Re: Zigzagging as a defense against submarines in WWII
The informaton I have is that the skipper of the Indianapolis had not been told before leaving the Marianas that a Japanese sub had been sighted in the area through which he would pass en route to the Philippines and that he thus thought there was no need to set a zig-zag course. Although long overdue, the cruiser wasn't missed at her desitination until days after she was torpedoed and sunk. This is a sorry chapter in naval history. As an A.G. sailor, I don't recall zig-zagging in convoy, but I remember clearly a 45-degree turn to starboard, and it was carried off flawlessly. Incredibly, I was standing a signal watch on the flying bridge at the time. -- Fran
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