Torpedoed Japanese WWII destroyer. Periscope view from a US submarine of a sinking Japanese destroyer, torpedoed in June 1942 during the Second World War (1939-1945). Torpedoes are underwater rocket bombs. They are a submarine's main offensive weapon and can have a devastating effect, with a direct hit capable of sinking a ship in minutes. The US entered the war after Japan attacked Pearl Harbour, Hawaii, in December 1941. Naval engagements culminated in the decisive Battle of Midway in early June 1942, when US forces defeated the Imperial Japanese Navy. It is thought that this view is from the USS Nautilus on 25 June, several weeks after the battle, showing the sinking of the Japanese destroyer Yamakaze. All 180 of the Yamakaze crew died.