Best SS for killing other subs (and smaller ships)
KM
SS with machineguns
KM (SS4)
Best SS against big ships
IJN

IJN and MN are good at hunting capital ships. IJN SS5 will have the option of loading torpedo bomber aircraft.

As stated above, KM subs are the best by far at anti-sub warfare. The KM SS4 has the machine guns, but KM SS3 and SS5 just have the regular deck gun.

RN SS5 has a 12" deck gun that only looks forward, and gets no rear torpedoes. It does get scout aircraft, though.

Other than that, USN and RN are pretty average subs that are best used against surface ships.

Im lookin for the best SS to harass cvs. can IJN use mgs?

And what sailors are best for a ss as well

For the most part, sub guns are a novelty. I don't know much about IJN deck guns.

IJN have the hardest-hitting torpedoes, though pretty much any nation besides KM and UK have good forward torpedo capabilities. KM's proximity-detonation torpedoes are still helpful against CVs and BBs, because they basically prevent duds (and I heard a rumour that UK SS5s might also have proximity detonation?).

The only difference between hunting a CV or hunting a BB is that one is further away. Unfortunately, I don't know of anyone who has compiled air time data for the different nations' subs at each tier. Which subs have more air time is about the only factor that you'd want to care more about as a CV hunter than as a BB hunter.



If you already have a crew in one nation or another, you might want to just ask if that nation would work for a CV-hunting sub.

At the heart of your sub crew, you'll need a BO, sonar man, and planesman. For your BO and sonar, I recommend 13 potential and 11/11 in repair/restore. You might want to delay-class your BO until he's SS2 level so that he can level as a crew member on another BO's ship, instead of you having to level through the crappy SS1 (still set the nation on time though!). The way the ability steps are laid out for sonar make it less than optimal to aim for max potential when you can be getting repair and restore too (which also means delay-classing from support to sonar is a good idea to consider). For your planesman, however, get the best potential you can--either an elite +16, or a +15. Boost it if you can, too.

You'll also need a pair of torpedo men. +12 is fine, or even +11, since it caps easily. 12s are easy to roll though.

For supports as you progress through the tiers, you'll want two or three engineers (depending on nation), possibly a gunner or two, and at least one repairman. Deciding exactly how many of what can be a pretty involved matter. It depends on how high level you plan to go (SS5 is ~L90, but will your supports hit 120?), which nation you pick, whether you want to use guns and at which tier(s), and whether you want to use aircraft (for the select few SS5s that have the option).

What is SS5 for ijn? all i see is for subs in ship tree on game info and in my bo's tree