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popejoy1 -> RE: Submarine classifications... (7/26/2006 2:06:39 AM)
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Hi!
"Fleet submarine" was a U.S. Navy term, referring to submarines which were originally intended to deploy with and in direct support of the main battle fleet across the Pacific Ocean. They were to be used as hidden, advance scouts to report the location of enemy fleets, and to weaken the enemy fleet if possible before the big battleship brawl began - the sort of the way they'd be used in "War Plan Orange." As ChezDaJez said, this mean they had the speed and the range to keep up with the battleships, and a large weapons loadout to do as much damage as possible.
In the actual war, the submarines were too slow to keep up with aircraft carriers, and so were turned loose in unrestricted submarine warfare, primarily against the Japanese merchant fleet, and were deployed in advance (and operated independently) of the battle fleets.
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