Human Torpedo
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Human torpedoes or manned torpedoes are a type of
diver propulsion vehicle A diver propulsion vehicle (DPV), also known as an underwater propulsion vehicle, sea scooter, underwater scooter, or swimmer delivery vehicle (SDV) by armed forces, is an item of diving equipment used by scuba divers to increase range underwa ...
on which the diver rides, generally in a seated position behind a fairing. They were used as secret naval weapons in World War II. The basic concept is still in use. The name was commonly used to refer to the weapons that Italy, and later (with a larger version) Britain, deployed in the
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and used to attack ships in enemy harbours. The human torpedo concept has occasionally been used by recreational divers, although this use is closer to
midget submarine A midget submarine is any submarine under 150 tons, typically operated by a crew of one or two but sometimes up to six or nine, with little or no on-board living accommodation. They normally work with mother ships, from which they are launched an ...
s. More broadly, the term ''human torpedo'' was used in the past to refer to vehicles which are now referred to as wet submarines and diver propulsion vehicles. Midget submarines which are employed to directly support
frogman A frogman is someone who is trained in scuba diving or swimming underwater. The term often applies more to professional rather than recreational divers, especially those working in a tactical capacity that includes military, and in some Europea ...
operations, whether possessing airlocks or not, if used as underwater tugs to transport equipment and frogmen clinging to their exterior, also blur the line between the human torpedo and more sophisticated underwater vehicles.


History of common wartime models

The concept of a small manned submarine carrying a bomb was developed and patented by a British naval officer in 1909, but was never used during the
First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. The
Italian Navy The Italian Navy (; abbreviated as MM) is one of the four branches of Italian Armed Forces and was formed in 1946 from what remained of the ''Regia Marina'' (Royal Navy) after World War II. , the Italian Navy had a strength of 30,923 active per ...
experimented with a primitive tiny sub ( Mignatta) carrying two men and a
limpet mine A limpet mine is a type of naval mine attached to a target by magnets. It is so named because of its superficial similarity to the shape of the limpet, a type of sea snail that clings tightly to rocks or other hard surfaces. A swimmer or diver m ...
: this craft successfully sank the Austro-Hungarian battleship SMS ''Viribus Unitis'' on 1 November 1918. The first truly practical human torpedo was the Italian ''maiale'', electrically propelled by a motor in most of the units manufactured. With a top speed of , it often took up to two hours to reach its target. Two crewmen in
diving suit A diving suit is a garment or device designed to protect a diver from the underwater environment. A diving suit may also incorporate a breathing gas supply (such as for a standard diving dress or atmospheric diving suit), but in most cases th ...
s rode astride, each equipped with an oxygen
rebreather A rebreather is a breathing apparatus that absorbs the carbon dioxide of a user's exhaled breath to permit the rebreathing (recycling) of the substantial unused oxygen content, and unused inert content when present, of each breath. Oxygen is a ...
apparatus. They steered the craft to the enemy ship. The "pig" could be submerged to , and hypothetically to , when necessary. On arrival at the target, the detachable
warhead A warhead is the section of a device that contains the explosive agent or toxic (biological, chemical, or nuclear) material that is delivered by a missile, rocket (weapon), rocket, torpedo, or bomb. Classification Types of warheads include: *E ...
was released for use as a
limpet mine A limpet mine is a type of naval mine attached to a target by magnets. It is so named because of its superficial similarity to the shape of the limpet, a type of sea snail that clings tightly to rocks or other hard surfaces. A swimmer or diver m ...
. If they were not detected, the operators then rode the mini sub away to safety. Development began in 1935 but the first eleven were not completed until 1939 by San Bartolomeo Torpedo Workshops in
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, Italy and a larger number followed. The official Italian name for the majority of the craft that were manufactured was '' Siluro Lenta Corsa'' (SLC or "Slow-running torpedo"). Two distinct models were made, Series100 and then (in 1942) Series200 with some improvements. At least 50 SLCs were built by September 1943. In operation, ''maiali'' were carried by another vessel (usually a conventional submarine), and launched near the target. Most manned torpedo operations were at night and during the
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to cut down the risk of being seen. Attacks in 1940 were unsuccessful but in 1941, the Italian navy successfully entered the harbour of
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and damaged the two British battleships and , as well as the tanker ''Sagona''. This feat encouraged the British to develop their own torpedo "chariots". The last Italian model, the SSB (for '' Siluro San Bartolomeo'', "San Bartolomeo Torpedo") was built with a partly enclosed cockpit, a more powerful motor and larger warhead (up from the earlier SLC's warheads). Three units were made but not operationally used because Italy surrendered in 1943. The first British version of the concept was named the Chariot manned torpedo. Two models were made; MarkI was long while MarkII was long, each suitable for carrying two men. Later versions were larger, starting with the original X-class submarine, a midget submarine, long, no longer truly a human torpedo but similar in concept. The X-Class were capable of on the surface or submerged. They were designed to be towed to their intended area of operations by a full-size 'mother' submarine. The
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also developed a manned torpedo by 1943, the '' Neger'', intended for one man, with a top speed of and carrying one torpedo; the frequent technical problems often resulted in the deaths of operators. Roughly 200 of these were made and they did manage to sink a few ships. The later '' Marder'' (
pine marten The European pine marten (''Martes martes''), also known as the pine marten, is a mustelid native to and widespread in most of Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, and parts of Iran, Iraq, and Syria. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red Lis ...
in English) was about long and more sophisticated and could dive to depths of but with very limited endurance. About 500 were built.


