Royal Navy midget submarines

E530120

Royal Navy midget submarines were small, stealthy underwater craft used by Britain during World War II for special operations, including daring attacks on heavily defended German battleships like the Tirpitz.

Try in SPARQL Jump to: Surface forms Statements Referenced by

Observed surface forms (1)

Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf World War II military equipment
military submarine class
special operations vessel
armament limpet mines
side cargoes of explosives
countryOfOrigin United Kingdom
crewRequirement highly trained volunteer crews
designedFor attacks on heavily defended warships
stealthy underwater operations
designedToCounter German capital ships
heavily defended anchorages
developedBy United Kingdom naval designers
era 1940s
feature limited endurance
restricted internal space
specialized navigation equipment for shallow waters
historicalSignificance demonstrated effectiveness of small submarines against major warships
legacy influenced later special operations submersibles
missionProfile long-range tow followed by independent penetration
placement of explosive charges beneath targets
notableOperation attack on Tirpitz in Kåfjord
notableTarget German battleship Tirpitz NERFINISHED
notableTheatre European theatre of World War II NERFINISHED
operatedBy Royal Navy NERFINISHED
operationalEnvironment coastal waters
enemy harbours
operationalStatus now retired
primaryRole covert attack
harbour penetration
special operations
propulsionType diesel-electric
riskLevel very high for crews
strategicPurpose to neutralize high-value naval assets
to project offensive power into defended enemy waters
tacticalAdvantage ability to evade conventional anti-submarine defenses
low acoustic signature
small size
technologyLevel advanced for their time
trainingEmphasis demolition operations
stealth navigation
typicalCrewSize small crew
usedByBranch Royal Navy Submarine Service NERFINISHED
usedFor attacks on moored vessels
reconnaissance
sabotage
usedInConflict World War II
surface form: Second World War

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Tirpitz targetOf Royal Navy midget submarines
Japanese heavy cruiser Takao torpedoedBy Royal Navy midget submarines
this entity surface form: British midget submarines (Operation Struggle)