Diesel submarine ss 233 herring. Submarines of the Gato type

Last update: 08/23/2017 at 17:01

Divers of the Pacific Fleet and researchers of the Russian Geographical Society are preparing to investigate a World War II submarine that sank near Matua Island. According to experts, the object of study is the American submarine Herring (SS-233), which was sunk by Japanese coastal artillery in 1944.

The research operation is actively using the AC-55 normobaric suit and several deep-sea dives have already been carried out in order to examine the underwater object in detail.

According to the press service of the Russian Defense Ministry, scientific and exploratory work will take place in the area of ​​Cape Yurlov at a depth of 110 meters. They will involve the Igor Belousov rescue vessel, as well as the Panther Plus remote-controlled search and rescue vehicle and the Tiger uninhabited reconnaissance robot.

“In the research operation, the AS-55 normobaric spacesuit is actively used. Several deep-sea dives have already been carried out with the aim of a detailed examination of the underwater object, ”the press service of the Ministry of Defense said in an official statement.

Recall that the submarine was discovered on June 25 during an underwater survey of the coast near the island of Matua, where during the Second World War there was a large military base in Japan.

“Research of the archives suggests that this is the American submarine Herring, sunk by Japanese coastal artillery,” Alexander Kirilin, Secretary of the Scientific Council of the Russian Military Historical Society, is quoted by RIA Novosti.

In May 1944, an American submarine reported that two Japanese ships, the Ishigaki and the Hokuyo Maru, had been torpedoed in the Kuril Islands. Then the submarine attacked and sank two more merchant ships - "Hibiri Maru" and "Iwaki Maru" in the harbor formed by the strait between the coast of Matua and the small island of Toporkovy located near it. When withdrawing along a narrow shallow fairway, the boat, which was on the surface, could not maneuver and was fired upon by Japanese coastal artillery. And after leaving the strait, she sank after being damaged at a depth of 330 feet, which corresponds to the depth of 104 meters indicated by Russian experts. Together with the boat, the entire crew died - 83 people.

reference Information

Matua Island is relatively small - 11 kilometers long and 6.5 kilometers wide. The height of the highest point - Sarychev Peak (Fuyo Volcano) is 1485 meters. The island is located in the central part of the Kuril chain. On the eve of World War II, the Japanese turned Matua - by the way, in Japanese the island sounds like Matsua-to - into a powerful fortress with underground pillboxes.

A large airfield was located here, from which the Japanese aircraft could control the entire northwest of the Pacific Ocean. Parts of the 42nd Infantry Division of the Japanese Army and the 3rd Naval Brigade were located on the island-fortress. They capitulated to the Soviet landing on August 26 and 27, 1945.

Submarines of the type "Gato" (the name comes from the name of the cat shark, borrowed from the Spanish el gato - cat) - a series of American submarines of the Second World War. The previous Tambor project served as the basis. In comparison with the previous project, the Gato submarines have undergone significant modernization, as a result of which the combat and patrol qualities of the submarines have improved. Modified diesel engines and batteries increased the duration and range of patrols. In addition, living conditions have improved significantly.

The results of the combat operations of the US Navy in the Pacific during World War II were a real triumph for the American naval forces. A huge contribution to the victory over Japan was made by American submarines, which sank Japanese ships and ships with a total displacement of 5 million tons.

The formation of the modern American submarine fleet began in the 1930s with the construction of several large submarines capable of operating in the ocean. They differed from each other in equipment and characteristics. An analysis of the trial operation of these submarines made it possible to choose the most successful sample. It was he who began to improve and used in mass production.

It was the submarine Cachalot SS-170. In its production, instead of traditional riveting, welding was used. This reduced the weight of the structure while increasing its strength. In addition, this submarine favorably differed by the presence of an electromechanical computing device TDS, which allows solving the problems of aiming while firing torpedoes. TDS automatically entered lead, target angle, and travel depth into the torpedo control system.

On the basis of the Cachalot submarines in 1933, a series of 10 Touré R submarines was laid down. The new submarines, unlike the prototype, had a large displacement and dimensions, which made it possible to install a larger diesel-electric power plant (Cachalot was equipped with a conventional direct-drive diesel engine) and an air conditioning system. The last improvement was the most important. Air conditioning systems not only improved living conditions, but also ensured safety by eliminating high air humidity in the compartments (the main cause of short circuits in electrical circuits).

The maximum diving depth of the Tour R submarines was 75 meters. The main armament consisted of 16 torpedoes and four bow and two stern torpedo tubes. The ten Type R submarines built can be divided into two series. The first (4 submarines) entered service in 1935-1936. and the second (6 submarines) - in 1936-1937. Submarines of the second series were distinguished by a more powerful diesel power plant.

