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Description

Arguably the most modern and most expensive submarine of the war, the Hai (Shark)-type was essntial to halt the united forces advances before they could reach imperial territory and greatly contributed to the stalemate peace-agreement with the Red Khanate.

Submarines always played an essential role in imperial doctrines, balancing the numerical inferiority of the navy compared to others. And, true enough, the submarine arm played an essential role against the Southern Unity States and Khanate shipping during their war against the imperium and proved to be devastating against United Forces convoys to the Khanate during the second war. However, advances in anti-submarine technologies first relegated the vaunted imperial submarine cruisers to lesser duties and then forced the subs to attack at night or under water.

To remedy this situation, the Hai-class promised to change the balance to favor the imperium again. Improved air-independent propulsion, advanced batteries, guided torpedoes and improved sensors gave the Hai-type the needed advantages, locating a convoy on the surface, diving and using it's superior underwater speed of 18 knots to position itself.

A spread of six self-guided torpedoes usually made short work of screening destroyers, allowing a second sub to go after the transports while the first reloaded to waited for intercepting escorts to ambush them. Twentysix torpedoes were aboard, many of them with self-guidance, some however were dumb torpedoes with a bigger warhead.

In addition, four 30mm autocannons were mounted in pressurized semi-turrets. These were purely defensive in nature, firing at ambushing aircraft while the sub itself dived to safety. Later submarines mounted an experimental mast-mounted 73mm rocket launcher, but aiming proved to be very difficult. It was supposed to the Sharks, however, a means to attack aircraft while submerged. There are no reports of a successful destruction of any aircraft, however.

Enlarged versions that could fire ballistic missiled, cruise missiles or mines were projected, but the few prototypes finished did not contribute to the war effort and instead became part of the imperial deterrence forces after the war.

Description

Arguably the most modern and most expensive submarine of the war, the Hai (Shark)-type was essntial to halt the united forces advances before they could reach imperial territory and greatly contributed to the stalemate peace-agreement with the Red Khanate.

Submarines always played an essential role in imperial doctrines, balancing the numerical inferiority of the navy compared to others. And, true enough, the submarine arm played an essential role against the Southern Unity States and Khanate shipping during their war against the imperium and proved to be devastating against United Forces convoys to the Khanate during the second war. However, advances in anti-submarine technologies first relegated the vaunted imperial submarine cruisers to lesser duties and then forced the subs to attack at night or under water.

To remedy this situation, the Hai-class promised to change the balance to favor the imperium again. Improved air-independent propulsion, advanced batteries, guided torpedoes and improved sensors gave the Hai-type the needed advantages, locating a convoy on the surface, diving and using it's superior underwater speed of 18 knots to position itself.

A spread of six self-guided torpedoes usually made short work of screening destroyers, allowing a second sub to go after the transports while the first reloaded to waited for intercepting escorts to ambush them. Twentysix torpedoes were aboard, many of them with self-guidance, some however were dumb torpedoes with a bigger warhead.

In addition, four 30mm autocannons were mounted in pressurized semi-turrets. These were purely defensive in nature, firing at ambushing aircraft while the sub itself dived to safety. Later submarines mounted an experimental mast-mounted 73mm rocket launcher, but aiming proved to be very difficult. It was supposed to the Sharks, however, a means to attack aircraft while submerged. There are no reports of a successful destruction of any aircraft, however.

Enlarged versions that could fire ballistic missiled, cruise missiles or mines were projected, but the few prototypes finished did not contribute to the war effort and instead became part of the imperial deterrence forces after the war.