Kriegsmarine Attack on Nijmegen bridge september 1944

[wilhelm1954]

Recenty the Museum Airbase Deelen near Arnhem acquired the tailpiece of an interesting German torpedo. What makes it unique are the welded hooks(!) on the tailfins  It is believed this torpedo was used in the famous attacks of the Kriegsmarine on the Waalbridge in Nijmegen in september 1944. Not clear is if this torpedo exploded during the attack, or was destroyed later bij Allied troops.
Ten torpedos were launched by Biber (?) submarines to destroy the nets which the Allied forces had spread across the Waal river. A day later an attack followed bij ten divers carrying 5 seamines. The railway bridge was destroyed but the big carbridge over the river Waal was only damaged lightly. Most of the divers were arrested, only one or two escaped back to Germany. Who hase more info on the attack, and especialy on the torpedo's  used???  
Are there any eye-witnesses still alive?

[Ralf]

Hello, Wilhelm, wellcome on board... I dont know anything about your question, but I think it is quit interesting... I hope, you´ll enjoy your mebership...

[Peter K.]

Hello WILHELM and welcome onboard!

According your question, I think the pic show a simple German type G7e electrical torpedo with a Woolwich-tail, which was commonly used by German submarines.

German BIBER´s were operating from harbors in the Netherlands, mainly from Rotterdam, but also from Poortershavn and Hellevoetsluis, since september 1944, but I have no data about an attack around 28.09.1944.

The famous attack against the Waal-brigdes on 29.09.1944 was made by MEK 60 and MEK 65 commanded by Hauptmann Hummel, which was ordered by Hitler himself! The divers used a very new weapon called Torpedomine (weight 1,5 t, explosive 600 kg of Nebolith, length 5 m, diameter 56 cm), which was towed by 3 or 4 divers!
The first group of 4 divers and 1 mine destroyed the railway bridge on 30.09.1944, 06.30 o´clock, but only 2 of the group, Funkmaat Heinz Brettschneider and Obergefreiter Walter Jäger, reached the German lines again.
The second group of 8 divers and 2 mines were only able to damage their target, the other bridge, and all of them were taken as prisoners.

Greetings from Austria
Peter K.

PS. Hope my English is readable ...  

[wilhelm1954]

Hallo Peter, your english is excellent! Thanks for your info, I still have a couple of questions.
* do you know anything on welding these hooks  (to all 4 fins) on torpedoes?
*According to my information there was an attack with 10 torpedoes on 28/9/44 to destroy the net across the river.
* Is anybody who joined this operation known to be alive?
* What was the codename for this operation?

wilhelm

[Peter K.]

Hello Wilhelm!

Thanks for your flowers ...

Unfortunately I do no have any additional information for you right now!

Greetings from Austria
Peter K.

[wilhelm1954]

hallo Peter,
in the meanwhile I have found out the following:

*there were several Biber submarines in Emmerich (K-flottile 266) and also in  Tolkamer/Lobith in the period of sept 44-early 45. The operations were highly secret : different units didn't know of each others presence

* 4 Bibers of K-flottille 266 from Emmerich were used 18-1-45 to attack the bridge with no succes

*at least one Biber-member is still alive and lives in the Emmerich/Kleve area. Unfortunately he can't remember about the fieldmodifications with the hooks.

* not clear is how the divers with the mines succeeded in reaching the bridges if there were nets across the river during the attack of 28/29 sept 44.....

wilhelm

[wilhelm1954]

Accorrding to the book ´Bemannte torpedos und klein U bote´ by Paul Kemp the attack with the torpedos with hooks took place 12-1-45. About 20 Biber )!) submarines fired their torpedo's with hooks at the nets across the Waal river. The next day  about 240 mines  were launched in the river in 4 waves. The attack did not have any succes. The 18 of Jan. an final attack was launched with 4 Bibers with photocells . The idea was that when the Bibers floating along the riover should pass the bridge, they would explode. This attack also failed and the Bibers got caught in the remaining nets )there were 3) across the river.

[Natter]

Recenty the Museum Airbase Deelen near Arnhem acquired the tailpiece of an interesting German torpedo. What makes it unique are the welded hooks(!) on the tailfins

Hi

I just discovered this thread. I have never heard of anything like this, so I would be very interested in more information...

The hook is mounted to the vertical fin of the G7e. It would not be possible to launch this torpedo from any torpedotube, nor the rails on the midget subs, including the Biber.
Also, I can't see any sensible purpose for this: The G7e(TIII) torpedoes used on the Bibers would have been equipped with ordinary netcutters on the warhead and the aftsection. At best, this hook (presuming it was turned the other way round) would fasten in the remains of the net after the torpedo had penetrated it, but then what? The torpedo would not have been able to pull the net or anything like that... Without documentation showing proof beyond any doubt that this was actually done (and how they would launch the torpedo), I'm thinking someone has made this after the war, or the hook has had an alternate purpose...