Midget Submarines

[Kunal Biswas]

A Japanese Type C was on display at the Mystic Marine Museum in Connecticut for many years, as I remember.

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Yugoslavian Una class Submarine

Six Una-class submarines were built for the Yugoslav Navy between 1985 and 1989.



Length overall 20.92 m
Pressure hull length 15.37 m
Pressure hull breadth 2.70 m
Draught mean 2.40 m
Displacement-surface 88.04 m
Displacement-underwater 98.75 m
Operating diving depth 105 m
Limited submerged depth 120 m
Submerged speed, max. 7.4 konts
Speed, cruising-underwater 4 knots
Speed, cruising-surface 5.9 knots

Construction:

The submarine is of single-hull construction. The pressure hull is built of steed and light superstructure of reinforced polyester.
Propulsion system: The submarine is driven by two DC electric motors, 18 kW each. Electric energy is supplied by two groups of storage batteries, 128 links each. The batteries are charged by 105 kW diesel-generator.

Cruising range: In underwater navigation with 7.3 knots, cruising range is 80 NM, and 192 NM with 4 knots. In sufrace navigation with 5.9 knots, cruising range is 90 NM.

Complement: Depending on tactical mission, crew is composed of 6 persons, or 4 persons plus 6 combat divers.

 

[W.G.Ewald]

A Japanese Type C was on display at the Mystic Marine Museum in Connecticut for many years, as I remember.

IIRC, the displayed sub was cut open on one side to see the operating position. It's gone now, since it really didn't fit in the Mystic Seaport's 19th century whaling theme.

Mystic Seaport: The Museum of America and the Sea™ : Home

I really recommend Mystic Seaport as a worthwhile museum to visit.

 

[W.G.Ewald]

A Japanese Type C was on display at the Mystic Marine Museum in Connecticut for many years, as I remember.

IIRC, the displayed sub was cut open on one side to see the operating position. It's gone now, since it really didn't fit in the Mystic Seaport's 19th century whaling theme.

Mystic Seaport: The Museum of America and the Sea™ : Home

I really recommend Mystic Seaport as a worthwhile museum to visit.

 

[Kunal Biswas]

India should also look at such Subs.. Incase of any confrontation with Pakistan. Infiltrating Karachi with these

Kilos are better suited for such operations..

Much stealthy, greater range with greater speed and LACM capability..

 

[bhramos]

Indian Navy to procure five midget submarines - India - DNA

old source, but what is India looking at???

any special weapons in mind!!!

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Indian Navy to procure five midget submarines - India - DNA

old source, but what is India looking at???

any special weapons in mind!!!

Special force insertion..

 

[bhramos]

Special force insertion..

i mean, do we have any subs, or countries in mind, which we might buy them from!!!
i think mostly Italy, as Marcos operating some Chariots 2 seater versions...

 

[Kunal Biswas]

i mean, do we have any subs, or countries in mind, which we might buy them from!!!
i think mostly Italy, as Marcos operating some Chariots 2 seater versions...

L&T have some coastal submarines deigns ( Torpedo capable ) can also be considered..

Italy is main supplier of such Submarines..

 

[W.G.Ewald]

i mean, do we have any subs, or countries in mind, which we might buy them from!!!
i think mostly Italy, as Marcos operating some Chariots 2 seater versions...

Italians have use miniature submarines in naval warfare:

From their first triumph in March of 1941 these units utilized Explosive Motor Boats, Torpedo Boats, Miniature submarines and the infamous Human Torpedos (Maiale). By the end of the war, these units would sink, or severely disable, 86,000 tons of Allied warships and 131,527 tons of merchant shipping.

The 10th Light Flotilla was responsbile for 28 ships sunk or damaged in World War Two. These ships include the battleships HMS Queen Elizabeth, HMS Valiant, cruiser HMS York and 111, 527 tons of merchant shipping.

A partial listing of ships sunk or crippled by the 10th Light Flotilla is noted below.


Durham 10,900 tons Gibraltar Sep, 1941
Queen Elizabeth 32,000 tons Alexandria Dec, 1941
Valiant 31,000 tons Alexandria Dec, 1941
Jervis 1,700 tons Alexandria Dec, 1941
Baron Douglas 3,900 tons Gibraltar July, 1942
Raven's Point 1,900 tons Gibraltar July, 1942
Meta 1,600 tons Gibraltar July, 1942
Harmattan 4,600 tons Algiers Dec, 1942
Empire Centaur 7,000 tons Algiers Dec, 1942
Camerata 4,900 tons Gibraltar May, 1943
Mahsud 7,500 tons Gibraltar May, 1943
Kaituna 10,000 tons Mersin July, 1943
Fernplant 7,000 tons Iskenderun Aug, 1943
Stanridge 6,000 tons Gibraltar Aug, 1943

1942 Italian frogmen were not only deadly, but also very ingenious in their methods of attack. Known as the "Floating Trojan Horse of Gibraltar", Italian frogmen used an imaginative method of destroying enemy ships.

Gibraltar was very tempting to the Italians for their safe shelter of British warships and allied merchant shipping. The Italian frogmen originally used a Spanish villa that was locateed 2 miles from Gibraltar. It was owned by an Italian officer married to a Spanish woman named Conchita Ramognino. This villa held the frogmen who would sneak out into the harbor and attack unsuspecting British warships. But this proved very difficult and costly. The harbor was very well protected by netting, patrol boats and search lights. Because of this difficulty, the Italians decided to use a battered Italian merchant ship docked across the bay of Gibraltar. It was the 4,995 ton Olterra. Italian frogmen secretly replaced the crew with divers and technicians and built a workshop to house, build and maintain human torpedos. A door was then cut 6 feet below the surface to allow these 2-man human torpedos to come and go undetected. Replacement torpedos were shipped from Italy disguised as boiler tubes. When the Italian frogmen commenced their attacks on British warships from this location, it proved just as costly. Five out of six frogmen never returned. But when the Italians decided to attack the merchant shipping, which was less protected, they were rewarded with easy prey. Italian frogmen sank or damaged a total of 42,000 tons of Allied shipping. The British never did find out where these frogmen came from or where they gone.



-------------

Despite early disappointments the Italians persevered, and scored major successes in Gibraltar Harbour in September 1941 and more significantly, in Alexandria Harbour in December. It was this attack that personified the strength of the submarine/swimmer delivery vehicle combination - bold in concept; brilliant in execution; highly effective in result - when six Italian frogmen, led by Cdr Count Luigi de la Penne, on three chariots landed from the Italian submarine Sirce penetrated into Alexandria Harbour and placed explosives on the British battleships Valiant and the Queen Elizabeth, and a nearby tanker. All six charioteers were captured, but they put a significant element of the British Mediterranean Fleet on the bottom. Fortunately for the British the bottom was not far away, and the upperworks of both ships remained well clear of the surface. To fool Italian reconnaissance aircraft into thinking that the raid had failed, apparently normal operations were conducted on a day to day basis. Smoke came out of funnels, guns were trained, and all the routine ceremonial rituals performed as if nothing had happened. In fact below the waterline frantic repair efforts were being made which lasted several weeks. Had the Axis realised the truth then Admiral Cunningham, with only a few operational ships at his disposal, could have been driven out of the Mediterranean, with potentially disastrous consequences for the Allies.

The link is to a secondary source.

 

[W.G.Ewald]

Midget Submarines of the Second World War

http://www.panereh.com/History/HOMS.pdf

Very much worth reading. I don't know how to cut and paste from a PDF.