Convoy Hi-71

Convoy Hi-71
Part of World War II, Pacific War
Port side view of USS Spadefish in May 1944.
Date August 18–19, 1944 Location South China Sea Result United States victory
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.