seemingly untouchable Allied submarines soon became reachable. American submarines soon found themselves cruising through depth charges more frequently, as opposed to safely below them.
Now That Your Secret’s Out
As American submarines began to fall victim to Japanese depth charges, Lockwood began estimating the costs of Congressman May’s words. In all it is estimated that 10 submarines and some 800 Allied sailors died due to depth charge attacks following the Congressman’s presser.
Further enraged at Congressman May’s sharing of classified information, he would issue a quote himself. Lockwood would state, “I hear Congressman May said the Jap depth charges are not set deep enough. He would be pleased to know that the Japs set them deeper now.”
Though a report released by the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Submarine Fleet determined that Japanese anti-submarine tactics failed to ever uncover the true dive depth of Allied submarines during the war, Congressman May would not escape the repercussions of his action.
His exposure of secret military intelligence would become known as The May Incident, and the negative impacts from Congressman May’s presser (along with allegations of corruption) resulted in him losing his seat in the House of Representatives.
History for the Hurried
November 1, 1993: The European Union comes into existence as a result of the Maastricht Treaty.
November 3, 1903: Panama declares itself independent from Colombia following a revolt that the United States helped to engineer.
November 4, 1922: The tomb of King Tutankhamen is discovered by British archaeologist Howard Carter at Luxor, Egypt.