OT: How exactly did sub vs sub sinkings play out?

Incubus · 09-13-07, 11:20 PM

In learning more about the submarine fleets of different navies, I was startled to find quite a few situations where one submarine sank another submarine. I found it rather surprising for a number of reasons:

1.) A Submarine, even a klunky big one, by its very nature has parallel advantages be it hunter or hunted. I would think it would
.....A.)Present a difficult target to hit
.....B.)Be a liability to attack, since a miss/premature explosion ruins your initative

2.) Almost all the subs sunk by other subs had the axis on the receiving end. (supposedly the HMS Venturer sank TWO U-boats during its career O_o ) Were there any U-boats/I-boats that sank allied subs? I'm kind of surprised about the U-boat losses by submarine particularly; I would think that the German navy's emphasis on U boats would give them a relatively bigger advantage against the allies (antisonar coatings, deep crush depths, coutnermeasures, acoustic torpedoes, and EXPERIENCE). My best guess is better intelligence. But even given superior intelligence, things still go back to #1, in that even in the ideal firing situation, the other boat has an equal chance of seeing/hearing the attacker, and trying to avoid the torpedo.

3.) I would think a torpedo would be MUCH easier to avoid if you were at the helm of a submarine, which can not only turn but DIVE, essentially doing many more things to minimize its profile.

4.) Were there any really protracted battles where both submarines were playing cat-and-mouse a la some Tom Clancy novel? My best guess is all the sub sinkings were essentially 'sucker punches'. Were submarines ballsy enough to engage each other on the surface?

09-13-07, 11:20 PM	#1
Incubus Planesman Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 195 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	OT: How exactly did sub vs sub sinkings play out? In learning more about the submarine fleets of different navies, I was startled to find quite a few situations where one submarine sank another submarine. I found it rather surprising for a number of reasons: 1.) A Submarine, even a klunky big one, by its very nature has parallel advantages be it hunter or hunted. I would think it would .....A.)Present a difficult target to hit .....B.)Be a liability to attack, since a miss/premature explosion ruins your initative 2.) Almost all the subs sunk by other subs had the axis on the receiving end. (supposedly the HMS Venturer sank TWO U-boats during its career O_o ) Were there any U-boats/I-boats that sank allied subs? I'm kind of surprised about the U-boat losses by submarine particularly; I would think that the German navy's emphasis on U boats would give them a relatively bigger advantage against the allies (antisonar coatings, deep crush depths, coutnermeasures, acoustic torpedoes, and EXPERIENCE). My best guess is better intelligence. But even given superior intelligence, things still go back to #1, in that even in the ideal firing situation, the other boat has an equal chance of seeing/hearing the attacker, and trying to avoid the torpedo. 3.) I would think a torpedo would be MUCH easier to avoid if you were at the helm of a submarine, which can not only turn but DIVE, essentially doing many more things to minimize its profile. 4.) Were there any really protracted battles where both submarines were playing cat-and-mouse a la some Tom Clancy novel? My best guess is all the sub sinkings were essentially 'sucker punches'. Were submarines ballsy enough to engage each other on the surface?