Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:28:48-2:29:25

Why more T-class submarines were not ready for the Far East

British submarine plans assumed a later war, so the boats needed for the Far East were still passing through crash construction when the crisis arrived.

Naval ProcurementPacific TheatreRoyal NavyT Class Submarines
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Question

Could more T-class submarines have been preserved for operations against Japan?

Short answer

Only if more replacement submarines had been ready earlier; prewar plans left Britain short when the conflict began ahead of schedule.

Notes

Preserving more T-class boats for war against Japan would have been valuable. The obstacle was timing rather than a lack of awareness: British construction planning had been based on readiness for a war around 1942. The conflict began before many intended submarines were available, forcing a crash programme and leaving too few boats for distant commitments in 1941-42. Their later arrival shows the difference between a sound force plan and the force actually in hand when war begins early.