X3 to X54
The History of the British Midget Submarine
Published on 7. September 2023
176 pages
978-1-80399-200-6 (ISBN)
Description
The X- and XE-Class submarines were conceived during the Second World War: around 51ft (16m) long, they were designed to be towed by a 'mother' submarine and use their small size to complete stealth missions, such as attacking harbours and performing reconnaissance. Although they would not begin active service until 1942, the submarine crews achieved quite the record, racking up 167 honours between them, including four Victoria Crosses.
Written by ex-submariner Keith Hall, X3 to X54 is a look at the entire life and evolution of the British midget submarine, from its early prototypes to its final journeys. With a wealth of imagery, including archive X-craft photographs as well as up-to-date views of the X51 (HMS Stickleback) from the Scottish Submarine Centre, this is the fascinating, yet little-known, story of Britain's midget submarines.
Written by ex-submariner Keith Hall, X3 to X54 is a look at the entire life and evolution of the British midget submarine, from its early prototypes to its final journeys. With a wealth of imagery, including archive X-craft photographs as well as up-to-date views of the X51 (HMS Stickleback) from the Scottish Submarine Centre, this is the fascinating, yet little-known, story of Britain's midget submarines.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Stroud
United Kingdom
Illustrations
111 Illustrations, black and white
File size
29,93 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-80399-200-6 (9781803992006)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
09/2023
The History Press Ltd
€22.50
Shipment within 3-4 weeks
Person
KEITH HALL was born in Leeds, Yorkshire. After leaving school at 18 years old, he joined the Royal Navy and spent thirty-three years in the medical branch; the majority of this time was spent on nuclear submarines or in shore billets in support of the Nuclear Propulsion Program. After leaving the Navy in 2003, he worked as a health physicist at HM Naval Base Clyde. He retired in 2015. An avid collector of old photographs and postcards, Keith Hall writes about local and naval history, particularly focusing on submarines.
Content
- Intro
- Title
- Copyright
- Contents
- Preamble
- Part One: X Craft History
- 1 The Mediterranean
- 2 X Craft Development
- 3 12th Flotilla Operations
- 4 X Craft Built During the Second World War
- Part Two: The Origin Of The Stickleback Class
- 5 The Cold War
- 6 Britain after the Second World War
- 7 The Stickleback Class Introduction
- Part Three: Building The Stickleback Class
- 8 Constructing the Stickleback Class
- 9 Layout
- 10 How the X Craft Works
- 11 Life On Board the Submarine
- 12 Stickleback Class Operational Life
- Part Four: The Submarine Centre, Helensburgh
- 13 The Submarine Centre, Helensburgh
- Epilogue
- Bibliography
- Acknowledgements
- Also by the Author
