The French cruiser submarine suffered from unpredictable diving behaviour, sometimes submerging bow-first, stern-first, or with a pronounced list. Its pressure-resistant turret arrangement was designed to tolerate water entering the gun space, but preparing the mounting after surfacing remained slow. The guns could be used only within severe limits on range, traverse, pitch, and roll, and the magazine held just fourteen rounds per gun. These constraints made Surcouf exceptionally fragile against even a destroyer or sloop during the minutes required to bring the battery into action.
Chapter · 55:09-1:13:17
Surcouf's gun submarine compromises
Surcouf shows how combining a submarine with heavy guns created severe handling, firing and survivability problems.