Convoy Hi-71 | |||||||
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Part of World War II, Pacific War | |||||||
Port side view of USS Spadefish in May 1944. | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
United States | Japan | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Glynn R. Donaho[1] | Sadamichi Kajioka[citation needed] | ||||||
Units involved | |||||||
2 Wolfpacks |
6th Escort Group 931st Air Group | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
9 submarines |
1 escort carrier 3 destroyers 9 kaibōkan 13 merchant ships | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
60 killed 1 submarine sunk |
~8,000 killed 7 merchant ships sunk 1 escort carrier sunk 2 destroyers sunk 3 kaibōkan sunk |
Convoy Hi-71 (ヒ-71) was one of the World War II Hi convoys of fast tankers and troop transports from Japan to Singapore. The heavily defended convoy was specially loaded with reinforcements for defense of the Philippines, and encountered a wolfpack of United States Navy submarines in the South China Sea after being scattered by an August 1944 typhoon. Personnel losses were high because heavy seas prevented rescue of crewmen from sunken ships.