X 6 (Piker II)
| Built By: | Vickers (Barrow) |
| Build Group: | X |
| Fate: | Lost during an attack on on German Battleship Tirpitz in Altenfjord Norway on 22 Sept 1943 |
X6
Unofficially named Piker II
Related Pages
Lieutenant Basil Charles Godfrey Place
Lieutenants Place and Cameron were the Commanding Officers of two of His Majesty's Midget Submarines X7 and X6 which on the 22nd September 1943 carried out a most daring and successful attack on the German Battleship Tirpitz, moored in the protected anchorage of Kaa fjord, North Norway.
Lieutenant Donald Cameron. Royal Naval Reserve
Lieutenants Place and Cameron were the Commanding Officers of two of His Majesty's Midget Submarines X7 and X6 which on the 22nd September 1943 carried out a most daring and successful attack on the German Battleship Tirpitz, moored in the protected anchorage of Kaa fjord, North Norway.
Operation Source - September 1943
In September 1943 six in X-Craft were towed by six Submarines to attack German Capital Ships in the Kaa Fjord in Norway. In all (apart from the Towing Submarine Crew) forty-two X- Craft personnel took part in Operation Source, eighteen Passage Crew Members and twenty-four Operational Crew Members.
Submariner who helped to mortally damage Tirpitz and spent six months in solitary confinement.
Events
| 21-03-1943 | Completed |
| 22-09-1943 | X6s periscope flooded shortly after starting out for the attack on the Tirpitz. With visibility greatly reduced the submarine surfaced behind a coaster and followed it through the anti-submarine nets. After entering Kaa Fjord X6 went down to 60 feet and proceeded blindly, while trying to repair the periscope and the motor brakes which had recently burnt out. By 0705 X6 was within striking distance of her target. During the final approaches the submarine hit a submerged rock forcing it to the surface. X6 was clearly seen by Tirpitz and was attacked with hand grenades, and depth charges. X6 immediately dived and in the process completely flooded the periscope. Proceeding blind, X6s first charge was dropped somewhere near the battleship bridge area but whilst positioning to release the second charge, the submarine struck the battleship. With their position given away the crew had no choice but to release the second charge and scuttle X6 with the submarine sinking towards the forward end of the battleship. |
| 01-11-1943 | Launched |
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