Eden Camp:
|
Eden Camp:
|
HUT 31 - THE HUMAN TORPEDOES / CHARIOTS (Millennium Project)Invented in 1935 by two Italian naval engineers the small submersible did not see active service until the Second World War when a series of attacks were made against British vessels anchored at their various naval bases in the Mediterranean. The prime objective of the Italian Navy was to reduce the superior power of the British Fleet thus balancing the odds in the battle for control of the Mediterranean.
Below is a picture of the first Italian machine, which was nicknamed Maiale (pig) due to it's unpredictable handling characteristics.
On 9th December 1941 three Italian submersibles entered Alexandria harbour sinking a tanker and seriously damaging the battleships Queen Elizabeth and Valiant. The Italian success with this weapon resulted in an increase in security at all British ports in the Mediterranean.
Prime Minister Winston Churchill was so impressed with the Italians daring attack, and, seeing the potential of this underwater weapon he immediately instructed the formation of a British human torpedo unit.
The hand picked Italian divers went through a vigorous training schedule on the river Serchio that ran through an isolated part of the Duke of Salviatis large estate. The densely wooded area stretching along the gulf of Genoa was the ideal location to hide this top-secret unit from prying eyes.
For a mission to be successful three items were needed, and all must operate efficiently. The submersible, the breathing apparatus that supplies air continuously for 6 hours and the suit designed to keep the diver dry and offer some warmth and protection from the cold winter sea.
The light, flexible Italian suit, photographed above, demonstrates the amount of research that went into it's development. It was the prototype for the modern frogman. The Italian submersible and suit were found in Gibraltar harbour and passed to British Intelligence.
The heavy British suit, photographed above, was originally that of a helmet diver with an army gas mask welded to the neck. In 1944 Dunlop Rubber company produced the first flexible British suit. The breathing apparatus recycled pure oxygen, eliminating tell tale bubbles.
The British volunteers were sent to the remote northwest coast of Scotland to train in the cold waters of Loch Chairnbawn. With the kind assistance of Lady Mary Grosvenor a large Cairn was erected in 1993 beside the Queen Elizabeth Bridge on the Kylestrome estate in recognition of these courageous men.
The two-man crew were launched from a submarine at night close to the enemy harbour. Then finding their way into the harbour they would dive beneath the hull of an enemy ship, remove the chariots explosive warhead and set the timer to explode at dawn. The object was to return to the submarine but only one crew ever successfully achieved this feat following an attack on Phuket harbour.
In 1943 the Italians redesigned their submersible (below) placing the divers in a cockpit to streamline the machine. The improved submersible was built at the Submarine factory of Giovanni Caproni who constructed most of Italy’s aircraft.
The above machine has two warheads and in addition the divers carried limpet mines. The British produced a similar Mark II model each diver in his own cockpit. The only British Mark II human torpedo, photographed below, was found in a scrap yard near Portsmouth without the warhead or tail section. Restored to its original glory by a youth training scheme at Middlesborough this submersible is now on display at the Eden Camp Museum.
The first British mission was to attack the giant German battleship Tirpitz at anchor in a Norwegian fjord. Subsequent missions took place in the Mediterranean entering the harbours of Tripoli, Palermo and La Spezia. The Chariot was used to survey the beaches of Sicily and Normandy supplying details of gradients and beach obstruction for the invasion forces. With the war in Europe almost won the Chariot turned its attention to the far east but the inhumane treatment of the commando style soldiers caused the allies to halt all further chariot operations.
The Italian armistice in 1943 saw the British and Italian human torpedo units join forces and commence operations from their base in Brindisi near Taranto. In 1944 an attack was launched against Italian ships in La Spezia harbour under the control of the occupying German navy.
At the end of the war the human torpedo seemed to disappear as if it had never existed. There was very little information in any museums and not one machine had been preserved. Unable to find an original human torpedo Len Berey D.S.M. (sitting), Geoff Larkin (standing) and Robert Hobson decided to have one built from the original plans.
The Mark I above was built by a youth training scheme at Milton Keynes Engineering involving young apprentices in a small part of Second World War history. Having established the beginning of the human torpedo and its use during the war research began to find the end of this extraordinary story. Modern robotic submersibles used commercially in the North Sea appeared similar but there must be a military link. The breathing apparatus and flexible suit were soon adapted to become the recognisable frogman.
The first breakthrough came with the political change in Russia and the discovery of the Triton a two man submersible that was almost identical to the British Mark II. Soon other discoveries followed but for classified reasons we are unable to obtain the latest human torpedo.
The photograph below was taken in Cairo at military parade organised in 1963.
The machine below is from the James Bond film "On His Majesties Secret service."
Ian Flemming was with British Naval intelligence and no doubt obtained his idea from human torpedo story.
BRITISH VETERANS involved with the trust.
C.L. Berey D.S.M. - Attacked Tripoli harbour in January 1942 became stuck behind enemy lines was captured but escaped and survived for two weeks in the desert around Tripoli before being liberated by the advancing 8th Army. In June 1944 he attacked La Spezia harbour, northern Italy and once more was trapped behind enemy lines. Greeting the Germans in Italian and Italians in German he reached the hills where he was befriended by a band of Partisans. When the allies in the south stopped advancing Berey walked south through enemy territory and their lines to cross the river Arno where he walked into a camp of American soldiers.
R.Greenland D.S.O. - In January 1943 three human torpedo groups attacked Palermo harbour. Greenland and his partner Ferrier sank the cruiser Ulpio Traiano. They continued placing limpet mines on other vessels putting them behind schedule for their rendezvous with the submarine. The two decided to go ashore but were soon arrested by the suspicious Italian police and were handed over to the Italian Navy. They spent the remainder of the war in Italian and German prison camps.
R.Dove D.S.O. - With his partner Freel this was another team to attack Palermo harbour in 1943 blowing up the troop carrier Viminale. Behind schedule they made their way to the quayside walking through the dockyard only to be captured in the town and sent for questioning with their captured colleagues. They remained prisoners of war.
ITALIAN VETERANS involved with the trust.
Gino Birindelli One of the original Italian volunteers and first to attack Gibraltar harbour in October 1940 but the battery on his machine failed just 30 feet from the target. Unsuccessfully he tried to pull the submersible beneath the target until his oxygen supply was used up. Setting the timer on his warhead he swam to the quayside and boarded a neutral Spanish coaster but following the explosion in the harbour the suspicious crew handed him to the British authorities. Knowing his mission had been a success he wrote to his mother from prison encouraging his brother to keep trying for his university degree. His surprised mother handed the letter to the Italian Navy because he had no brother but his message was clear.
If you are interested in the Underwater Heritage Trust, their contact is Mr Robert Hobson Tel 0208 467 8656, or check out their web site www.underwatertrust.org.uk
Return to Mess Huts, continue to Prefab, or return to the Camp map
© Copyright 2005 Eden CampMalton, North YorkshireTelephone 01653 697777
