A group of apprentices from shiprepair specialist
Fleet Support Limited (FSL) has played a key role in bringing back to life a
World War 2 German midget submarine on display at the HMS Dolphin museum in
Gosport.
For the past three months, the nine metres long
Biber Class submarine has been carefully restored under the guidance of
independent expert Ian Clark in workshops at Portsmouth Naval Base.
The
vessel has been taken apart almost piece by piece, fully repaired and restored
to working order, probably for the first time since she was operational in
1944-5.
Based on historical research, FSL manufactured
authentic replica parts in its workshops, culminating in the one-man submarine
being returned to the water again for the first time in several
decades.
After being inspected by a former submarine pilot in the German
Navy’s wartime Kriegsmarine division, the vessel carried out a test dive in a
dock at the Naval Base.
Biber 105 will now be returned to the museum’s
weapons gallery where she will go on display, having been restored to pristine
condition.
The team of FSL apprentices has gained invaluable
experience working on the project which has involved hull repairs, restoring the
engine, gearbox and other machinery, rebuilding the electric motor and replacing
the electrics and controls instrumentation.
Ian Clark explained: “This is the only Biber
midget submarine that remains in working order and every piece of equipment that
been renewed has been made by FSL in its workshops in the Naval Base. It has
been a great effort by the apprentices and I know they have found the project
interesting.”
The restoration has been recorded by a Channel 4
documentary team who will feature the project in their series Salvage Squad,
with the programme expected to be shown early next year.
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