'SEEHUND' and 'BIBER' photos |
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Please click here to view the pdf-file Best German midget sub design of WWII. By
Peter Wihtol
BIBER
TECHNICAL DETAILS ·
Length 29' 9'
Weight
3 ½ tons w/o torpedoes. 6 ½ tons with torpedoes
Surfaced
displacement With torpedoes 6 tons, estimated.
Fuel
supply 26 gallons gasoline
Battery
output 56 volts.
Surfaced
speeds. Full speed: 7-8 knots. Cruising speed 5-6 knots. Half
speed: 4 knots.
Submerged
speed: 2-3 knots. And speed using electric motor on surface
4-5 knots.
Maximum
diving depth 60' according to crew. The depth gauge went to
25meters (82 feet)
Compressed
air. 5 steel bottles of HP air stored at 200 atmospheres. They
were 9 cubic feet volume in all. And were used for blowing ballast
tanks and operating the release rams for torpedoes.
Endurance.
Maximum surfaced traveling time: 20-24 hours.
Maximum traveling time on batteries: 2-3 hours. Maximum oxygen for the driver: 36 hours. It
could carry either 2 torpedoes or two mines or one of each.
It was used for mine laying as well as firing torpedoes.
Conning
tower was made of cast aluminum or aluminum alloy
Tanks
Fore and aft diving tanks only.
The
magnets for the projector compass were housed at the top of
a sealed bronze-alloy tube, rigidly fixed through the forward
end of the conning tower. It extends some 18' above and
12' below the deck.
There
was a wooden rudder and single wooden hydroplane. These were
controlled by two circular control wheels, one slightly smaller
in diameter both turning on the same axis in front of the driver.
The
air intake was originally 1' above the conning tower, but this
was increased to 3' and was secured to the periscope. Like the
Seehund the air drawn in goes through the crew area first and
then to the engine. Therefore it also acts as a fresh air source
for both the engine and the crewman.
Camouflage.
In practice the Biber was concealed in sheds and under trees.
It was also concealed by tarps and camouflage netting to obscure
its shape when in the water tied next to the piers.
Training.
This period was usually 2-3 weeks only. The Biber training camp
was known as Blaukoppel. It is near Schlutup, opposite the Flondorworft,
near Lübock. It is three quarters of a mile from the nearest
tram-line and consists of wooden hutments.
By Peter Wihtol, This
article is based upon a recently discovered POW interrogation report,
obtained through the continuing and generous courtesy of Klaus Mattes.
Historical edits and corrections were done by Enrico Doering. The
translations between Enrico and I were done through the efforts
and patience of his wife, Franziska Doering.
 
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last update: 2011-12-09 1:07 PM