Midget Submarines of WW2 - Small and Possibly Deadly? 

Pinned post for Q&A :)

"Believe it or not, there was actually a full training regime in place for suicide weapons." "Okay, class! Pay attention! I'm only going to show you this once!"

The Mark I Human Eyeball is a perfectly fine, standard, mass produced targeting system!

A submarine fight is just two big torpedoes shooting smaller torpedoes at one another.

"Increase speed to full walk!" "Cap'n, the engines canna take much more o' this!"

Italian Engineer: "Almost done translating the design notes. How do you say 'and then you get off the sub' in Japanese? Eh, common sense really."

Those Italian frogmen had balls of steel, and were remarkably effective. A great method for using few resources to great results.

3:08 "...and the red coats worn by the Mounties probably gave them mild case of institutional PTSD and a strong desire to run back to defend the White House. Aaanyway, back to our al dente underwater escapades..."

That first midget sub is just an underwater motorcycle "Sir I'm picking up something on the hydrophone! It sounds like a... Ducati?!"

Italians may not have shined elsewhere but they definitely created the concept of combat diver with effect.

Wartime vehicle development in Great Britain . Take a London bus engine and slap it to any tank or ship you can find

Engine? Checked! Batteries? Charged! Oxygen tanks? Full! Pizza? Napolitana! Mines? Ready! Sharks? Circling around! Fine Luigi lets go!

A friend's grandad was a kamakaze pilot and his name was chosen in what sounds like a kind of raffle (that has the worst prize ever!) for a mission the next day, however on the day the weather was bad enough that his mission was called off and his name wasn't chosen again, and survived the rest of the war. It was amazing to hear about it (even second hand) from the perspective of someone who was as involved in the program operationally as you can get while surviving.

17:00 What you can say about the Japanese mini-subs at Pearl Harbor is that they were almost practicing Kamikaze before Kamikaze existed; these two-man sub crews knew their lives were probably forfeit the minute they launched from the "mother" submarine.

I saw a Kaiten at the Kobe Naval Museum in Japan. It was an ugly, crudely build vessel because that was all it needed to be. I remember my precise words to my wife - "Is that a Kaiten? Oh shit - it IS a Kaiten....."

The Danish reverend who babtised me was an ex-SBS frogman. First during WW2 in British Special Boat Service. SBS, then he was recruited for the SOE and after the war he was a co-founder of Danish Navy special forces. And then, when he was discharged from the Navy because of costs limitations, he became a protestant reverend/minister.

"Benny Hill" style of escape? That's a hoot! I'd love to see a German "E" boat chasing a submersible canoe all over the North sea. Hilarious!

40:41 Just a minor correction - the commando force you're referring to was Z Special Unit. Z Force was a British intelligence unit operating in Burma. On a side note, as a kid I was trained to scuba dive by a Z Special Unit veteran who operated a dive school in Perth Aus. It's almost criminal that these guys activities during the war aren't more widely known.

5:15 this is why i love the early-mid 20th century at some point someone was planning or testing large craft carrying smaller craft boats, ships, subs, planes, blimps, you name it.

Love to think of the men of the Valliant strolling around, whistling and carrying toolboxes while outside then running as if chased by the Devil as soon as they went inside.

19 knots *submerged*!!! We grew up with a couple of WW2 artifacts being very prominent in our war history education - G for George was one of them, and the Japanese midget sub on display was the other. These were the Australian War Memorial's two most treasured parts of its collection. If that thing could do that speed submerged, I now understand why. (Having heard an Avro Lancaster fly over me, I understand why G for George was treasured.).

32:00 I read a brief account of scouting a D-Day beach by a guy on a mini-sub. They apparently used ex-Luftwaffe oxygen bottles, and never really knew how much air they had in hand, but managed to do the recon, get back to Blighty, and get out and walk away.

