[samclem]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nords In the "old" days you used to combat flooding and try to stop it. Now you just emergency blow to the surface and worry about it there. If you don't make it to the surface then you can stop worrying.

Was this difference a function of the anticipated operational environment? In WWII the subs were cranked out during a time of active conflict, and being able to contain damage and wait out an attack (for a couple of hours) without surfacing had a lot of benefits. Cold war=years of officially non-combat operations, damage/flooding is not likely to be during hostile actions, and even if a result of hostility, the noises and other signatures of submerged damage control made the exercise little better than coming up. Or, maybe it was just cheaper to build 'em like that later.