The human torpedo can be very dangerous equipment

British "Chariot" vehicle
(Picture 1)

Kimmo Huosionmaa

The ”human torpedo” is one of the most extreme things in naval warfare. That is actually the electric-powered torpedo-shaped vehicle, what can be used to carry explosives or other equipment to the coastal area. Japanese fleet had suicide-torpedo called ”Kaiten”, but this device is not very common in other navies. German navy had so-called ”Neger”-torpedo, what was equipped with the cabin, and it had one torpedo for shooting the ships, what is moving forward. The British version of those underwater ”motorbikes” was the ”chariot”.


In this version was normally two scuba divers, who sat on the torpedo. And this equipment was used against axis ships in Mediterranean area. Similar vehicles were used in the attack against British battleships at Alexandria by Italian naval frogmen. This attack shows how dangerous those things were, and when we are thinking about this kind of attack, the human torpedoes can be carried to harbors by using any vessel, like trawlers or they can trail by civilian shaped speedboats.

German "Neger" midget submarine
with parasite torpedo
(Picture 2)

The Chariot-type vehicle has the nose section, what can be separated, and that nose section might fill with explosives. So those vehicles can slip in the harbors, and the installation of those explosives is very easy. That happened in the Alexandria harbor, where two British battleships were damaged in 1941. The reason why those ships were not sunk, was that they laid on the bottom of the harbor, and this shows how dangerous those vehicles might be.


The big losses of the "Neger" system, was probably might caused by because the divers were not used scuba equipment and if the torpedo were launched too close the explosion, would destroy it immediately. I don't know did those men used the pressure air cylinders in that submarine, but if the torpedo were exploded too close, would that cause immediate death, and of course, allied forces dropped depth charges to water, and if the submarine would destroy in deep, that pilot would not able to get to surface without scuba. And if they were tired, the torpedoes would launch too close with terrible consequences.

There is the possibility that some British human torpedoes were equipped with launching torpedoes, what was installed at the bottom of the vehicle. The crew of this weapon might use the shields and metal west to protect them against pressure wave, what the exploding torpedo causes. Also, those frogmen tried sometimes to put the explosives at the hull of the submarine. But were those attempts successful is not confirmed.

(Picture 3)

In 1945 the German U-boat U-861 what carried the weapon drawings and other stuff was torpedoed by the British submarine. This case was the first time in history when submarine hits to another submarine with the torpedo when the target was given. It is suspicious that this U-boat was sunk by naval scuba divers, who use ”Chariot” vehicles. In modern day, we must remember that those electric powered manned torpedoes can be dangerous for other submarines.


It the scuba divers wait just after harbor or in the place, where submarine must drive slow, they can put the explosives to the hull of that submarine. Or of course those ”human torpedoes” can be very fast, and the divers can put the HEAT (High Explosive Anti Tank) explosive on the hull of the submarine. They can also use sub-torpedo against that target, and this could be an effective way to destroy the missile submarines.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raid_on_Alexandria_(1941)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neger

http://www.hisutton.com/Chariot_Mk2.html

http://warfarehistorynetwork.com/daily/wwii/manned-submarines-italys-daredevil-torpedo-riders/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Caesar

Picture 1.

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6210/6134365476_4481234aef_b.jpg

Picture 2.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/89/56/87/8956874902b2cd3b5a27dcb07d20e19a.jpg

Picture 3.

http://warfarehistorynetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/Italy%E2%80%99s-Daredevil-Torpedo-Riders-7.jpg