The Atlantic force includes capable New Orleans-class cruisers and Wichita, but much of its support is old and limited. Clemson- and Wickes-class destroyers avoid one Mark 14 compatibility problem because their tubes use older Mark 10 torpedoes, though that hardly makes them modern escorts. The New London submarine force includes small R- and S-class boats rooted in First World War designs. Four forward tubes give them too narrow a spread for reliable attacks on maneuvering cruisers or destroyers hunting them.
Notable Point · 19:39-21:55
The uneven strength of American cruisers, escorts, and submarines
Modern New Orleans-class cruisers and Wichita sit beside older Clemson and Wickes destroyers and small R- and S-class submarines, illustrating the difference between a fleet inventory and a modern fighting force.