{"id":2373,"date":"2024-07-17T18:08:22","date_gmt":"2024-07-17T18:08:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/?p=2373"},"modified":"2024-07-17T18:08:22","modified_gmt":"2024-07-17T18:08:22","slug":"german-human-torpedoes-d-days-nazi-suicide-subs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/?p=2373","title":{"rendered":"German Human Torpedoes \u2014 D-Day\u2019s Nazi Suicide Subs?"},"content":{"rendered":"


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By Tom Laemlein<\/a><\/p>\n

A<\/span>mong the Axis partners, Germany was the last to develop the mini-sub concept. When they eventually put a design in the water, it was remarkably simple, while at the same time incredibly dangerous. The Nazi manned torpedoes were some of the Reich\u2019s most wishful thinking, and the insanity of the program led friend and foe alike to dub the weapon a \u201chuman torpedo\u201d.<\/p>\n

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The simplistic \u201chuman torpedo\u201d concept can be clearly seen here. The maximum range for the tandem torpedo design was 48 nautical miles. Image:\u00a0Author\u2019s collection<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

During 1943, with Germany facing Allied invasions in the Mediterranean, and preparing for the eventual invasion that would come across the English Channel, the Kriegsmarine sought to create special attack weapons for their \u201csmall battle units\u201d. Naval engineer Richard Mohr was tasked with developing a simple, cost-effective, and easy-to-use weapon that would counter an Allied invasion fleet.<\/p>\n

\"Marder\n<\/picture>
This Marder midget submarine washed up intact on the beach near Anzio after the attack on the Allied invasion fleet during the evening of April 20, 1944. Image:\u00a0NARA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mohr\u2019s concept used a standard G7e electrically propelled torpedo as the mothership, removing the 1,100-pound warhead (as well as about 50% of the battery capacity) and adding a small, rudimentary cockpit to allow the craft to be operated by a single man. A fully armed G7e torpedo was shackled beneath the manned torpedo to create a short range, one shot, sort of submarine.<\/p>\n

Marder Human Torpedo Specifications<\/h2>\n