Australian Army Museum of Western Australia > Records

Virtual Visit #54 - Sleeping Beauty

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Overview

Part of a series of Virtual Visit posts relating to the Australian Army Museum of Western Australia entitled “Sleeping beauty".

Historical information

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. Constructed of mild steel, the canoe was 3.86 metres long with a beam 0.69 metres. Propulsion was provided by a 5 hp electric motor powered by four 6-volt batteries giving a top speed of 4.4 knots (8.1 km/h). The MSC had a range of 30 to 40 nautical miles (56 to 74 km) at a cruising speed of 3.1 knots (5.7 km/h). Its maximum operating depth was15 metres. The canoe can also be paddled or moved by raising the mast and setting a sail.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-32-53-238

Contextual Information

The Australian Army Museum of Western Australia was closed to volunteers and the public for extended periods during the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in March 2020. One outcome was the creation of an expanded on-line presence through a weekly Virtual Visit post. The initial response encouraged the Museum over the following three tears, to continue the series. Virtual Visits normally focused on an object or theme from the collection. The general format was to link the story of the object and its significance. with web links and related materials to facilitate a continuing journey of self-discovery.

Australian Army Museum of Western Australia

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