What do you think?
Rate this book
Submarine Aircraft Carriers: From World War I to the Age of Drones
Two innovations in weaponry appeared at the beginning of the twentieth century and revolutionized warfare, turning it into a multidimensional contest: the modern diesel-powered submarine and the fixed-wing aircraft. Both saw extensive use during World War I, and the nations of the world soon developed mobile launching pads for planes during and after the war, first using surface ships and then submarines. The submarine aircraft carrier was born. Virtually nothing has been written about these weapons--until now, in this detailed narrative by one of the world's leading naval experts.
Submarine aircraft carriers were pursued by all of the world's major naval powers: the United States, Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, and the Soviet Union. Germany led the way, and while its efforts did not put vessels into battle during World War I, rumors of such a submarine caused widespread panic in New York City in 1918. Despite concentrated efforts during the 1920s and 1930s, only Japan and France had seagoing submarine aircraft carriers when World War II erupted. France's single such vessel disappeared at sea in 1942, but Japan built forty-seven, including three of its massive I-400 class, the largest submarines of World War II. Japanese submarine aircraft carriers launched the only aerial bombing of the contiguous United States, when a sub-based plane dropped bombs over Oregon. The three I-400s figured prominently in Japan's never-realized plans to attack the Panama Canal, New York City, and Washington, DC, as well as in Operation Cherry Blossoms at Night, Japan's last-ditch plan to spread bubonic plague and other pathogens to the coastal cities of California.
After World War II, both the United States and the Soviet Union pursued further development of submarine aircraft carriers as part of their nuclear strike capabilities--including some fanciful ideas for truly gigantic submarines launching bomber aircraft--but the advent of guided cruise missiles quickly ended interest in these vessels.
In this comprehensive and readable history, Norman Polmar draws on more than sixty years of researching and writing about the world's naval vessels to uncover the development of submarine aircraft carriers. Their story reveals much about twentieth-century naval strategy, tactics, and technology.
Submarine aircraft carriers were pursued by all of the world's major naval powers: the United States, Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, and the Soviet Union. Germany led the way, and while its efforts did not put vessels into battle during World War I, rumors of such a submarine caused widespread panic in New York City in 1918. Despite concentrated efforts during the 1920s and 1930s, only Japan and France had seagoing submarine aircraft carriers when World War II erupted. France's single such vessel disappeared at sea in 1942, but Japan built forty-seven, including three of its massive I-400 class, the largest submarines of World War II. Japanese submarine aircraft carriers launched the only aerial bombing of the contiguous United States, when a sub-based plane dropped bombs over Oregon. The three I-400s figured prominently in Japan's never-realized plans to attack the Panama Canal, New York City, and Washington, DC, as well as in Operation Cherry Blossoms at Night, Japan's last-ditch plan to spread bubonic plague and other pathogens to the coastal cities of California.
After World War II, both the United States and the Soviet Union pursued further development of submarine aircraft carriers as part of their nuclear strike capabilities--including some fanciful ideas for truly gigantic submarines launching bomber aircraft--but the advent of guided cruise missiles quickly ended interest in these vessels.
In this comprehensive and readable history, Norman Polmar draws on more than sixty years of researching and writing about the world's naval vessels to uncover the development of submarine aircraft carriers. Their story reveals much about twentieth-century naval strategy, tactics, and technology.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published November 18, 2025
1 person is currently reading
3 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 30, 2025
Before we begin, I’d like to thank Stackpole Books and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book for review.
The turn of the 20th century brought two pieces of technology that made years of science fiction a reality: submarines and airplanes. Like many other inventions, they were quickly developed for the potential uses in war, to devastating effect on the battlefields of World War I. It was only a matter of time before military leaders saw the potential of bringing these two inventions together - although not necessarily with great success. The story of how military forces developed and deployed aircraft based on submarines is chronicled in “Submarine Aircraft Carriers”, a new book by Jacob Gunnarson and Norman Polmar.
During the Great War, Germany first realized that combining submarines’ stealth and the ability to search with larger areas quickly with aircraft could be potentially useful in war. While the Germans didn’t have much success combining aircraft with submarines in World War I, it inspired the United States, Britain, Japan, and several additional European countries to experiment and develop submarines that could serve as submersible cruisers and fleet scouts.
By the start of World War II, only the Japanese had developed the concept enough to be able to build and use submarine-launched aircraft, although the French had built a troublesome prototype and the Germans deployed gliders and autogyros to help U-boats search for targets. The Japanese launched numerous aircraft for reconnaissance missions in the early years of the war, as well as using subs as refueling platforms for seaplanes and developing and attempting plans to use aircraft to launch attacks on the American west coast. The Japanese even built multiple large submarines - the largest built by any navy until the late 1950s - that could carry and potentially launch bombers against naval bases and American cities.
