Immediate battle damage alone does not explain Galileo Galilei's capture. Before being caught, the submarine had sunk a merchant ship and forced other traffic to alter course, so the boat and crew had already conducted useful commerce-raiding operations. Their slow reloads and poor surface shooting may reflect shortages that constrained realistic training. Submarine crews need repeated practice with hazardous systems, and every training evolution consumes component life and maintenance resources.
Notable Point · 47:49-50:53
A spare-parts shortage also becomes a training shortage
Galileo Galilei's slow, inaccurate surface fire shows how conserving machinery and components can erode a crew's combat proficiency.