The Marder was a German miniature submarine developed from the Neger. The craft was 8.3 metres long and unlike the Neger included a flooding tank in the nose allowing it to dive. Another improvement was the dome through which the pilot viewed the outside world that also served as the craft’s entrance and exit was made openable from the inside. Maximum diving depth was about 25 metres.
The submarine’s first operations took place on the night of August 2,1944, when the German Navys Small Battle Units made their largest effort of the war. 58 human torpedoes of the Neger type and 22 Linsen vessels were launched against allied shipping off Normandy as part of a combined operation with Negers and explosive Linsen boats. One Royal Navy destroyer escort, HMS Quorn was sunk by a human torpedo along with one mineweeper, the HMS Gairsay and one Landing Craft by the German motor-boats; at a cost of 41 Neger and 22 Linsen craft. |
