08-03-2011, 12:21 PM | #11 | |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: U.K.
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Re: [WWII] Italian submarine comfort
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I keep wondering how many of their bigger designs - the real submarine yachts - they sell. I mean, they don't look insanely expensive, so far as I can tell, and I'm pretty sure that a lot of people I know would be on the 'phone to that company the day after the Lottery Fairy dropped a few million in their laps. But one never sees mention of their products actually in existence and in use anywhere. But on the other hand, the company seems to keep going...
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08-03-2011, 12:42 PM | #12 | |
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Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Southeast NC
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Re: [WWII] Italian submarine comfort
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08-03-2011, 12:46 PM | #13 | |
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Sweden
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Re: [WWII] Italian submarine comfort
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One reason why it is hard was that the british did patrol the Strait quite alot and that the currents going eastwards, into the med, was lighter in density and thus any sub trying to use the current to drift had to be closer to the surface. The current heading west out of the med can be quite strong with speed up to 4 knots and reduces the speed of any sub trying to go deep into the med and thus drains the battery as well as makes it easier to detect. Of course a sub drifting deep out from the med had alot of help from that current and it apparently took 5 hours to drift using no engines and with the current only if heading east. The strait is also at most 300 m deep while it at places is only 100 m deep see http://formontana.net/uboats.html and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_...ow_and_outflow Last edited by Urban; 08-03-2011 at 12:51 PM. |
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08-03-2011, 01:28 PM | #14 |
Night Watchman
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Cambridge, UK
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Re: [WWII] Italian submarine comfort
Thanks. I think I have a hypothesis now. The Italians mostly came out in 1940; the Germans were trying to go in in late 1941 onwards. The patrols could have been significantly improved in that time; the British were a bit amateur about a lot of things in the early part of the war.
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08-04-2011, 11:36 AM | #15 |
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: near Houston
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Re: [WWII] Italian submarine comfort
A coupke things I add from some additional reading:
1) One of my books claims that in the winter of 1940-41, Italy was operating more submarines in the Atlantic than Germany. Considering that in September 1939, Italy had 107 submarines* and the Germans only 65, this seems a likely assertion. 2) The same book also blames most of the lack of success of Italian subs to the overcautious nature of their commanders, who apparently were much less willing to risk their boats than U-boat skippers. * Only Russia, with around 150, had more
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08-04-2011, 11:44 AM | #16 | |
Night Watchman
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Cambridge, UK
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Re: [WWII] Italian submarine comfort
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08-04-2011, 11:06 PM | #17 |
Join Date: Mar 2008
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Re: [WWII] Italian submarine comfort
Italy had a general problem of having recognized early that modern materials and engineering had made current weapons obsolete. Sadly for them WW II held off long enough so that everyone else realized this also and when they rearmed it was with stuff that was even better. A full scale rearming is expensive and they couldn't redo it again. So WW I.5 stuff vs WW II stuff.
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