BRITISH MIDGET SUBMARINES

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26514, 31 August 1951, Page 3

BRITISH MIDGET SUBMARINES

PIONEER OF CRAFT VISITS N.Z. DISCUSSIONS WITH NAVAL BOARD (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, August 30. The man who supervised the construction of Britain’s first midget submarine arrived in Wellington by fly-ing-boat from Sydney to-day. He is Commander W. G. Meeke, commanding officer of the 4th Submarine Flotilla, which is stationed in Australia. He has come for discussions with the New Zealand Naval Board on anti-submarine training for the Royal New Zealand Navy.

In 1941, Commander Meeke was seconded to the construction of the first "X craft,” as the midget submarines were officially named. “First of all,” he said, to-day, “we made a wooden model or mock-up. From this, we gauged the best position for the midget’s many instruments, moving the wooden parts round till we were satisfied with their placement. Construction on the real craft then went ahead, and I commanded it for its trials.”

Features of the first midget were improved in the four-man submarine, which was its successor, and the original midget was kept as a training craft.

Commander Meeke said midget craft would be used again in any future war. Submarine personnel were still training on midgets Built during the Second World War.

The cost of maintaining the submarine flotilla led by Commander Meeke is shared among New Zealand, Australia, and Britain, to enable New Zealand and Australian naval men to gain experience of anti-submarine warfare. The flotilla provides targets for New Zealand’s frigates and for Australia’s anti-submarine craft. Because of the cost of maintaining a submarine base, it was unlikely that the Commonwealth or Dominion Navies would ever have their own submarines. Commander Meeke said.