Following the Tour R, the US Navy ordered 16 Salmon-class submarines with enhanced weapons. They mounted a couple of additional stern torpedo tubes. Thus, the number of torpedo tubes increased to ten: 6 bow and 4 stern. The number of torpedoes has increased to 24. According to some experts, the electric motor on the Tour R submarines can be disabled by damaging the power cable. In this regard, on the first six submarines of the Salmon series (commissioned in 1937-1938), the developers did not install a diesel-electric power plant, but returned to direct transmission from the engines to the propeller shaft.

But strong vibrations, high noise and an increase in time to charge the batteries forced the developers in the remaining ten submarines (by the name of the lead ship they are distinguished as a separate type of “Sargo”) to return to the scheme using a diesel-electric power plant, which did not have the above disadvantages. During the alteration, the submarine managed to place an additional 44 tons of fuel and double the capacity of the batteries, which increased the surface range (by 1000 miles) and diving (85 miles).

The next step in the improvement of American submarines was the Tambor submarine, carrying 24 torpedoes and 10 torpedo tubes on board. Tambor is the last serial submarine to enter service in the Pacific before the start of the war. In terms of other characteristics, including the type of power plant, it did not differ from the first series of Salmon submarines.

After Pearl Harbor, it became clear that the only way to stop Japanese expansion would be through asymmetric responses. Admirals Nimitz and King proposed to act in two directions: to conduct containment battles and to strike deep into Japanese territory. At the disposal of the fleet command were several aircraft carriers, about 30 squadron submarines, 10 old V-class submarines and several dilapidated S-class submarines.

The aircraft carriers managed to hold back the Japanese offensive. The Japanese lost in the Coral Sea, and at Midway Atoll they were completely defeated. In principle, the United States won the war in the Pacific theater, it was enough just to drag it out and wait until Japan exhausted its resources. But these two decisive operations hastened the defeat of the Japanese Empire.

Deep strikes were carried out almost exclusively by submarines. With the exception of the Tokyo Doolittle raid in April 1942, US aircraft could not reach Japanese territory until mid-1943. From the first days of the war, American submarines operated deep in enemy territory, striking at convoys. At first, the effectiveness of the submarines was lower than expected. The main reason was the excessive caution of the boat commanders, who had not yet received real combat experience. A noticeable problem was the unreliability of torpedo fuses, and the frequent descents of torpedoes from the course. Finally, there were too few submarines to create a serious threat to enemy communications. 40-odd boats, including a dozen old ones, were clearly not enough.

The last problem was the easiest to solve. The original budget of 1941, which provided for the construction of 6 submarines, was revised with the start of the war in the direction of a sharp increase in their number. The French capitulation also forced the US government to dramatically increase funding for the shipbuilding program. On May 20, 1940, the construction of 22 more submarines was added to the 6 planned submarines, and on August 16 another 43 submarines were ordered. All submarines were ordered by firms: Electric Boat Company (41); Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (14); Mare Island Naval Shipyard (10). Mare Island Naval Shipyard soon had 2 stocks available and in April 1941 received an order for 2 additional submarines. Thus, before the attack on Pearl Harbor, 73 Gato-class submarines were under construction. By 12/07/1941, only one submarine of this type, Drum (SS 228), was put into operation, however, in the first days after the raid, 10 more boats were launched, and 21 were laid down. The pace of production was constantly increasing.

Seventy-three Gato-class submarines were assigned numbers from SS 212 to SS 284. Unlike the navies of other countries, where tactical numbers are assigned arbitrarily and can change, in the US Navy the ship receives a permanent number. As a rule, the number consists of a two-letter index (type of vessel) and a serial number. Numbers are allocated in blocks for various shipyards. For example, the block of numbers SS 212-227 was allocated by the Electric Boat Company, and the numbers SS 228-235 by Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. These numbers did not carry information about the order of bookmarking, launching or commissioning of the ship. Therefore, the Drum submarine (SS 228) was laid down and commissioned earlier than the formally first submarine of the Gato series (SS 212). The numbers of ships whose construction was stopped fell out of sequence. Although the last submarine of the Gato series was the Grenadier (SS 525), there were gaps in the series among the junior numbers. They also canceled a further series, up to SS 562. In this regard, the first post-war series of submarines was 6 Tang-class submarines with numbers starting from SS 563. If the ship was remodeled, the letter prefix changed, but the number remained unchanged. So, for example, "Cavalla" (SS 244) in 1952 was converted into PLO, its designation changed to SSK 244.

From their predecessors, the Tambor-class submarines, the Gato-class submarines differed in detail. Gato was 51 tons heavier and 1.4 m longer. The extra length allowed for more powerful diesel engines and additional bulkheads between the engine compartments. The first Gato submarines were equipped with old diesel engines, like those of the Tambor. However, the lengthening of the hull improved hydrodynamics, which made it possible to win half a knot of speed in the surface position (21 knots). More powerful batteries were also installed on the submarine, which increased the submerged speed by a quarter of a knot (up to 9 knots). The additional volume was used to increase fuel and oil reserves to 94,000 gal (355,829 l). This provided a range of 12 thousand miles at a speed of 10 knots. According to the results of the operation of Tambor-class submarines, the internal reinforcement was strengthened, increasing the maximum immersion depth by 15 m (up to 91.5 meters). The calculated crushing depth has not changed - 152 m. The maximum immersion depth was equal to the depth at which the submarine can operate without problems and leaks associated with pressure growth. During the fighting, the captains quite often exceeded the depth limit, trying to avoid depth charges.

