I think that “Balance of Terror” was the very first episode of Star Trek to feature ship to ship combat with a near peer adversary. The Romulans in that episode got cloaking technology because the screenplay was ripped straight from a WWII submarine movie.
I guess after that point the “submarine” tropes got established, because that style of combat was basically doctrine up until Star Trek (2009).
I think that “Balance of Terror” was the very first episode of Star Trek to feature ship to ship combat with a near peer adversary. The Romulans in that episode got cloaking technology because the screenplay was ripped straight from a WWII submarine movie.
I guess after that point the “submarine” tropes got established, because that style of combat was basically doctrine up until Star Trek (2009).