Military Development Absent Great War

[Captain Jack]

I think sub development would tend toward big, fast boats rather than smaller boats carried by ships. Basically the idea behind the K-class of ships able to accompany the fleet and deploy in position before the battle. I agree that the assumption subs would follow prize rules would lead to commerce raiding subs in the pattern of the big U-cruisers or the post war X1 and Surcouf.

 

[Carl Schwamberger]

1915 to 1920 or to 1925 & beyond I'd think submarine development would go in multiple directions as naval chiefs and politicians attempted to adapt capabilities to budgets and startigic circumstances. Italy would have less need for big deep water submersable cruisers. A Italian navy might favor smaller submarines in the coastal defense or littoral warfare doctrines. Britain, Japan or the US and France with global territories would have greater arguments for big deep water boats, tho each might still have some of the smaller coastal 'torpedo boat' types.

While submarine carriers might be built in small numbers I'd think they would be replaced by submarine tenders as have been common since WWI. By 1925 a carrier would be seen as only making sense for transporting several smaller boats to a distant theatre and not as a combat operations ship.

 

[phx1138]

I agree, IMO subs will more commonly look like Surcouf or Narwhal or I-351 (if not I-400) than the S-boats (or Type VIIs).

Probably there will be fewer of them, because they're more expensive...

Probably, also, you'll see a naval arms race, with less pacifist pressure to limit weapons.