Difficulty of the Fixed Torpedo Tube.
With the exception of one or two vessels, which it would be unwise to specify, all the submarines engaged in the present war have what are called fixed submerged tubes. This means that the tubes from which the torpedoes are discharged are fitted inside the submarine on a line with the centre of the boat, and cannot be moved or aimed in any way apart from the boat itself. It therefore becomes necessary for the submarine to be aligned by the steering rudders on the object of attack before the torpedoes can be discharged. In simpler vein, torpedoes can only be fired by a submarine straight ahead or straight astern. Hence a submarine, with a hostile warship coming up on its beam, is compelled to turn and face its opponent (or turn its stern towards her) before delivering an attack.
Submarine Flotilla v. Surface Fleet.
It is absolutely necessary for submarines acting in company to have each its allotted task; and for a wide space of water to be left between each boat; as it is impossible, at present, for one submarine to know the exact position of another when both vessels are submerged. Therefore, if each boat was not previously instructed how to act, there would not only be the likelihood of the greater portion of an attacking flotilla firing their torpedoes at one or two vessels of the hostile fleet and allowing the remainder either to escape or to keep up a heavy and dangerous fire unmolested, but also of collision and of torpedoeing each other by accident. There is no means of inter-communication between submarines when submerged, and a battle between submarines is almost impossible.