DEV Q&A post on Ubi Forum

[JScones]

Originally Posted by elanaiba

I'd say in reality you'd have the option to assign your crew to doublecheck systems that may be prone to sabotage, run tests, detect the problems before they occur in battle. If something is detected you have the option of a quick yard repair (insteaad of waiting the full 2-3 weeks standard in port). Doable? Yes. Simple? No.

But the beauty of sabotage was to "break things" without detection. For example, drill holes in the fuel bunkers, battery acid on all the seals, weakly welded hull plates...none of which could be easily identified in port, only when out to sea.

Steel Boat, Iron Hearts by Hans Goebeler devotes a whole chapter to sabotage and how frustrating it was. For example, he alleges that it took four patrols before workers found the drill holes in the fuel bunkers!

Now, most general malfunctions could be found through the usual dive checks just out of port...but the idea here isn't just to have stuff break or stop working, it's to add another element of decision making to the Commander - "gee, I can't reach full speed, should I continue or return to port?". It's not as black and white as just a "dud battery, u-boat can't move" type of malfunction.