In theory, the Fa 330 - once assembled from its watertight compartments (two would be installed on the deck of the U-boat) - would be released from the deck of the surfaced submarine and towed, via cable line, behind the vessel so lift could be generated for the blades (and then sustained once enough lift was had). The pilot had limited control, but control nonetheless, to maneuver the aircraft about and the major benefit lay in his unfettered vision across the open span of ocean around him, relaying any pertinent information back to the submarine crew. Operating altitudes would reach 120 meters and setup / take-down of the system was around twenty to thirty minutes.
The Fa 330 was fielded operationally on some German U-boats towards the latter stages of the war - mainly in operating areas that were not overrun by patrolling Allied aircraft. The systems were deployed (in very limited numbers) during 1943 but provided limited tactical value in the grand scheme of the conflict - just one enemy ship could be claimed through use of an Fa 330 aircraft and this being a Greek steamship during August of 1943. A captured example fell to the Allies the following year and the design was studied at length. About 200 Fa 330s were constructed and these served from Type IX U-boats.
The prospect of using such towed autogyro systems for submarines became a moot point with the end of the war in 1945 and, from then on, helicopter technology - especially aboard warships - soon overshadowed any benefits inherent in the autogyro-at-sea. As such the concept was allowed to fall by the wayside as more modern battlefield solutions were furthered. In time, the helicopter would become such a key component to at-sea operations and not rivaled in value until the arrival of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Indeed, many modern warships feature a fixed helicopter flight deck over stern to support the launching and retrieval of rotary-wing aircraft. Newer warships are also supporting these same features for UAVs.
Several Fa 330 systems are on display at various museums around the world including the National Museum of the United States Air Force (Dayton, Ohio) and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center (Chantilly, Virginia).
The Fa 330 was known as the "Bachstelze", or "Wagtail", in German.
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