This was an interesting idea I had. Lets say Ireland was independant, and a power semi-rivaling England in an alternate world with 1940s technology. If Ireland begins a campaign of looking for merchant seamen, then setting them up with submarines, allowing them to recruit crews, and giving them free range on destroying English shipping, how would continental powers react, and how would the campaign fare?
Idea: U-Boat Privateers
- Thread starter Baconheimer
- Start date
Semi-independent U-boat pirates sound like a fun premise for a Dieselpunk story, but in OTL, I suspect that they would be found and sunk pretty quickly.
But the smugglers are trying to be discrete. If they were actually trying to prey on vessels, commence serious ASW. And they're out of there...
The resources for a viable attack sub are limited to nation-states. They're expensive to build, use, and maintain. Smuggler subs are small, simple, and slow creatures. Detected and caught often enough with minimal resources.
What if you had a large external storage lock like the I400 seaplane carrier submarines?
It's still not very much. And the larger the cargo space, the less fuel efficient the submarine gets. I'm not your enemy, my friend. Physics is.
Yeah, the other problem is that submarines are for sinking things not for boarding actions. This is only going to work for as long as it takes to develop decent ASW techniques/hardware, which won't take that long because they get resource priority in this TL. In the meantime existing ships will be pressed into service as ad hoc ASW frigates disguised tramp steamers with deck guns hidden collapsible boxes made to look like cargo crates, and the ships that aren't fitted with naval artillery will still at least have a heavily armed security force, in case of boarding actions.
Grand Admiral Thrawn
Donor
Q ships might last longer, but the radio ruins everything anyway. Sorry, am tired so no better thoughts.
Privateers are still on the books in the US, though. IIRC, there was some semi-serious discussion in Congress of granting letters of marque to privateers in order to deal with the Somali pirates.
BlondieBC
Banned
You also need the merchant ships not to have radios. So this is more of an issue of how one moves up submarine technology without moving up ASW and radio technology/deployment. There might be a small window in the 1890-1920 timeframe with a hugely carefully written POD.
BTW, Germany did capture and sail at least one merchant ship to the USA in WW1. US court ruled the submarine needed to come to port too. Also you need to keep the prize rules in effect longer. Most had stopped paying bounties by WW1 era. So what does the effects of this strange POD look like.
You need to move submarine technology back in time. Especially longer range subs. So you need some character like behind the Zeppelin spending but on submarines. Probably for some crazy reason that is not perfectly logical. You need to setup a war that does not end quickly. You need neutral nations that I can sail the ship too. So something like a rich Russian noble family funds long range merchant subs (we need big space) in the 1880's. Then have a war where it can't end quickly, such as French/Russian war. And neutral leaning towards Russia to sail the port to. Then you can get some privateers.
Or if you want ships reflagged to another nation, make it a German noble, where the Germans reflag as Russian privateer.
Now I know I skip buckets full of butteflies, this is why I say a carefully sculpted POD, maybe pushing ASB. Basically, you need to move submersible far enough back into time we get into the age where the rules even allow privateers.
BlondieBC
Banned
I think all the laws have been repealed, but the constitution still allows Congress the power to do letters of Marque.
it not work in Dieselpunk era, they would track down fast and sunk, eider depth charge or Aircraft Attack.
but it could work in early 1900, under rivalry great powers, U-Boat Privateers could prosper
i conceivably think that the they get freebooters license and also A Submarine by the great powers to disrupt there enemy shipping.
off curse the sub is build it not give a clue what nation has build it...
but it could work in early 1900, under rivalry great powers, U-Boat Privateers could prosper
i conceivably think that the they get freebooters license and also A Submarine by the great powers to disrupt there enemy shipping.
off curse the sub is build it not give a clue what nation has build it...
Curiousone
Banned
The above.
Then have a rich guy read this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty_Thousand_Leagues_Under_the_Sea
the part of it where the Nations of the world believe there's a rouge underwater vessel laying siege to world trade.
Then a regular gold shipment for him to hijack. He lets the crew & passengers go as was considered decent in those days, they spread the word, start others on the idea. Somewhere in Africa as yet uncolonized or a rouge 'badland' part of Latin America for him to operate out of. Then one country wanting to take on Britain covertly backing/funding them.
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