The (German for ''
Negro
In the English language, the term ''negro'' (or sometimes ''negress'' for a female) is a term historically used to refer to people of Black people, Black African heritage. The term ''negro'' means the color black in Spanish and Portuguese (from ...
'') was 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 ...
-carrying craft generally described as a
human torpedo
Human torpedoes or manned torpedoes are a type of diver propulsion vehicle 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.
...
which could not submerge, but was difficult to see during night operations. The vessel was used by
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
's ''
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 It superseded the Imperial German Navy of the German Empire (1871–1918) and the inter-war (1919–1935) of the Weimar Republic.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 ...
'' between 1943 and 1945. The name comes from its constructor, Richard Mohr, whose surname in German also means "
Moor" or "Negro".
Design
The was based on the
G7e torpedo
The G7e torpedo was the standard electric torpedo used by the German ''Kriegsmarine'' submarines in World War II. It came in 20 different versions, with the initial model G7e(TII) in service at the outbreak of the war. Due to several problems, le ...
and sported a spartan cockpit covered by a
perspex
Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is a synthetic polymer derived from methyl methacrylate. It is a transparent thermoplastic, used as an engineering plastic. PMMA is also known as acrylic, acrylic glass, as well as by the trade names and bran ...
dome, where the warhead would have been. It had sufficient positive buoyancy to run awash while supporting a second G7e, with warhead, slung below. The vessel had a range of 48 nautical miles (89 km) at 4
knots
A knot is a fastening in rope or interwoven lines.
Knot or knots may also refer to:
Other common meanings
* Knot (unit), of speed
* Knot (wood), a timber imperfection
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Knots'' (film), a 2004 film
* ''Kn ...
(7.4 km/h) and displaced 2.7 tons. The pilot navigated via a wrist compass and air was provided through a
Dräger self-contained breathing device. The pilot aimed his weapon by lining up an aiming spike on the nose with a graduated scale on the dome. Subsequently, a second aiming spike was added closer to the dome. It, however, made little difference as water washing over the dome made visibility extremely poor. A simple lever in the cockpit irreversibly started the torpedo and released it. Though not designed as a
suicide weapon, the would frequently become one when the torpedo started running but failed to release, and carried the craft and its pilot toward the target.
About 200 vessels of this type were manufactured in 1944. The first vessels entered service in March 1944. However, the turned out to be very hazardous for its operator and up to 80 percent were killed. In return one cruiser, one destroyer, and three
Catherine Class BAMS minesweepers were sunk in 1944 with the weapon.
The first mission took place on the night of 20/21 April 1944. Thirty were launched against Allied ships berthed in
Anzio
Anzio (, also ; ) is a town and ''comune'' on region of Italy, about south of Rome.
Well known for its seaside resorts, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Islands of Ponza, Palmarola, and Ve ...
. Only 17 of them managed to deploy, with the other 13 capsizing upon reaching the water. Three failed to return and up until then, the Allies had no knowledge of this new unusual weapon. None had made any successful attacks.
Normandy attacks
Two major assaults were carried out with vessels against the Allied invasion fleet off
Normandy
Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy.
Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...
before the Allies broke out from the landing site and forced the submarines to relocate out of reach of Normandy. The flotilla consisted of some 40 vessels and operated from Favrol Woods near
Honfleur
Honfleur () is a commune in the Calvados department in northwestern France. It is located on the southern bank of the estuary of the Seine across from Le Havre and very close to the exit of the Pont de Normandie. The people that inhabit Hon ...
on the south bank of the
Seine
The Seine ( , ) is a river in northern France. Its drainage basin is in the Paris Basin (a geological relative lowland) covering most of northern France. It rises at Source-Seine, northwest of Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plat ...
opposite Le Havre. On 5/6 July 1944, 24 attacked the invasion fleet, sinking two British minesweepers, and . Nine returned from the mission.
The second attack was mounted on the night of July 7/8 and was carried out by 21 . These were spotted in the moonlight and attacked by aircraft and ships. The Germans sank another minesweeper, , and severely damaged the Polish cruiser , which was later scuttled. There is a detailed account of the attack on ''Dragon'' by the pilot, Midshipman Potthast, who was captured several hours later. On 20 July 1944, 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 ...
destroyer was mined while at anchor in the
Seine Bay. The loss was discovered the next morning. There were 20 survivors. German
human torpedoes
''Siluri umani'' (internationally released as ''Human Torpedoes'') is a 1954 Italian war film credited to Antonio Leonviola, who abandoned production and was substituted by director Carlo Lizzani (uncredited).
The movie depicts the successful WWII ...
were suspected of sinking the warship.
The
Hunt class destroyer was an escort for convoys of personnel during
Operation Neptune
Operation or Operations may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity
* Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory
* ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...
, the naval support of
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful liberation of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The ope ...
, the
D-Day Landings
The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during the Second World War. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as ...
. On 3 August, she was hit and sunk during a mass attack on the British assault area by a force of
E-boat
E-boat was the Western Allies' designation for the fast attack craft (German: ''Schnellboot'', or ''S-Boot'', meaning "fast boat"; plural ''Schnellboote'') of the Kriegsmarine of Nazi Germany during World War II; ''E-boat'' could refer to a pat ...
s,
explosive motorboats, human torpedoes and low-flying aircraft. Those on HMS Quorn that survived the initial attack spent up to eight hours in the water before being rescued and many of these perished; four officers and 126 seamen were lost.
Later attacks
The
Isles-class trawler HMS ''Colsay'' was sunk in shallow water by a on 2 November 1944 near
Ostend
Ostend ( ; ; ; ) is a coastal city and municipality in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke, Raversijde, Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the la ...
, Belgium.
Remnants found in 2024
On 30 October 2024, the remains of a ''Neger'' torpedo were uncovered on a beach in
Calvados, Normandy, France.
"Un rarissime lanceur de torpille allemand, de 8 m de long, découvert sur une plage du Calvados", ''Ouest-France'', 30 October 2024.
/ref>
References
Bibliography
*
*
External links
* Wartime photos from NAC
{{Kriegsmarine midget submarines
World War II submarines of Germany
Manned torpedoes