When I lived in Gibraltar about 40 years ago a dauntless friend of mine was a member of the local diving club. One day he came to me and said 'look what we found buried in the sandy bottom outside the destroyer pens'. It was a full diving face mask with the words 'Supermarina or Supermarine' as part of the moulding. I suggested it was part of the equipment of some of the Italian Attack Divers and he should take it to the museum. I left a couple of weeks later but would be interested to know if it was part of history of Italian Special Forces. My next stop was London where a year or so later I found myself working with an ex CPO who had been part of Commander Crabb's RN diving team. He also thought the mask might be Italian. If any one knows how this concluded I'd be interested to know.

Ok, I have to say it, that "5 minutes, more or less" thing HAS to be just a running gag by now... Anyway, I realy enjoyed this one. Interesting designs. Quite a few I wasn't aware off until now. I also do like the snarky comments you put into your videos. btw. I think you pronounced "maiale" quite well. I'm not an italian speaker, but I do have native italian co-workers and could inquire as to how they pronounce the word, should you so desire me to do so.

When you said that the two X-Craft broke their towlines and went off to have other adventures in the sea, what they actually did was to sink to their crush depths and implode, killing their 'Caretaker Crews'. Hardly adventurous, was it!

"Anyway, back to our al dente underwater escapades" Admire the gorgeous green basil of this pocket submarine, 10/10 transition!

Drachinifel, I've always imagined that in your intro, that ship's gun barrel coming down in front of that sailor just as he walks into it. A little slapstick as he bonks his head and falls backward.

Along time ago I saw an old black and white movie on TV about Italian frogman and their Royal Navy counterparts. It was about the actions that took place in Gibraltar. The movie started off showing models of HMS Valiant and the QE getting blasted. It also had underwater scenes of the Pigs leaving the Spanish ship they used as a mother ship. I don't remember the movies' name though. I just found it. It was called "The Silent Enemy" (1958) and was highly fictionalized. The movie used British Chariot Manned Torpedoes rather than the Italian Maiale, but when the movie was made I doubt there where many Maiale's left around to use.

Ahem. CSS Hunley, 1864. First sub to sink an enemy ship (before she went down herself). Can't have a midget submarine story without her.

21:45 Somebody probably read ''Ignition! a history of rocket fuels'' by John D. Clark.

The US did work on some stuff, they had a semi-submersible (a craft that only has a driver's viewport and air induction above water) that could be hidden at the destination fully submerged called GIMIK (which I'm guessing is pronounced "gimmick", but apparently the crews called them Gizmo #1 and Gizmo #2). This was part of Project NAPKO which was to insert agents into Japanese held Korea, the boats were kept after the war and were modified to become the CIA's SKIFF boats. I know GIMIK never got used and I don't think SKIFF was either.

Drachinifel, I would like to politely request that you review the T-class submarines of the Royal Navy. Edit: just to reiterate for clarification, I meant the T-class submarines of the Second World War. You have given the Gato-class their due diligence, so it should be fair that the British T-class should be given their's as well.

16:40 "Flamu, should i equip fighter- or spotter-plane to my submarine?"

'The sight of the Red Coated Mounties probably gave them a case of PTSD and a need to run home and defend the White House' Instant like and DAMN that is a good one!

When I was a teenager we had a family friend who was a sub mariner. He was an officer (eventually getting his own command) and would tell us lots of (redacted) stories. He'd start out, "Once we were on patrol, tracking this Soviet boomer (this was the 80's when the Soviet Union still existed) then.... Well that's all I can say." It would drive us nuts.

The two Italian frogmen De la Penne and Bianchi were injured by the explosion, but survived.

Loved the Canadian Mountie comment. A+

As a Canadian I loved the comment around 3:05 of the video. A put down only a historian would understand. Nicely done sir.

The picture from 20:30 to 23:30 : I didn't expect those manned torpedos to be kilometres long! :P

Important safety tip: ALL U.S. military units take exception to being fired upon and will enthusiastically return the favor.

Capture diver1: Didn't we plant a bomb on this ship Capture diver 2: Huh? Oh Both diver😱😱

The classification was interesting. The RN had three types of real "submarines" - otherwise submersibles - in 1939 - the T class patrol, S class near waters and U/V coastal. All successful, all widely employed, but definitely 3 classes and no "fleet" or other genuine monstrosities.

