Marder (submarine)

Marder (Pine Marten) was a German midget submarine developed from the Neger.[1] The craft was 8.3 metres (27 ft 3 in) long and unlike the Neger included a flooding tank in the nose allowing it to dive.[1] Another improvement was the dome through which the pilot viewed the outside world that also served as the craft's entrance and exit was made openable from the inside.[1] Maximum diving depth was about 25 metres (82 ft).[2]

Marder on display at the Bundeswehr Military History Museum
Class overview
NameMarder
Operators Kriegsmarine
Activec. 500
General characteristics
TypeMidget submarine
Length8.3 m (27 ft 3 in) o/a
Beam0.533 m (21 in)
PropulsionAEG-AV 76 Eto, 12 metric horsepower (8.8 kW; 12 shp)
Speed3.2–4.2 kn (5.9–7.8 km/h; 3.7–4.8 mph)
Test depth40 m (130 ft)
Complement1
Armament1 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo

The submarine's first operations took place on the night of 2 August 1944, when Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine's Small Battle Units made their largest effort of the war. 58 human torpedoes[3] of the Neger-type and 22 Linse vessels were launched against Allied shipping off Normandy as part of a combined operation with Negers and explosive Linse boats.[1] One Royal Navy destroyer escort, HMS Quorn was sunk by a human torpedo along with one minesweeper, HMS Gairsay, and one landing craft by the German motor boats; at a cost of 41 Neger and 22 Linsen craft.[3]

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Marder (Torpedo).
  1. Paterson, Lawrence (2006). Weapons of Desperation German Frogmen and Midget Submarines of World war II. Chatham Publishing. pp. 49–51. ISBN 978-1-86176-279-5.
  2. Kemp, Paul (1996). Underwater Warriors. Arms & Armour Press. pp. 186–188. ISBN 1-85409-228-6.
  3. Brown p. 116

Bibliography
  • Brown, David. Warship Losses of World War Two. Arms and Armour, London, Great Britain, 1990. ISBN 0-85368-802-8.
  • Prenatt, Jamie & Stille, Mark (2014). Axis Midget Submarines: 1939–45. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4728-0122-7.


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