XE class submarine
Encyclopedia
Six XE-class midget submarine
s (HMS XE1 to XE6) were built for the Royal Navy
during 1944. They were an improved version of the X Class
midgets used in the attack on the German
battleship
Tirpitz
.
They carried a crew of four, typically a lieutenant
in command, with a sub-lieutenant
as deputy, an engine room artificer in charge of the mechanical side and a seaman
or leading-seaman. At least one of them was qualified as a diver.
In addition to the two side charges
(each of which contained two tons of amatol
explosive), they carried around six 20-pound limpet mine
s which were attached to the target by the diver.
They and their depot ship HMS Bonaventure
arrived at Labuan
in July 1945. Four of them managed to see action before the war ended.
harbour. XE3 was tasked with mining the cruiser Takao
. The approach along the Straits of Johor
and through the various harbour defences took 11 hours plus a further 2 hours to locate the camouflaged target. Despite several opportunities for Japanese defenders to spot the vessel, XE3 successfully reached the Takao, fixed limpet mines and dropped its two, 2-ton side charges. The withdrawal was successfully made and XE3 safely contacted HMS Stygian
, the escort submarine.
Meanwhile XE1 had failed to find its target, the cruiser Myōkō
. Instead, and knowing that the explosives already laid could explode, XE1's own charges were also laid under the Takao. XE1 escaped successfully.
The Takao was severely damaged and never sailed again. Lieutenant
Ian Edward Fraser
RNR
, and Leading Seaman
James Joseph Magennis
were awarded the Victoria Cross
(VC) for their part in the attack; whilst Sub-Lieutenant
William James Lanyon Smith, RNZNVR, who was at the controls of XE3 during the attack, received the Distinguished Service Order
(DSO); Engine Room Artificer Third Class Charles Alfred Reed, who was at the wheel, received the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal
(CGM). XE1s C/O, Lieutenant John Elliott Smart
RNVR received the DSO, and Sub-Lieutenant Harold Edwin Harper, RNVR received the Distinguished Service Cross
(DSC); and ERA Fourth Class Henry James Fishleigh and Leading Seaman
Walter Henry Arthur Pomeroy received the Distinguished Service Medal
. ERA Fourth Class Albert Nairn, Acting Leading Stoker Jack Gordan Robinson, and Able Seaman
Ernest Raymond Dee were Mentioned in Despatches for their part in bringing the two midget submarines from harbour to the point where the crews that took part in the attack took over.
Operation Sabre was carried out by XE4, which was towed to within 40 miles (64.4 km) of the Mekong Delta
by the submarine HMS Spearhead, where she looked for the two telephone cables by using a towed grapnel. She eventually snagged the first cable, and managed to haul it about 10 feet (3 m) off the seabed. XE4's diver, Sub-Lieutenant K.M. Briggs, used the net/cable cutter to sever it. The second cable was soon found as well, and was severed by the second diver, Sub-Lieutenant A. Bergius. Two divers were carried due to the operating rule that a diver should not spend more than 20 minutes in depths over 33 feet (10.1 m) and no more than 10 minutes over 40 feet (12.2 m).
Operation Foil was carried out by XE5, against the Hong Kong end of the cable, after being towed into position by the submarine HMS Selene. Operating close inshore near to Lamma Island
, working conditions were poor, XE5's divers having to work in thick mud under the constant threat of oxygen poisoning. Despite this, the operation was successful.
Second group
Third group
Midget submarine
A midget submarine is any submarine under 150 tons, typically operated by a crew of one or two but sometimes up to 6 or 8, with little or no on-board living accommodation...
s (HMS XE1 to XE6) were built for the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
during 1944. They were an improved version of the X Class
X class submarine
The X class was a World War II midget submarine class built for the Royal Navy during 1943–44.Known individually as X-Craft, the vessels were designed to be towed to their intended area of operations by a full-size 'mother' submarine - - with a passage crew on board, the operational crew...
midgets used in the attack on the German
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
Tirpitz
German battleship Tirpitz
Tirpitz was the second of two s built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, the architect of the Imperial Navy, the ship was laid down at the Kriegsmarinewerft in Wilhelmshaven in November 1936 and launched two and a half years later in April...
.
They carried a crew of four, typically a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in command, with a sub-lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
as deputy, an engine room artificer in charge of the mechanical side and a seaman
Seaman
Seaman is one of the lowest ranks in a Navy. In the Commonwealth it is the lowest rank in the Navy, followed by Able Seaman and Leading Seaman, and followed by the Petty Officer ranks....
or leading-seaman. At least one of them was qualified as a diver.
In addition to the two side charges
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
(each of which contained two tons of amatol
Amatol
Amatol is a highly explosive material made from a mixture of TNT and ammonium nitrate. Its name originates from the words ammonium and toluene...
explosive), they carried around six 20-pound limpet mine
Limpet mine
A limpet mine is a type of naval mine attached to a target by magnets; they are so named because of their superficial similarity to the limpet, a type of mollusk....
s which were attached to the target by the diver.
