The heavy torpedo batteries of British interwar submarines were tied to a global operational concept rather than prestige alone. Their strong performance in World War II receives less attention than it deserves. The Royal Navy expected its boats to operate across a worldwide network of strategic passages. At places such as the Strait of Singapore, a small submarine force might have to impose a credible threat without nearby reinforcements. Concentrating many torpedoes in each boat was therefore a way to defend distant chokepoints with limited hull numbers.
Notable Point · 1:31:51-1:32:21
Interwar submarines built for chokepoints
Large British interwar submarine armaments reflected plans to control distant maritime chokepoints with relatively few boats.