Welfreighter facts for kids
Model of a Welfreighter mark III, about 1944. National Maritime Museum, London.
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Quick facts for kids Class overview |
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| Name: | Welfreighter |
| Operators: | SOE  United Kingdom |
| Completed: | 100+ |
| General characteristics Welfreighter | |
| Type | midget submarine |
| Length | 37 ft (11 m) |
| Propulsion |
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| Speed |
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| Range | 1,000 mi (1,600 km) |
| Test depth | 130 ft (40 m) |
| Crew | 2 |
The Welfreighter was a small British submarine used during Second World War. It was designed by a secret organization called the Special Operations Executive (SOE). Its main job was to secretly drop off and supply agents behind enemy lines. The Welfreighter was only used in real missions once and wasn't very successful.
Contents
Designing the Welfreighter
After the success of other small submarines, the SOE wanted a new one for secret missions. This new submarine, the Welfreighter, would help agents get behind enemy lines. It could also gather information near enemy coastlines. Sometimes, it would even deliver explosives to enemy shipping routes.
The plan was for the Welfreighter to travel on the surface at night. It would dive underwater when it needed to hide. Special agents and their gear would then go ashore. The Welfreighter would wait underwater until the next night. Then, it would surface to pick up the agents. After that, it would head back to base or meet a bigger ship.
The first idea was for a tiny submarine that looked like a regular motor boat from far away. It would carry two crew members and two agents. It also needed to carry up to one ton of supplies in special sealed containers. The goal was for it to travel up to 600 miles (970 km) on the surface. Underwater, it needed to go up to 40 miles (64 km) and dive 130 feet (40 m) deep.
Work on the design started in late 1942. Engineers built a small 1/4 scale model for testing. They tested it in a special tank at Vickers' plant. By February 1943, these tests led to changes in the design. The hull was changed to make it stable when being towed by another ship.
Testing the First Versions
After the model tests, the SOE decided to build a full-size test version. This was done at their secret base near Welwyn Garden City.
The very first full-size Welfreighter looked different from later ones. It was launched in May 1943. Tests showed it wasn't stable when towed fast. It also sat too low in the water. A second test version was started in June and tested through the end of the year.
A third test version began in September 1943. This one could travel 1,000 miles (1,600 km) on the surface. This was more than they had hoped for. But it meant it carried a bit less cargo. Its speed was slower than planned. It could only go 6 knots (11 km/h) on the surface and 2 knots (3.7 km/h) underwater. However, it passed its deep-diving tests. It could safely go down to 130 feet (40 m).
Making the Welfreighter
In early 1944, the SOE proposed a final version, called the Mk III. This version then went into mass production. The new design could travel 1,000 miles (1,600 km). It could go even further using extra fuel tanks. This meant it couldn't dive with the extra tanks.
The Mk III could carry more people too. Besides the two crew members, it could carry four passengers for short trips. For longer journeys, it could carry three passengers. The cargo space was also bigger. It could now carry between 1.5 and 2 tons of supplies.
The time it could spend underwater also improved. The craft could support six people for up to 40 hours submerged. Its surface speed increased to 5.5 knots (10.2 km/h) for cruising. Its top speed was 7 knots (13 km/h). Even the electric motors for underwater travel were better. They could make the submarine go 2-3 knots. By this time, it was clear the Welfreighter might not be needed in Europe. So, they thought about using it in the Far East instead.
It was urgent to build these submarines quickly. So, the SOE hired other companies to build them. These companies were already making war materials. In mid-1944, a company called Shelvoke and Drewry Ltd. got a contract. They were to build Welfreighters. By early September, an order for up to 34 Welfreighters was placed. This company had never built ships before. It was also 75 miles (121 km) away from the sea. Security was very strict. Most workers didn't know what they were building until after the war.
Completed Welfreighters were moved at night under covers. They went to a secret base called Station IX at Welwyn. There, they were fitted with equipment like the compass and periscope. They were then balanced and tested in a large water tank. After that, they were sent to Fishguard in Wales for sea trials.
What it Looked Like
The Welfreighter looked like a normal 37 feet (11 m) motor boat from the outside. When on the surface, it used a Gardner 4LW 44 hp (33 kW) diesel engine. This engine powered a four-bladed propeller. Underwater, it used two 2 hp (1.5 kW) electric motors. These motors drove a pair of smaller propellers.
Two "masts" on the front deck held a periscope and a magnetic compass. A fake mast and sail could be added to these. This helped the Welfreighter look like a fishing boat. The front deck was raised to give more room inside. It also had small square windows.
At the back of the main structure was a raised deck. Underneath it were six high-pressure air tanks. Behind this area was a cargo space. It had a drop-down door at the very back. This space could hold seven round cargo drums. These drums were carefully loaded to float slightly. They held equipment for agents or saboteurs. Agents could float them out through the back door. Then, they could tow them ashore, either swimming or using a small inflatable boat.
Each Welfreighter had a crew of two. One was a Sub Lieutenant from the RNVR (Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve) as the commander. The other was a Naval Engine Room Artificer or an Army mechanic. Up to four special agents could travel as passengers. However, two was more common. These agents were usually from the Army. They were expected to help handle the submarine when it was on the surface.
Service History
In Europe
The secret war in Europe was almost over before the Welfreighter was ready. In late 1944, there were talks about sending the submarines to the Adriatic Sea. They would help with operations in the Balkans. Here, the SOE was helping local fighters in Greece, Albania, and Yugoslavia.
It was also suggested that Welfreighters could plant mines in German ports. But this idea was dropped. The mines needed to be too heavy for the submarine to carry.
Trained Welfreighter crews were ready for missions in late 1944. But neither the military command nor the SOE ever used them in Europe.
In the Far East
Two Welfreighters were sent to Fremantle, Australia, in late 1944. They became part of a secret group called the Services Reconnaissance Department. This group was also known as Z Special Unit. Many tests were done there. These included towing tests and exercises with fast motor launches. One source says that 12 Welfreighters were sent to Australia in 1945.