22:20 When the LESS VOLATILE option for fueling a craft is STILL literally rocket fuel, and that craft is NOT a rocket, the thing I know best about it is that I DO NOT WANT TO GO NEAR ONE.

24:28 "And yes, for a suicide weapon, they also had a self-destruct."

Thanks for reminding us how brave these submariners were. 4 VCs earned on RN missions; Donald Cameron and Basil Place for the Tirpitz mission and Ian Fraser and James Magennis for the Takao mission ; I think about 10 Italians were similarly honoured with the MOVM, including Luigi Durand de la Penne, possibly the greatest of them all.

Again the photos are great. The depth of thought on the commentary description is perfect for a historical video. Cheers! Thanks for putting in the time.

Excuse me, but I believe you mean Little person submarine.

I am 80 yrs. One of my first memories was a midget sub on a flatbed truck at what I now assume was a war bond drive. I assume this was captured in Hawaii.

"Got stuck in a torpedo net and blew itself up" mood

In regards to that remark regarding the war of 1812...upon further reflection (and after the shrieks of rage had subsided), I have decided that if the Canadians ever feel like trying again, well...as they say, “there’s no time like the present”.

34:49 with that much boom under the ship, I think they air mailed bits of Takao back to Kure naval yard.

Just for interest sake - the sub M24 that escaped Sydney Harbour was found in 2006, approx 5km off the Northern Beaches of Sydney. It is now a protected site.

As an ex RN Diver I loved this video. BTW in the 1960 the RN mine-hunters used London Bus Engines as their Hunting Engines on the 360 Degree Rudders. Still Popular !!

Wow, I'm here on pre-premiere! (MHV posted a link to this at his video on midget subs)

Those submarine , hydraulic net cutters sure get about . James Bond's nemesis ,. ' Jaws ' , swore by them . Never went out without a shiny , well greased pair .

"World's Tiniest Hunter-Killers", That just sounds so cool and cute. :)

I love the bit about the mounties literally made my laugh out loud

Mk.1 Human Eyeball :D

Donate a torpedo to the allied cause. Jeebus Drach. Just when I think you can't get any funnier.

He stops just short of referring to the US as "colonials".

Those London bus engines got around! Busses, tanks, subs...

I wonder if the japanese started developing the kaiten based on the loss rates of the midget subs? "Every time we lose a midget sub we lose a lot of steel and several crew, how can we be more efficicent?" "I know, cut it down to one person and one torpedo?" "Excellent thought, you are an honour to your ancestors!"

What I imagined when you talked about the Monaghan “taking exception” to being shot at by a Midget sub: No. 20 Midget Sub: “Haha time to cause some chaos! Oh damn, I seem to have irritated the USS Monaghan by shooting torpedoes at her.” USS Monaghan: “Oi, I’m gonna have you for that! GET BACK HERE!!”

28:36 "undersea pleasure car" man I love retrofuturism. Using military bare-bones devices as recreational vehicles.

Your midget sub video. It"s got to be up with the best I've ever watched

Nice to hear about a part of WW2 where the Italians were actually doing well w/o the need to call on Germany to rescue them.

@00:40 the one on the right is ahead by two hull lengths

14:05 Imagine being the sailor ordered to crack that thing open after it had been sitting on the bottom for a while with a couple of bodies in it.

If I had a midget sub I would name it: "Danny DiveTo" and it would have a magnum torpedo!

my favourite of the Midget Submarines would be the Royal Navy's X-Class Submarine, first learned of them through the Commando Comics

"All ahead Amble, mister Perkins." "Aye, sir!"

"Propellants for which the best protection is a good pair of running shoes." Sounds like either you've read "Ignition!" An Informal History of Liquid Rocket Propellants" or you follow Scott Manley :-) Great line either way!

I enjoy your documentaries very much.. you have just the right amount of humor for a serious subject.. I went to your friends page to catch the german mini sub video.. excellent.. thanks for the share and carry on!

