General Discussions
This is the place to discuss general issues related to the U-boat war or the war at sea in WWII.
Surcouf\'s guns effective with its spotter plane
Posted by:
Henneman
()
Date: August 09, 2001 06:26AM
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I don\'t think the lack of torpedoes would have hindered an escort in a battle with Surcouf. These
small ships did just fine against regular subs, and they were no better protected against a 5\" gun
than against an 8\" gun. The escort would be a very hard target to sight, track, and target from the
sub.
Subs are indeed a small target when on the surface. The French submarine-cruiser was the largest in
the world, and had a very large conning tower and turret, so she was a bigger target than most.
The twin 8\" gun mount was a far heavier and more ungainly weapon than the usual sub guns. That\'s
why the guns only rotated a few degrees off the line of bearing: the sub lacked the beam to allow for
a balanced mounting, and training the guns to one side would have incurred quite a list.
A small rangefinder was carried on the sub. It was a rather short-based one, though, and being
mounted only 20 feet above the water gave it an effective range of only a couple of miles. Surcouf\'s
poor maneuverability combined with the fact that she must always face directly at her opponent really
put her at a disadvantage in a gunfight. But against a merchant ship, or in a surprise attack against
an enemy outpost, the guns would have been effective when paired with the spotter plane.</HTML>
I don\'t think the lack of torpedoes would have hindered an escort in a battle with Surcouf. These
small ships did just fine against regular subs, and they were no better protected against a 5\" gun
than against an 8\" gun. The escort would be a very hard target to sight, track, and target from the
sub.
Subs are indeed a small target when on the surface. The French submarine-cruiser was the largest in
the world, and had a very large conning tower and turret, so she was a bigger target than most.
The twin 8\" gun mount was a far heavier and more ungainly weapon than the usual sub guns. That\'s
why the guns only rotated a few degrees off the line of bearing: the sub lacked the beam to allow for
a balanced mounting, and training the guns to one side would have incurred quite a list.
A small rangefinder was carried on the sub. It was a rather short-based one, though, and being
mounted only 20 feet above the water gave it an effective range of only a couple of miles. Surcouf\'s
poor maneuverability combined with the fact that she must always face directly at her opponent really
put her at a disadvantage in a gunfight. But against a merchant ship, or in a surprise attack against
an enemy outpost, the guns would have been effective when paired with the spotter plane.</HTML>
| Subject | Written By | Posted |
|---|---|---|
Surcouf versus Axis ships
|
Nonny | 08/08/2001 09:48AM |
|
RE: Surcouf versus Axis ships
|
walter M | 08/08/2001 12:40PM |
|
RE: Surcouf versus Axis ships
|
J.T. McDaniel | 08/08/2001 01:25PM |
|
RE: Surcouf versus Axis ships
|
MCE | 08/08/2001 04:29PM |
|
RE: Surcouf versus Axis ships
|
Visje | 08/09/2001 06:17AM |
|
RE: Surcouf versus Axis ships
|
Vin | 08/09/2001 03:29AM |
|
RE: Surcouf versus Axis ships
|
Michael Lowrey | 08/08/2001 02:08PM |
|
Surcouf: a good gun platform?
|
Capt Kurt | 08/08/2001 08:29PM |
|
RE: Surcouf: a good gun platform?
|
kurt | 08/08/2001 09:08PM |
|
RE: Surcouf: a good gun platform?
|
Torlef | 08/09/2001 05:55AM |
|
Surcouf\'s guns effective with its spotter plane
|
Henneman | 08/09/2001 06:26AM |
|
gun conflicts in the atlantic
|
kurt | 08/09/2001 03:35PM |