Construction

A typical manned torpedo has a propeller,
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, a vertical
rudder A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, airship, or other vehicle that moves through a fluid medium (usually air or water). On an airplane, the rudder is used primarily to counter adverse yaw ...
and a control panel with controls for its front rider. It usually allows for two riders who sit facing forwards. It has
navigation Navigation is a field of study that focuses on the process of monitoring and controlling the motion, movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another.Bowditch, 2003:799. The field of navigation includes four general categories: land navig ...
aids such as a
compass A compass is a device that shows the cardinal directions used for navigation and geographic orientation. It commonly consists of a magnetized needle or other element, such as a compass card or compass rose, which can pivot to align itself with No ...
, and nowadays modern aids such as
sonar Sonar (sound navigation and ranging or sonic navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses sound propagation (usually underwater, as in submarine navigation) to navigate, measure distances ( ranging), communicate with or detect objects o ...
and GPS positioning and modulated ultrasound communications gear. It may have an air (or other
breathing gas A breathing gas is a mixture of gaseous chemical elements and compounds used for respiration. Air is the most common and only natural breathing gas, but other mixtures of gases, or pure oxygen, are also used in breathing equipment and enclosed ...
) supply so its riders do not have to drain their own apparatus while they are riding it. In some the riders' seats are enclosed; in others the seats are open at the sides as in sitting astride a horse. The seat design includes room for the riders' swimfins (if used). There are flotation tanks (typically four: left fore, right fore, left aft, right aft), which can be flooded or blown empty to adjust
buoyancy Buoyancy (), or upthrust, is the force exerted by a fluid opposing the weight of a partially or fully immersed object (which may be also be a parcel of fluid). In a column of fluid, pressure increases with depth as a result of the weight of t ...
and
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.


