Originally posted by Dowding
Subs were not speedy on the surface. I thought they were slower than practically every military surface vessel afloat. They could only keep up with your slower merchant vessels.
The German subs could do up to 18 knots on the surface, and the better US subs up to 21. Back when I owned "Aces of the Deep", I once caught a convoys escort of two 14 knot corvettes spread out far enough that I surfaced and ran full out for the convoy, dodging shellfire (this was daytime) all the way.
The US subs would use their speed in conjunction with excellent radar to do end runs around Japanese convoys, submerging and waiting in their paths. The Germans would do same thing as a part of coordinated wolfpack tactics.
Hmm, supply convoys....mwaahaahaahaa! Can anyone say, North Africa-Med arena?