Hi guys, I don't know if this is the place to ask this but there was a show on telly today about nuclear subs. One thing I noticed is that on modern US subs the dive planes are mounted on the superstructure. On British subs the diveplanes are mounted on the upper front of the hull which seems to be the conventional position from the earliest subs onwards.
Now I know in WW2 the US subs had the diveplanes mounted on the hull, why the change of position?

Hi Martin,
I'm not sure there is a clear-cut answer to your question but here are some thoughts...
Bowplanes offer better control while shallow (periscope depth) -while fairwater planes require a less complicated system to operate (no need to rig them in and out). During WWII nearly all attacks by subs were against surface targets while the boat was surfaced or at periscope depth. By the 1950's, the focus had shifted to sub-vs.-sub attacks which would be conducted at deeper depths. The larger streamlined fairwater was a perfect place to mount the planes. Today, some US 688 class boats have bow planes, most have fairwater planes.

Cob

Hi Rob, thanks for the reply.
I think your comment on the changing methods and tactics is probably the reason for the change. The fact the subs spend most of their patrols submerged eliminates the "Crash Dive" so the need for the dive planes to be near the water surface to have immediate effect doesn't exist.