Gabler_SDVs

Ulrich Gabler (1 October 1913 – 24 February 1994) was a German naval architect best known for founding the company which designed the Cold War Type-201, Type-202 and Type-209 submarines. Less well known but equally respected are his company’s swimmer delivery vehicles.

During World War Two Gabler served as chief engineer aboard several U-Boats including U-121 and U-564. He received the German Cross in Gold on 15 October 1942. He was involved in the design and development of the Type-XXII, Type-XVII A and Type-XXVI uboat designs. After the war he founded the Ingenieurkontor Lübeck (IKL). His name lives on Gabler Maschinenbau

WDV 7/60 2-person chariot

Gabler SDV - Covert Shores

An underreported project from 1980s, very little information is available (none online?). Customer and commercial success unclear.

WDV 7/60 Specification

Length: 7.5 meters

Beam: 1 meter

Height: 1 meter

Displacement: 1.9 tons surfaced, 2.1 tons submerged

Speed: Maximum 5 kt submerged, 4.9 kt surfaced

Operating depth: 60 meters

Endurance : 45 nautical miles @ 2.5 knots

Crew: 2 combat swimmers

Payload: storage container in nose.

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Sea Devil 2-person human torpedo

Dubbed the Sea Devil and ‘Unterwasserschwimmhilfe’ (underwater swimmers’ float), Gabler’s two-man SDV (Swimmer Delivery Vehicle) is a unique reintrepration of the Human Torpedo concept. It is closest to the Russian Sirena series of SDVs, although a closer comparison might be the Swedish (/British) Torpedo-SEAL DPV. Designed to fit within standard 533mm (21”) submarine torpedo tubes, it collapses in on itself for storage. This reduces the length and diameter and allows two to be stored in a single torpedo tube.

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The body is almost entirely diver accomodation so although it is torpedo shaped, it is quite slow and performance is generally similar to top-end DPVs.

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