RM Vol 4: War – Chapter 43: Case Yellow (Day 13 – Aquatic Hell)

    HMS Triton, a T-class submarine, would be one of the most modern submarines in the world if not for the presence of the Nassau-class of the Reichsmarine. After RMS Bismarck''s rise to fame and infamy, the Erusean Royal Navy desperately sought a counter to the Reich''s mighty capital ships. Other than building an equal and opposite force, the Royal Navy considered cheaper options in the form of their submarine force. Yet, what they found was unsatisfactory, with their aging submarine fleet being mechanically unreliable, large, slow, and overly complicated. With the view to pursue an additional force multiplier, the Royal Navy set out to construct a newer, more modern fleet of sub-surface warships. First, an obvious desire was for the T-class submarine to have a strong torpedo armament. The Eruseans were convinced that a Royal Navy submarine facing a powerful Belkan surface force would have difficulty penetrating the destroyer screen, and only a large torpedo salvo would be able to ensure the required hits at longer ranges, if necessary using only ASDIC data, or in other word sonar, for a firing solution. In exchange for lower survivability, the T-class came off the slipways with high endurance, newly developed fire control and electronics, and a heavy torpedo armament of six internal tubes with two additional external single-shot launchers on the bow.

    Shamelessly, the Eruseans borrowed the Belkan Wolfpack tactic and adapted it for the T-class submarine commanders to use. Hypothetically, three to four T-class submarines can approach the Bismarck at different bearings and fire all their bow torpedoes. The large amount of torpedoes coming from all vectors should be so overwhelming that even the dreaded Bismarck won''t be able to dodge. If the torpedoes aren''t enough to sink the Belkan capital ship, then they still should be able to score a crippling hit for the Grand Fleet to come and finish off the Bismarck. It''s a good plan, but only on paper.

    The truth is, the Royal Navy was prioritizing too much on building a heavy surface presence. Money and materials were poured into the construction of Vanguard-class or other capital ship classes, thus leaving the T-class submarine program thirsting for investment. So, when the Royal Navy dockyards pumped out surface vessels in the hundreds right before the start of this war, only a mere fourteen T-class submarines were ready. Unfortunately, they lost the HMS Thetis due to mechanical errors, faults which were swiftly retrofitted to the surviving thirteen vessels. Still, despite rectifying their mechanical death traps, T-class submarines also suffer from the chronic lack of skilled sailors and the fact that they''re fielding untested equipment. The war''s resumption happened so fast that nearly all of the Royal Navy''s new vessels were hastily commissioned without a proper sea trial. It isn''t a stretch to say that the Evacuation of Dunkirk was a trial by fire for the majority of the Grand Fleet...

    By the look of it, the Eruseans are falling splendidly in the trial, however. When a homing torpedo explodes the bow of HMS Triton, the weakness of the T-class design is swiftly made evident. Made to be a long-range torpedo slinger, T-class submarines don''t fare well when hit by a depth charge or torpedo. The single hull of the class, instead of a double hull for improved survivability, cracks instantly under the shockwave of a 533 mm torpedo detonation. We all know what will happen when a submarine starts cracking beneath the waves, don''t we?

    One can say the Alpha Strike is so crippingly effective to the point that the Belkans themselves failed to expect it. It''s up in the air whether or not it''s even safe for the Belkan Marine Corps to be deployed. Right now, the deadliest thing is not the Erusean defenders at Dunkirk, it''s actually the new environmental hazards. Ironically enough, using Orkans or Minibreves would have made for a much cleaner Dunkirk than this... Mess. Still, much like what the Marshal said, WMDs bring with them a host of different issues.

    While the Eruseans are struggling to react in the not-so-fine morning of Day 13, Grand Admiral Karl Donitz and fellow officers must go back to the drawing board. He''ll be damn if he set up everything for the Marines, only to have it all go up in literal smoke.

    The Marine Corps must show that they''re as much of an elite force as the Airbornes or Panzergrenadiers.