Neger
Encyclopedia
Neger was a German
torpedo
-carrying craft generally described as a human torpedo
which could not submerge, but was difficult to see during night operations. The vessel was used by the Kriegsmarine
between 1943 and 1945. The name was taken from the constructor of the manned torpedo, Richard Mohr (Mohr is German for Moor
(= North African native), and Neger the German word for "negro").
Richard Mohr designed a craft based on the G7e torpedo
. The Neger sported a spartan cockpit covered by a perspex dome where the warhead would have been. It had sufficient positive buoyancy to run awash while supporting a second G7e, with warhead, slung below. The vessel had a range of 48 nautical miles at 4 knots and displaced 2.7 tons. The pilot navigated via a wrist compass and air was provided through a Dräger
self-contained breathing device. The pilot aimed his weapon by lining up an aiming spike on the nose with a graduated scale on the dome. Subsequently, a second aiming spike was added closer to the dome. It, however, made little difference as water washing over the dome made visibility extremely poor. A simple lever in the cockpit irreversibly started the torpedo and released it. Though not designed as a suicide weapon
, the Neger would frequently become one when the torpedo started running but failed to release, and carried the craft and its pilot toward the target.
About 200 vessels of this type were manufactured in 1944. The first Neger vessels entered service in March 1944. However, the Neger turned out to be very hazardous for its crew, and up to 80% of the crews were killed. In return one cruiser, one destroyer, and three Catherine Class BAMS minesweepers were sunk in 1944 with the weapon.
The first Negers entered service on March 1944 and the first mission took place on the night of April 20 and 21 1944. Thirty Negers were launched against Allied ships berthed in Anzio. Only 17 of them managed to deploy, with the other 13 capsizing upon reaching the water. Three failed to return and up until then, the Allies had no knowledge of this new unusual weapon. None had made any successful attacks.
The Neger flotilla consisted of some 40 vessels and operated from Favrol Woods. On 5/6 July 1944, twenty-four Neger vessels attacked the invasion fleet, sinking two British minesweepers, HMS Magic and HMS Cato. Only nine Neger vessels returned from the mission.
The second attack was mounted on the night of July 7/8 and was carried out by twenty-one Neger vessels. The Neger vessels were, however, spotted in the moonlit night and were attacked by aircraft and ships. The Germans managed to sink another minesweeper, HMS Pylades
and severely damage the Polish cruiser ORP Dragon
, which later was scuttled. There is a detailed account of the attack on Dragon
by Midshipman Potthast. On 20 July 1944, the Royal Navy
destroyer HMS Isis
was mined while at anchor in the Seine Bay. The loss was not discovered until the following morning; there were twenty survivors and German human torpedoes were suspected of sinking the warship.
On August 3, 1944 the Hunt class destroyer
HMS Quorn
was an escort for convoys of personnel during Operation Neptune
, the naval support of Operation Overlord
, the D-Day Landings. On 3 August, she was hit and sunk during a heavy attack on the British assault area by a force of E-boat
s, explosive motorboats, human torpedo
es and low-flying aircraft. Those that survived the initial attack spent up to eight hours in the water before being rescued, and many of these perished. Four officers and 126 ratings were lost.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
-carrying craft generally described as a human torpedo
Human torpedo
Human torpedoes or manned torpedoes are a type of rideable submarine used as secret naval weapons in World War II. The basic design is still in use today; they are a type of diver propulsion vehicle....
which could not submerge, but was difficult to see during night operations. The vessel was used by the Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
between 1943 and 1945. The name was taken from the constructor of the manned torpedo, Richard Mohr (Mohr is German for Moor
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
(= North African native), and Neger the German word for "negro").
Richard Mohr designed a craft based on the G7e torpedo
G7e torpedo
The G7e or more appropriately the G7e/T2, G7e/T3, and G7e/T4 Falke torpedoes were, with the exception of the T4 model, the standard torpedoes for Germany during World War II...
. The Neger sported a spartan cockpit covered by a perspex dome where the warhead would have been. It had sufficient positive buoyancy to run awash while supporting a second G7e, with warhead, slung below. The vessel had a range of 48 nautical miles at 4 knots and displaced 2.7 tons. The pilot navigated via a wrist compass and air was provided through a Dräger
Dräger
The Drägerwerk AG is a German company based in Lübeck which makes breathing and protection equipment, gas detection and analysis systems, and noninvasive patient monitoring technologies. Customers include hospitals, fire departments and diving companies....
self-contained breathing device. The pilot aimed his weapon by lining up an aiming spike on the nose with a graduated scale on the dome. Subsequently, a second aiming spike was added closer to the dome. It, however, made little difference as water washing over the dome made visibility extremely poor. A simple lever in the cockpit irreversibly started the torpedo and released it. Though not designed as a suicide weapon
Suicide weapon
A suicide weapon is a weapon that is specially designed for a suicide attack. It is typically based on explosives.In a wider sense, a suicide weapon is any weapon used in a suicide attack, and any object used as such, for example an aircraft.Examples:...