There were slight differences between submarines produced by different shipyards. The most notable of these was the configuration of the drainage holes. Drainage holes on submarines built at government yards were more numerous and extended farther aft and forward than those built by Electric Boat. Later, many submarines received additional equipment and weapons, so their appearance could vary widely.

Submarines of the Gato class had two hulls. The inner strong hull was surrounded by a lightweight outer hull, inside which were placed fuel tanks, trim tanks and ballast tanks. The central part of the robust body is a cylindrical structure made of 14.3 mm steel. The strong hull tapered conically towards the bow and stern, and a conning tower cylinder was attached to the hull from above. The rugged hull had a maximum diameter of 16 feet (4.9 meters).

The superstructure was attached to the outer hull on top of the deck. The shape of the outer hull provided a high surface speed. On the bow were a capstan and an anchor, a buoyancy tank and forward depth rudders. The deck structure in front of and behind the bridge has been reinforced. Two guns of 76.2 mm caliber (barrel length 50 calibers) were installed here, but in practice one gun was left or both were dismantled.

Air accumulated below deck, which slowed down the submarine's sinking. To eliminate this drawback, drainage holes were made in the deck. From above, the conning tower was covered by a bridge fence. The deck behind the wheelhouse was nicknamed the "cigarette deck" because it was there that the sailors went out to smoke. An anti-aircraft machine gun was also installed here: Browning caliber 12.7 or 7.62 mm. When diving, the machine gun was retracted inside the submarine.

The robust hull of the Gato-class submarine was internally divided into 10 watertight compartments.

Bow torpedo room

The bow torpedo compartment served to accommodate six torpedo tubes (4 - above deck level, 2 - below deck). Going on a military campaign, the boat carried one torpedo in each tube. There were 2 spare torpedoes for the 4 upper torpedo tubes, and only one for the underdeck tubes. In total, there were 16 torpedoes to the bow tubes. From the front torpedo compartment, the sonar was extended and rotated outward, as well as the hydrodynamic log. In addition, there were 14 berths in the forward torpedo compartment.

The following equipment was installed in the compartment: hydraulic pump; control mechanism for bow depth rudders; hydraulic motor for steering; air duct for ventilation and blowing of torpedo tubes; compressed air cylinders for launching torpedoes; purge valve box; collector and valves of normal fuel tanks Nos. 1 and 2; collector and valves of the sanitary tank No. 1; collector and valves of fresh water tanks Nos. 1 and 2; mechanisms for controlling the purge valve of the ballast bow tank and controlling the purge of the main ballast tank.

Bow battery box

The forward battery compartment was located between frames 35 and 47. It was separated from the forward torpedo compartment by a sealed bulkhead. The submarine carried 252 batteries (6 rows of 21), half of which were located below the deck of the bow battery compartment. The hydrogen generated during the operation of the batteries was removed by a special ventilation system. The deck of the compartment served to accommodate the premises for the officers: pantry; wardroom; 3 residential officer cabins. One of the cabins was intended for 3 junior officers. The first lieutenant and the chief mate lived in the second cabin. The captain of the submarine had a separate cabin, he was the only person on the submarine who had a separate room. The fourth cabin housed 5 senior non-commissioned officers. The crew of the boat in some cases could number up to 10 officers, it was quite crowded in the officer's cabins. The non-commissioned officer's cabin served to store and maintain the ship's log.

The compartment housed the following equipment: bulkhead flaps; exhaust and supply ventilation lines; battery ventilation compressors; ballast tank valve control mechanism 2A-2B; external and internal fittings for emergency air supply.

Control post

In the central part of the submarine between frames 47 and 58 there was a control post. From here they controlled the course, speed and depth of the submarine. The rudder control panel, the hatch to the pump room, the main gyroscope, as well as the shafts of the radar mast and periscopes were located in the diametrical plane of the compartment. Ventilation system lines, external emergency air supply fittings, a hatch to the conning tower and bulkhead latches were mounted on the ceiling.

On the starboard side of the compartment deck, a high-pressure air system valve box, electrical switchboards, a 225-pound air manifold, purge manifolds for 10- and 600-pound main ballast tanks, and an auxiliary power switchboard were installed.

On the left side there was a signal ejector, a weapon group, a hydraulic valve box, a quick dive tank ventilation valve, an ascent and dive combat post and control of the aft horizontal rudders, emergency ventilation flaps and a trim line valve box. It also housed a panel of indicators for the holes of a durable case, jokingly nicknamed the "Christmas tree". This nickname was given because each hatch in a strong case had two lights: red and green. The red signal meant the opening of the hatch, the green - the closing. From here came the slang expression green board (“green panel”), which meant that all the hatches were battened down, and the submarine could dive.

