Midget submarine
Oxford Companion to World War II:
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Midget Submarines
were employed by the Italians, who had pioneered their use during the First World War, and by the British, Germans, and Japanese, with varying degrees of success. They were mostly used to attack warships in defended harbours which conventional submarines had little chance of penetrating. The crews of British midgets used limpet mines, Axis ones mostly torpedoes.
The British operated three types: variants of the one-man Welman, a cross between a midget submarine and a human torpedo; the 15.5 m. (51 ft.), 35-ton, four-man X-craft; and the XE-craft, a later development of the X-craft, which were employed in the Far East where their crews cut Japanese communication cables and damaged a cruiser. SOE's Welman was a failure, but six X-craft altered the balance of sea power in northern waters when they attacked, and badly damaged, the German battleship Tirpitz in September 1943. In AprilandSeptember 1944 others attacked a floating dock in Norway—which an earlier Welman operation had failed to destroy—and two more were used by Combined Operations Pilotage Parties to survey the Normandy beaches and then helped guide in the invasion forces in June 1944.
The Germans also operated three types: the 9 m. (29.5 ft.), 6.5-ton Biber (beaver), in which the crewman was apt to be asphyxiated by carbon monoxide from its petrol engine; the 10 m. (34.4 ft.), 11-ton Molch (newt), which attacked Allied shipping off the Normandy beaches during OVERLORD and elsewhere without achieving much; and the more successful diesel-engined two-man 11.9 m. (39 ft.), 14.7-ton Seehund (seal), which sank a number of Allied ships.
In 1941 the Japanese Navy had more than 40 two-man, 24 m. (78.5 ft.), 46-ton Ko-gata (Type A) midget submarines. Five were used, and lost, in the attack on Pearl Harbor, after being carried there by fleet submarines, and they attacked British warships at Diégo Suarez, Madagascar, in May 1942, damaging a battleship, Ramillies, and sinking a tanker. Type As were also used to attack shipping in Sydney harbour and at Guadalcanal. The three-man 25 m. (82 ft.), 50-ton Hei-gata (Type C) was employed with Type As during the Philippines campaigns and elsewhere but with little success. The Japanese also developed two types of suicide midget submarines: the 17 m. (56 ft.), 19-ton two-man Kairyu (Sea Dragon) and the larger, faster 26.2 m. (86 ft.), 60-ton, two- or five-man Koryu (Scaly Dragon) which had explosive charges in the bows or could carry torpedoes.
The Italians had several prototypes but the only operational ones were the four-man CBs which were used in the Black Sea with some success during the Axis blockade of Sevastopol. A plan to attack shipping in New York harbour with another type of midget submarine was thwarted by the surrender of Italy in September 1943. .
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Midget submarine
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Midget submarine
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A midget submarine is any submarine under 150 tons[citation needed], typically operated by a crew of one or two but sometimes up to 6 or 8, with little or no on-board living accommodation. Midget submarines normally work with mother ships, from which they are launched and recovered, and which provide living accommodation for the crew and other support staff.
Both military and civilian midget submarines have been built. Military types work with surface ships and other submarines as mother ships. Civilian and non-combatant military types are generally called submersibles, and normally work with surface ships.
Most early submarines, such as the United States Navy's USS Holland (SS-1) and the British Royal Navy's Holland 1, would now be considered midget submarines.
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Contents
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Military submarines
Uses
The best known role for midget submarines is probably harbor penetration, although only two World War II boats, the British X-craft and the unsuccessful Welman submarine were specifically designed with this in mind. Japan's Ko-hyoteki class submarines were originally designed to take part in decisive fleet actions. However, as circumstances changed, they ended up tasked with harbour penetration. Germany’s various World War II designs were mostly designed to attack Allied shipping off landing beaches and harbours, although the Seehund had a great enough range to attack shipping off the Thames estuary.
Midget submarines have also seen some use in support roles. X-craft were used for reconnaissance, and the Seehund was used to carry supplies. A number of modern midget submarines have also been built for submarine rescue.
Armament
Midget submarines are commonly armed with torpedoes and mines. Alternatively, they may carry timed explosive charges.
