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Originally Posted by CptLoonee
While all of those reasons make sense and were likely the reasons why it was not done, the one issue there that I am most interested in is the claim that there were simply no engines available that could have offered an improvement, as my question is not exactly why didn't they do it but could it have actually been done.
If you are correct, then not only was it not efficient to even attempt, but, given time-specific technology available, it was likely impossible.
Still, despite these boats' obvious shortcomings, it is interesting that both of them racked up enviable wartime records.
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I think their records is more a credit to their crews and skippers more so than their design.
As to the specific reasons why they did not attempt to produce a better engine I can not say the exact reason.I know in the book "The Fleet Submarine in the US Navy"(the bible of WWII US Navy submarine technical information) the author explains the reason.
As I recall it basically boiled down to the Navy having already decided to move on in design in the mid 30's.Even before WWII the navy was less than impressed with the V class.
Pre war they simply lacked the resources to focus on multiple submarine development projects and the navy wanted to focus on smaller fleet boat engines.Because of this they focused on the fleet boat concept.
The V class boats did get new engines during the war but these merely improved reliability.They used the same engines used in the Cachalot and Cuttlefish.
The reason that the V class boats did so well early in the war was largely due to the fact that there simply was nothing else available to throw into battle and the better fleet boats available where busy patrolling Empire waters.
Really though your described use of the deck guns is not realistic at all in real life those 6 inch guns where not very fast firing at all they had separate powder bags and thus a slower reloading rate not a single piece shell like the 3"/50,4"/50 and the 5"/54.It was also much harder in real life to have good effect with guns at sea like that and even harder on the decks of a sub.
If you are just having fun it is fine but if your goal is to play with realistic restraints (many of which you must self impose) your tactic is not anything a real word skipper would have done.