Australian mini subs in WW2

• Jan 25, 2022

• #1

MiTasol

1st Lieutenant

7,141

12,675

Sep 19, 2012

Aw flaming stralia

I was sent this link from a Kiwi friend and thought others may also be interested

The secret mini-submarines that played a crucial role in World War II

A flotilla of Allied X-craft mini-submarines were deployed to the Pacific to cut underwater telephone cables and disrupt Japan’s communication.

www.stuff.co.nz

 

• Jan 25, 2022

• #2

E

EwenS

Master Sergeant

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Oct 19, 2021

Rather surprisingly while Operations Sabre (off Vietnam) and Foil (off Hong Kong) rate a mention, Operation Struggle which saw XE1 & XE3 dispatched to Singapore to attack the IJN cruisers Takao and Myoko at the same time does not. There were 2 VCs awarded to the crew of XE3 and a number of other awards to other crew members.

Wiki has some well referenced articles on the XE craft, and their predecessors the X craft.

XE-class submarine - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

X-class submarine - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

And then there were their predecessors, the Chariot human torpedoes based on th Italian Miaile concept

Chariots

No history of submarine warfare in World War Two could be complete without a mention of the

rnsubs.co.uk

Human torpedo - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

• Jan 25, 2022

• #3

Shinpachi

Colonel

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Feb 17, 2008

Osaka

Please do not forget Stalin's contribution to ending the war either.
Very informative. Thanks.

 

• Jan 25, 2022

• #4

Capt. Vick

Moderator

Staff

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Jul 23, 2008

Long Island, New York

I never knew about this...

 

• Jan 25, 2022

• #5

SaparotRob

Unter Gemeine Geschwader Murmeltier XIII

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Mar 12, 2020

Long Island, NY

Thanks for the post, EwenS. This was news to me too.

 

• Jan 25, 2022

• #6

vikingBerserker

Lieutenant General

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Apr 10, 2009

South Carolina

Very cool! I am currently reading "War Beneath The Sea" by Peter Padfield. Just finished the section on the X-Craft attack on the Tirpitz. I hope he talks about these as I've never heard of them.

 

• Jan 25, 2022

• Thread starter
• #7

MiTasol

1st Lieutenant

7,141

12,675

Sep 19, 2012

Aw flaming stralia

Thank you Ewen for greatly expanding on the topic

 

• Jan 25, 2022

• #8

Thumpalumpacus

Major

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Feb 5, 2021

Tejas

Yeah, I had no idea of these cable-cutting ops.

The things one learns about submarines on an aviation forum!

 

• Apr 25, 2022

• Thread starter
• #9

MiTasol

1st Lieutenant

7,141

12,675

Sep 19, 2012

Aw flaming stralia

And tanks and APCs and ships, etc, etc