Under the deck of the control post there was a pump room that served to accommodate manual and hydraulic negative buoyancy control mechanisms, high pressure air compressors, a low pressure compressor, a bilge pump, a trim system pump, a vacuum pump, a hydraulic accumulator, an air conditioning system machine, a refrigerator and a pantry.

In the aft part of the control post there was a radio room, in which a radio station, a CSP-888 cipher machine (speed 45-50 words per minute), and a radio direction finder indicator were installed.

Conning tower

A special, rather cramped compartment located outside the contours of the hull above the control post, cylindrical in shape, equipped with its own ventilation and air conditioning system. It housed fire control devices, navigation equipment, hydroacoustic equipment, periscopes, a gyrocompass, a rudder control panel, various indicators and pressure sensors. The conning tower was connected to the control post through the lower conning hatch.

Both periscopes were located here. The first Gato-class submarines were equipped with a Type 2 or Type 3 periscope. The "type 2" periscope was also called combat or needle, it was hardly noticeable, having the smallest possible diameter. "Type 3" provided a larger field of view, but was thicker. Beginning in 1944, "type 4" periscopes began to be installed on submarines, or instead of a "type 3" periscope, a night periscope. The "type 4" periscope was shorter and thicker, so it had a large aperture. On the periscope was the ST radar rangefinder, which helped to carry out night underwater attacks. On the port side, on the rear bulkhead, there was a torpedo course calculator (TDC, Torpedo Data Computer). Nearby were the sonar and radar displays, as well as the sub's spare controls. During an underwater attack, the fighting compartment became crowded, as the fighting stations of the captain, first officer, one or two sonar and radar operators, one or two TDC operators and a telephone operator were located here.

aft battery compartment

Below the deck of the aft battery compartment between the 58th and 77th frames were the remaining 126 batteries, as well as pipelines and a ventilation compressor. The deck housed a galley, main pantry, freezer and refrigerator. There was also a ship's first-aid kit and a sailors' canteen. In addition, there were 36 beds and lockers for the crew's personal belongings. There was also a double sailor's shower and dishwasher. The aft battery compartment was the largest on the submarine.

Bow engine room

Placed between 77 and 88 frames. It housed diesel engines No. 1 and 2, which rotated the shafts of electric generators. In addition, oil and fuel pumps, emergency air supply fittings, bulkhead flaps, a general ship ventilation system valve, air blowers, a liquid fuel separator and pumping compressors were installed here.

Aft engine room

Behind the bow engine room between frames 88 and 99 was the aft engine room. The equipment of this compartment differed from the previous one by an entrance hatch in the ceiling. An auxiliary diesel generator (power 300 kW) was installed below the deck of the compartment, which supplied electric power to the battery chargers and auxiliary mechanisms.

Depending on the manufacturer, the submarines were equipped with Fairbanks-Morse or General Motors diesel engines. Fairbanks-Morse 38D81 / 8 (power 1600 hp) - 10-cylinder, two-stroke, with an opposed arrangement of cylinders. General Motors 16-278A (power 1600 hp) - 16-cylinder, two-stroke, with a V-shaped arrangement of cylinders. Air for the engine was supplied by a compressor.

The fuel pump (capacity 37.9 l / min) was powered by a DC motor (power at 1150 rpm 0.736 kW). The cooling system worked on fresh water, cooled before reuse by sea water. The engines were launched from a 200-atmospheric air line.

Each diesel engine was connected to a generator shaft (power 1100 kW). At a frequency of 750 rpm, the generator generated a current of 415 V. The DC generators had air cooling and parallel excitation. While sailing, they powered electric motors or charged batteries.

Steering/engine compartment

It was located between frames 99 and 107. At the same time, the deck housed the control post of the power plant, the remote control for turning off the engines, the auxiliary electrical switchboard and the lathe. Four propeller motors were installed under the deck of the compartment (the power of each at 1300 rpm was 1000 kW), which rotated the propeller shafts in pairs: on the starboard side - right rotation, on the port side - left.

Electric motors No. 1 and 3 through reduction gears (reduced the speed to 280 rpm), set the propeller shaft in rotation on the starboard side, and electric motors No. 2 and 4 - on the left. In addition, oil and circulation pumps were installed below deck.

On submarines of later releases, gearboxes were not installed, since two-anchor electric motors were mounted, which could change power at a speed of 67..282 rpm in the range of 15 - 2000 kW.

