Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:50:52-2:51:39

Why several surface raiders posed a different threat from more U-boats

Replacing German capital ships with extra Type IX U-boats would sacrifice the concentrated surface threat that several modern raiders operating together could impose on British deployments.

15-inch GunsCommerce RaidingKriegsmarineScharnhorst Class BattleshipsTask ForcesType IX U-Boat
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Question

Would Germany have been better off replacing its large surface raiders with more Type IX U-boats?

Short answer

No. Several fast, heavily armed surface ships operating together could force a major Royal Navy counterdeployment that extra U-boats could not duplicate.

Notes

Submarines and a concentrated surface group create different strategic problems, so Germany would not have been better served by exchanging its large surface raiders for more Type IX U-boats. Three or four fast capital ships armed with fifteen-inch guns could operate together as a serious task force rather than as isolated raiders. The Royal Navy would then have to retain heavy ships to counter that possibility, reducing the freedom to reinforce the Mediterranean or Pacific.