when ever i play rise of nations submarines dominate the seas.....a group of submarines can take out battle ships in a matter of seconds....are they really that effective in real life? i think a well orchestrated submarine attack could effectivly disable even the mightiest of navys. you could consevably have a 100 subs come in from miles below the surface. or is there a way to detect subs that low? either way i think subs are pretty damn cool. wat do u guys think?

[Edited on 31-5-2004 by kogigaiden]

Submarines were first thought of as coastal defence weapons (in the 19th century). However, in time, it became clear that subs were most effective as strategic weapons that could cut off the flow of commerce/industrial supplies to nations (though the Germans are given credit for this realization, the Irish revolutionary Holland came up with the idea of submarine blockade decades before WW1). In WW2, the US navy was effectively able to cut off the flow of supplies to Japan from the areas it conquered for resource reasons.

So... yes, assuming that a sub is attacking a force without ASW protestion is can do a lot of damage.... but the BEST use of subs is against things like shipping. So... if you're asking a war-gaming question, I'd say that, in your game, you should deploy your subs widely and attack commerce rather than concentrating on surface battle groups. Now, i din't know how the mechanics of your game work, but, if you're engaged in a long simulated war, I'd advise using your subs against shipping lanes rather than battle groups.