What was the Submarine ratio in the pacific war?

Answer 1

The US Navy operated about 300 subs during WWII; some source's state 288, some say well over 300. Nearly 60 of the old S boats and 77 Gatos and over a 100 Balao class, then some newer ones towards the end of the war. Those lost were about 20 Gatos, about a dozen Balaos and about twenty S boats. USN subs operating in the Atlantic were mostly shake down and training cruises, before deploying to the Pacific.

IJN subs may have been over 100, mostly I-Boats, but only two or three I-400 class were built (the largest in the world, until nuclear submarines were built). I-400's were actually under-water aircraft carriers. IJN mini-subs were carried on the decks of mother subs, and didn't cruise the oceans like the I-Boats...so actually they're in a different class of their own. But their numbers, went well over a hundred...less steel and instruments to consume and more could be built; which is why the DKM (German Navy) built submarines instead of surface warships during WWII (less steel to consume, more bang for the buck).

While the DKM pursued commerce warfare and the IJN fought a fleet war during WWII, the USN was STRONG enough to fight both types of warfare: The US Silent Service sunk both merchant ships and warships, pursuing BOTH equally.

ANS 2 - According to many sources I look up, the US Navy had 288 submarines during the war - but figures like this in wartime can always be confusing . - For instance did they mean all operational submarines or include ones just commisionned but not yet in action and so on. these kinds of figures can always be misleading. My sources also state in most case that the IJN actually had 181 submarines operational.