It was very nice of the French to build nice facilities for us to use at Cam Ranh Bay. Kind of eerie to read about these things taking place in 1939, knowing what would happen there in the ensuing 30+ years.
As for the Phenix, I don’t recall ever reading about this event before. From what I do know about submarines, a boat built in 1927 would not have been considered “modern” in 1939. There was a lot of development in submarine technology during that period, particularly in terms of increasing battery life, developing diesel engines better suited for submarine use, improving structural integrity for deeper diving, and better buoyancy. An American boat of 1927 vintage would have been considered at least obsolescent in 1939 with the advent of our Gato class fleet boats.
I’d put our Gatos against the German Mark VII or IX any day. It was the torpedoes that were faulty.
Especially USS Barb!