- Yes
- No
Hello everyone! Today I’m going to start suggesting one of the many Torpedo boats Israel operated.
We’re starting of with this one, the Higgins 78ft-class Motor Torpedo Boat, INS Netz (T-200)
Source: File:T-200INSNetsHaifa1952.jpg - Wikimedia Commons
History
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Source: File:MLDBGVisit.png - Wikimedia Commons
The history of this boat, or any other torpedo boat of the early Israeli navy are quite obscure and uneventfull. But I will try my best to put as much information as I can in here.
INS Netz was first bought from the Americans in 1949. The boat was originally meant to be send to the Russians. When first bought she was not equiped with any weapons (As can be seen on the photo above), and she had the number T-15 given to her. But somewhere around 1953 she can be seen with weaponry and now having the number T-200.
While the boat was build by the US Higgins company, her design was that of the British Vosper company. The ship has the typical Vosper look, like the bridge structure and the room for the forward firing torpedo tubes.
Another boat would be purchased from the US at a later date, but on it’s way to Israel it encountered a storm and sank. This would make the Netz T-200 the only US built Higgins boat Israel would operate.
As a PT boat Netz was equipped with two 20mm autocannons and two torpedo tubes equiped with 17.7 inch (450 mm) F5b German torpedoes. Something interesting about the 20mm guns is that they are Oerlikon autocannons, but not the variant used by the allied forces of WW2. No, instead of those, Israel can be seen using the surplus of 20mm Flak 29 Oerlikon guns left over from Germany after they lost the war.
They are ofcourse identical in performance to the Allied variants. But their mounting is slightly different and it’s a cool little detail I thought I point out.
Specifications
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Displacement: 43 tons
Length: 70 feet (21,34 meters)
Breadth: 19 feet (5,79 meters)
Draught: 5 feet (1,52 meters)
Machinery: 3 x Packard Gasoline engines
Max speed: 40 knots (74 km/h)
Complement: 16
Armament:
2 x 1 20 mm Oerlikon Flak 29
2 x 1 17.7" (450 mm) F5b Torpedoes
Well that is all for this little boat. Many more suggestions like these to come in the future!
See you on the battlefield!
Source: File:MTB15Nets.png - Wikimedia Commons
Sources
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Main source:
https://www.amutayam.org.il/?CategoryID=590&ArticleID=1034Secondairy source:
https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/שייטת_הטרפדות
