No history of Barrow-built submersibles would be complete without reference to the Royal Navy's midget submarines and it is true to say that Britain, although one of the last countries to be involved with midget submarine construction, made the most impressive use of this type of vessel.
Although not built by Vickers, the first RN Midget craft, called 'Chariots', were copies of the Italian Maiale Class, or 'Pigs'. They were followed by a range of midget submarines designed to penetrate Norwegian anchorages which were sheltering German battleships.
