Schnellboot

cyberia · #1 (**permalink**) March 11th, 2008, 01:24 PM

They were fast, manoeuvrable and dangerous. Equipped with torpedoes, mines and canons, they were feared by Allied forces for their deadly attacks.

They were the Schnellboots:

An S-30 class Schnellboot at speed in the Mediterranean

After the Treaty of Versailles most of Germany's military production was severely curtailed. Small patrol craft were not. The S-boote trace their lineage back to a private motor yacht — a 22 ton displacement 34 knot craft called Oheka II, which had been built in 1927 for wealthy financier and patron of the arts, Otto Kahn, by the German shipbuilding company Lürssen.

This design was chosen because the theatre of operations of such boats was expected to be the North Sea, English Channel and the Western Approaches. The requirement for good performance in rough seas dictated the use of a round-bottomed displacement hull rather than a flat-bottomed planing hull that was more usual with small, high speed boats. Lürssen overcame many of the disadvantages of such a hull and, with the Oheka II, produced a craft that was fast, strong and seaworthy. This attracted the interest of the German Navy who, in 1929, ordered a similar boat but fitted with two torpedo tubes. This became the S-1 and was the basis for all subsequent S-Boot.

A S-151 class S-Boot with twin 20mm guns aft

S-boote were often used to patrol the Baltic Sea and the English Channel in order to intercept shipping heading for the English ports in the south and east. As such they would be up against Royal Navy and Commonwealth contingents in Motor Gun Boats and Motor Torpedo Boats and Motor Launches and frigates and destroyers. They were also transferred in small number to the Mediterranean, and the Black Sea by river and landtransport. Some small S-Boote were built as longboats for auxiliary cruisers.

Older version Schnellboot with torpedo tubes located above deck

Commonly called E-Boats by the Allies, on average S-Boots had a displacement of 100 tons. Three Daimler Benz twenty-cylinder diesel engines MT 502; 3,960 hp gave these ships a top speed of 36 knots with a range of 800 nm at 30 knots

Crews averaged at 24 to 30 hands and depending on class, armaments included two 533 mm torpedo tubes with 4 torpedoes, one to two 20 mm C/30 cannon and upwards of eight 7.92 mm machine guns and six 6 mines.

A few examples were also fitted with 20 mm bow guns, 40 mm Bofors and even 3.7 cm Flak 42 and quad 2 cm Flakvierling.

An S-26 class at wars end flying a white flag as it surrenders in the Philippines

Schnellboot crews could earn an award particular to their work - denoted by a badge depicting an E-boat passing through a wreath. The criteria were good conduct, distinction in action, participating in at least twelve enemy actions. It was awarded for a particularly successful mission, displays of leadership or being killed in action. It could also be awarded under special circumstances such as when another decoration was not suitable.

Schnellboot badge in silver