![]() Although it could malfunction after a depth charge assault, as the sealed off carbon dioxide compartment could tear open and poison the pilot and navigator.Ĭonverted it could lay mines as well. It could withstand depth charges, due to its small size it was pushed out of the way and tossed around instead of being destroyed. The Seehund in the Deutsches Museum in Munich Back of the Seehund – Munich The Seehund U-Boat, Deutsches Museum in Munich Seehund – Pilot compartment – Munich The Seehund submarine in battleīecause of his small size the Seehund was hard to detect. The last Seehund came from the production line in April 1945. In total 285 Seehund midget submarines would be built before the end of the war. Howaldt shipyards, with a handfull constructed in other factories. Most of these were constructed by the Schichau and G.W. Construction of the mini-submarines started in 1944 and in September 1944 the first Seehund U-Boats were delivered. The plan was to build a thousand of the Seehund Klein U-Boot, as the Germans called their midget submarine class. The Seehund at the wehrtechnische Museum in Koblenz The Seehund type XXVII B5 Steering and propulsion section – Koblenz the Seehund midget submarine – Koblenz Production of the Seehund Midsection of a salvaged Seehund in the Militair Museum Dresden It could attack even in though weather with 4 Beufort but hat to lay stationary when attacking submerged. Like the Biber it carried two torpedo’s of the G7e type on its lower side. The Seehund 227 as this type was designated was faster underwater with this power plant than the earlier 127 type. When the diesel engine was converted to a closed – cycle propulsion it produced 100hp and enhanced the speed up to 15 km/h surfaced and almost 20 km/h submerged. The diesel engine, made by Bussing, delivered 60 hp and the AEG electro motor gave 25 hp. It’s safe diving depth was 30 meters with a depth record of 70 meters. ![]() When an external fuel tank was added, the maximum range of the Seehund was extended to 925 kilometers. The Seehund had a maximum range of 555 kilometers with a speed of 13 km/h surfaced and 115 kilometers on a speed of 5,5 km/h submerged. The Seehund type 127 in Bremerhaven Pilot section in Bremerhaven The big difference with its predecessors was that it took two operators on board, a pilot seated in front of the navigator. The midget sub was almost 12 meters long, had a beam of 1,7 meters and a diameter of 1,3 meters. The U-Boot, designated as type 127 or XXVII B5, was built by Fisher and Grim and had excellent technical features. ![]() Unlike other midget submarine versions such as the Molch and the Biber which were rushed into service, the Seehund was build from scratch with all lessons learned and ready for action in late 1944. This German midget submarine named Seehund (Eng: Seal) was the most successful mini-submarine of the German Navy (Kriegsmarine). Wikimedia Commons has media related to German Molch submarines.Seehund Klein U-Boot from the Kriegsmarine Due to the ineffectiveness of the Molch in combat operations, it was later used as a training vessel for more advanced midget submarines. From January to April 1945, Molch and Biber submarines went out on 102 sorties, losing seven of their own and sunk only seven small ships. ![]() Other Molch flotillas were sent to Holland in December 1944, but were also unsuccessful. Shortly after, the remaining two were sunk by Allied warship bombardment off the Sanremo coast. On the night of September 25 they attacked Allied battleships, with the loss of ten out of the twelve Molch submarines in the flotilla. ![]() The submarines were a part of the K-Verband 411 flotilla. The Molch were first used in the Mediterranean against the Allied " Operation Dragoon" in 1944. The first of 393 boats were delivered on Jand were built by AG Weser in Bremen. The complicated system of tanks made it difficult to control during combat operations. Behind the operator sat the electric motor. Behind the battery was the operator's position, which sat between two small trimming tanks. The front section of the boat held a large battery. It was fully electrical and was created for coastal operations, with a range of 64 km (40 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h 5.8 mph). The Molch was based on torpedo technology, and carried two G7e torpedoes attached externally on either side of the craft. Built in 1944, it was the first mini-submarine of the Kriegsmarine, but was not successful in combat operations and suffered heavy losses. The Molch (German language: " newt" or " salamander") was an unsuccessful, one-man series of German midget submarines created during World War II. ![]()
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