S130, the last surviving World War II German motor torpedo boat, is to be restored to full working condition
S130, the last surviving World War II German motor torpedo boat, is to be restored to full working condition.
Kevin Wheatcroft, whose family owns the Donington Grand Prix museum In Leicestershire, paid just £1 for the boat but will spend around £3 million on her restoration.
Parts from the wrecks of three similar boats lying off the Danish coast may be salvaged and used in the five-year project. S-130, which was built in 1943, was powered by three 2,000hp Daimler Benz diesel engines and had a top speed of nearly 40 knots.
Schnellboot (literally ‘Fast boat’) 130 had several engagements with Allied forces, and she represents the large number of S-boats which operated in areas such as the North Sea, English Channel, and Mediterranean.
Look out for an upcoming feature on S130 in MBM, looking at this remarkable boat’s history, how it came to be in the UK and the restoration project itself.
