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The Motorised Submersible Canoe (MSC), nicknamed Sleeping Beauty, was built by British Special Operations Executive (SOE) during World War II as an underwater vehicle for a single frogman to perform clandestine reconnaissance or attacks against enemy vessels. ==Design== The MSC was designed by Major Hugh Alleyne Reeves〔Rees, ''Cockleshell Canoes'' 〕 to attack ships anchored in harbours. The craft got its nickname "Sleeping Beauty" when Reeves was found sleeping in it by a passing officer. Constructed of mild steel, the canoe is long with a beam of , used a 5 hp electric motor powered by four 6-volt batteries, had a top speed of , and could travel at a cruising speed of . Its maximum operating depth was . The Sleeping Beauty was designed to carry up to of explosives as well as being able to be dropped near its target by a heavy bomber. Fore and central trimming tanks within the hull can be flooded to sink the craft underwater or have compressed air blown in them to surface the craft. The pilot controlled the craft by a joystick that is connected to the rudder and hydroplanes, breathed through a Siebe Gorman Salvus MkII Amphibian rebreather or Dunlop Underwater Swimming Breathing Apparatus (UWSBA), and would have to come close to the surface to establish his whereabouts. The canoe can also be paddled or moved by raising the mast and erecting a sail. Although the Sleeping Beauty was designed to accommodate only one pilot, sometimes a second frogman was employed lying on the bow. Different configurations were tried on the MSC such as the positioning of the hydroplanes, these were positioned aft but sometimes moved forward during experimental work. The MSC could be sailed or paddled. The High Pressure air tanks (H.P.) could afford four blows to the surface from 40 ft and up to 20 blows to the surface from 15 ft.〔Rees, ''Cockleshell Canoes''〕 During the end of 1943 the MSC was referred to the "Assault Warfare Sub Committee" (AWSC) and had trials conducted at Queen Mary Reservoir. There the MSC was compared with the Chariot and Welman. The MSC was found to be small (up to 15 canoes could be carried in a larger submarine's torpedo storage compartment), light, easier to navigate, simple to operate, and quick to build. However, the craft was very difficult to control. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Motorised Submersible Canoe」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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