Types by nation
Belgium
- FNRS-2 pioneering research submersible
China, People's Republic
- Type 7103 DSRVs
- Osprey class submersibles
- Sea Pole class bathyscaphe
- Dragon class bathyscaphe
- Harmony class bathyscaphe
- Mobile diving bell
- QSZ-II submersible
China, Republic (Taiwan)
- 2 Italian COS.MO.S CE2F/X100 post-war torpedo chariots
- 2 Italian COS.MO.S SX-404 midget submarines: S-1 Haijiao (海蛟), S-2 Hailong (海龍), in service from October 8, 1969 to November 1, 1973.
Finland
- MIR (submersible) for research and submarine rescue
France
- FNRS-4 second generation research submersible
- Nautile research submersible to depth of 6 kilometers
France also acquired a number of German midget submarines at the end of WW2.
Germany
Most German midget submarines were developed late in World War II in an attempt to stop the Allied invasion of Europe and used later to disrupt its supply lines. As a result, the submarines mostly engaged in open water attacks rather than harbour penetration.
- Biber (324 built by AG Weser of Bremen)[1]
- Delphin (2 built) 2-man 5-ton torpedo with top speed of 20 knots (37 km/h) and submerged radius of 30 nautical miles (56 km) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h).[1]
- Hai (midget submarine) prototype of improved Marder.[1]
- Hecht type XXVIIA 2-man 12 ton submarine with 1 mine or 1 torpedo carried outboard to a range of 38 miles at 4 knots.[2]
- Marder (~300 built) similar to Neger with breathing apparatus to allow submerged operation.[1]
- Molch Completely electric motordriven WWII (1944–1945) Midget submarine. Total 393 built.
- Neger (~200 built) 1-man 5-ton torpedo with underslung G7E torpedo. Top speed 20 knots and range of 30 miles at 3 knots.[1]
- Orca class post-war swimmer delivery vehicle
- Seehund type XXVIIB[3] Most successful midget submarine in the Kriegsmarine. Operational deployment was between January 1945 – April 1945.
- V.80 4-man 76-ton prototype completed in 1940 to test Walther geared turbine propulsion system. Range was 50 nautical miles (93 km) at 28 knots (52 km/h).[4]
Iran
Italy
- Siluro a Lenta Corsa (SLC), also known as "Maiale" (pig), a low speed torpedo chariot
- Bathyscaphe Trieste was first to explore the Challenger Deep of the Mariana Trench
- CA type First series was a 2 man midget submarine the second series carried a crew of three.[5]
- CB type 45 ton 4 man design first introduced in 1941[5]
- CE2F/X100 post-war torpedo chariot
- SX-404 a 70 ton submarine design. 4 were sold to Columbia and 2 to Taiwan in the 1970s.[6]
Japan
- Ko-hyoteki-class midget submarines were used in the 1942 Attack on Sydney Harbour, Attack on Diego Suarez Harbor and the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor,[7] in which the type 97 torpedo was used operationally. The wreckage of one of the submarines sunk at Pearl was located by NOAA's Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory (HURL) in August 2002.[8] Photographic analysis conducted by the United States Naval Institute in 1999 indicates one of the five Ko-hyoteki-class submarines managed to enter Pearl Harbor, and successfully fired a torpedo into the USS West Virginia. On 29 May 1942, two midget submarines, one of which managed to enter the Diego Suarez harbor and fired two torpedoes. One torpedo seriously damaged battleship HMS Ramillies, while the second sank the oil tanker British Loyalty (6,993 tons).
- Type B Midget Ha 45 prototype built 1942 to test Type A improvements.[9]
- Type C Midget Ha 62–76 similar to Type A with crew of 3 and radius increased to 350 nautical miles (650 km) at 6 knots (11 km/h) surfaced or 120 nautical miles (220 km) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h) submerged.[9]
- Type D Koryu (115 completed) improved Type C with crew of 5 and radius increased to 1000 miles at 8 knots surfaced and 320 miles at 16 knots submerged.[10]
- Kairyu class submarine
- Kaiten Submarine suicide torpedo.
- DSV Shinkai research submersible to a depth of 6.5 kilometers.
