What if the submarine had been used to take supplies to Malta instead of being sent to the Pacific?
WI Surcouf makes it to the Pacific
- Thread starter La Rouge Beret
- Start date
Wouldn't a large submarine with a slow dive time be at a disadvantage in the shallower Mediterranean sea facing organic air power & contested seas?
I think the clarity of the water may also make it easier to spot. This would not be good for a very large submarine which is already hard to miss.
Are you asking me or telling me? If it's the former I haven't the foggiest.
However, the Royal Navy did use submarines to supply Malta and the boats used were the largest it had. That is the O, P, R and Porpoise classes which were about the same size and the Thames class that were even larger.
Does anyone know if using the Surcouf to supply Malta was considered? And if it was, why did they decide not to use it?
Wouldn't her deployment be more of symbolic rather than strategic? One French submarine could technically hurt the Japanese in this area providing it could sink merchant ships and a few IJN surface ships.
Imagine the Surcouf being used to supply weapons to the anti-Japanese guerillas in French Indochina. She might also dock in Subic Bay after the Philippines is liberated, since some RN, RAN, RCN, and Dutch ships were in the Philippines to resupply or were patrolling the waters around the South China Sea in 1945.
Imagine the Surcouf being used to supply weapons to the anti-Japanese guerillas in French Indochina. She might also dock in Subic Bay after the Philippines is liberated, since some RN, RAN, RCN, and Dutch ships were in the Philippines to resupply or were patrolling the waters around the South China Sea in 1945.
Whilst USN and RN both used 203mm would their ammunition be compatible with the French 203mm? Certainly Richelieu required a US production run for its 15inch shells rather than dip into what would have been plentiful RN stocks
Further into ASB territory but the RN keeping M3 both in service and as a 12inch armed submarine into WWII would be a fun idea. Reputedly good handling boats and probably better equipped than Surcouf for shore bombardment
Further into ASB territory but the RN keeping M3 both in service and as a 12inch armed submarine into WWII would be a fun idea. Reputedly good handling boats and probably better equipped than Surcouf for shore bombardment
It's a combination of both namely that Surcouf could be used, but I just wonder if she would be at a disadvantage given her size & slower crash dive speed. Let's see if someone more educated than either of us can help.
I didn't know about the Thames class and I might have to do some reading about them. Since perhaps I can have them transferred to the RAN in a WW 2 TL that I'm working on atm.
Same question here.
Supplying anti-Japanese guerillas is probably one of the more interesting options, along with being used to insert French Naval commandos from the CLI at the tail end of the war.
That would be a hoot, after all the best Cocktail parties are always held by the French.