Timeline

*1909: The British designer Commander Godfrey Herbert received a patent for a manned torpedo. It was rejected by the
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as impracticable and unsafe. *1 November 1918: Two men of the '' Regia Marina'', Raffaele Paolucci and Raffaele Rossetti, in diving suits, rode a primitive manned torpedo (nicknamed '' Mignatta'' or "leech") into the
Austro-Hungarian Navy The Austro-Hungarian Navy or Imperial and Royal War Navy (, in short ''k.u.k. Kriegsmarine'', ) was the navy, naval force of Austria-Hungary. Ships of the Austro-Hungarian Navy were designated ''SMS'', for ''Seiner Majestät Schiff'' (His Majes ...
base at Pola (
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), where they sank the Austrian battleship and the freighter ''Wien'' using limpet mines. They had no breathing sets so they had to keep their heads above water, and thus were discovered and taken prisoner. *1938: In Italy the "1a Flottiglia Mezzi d'Assalto" (First Fleet Assault Vehicles) was formed as a result of the research and development efforts of two men – Major Teseo Tesei and Major Elios Toschi of the Italian Royal Navy. The pair resurrected the idea of Paolucci and Rossetti. *1940: Commander Vittorio Moccagatta of the Italian Royal Navy reorganised the 1st Fleet Assault Vehicles into the '' Decima Flottiglia MAS'' (Tenth Light Flotilla of assault vehicles) or "X-MAS", under the command of Ernesto Forza. It secretly manufactured manned torpedoes and trained war frogmen, called ''nuotatori'' (Italian: "swimmers"). *26 March 1941 The Raid on Souda Bay was an attack by the Decima MAS (X-MAS). Decima MAS used explosive boats (MTM) against British ships lying in Souda Bay, Crete, during the early hours of 26 March 1941. The MTM explosive boats had been ferried from Astypalaia by the destroyers Francesco Crispi and Quintino Sella and launched at the approaches to the bay. After crossing the three boom defences, the MTM attacked the British heavy cruiser and the Norwegian tanker Pericles (8,324 GRT). *26 July 1941: An attack on Valletta Harbour ended in disaster for the X MAS and Major Teseo Tesei lost his life. *19 December 1941: The Decima Flottiglia MAS attacked the port of
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with three ''maiali''. The battleships and (and an 8,000-ton tanker) were sunk in shallow water putting them out of action for many months. Luigi Durand de la Penne and five other swimmers were taken prisoner. De la Penne was awarded the Gold Medal of Military Valour after the war. *October 1942: Two British Chariot manned torpedoes were carried aboard the Shetland bus fishing-boat ''Arthur'' to attack the on Operation Title. They were swung overboard once in Norwegian waters but both became detached from their tow hooks in a gale and the operation was a total failure. *8 December 1942. An attack by three manned torpedoes from the against British naval targets was thwarted in
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. Three divers were killed by depth charges when the British harbour defence "reacted furiously" to the attack. Among the dead were Lieutenant Licio Visintini, commander of the divers unit on board the ''Olterra'', Petty Officer Giovanni Magro, and Sergeant Salvatore Leone, from
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, Sicily. Leone's body was never found. Sergeant Leone was awarded the ''Medaglia d'oro al Valor Militare'' and a memorial was erected in the Community Gardens in Taormina on the 50th anniversary of the attack. The memorial includes a rebuilt ''maiale'' and a description of the events, in three languages. *1–2 January 1943: British submarines , and took part in Operation Principal. ''P311'' was lost en route to La Maddelena but the other two boats had some success at
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, launching two and three Chariots respectively. The ''Ulpio Traiano'' was sunk and the stern torn off ''Viminale.'' However the cost was high with one submarine and one chariot lost and all but two charioteers captured. *18 January 1943: ''Thunderbolt'' took two chariots to Tripoli for Operation Welcome. This was to prevent blockships being sunk at the harbour mouth, so denying access to the Allies. Again, partial success was achieved. This was the last operation in which chariots were carried in containers on British submarines, although some others followed with the chariots on deck without containers. *6 May & 10 June 1943: Italian ''maiali'' from the '' Olterra'', now under the command of Lieutenant Ernesto Notari, sank six Allied merchant ships in Gibraltar, for a total of 42,000 tons. *September 1943: Operation Source was an attempt to destroy warships including the ''Tirpitz'' using X-class midget subs. Of the five deployed, only two were successful. ''Tirpitz'' was badly damaged, crippled, and out of action until May 1944. *2 October 1943: A bigger Italian frogman-carrier, long and carrying four frogmen, called ''Siluro San Bartolomeo'', or SSB, was going to attack Gibraltar, but Italy surrendered and the attack was called off. *21 June 1944: A British-Italian joint operation was mounted against shipping in
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harbour. The chariots were carried on board an MTB and the cruiser ''Bolzano'' was sunk. *6 July 1944: A German Neger-type vessel torpedoed the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
minesweepers and ''Cato''.Brown p. 115 *8 July 1944: A German Neger-type torpedo manned by Lieutenant Potthast heavily damaged the Polish light cruiser off the
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beaches. *20 July 1944: Royal Navy destroyer was mined at anchor in Seine Bay. A German human torpedo was believed responsible. *27–28 October 1944: The British submarine carried two ''Mk 2 Chariots'' (nicknamed ''Tiny'' and ''Slasher'') to an attack on
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harbour in
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. See British commando frogmen for more information about this attack. No manned torpedo operations in combat in any war are known with certainty after this date. *20 November 1944: The USS ''Mississinewa'' was sunk by a Japanese '' kaiten'' manned suicide torpedo. *Immediate post-war period: The British Chariots were used to clear mines and wrecks in harbours. For other events, see Operations of X Flottiglia MAS and British commando frogmen. Some nations including Italy have continued to build and deploy manned torpedoes since 1945.


