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The crew could open the hanger doors, move the seaplane to the catapult, unfold wings and launch within minutes after surfacing, taking just a bit longer to retrieve the plane with the crane and stow it before submerging. But remaining on the surface for even that short a time was extremely hazardous later in the war, due to radar and air patrols. These giant submarines were relatively slow to dive and maneuver, and despite their size the hulls were rather vulnerable to depth charges. And I once read that if the large hangar flooded due to damage or a failure to properly seal the doors, the submarine lacked enough remaining buoyancy to recover.
David T. Okamura
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