While the Japanese never successfully carried out raids with submarine-launched planes, the Americans and the Soviets were interested enough in the concept that both countries pursued programs to use submarines as launch platforms for manned and aircraft as well as cruise missiles well into the late 1950s. Even today, the US Navy has tested programs that would allow them to launch drones from subs for reconnaissance and support for special forces.
Jacob and Norman have put an interesting book about the history of combining these aircraft and submarines for use in wartime. While in many cases, the technology available couldn’t produce a practical application that lived up to the potential of the concept, Jacob and Norman demonstrate that the lack of success wasn’t due to a lack of effort. Amateur naval historians will find a fascinating look at something that still has the potential to find its way into combat fleets sometime in the future.
The turn of the 20th century brought two pieces of technology that made years of science fiction a reality: submarines and airplanes. Like many other inventions, they were quickly developed for the potential uses in war, to devastating effect on the battlefields of World War I. It was only a matter of time before military leaders saw the potential of bringing these two inventions together - although not necessarily with great success. The story of how military forces developed and deployed aircraft based on submarines is chronicled in “Submarine Aircraft Carriers”, a new book by Jacob Gunnarson and Norman Polmar.
During the Great War, Germany first realized that combining submarines’ stealth and the ability to search with larger areas quickly with aircraft could be potentially useful in war. While the Germans didn’t have much success combining aircraft with submarines in World War I, it inspired the United States, Britain, Japan, and several additional European countries to experiment and develop submarines that could serve as submersible cruisers and fleet scouts.
By the start of World War II, only the Japanese had developed the concept enough to be able to build and use submarine-launched aircraft, although the French had built a troublesome prototype and the Germans deployed gliders and autogyros to help U-boats search for targets. The Japanese launched numerous aircraft for reconnaissance missions in the early years of the war, as well as using subs as refueling platforms for seaplanes and developing and attempting plans to use aircraft to launch attacks on the American west coast. The Japanese even built multiple large submarines - the largest built by any navy until the late 1950s - that could carry and potentially launch bombers against naval bases and American cities.
While the Japanese never successfully carried out raids with submarine-launched planes, the Americans and the Soviets were interested enough in the concept that both countries pursued programs to use submarines as launch platforms for manned and aircraft as well as cruise missiles well into the late 1950s. Even today, the US Navy has tested programs that would allow them to launch drones from subs for reconnaissance and support for special forces.
Jacob and Norman have put an interesting book about the history of combining these aircraft and submarines for use in wartime. While in many cases, the technology available couldn’t produce a practical application that lived up to the potential of the concept, Jacob and Norman demonstrate that the lack of success wasn’t due to a lack of effort. Amateur naval historians will find a fascinating look at something that still has the potential to find its way into combat fleets sometime in the future.
December 8, 2025
Submarine Aircraft Carriers, by Jacob Gunnarson and Norman Polmar, is an interesting and comprehensive history of the efforts to combine submersibles and aircraft, with mixed results.
As a former submariner I had heard a very rough outline of some of the non-US attempts as well as some of ours, but it was mostly senior personnel (usually COBs or other chiefs) telling us about what they had seen (or supposedly had seen). This book definitely filled in all of the holes in their stories, and made me even more curious.
I'm not going to give a book report, you can read the book to learn how successful the Germans and Japanese were before and during WWII, as well as the many efforts from Allied countries. What I will say is that you will get both the stories and the technical information (diagrams and specs) that make a lot of the work come to life.
The appendices, notes, and bibliography offer plenty of avenues if you want to look into any topics or equipment mentioned in the book. While I would have loved more pictures, there were enough to supplement the text and let you see what these things looked like.
It does look like the use of drones launched from submarines is a usable idea with a contract already awarded for one that can be launched while submerged. I was on a fast attack, so this would have been of particular interest to me at the time.
Recommended for military history readers as well as those who find the act of creatively working on the synthesis of seemingly incompatible machines fascinating.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
As a former submariner I had heard a very rough outline of some of the non-US attempts as well as some of ours, but it was mostly senior personnel (usually COBs or other chiefs) telling us about what they had seen (or supposedly had seen). This book definitely filled in all of the holes in their stories, and made me even more curious.
I'm not going to give a book report, you can read the book to learn how successful the Germans and Japanese were before and during WWII, as well as the many efforts from Allied countries. What I will say is that you will get both the stories and the technical information (diagrams and specs) that make a lot of the work come to life.
The appendices, notes, and bibliography offer plenty of avenues if you want to look into any topics or equipment mentioned in the book. While I would have loved more pictures, there were enough to supplement the text and let you see what these things looked like.
It does look like the use of drones launched from submarines is a usable idea with a contract already awarded for one that can be launched while submerged. I was on a fast attack, so this would have been of particular interest to me at the time.
Recommended for military history readers as well as those who find the act of creatively working on the synthesis of seemingly incompatible machines fascinating.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews