Evening star., 1947-08-22
Stars, Men and Atoms
Plan for Midget U-Boot
Found in Nozi Reports
Doenitz and Hitler Conference on
Secret Weapon Revealed

Secret Weapon Revealed
By Thomas r. Henry
Revolutionary midget submarines sea
hounds" and sea devils" carrying corner
turning torpedoes-were secret weapons with
which the German Navy proposed to renew
full-scale undersea warfare in the early spring
Of 1945
Built on radically new principles. the see
hunds and seeteufels carrying crews of one
and two men could remain at sea as long as
10 days, allegedly could not be located by any
radar and were relatively immune to depth
charges.
They carried 'lageunabhaengigkets" tor
pedoes equipped with course-setting mechan-
ism which enabled them to run straight ahead
for a predetermined distance and then turn
a sharp corner in the direction of the target.
This made it possible for a submarine to
attack from virtually any position.
Vital Mechanism.
The vital mechanism of the new underwater
boats was the so-called "schnorchel" an ex-
tensible intake-exhaust tube attached to the
side of the coming tower, which enabled the
submarine to use its engines although almost
completely submerged. The only portion ex-
posed was the top of the tube and this was
covered with an anti-radar material The
effect of a depth charge was to toss one of
the little boats like cork-rough on the
crew for few minutes but otherwise causing
no particular damage.
Details of these new sea weapons are re-
vealed in official reports of conferences between
Vice Admiral Doenitz, commander in chief
of the German Navy, and Hitler during the
crucial days when the American and British
oieSu IUon irla
have just been released by the Navy. They
were among the documents seized at the
Reichchancelorie when the Allies entered
Berlin.
The schnorchel also made it possible, Doenits
revealed for larger submarines to make trips
as far as Japan completely submerged. There
were also plans to send them across the At
lantic to renew raids on the American coast.
Both Hitler and Doenitz, the conference re-
ports show, were enthusiastic over the possi-
bilities At the start Of the war the sub
marine has been one OF Germanys chief
weapons but-until the introduction of the
scnnorchel and the midget designs-it had
practically been nullifed by radar depth
bombs and air concentration over sea lanes.
Described Major Types.
Doenitz described two major types to Hitler.
designed in 1945. 1t consisted Of an upper
part the carrier, with either one or two ex-
plosive torpedoes attached to its bottom. In
early designs the carrier and the explosive
torpedo were Of equal size and identical
shape-the carrier being only converted
torpedo. In later models the carrier was OF
special construction and developed into some
thing like q midget submarine. The pilot.
seated in the carrier had the task of steering
the device close enough to the target to make
hit probable. We would then release the
explosive torpedo by means OF an electric
magnetic mechanism whereupon he would
turn away and try to return to friendly
shore.
The seehund was two-man midget SUBJ
marine carrying two torpedoes. 1t was only
SO feet long and displaced about Is tons when
submerged.
The larger submarine equipped with
schnorchel, designed to raid the American
coast. was 74o-ton affair propelled by Diesel
engines u,. ...a