French submarines in 1904 pose a different problem from the much more developed boats of 1914. A decade of rapid technical advances separates the two, just as it does in gunnery and aviation. The corrected comparison gives France 26 submarines in service and 22 under construction, a potential total of 48 before further building. Including unfinished boats does not make all 48 immediately available, and the boats still face geographical operating limits. Britain is expected to reduce its exposure by choosing where to operate while treating the submarine threat seriously.
Notable Point · 55:51-57:18
French submarines in 1904: a threat with operating limits
Early submarines complicate British operations, but their technical limits and geography make a comparison with 1914 misleading.