Italy


World War I

* Raffaele Rossetti in 1918 created a new weapon, based on his idea of a
torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, such ...
manned by a person, to be linked to enemy vessels under water and explode under the
ship hull A hull is the watertight body of a ship, boat, submarine, or flying boat. The hull may open at the top (such as a dinghy), or it may be fully or partially covered with a deck. Atop the deck may be a deckhouse and other superstructures, such as ...
. This weapon was called a ''mignatta'' (leech) and was the precursor of the ''maiali'' of World WarII.


World War II

* Siluro a Lenta Corsa (Italian, Low-Speed Torpedo – SLC), also known as a ''maiale''. * Siluro San Bartolomeo (Italian, St. Bartholomew Torpedo, also called SSB). It was never used in action. For information on Italian manned torpedo operations, see Decima Flottiglia MAS.


After 1945

* CE2F/X100 is a swimmer delivery vehicle made after 1945. They were made in Italy. Range . Two riders. The Pakistan Navy has several of them. India and Argentina also have some. Recent upgrades included: **control module with a GPS **
autopilot An autopilot is a system used to control the path of a vehicle without requiring constant manual control by a human operator. Autopilots do not replace human operators. Instead, the autopilot assists the operator's control of the vehicle, allow ...
**digitized on board electronics **launcher for five LCAW mini-torpedoes (optional)


United Kingdom


World War II

* Chariot Mark I, long, wide, high, speed , weight: 1.6 tonnes, maximum diving depth: . Endurance five hours (distance depended on water current). Its control handle was in the shape of a sideways figure 8. Thirty-four examples were made. * Chariot Mark II, long, diameter, maximum height, weight , maximum speed , range 5–6 hours at full speed, had two riders, who sat back to back. Thirty examples were made. :Both types of the Chariot were made by Stothert & Pitt at
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. * Motorised Submersible Canoe (MSC), nicknamed ''Sleeping Beauty'', a crewed wet submersible with a capacity of one frogman, used for clandestine operations, sabotage, and reconnaissance. * X-class submarine, nicknamed ''X-Craft'', a true midget submarine with both diesel and electric propulsion, possessing both a periscope and an airlock for frogman egress and entry. During Operation Source, a sortie of X-Craft was successful in sinking the ''
Tirpitz Tirpitz may refer to: People * Alfred von Tirpitz (1849–1930), German admiral ** Tirpitz Plan, a plan for Germany to achieve world power status through naval power Ships * German battleship ''Tirpitz'', a World War II-era Bismarck-class ...
'' in shallow water while the vessel was at anchorage behind anti-torpedo nets in Kåfjord. The attack did not destroy the vessel, which was raised and repaired. * XE-class submarine, an improved and enlarged version of the X-class. The vehicles were used in the Pacific theatre, cutting underwater communication cables and also successfully sinking the '' Takao'' in
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harbour. * Welman submarine, a midget submarine with a pressurized interior, meant to deploy magnetic limpet mines against the hulls of immobile vessels, and potentially also support frogman operations as a tug. The vehicle did not have a periscope and relied on the pilot's cupola emerging from below the water to orient itself against terrain and targets, as well as visually assessing its targets at short range under water. Despite over a hundred units constructed, they were used operationally only once and assessed as being unsuccessful. * Welfreighter submarine, a true midget submarine intended to support frogman operations and serve as a clandestine agent transport, transporting both men and equipment. The vehicle's propulsion system used the same type of diesel engine as employed on the X-class.


After 1945

* Archimedes DPV, nicknamed ''Archie'', a modification of the Mark 20 Bidder ASW torpedo into a
diver propulsion vehicle A diver propulsion vehicle (DPV), also known as an underwater propulsion vehicle, sea scooter, underwater scooter, or swimmer delivery vehicle (SDV) by armed forces, is an item of diving equipment used by scuba divers to increase range underwa ...
with deployable handlebars and an internal cargo compartment, which could function either autonomously or under direct control by a frogman. * Subskimmer DPV, a hybrid of a motorized rigid inflatable boat while on the surface, and a battery electric submersible while under water. Frogmen can cling or hitch themselves onto the vehicle while it's under water, with the pilot seated in a kneeling position. * Mark 8 SDV, a crewed wet submersible and swimmer delivery vehicle originally in use by the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
. * Mark 11 SWCS, a crewed wet submersible and swimmer delivery vehicle.


