Coco Solo Submarines: Protecting the Panama Canal, 1941–1942

As with most U.S. submarine operations in the Atlantic during the Second World War, those off the Panama Canal have been ignored by historians. This is not difficult to understand given that the main battles fought by submariners in the Canal Zone, as documented here, were against the deficiencies of their boats rather than the enemy. Despite the undoubted importance of the Canal to the war effort, the heavy demands for U.S. submarines elsewhere meant that those boats assigned to Coco Solo tended to be the most decrepit. While submarine patrols off the Panama Canal may have contributed to a greater sense of security, they contributed little tangible against the enemy. Nevertheless, these patrols helped to train significant numbers of men for the burgeoning submarine service and laid the groundwork for the later success of some submarine commanders. By highlighting some of the shortcomings of air patrols off the Canal, they possibly contributed to more effective air defences as well.