13. Submarines resupplied guerrilla fighters throughout the war
After the fall of the Philippines, bands of Filipino guerillas and American troops who had evaded the Japanese conducted an underground war against the garrison troops. The US Navy dispatched officers to the Japanese-controlled islands to coordinate activities between the various groups, and with US forces. USS Narwhal became the lead submarine supporting the guerrilla operations, though several others participated as well. Narwhal conducted nine highly classified operations in the Philippines, delivering supplies, weapons, American special forces, and transporting Filipino fighters among the islands.
Besides supporting the guerrillas, Narwhal participated in the evacuation of civilians, including women and children, delivering them to safety. Narwhal also transported Japanese prisoners seized by the guerillas, though such were rare since the guerilla fighters seldom took prisoners. By late summer, 1945, Narwhal evacuated prisoners of war freed by the guerillas or simply abandoned by the Japanese. Others were rescued from Japanese troopships sunk by American action. Nearly all of the submarine’s war patrols originated from Australian ports, enabling the submarine to remain on station in the Philippines for extended periods. After the war, Narwhal was broken up for scrap.