Q&A · 4:46:47-4:48:45

Why British submarines receive less World War II attention

The Tenth Submarine Flotilla's Mediterranean campaign shows an active British submarine war, but with fewer targets than the German Atlantic or American Pacific campaigns.

Question

Why are British submarine operations in World War II discussed less often than U-boats or American submarines?

Short answer

British submarines fought hard, especially in the Mediterranean, but had fewer targets than the German Atlantic and American Pacific submarine forces.

Notes

The answer points viewers toward the U-class and the Tenth Submarine Flotilla in the Mediterranean. British submarines undertook an extensive and dangerous campaign there. Their historical visibility suffers because the Axis presented fewer targets than Allied shipping did to U-boats or Japanese shipping did to American submarines. The difference in fame therefore reflects theatre conditions and comparison campaigns, not inactivity by the Royal Navy's submariners.