John A Silkstone
13-05-06, 23:38
Tomorrow on UK TV Channel five is the movie Tobuk at 15.15 hours. This is followed at 17.20 hours by the film Submarine X-1. The film is about the sinking of the German Battleship Tirpitz.
The X class submarine where built in secret at Marshall’s Engineering works in Gainsborough Lincolnshire and tested in the River Trent for leaks before leaving the factory. I’m sorry to say that the factory which covered nearly five acres was razed to the ground this year and a shopping complex is being built on the site. Myself and a few others attempted to stop the Britannia Building (The building correct name) from be pulled down, but we lost the battle.
The X class was a World War II midget submarine class built for the Royal Navy during 1943–44. The craft were about 51 feet (15.5 m) long, 5.5 feet (1.68 m) in maximum diameter and displaced 35 tons.
They had a maximum surface speed of 6.5 knots (12 km/h), and a submerged speed of 5 knots (9 km/h). The crew initially numbered three—commander, pilot and ERA—but soon a specialist diver was added.
Their range was limited primarily by the endurance and determination of their crews, but was thought to be up to 14 days in the craft or 1,500 miles (2,400 km) distance after suitable training.
The X class submarines' weapons were two side-cargoes - explosive charges each held on opposite sides of the hull with two tons of explosive (amatol) each. The intention was to drop these on the sea bed underneath the target then creep away. The charges were set off by a time fuse.
A number of development craft were built before it was felt that a realistic weapon had been produced. The first operational craft was HMS X3 (or HM S/M X.3), launched on the night of March 15, 1942.
Training with the craft began in September 1942, with X4 arriving in October. In December 1942 and January 1943 six of the "5-10" class began to arrive, identical externally but with a completely reworked interior.
These operations were part of a longer series of frogman operations which are listed in a timetable on the page Human_torpedo. Their first deployment was Operation Source in September, 1943, an attempt to neutralise the heavy German warships based in Northern Norway. Six X-Craft were used, but only 2 successfully laid charges (under the Tirpitz); the rest were lost, scuttled or returned to base.
This was the only multiple X-craft attack. The lost craft were replaced early in 1944 with X20 to X25 and six training craft.
X24 – The only one to have seen service and survive is at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum at Gosport, Hampshire UK.
Silky
The X class submarine where built in secret at Marshall’s Engineering works in Gainsborough Lincolnshire and tested in the River Trent for leaks before leaving the factory. I’m sorry to say that the factory which covered nearly five acres was razed to the ground this year and a shopping complex is being built on the site. Myself and a few others attempted to stop the Britannia Building (The building correct name) from be pulled down, but we lost the battle.
The X class was a World War II midget submarine class built for the Royal Navy during 1943–44. The craft were about 51 feet (15.5 m) long, 5.5 feet (1.68 m) in maximum diameter and displaced 35 tons.
They had a maximum surface speed of 6.5 knots (12 km/h), and a submerged speed of 5 knots (9 km/h). The crew initially numbered three—commander, pilot and ERA—but soon a specialist diver was added.
Their range was limited primarily by the endurance and determination of their crews, but was thought to be up to 14 days in the craft or 1,500 miles (2,400 km) distance after suitable training.
The X class submarines' weapons were two side-cargoes - explosive charges each held on opposite sides of the hull with two tons of explosive (amatol) each. The intention was to drop these on the sea bed underneath the target then creep away. The charges were set off by a time fuse.
A number of development craft were built before it was felt that a realistic weapon had been produced. The first operational craft was HMS X3 (or HM S/M X.3), launched on the night of March 15, 1942.
Training with the craft began in September 1942, with X4 arriving in October. In December 1942 and January 1943 six of the "5-10" class began to arrive, identical externally but with a completely reworked interior.
These operations were part of a longer series of frogman operations which are listed in a timetable on the page Human_torpedo. Their first deployment was Operation Source in September, 1943, an attempt to neutralise the heavy German warships based in Northern Norway. Six X-Craft were used, but only 2 successfully laid charges (under the Tirpitz); the rest were lost, scuttled or returned to base.
This was the only multiple X-craft attack. The lost craft were replaced early in 1944 with X20 to X25 and six training craft.
X24 – The only one to have seen service and survive is at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum at Gosport, Hampshire UK.
Silky