What Germany’s Navy lacked in numbers they made up in groundbreaking engineering. Their fearsome submersible U-boats wreaked havoc across the Atlantic and brought the much larger British Navy to its knees. Still, the U-boat fleet could not have managed such risky feats if it wasn’t for another little-known piece of German engineering; the mighty S-Boot.

At first glance, S-Boot, short for Schnellboot or fast boat, seemed like a rather unremarkable vessel, but a medium-sized boat made from wood when such ships were already obsolete was easy to overlook.

However, the deception was part of the S-boat’s ingenuity. In reality, by the dawn of World War 2, the Schnellboot was the fastest combat ship in the world, and it possessed unmatched maneuverability and firepower.

Armed with two giant torpedo cannons, the small wooden ship could sink any vessel in the ocean and be able to escape swiftly, staying well beyond the reach of any retaliating ships.

The unique S-Boot acted as the ultimate glass cannon, and it played a crucial role in Germany’s early victories. In fact, the unassuming boat took part in one of the most lethal surprise attacks against the American Navy, an assault so embarrassing that they would do anything to cover it up...

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