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Originally Posted by TorpX
Second, I have a few questions about the S-boats.
Patrol Endurance. How long could they remain at sea? Apart from fuel considerations how much food could they carry?
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Offhand I don't recall, other than that, according to 1939 data, the max range was about 10,000 miles at 8 knots surfaced. Of course, the fuel tanks in these boats were known to constantly leak, so that number could vary significantly.
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Battery Capacity. How far could they go while submerged? In 1941, were their batteries degraded or had they recieved refits before wartime deployment?
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There was not a lot of funding available for S boats in the 1930s, so their first modernization refits/overhauls typically did not occur until late 1942/early 1943. So yes, in general, the equipment was very old and in need of an upgrade. Submerged speed/range at the outbreak of war in 1939 was 100 miles at 5 knots. Max submerged speed for S-18s was 9 knots and 9.5 for S-42s (again, 1939 data).
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Surface Speed. How fast could they go in heavy seas? In SH4 they can plow through rough seas with little problem, but it seems to me this is a game flaw.
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Max speed was 13 knots for the S-18 and 12.5 for the S-42. In heavy seas, no doubt it was noticeably less. The S boats were not known for their sea keeping abilities.