Aft torpedo room

In the aft torpedo compartment, located between frames 107 and 125, there were four torpedo tubes (they were loaded with torpedoes before the campaign) and four spare torpedoes. Also here were the boatswain's tool box and fifteen berths. Although the submarine had 70 berths (formally, there was one place for each sailor), the crew of the boats in practice was larger, and therefore the sailors slept in two shifts, or rather, three sailors slept in turns on two beds. The crew by the end of the war usually exceeded 80 people. Some beds in the torpedo bays were lowered only after the torpedo tubes were reloaded. By the end of the war, the number of targets at sea had significantly decreased, submarines could return from a campaign without firing a single shot.

In addition to torpedoes, Gato-class submarines also carried other types of weapons. For example, a 7.62- or 12.7-mm Browning anti-aircraft machine gun was installed on the "cigarette" deck. During the dive, the machine gun was retracted inside the boat.

The 7.62 mm Browning machine gun was the first anti-aircraft gun that was installed on the Gato-class submarines. Initially, a machine gun with a water-cooled barrel was used, but an air-cooled version appeared. As a rule, the submarine was equipped with several machine guns mounted around the perimeter of the cabin on the machines. The large-caliber 12.7 mm Browning machine gun did not gain popularity. Although it had great effectiveness in firing at air targets, it was large and heavy, which made it difficult to clean the machine gun during an emergency dive.

The anti-aircraft machine gun was supposed to be replaced by a Swiss-made 20-mm Oerlikon cannon (length 70 calibers). In the United States, it was released under license. Many submarines received one such gun after the start of the war. Single-barrel guns were later replaced with twin ones.

The Swedish 40 mm Bofors cannon (60 calibers long) was adopted by the US Navy shortly after it became clear that the American 28 mm anti-aircraft gun was ineffective against modern aircraft. In 1944, the Gato-class submarines were equipped with one Bofors gun each. The gun proved to be excellent, and it began to be installed on all submarines even before the end of 1944.

In front of and behind the bridge, the deck had a reinforced structure for mounting guns. The artillery armament of the Gato submarines was varied. The places and type of location of the guns depended on the wishes of the boat commander and the time of its commissioning.

The submarines of the class "Gato" in front of and behind the wheelhouse on the deck had reinforced platforms that were intended for the installation of guns. Only a few submarines carried a couple of guns at once. The following guns could be installed on submarines:

The 76.2 mm 50-caliber gun was the standard deck gun for American submarines during World War II. Many modifications were produced with different designations. Between themselves, the modifications differed mainly in the type of cutting. Although the gun was easy to operate, it used projectiles (5.9 kg - 13 lb) too light to be effective even against small ships. Combat experience forced the submarines to be equipped with a more powerful artillery system.

Initially, 102-mm guns with a barrel length of 50 calibers were installed on several S-class submarines. Subsequently, they were also installed on Gato-class submarines. For the 102-mm gun, 15-kg shells were already used. The main drawback of the gun was the high muzzle velocity of the projectile, which was 884 m/s, so the projectile often pierced through light targets without causing serious damage.

The barrel of a 127-mm gun (barrel length 25 calibers) was made of stainless steel, and therefore the gun did not need a muzzle plug. This made it easier to transfer the gun from traveling to combat position. The gun fired 24.4-kg high-explosive projectiles (high-explosive charge mass - 2.55 kg). The initial speed was 808 meters per second. This gun was considered ideally suited to the requirements that were imposed on the deck artillery of submarines.

Between the submarines produced by different shipyards, there were a large number of visual differences. The most notable were the location, number and configuration of the scuppers. Some submarines were equipped with additional equipment and weapons. That is why fleet historians argue that it is impossible to find two absolutely identical Gato-class submarines.

The modernization of Gato-class submarines continued until the end of World War II, with work not only on armament and design, but also on equipment.

For example, hydroacoustic equipment was constantly modernized. On the first series of submarines, WCA sonars were installed with a JT hydrophone operating in the range of 110 Hz - 15 kHz. Its range was 3429 meters. It made it possible to determine the range to the target and the bearing, and if the target was a submarine, then the depth of immersion was also determined. In 1945, the more advanced WFA sonar was adopted.

All 73 Gato-class submarines took part in the battles. Of the 10 most successful American submarines (in terms of sunk tonnage), 8 belong to this class. 19 boats were lost. One of them (SS-248 "Dorado") was sunk by an American aircraft on the way to the Panama Canal in the Caribbean, 18 were lost as a result of enemy opposition in the Pacific Ocean.

Among the Gato-class submarines, the most famous during the war years were the Flasher SS-249 (the leader in sunk tonnage, 100231 GRT), the Barb SS-220, the Growler SS-215, the Silversides SS-236, "Trigger" SS-237, and "Wahoo" SS-238.

Captain SS-215 "Growler" Howard W. Gilmore became the first submariner to be awarded the Medal of Honor. On February 7, 1943, Gilmour, while on the bridge, was wounded from the Japanese transport "Hayasaki". The captain gave the order for an immediate dive, although Gilmour himself did not manage to get to the hatch in time.

SS-227 "Darter" is the only American submarine that sank as a result of hitting the bottom.

