The Times December 12, 2006 (Photo: Bournemouth News) Historians fight to save deadly Nazi warship Simon de Bruxelles PLYMOUTH She started life under the Nazis and later played a crucial role in the Cold War. Now naval historians have come to the rescue of the last surviving German Schnellboot, which is languishing in a dockyard in Plymouth, left. In her day the S130, right, was the fastest craft on the sea, and neither the Americans nor the Royal Navy had anything that could match her 55 knot top speed. After the war S130 was surrendered to the Royal Navy and used to drop agents on the Baltic coast. The cost of restoring her is more than £4 million but a group of enthusiasts are hoping to persuade the Heritage Lottery Fund she is worth saving. Wyn Davies, a naval architect, said: “She is the last survivor of a hugely important class of warship that gave our coastal forces quite a headache.”
There's some info on her here: Schnellboot E-boat S-130 Apparently she was at Ludwigshafen; not sure how she came to be at Plymouth. It seems she took part in the Operation Tiger sinkings. These were probably the best torpedo boats ever. What a shame there's only two left. However, I'd want more corroboration than a "Times" article about a 55 knot top speed - thats nearly 60 mph. About 42 knots is often quoted.
Seems 42-43.5 knots is the highest declared speed which is 50 Mph. S-100 Class Schnellboot Displacement 100 tons Length 35 m Width 5,1 m Draught 1,5 m Machinery 3 х 2500 h.p. Daimler-Benz MB 511 12-cylinder Full speed 42 kts Economical speed 35 kts Range at economical speed 700 miles Armament 2 TA х 533 mm with four torpedoes, 1 х 2 cm MG C/38 1 x twin 2 cm MG C/38 1 x 3,7 cm Flak M42
The Second World War Military Operations Research Group is pleased to announce the publication of the first in its series of occasional research papers. As part of its process of active engagement these papers are available to download on the website. https://secondworldwaroperationsrese...search-papers/ The first paper was written by Dr Harry Bennett of Plymouth University and is on the subject of ‘The Restoration of S-130: The Last German Motor Torpedo Boat of the Second World War’. Here is the abstract of the paper. In 2009 S-130, British millionaire Kevin Wheatcroft acquired the last surviving German schnellboot of the Second World War. The historical significance of the boat was considerable. The original design dated to the late 1920s and used ground breaking engineering to produce a boat capable of speeds in excess of 40 knots. From 1940 to 1944, the schnellboote had proved a highly effective weapon against the coastal convoys on which Britain’s war economy depended. This research paper explores the developing relationship between University of Plymouth and the Wheatcroft Collection as they collaborate to preserve sole surviving schnellboote, S-130. It examines the processes involved in trying to realize this dream; the development of a relationship between the University of Plymouth and the S-130 team; the advantages to both parties, and the public, which have emerged because of a close working relationship around the rebuild. Most significantly, it has opened a door into the operational history of this weapons system that a traditional study of history may have overlooked. This paper was delivered to the 46th Exeter Maritime History Conference at the Centre for Maritime Historical Studies, University of Exeter in September 2012. G.H. Bennett, ‘The Restoration of S-130: The Last German Motor Torpedo Boat of the Second World War’, The Second World War Military Operations Research Papers, No. 1 (2012) Ross
Warship Profile 031 - German Schnellboote From www. jgokey.com If photo's do not show - in search box 'Schnellboot' Bundesarchiv - Picture database: Simple search Wheatcrofts German S130 Schnellboot — War History Online More on 'Der Wochenschau - Schnellboot'
Colour film (domestic farm work) Panzer new engine pack and service. Schnellboote flotilla at high speed. Fallschirmjaegerschule (Parachute school) very interesting drop aircraft ! (at 14.40 and 15 minutes) 1944-08-xx - Panorama-Farbmonatsschau (seltener Farbfilm; rare color footage) : Free Download & Streaming : Internet Archive
hy canuck.re; great original footage. 22-12-2012, 12.50.am you must admit, they would be hard to catch, have you any history of there activity durring ww2,it woul be interesting.great thread.all the best bernard85
hy canuck.re; great original footage. 22-12-2012, 12.50.am you must admit, they would be hard to catch, have you any history of there activity durring ww2,it woul be interesting.great thread.all the best bernard85 Equipped with two-four torpedoes, 7.92mm machine guns, 20mm, 37mm and 40mm cannons, S-boats sank over 130 merchant ships, 13 destroyers and numerous other Allied watercraft. Wikipedia has the following: During their operational history in World War II, the S-boote sank 101 merchant ships totalling 214,728 tons.[8] In addition, they sank 12 destroyers, 11 minesweepers, eight landing ships, six enemy MTBs, a torpedo boat, a minelayer, one submarine and a number of small merchant craft. They also damaged two cruisers, five destroyers, three landing ships, a repair ship, a naval tug and numerous merchant vessels. Sea mines laid by the 'S-boote' were responsible for the loss of 37 merchant ships totalling 148,535 tons, a destroyer, two minesweepers and four landing ships.[9] I had no idea they were that fast.
I know that they are difficult to fight against in my PC game PT Boats, apparently the British tactics were to run their shallow draft MTB's over the sandbanks in the eastern Channel in hit and run attacks and to use their boat's quicker turning circle to keep out of trouble. David
Colour film (domestic farm work) Panzer new engine pack and service. Schnellboote flotilla at high speed. Fallschirmjaegerschule (Parachute school) very interesting drop aircraft ! (at 14.40 and 15 minutes) 1944-08-xx - Panorama-Farbmonatsschau (seltener Farbfilm; rare color footage) : Free Download & Streaming : Internet Archive Very nice find, the boot footage looks like training stuff possibly pre war as the other KM ships in the background look spot clean. On the other hand the Italian build SM 81 used for dropping the paras were not delivered to the LW before 1942 and the fully skirted Pz IV is 1943 or later! .
Wondering what sort of limbo S130/FPB5130 and the Appledore plans were in, and pottered onto an old article. Had never read Sir John Harvey Jones was her skipper for a while in British service. Familiar to those of us a certain age as chairman of ICI, old Porsche driver, and trouble-shooting television personality. Historic Appledore dock sold to second world war collector Still almost nothing on the Richmond Dock progress easily to hand. Hope springs.
