The G7es (TXI) "Zaunkönig II" 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 ...
developed for
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
U-boats
U-boats are naval submarines operated by Germany, including during the First and Second World Wars. The term is an anglicized form of the German word , a shortening of (), though the German term refers to any submarine. Austro-Hungarian Na ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. The torpedo was electric and had an effective range of at a speed of . This torpedo employed acoustic, passive homing to find its target after a straight run of . This evolution of the
G7es torpedo was created to counter the Allies' ''
Foxer
Foxer was the code name for a United Kingdom, British-built Sonar decoy, acoustic decoy used to confuse Nazi Germany, German acoustic homing torpedoes like the G7es torpedo, G7 torpedo during the Second World War. A US version codenamed FXR was d ...
'' noise-maker countermeasure. This weapon was never actually employed in wartime as Germany had surrendered by the time testing was fully completed.
The only known deployment of G7es (TXI) was on the final mission for which was
depth-charged and sunk by
RAF aircraft on 5 May 1945. Of the 16 torpedoes salvaged from the wreck in 1993 at least three
were TXI's. One torpedo was restored and is currently on display alongside the U-boat in the United Kingdom, while the rest were picked for parts and blown up.
See also
*
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 ...
*
List of World War II torpedoes of Germany
List of World War II ''Kriegsmarine'' torpedoes
''Kriegsmarine'' torpedo designation system
The first letter indicates the diameter:
* G = 53 cm (21 in)
* F = 45 cm (17.7 in)
* H = 60 cm (23.7 in)
* M = 75 cm ( ...
References
External links
A brief synopsis of German torpedo evolution during World War II at uboat.net
World War II torpedoes of Germany
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