Some of the most daring naval raids undertaken during World War Il involved the use of midget submarines - craft of under 150 tons and crewed by just a handful of men - including Japanese midget submarines deployed at Pearl Harbor, the British X-Craft attack on the Tirpitz in a Norwegian fjord protected by layers of antisubmarine defenses, an Italian Maiale attaching limpet mines to the HMS Valiant, and German craft attacking Allied shipping off landing beaches.
This Casemate Illustrated Special features all classes of midget submarines and human torpedoes designed and deployed by Germany. Japan, Italy, and the United Kingdom during World War II. It discusses how the vessels suffered high losses and often failed to achieve decisive results in special operations or battles, perhaps discouraging other powers from investing in midget submarines. Period photographs. artwork, and exterior and interior images of the many midget submarines preserved in museums accompany the expert text.
Casemate Illustrated Specials offer unparalleled detail into the weapons, equipment, and machinery of war. Detailed, focused text is accompanied by hundreds of photographs, illustrations, and diagrams, providing a wealth of visual information for the historian, modeler, or researcher.
Ingo Bauernfeind studied military and naval history, visual communication, and documentary film at Hawaii Pacific University, Honolulu. Ingo has published 35 books about naval, military, and aviation history and has directed or co-produced award-winning documentaries in cooperation with German and American TV networks, including films about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the Pacific War. In addition, Ingo has produced interactive museum guides for history and naval museums in Pearl Harbor and in Germany.
Published in 2025 by CASEMATE PUBLISHERS
Hardback Edition: ISBN 978-1-63624-279-8
2025 Ingo Bauernfeind
Design by Battlefield Design
Submarine profiles by Battlefield Design
Printed and bound in the Czech Republic by FINIDR s.r.o.
Series: Casemate Illustrated
Hardback
8” x 10”
176 Pages
Over 30 illustrations
Over 120 B/W photos
Over 66 color photos
