I’m watching a ton of WW2 documentaries and can’t help but think why they didn’t make a counter to the German Uboats other then depth charges and the hedgehog. Surely with the money and resources the US or other countries could of made a sub during that time.
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By far the most effective weapon against the U-boats was the convoy system.
U-boats were slow on the surface and almost immobile once they dived. The odds of catching ships go way up if you get many chances. Convoy put all the ships in one location, so if the U-boat missed the convoy there would just be empty ocean to patrol.
Meanwhile, the U-boats were difficult to hunt except when they were attacking ships. Because the convoys were escorted by ships capable of attacking U-boats, that meant that any time a U-boat was ready to attack a ship (and thereby expose itself to counterattack) there were warships RIGHT THERE to pounce.
Aircraft were also extremely dangerous to U-boats, which until the very end of the war had to surface to recharge batteries or move any significant distance. Long-range patrol bombers equipped with radar and spotlights (the famous Leigh light) would swoop in and illuminate them before they could react, and drop bombs and depth charges. Even when they didn’t destroy U-boats, aircraft could force them to submerge and prevent them from moving while the convoy moved away.
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