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The smallest submarine in the German navy during the Second World War
The Biber (Beaver) was hastily developed in the spring of 1944 to help meet the threat of the Allied invasion and to carry out attacks on coastal shipping. The craft were first used operationally on 29-30 August 1944 against ships of invasion fleet in the Bay of the Seine. Neither this operation nor subsequent efforts achieved any significant success.
Although 324 Bibers were delivered, they never posed a real threat to the Allies because of basic technical flaws and the inadequate training of crews.
Technical specifications:
CREW:
one
ENGINE
– Surface: One 32hp Otto petrol engine
– Submerged: One 13hp electric motor
SPEED
– Surface: 6,5 knots
– Submerged: 5,3 knots
ARMAMENT:
Two 21-inch (53 cm) torpedoes
DIMENSIONS:
– Length: 29 ft 4 in (8,9 m)
– Width: 9 ft (2,7 m)
– Height: 5 ft 4 in (1,6 m)
– weight: 6 tons (6,096 kg)