, the Neger would frequently become one when the torpedo started running but failed to release, and carried the craft and its pilot toward the target.
About 200 vessels of this type were manufactured in 1944. The first Neger vessels entered service in March 1944. However, the Neger turned out to be very hazardous for its crew, and up to 80% of the crews were killed. In return one cruiser, one destroyer, and three Catherine Class BAMS minesweepers were sunk in 1944 with the weapon.
The first Negers entered service on March 1944 and the first mission took place on the night of April 20 and 21 1944. Thirty Negers were launched against Allied ships berthed in Anzio. Only 17 of them managed to deploy, with the other 13 capsizing upon reaching the water. Three failed to return and up until then, the Allies had no knowledge of this new unusual weapon. None had made any successful attacks.
Normandy attacks
Two major assaults were done with JUDE vessels against the Allied invasion fleet off Normandy before the Allies broke out from the landing site and forced the submarines to relocate out of reach of Normandy.The Neger flotilla consisted of some 40 vessels and operated from Favrol Woods. On 5/6 July 1944, twenty-four Neger vessels attacked the invasion fleet, sinking two British minesweepers, HMS Magic and HMS Cato. Only nine Neger vessels returned from the mission.
The second attack was mounted on the night of July 7/8 and was carried out by twenty-one Neger vessels. The Neger vessels were, however, spotted in the moonlit night and were attacked by aircraft and ships. The Germans managed to sink another minesweeper, HMS Pylades
HMS Pylades (J401)
HMS Pylades was a of the Royal Navy.The Catherine class was the British designation for the United States Navy's Auk class minesweeper....
and severely damage the Polish cruiser ORP Dragon
HMS Dragon (D46)
HMS Dragon, also known in Polish service as ORP Dragon , was a D- or Danae-class cruiser built for the Royal Navy. She was launched in Glasgow, in December 1917, and scuttled in July 1944 off the Normandy beaches as part of the Arromanches Breakwater.-Pre World War II:One of the fastest-built ships...
, which later was scuttled. There is a detailed account of the attack on Dragon
HMS Dragon (D46)
HMS Dragon, also known in Polish service as ORP Dragon , was a D- or Danae-class cruiser built for the Royal Navy. She was launched in Glasgow, in December 1917, and scuttled in July 1944 off the Normandy beaches as part of the Arromanches Breakwater.-Pre World War II:One of the fastest-built ships...
by Midshipman Potthast. On 20 July 1944, the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
destroyer HMS Isis
HMS Isis
Six ships of the British Royal Navy, and four tenders of the RNVR, have been named HMS Isis, after the Egyptian goddess Isis.* The first Isis was a 50-gun fourth-rate probably launched in 1744 as Colchester....
was mined while at anchor in the Seine Bay. The loss was not discovered until the following morning; there were twenty survivors and German human torpedoes were suspected of sinking the warship.
On August 3, 1944 the Hunt class destroyer
Hunt class destroyer
The Hunt class was a class of Destroyer escort of the Royal Navy. The first vessels were ordered early in 1939, and the class saw extensive service in World War II, particularly on the British East Coast and Mediterranean convoys. They were named after British fox hunts...
HMS Quorn
HMS Quorn (L66)
HMS Quorn was a Hunt-class destroyer of the Royal Navy, built in 1940 and sunk off the Normandy coast in 1944.-History:Quorn was built by J. Samuel White and Co. at Cowes, Isle of Wight. A Type 1 Hunt class destroyer, she was launched on 27 March 1940 and completed on the 21 September 1940.Quorn...
was an escort for convoys of personnel during Operation Neptune
Operation Neptune
The Normandy landings, codenamed Operation Neptune, were the landing operations of the Allied invasion of Normandy, in Operation Overlord, during World War II. The landings commenced on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 , beginning at 6:30 AM British Double Summer Time...
, the naval support of Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
, the D-Day Landings. On 3 August, she was hit and sunk during a heavy attack on the British assault area by a force of E-boat
E-boat
E-boats was the designation for Motor Torpedo Boats of the German Navy during World War II. It is commonly held that the E stood for Enemy....
s, explosive motorboats, human torpedo
Human torpedo
Human torpedoes or manned torpedoes are a type of rideable submarine used as secret naval weapons in World War II. The basic design is still in use today; they are a type of diver propulsion vehicle....
es and low-flying aircraft. Those that survived the initial attack spent up to eight hours in the water before being rescued, and many of these perished. Four officers and 126 ratings were lost.