Chapter 590: Naval Reform Depends on You
In the command headquarters’ meeting room, the conversation between Charles and Darlan continued, though the atmosphere had subtly shifted.
Charles steered the discussion towards the tactics of destroyers hunting submarines. His intention was clear: to help Darlan rise quickly within the navy and establish his influence.
Darlan’s expression turned complex.
He was willing to discuss these matters with Charles. However, as a member of the navy, he viewed it as fundamentally different from the army. Naval warfare required a solid theoretical foundation. If Charles, who had never delved into naval theories at the age of 18, could clearly explain and teach him these strategies, wouldn’t that render Darlan’s years of rigorous study at the Brest Naval Academy and the Toulon Naval Artillery School—where he graduated at the top of his class—utterly meaningless?
Nevertheless, out of respect for Charles, Darlan didn’t object, though he couldn’t entirely suppress his inner reservations.
Charles picked up paper and pen, sketching as he explained, “A submarine’s descent is a process. The navy’s usual approach is to launch a concentrated attack during this diving phase.”
Darlan nodded in agreement but soon looked up at Charles in confusion. “General, are you suggesting we shouldn’t do this?”
In shallow waters, submarines were easier to damage or sink. Once they reached a certain depth, the thick seawater made them hard to detect, and shells would be ineffective.
Darlan was torn. How could he correct Charles’s mistake? Pointing it out bluntly would embarrass Charles, but feigning agreement could lead to real issues in combat...
Charles seemed to read Darlan’s mind. He said, “I think we should abandon shelling submarines for now.”
“Abandon shelling?” Darlan asked. “General, are you suggesting we rely entirely on sonar?”
“Yes,” Charles nodded. “Shelling has too low a probability of destroying submarines. It could even harm our own ships or disrupt our formations. It’s simply not worth it.”
This was due to the low accuracy of naval guns during World War I. Though equipped with fire-control systems, these were only basic dual-axis stabilizers.
(Note: The dual-axis stabilizers of naval guns were similar to those used in tanks, but a ship’s motion on the sea was far more complex. Dual-axis systems couldn’t compensate for a ship’s rolling motion, necessitating a three-axis stabilizer system. The image above depicts the German SKC/31 naval gun, a successful three-axis stabilized mount developed in 1931. The first three-axis stabilization system, the SKC/25, was developed in 1925. However, early designs mistakenly targeted a ship’s pitch instead of roll, achieving only minor improvements. Subsequent adjustments addressing roll significantly enhanced performance.)
Before three-axis stabilized mounts were available, naval guns often missed their targets by several kilometers in combat. Friendly fire incidents involving submarine-hunting naval guns occurred frequently, such as during the Dardanelles Campaign. Thus, shelling submarines was often more detrimental than beneficial.
Darlan found this hard to imagine. He had always believed that submarine-hunting tactics should prioritize naval guns with sonar as a supplementary tool. Yet Charles advocated for completely abandoning naval guns in favor of sonar.
He frowned, hesitated, and ultimately decided to voice his doubts. “General, this is a brand-new piece of equipment. It may have errors, long feedback times, and other issues. We can’t rely on it too heavily.”
Feedback time, in particular, was a concern.
Even if sonar detected a submarine’s depth, by the time the ship adjusted and dropped depth charges, the submarine might have moved to a different depth, making accurate targeting almost impossible.
Darlan concluded, “I think we shouldn’t be too radical. Naval guns still have an important role in anti-submarine warfare. We should combine both methods and abandon naval guns only after sonar technology matures.”
Charles responded with a simple “Hmm,” before asking, “Lieutenant, have you considered one thing: the Germans don’t know we have sonar.”
Darlan’s eyes lit up. After a moment’s thought, he nodded slightly. “You’re right, General. The Germans, unaware of sonar’s existence, will assume they’re safe after diving and will likely remain at a steady depth. This provides us with an opportunity—a perfect opportunity.”
Charles nodded in agreement. This was exactly his point.
When German submarines maintained a steady depth, hunting them would become far easier. As long as sonar’s margin of error wasn’t too large, submarines wouldn’t easily escape.
Conversely, targeting submarines during their dive was highly challenging, as their depth and position changed rapidly. Sonar would struggle to track their precise location in time.
Thus, the entire submarine-hunting strategy was reversed.
The more Darlan thought about it, the more he agreed. His gaze at Charles shifted from skepticism to conviction, tinged with astonishment.
If Charles’s tactics proved successful, they would revolutionize submarine-hunting operations, shifting from primitive methods such as gunfire, bow ramming, and mine nets to sonar-guided precision depth charge attacks.
(Note: Mine nets were large networks of iron wires and mines spread across the sea. The wires could potentially entangle a submarine’s propellers, leading to its capture, but this method was highly inefficient.)
Seeing that Darlan understood, Charles smiled and cryptically added, “The future of naval tactical reform depends on you, Lieutenant.”
“Tactical reform?” Darlan was stunned.
Wasn’t that overstating things? How could one person possibly drive such reform?
Charles didn’t answer directly. In a calm tone, he seemed to recount his own story:
“As you can see, gaining recognition for what I do isn’t easy.”
“It’s been over a year since I introduced tanks. They’ve proven their value repeatedly on the battlefield, yet there are still people who consider them useless and unnecessary—still people who believe cavalry is more effective than tanks.”
“But that changes nothing. No one can stop the widespread adoption of tanks and their tactics on the battlefield.”
“Because those who refuse to acknowledge, use, or learn about them will be defeated again and again—until they’re completely wiped out!”
“This is the battlefield’s survival of the fittest.”
Darlan nodded thoughtfully.
He understood: the battlefield was a crucible that ruthlessly eliminated anyone or anything that disregarded its objective realities. It had its own way of enforcing evolution.
Therefore, he realized, he must do the same in the navy.
By repeatedly winning battles with the right equipment and tactical theories, reforming the navy would naturally follow.
Perhaps, he thought, he could even ascend to the pinnacle of success, just like Charles.
With this realization, Darlan’s confidence soared. Standing tall, he saluted Charles with a determined look. “I won’t let you down, General!”
I need Charles, Darlan thought. I need his tactics and inventions—not just sonar.