Stickleback-class submarine

	X51 Stickleback at Imperial War Museum Duxford
History
United Kingdom
Name	Stickleback class
General characteristics
Type	Midget submarine
Displacement	35.2 tons surfaced ; 39.27 tons submerged;
Length	50 ft 8 in (15.44 m) (pp); 53 ft 10 in (16.41 m) (oa);
Beam	6 ft (1.8 m)
Draught	7 ft 6 in (2.29 m)
Propulsion	1 shaft diesel electric, 1 Perkins P6 6 cyl diesel, 1 electric motor, 50 bhp/44 shp
Speed	6.5 knots (12.0 km/h; 7.5 mph) surfaced ; 6 knots (11 km/h; 6.9 mph) submerged;
Complement	5
Armament	2 detachable 2-ton side charges

The Stickleback-class submarines were midget submarines of the British Royal Navy initially ordered as improved versions of the older XE-class submarines. They were designed to allow British defences to practice defending against midget submarines since it was theorised that the Soviet Union had or could develop such craft.

The Royal Navy developed plans to use these craft to carry a 15-kiloton nuclear naval mine (based on the Red Beard weapon) codenamed Cudgel into Soviet harbours. The project was unsuccessful as there were problems finding and paying for the necessary fissile material.

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