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Old 01-12-08, 03:25 PM   #6
Ironclad2
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Ran into a similar problem when I was researching a paper on mine warfare in the Strait of Hormuz (Best. College Class. Ever.). Most navies don't like to give up their tactics, for obvious reasons. In fact, I probably have a record in some government computer somewhere for overtly asking a few PR officers for information...

The best course of action I found was to look at historical accounts of operations. These can be from actual conflicts, or exercises. If the book is more general in nature, look at the bibliography: where did the author get his information? If one of the sources on that list looks interesting, check it out, then look at *its* bibliography. The further down in this chain you go, the more detailed the information will probably be. It goes without saying, it helps if there's a decent-sized research library around you, though with enough asking and smiling at librarians, you can usually find what you're looking for or have it ordered.

Sorry I can't provide any specific titles, I haven't done sub research in a good while. Still, there are some modern conflicts which could provide insight, specifically the Falklands and both Iraq wars. Each conflict involved subs, for different purposes. I know for a fact there's a personal account of the Falklands campaign by the commander of the British forces which does go into some detail regarding subamrine operations. If you're looking for blue-water tactics, accounts from the Cold war will probably be your best bet, or if you can find them, results from fleet exercises from the recent past.
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