E-boat
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Historically, E-boat was the British and American term for the World War II German Schnellboot (S-Boot), a small fast torpedo boat of approximately double the size of an American PT boat and the British MTB. It is believed that the E stood for "Enemy" [1] [2]. Compared to the Allied craft, the E-boats were better suited for the open sea and had a substantially longer range at approximately 700 nautical miles.
[edit] History
After the Treaty of Versailles most of Germany's military production was severely curtailed. Small patrol craft were not. The E-boats trace their lineage back to a private motor yacht - a 22 ton dispacement 34 knot craft called Oheka II, which had been built in 1927 for wealthy financier and patron of the arts, Otto Kahn, by the German shipbuilding company Lürssen.
E-boats were used in the English Channel to intercept shipping heading for the English ports in the south and east. As such they would be up against Royal Navy and Commonwealth contingents in Motor Gun Boats (MGBs) and Motor Torpedo Boats (MTBs) and Motor Launches and destroyers.
Crews could earn an award particular to their work - denoted by a badge depicting an E-boat passing through a wreath. The criteria were good conduct, distinction in action, participating in at least twelve enemy actions. It was awarded for a particularly successful mission, displays of leadership or being killed in action. It could also be awarded under special circumstances such as when another decoration was not suitable.
[edit] Variants
The E-boat design evolved over time. The first had a pair of torpedo tubes on the fore deck. Types were:-
- S-26 class: Entered service in 1940. 40-metre (= 131.23 feet) hull. Torpedo tubes covered by forward deck.
- S-30 class
- S-38 class
- S-38b class: Improved 38 class with armoured bridge.
- S-100 class: From 1943. 2 x 20 mm gun amidships and 37 mm gun aft.
- S-151 class
- Type 700: late war design proposal with stern torpedo tubes and 30 mm gun turret forward. 8 boats built, but completed to S-100 design specification
[edit] Specification
- Length: 34.9 m = 114.5 feet
- Weight: up to 120 t
- Speed: 43.8 kts
- Engines: Three 20-cylinder 2000 hp Daimler Benz MB501 diesels driving three shafts (propeller)s.
- Armament:
- 2 x 53.5 cm (= 21 inches) torpedo tubes, with room for 2 torpedoes for reloading.
- 1 x 20 mm gun, (20 mm single on early boats, Zwilling and special bow version on later classes)
- 1 x 40 mm gun (40 mm Bofors) on some S38 class boats
Other armament carried on different models included 3.7 cm Flak 42 (S-100) or, rarely, a quad 2 cm Flakvierling mount.
[edit] See also
- See Exercise Tiger for the incident involving E-boats at Slapton Sands.
[edit] References
- Connelly, T. Garth, Krakow, David (January 2003). Schnellboot in Action (Warships). Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc.. ISBN 0-89747-457-0.
- Dallies-Labourdette, Jean Philippe (June 2003). German S-boote at War, 1939-1945. Histoire and Collections. ISBN 2-913903-49-5.
- Williamson, Gordon, Palmer, Ian (September 18, 2002). German E-boats 1939-45. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-445-0.
