An Introduction
In the mid 70’s a one man submarine was pulled up in a fishingnet. The navy disposed of it in deep waters. In the late 1980’s, midget subs where found in Fanafjorden, south of Bergen, Norway by divers. These where re found by Norwegian Navy Disposal Divers in 2013. In 2015 and 2016, several divers and groups searched and found the sub’s. Fjordexplorers searched unsuccessfully in Jan 2016, but did one year later successfully dive and documented the subs.
World History
On 18 January 1944, Hitler approved the construction of fifty midget submarines of both mine-carrying and torpedo carrying capability. The one man torpedo designed by Mohr, was intended specifically for “a defense weapon in case of enemy landings.” The unit was to be under the 1943 formed Kleinkampfverbänd (K-verband). In 1945, flotillas of midget submarines where moved to the coast of Norway.
Local History
Most likely the Subs that are found are Marder’s and connected to 3 K-Division (K.K. Silex in Bergen). Specifically K-Flot.2/362 Krokeidet under Oblt.z.S. Leopold Koch April 1944 to April 1945. The unit had seventy men and 20 Marders (Marder I=Later name of first type named Neger, Marder II was longer and submersible). Further in the Fanafjord you would find MEK25 Stend – Commando unit under Oblt Z. See Ronninger (Honninger?) with 60 men. K.K.Silex ordered all vessels and boats to be sunk in April 1945 during the last days of the war. There are documents that are refering to as many as 11 subs that was disposed close to Krokeide.
The Design
The name Neger, played on the name of the designer Mohr, which meant “Moor” (Moorish origin->African). The design is simply a manned torpedo with a joystick control able to move right or left. It was based on the G7e torpedo and replaced the stern fins with movable once. The G7e was also used as the carrier weapon, 7 cm beneath the main one. The warhead was 297 kg with high explosives. The Neger weighed close to 2,7 tons and had with torpedo, a total displacement weight of 5 tons. Speed would be approx 4,2 knops. The torpedo would be released by a lever in the cockpit and it would propel towards the target. There where cases where the torpedo did not release and propelled the sub and pilot into certain death. The pilot would in have Jeger-Oxygen breathing apparatus. There where built 200 of this type. Later Marder was developed, one meter longer to fit a tank that made the sub able to submerge. There where 300 built of this type, with 12 hp electric engine and was 8,3 meters long and 5,3 Tonn displacement. Including a 30 liter tank to allow the sub to go submerged to 10-25 meters, ten times.
Technical Data
Type: Marder
Units in class: 300
Displacement: 3000 kg
Lenght: 8.3 meters
Beam: 0.5 meters
Machinery: one 12hp electric motor
Armament: one underslung G7e TIIIb torpedo
Range (surface): 48nm at 4kt
Crew: One
Site findings
The site contains one G7e torpedo in a bad state at 51 meters (disarmed Nov 2016), one more or less intact G7e torpedo at 49 meters (disarmed Nov 2016), one broken in half Marder II sub at 39 meters and one reasonable well kept Marder II at 30 meters.
Location
The subs are located at four different places in same area. More detailes not disclosed at present. Exact location: Fanafjorden 15 km south of Bergen.
