HMS Meteorite

HMS "Meteorite" was an experimental U Boat developed in Germany, captured at the end of World War II, and commissioned into the Royal Navy. It was built around a Walter engine fuelled by High test peroxide (HTP).

History

The three completed German Type XVIIB submarines were scuttled by their crews at the end of the Second World War, U-1405 at Flensburg, and "U-1406" and "U-1407" at Cuxhaven, all in the British Zone of Occupation.cite book | last = Polmar | first = Norman | authorlink = | coauthors = Kenneth J. Moore | title = Cold War Submarines: The Design and Construction of U.S. and Soviet Submarines | publisher = Brassey's | date = 2004 | location = | pages = pp. 35-36 | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 1574885944] "U-1406" and "U-1407" were scuttled on 7 May 1945 by Oberleutnant Gerhard Grumpelt even though a superior officer, Kapitän zur See Kurt Thoma, had prohibited such actions. Grumpelt was subsequently sentenced to 7 years imprisonment by a British military court. [cite book | last = Madsen | first = Chris | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = The Royal Navy and German Naval Disarmament, 1942-1947 | publisher = Routledge | date = 1998 | location = | pages = p. 180 | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 071464823X]

At the Potsdam Conference in July 1945 "U-1406" was allocated to the US and "U-1407" to Britain and both were soon salvaged.

Royal Navy service

"U-1407" was salvaged in June 1945, and transported to Barrow-in-Furness, where she was refitted by Vickers with a new and complete set of machinery also captured in Germany, under the supervision of Professor Hellmuth Walter. Because she was intended to be used solely for trials and possibly as a high-speed antisubmarine target, her torpedo tubes were removed. She was commissioned into the Royal Navy on 25 September 1945 and renamed HMS/m "Meteorite".

During 1946 "Meteorite" carried out a series of trials under the guidance of Walther and his original team from Germaniawerft, Kiel. The trials raised considerable interest in the possibility of HTP as an alternative to nuclear power as air-independent propulsion and the Admiralty placed an order for two larger experimental Walter boats based on the German Type XXVI, HMS|Explorer and HMS|Excalibur, to be followed by an operational class of 12 boats.

"Meteorite" was not popular with its crews, who regarded it as a dangerous and volatile piece of machinery, and control was difficult due to its aircraft-type controls and lack of forward hydroplanes. She was officially described as "75% safe".

Fate

"Meteorite's" Royal Navy service came to an end in 1949, and she was broken up by Thomas Ward Limited of Barrow-in-Furness in September 1949.

Notes