Many have asked for some clarification for the OP, which I really don’t want to do since I want to keep it open to different situations. I can see if island hopping is possible under air cover it may be advantageous to have air superiority, but that is fuel intensive and you have to make sure you can get that type of fuel supply.
Also can’t diesel electric subs operate at periscope depth while under diesel power making them very hard to spot via airplane?
The Germans could do that late in the war, I don’t think the Japanese could but I’m not sure. Also, I’m pretty sure that by war’s end the “snorkel” could be seen on Alliied airborn radar.
Germany was using the Schnorkel in 1943. Like a swimmer’s snorkel, the Schnorkel was a mast that brought air from the surface to run the Diesel engines. There are three problems I can think of with the Schnorkel. The first is that it creates a visible wake. The wake is not as easily spotted as a surfaced submarine, but it can still be seen. Second, the submarine is not far underwater. From the air you can see some distance into the ocean, and the submarine can still be spotted by reconaissance aircraft – perhaps after they have spotted the Schnorkel. The third problem is RADAR, with which the Allies had the upper hand. The Schnorkel could be picked up by that.
In 1939 or 1940 Germany experimented with the Walter engine, which used hydrogen peroxide decomposed by potassium permanganate to provide oxygen for the Diesel engines.
Sorry about the coding. I’ve asked to have it fixed.
Thanks, samclem.
I’m not a naval expert.
I do, however, read enough to know that you can sink a submarine using aircraft. Good luck shooting down aircraft from a sub, though.
What if we are talking about today’s technology where the need to surface is removed? How much difference would this make? Would air SUPREMACY be better, or could / would submarines prove to be such a threat so as to completely interdict shipping?
Take it as given that this also includes carrier groups if you want to defend a convoy
Control the air, control the world.
Based on Malaya, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Gaza, Lebanon, etc., etc., etc, I think it’s fair to say that there’s a little bit more to it than that.
Exactly. The problem with aicraft is they can’t stay on station indefinitely. At the end of the day, you still need that guy with the rifle on the ground.
I have to give the edge to shore-based anti-submarine aircraft. If need be they can flood an area with sonar-bouys and are immune from attack by the submarine.
Also, submarines need to refuel and rearm somewhere (especially diesel subs). They have tender ships and sub bases that can be attacked from the air.