Midget

Leaping across water and paddling through shallow streams we took advantage of the low spring tide to visit the two abandoned midget XT submarines which are exposed at low tide on a sandbar in Aberlady Bay beside the Nature Reserve.   The tiny submarines  were built as training submarines during the war and used to attack the 'Tirpitz', the flagship of the German Navy, which was a major threat to the shipping convoys.  Due to the dangerous nature the crew got various awards for bravery including the Victoria Cross for the Commanders.
In 1946 after the war two of the six XT class training subs were towed into Aberlady Bay and moored between 4 Anti Tank Blocks with a single block on top. A Spitfire and a Mosquito carried out live fire missions on the subs when they were afloat at high tide to test new experimental explosive cannon shells from aircraft.  Later they were also used as target practise by planes from RAF Drem.  The other submarine (in the extra) and concrete mooring block can be seen in the background.
It must have been very cramped and claustrophobic for the crew of four who were hardly able to move among all the equipment in the submarines which were only 1.7m and 15.7m long. (5 feet and 52 feet)    

(More interesting information is available at Coastrider's site about the WW2 XT Class submarines but unfortunately I can't get the link to work)

Comments
Sign in or get an account to comment.