They and their depot ship HMS Bonaventure
HMS Bonaventure (F139)
HMS Bonaventure was a submarine depot ship of the Royal Navy. She was initially built for civilian service with the Clan Line, but on the outbreak of the Second World War she was requisitioned by the Navy and after being launched, was converted for military service.-Construction and...
arrived at Labuan
Labuan
Labuan is a federal territory in East Malaysia. It is an island off the coast of the state of Sabah. Labuan's capital is Victoria and is best known as an offshore financial centre offering international financial and business services via Labuan IBFC since 1990 as well as being an offshore support...
in July 1945. Four of them managed to see action before the war ended.
Operation Struggle
In August 1945, HMS XE1 and XE3 executed a joint attack on Japanese cruisers within SingaporeSingapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
harbour. XE3 was tasked with mining the cruiser Takao
Japanese cruiser Takao
was the first of four Takao-class heavy cruisers, designed to be an improvement over the previous Myōkō-class design. The Myōkō had proved to be unstable and required modifications, which were incorporated into the Takao design....
. The approach along the Straits of Johor
Straits of Johor
The Straits of Johor is a strait that separates the Malaysian state of Johor to the north from Singapore to the south....
and through the various harbour defences took 11 hours plus a further 2 hours to locate the camouflaged target. Despite several opportunities for Japanese defenders to spot the vessel, XE3 successfully reached the Takao, fixed limpet mines and dropped its two, 2-ton side charges. The withdrawal was successfully made and XE3 safely contacted HMS Stygian
HMS Stygian (P249)
HMS Stygian was a S-class submarine of the British Royal Navy, and the only ship so far to bear the name. The ship is listed as being a member of the fourth group, although she had the external stern torpedo tube fitted as in the third group.After an eventful career in the Pacific during the...
, the escort submarine.
Meanwhile XE1 had failed to find its target, the cruiser Myōkō
Japanese cruiser Myoko
was the name-ship of the four-member of heavy cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy — the other ships of the class being the Nachi, Ashigara, and Haguro....
. Instead, and knowing that the explosives already laid could explode, XE1's own charges were also laid under the Takao. XE1 escaped successfully.
The Takao was severely damaged and never sailed again. Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
Ian Edward Fraser
Ian Edward Fraser
Ian Edward Fraser, VC, DSC, RD and Bar, JP , was an English diving pioneer and recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Fraser was born in Ealing, London and went to school...
RNR
Royal Naval Reserve
The Royal Naval Reserve is the volunteer reserve force of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. The present Royal Naval Reserve was formed in 1958 by merging the original Royal Naval Reserve and the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve , a reserve of civilian volunteers founded in 1903...
, and Leading Seaman
Leading Seaman
Leading seaman is a junior non-commissioned rank or rate in navies, particularly those of the Commonwealth. When it is used by NATO nations, leading seaman has the rank code of OR-4. It is often equivalent to the army and air force rank of corporal and some navies use corporal rather than...
James Joseph Magennis
James Joseph Magennis
James Joseph Magennis VC was a Belfast-born recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces...
were awarded the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
(VC) for their part in the attack; whilst Sub-Lieutenant
Sub-Lieutenant
Sub-lieutenant is a military rank. It is normally a junior officer rank.In many navies, a sub-lieutenant is a naval commissioned or subordinate officer, ranking below a lieutenant. In the Royal Navy the rank of sub-lieutenant is equivalent to the rank of lieutenant in the British Army and of...
William James Lanyon Smith, RNZNVR, who was at the controls of XE3 during the attack, received the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(DSO); Engine Room Artificer Third Class Charles Alfred Reed, who was at the wheel, received the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal
Conspicuous Gallantry Medal
The Conspicuous Gallantry Medal was, until 1993, a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Armed Forces and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for conspicuous gallantry in action against the enemy at sea...
(CGM). XE1s C/O, Lieutenant John Elliott Smart
John Elliott Smart
Lieutenant Commander John Elliott "Jack" Smart DSO OBE VRD was an officer in the Royal Navy commanding one of the midget submarines that attacked the German cruiser Lützow and the Japanese cruiser Takao during the Second World War.-Early life:Smart was born on 1 March 1916 in Northumberland in...
RNVR received the DSO, and Sub-Lieutenant Harold Edwin Harper, RNVR received the Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the third level military decoration awarded to officers, and other ranks, of the British Armed Forces, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and British Merchant Navy and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.The DSC, which may be awarded posthumously, is...
(DSC); and ERA Fourth Class Henry James Fishleigh and Leading Seaman
Leading Seaman
Leading seaman is a junior non-commissioned rank or rate in navies, particularly those of the Commonwealth. When it is used by NATO nations, leading seaman has the rank code of OR-4. It is often equivalent to the army and air force rank of corporal and some navies use corporal rather than...