Germany


World War II

*
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, a midget submarine similar in design and application to the British Welman, constructed after studying the British
X-Craft The X class was a World War II midget submarine class built for the Royal Navy during 1943–44. It was substantially larger than the original Chariot manned torpedo. Known individually as X-Craft, the vessels were designed to be towed to the ...
captured after the attack on the battleship ''
Tirpitz Tirpitz may refer to: People * Alfred von Tirpitz (1849–1930), German admiral ** Tirpitz Plan, a plan for Germany to achieve world power status through naval power Ships * German battleship ''Tirpitz'', a World War II-era Bismarck-class ...
''. The Hecht had a complement of two crewmen and normally carried both a
limpet mine A limpet mine is a type of naval mine attached to a target by magnets. It is so named because of its superficial similarity to the shape of the limpet, a type of sea snail that clings tightly to rocks or other hard surfaces. A swimmer or diver m ...
on its nose section and a conventional torpedo slung beneath, on a slip rail mount. Propulsion was all-electric, using a standard electric torpedo motor, and the vehicle was designed to always be submerged; consequently, range was poor, with the vehicle intended to be towed to the vicinity of the target by a conventional submarine. Optionally, instead of a limpet mine, the Hecht could carry a third operative - a frogman equipped with a diving suit, riding astride the vehicle. * Neger, a submersible constructed on the basis of a G7e torpedo with a second, normal G7e carried beneath it, launched from a slip rail mount. An extreme form of a genuine ''human torpedo'' which could function as both a swimmer delivery vehicle and an armed midget submarine. The Neger was long, with a body diameter of . Total displacement, together with the payload, was approximately 5 tons. Top speed was . The Neger was incapable of diving, set to a shallow depth; it relied on the extremely small profile of the pilot's cupola which projected above the waterline as well as the cover of night for stealth. The crew complement consisted of a single pilot. This manned torpedo was named after its inventor, Richard Mohr. * Marder, an improvement upon the Neger with the addition of a diving tank and other features. The maximum diving depth was limited by the G7e depth-keeping mechanism at , with normal operational depth not exceeding . The Marder was long, with a body diameter of . Total displacement, together with the payload, was approximately 5.5 tons. Top speed was . The crew complement consisted of a single pilot. * Hai, an experimental craft based upon the Marder. The body was lengthened, with additional batteries installed in the midsection. The Hai was long, with a body diameter of . Total displacement, together with the payload, was approximately 6 tons. Top speed was . The depth characteristics were identical to those of the Marder. The crew complement consisted of a single pilot. Only a single unit was constructed, which was assessed as lacking manoeuvrability. * Biber, midget submarines which carried two torpedoes and one or two men. There were other types that never reached production. In July 1944, the
Kriegsmarine The (, ) was the navy of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It superseded the Imperial German Navy of the German Empire (1871–1918) and the inter-war (1919–1935) of the Weimar Republic. The was one of three official military branch, branche ...
introduced their human torpedoes to harass allied positions at
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anchorages. Although they could not submerge, they were difficult to observe at night and inflicted several losses on allied vessels. They were also used to harass allied vessels in the invasion of southern France but were largely ineffective.Morison pp. 278 and 279


Japan


World War II

*The '' Kaiten'' was a manned fast torpedo intended to be piloted directly into its target, in practice becoming a suicide weapon. As such, its operation differed substantially from the human torpedo as used by Italian, British, and German militaries.


Russia/USSR


After 1945

*Siren. It is or was made after 1945. It is longer than a British or Italian Chariot because it has two warheads. It has two riders. It was designed to exit through a
submarine A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or infor ...
's
torpedo tube A torpedo tube is a cylindrical device for launching torpedoes. There are two main types of torpedo tube: underwater tubes fitted to submarines and some surface ships, and deck-mounted units (also referred to as torpedo launchers) installed aboa ...
. See Russian commando frogmen.


