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Originally Posted by IRONxMortlock
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Originally Posted by Capt.LoneRanger
It's really funny how people still think the German submarine fleet was the most advanced in the world, just because it was the most famous. :hmm:
Anyway - the Netherlands had been experimenting with the snorkel from 1938 on and Germany adopted that system for their boats. The basic problem about the modification was the stability of the snorkel. Even late-war-submarines had to drive rather slowly, not much faster than 6kts to not damage the tube and it was very vulnerable in rough sea.
For the US, this was simply not practicable. They experimented with the system, but refit-programs were only initiated after the war, accompanied with larger refit-programs for the submarine-fleet, including projects to modify the hull for this purpose, to eliminate the drawbacks.
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Yes, but you have to admit that having their u-boats constantly sunk by aircraft was a huge incentive for the German navy to more rapidly install and use devices such as the snorkle. The US had far less need for it.
Also, don't forget the Type XXI. Revoultionary for its day and the first true submarine. |
Indeed, that is exactly what I said. The US-submarines were not less advanced because they didn't use snorkels.
Of course I don't forget about the XXI - it was a great design, but honestly it was evolution, not revolution. It's snorkel, the radar, the active sonar, the 'stealth'-cover, even the batteries and the form of the hull were based on prior systems and other nations had more advanced designs in many areas, just not such an effective combination. Still, the XXI did by far not live up to it's expectations, even since it was a big surprise to the allies. Only 120 were built, only 2 actually were commited and even though they started their 'Feindfahrt' in June 1944, they didn't even manage to damage a single ship until the end of the war.
It was also no submarine in the todays sense of the word. It could stay dived a long time and even was able to recharge batteries while submerged and the air-filters aided to that. The problem however was, the snorkel was not suitable for higher speeds and higher waves and the engines consumed more fuel than when surfaced. So it could not complete a mission submerged in normal weather, which is the qualification for a real submarine, opposing a dive-boat.
The submarine-fleet operating with the I400, however, was enroute from Japan through the Indian-Ocean and the complete Atlantik and was about to strike the Panama-Channel in 1945, with the 6 bombers of the 2 subcarriers, each able to carry 800kg of bombs. And they were only stopped because Japan had surrendered a few days before the attack. The teams inspecting the German submarines were called back to inspect the Japanese subs and they were astonished by the equipment and technology, that surpassed anything they'd seen so far. But, well, what do they know...
