Maybe the fate of the Sunderland is the reason why U-297's loss was so long unclear, most older literature states it was sunk by water bombs from the HMS Loch Insh and HMS Godall.
I want to add that the wake could also have other reasons than coming from the snorkel, for example it could also come from a damaged pressure tank. Hirschfeld mentioned problems like this in his book. While they were taking part in Operation Drumbeat, they had a problem like that and he said that the trail was visible for several hundred meters. I am not sure if an airplane crew can differ between those little nuances, especially not while moving fast in a combat situation.
It still is a mistake not to check the trail the sub leaves on a regular basis, so dear subsimmers: Keep an eye on the wake!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Osmium Steele
Inexperienced crew, utilizing new equipment with untested operation procedures.
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^This is the verdict. An almost sure death sentence in late 1944.
Btw: Does the book state what snorkel was used? Afaik the Kriegsmarine had 3 "official" types of Schnorchels, and lots of improvised ones.
10-12 knots sounds awful fast for a snorkel ride, but it would depend on the type. In "Die Festung", Buchheim wrote about several snorkel rides, but the one they used was more or less hammered together by the dock workers while Brest was already under siege. They could not even provide one for every boat. He said that they could not go more than 7,8 knots without risking to damage the snorkel.