I still wish you to address the topic of the German Midget Submarines.

You mention that, whilst en route to Norway, two X craft parted their tows and '... went off on other adventures.' This is, with respect, inappropriate levity as X9 had a passage crew, all of whom were presumed lost with their craft. Able Seaman Harry Harte; Stoker George Hollett; and Sub Lt Edward Kearon.

3:22 Since this is clearly a torpedo with a bunch of crap welded to it and it isnt going to fit into a tube anymore, they should have welded on a couple of small bow planes while they were at it to give it some depth control. On Junkyard Wars, they once built a device that looked similar to this (sans warhead) and it was clearly compromised in its depth control by not having diving planes either, more like a "what angle would you like to face while you plow straight ahead" control.

Ah, this explains something i read in "Tin Can Sailor" by Calhoun, where the author mentioned that when the submarine net was briefly lowered to allow his destroyer through into the Gibraltar harbor, the British dropped depth charges just before and after the US ships went through. I was thinking it would've been rather hard for a full-sized submarine to try to sneak through there, but right, a midget sub might've been able to do it. Thus the depth charges.

Few words about Latvian submarines of 20-30period would be interesting.. they was two ,one of them name Ronis ( Seal).

12:29 Japanese went from minisubs to Literally MANNED TORPEDOES (is anyone surprised?)

Love the collaboration going on. And it’s nice to see small units getting there due recognition.

There were many Dracisims in this one ^^ I had a good laugh

Fantastic video Drach....I knew when I saw the "two submarines racing" picture that it was gonna be a great video.

3:00 british throwing insults at america over the war of 1812.... well played! 🤣🤣

Funny, I just watched Military History Not Visualised video on the Kiegsmarines midget subs :)

"Redcoats (Canada)... giving them a strong desire to run back and defend the white house" :D 1812 was one crazy year haha!

Underwater canoe racing. Why isn't this an Olympic sport yet?

This is the first video I'm watching after moving house! Give me strength as I unpack all my crap

Thanks, you've answered a lot of questions for me on this subject. Frogmen and manned torpedoes...that's risky.

The Drachisms in this one are off the charts

i love your humoristic view,of things.keep buggering on.great video,by the way!

Okay, as an American, that jab at the start was pretty good. made me lol.

Just wanted to say thanks, Drach. Got up this morning on my birthday to find a long video on subs, hell of a start to a fantastic day.

Great vid Drach, thanks so much for your uploads.

The U.S. had a bad case of PTSD in the War of 1812? I think Major General Sir Edward Packenham would’ve had such a case with his 8000 Napoleanic veterans had he survived January 8,1815.

working with military history not visualized again? great work, i enjoy hearing about the operational uses after his overview

I wasn't at my first command for too long before I realized the particulars of my rate, plus a certain additional job and having a secret clearance definitely helped tie everything together. I had long had an interest in the military and read every book I could get my hands on covering various topics. I realized my job pretty much meant I could go anywhere I pleased on the ship. Of course I had to have a reason and tracing out piping systems worked every time. Hmm but how am I going to get a good look at a cruiser or a destroyer?? For that I used my at the time awesome personality and was able to convince every ship it was a great idea to give this random enlisted guy a tour of thier ship. After 2 years the novelty wore off and I needed a new challenge. Could I actually convince a sub crew to give me a tour? YES, I managed to charm my way onto a few 688's. WOW it was a different experience, they'd normally start the tour in the con at the front and would end entering the back of the con. It was pretty cool. The only firm no and not just no but NO and GO AWAY were the 688i's the improved models apparently had some real secret stuff aboard.

The IJN minisub ha19 is on display in a museum here in central Texas, cool to hear you talking about it! It really is a fantastic museum in Admiral Nimitz’s hometown of Fredericksburg!

I really want to see Takao class in 5min guide, or Ise class since it's a very unique battleship which converted to battle carrier

I guess the reason canoe didn't get a "Wel-" prefix is that the name would rather quickly become a running joke among those unfortunate SOE agents, who would have to use it.

Incredible research. This is a very complete history. Thank you!