Sledge (speedboat)
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The Kleinst Schnellboot Schlitten was a prototype of the German Navy , which was tested for the first time in the spring of 1944. However, it was not used. Only one boat was made for both sledge I and sledge II .
Development history
In order to test the conception of miniature speedboats, the head of the construction and testing department of the small combat units of the navy, Lieutenant for the Sea of the Reserve, Friedrich-Hans Wendel, had set up a model test facility near Boizenburg on the Elbe . There tests of conventional and new types of boat hulls were carried out, which were to be quickly put into series production. In this context, in cooperation with the Borgward works from Bremen, the idea arose to develop a frameless boat hull in sheet steel shell construction, which could be produced quickly and, above all, in large numbers with the help of body presses.
Sledge
The production of a prototype began before the Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944 and was called the sledge . The sled was 7.5 meters long and was steered by a pilot. The armament consisted of two torpedoes of the type G7 , which were mounted on either side of the boat into appropriate recesses. The prototype was powered by a 90 hp engine via a single propeller . The boat had a range of 300 nm . The following test drives were disappointing, however, as the engine was too weak and the speed with the two attached torpedoes was only 12 knots . Even without torpedoes, the boat only reached 18 knots. The maximum speed was 25 knots, but only if the torpedoes ran along during the last phase of an attack drive against a sea target and were released from the speedboat shortly before the target. The boat should then turn hard and start the journey home, while the torpedoes should continue towards their target.
Carriage II
The knowledge gained during the test drives led to the concept being completely revised. The new boat became larger and therefore more seaworthy and was given the designation Schlitten II . The weak propulsion power of the predecessor was countered by the fact that a 600 hp BMW aircraft engine was to drive the boat. However, this had the consequence that the crew increased from one to two men. The second man was either an aircraft engine mechanic or technician and was responsible for maintaining the machine. The primary armament consisted of two attached G7 torpedoes, as with the predecessor. In addition, the boat had a MG 34 or MG 42 for self-protection . With the new engine, the speedboat reached a speed of 30 knots with torpedoes and 48 knots without torpedoes for the return journey with an unchanged range of 300 nm.
Task of the project
The concept of mass production of the miniature high-speed boat Schlitten by sheet metal pressing was groundbreaking at the time and would have given the small combat units of the Navy an enormous impact. In the winter of 1944/45 a comparison test was carried out between the torpedo speedboats Hydra , Kobra and Wal as well as the sledge , with the result that the Hydra won the test with regard to its sea behavior and sound absorption. For this reason, the sled project was discontinued in favor of the Hydra . Another reason for the failure of the concept was the lack of available aircraft engines, which were reserved for the Air Force anyway .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Harald Fock: Naval small weapons. Manned torpedoes, small submarines, small speedboats, explosives yesterday - today - tomorrow. Nikol, Hamburg 1996, ISBN 3-930656-34-5 , pp. 137-138.