HMS X-class / X-craft (series)

HMS X-Class / X-Craft History (Series)

The British naval fleet had to keep its battleships and aircraft carriers close to or in its own waters to protect the vital North Atlantic waterway from powerful German battleships stationed in Norway. A previous British mission to destroy German capital ships in the North Atlantic had failed, so a new weapon was needed.

The "Class X" battleships were specially designed and built to attack the main Nazi battleships KMS Tirpitz and KMS Scharnhorst and the pocket battleship KMS Lutzow.

In 1942, a super secret submarine training base was established at Lock Erisort on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland. By 1943, the Royal Navy had developed a 52-foot-long "mini" submarine called the "X-Craft".

The X-Craft can stay at sea for days while transporting its own supplies for the required 4-person crew, and can travel up to 1,200 miles at 6 knots underwater. The dive opportunity is 300 feet (91.5 meters).

The X-Vehicle has only one entry hatch, which would prove to be a relatively lethal design feature in an emergency. Her periscope was small, limited by its overall design, and ultimately proved unreliable. Navigation was done by Browns A Gyro Compass and Auto Helmsman. The direction indicator used AFV 6A/602 and the shipyard Vickers Barrow UK was hired to build the boat.

As a small submarine, she is quite roomy, but still requires the use of a short crew.

The ideal method of operation associated with X-Craft is to use one of the two delivery systems developed to position the submarine close to the target: the boat can be towed by a conventional submarine to an enemy target below where it is hooked ship, or launched from the deck of a submarine, to reach the target ship under its own power. The Admiralty chose two 3,570-pound high-explosive mines to bolt to the sides of the ship. These mines were then deployed via a hand crank when the ship was positioned under the hull of an enemy ship.

The explosives were fitted with a delayed ignition timer, allowing the ship to evacuate the blast zone in time. The explosive used was Amatex, a standard and stable military explosive consisting of 51% Ammonium Nitrate, 40% TNT and 9% RDX.

Depending on the mission, a crew of three to four was selected, including a commander, a lieutenant, an engineer, and a diver. Diver is a novel position in a way, and useful when the craft comes into conflict with the anti-torpedo "nets" used to protect the harbor. When necessary, divers leave the ship using attached airlocks to allow seawater to pressurize the compartments.

After returning to the vehicle, air pressure is used to expel the water from the small area, allowing divers to re-enter the submarine if necessary.

"Operation Source" began on 11 September 1943 when six X-Crafts were towed from Scotland to the North Sea by Royal Navy conventional submarines, a 10-day voyage. The U-boats are operated by cross-crews while sailing, while the attack crews remain on the tug-subs until operational time. KMS Lutzow will be attacked by X-8, she is towed away by HMS Sea Nymph. However, the mines attached to the sides began to absorb water and had to be discarded due to the extra weight. During the fall, the side cargo mine detonated prematurely, causing so much damage to the X-8 that her crossing crew was evacuated and the vehicle sank.

KMS Lutzow is free to fight another day.

X-9 and X-10 were tasked with attacking the berthed battleship KMS Scharnhorst. During the crossing, the X-9's streamer suddenly broke, and the Crossing Hands crew on board tragically sank. The X-10 continued the attack plan alone. Their towed submarine HMS Sceptre dropped X-10s near the target area. However, the crew discovered that KMS Scharnhorst had entered the North Atlantic.

The X-10 returned to HMS Scepter and was towed back to base in Scotland without engaging Scharnhorst.

The target of the X-5, X-6 and X-7 became the 58,000-ton battleship KMS Tirpitz, which was moored in Kafjord. On September 20, 1943, all three X-Crafts were deployed near the target and began their attack independently.

The X-7 surfaced 4 miles from Tirpitz to recharge its batteries and open the hatch for fresh air before attacking. At the same time, the X-6 was released from her tug, HMS Truculent, and the channel crew was withdrawn. At 2 a.m., the X-6 encountered a torpedo net and a German boat passed by.

The X-6 commander decided to follow the ship through an open network, and it was a success. However, while she was still underwater on the other side of the net, she hit a rock near the Tirpitz landing pad. Since the X-6 could not go forward or backward, it had to surface near Tirpitz. She was eventually spotted by German lookouts and fired at her with small arms.

It was decided to set timed fuses before the vehicle was abandoned and handed over to the Germans.

