U Boat Type "Molch" WWII German Midget submarine

The Molch was a single-seat ultra-small submarine designed for operations in the coastal zone and belonged to the so-called special assault forces. During development, it was designated as "Thomas II", and production of serial models, known as "Molch", began in July 1944. The mini-submarine was equipped with a single electric motor for surface and underwater operation, which limited its combat capability. The depth of immersion was up to 60 meters, and the maximum speed in the underwater position was 5 knots. The hull consisted of three sections, with a chair for a single crew member in the center section. The Molch was built at the Deschhimag shipyard in Bremen, and 393 units were produced in total. As part of the special sabotage formation "K", these submarines were used in the Mediterranean and North Seas, making 140 trips to sea by the end of World War I

These submarines wer also used in the Netherlands for coastal defence.

The Molche of K1/412 were deployed a number of times in February and March 1945 from Hoek van Holland and Hellevoetsluis against maritime traffic in Antwerp. They were towed from the harbor to a certain point, from where they sailed on under their own power and had to return to their home base themselves. These actions were unsuccessful, with a lot of material and people being lost. After these actions, K-Flotille 1/412 was transferred to Oldenburg. The Molche of K411 were stationed in Den Helder and were only intended for coastal defense. They have never been actively deployed from Den Helder. Other flotillas were formed, of which K 413 was also stationed in Den Helder for some time. K414 and K415 were stationed in Denmark and K416 in Norway. These flotillas were also never deployed.