Midget submarines are small, military submarines with limited amenities and ranges. They are launched by a mother ship and used for military purposes such as launching torpedoes or spying. They are cheaper and easier to maneuver than full-size submarines and can be difficult for enemy ships to detect. Examples can be seen in maritime and science museums.
A midget submarine is a small submarine designed for short voyages, with a small crew and minimal amenities. By contrast, a full-size submarine is designed to accommodate the crew for weeks or months at a time. Midget Subs tend to have small ranges and can only stay submerged for short periods, but they can be extremely useful and are used in many ways.
The term “midget submarine” is generally used in a military sense, to refer to a small submarine that has been designed for a military purpose such as launching torpedoes, tracking enemy shipping, or spying. In contrast, civilians often use the term “submersible” to mean a small submarine used for underwater research, which can range from searching for wrecks to observing underwater life.
A typical midget submarine seats between two and eight people. There are no sleeping quarters, and space to move is often limited, with people occupying stations on the sub prior to launch and remaining in position throughout the mission. Many midget submarines lack bathroom facilities and areas to store or prepare food, so they are really only designed for missions lasting a few hours.
Classically, a midget submarine is launched by a mother ship that brings the sub close to its target. The ship has facilities to store and work on the midget submarine, and can potentially stay at sea for an extended period of time, transporting the midget submarine from location to location as needed. Midget submarines can be fully autonomous with their own life support and direction systems, or they can be linked to the mother ship with cables, a practice that is more common with civilian submersibles.
There are some advantages to a midget submarine. It is easier to maneuver and use than a large submarine, and it is also much cheaper to build, maintain and run. A nation could have a fleet of midget submarines instead of one large submarine, allowing it to cover more area. A midget submarine is also more difficult for enemy ships to detect as it is smaller and quieter than a normal submarine, and this was a huge advantage during WWII when midget submarines went to surprising places.
Several examples of vintage military midget submarines can be seen on display in maritime museums, with several examples of German and Japanese construction. Retired submersibles are also sometimes displayed in science museums, especially museums that focus on ocean exploration and marine biology.
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