Which human torpedo?
Which human torpedo?
Hello
There seems to be some confusion about whether the human torpedoes used by the Kriegsmarine's K flotilla in Normandy were Negers or Martens. Does anyone have any authoritative information on this?
Imad
There seems to be some confusion about whether the human torpedoes used by the Kriegsmarine's K flotilla in Normandy were Negers or Martens. Does anyone have any authoritative information on this?
Imad
- Doktor Krollspell
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Hello Imad!
The K-Flottille 361 was ordered to move to the Normandy coast on June 13, 1944. This unit was equipped with 60 "Neger" one-man torpedoes. On the night between July 5 and 6, the Neger sailors went into action. The target was the Trout line that protected the allied floating harbours. The actoin was very succesful as several allied ships went down. Walter Gerhold hit and sank the british frigate HMS Trollope and for this action did Gerhold recieve the Knight's Cross.
The two british mine clearing(?) (Minensuchboote) ships HMS Magic and HMS Cato were also sunk that night. The seventeen year old Neger sailor Matrose Horst Berger was involved in the sinking of one of those and for this recieved the German Cross in Gold. At the age of just seventeen, I suppose Berger has had to be one of the absolutely youngest recipients of this award.
Source (and a good read) for this information is "Das Kommando der Kleinkampfverbände der Kriegsmarine" by Helmut Blocksdorf (2003).
Regards,
Krollspell
The K-Flottille 361 was ordered to move to the Normandy coast on June 13, 1944. This unit was equipped with 60 "Neger" one-man torpedoes. On the night between July 5 and 6, the Neger sailors went into action. The target was the Trout line that protected the allied floating harbours. The actoin was very succesful as several allied ships went down. Walter Gerhold hit and sank the british frigate HMS Trollope and for this action did Gerhold recieve the Knight's Cross.
Source pic/qoute: http://presentations.uib.no:7778/pls/po ... lues=12079Der Führer verlieh dem Schreiberobergefreiter , Walther Gerhold aus dem Sauerland das Ritterkreuz. Gerhold versenkte mit seinem Einmanntorpedo einen Kreuzer der Aurora-Klasse aus der Invasionsflotte vor den Ornemündung. Juli 1944.
The two british mine clearing(?) (Minensuchboote) ships HMS Magic and HMS Cato were also sunk that night. The seventeen year old Neger sailor Matrose Horst Berger was involved in the sinking of one of those and for this recieved the German Cross in Gold. At the age of just seventeen, I suppose Berger has had to be one of the absolutely youngest recipients of this award.
Source (and a good read) for this information is "Das Kommando der Kleinkampfverbände der Kriegsmarine" by Helmut Blocksdorf (2003).
Regards,
Krollspell
Hi
The book: "Underwater Warriors" by Paul Kemp 1996 (Arms and Armour), has a good couple of chapters on the Normandy flotillas, and provides details of various events, sinkings, and dispositions of the flotillas. It also covers other axis and allied midget submarines - history, development etc.
Cheers
Duncan
The book: "Underwater Warriors" by Paul Kemp 1996 (Arms and Armour), has a good couple of chapters on the Normandy flotillas, and provides details of various events, sinkings, and dispositions of the flotillas. It also covers other axis and allied midget submarines - history, development etc.
Cheers
Duncan
- AlifRafikKhan
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Re: Which human torpedo?
Walther Gerhold German naval seaman (single-pilot craft torpedo) receives Ritterkreuz from the hands of Admiral Hellmuth Heye...
Source : http://img.audiovis.nac.gov.pl/PIC/PIC_2-2602.jpg
Source : http://img.audiovis.nac.gov.pl/PIC/PIC_2-2602.jpg
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- Walther Gerhold German naval seaman (single-pilot craft torpedowej) receives from the hands of Admiral Hellmuth Heye Cross Knight, July 1944.jpg (58.44 KiB) Viewed 4741 times
- AlifRafikKhan
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Re: Which human torpedo?
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- Walther Gerhold as human torpedo.jpg (54.23 KiB) Viewed 4741 times
Re: Which human torpedo?
Interesting pics there Ali. Thanks for that. Upload some more if you have them.
- AlifRafikKhan
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Re: Which human torpedo?
No problem!
German Human Torpedo [”Neger")...
Source : https://www.ecomodelismo.com/ECO_imgArt ... L-0816.jpg
German Human Torpedo [”Neger")...
Source : https://www.ecomodelismo.com/ECO_imgArt ... L-0816.jpg
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- german human torpedo negers.jpg (6.11 KiB) Viewed 4689 times
- AlifRafikKhan
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Re: Which human torpedo?
Another picture of Walther Gerhold as human torpedo...
Source : http://www.ritterkreuztraeger-1939-45.d ... alther.htm
Source : http://www.ritterkreuztraeger-1939-45.d ... alther.htm
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- Gerhold-Walther.jpg (36.55 KiB) Viewed 4689 times
- AlifRafikKhan
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Re: Which human torpedo?
And here is the video from YouTube about the German human torpedo 'Negers'...
And if you want to download the video :
http://www.downloadyoutubevideos.com/wa ... Video.y=28
Hope this will cheers you up!
Take care..
Best regards,
Alif
And if you want to download the video :
http://www.downloadyoutubevideos.com/wa ... Video.y=28
Hope this will cheers you up!
Take care..
Best regards,
Alif
Re: Which human torpedo?
And one more recent (from "Das Kommando der Kleinkampfverbände der Kriegsmarine - Die "Sturmwikinger"" (Helmut Blocksdorf, 2003. ISBN 3-613-02339-X))AlifRafikKhan wrote:Another picture of Walther Gerhold as human torpedo...