Mirage Hobby U-295 - Type VIIC/41 with 'Biber' Model Kit

Each of the navies participating in WW2 used midget submarines as a secret weapon. The British used their X type vessels to attack the Tirpitz, the Japanese had the "Kaitans", the Italians had the CA and CB types and the Germans developed several variants for various tactical applications. One of the latter was the "Biber" of which some 300 were built during 1944-1945. Its displacement was 6.5 tonnes; it was 9 m long and 1.6 m wide; and it could attain 6.5 knots. It was armed with two torpedoes attached outside the hull. Such vessels were quite successful in the North Sea coastal waters and during the Normandy landings in 1944. In order to extend their operational range, by way of an experiment, the U-295 submarine was fitted with two "Biber" vessels in place of the removed main gun. The ship was of the popular type VIIC/41, built from 1942 on, fitted with either T-II or T-IV conning tower with the stretched stem (Atlantiksteven) which improved the sea-keeping qualities. A total of 91 of the type were built.