Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 31:22-31:59

Why a fleet submarine was not a cheaper cruiser

USS T-1's reconnaissance role depended on stealth near hostile ports, a mission cruisers could not safely perform under land-based air attack.

CruisersFleet SubmarinesLand Based Air PowerNaval ReconnaissanceUSS T-1 (SS-52)
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Question

Was USS T-1 intended simply as a cheaper substitute for a reconnaissance cruiser?

Short answer

No; it was meant to watch hostile ports from a position where a visible cruiser would be too vulnerable to shore-based aircraft.

Notes

The fleet submarine was designed for a different task from a cruiser. Cruisers were useful for ocean control, but their visibility made them vulnerable if stationed close to an enemy naval base. A submarine could wait off the harbor, observe departures, and report by radio while presenting a much harder target to shore-based aircraft. T-1's form followed this reconnaissance problem rather than a simple search for a cheaper cruiser.