- Yes
- No
About the VTB 13 and its interest in War Thunder :
In an effort to bring as many small French-made ships into the future French navy, this small torpedo boat could act as a reserve/low tier gun boat, even perhaps a premium ship.
History :
The VTB 13 was the second prototype of the new 1937 War program for motor boats initiated by the French navy. It was part of the 1938 batch. It was built with its sister ship the VTB 14 by The Loire shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, using 1100 HP Lorraine 91D engines. Construction started in march 1939, and would be pursued until the Armistice in June 1940. At that time, the VTB 13 was 43% finished, while the VTB 14 was 24% finished.
The Germans got their hands on the unfinished ships during winter 1941, and renamed them SA 08 and SA 09. Test were conducted in 1942 and 1943, revealing problems in the engine clutch system. Put into service for a short time, they were damaged during a bombing in 1943, and 1944. The VTB 13 was found after the Liberation in 1944 in good shape, and was used extensively in tests, first as an armed gunboat then as a rescue ship. However the same problems with the clutch systems, and the disappointing performances of the ship ended its career in 1949. The ship was ultimately scraped in 1957.
Specifications :
DIMENSIONS (approximations)
Length : 19-20m
Total width : 5m
Draught : 1,20m
theoric displacement : 28-30T
ENGINE
type : Lorraine 91D 1100 HP x 2
Auxiliary : Lorraine 88D 40 HP x 4
propellers : 2
Max speed during tests (1948) : 51 knots (91 km/h)
ARMAMENT :
1940 planned armament :
1 x 13.2mm machinegun in a cupola turret
2 x Torpedo tubes (unspecified)
2 x depth charges
1948 armament :
2 x 7.7mm Darne Machinegun in the turret OR 1 x 12.7mm machinegun.
1 x 20mm Oerlikon canon
PHOTOS
Plans :
Spoiler
Unique photo of the VTB 13 recovered right after the Liberation :
SOURCES :
Primary :
Spoiler
SHD Toulon :
série 2A1 and 2A4
Dossier 17S2 archives lehler
SHD Vincenne
Série TTC, TTD, TTY, 1BB2, 1BB8, DD1
SHD Cherbourg :
Dossier 2 A1, 2A5
SHD Centre des archives de Châtellerault (CAA):
Trial reports and plans
SECONDARY :
SAIBENE Marc, Les vedettes lance-torpille FRANÇAISE, Marines Editions, 2007, 127 p.
Schnellboot Prototype 40K my grandfather,Radioman Rudi Christ