Conventionally Powered Submarines

Submarines are watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. They are different from submersibles, which are generally more limited vessels. Submarines, unlike most other forms of warships, are always referred to as “boats”, regardless of their size. They were first developed at the turn of the 20^th century and saw widespread use throughout the First World War. They engaged merchantmen and warships alike and were highly effective in this role. They were so effective during the war that they forced navies to adopt a convoy system to protect their merchant fleet. They would sail under the protection of smaller warships to help detect and fend off submarine attacks.

Submarines were developed further in the interwar years and played a pivotal part in the Second World War. The Kriegsmarine operated submarines in “wolf packs” during the war, engaging in groups against merchant convoys, which especially with large gaps in air cover, made these convoys especially vulnerable to these mass submarine attacks. Eventually, with the breaking of the Enigma code, the improvement of anti-submarine weaponry and the closing of the famous “Atlantic gap” in the air cover, the submarine threat waned.

However, after the war, submarines once again were at the forefront of technological developments and the first submarines to receive nuclear propulsion emerged during the 1950s. This would revolutionise submarines again, now able to operate for vast periods at sea without refuelling and stay underwater longer. They were also quieter and as a consequence, much more dangerous. However, this page is dedicated to earlier submarines and the less expensive non-nuclear submarines of today that still serve in smaller navies. So-called, “conventionally powered” submarines are those powered by traditional diesel-electric propulsion, rather than nuclear and you can find the wide array of these submarines outlined below.