None of the subs saw action in World War I, but inter-war experimentation within treaty restrictions continued throughout the 1920s and 1930s. That such odd limitations severely constricted the M-class subs' wartime effectiveness was moot. An all-up ammunition magazine and lift supplied 50 rounds, but the gun could not be reloaded while submerged. The sub then immediately submerged, the whole operation taking only 30 seconds. Using the periscope as an optical sight, the commander aligned a simple bead sight on the barrel's tip-like aiming a submerged rifle using its bead sight and a pair of binoculars-and ordered the gun fired. Crews called it the "dip-chick" method.Īn M-class monitor lined up on her target at periscope depth then surfaced to expose some six feet of her weapon's barrel. Targeting and firing the gun proved both remarkably crude and ruggedly simple. From a submerged posture, the subs could lob 850-pound shells over the better part of a mile. While the M-class boats mounted four 18-inch torpedo tubes with a reload apiece, doubts about the torpedoes' efficacy buttressed arguments for the guns. The giant subs were more than 295 feet long and were 24 feet in diameter, and each carried a single surplus 12-inch naval rifle from the Formidable-class battleships in a watertight turret. These missions inspired truly remarkable undersea "cruisers." These were truly big-gun submarines.įour of the disastrous K-class steam submarines ( K18 through K21) were reconfigured into the diesel-powered M-class. So was stealthy shore bombardment of coastal bases and defenses. Machine guns could rake decks and lifeboats.īut convoys of armed merchantmen and their destroyer escorts were another matter. During these engagements, a five- or six-inch deck gun could wreak havoc on upperworks, steering gear or shoreline structures. However, many engagements involved substantial surface combat.ĭeck armament often equaled that of coastal and riverine gunboats-one or two artillery pieces plus several machine-gun mounts for anti-aircraft and surface attack. Early concepts of operations foresaw subs scouting ahead of the battle fleet, then submerging below an enemy fleet to surface and attack it from behind.ĭuring World War I, sub-surface torpedo attacks on warships and merchant vessels became the submarine's preferred attack technique. At the time, submarines largely cruised on the surface and only submerged for brief periods. The limited undersea endurance of pre-atomic subs shaped design and tactics.
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