Narwhal (submarine)
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Narwal was the name of asmall reconnaissance submarine builtfor the German Navy , which was completed in 1990, but not taken into active service.
tasks
During the Cold War , the German Navy had a keen interest in information about all weapon systems of the Warsaw Pact navies . It has been observed that during weapon exercises at sea, parts of weapon systems, in particular torpedoes and warheads of missiles , fell almost undamaged into the water and could not be recovered immediately by their users. Because restricted areas were mostly set up around the loss points, it was only possible in exceptional cases to pick up material from surface vessels such as the fleet service boats .
Therefore, at the end of the 1970s, the idea of building an underwater vehicle that was able to recover such finds unnoticed was developed. After some studies, the requirements were specified in such a way that the vehicle should be able to take up to four divers to the destination controlled by a single pilot. Divers should be able to get on and off safely when submerged. The boat should be able to operate autonomously for several days after it was brought into its area of operation from another platform. With a top speed of six knots, it should be extremely quiet. It was supposed to use a sonar to search , the retrofitting of gripper arms was planned.
Construction and testing
In 1986 the marine technology division received the order from MBB to create a solution for this concept. In 1987, the order to build a prototype of an “underwater vehicle for the transfer of divers” (UWTG) followed within 36 months.
On September 4, 1990, the boat was at the shipyard Abeking & Rasmussen in Lemwerder on the name narwhal baptized. The further equipment took place at the Wehrtechnischen Dienststelle 71 (WTD 71) in Eckernförde . In September 1991 the manufacturer officially handed over the Narwal to the German Armed Forces , but no longer used in the Navy due to the changed political situation. The WTD 71 tested the UWTG until the project was finally stopped in December 1996 and the boat was scrapped.
Whereabouts
Originally intended for scrapping, it was decided to give the boat to the Military History Museum of the German Armed Forces in Dresden for public display.
literature
- Hans Frank : The "Narwhal" - relic of the Cold War . In: Marineforum 9-2011, p. 20
- Call-Sign-Book-for-Ships-1996 ACP113 (AD) [2]