North Korea
Poland
Romania
Russia
- In the late 19th century Russia built a class of treadle powered submarines 4.5 meters in length designed by Stefan Drzewiecki they were withdrawn from service in 1886.[12]
- Losos class submarine
Spain
- SA-40 of the Foca class
- SA-50 of the Tiburón class
United Kingdom
The Royal Navy has used a number of midget submarines. Most were developed during the Second World War. The decommissioning of the Stickleback class marked the end of midget submarines designed for combat in the Royal Navy.
- Sleeping Beauty Motorised Submersible Canoe (MSC): developed by Special Operations Executive during the Second World War.
- Stickleback class: a post Second World War development of the XE class.
- X class: used to attack German warships in the north of Norway. One notable target of a successful attack was the battleship Tirpitz. The submarines had a crew of three (plus a diver) and carried two large mines containing Amatol – one on each side. Their strategy was to lay mines on the sea bottom beneath the target, set a time fuse, and leave.
- XE class: used in the Far East, where they carried out a number of attacks and special missions.
- Welman submarine: a single-person submersible widely considered a failure.[13]
United States
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- Aluminaut
- DSV Alvin (DSV-2)
- DSRV-2 Avalon
- DSRV-1 Mystic
- Nemo (DSV-5)
- DSV Sea Cliff (DSV-4) of the Alvin class
- Bathyscaphe Trieste II (DSV-1)
- DSV Turtle (DSV-3) of the Alvin class
- X-1 Submarine
Yugoslavia
- Una class. After the Yugoslav Wars, both Croatia and FR Yugoslavia held examples.
Indonesia
The Indonesian Navy shows some interest on having a new Midget Class Submarine, built by local shipyards, not for open water patrol but for coastal patrol. The design was done many years ago by a retired Indonesian NAVY, Submariner Officer, Colonel (Ret) Ir. R. Dradjat Budiyanto, Msc. for the Indonesian Navy. The Midget experiment project with designation MIDGET IM X −1, will be about 150 – 250 tonnes, with a tubular frame design, 24 – 30 meters long, with 4 torpedo tubes and equipped with equipment that is used in a modern submarine. The subs will have minimum of 8 – 10 crew members including officers. It will be equipped with a 40 km range non hull-penetration optronic mast for the attack periscope and also a 20 km range navigation periscope.
The Indonesian Department of Defense Ministry Mr. Purnomo Yusgiantoro showed interest on this Midget submarine design. The Indonesian Navy should have the new submarine built by Indonesian shipyard PT.PAL INDONESIA by late 2011. The Midget Submarine project will take 3 – 4 years for construction. If the vessel starts by end of 2011, The Indonesian Navy expects will be commissioning the first Midget Class submarine by 2014.
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e Lenton, H.T. GERMAN WARSHIPS of the Second World War Arco Publishing (1976) pp. 285–286
- ^ Taylor, J.C. German Warships of World War II Doubleday & Company (1967) p. 109
- ^ Taylor, J.C. German Warships of World War II Doubleday & Company (1967) p.110
- ^ Lenton, H.T. GERMAN WARSHIPS of the Second World War Arco Publishing (1976) p.212
- ^ a b Kemp, Paul (1996). Underwater Warriors. Arms & Armour Press. pp. 55–57. ISBN 1-85409-228-6.
- ^ Kemp, Paul (1996). Underwater Warriors. Arms & Armour Press. pp. 225–228. ISBN 1-85409-228-6.
- ^ Hearst Magazines (May 1942). "Jap Sub Had Guard to Cut Net in Harbor". Popular Mechanics. Hearst Magazines. pp. 71–. ISSN 00324558. http://books.google.com/books?id=edYDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA71. Retrieved 2 October 2011.
- ^ NOAA's Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory (HURL)
- ^ a b Watts, Anthony J. Japanese Warships of World War II Doubleday & Company (1967) p.213
- ^ Watts, Anthony J. Japanese Warships of World War II Doubleday & Company (1967) p.216
- ^ 10 lucruri de ştiut despre ... Submarinele româneşti. Historia.ro. (in Romanian)
- ^ Preston, Antony (2001). The Royal Navy Submarine Service A Centennial History. Conway Maritime Press. pp. 19. ISBN 0-85177-891-7.
- ^ Kemp, Paul (1996). Underwater Warriors. Arms & Armour Press. p. 158. ISBN 1-85409-228-6.
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