submarine flotillas in the channel from gaining reinforcements. This invasion relied on the RCN to cover British and American flanks to ensure a successful landing on the beaches of Normandy. Canada saw enormous growth during World War II, going from a limited amount of warships to becoming the third largest navy in the world after the Axis powers were defeated and the role they played in aiding the USN in intelligence. Their primary role in protecting merchant ships from North America to Britain was ultimately successful, though that victory was shared with the major Allied powers. Throughout the war Canada had made 25,343 successful escort voyages delivering 164,783,921 tons of cargo. By the end of the war, German documents state that the Royal Canadian Navy was responsible for the loss of 52 submarines in the Atlantic. In return 59 Canadian merchant ships, and 24 warships were sunk during the battle of the Atlantic. "Canadians solved the problem of the Atlantic convoys." – British Admiral Sir Percy Noble Southeast Asia and the Pacific Canadian naval and special forces participated in various capacities in the Pacific and South-East Asia. The cruisers and HMCS Uganda, along with the armed merchant cruiser HMCS Prince Robert were assigned to the British Pacific Fleet. HMCS Uganda was in theatre at the time. HMCS Ontario arrived to support the post-war operations in the Philippines, Hong Kong and Japan. However the Uganda was the only Royal Canadian Navy ship to take an active part against the Japanese while serving with the British Pacific Fleet. Various Canadian special forces also served in Southeast Asia including the "Sea Reconnaissance Unit", a team of navy divers tasked to spearhead assaults across the rivers in Burma.<ref name="India and Burma">{{cite web | last = Veterans Affairs | title = The Burma Campaign | url = http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/history/second-world-war/historical-sheets/burma-campaign | date = 21 February 2014 | access-date = 21 July 2014 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140808011527/http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/history/second-world-war/historical-sheets/burma-campaign | archive-date = 8 August 2014 }}</ref> Conditions aboard HMCS Uganda, compared to ships in the United States Navy, strict discipline, and the inability to display a separate Canadian identity, had contributed to poor morale and resentment amongst the crew. In an attempt to remedy this and mindful of the change in Canadian government policy that henceforth only volunteers would serve overseas, the ship's commander, Captain Edmond Rollo Mainguy, invited crew members (before the official date) to