HMS Safari illustrates the pre-war S class: a compact boat with six tubes, reloads, and shorter but faster surfaced endurance than the larger oceanic designs. Before joining the 10th Flotilla at Malta in 1942, Safari had been assigned to hunt the German battleship Tirpitz, so the same boat moved between very different operational demands. In the Adriatic, attacks on Italian merchant shipping could be followed almost immediately by depth charging from escorts. Aircraft and bioluminescent water added further detection hazards. The class suited the target-rich and heavily defended sea space more closely than the oceanic boats did.
Notable Point · 23:01-28:27
The S class fits the Mediterranean
The smaller S class traded oceanic reach for a better fit with the Mediterranean and North Sea patrol environment.