United States


After 1945

There are pictures and descriptions of modern US Chariot-like underwater frogman-carriers used by SEALs and a fast surface boat that can submerge, here: *Swimmer Delivery Vehicle (SDV) SEAL Delivery Vehicle *Swimmer Transport Device (STD)


North Korea

It has been reported that North Korea has developed and deployed human torpedoes as part of its unconventional warfare tactics. These units, which are part of the 17th Sniper Corps, operate at the brigade level both in the East and in the West Sea Fleets. Each sea fleet has one suicide unit comprising elite soldiers who are well-fed and treated to a standard of living that is superior to that of submarine crews, even during periods of widespread economic hardship. The training regimen is focused on the execution of suicide bombing attacks. Initially, the agents travel on submarines, but at a later stage, they embark on torpedoes, which they direct towards their targets. The agents are instructed to utilize a favourable tide to depart for their target, attach a magnetic bomb to it, retreat with the ebb tide, detonate the explosives remotely, and return to base via a small submarine. Possibly, light torpedoes could be fired at close range instead of planting remotely detonated explosives. Despite the fact that torpedo carriers are informed that they can escape, it is often exceedingly challenging in practice.


Other countries


Argentina

Argentina developed manned torpedoes and special mini-submarines in the 1950s, the latter with a torpedo attached under the two-man crew. Their crews were trained by , a former member of the Italian Decima MAS.


Poland

In the months before the outbreak of the Second World War, a number of Polish volunteers came forward to pilot torpedoes against German warships. A Bureau of Living Torpedoes was set up to organize and train these volunteers, and prepare suitable equipment, but nothing had come to fruition before the German invasion and occupation.


Yugoslavia

The Yugoslav Navy did not have manned torpedoes, but frogmen used the underwater device called "R-1 Diver" for a variety of missions including mine clearance, infiltration, clandestine surveillance and security, and assault missions on enemy shipping and naval objects. These small apparatuses were relegated to the navies of
Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
(HRM) (1991) and
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(2007).


Museums

*Original SLCs (Siluri Lenta Corsa or ''maiali''), displayed at the Naval History Museum
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, Italy. *There are three chariots on public view in Eden Camp Museum near
Malton, North Yorkshire Malton is a market town, civil parishes in England, civil parish and Wards and electoral divisions of the United Kingdom, electoral ward in North Yorkshire, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of the North Riding of Yorkshi ...
in England: **A restored original British Mark II, which was found derelict in a scrapyard in
Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
. In this design, the two riders sat back to back. **A working chariot that was made in 1992 in
Milton Keynes Milton Keynes ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in Buckinghamshire, England, about north-west of London. At the 2021 Census, the population of Milton Keynes urban area, its urban area was 264,349. The River Great Ouse forms t ...
with approximately the outside appearance of a British wartime MarkI, but with differing internal working parts. It has been filmed in action for the television. It has a dummy
warhead A warhead is the section of a device that contains the explosive agent or toxic (biological, chemical, or nuclear) material that is delivered by a missile, rocket (weapon), rocket, torpedo, or bomb. Classification Types of warheads include: *E ...
. It was last used in 2006. **A replica Italian ''maiale'' made soon after 1945 by the same Italian firm ( Caproni) who made the wartime ''maiali''. As of July 2008 this was on loan to the National Maritime Museum Cornwall in
Falmouth, Cornwall Falmouth ( ; ) is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. Falmouth was founded in 1613 by the Killigrew family on a site near the existing Pendennis Castle. It developed as a po ...
, until the end of 2008, but as of 16 March 2009 it was back in Eden Camp. *There is an Italian SSB ''maiale'' in the Naval Museum at
Groton, Connecticut Groton ( ) is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States, located on the Thames River (Connecticut), Thames River. It is the home of General Dynamics Electric Boat, which is the major contractor for submarine work for the United St ...
, United States.


