A to Z Challenge - "X"

X - as "X-Craft" (Midget Submarine - BR)

The X-Craft was a class of midget submarine built for the Royal Navy during World War II, between 1943 and 1944.

The craft were approximately 51 feet (15.5 m) long, 5.5 feet (1.68 m) in diameter, and had a displacement of about 35 tons. Maximum speed was 6.5 knots (12 km/h) surface, and 5 knots (9 km/h) submerged, with depths of 300 feet (91.4 m) were possible. Initially crewed by a commander, pilot and ERA, the later addition of a specialist diver brought the final complement to four. Up to 4 tons of Amatol (high explosive) could be carried, bolted to the sides of the craft.

XE11 Tragedy

Operation of the X-Craft was hazardous at best, but on March 5, 1945, even routine testing was to prove fatal. On this day, three of the crew of XE11 were lost during a routine operation.

A test dive, to calibrate the depth gauge was to be carried out. Two crew would normally have been sufficient, but on this day, three extra crew were being carried to gain experience. Rising in 10 foot increments from a depth of 100 feet, the craft struck the keel of the Boom Defence vessel Norma, stationary and silent, just at the moment her screws began to turn. 

The craft's pressure hull was ruptured, and she sank to 210 feet. When the hatch was opened, two crew members were swept out by the escaping air and recovered on the surface. Sadly, the remaining three crew members were unable to escape. Their bodies were recovered by divers the next day, along with the craft, and laid to rest in Rothesay cemetery.

At 210 feet, the event is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the deepest unaided ascent from a sunken submarine.

In 2005, a small memorial garden was opened during events on the island, marking the 60th anniversary of VE Day. The ceremony was attended by the surviving crew member who related the story of the escape.

(Wikipedia)