The Hecht was developed in response to a requirement for an electrically powered midget submarine capable of attacking moving targets with either a torpedo or a ground mine. Although the craft met these basic requirements, its poor maneuverability made combat operations impractical. The two-man submarine was therefore used only for training. It was intended to carry either a single torpedo beneath the hull or a mine in its bow.
Two other interchangeable bow sections were planned: an additional battery compartment and a chamber for two divers. Neither the diver chamber nor the mine was built. Instead, most of the more than 50 Hechte constructed were fitted with additional batteries to extend their endurance during training maneuvers.