Movies and fiction

*The movie ''The Valiant'', made in 1962, is about the sinking of HMS ''Valiant'' in Alexandria harbour. There is even a 1953 Italian movie (''I sette dell'Orsa Maggiore'' Hell Raiders of the Deep) about the attack, done with some real members of Decima Flottiglia MAS as support actors in the cast. *The film '' Above Us the Waves'' (released in 1955) concentrates on the midget submarine attack on the . The film has a scene of a fight between British and German frogmen at an anti-submarine net; this never happened in the real attack on ''Tirpitz''. *The film '' The Silent Enemy'' (released in 1958) does not represent real events accurately. In particular, in the real world there was no attack on the ''Olterra'', and no underwater hand-to-hand battle between Italian and British frogmen. The breathing sets used by the film actors representing the Italian frogmen seem to be British naval-type
rebreather A rebreather is a breathing apparatus that absorbs the carbon dioxide of a user's exhaled breath to permit the rebreathing (recycling) of the substantial unused oxygen content, and unused inert content when present, of each breath. Oxygen is a ...
s and not authentic Italian rebreathers. The three chariots seen in the movie, representing Italian ''maiali'', were crudely made film props. *A film '' The Eagle Has Landed'' briefly features a German paratroop Officer, a
Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
played by
Michael Caine Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, 14 March 1933) is a retired English actor. Known for his distinct Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films over Michael Caine filmography, a career that spanned eight decades an ...
and his men who have been sent to man chariots on the
Channel Islands The Channel Islands are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They are divided into two Crown Dependencies: the Jersey, Bailiwick of Jersey, which is the largest of the islands; and the Bailiwick of Guernsey, ...
. *
Ian Fleming Ian Lancaster Fleming (28 May 1908 – 12 August 1964) was a British writer, best known for his postwar ''James Bond'' series of spy novels. Fleming came from a wealthy family connected to the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co., and his ...
who wrote the
James Bond The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...
stories was in Naval Intelligence stationed at
Gibraltar Gibraltar ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory and British overseas cities, city located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Bay of Gibraltar, near the exit of the Mediterranean Sea into the A ...
in the war, and was probably aware of the Italian operations. The chariot seen in the James Bond film '' On Her Majesty's Secret Service'' is a realistic-looking but non-functioning film prop. When seen it is in a kit store. It does not take part in any action; the action happens up a mountain in the
Swiss Alps The Alps, Alpine region of Switzerland, conventionally referred to as the Swiss Alps, represents a major natural feature of the country and is, along with the Swiss Plateau and the Swiss portion of the Jura Mountains, one of its three main Physica ...
. Underwater vehicles (not chariot-shaped) featured in the James Bond film '' Thunderball''. *In '' Metal Gear Solid'',
Solid Snake , real name David, is a fictional character and one of the protagonists of Konami's ''Metal Gear'' series, created by Hideo Kojima. He is depicted as a former United States Army Special Forces, Green Beret and highly skilled special operations so ...
uses one to approach ''Shadow Moses island''. *In Infinity Ward's '' Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2'', Operators from "Task Force 141" uses two of these to approach one of the four oil rigs. This takes place in the mission: ''The only easy day, was yesterday''. *In the game '' Battlestations: Pacific'', Kaitens and Kaiten-carrying submarines are player-controllable units. *In '' Hidden & Dangerous 2'', the only mission set in Norway, entitled "Operation Seawolf: Steam Piping", is based on the failed Operation Title from 31 October 1942 against Tirpitz.


See also

* * * * * * * *


Notes


References

*Brown, David – ''Warship Losses of World War Two.'' Arms and Armour, London, Great Britain, 1990. *C. Warren and J. Benson – ''Above Us The Waves'' (Harrap 1953) *
Junio Valerio Borghese Junio Valerio Scipione Ghezzo Marcantonio Maria Borghese (6 June 1906 – 26 August 1974), nicknamed The Black Prince, was an Italian Navy commander during the regime of Benito Mussolini's National Fascist Party and a prominent hardline neo-fa ...
– ''Sea Devils'' (1954) *Robert W. Hobson – "Chariots of War" (Ulric Publishing 2004) *Jack Greene and Alessandro Massignani – ''The Black Prince and the Sea Devils: The Story of Prince Valerio Borghese and the Elite Units of the Decima Mas'' (2004) *Mitchell, Pamela – ''Chariots of the Sea'' Richard Netherwood (1998) *
Samuel Eliot Morison Samuel Eliot Morison (July 9, 1887 – May 15, 1976) was an American historian noted for his works of maritime history and American history that were both authoritative and popular. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1912, and tau ...
– ''
History of United States Naval Operations in World War II The ''History of United States Naval Operations in World War II'' is a 15-volume account of the United States Navy in World War II, written by Samuel Eliot Morison and published by Little, Brown and Company between 1947 and 1962. Background I ...
, Volume XI'' (1957)


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Human Torpedo Underwater diver propulsion equipment Manned torpedoes World War II weapons of Italy World War II submarines of the United Kingdom Frogman operations Italian inventions Naval weapons of Italy Wet subs