“Germany started hydrofoil designs in 1909, continued through to 1945, and was the only country to have hydrofoil boats in operation in the Mediterranean and Baltic Seas. Officially known as Hydrofoil Klein-Schnellboot, designed by Schiffbau-Ingenieur F.H. Wendel, his line of boats all proved successful. His design was finally tested in 1952 when it gave an outstanding performance.
Type 5B Specifications:
Dimensions - length 45.93ft; beam 9.84ft, 18.37ft over jets; draft 10.17ft floating, 2.95ft suspended
Engines: cruising, maneuvering 2-600hp, fighting 2-800 hp, jets: 2-1450kgp static thrust
Speed - cruising 25 knots, all engines except jets 53 knots, maximum with all engines 65 knots
Range - 600nm
Armament - 2 torpedoes and 10 depth charges OR 3 torpedoes, 5-8.6cm rockets (3-forward firing, 2-rearward), 1-1.3cm MG, 1-1.2cm Quad MG.
Crew - 6/8
Joe continues:
The Type 5b project was just getting started when the war ended. The designer of the boat ran a small replica (enclosed 4 passenger) that hit 50 knots in the 50’s and could have gone faster if desired. The American Navy Hydrofoil program came from all of the technology we took as war prizes from Germany. The big problem was that little worked for us as it did for the Germans. This includes the S-boots that the U.S. Navy tried to recreate, but they could never get the Lurseen Effect Rudders to work, so the American boats were always slower. The Type 5B would have been a devastating attack boat with a great deal of armament and a speed of 60+knots. (See http://strangevehicles.greyfalcon.us/TR.htm.)
The Germans also built a model that was a submersible complete with periscope but not a true submarine. It was designed to lay and wait in shallow water and strike once enemy surface vessels came within range. (See http://strangevehicles.greyfalcon.us/VS 5.htm)”
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