SS-238 "Wahoo" commanded by Dudley "Mash" Morton became the first American submarine to penetrate the Sea of ​​Japan. In 1943, she was sunk while returning from her second trip to that area.

SS-245 "Cobia" was sunk by Japanese transports, which went with tank units to Iwo Jima as reinforcements.

SS-257 "Harder" commanded by Samuel D. Dealey is the only submarine to sink five escort ships in her career. Four of them were sunk in one trip.

SS-261 "Mingo" was sold to Japan after the war and served under the name "Kuroshio".

SS-244 Cavalla sank the aircraft carrier Shōkaku, which took part in the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Some Gato-class submarines have been preserved as monuments: USS Cavalla (SS-244) is installed in Seawolf Park, USS Cobia (SS-245) is installed in the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, USS Drum (SS-228) is installed in the Battleship Memorial Park Museum ).

Specifications:
Length - 95 m.
Width - 8.3 m.
Surface displacement - 1526 tons.
Underwater displacement - 2410 tons.
Working depth of immersion - 90 m.
Surface speed - 20 knots.
Underwater speed - 8 knots.
Power point:
4 diesel engines with a capacity of 1400 hp
4 electric motors with a capacity of 1370 hp
2 rechargeable batteries with 126 cells each.
Autonomy of navigation - 75 days.
Crew - 60/85 people.
Armament:
Artillery - deck gun caliber 76 mm.
Torpedo armament - 6 bow and 4 stern 533 mm torpedo tubes, 24 torpedoes.
Anti-aircraft weapons - 2 machine guns of 12.7 mm or 7.62 mm caliber.

Prepared from:
dic.academic.ru
www.wunderwafe.ru
anrai.ru

Submarines ... Perhaps there is no more mysterious and formidable type of weapon created by man. Starting from their first appearance, the first clashes with their participation, they terrified and awe first the sailors, and with the installation of missile weapons on submarines - and ordinary inhabitants, residents of large cities. The foam path of the periscope caused and causes amazement in most who saw it in reality. Throughout their history, the actions of submarines and their crews have been shrouded in a semi-mystical halo of mystery and romance. Often - quite deservedly, because the very principle of the operational-tactical use of this type of weapon basically implies STEALTH.
The topic is huge! One mention of the possibility of the appearance of enemy submarines could tip the scales in favor of a weaker one (the Russo-Japanese War of 1904 is proof of this). The actions of German submariners in the First World War, the actions of the “unshaven boys of Admiral Dennitsa” in the Second were so overgrown with legends that it is often impossible to distinguish what is true and what is fiction and fantasy.

However, based on my own personal experience, I undertake to assert that REALITY ALWAYS LEAVES FICTION. No matter how fantastic and incredible it may seem. As an example, remember the book “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” by J. Verne, known from childhood. The ingenious and mysterious Captain Nemo rams enemy ships on his underwater miracle ship "Nautilus" and so on and so forth! And at the same time, the real underwater electric ship "Narwhal" (by the way, also French!) Is already armed with torpedoes - "Whitehead self-propelled mines." And a periscope.

At the very beginning of our 21st century, American divers discovered two Japanese submarines at the bottom of Pearl Harbor harbor, which sank during a Japanese attack on ships of the US Navy. One of the submarines carried planes, and the second was small in size, and must reach high speed.

It is known that from the beginning of the 1930s, very serious attention was paid in Japan to the creation of high-speed so-called dwarf submarines. The first two experimental boats with a crew of two, equipped with an electrical installation that allows a speed of 24 knots to develop under water, appeared in 1934. They were supposed to be delivered to the battle area of ​​​​the squadron (in the amount of 12 units) on board an aircraft carrier specially equipped for this purpose " Shitose» and launch within 17 minutes. After successful tests of boats in the deepest secrecy, Japan began in 1936 with the serial construction of high-speed dwarf submarines, for the purpose of secrecy called "type A target ship". Several of them were brought in large submarines to the area of ​​the US naval base at Pearl Harbor before the Japanese surprise attack on it in December 1941.

Due to the insufficient range of these boats, already during the Second World War in Japan, new dwarf submarines of the type Koryu, the construction of which was carried out in 1944 - 1945. The first of them had an underwater speed of 24 knots, which, as the displacement of the modified boats increased, had to be reduced to 19, and later to 16 knots. Simultaneously with boats Koryu in Japan, submarines of an even smaller displacement of the type Kairiu, which in appearance resembled a torpedo with a small cabin and stabilizers located on the side in its area, in which rudders were built in to control the boat in depth. Attention is drawn to the possibility of a one-time use of boats of the type Kairiu when placed in the nose compartment of explosives. A boat of this type has become a transition from a dwarf submarine to the notorious man-torpedo (Kaiten). fast boats kaiten built in large series. Armament - 550 kg of explosives in the bow compartment. Displacement about 8 tons, length 15 m, hull diameter 1 m. The boat could pass at a speed of 30 knots - 13 miles, 20 knots -24 miles and 12 knots - 42 miles. To the place of combat use kaitens delivered surface ships and submarines specially equipped for this purpose. After bringing the boat to the target, the driver fixed the rudders and left it through a special hatch in the lower part of the cabin. However, subsequently from such use Kaitenov the leadership of the Japanese Navy refused, turning the driver into a suicide bomber, after which the boats began to be called man-torpedoes. Obviously, such a barbaric attitude to the life of sailors was planned at the stage of creation Kaitenov, which is confirmed by the name itself, translated from Japanese meaning - the road to heaven. In total, Japan built about 700 man-torpedoes. It is officially believed that their use was a gesture of desperation and could not save the Land of the Rising Sun from crushing defeat. But is this true and for what purpose were these boats built?