The crew of the X-7 was unaware that the crew of the X-6 was in Tirpitz, so the attack mission went ahead as planned. As the spacecraft descended under the Tirpitz, it also came into contact with the hull, alarming the German crew. Now, under the Tirpitz, a charge is unleashed under the hull in the area around Towers A and B. The X-7 then moved 300 feet aft, triggering a second mine under the rear turret with a delay of 1 hour. The X-7 turned back to the open sea, and at 8:12, the explosives detonated and the Tirpitz flew 8 feet above the water. During the explosion and escape, the X-7 was forced to the surface after being entangled in a torpedo net.

The ship was half submerged and flooded when it was decided to leave via the only escape hatch. Lieutenant Place and crew member Aitken ejected, while crew members Whittam and Whitley unfortunately crashed with the sinking X-7.

According to Admiralty records, the X-5 was never able to engage the Tirpitz. She never returned from her sortie and is thought to be missing along with all the men on board. Presumably, the X-5 was sunk by Tirpitz as it approached the surface.

Despite the relative success of the attack, KMS Tirpitz did not permanently cease service. She ingested about 14,000 tons of seawater, which in turn affected her motors and critical systems.

This kept her out of the war for a crucial six months and made the shipping lanes in the North Sea safer during this period. Tirpitz did not leave Kafjord until April 1944, when she was finally destroyed on 12 November 1944 by the "Tallboy" bomb dropped by British Lancaster heavy bombers, ending her seafaring legacy.

In 1944, due to losses during Operation Source, additional X vehicles were built - six training vehicles (Vickers XT-1 to Vickers XT-6) and two emergency vehicles (Broadbent X-20 and Marshall X-25) . X - Kraft continued to serve in the Royal Navy during the North Sea and Far East Wars. The X-22 was training to attack Laksevag's large floating dock in Bergen, Norway, when she was hit by the submarine HMS Syrtis during a training exercise and sank all on board.

The X-24 was then selected for training on the Bergan mission and was towed to Norway on April 15, 1944. She attacked as planned, but miscalculated her approach and dropped her charges aboard a 7,500-ton freighter, the Barenfels, which sank in an explosion.

However, the target dock was not destroyed. The X-24 returned to the tow submarine and was towed back to Scotland. The dock became a priority and the X-24 was reassigned to destroy it again.

A new crew was trained, and on September 11, 1944, the X-24 was again towed to Norway and officially successfully sank the pier.

The masterminds of Operation Overlordthe eventual invasion of continental Europeneeded as much information as possible about the French coast and its many beach passages. The photos were taken and the authorities even asked for a donation of these postcards of the French coast and beaches. "Operation Postage Able" was designed to study the various beaches that the Allies could land on, so the X-20 was chosen for this mission.

Although designed for a crew of four, an additional fifth crew member will be added for this perilous choice mission. The mission included blocking French beaches for four days and observing the coastline through a periscope during the day while taking sonar surveys.

In the evening, two divers swam to shore, took bathymetric measurements, and recorded them on underwater blocks and pencils. Once on land, they use a compass with beach gradient rollers and stakes to measure distances. Divers carry trowels and drills to store soil and sand samples in condoms.

For self-defense, each carried a .45 caliber pistol and an ammo belt. To offset the cold waters of the North Sea, they carried a bottle of gin. Divers stayed ashore for two nights, examining the beaches of Vierville, Moulins, St. Laurent and Colleville - which will form "Omaha" beaches.

On the third night it was scheduled to disembark at the mouth of the Orne, but fatigue, lack of food and bad weather forced the acting commander to abandon the operation. The X-20 returned to HMS Dolphin on 21 January 1944 and was towed to Scotland.

For D-Day, June 6, 1944, X-Crafts was again called under "Operation Abandonment". On June 4, the X-20 was supported by the X-23 stationed near Sword Beach and Juno Beach in the UK and Canada. The X-Vehicle surfaced and erected an 18-foot telescopic navigation mast with only seaward lights. In addition, the ship was equipped with radio beacons and echo sounders that could send information to Allied minesweepers, troop carriers and capital ships approaching the beaches of Sword and Juno. Rejecting the support of the X-Craft, the Americans decided to rely on their navigational instruments.

On D-Day, however, American ships and landing craft heading for the beaches of "Utah" were swept westward by the current, and their assault troops waded into the wrong places. Maybe they should get help from the X-Craft fleet of small submarines after all.

In early 1945, the original X-Crafts were lost in combat or training accidents. In the end, only five X-20 series ships remained before falling into the cripple's torch. Twenty-three people were killed in service with the X Craft, 15 of them officers. In 1945, all six Vickers-built trainers were scrapped.

Other manufacturers of X-Crafts are Varley Marine, Portsmouth Dockyard, Broadbent, Markham and Marshall.

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