 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources. Find sources: "Schwertwal" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (May 2014) |
Schwertwal (German for Orca, lit. "Sword Whale") was a German miniature submarine design that reached the trial stage in late April 1945. It had a crew of two and was designed to have a high subsurface speed of around 20 knots. The high speed was archived by the use of a Walther turbine. The submarine carried an armament of two torpedoes. The submarine lacked a periscope and the pilot viewed the outside world through an acrylic glass dome.
The prototype was scuttled at the end of World War II but was raised by the British Navy and examined before being scrapped.
Further developments
Design work for an even faster version began but the plans never left the drawing board.
Notes
References
- Kemp, Paul (1996). Underwater Warriors. London: Arms & Armour Press. ISBN 1-85409-228-6.
- Rossler, Eberhard (2001). The U-Boat: The Evolution and Technical History of German Submarines. London: Cassell. ISBN 0-304-36120-8.
External links
| Midget submarines of the Kriegsmarine | |
|---|---|
| Completed submarines | |
| Manned torpedoes | |
| Prototypes | |