X7 - Battered Remains
Photograph of the remains of X7, now at the Imperial War Museum at Duxford
The first deployment of the midget submarine (X-craft) was Operation Source in September, 1943, an attempt to neutralise the heavy German warships based in Northern Norway. Six X-Craft were used, but only 2 successfully laid charges (under the German battleship Tirpitz); the rest were lost, scuttled or returned to base. The Tirpitz was badly damaged and out of action until April 1944.
X7 was commanded by Lt. Basil C. G. Place, crew S-Lt. R. Aitken, Lt. Whittam, and ERA Whiteley; passage crew Lt Philip (commanding), Leading Seaman J. Magennis, Stoker Luck.
In X7, Place had passed through the boom without difficulty, but then ran into torpedo nets protecting an unused anchorage. The boat and its equipment were damaged in the process of getting free, but undeterred, Place tried to move in under the anti-torpedo nets.
These were deeper than expected, and Place was entangled twice before surfacing, to find that he was inside. He moved forward to make contact with Tirpitz's hull. He dropped one side cargo and then moved aft to drop a second under the estimated position of 'C' turret.
Place repeatedly became entangled on the way out, and X-7 surfaced under heavy small arms fire. She succeeding in getting over the net but, with Place navigating blind, was soon entangled yet again.
Vessel was scuttled immediately following the Tirpitz attack, but only Place escaped before she sank. Aitken escaped from the bottom of the fjord, but Whittam and Whiteley were unable to escape before their air gave out. Place earned a VC, Aitken a DSO, for their parts in the operation.
The Germany Navy later raised the stern of X7 for examination and testing , but could not find the rest of the vessel..
In 1974 divers in the fjord located the missing bow and battery section of the submarine in 49metres of water.
The remains of X7 were successfully raised and given to the Imperial War Museum and is now displayed at Duxford along side the small submarine Stickleback
X7 Submarine Details
Length 15,76 meter (51,7 feet)
Beam 1,8 meter (5,9 feet)
Draught 1,62 meter (5,3 feet)
Displacement surface 27 tons
Displacement dived 29,7 tons
Weight of side cargo 4 tons
Explosive Charge 2.032 kg (4.480 lb) (explosive = Amatex)
Speed surface (max) 6,25 knots
Range at 4,5 knots 1.860 nm
Speed dived (max) 5,75 knots
Range at 2 knots 82 nm
Pressure Hull 4,54 kg (10 lb) "S" steel
Operational Diving Depth 91,44 meter (300 feet)
Number of Hatches 1
Builders Vickers, Barrow, UK
Diesel Engine Manufacturer Gardner
BHP at 1.800 rpm 42
Main Engine Manufacturer Keith Blackman
HP at 1.650 rpm 30
Type of Battery Cell Exide J380
Number of Cells 112
Capacity at 5 Hours Rate 440 amp per hour
Gyro Compass Browns A
Auto Helmsman Browns
Magnetic Compass ACO Mk.XX
Direction Indicator AFV 6A/602
Complement 4
X7 - Battered Remains
Photograph of the remains of X7, now at the Imperial War Museum at Duxford
The first deployment of the midget submarine (X-craft) was Operation Source in September, 1943, an attempt to neutralise the heavy German warships based in Northern Norway. Six X-Craft were used, but only 2 successfully laid charges (under the German battleship Tirpitz); the rest were lost, scuttled or returned to base. The Tirpitz was badly damaged and out of action until April 1944.
X7 was commanded by Lt. Basil C. G. Place, crew S-Lt. R. Aitken, Lt. Whittam, and ERA Whiteley; passage crew Lt Philip (commanding), Leading Seaman J. Magennis, Stoker Luck.
In X7, Place had passed through the boom without difficulty, but then ran into torpedo nets protecting an unused anchorage. The boat and its equipment were damaged in the process of getting free, but undeterred, Place tried to move in under the anti-torpedo nets.
These were deeper than expected, and Place was entangled twice before surfacing, to find that he was inside. He moved forward to make contact with Tirpitz's hull. He dropped one side cargo and then moved aft to drop a second under the estimated position of 'C' turret.
Place repeatedly became entangled on the way out, and X-7 surfaced under heavy small arms fire. She succeeding in getting over the net but, with Place navigating blind, was soon entangled yet again.
Vessel was scuttled immediately following the Tirpitz attack, but only Place escaped before she sank. Aitken escaped from the bottom of the fjord, but Whittam and Whiteley were unable to escape before their air gave out. Place earned a VC, Aitken a DSO, for their parts in the operation.
The Germany Navy later raised the stern of X7 for examination and testing , but could not find the rest of the vessel..
In 1974 divers in the fjord located the missing bow and battery section of the submarine in 49metres of water.
The remains of X7 were successfully raised and given to the Imperial War Museum and is now displayed at Duxford along side the small submarine Stickleback
X7 Submarine Details
Length 15,76 meter (51,7 feet)
Beam 1,8 meter (5,9 feet)
Draught 1,62 meter (5,3 feet)
Displacement surface 27 tons
Displacement dived 29,7 tons
Weight of side cargo 4 tons
Explosive Charge 2.032 kg (4.480 lb) (explosive = Amatex)
Speed surface (max) 6,25 knots
Range at 4,5 knots 1.860 nm
Speed dived (max) 5,75 knots
Range at 2 knots 82 nm
Pressure Hull 4,54 kg (10 lb) "S" steel
Operational Diving Depth 91,44 meter (300 feet)
Number of Hatches 1
Builders Vickers, Barrow, UK
Diesel Engine Manufacturer Gardner
BHP at 1.800 rpm 42
Main Engine Manufacturer Keith Blackman
HP at 1.650 rpm 30
Type of Battery Cell Exide J380
Number of Cells 112
Capacity at 5 Hours Rate 440 amp per hour
Gyro Compass Browns A
Auto Helmsman Browns
Magnetic Compass ACO Mk.XX
Direction Indicator AFV 6A/602
Complement 4