Whale (speedboat)
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The miniature speedboat Wal was a three prototype project of the German Navy towards the end of the Second World War .
Development history
Whale i
The development of the torpedo speedboat Wal goes back to the request of the small combat units in the High Command of the Navy to design a speedboat that could be transported by the cargo glider Go 242 to any place of action in order to extend its radius of action considerably. As a result of this demand, the first draft of the whale by FW Wendel was presented in the summer of 1944 . The fully welded steel boat had a driving range of 300 nm. Its primary armament initially consisted of 45 cm diameter aircraft torpedoes of the type F5b , which were supposed to be shot down through tail torpedo tubes. However, these turned out to be too heavy for the boat, so that a torpedo had to be designed in-house. This torpedo weighed 320 kg and proved to be very reliable in the fire test (150 trial shots, 1 failure). It was detonated by means of a simple firing pin detonator. A 13 mm machine gun and two rocket launchers, which, depending on the situation, could be loaded with explosive, fragmentation, parachute and smoke ammunition, were available to protect the crew . In driving tests, the whale was able to reach a top speed of 39 knots with torpedoes and 42 knots without torpedoes. However, the boat type was rejected by the Navy High Command (OKM). It raised serious concerns about its step construction, which was detrimental to seaworthiness, as well as concerns about the strength problem and the seals in the step area of the boat.
Whale II
To eliminate the weaknesses of the previous model, Wendel designed the Wal II . The boat was made of sheet steel and was also designed by the Boitzenburg shipyard. Its length was 10 meters, with all other basic dimensions and the primary and self-armament remained the same. The propulsion was ensured by a 700 hp aircraft engine, which brought the boat to 38 knots with torpedoes, and 42 knots without torpedoes. Sea trials showed that whale II up to sea strength 3 could be handled without any problems. However, the model type was again rejected by the OKM, this time with reference to the lack of steel in the 5th and 6th year of the war. Wendel then designed a third type, the Wal III .
Whale III
The hull of the Wal III consisted of wood - following the requirements of the OKM. The main dimensions of the boat remained the same compared to the Wal II , as well as the primary and self-armament. The crew was increased from two to three to four men, however, in order to enable a change of watch during longer trips. A 600 hp aircraft engine brought the Wal III to 35 knots with torpedoes and 38 knots without torpedoes during test drives. The unsatisfactory top speed was countered with an 800 hp aircraft engine, which only increased the speed of the Wal III minimally. 39 knots were now possible with torpedoes and 42 knots without.
Task of the project
In the winter of 1944/45, a scheduled comparison test was carried out between the torpedo speedboats Hydra , Kobra , Schlitten and the Wal III with the result that the Hydra won the test with regard to its sea behavior and sound absorption. For this reason the whale project was discontinued in favor of the Hydra .
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. 138-139.
Remarks
- ↑ The information relates to type Whale I.