Customer Reviews

Strike from Beneath the Sea: A History of Aircraft Carrying Submarine

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It was while I was researching the wreck of HM Submarine M2 that I came across this book. The M2 was one of three M Class British submarines fitted with large deck guns which had been removed from scrapped battleships. The idea was for them to get close inshore before firing. In reality, once loaded, the gun could not submerge - which meant that the boat had to make its way slowly inshore with the weapon showing above the surface. After firing a single round, the craft then had to fully surface in order to reload.

After HMS M1 was lost with all hands in 1925, M2 was converted into a seaplane carrier with her huge gun being replaced by an equally large hangar inside which was found a Parnall Peto floatplane. With the submarine surfaced, this, rather intriguing, aircraft would be pulled onto the foredeck on rails where its folding wings were fully extended before it was lifted into the sea by crane. HMS M2 was lost on 26 January 1932. Her entire crew perished and the vessel was not located for 8 days despite her final dive being witnessed by a passing ship which commented on her diving stern first. HMS M3 was scrapped in 1932.

Having studied these vessels on and off for a number of years, I was under the impression that aircraft carrying submarines, if not a one-off, were at least very rare. In this well researched account, however, I found myself learning a great deal about a subject which clearly, I previously knew nothing at all.

The Germans (who never operated an aircraft carrier at any time during their history - although, apparently, they did come close once!) and the French were at the forefront of the development of this type of submarine. More notably, perhaps, the Japanese even operated large submarines capable of carrying four aircraft below decks! More recently, of course, such development is almost confined to the US Navy which operates a number of manned and unmanned craft from its submarine fleet. And I thought such craft were rare!

Altogether, this is a most informative work and one which I am happy to thoroughly recommend.

NM