Walter Henry Arthur Pomeroy received the Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Service Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Royal Navy and members of the other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, up to and including the rank of Chief Petty Officer, for bravery and resourcefulness on active service...
. ERA Fourth Class Albert Nairn, Acting Leading Stoker Jack Gordan Robinson, and Able Seaman
Able seaman
An able seaman is an unlicensed member of the deck department of a merchant ship. An AB may work as a watchstander, a day worker, or a combination of these roles.-Watchstander:...
Ernest Raymond Dee were Mentioned in Despatches for their part in bringing the two midget submarines from harbour to the point where the crews that took part in the attack took over.
Operations Sabre and Foil
These were a pair of operations to cut undersea telephone cables connecting Singapore, Saigon, Hong Kong and Tokyo. The intention was to oblige the Japanese to use radio and render themselves open to message interception.Operation Sabre was carried out by XE4, which was towed to within 40 miles (64.4 km) of the Mekong Delta
Mekong Delta
The Mekong Delta is the region in southwestern Vietnam where the Mekong River approaches and empties into the sea through a network of distributaries. The Mekong delta region encompasses a large portion of southwestern Vietnam of . The size of the area covered by water depends on the season.The...
by the submarine HMS Spearhead, where she looked for the two telephone cables by using a towed grapnel. She eventually snagged the first cable, and managed to haul it about 10 feet (3 m) off the seabed. XE4's diver, Sub-Lieutenant K.M. Briggs, used the net/cable cutter to sever it. The second cable was soon found as well, and was severed by the second diver, Sub-Lieutenant A. Bergius. Two divers were carried due to the operating rule that a diver should not spend more than 20 minutes in depths over 33 feet (10.1 m) and no more than 10 minutes over 40 feet (12.2 m).
Operation Foil was carried out by XE5, against the Hong Kong end of the cable, after being towed into position by the submarine HMS Selene. Operating close inshore near to Lamma Island
Lamma Island
Lamma Island , also known as Pok Liu Chau or simply Pok Liu , is the third largest island in Hong Kong. Administratively, it is part of the Islands District.-Name:...
, working conditions were poor, XE5's divers having to work in thick mud under the constant threat of oxygen poisoning. Despite this, the operation was successful.
List of XE-Craft
First group- XE1 — built by Thomas Broadbent and Sons, used in Operation Struggle, scrapped 1945
- XE2 — built by Thomas Broadbent and Sons, scrapped 1945
- XE3 — built by Thomas Broadbent and Sons, used in Operation Struggle, scrapped 1945
- XE4 "Exciter" — built by Thomas Broadbent and Sons, used in Operation Sabre, scrapped 1945
- XE5 — built by Thomas Broadbent and Sons, used in Operation Foil, scrapped 1945
- XE6 — built by Thomas Broadbent and Sons, scrapped 1945
- XE7 — built by Thomas Broadbent and Sons, scrapped 1952
- XE8 "Expunger" — built by Broadbent, sunk as target 1952, recovered 1973 and preserved at Chatham Historic DockyardChatham Historic DockyardChatham Historic Dockyard is a maritime museum on part of the site of the former royal/naval dockyard at Chatham in Kent, England.Chatham Dockyard covered 400 acres and was one of the Royal Navy's main facilities for several hundred years until it was closed in 1984. After closure the dockyard was...
, on loan from the IWMIWMIWM may refer to:* Intelligent workload management, enables the management and optimization of computing resources in a secure and compliant manner.* Integrated waste management, a concept in waste management* Information Warfare Monitor* Imperial War Museum... - XE9 — built by Markham, scrapped 1952
- XE10 — built by Markham, cancelled incomplete 1945
Second group
- XE11 — built by Marshall, collided with boom defence vessel in Loch StrivenLoch StrivenLoch Striven is a sea loch adjoining the west side of the Firth of Clyde just north of the Isle of Bute, where it forms a narrow inlet about 8 miles long extending north into the Cowal peninsula. During times of recession in shipping the loch has been used as a sheltered anchorage for laid...
after drifting out of her exercise area and lost 6 March 1945. Three crew were killed in the accident but two managed to escape. The boat was later salvaged. - XE12 — built by Marshall, cannibalised for spares 1952
Third group
- with minor improvements, built 1954-5. See
- X51 Stickleback - to Swedish NavySwedish NavyThe Royal Swedish Navy is the naval branch of the Swedish Armed Forces. It is composed of surface and submarine naval units – the Fleet – as well as marine units, the so-called Amphibious Corps .In Swedish, vessels of the Swedish Navy are given the prefix "HMS," short for Hans/Hennes...
as Spiggen - X52 Shrimp
- X53 Sprat - to US Navy
- X54 Minnow
- X51 Stickleback - to Swedish Navy