Guv
Aug 13th, 2001, 07:07 PM
Many years ago I read a WW2 story (Turnabout, I think), which described a 2-man Catamaran which went after German warships in the North Sea. The craft was described as having two hulls each containing a powerful Rols-Royce built engine. There was a platform-like deck connecting the two hulls. Several torpedoes were suspended from this deck The craft, as described, was a scary idea. The two men stood on an almost barren platform, which contained controls for steering the craft and not much else.
They would approach a German destroyer or other warship at high speed and release a torpedo before veering off. Of course the warship would be firing at them with all sorts of weaponry, while they relied on speed and evasive maneuvers to avoid getting clobbered.
I often wondered if such a craft existed and was used in that fashion.
In the story, the crew of an American bomber encounters a wealthy young English playboy who spends much time and money drinking and womanizing in London clubs. The Americans resent him and mention how they are risking their lives several times a week flying over Germany. The Englishman’s attitude is “It sounds like a jolly good time.” The crew invites him to be smuggled on board their plane, expecting to scare the s**t out of him. When the tail gunner is badly wounded, the Englishman takes over and does a good job, downing one German plane and damaging another. He tells the captain that he had a jolly good time and would the captain like to go boating with him the next day?
Of course, the pilot is terrified by his experiences on the catamaran, on a mission which manages to sink a German battle ship. The ship fired 20 or so large shells and thousands of rounds of 50 caliber bullets at them during the action which required 3 runs at the battleship before sinking it.
It was a delightful war story, but I wonder about the historical accuracy of its background.
They would approach a German destroyer or other warship at high speed and release a torpedo before veering off. Of course the warship would be firing at them with all sorts of weaponry, while they relied on speed and evasive maneuvers to avoid getting clobbered.
I often wondered if such a craft existed and was used in that fashion.
In the story, the crew of an American bomber encounters a wealthy young English playboy who spends much time and money drinking and womanizing in London clubs. The Americans resent him and mention how they are risking their lives several times a week flying over Germany. The Englishman’s attitude is “It sounds like a jolly good time.” The crew invites him to be smuggled on board their plane, expecting to scare the s**t out of him. When the tail gunner is badly wounded, the Englishman takes over and does a good job, downing one German plane and damaging another. He tells the captain that he had a jolly good time and would the captain like to go boating with him the next day?
Of course, the pilot is terrified by his experiences on the catamaran, on a mission which manages to sink a German battle ship. The ship fired 20 or so large shells and thousands of rounds of 50 caliber bullets at them during the action which required 3 runs at the battleship before sinking it.
It was a delightful war story, but I wonder about the historical accuracy of its background.