... At the end of last year, another expedition led by Evgeny Vereshchaga discovered in an underground hangar one of the islands of the Kuril Ridge

a fairly well-preserved Imperial Japanese Navy submarine.

The underwater tunnel leading to the shelter, or rather one of these tunnels, was blown up by the Japanese, but the guys managed to find ways to "clear" the blockage and pull the boat to the surface.

And now - a well-known illustration from the work of Shapiro:

Kairiu-class submarine

It should be noted that in general, all the expeditions of Bel.Kam, Tur, under the leadership of E.M. Vereshchaga, had a fairly specific goal. However, let us give the floor to E.M.V.

“... Every year on June 1, American submarine veterans reverently commemorate the fearless, tirelessly attacking Herring, the last such commemoration took place this year on June 4. But for some reason, no one has ever tried to accurately establish the place of death of the heroic five-star (!) Boat, or even raise it. Moreover, many offspring of honored US sailors served and died on it: baronial, earl and princely titles "junior" in the crew were officially worn by 8 people and one had an additional prefix to the name "grandson", i.e. - third. There is a peculiar secret in such indifference of American officials to the fate of a well-deserved boat. Which?

When the US American Ambassador to Russia Alexander Vershbow was in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and the journalist Vladimir Yefimov told him in a television conversation about the expedition's plans to honor the memory of the Herring boat with a special sign and urged the Americans to even participate in this, for some reason there was no articulate answer from Vershbow followed. But he was very surprised, and even alarmed (annoyed?) That we know anything about this boat at all.

We know more about her than they do. We really honor her memory, because she died for the Kuriles! A commemorative sign in honor of the Herring crew is securely stored in the cabin of our yacht Arctur, and we, taking advantage of the good weather in the ocean, poured out onto the deck and, holding on to the handrail and all kinds of stretch marks, admire the islands. Yes, we know that the Americans did not give life to the Japanese here in the period 1943-45. We are just sailing past the places where active sea and air battles between these countries took place 60 or more years ago. For example, coordinates have been precisely established, and in some places off the coast of Paramushir, the remains of Japanese transports sunk by American submariners are still visible. A little to the south of the mouth of the largest river of this island - Tukharka, near the Nightingale Rocks, there are fragments of a Japanese transport, lined with a boat SS-136 (S-31). Another transport lies behind Cape Kruzenshtern, etc. The wreckage of American boats and aircraft also lie at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. For example, in July 1942, the Grunion boat disappeared somewhere here, and on October 7, 1943, off the coast of Paramushir, the Japanese destroyer Ishigaki sank the S-44 (SS-155), the favorite of the American submarine fleet of the Pearl Harbor base.

It seems that the Americans staged a vengeful hunt for the Ishigaki, and on May 31, 1944, the famous American submarine SS-223 Herring tracked down and sank it. It is to the crew of this heroic boat that we will install a memorial sign on the island of Matua, 2 km away. from which the boat lies at the bottom. In fact, it would be worthwhile to dwell on the history of this American boat in more detail, because we know so little about allied actions in the Pacific Ocean. Submarine "Herring" left the stocks of the Portsmouth shipyard on January 15, 1942 and belongs to the class "Gato" - the newest class of American boats of the SS series at that time. Until November 1943, she served in the Atlantic, where she successfully drowned "small" Germans, after which she was transferred to the Pacific Ocean. And here the boat was not the last. By the time of her death, the Japanese ships "Hakozaki Maru", "Nagoja Maru", the destroyer frigate "Ishigaki", the transports "Hokujo Maru", "Iwaki Maru", "Hiburi Maru", as well as the heroic attack on the Japanese convoy 190 nm S Shizuoka in Tokyo Bay, where "Herring" pursued for almost a day, and then sank the AKV "Nagoja Maru". On May 16, 1944, the Herring (Herring), under the command of Lieutenant David Zabrissky, Jr., left Pearl Harbor for her eighth and, alas, last combat patrol to the Kuril Islands. Five days later, communication with the boat was cut off, but she remained in radio contact with another American boat - SS-220 "Zubets" (in English - "Barb".

