Plan Z included a major expansion of the Uboat arm, it was just spaced out while they built the surface fleet; maybe have them front load the Uboats instead?Suppose Doenitz convinces pre-WWII German OKM that surface naval warfare is a lost cause and reroutes at least half those Plan Z resources to submarine construction/R&D/etc. What impact might that have on the war, if any?
This just hits the problem that a lot of the entire thing was based on just how far can we push before the British complain just look at the entire 11" saga...maybe have them front load the Uboats instead?
Plan Z included a major expansion of the Uboat arm, it was just spaced out while they built the surface fleet; maybe have them front load the Uboats instead?
They had to speed it up in wartime, they could also start expanding the training apparatus and cut training hours, which pre-war included an around the globe sailing deployment.The schedule for making submarines operational was in part due to training the skilled officers and petty officers. Rushing that might not be a good idea.
I can't recall if the Germans lost more than one submarine in training accidents prior to September 1939.
By 1939 Hitler had renounced the AGNA, which let Plan Z even happen. So they don't really care what the British think by early 1939.This just hits the problem that a lot of the entire thing was based on just how far can we push before the British complain just look at the entire 11" saga...
Isn't it a bit late by then?So they don't really care what the British think by early 1939.
Given the problems with the torpedoes until mid-1940 or so the decisive period was between the Fall of France and the entry of the US into the war. Uboats laid down in 1939 would have been ready by mid/late 1940 and usable in that decisive period. 1939 is about as early as you can get for the build up due to the AGNA in force until then and to avoid the Brits altering their naval construction schedule to start focusing on escorts earlier than IOTL.Isn't it a bit late by then?
OTL
U-boat production: (from Uboat.net)
1935 (14)
1936 (21)
1937 (1)
1938 (9)
1939 (18)
1940 (50)
1941 (199)
1942 (238)
1943 (286)
1944 (229)
1945 (91)
Total: 1,156
So it does build up quickly from 39 but by then is it not mostly to late to be ready and worked up for the early war where it would help?