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.
HUMAN TORPEDOES - 'CHARIOTS'
Intended for clandestine attacks on vessels at anchor, and copied from the Italian Pigs - which successfully attacked Alexandria in 1941 - the Chariot was not a torpedo but an electric vehicle manned by a crew of two equipped with breathing tanks, who sat externally, and attempted to attach their bow warhead on to the hull of an enemy vessel. The freezing Norwegian waters incapacitated the operators because they were so exposed, and the most decisive results were achieved in the warmer waters of the Mediterranean.
The most notable successes of the Chariots were the sinking of three Italian cruisers: Ulpio Traiano at Palermo on 3rd January, 1943; Bolzano at La Spezia on 21st June, 1944; and Gorizia at La Spezia on 26th June, 1944.
X5 CLASS
Laid down in 1939, the prototype X-craft was built by one of the leading advocates of midget submarines - a First World War. submariner, Commander Varley - and, following successful trials off Scotland in October 1942, was commissioned as X3. (Note: X1 was an experimental fleet submarine built in 1925, and X2 was a captured Italian submarine). A second prototype vessel, X4, was constructed and, based on these two boats, operational craft were quickly developed.
In December 1942, Vickers began to build six X-craft (X5 to X10) for employment in European waters. Their obvious primary operation was to attack the German battleship Tirpitz, which was 'holed up' in Alten Fjord, Norway. By September 1943, the six X5 Class midget submarines and their hand-picked, highly-trained crews were ready to undertake a mission that was to write a chapter in the history of submarine warfare.
With engines that generated 42 hp (surfaced) and only 30 hp (submerged), the X-craft were too small to undertake long passages and were, therefore, always towed to their target area by full-sized submarines, at maximum speeds of 10.5 knots (surfaced) and 12 knots (submerged). As can be expected, towing midgets reduced the endurance of submarines - the S Class, for example, had a 30 per cent reduction in endurance, and the comparable figure for the larger T Class was around 50 per cent.
The Tirpitz mission began in an undistinguished manner when, on the outward passage to Norway (which was an eight-day journey covering over 1000 miles), X9 sank and X8 had to be scuttled. Fifty miles from their target, the four remaining X-craft were cast loose to proceed under their own power, through winding, shallow fjords, mine fields and anti-submarine nets to the anchorage of Tirpitz. X10 penetrated the inner fjord but had to abandon her attack because of mechanical defects. Harassed by vigorous enemy patrols, her captain valiantly stayed hidden with his small boat for five days until, finally, he could return to the 'towing ship'. X10 was scuttled on the return journey to England.
On 22nd September, 1943, X6 (Lieut. Donald Cameron, RNR) and X7 (Lieut. Basil Place) followed an old freighter through the final set of nets and arrived at their objective within minutes of each other. An alert guard, spotting one of the craft, raised the alarm but, under a heavy counter-attack, X6 managed to get beneath the massive ship and drop two separate explosives - following which she became entangled in underwater nets and had to surrender. X7 also released two charges beneath Tirpitz but before she could fully escape, the first of the explosives from X6 detonated, and she too was soon forced to surrender. A third submarine was sighted and brought under heavy fire. This was probably X5, which was never seen again.
The attack on Tirpitz was a great success, for although the charges did not sink her, the damage they inflicted resulted in the vessel being towed south for repairs. Here Tirpitz was at last within the range of British bombers, which finally eliminated her a little more than a year later. For the part they played in preventing Tirpitz sailing from Norway, Lieutenants Place and Cameron were each awarded the Victoria Cross.
Six further X-craft, X20 to X25, were built in 1945, five of which were scrapped at the end of the war. The sixth, X22, was lost in a collision with HM Submarine Syrtis in the Pentland Firth. None of these X-craft were built at Vickers. In 1954 a further 4 X-craft, X51-54, were built by Vickers.
XT CLASS
During 1943 and 1944, Vickers built six XT-craft submarines for training purposes. Having an endurance of only 500 miles at 4 knots, the XT-boats were a simplified X5 class submarine - without the side cargo-release gear, night periscope or automatic helmsman. In addition, their day periscope, projector compass and air induction trunk were fixed in the 'up' position.
Twelve more vessels, ordered in 1943 from Broadbents of Huddersfield, were cancelled before completion. The six Barrow-boats were scrapped at the end of the war.
