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 XE4 inSydney Harbour, 1945 | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Operators |  Royal Navy |
| Preceded by | X class |
| Planned | 16 |
| Completed | 15 |
| Canceled | 1 |
| Retired | 13 |
| Preserved | 2 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 53.25 ft (16.23 m) |
| Beam | 5.75 ft (1.75 m) |
| Draught | 5.3 ft (1.62 m) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range |
|
| Test depth | 300 ft (91 m) |
| Complement | 4–5 |
| Armament |
|
TheXE-class submarines were a series of twelvemidget submarines that were built for theRoyal Navy during 1944; four more to a slightly different design were built 1954-5 as theStickleback class. They were an improved version of theX class used in the attack on theGermanbattleshipTirpitz.
They carried a crew of four, typically alieutenant in command, with asub-lieutenant as deputy, anengine room artificer in charge of the mechanical side and aseaman or leading-seaman. At least one of them was qualified as adiver.
In addition to the twoside charges (each of which contained two tons ofamatol explosive), they carried around six 20-pound (9 kg)limpet mines which were attached to the target by the diver.
They and their depot shipHMS Bonaventure arrived atLabuan in July 1945. Four of them managed to take part in operations before the war ended.
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These operations, carried out in July 1945, were intended to cut the undersea telephone cables connectingSingapore,Saigon,Hong Kong andTokyo. The intention was to oblige the Japanese to use radio and render themselves open to message interception.
Operation Sabre was directed at the Hong Kong to Saigon telephone cable, and carried out byXE4, which was towed to within 40 miles (64 km) of theMekong Delta by the submarineHMSSpearhead, where she looked for the two telephone cables by using a towedgrapnel. She eventually snagged the first cable, and managed to haul it about 10 feet (3.0 m) off the seabed.XE4's diver, Sub-Lieutenant K.M. Briggs, used the net/cable cutter to sever it. The second cable was soon found as well, and was severed by the second diver, Sub-Lieutenant A. Bergius. Two divers were carried due to the operating rule that a diver should not spend more than 20 minutes in depths over 33 feet (10 m) and no more than 10 minutes over 40 feet (12 m).XE4 andSpearhead returned to Labuan on 3 August 1945.
Operation Foil was directed at the Hong Kong to Singapore telephone cable and carried out byXE5 against the Hong Kong end of the cable, after being towed into position by the submarineHMSSelene. Operating close inshore near toLamma Island, working conditions were poor,XE5's divers having to work in thick mud under the constant threat ofoxygen poisoning. Despite repeated attempts it was not completely certain that the cable had in fact been severed, and it was not until after the Japanese surrender that it was confirmed thatXE5 had succeeded in doing so.XE5 andSelene returned to Subic Bay on 6 August 1945.
In August 1945, HMSXE1 andXE3 executed a joint attack on Japanese warships withinSingapore harbour.XE3 was tasked with mining theheavy cruiserTakao whileXE1 was to attack the heavy cruiserMyōkō.
The approach ofXE3 along theStraits of Johor and through the various harbour defences took 11 hours plus a further two hours to locate the camouflaged target. Despite several opportunities for Japanese defenders to spot the vessel,XE3 successfully reached theTakao, fixed limpet mines and dropped its two, 2-ton side charges. The withdrawal was successfully made andXE3 returned toHMSStygian, her towing submarine. Meanwhile,XE1 was delayed by Japanese patrol craft, and her captain, realizing that he could not reachMyōkō (which was two miles further into the harbour thanTakao) before the mines already laid byXE3 would explode, also elected to drop his own charges underTakao.XE1 also successfully returned to her towing submarine,HMSSpark.
TheTakao, already damaged and not seaworthy, was severely damaged and never sailed again.XE3s commander,LieutenantIan Edward FraserRNR, and diverLeading SeamanJames Joseph Magennis were awarded theVictoria Cross (VC) for their part in the attack; whilstSub-LieutenantWilliam James Lanyon Smith,RNZNVR, who was at the controls ofXE3, received theDistinguished Service Order (DSO);Engine Room Artificer Third Class Charles Alfred Reed, who was at the wheel, received theConspicuous Gallantry Medal (CGM).XE1's C/O, LieutenantJohn Elliott SmartRNVR received the DSO, and Sub-Lieutenant Harold Edwin Harper, RNVR received theDistinguished Service Cross (DSC); and ERA Fourth Class Henry James Fishleigh andLeading Seaman Walter Henry Arthur Pomeroy received theDistinguished Service Medal. ERA Fourth Class Albert Nairn, Acting Leading Stoker Jack Gordan Robinson, andAble Seaman Ernest Raymond Dee wereMentioned in Despatches for their part in bringing the two midget submarines from harbour to the point where the crews that took part in the attack took over.[1]
In 1950 XE7 was loaned, along with its crew, to the US for testing.[2]
AuthorDouglas Reeman featured XE craft in two of his novels, the 1961Dive in the Sun andSurface with Daring published in 1976.
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