I have no clue about the air systems on WW2 subs. I believe I have read about oxygen candles, and maybe even the use of lime to counteract acidic carbon dioxide in various forms... but I have no references! Whee. How useful. I also think the terms 'oxygen' and 'air' may be used interchangeably in some contexts, further confusing in my mind what exactly is going on - O2 added, CO2 removed, or both?
Perhaps the technology wasn't quite advanced enough by that point to allow full air rebreathers. I know that as a technology for divers, air rebreathers weren't available until some time after the war. By air rebreathers, I mean a technology that processes your exhaled air to remove the CO2 and add in O2, or a technology that strips that pesky carbon and returns O2 directly... It might have been a low priority in research back then.
Nuclear subs generate O2 by splitting water, as far as I know, but I don't know how they get rid of the CO2. Filters can be annoying as they have to be replaced, I know that much, and nuclear subs are legendary for submerged duration. Venting would be a simple option.
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