GERMAN IIWW MIDGET SUBMARINE U-BOOT TYPE XXVIIB SEEHUND (LATE)

Hecht (another designation: U-Boot type XXVIIA) is the name of a class of German miniature submarines of the Second World War. Units of this type were built in 1944. The Hecht-type vessel was 10.4 meters long, with a displacement in draft of 12 tons, and could reach a maximum submerged speed of 6 knots. It was armed with a 533 mm G7e torpedo or a mine. The Hecht ships were built at the Germaniawerft shipyard in Kiel, and their genesis is closely related to the extraction and investigation by the Germans of the wreckage of British Type X ships used in Operation Source at the end of 1943. Generally, when creating units of the Hecht type, the British design was clearly followed. However, it was decided to introduce a few modifications - for example, replace the combustion-electric engine in favor of only the electric motor. The ship had a crew of two. Interestingly, the combat use of units of this type turned out to be virtually zero due to very poor performance and numerous technical problems. The Hecht ships were used primarily as training units.