By the way, on July 2, 1945, this submarine was the first, for the first time in the world, to use ballistic missiles with conventional warheads to attack the Japanese on Sakhalin. Finally, in order to satisfy the effect through the periscope, the submarine sank the Japanese patrol ship No. 112 with a missile strike. In the future, atomic warheads were assumed. This story does not yet have wide information dissemination) "Zubets" and "Herring" worked together in the Kuril waters, and "Zubets" witnessed the sinking of the Japanese frigate "Ishigaki" by the "Seldyu" and then several transports near the island of Matua. Moreover, the frigate was blown up by the Herring with just one torpedo. This happened on May 31, and on June 1 Zubets also lost contact with the Herring. Later, according to Japanese sources, it turned out that "Herring" (let's call her "Herring" again, because she is the sorrow and pride of the Americans) was not satisfied with the victory and again went on a fearless attack with almost empty batteries, as a result of which she sank two more Japanese transports, standing near Cape Tagan on the island of Matua. But since the boat, due to thick fog, in order to better see the target, attacked the transports on the surface, it was immediately covered by fire from the Japanese coastal battery. The boat sank 2 km. from the shore. The crew was killed, it consisted of 83 people. Americans consider "Herring" one of the most successful boats of World War II. For a year and a half of her combat life, she sank ships with a total displacement of 20 thousand tons, including Japanese - 13.2 thousand tons, the rest - German (in the Atlantic).

So, the American boat used rocket weapons even before the end of the Second World War. And this is an established historical fact.

But, knowing that our "potential friends" NEVER WERE LEADERS (in that historical period, at least), neither in the development of submarines, nor in the development of missiles of a similar level, that the Germans were unconditionally leaders in this scientific and technological race , I’ll try to figure it out, but were the Americans the FIRST to use missiles?

Quote:
“... At this time, new submarines for the first time began to be equipped with “snorkels”, or “snorts”. This North German word means "nose". Holland fitted their submarines with air intakes at the end of 1940, but they only used them for ventilation. The German Snork, which was raised and lowered under hydraulic pressure, made it possible to use internal combustion engines under water and thus solved many serious problems. The submarine could now move underwater for as long as fuel was supplied, and thus was a kind of response to the radar.

The new intermediate type fitted with a snorkel is known as Type XXI. It has a streamlined hull and was designed to be a real submarine, not just "submersible". Its underwater speed subsequently increased to 16 knots, and the ship was able to maintain this speed for a long time. In addition, the new type was fitted with six bow torpedo tubes with 12 torpedoes stowed behind them. This device allowed a salvo of six torpedoes to be fired, reloaded, fired and reloaded again, firing all 18 torpedoes within 15 minutes. Moreover, a new type of rangefinder allowed these submarines to fire torpedoes from a depth of 50 feet without using a periscope.

But the biggest threat was our acoustic torpedoes, which differed from conventional electric torpedoes by a complex listening device connected to the steering gear. We could fire torpedoes of this type without even seeing the object and without setting the distance. Such a torpedo, flying out of the apparatus, made circles until the submarine plunged to a great depth so as not to be in its path. Then she went in the direction from which the sounds of ship propellers came, and hit the stern, where the engines and control apparatus were located. The listening device was so sensitive that it could pick up even a stationary vessel by the sound of its auxiliary engines. In just one month in 1944, these fantastic torpedoes sank 80 destroyers and corvettes.

This led to the fact that when we began to use these torpedoes, the enemy submarine hunters were forced to almost stop attacking, because for them it was simply suicidal. Later, various, but not very effective counter-devices were installed on enemy ships.

Source: Heinz Schaffer. U-BOAT 977. Moscow TSENTRPOLYGRAPH 2002, pp. 177-178.

BoatU-2502 XXI series, next to the boatXXIIIseries. 1944th.

Scuba divers from the Dubai Diving Club filmed and finally identified the German submarine U-2502, sunk by the Allies during World War II in the Gulf of Oman, for the first time. Of the 53 people on the team, only one managed to survive. The boat lay at a depth of 108 meters, 46 kilometers from the coast of the emirate of Fujairah. U-2502 Class XXI -XC/40 was launched in 1944. She was part of the group "Monsun" ("Gruppe Monsun"), hunting for allied transports in the Indian Ocean, and according to some reports, had missile weapons on board.

U-2502 was sunk on 16 October 1944 by RAF pilot Lewis William Chapman, who was patrolling the Gulf of Oman that day in a Blenheim bomber. . In 1999, the boat was raised, restored and restored.

On the picture:U-2502 XXIproject. Our days.

The idea of ​​arming a submarine with missiles is not new. It arose almost simultaneously with the emergence of the submarine itself, as a class. Recall Schilder's project:

In 1942, on the initiative of Dr. Steinhof, who works at the famous (in our time) Peenemünde missile center, experiments were carried out to launch missiles from a submarine.

Two types of missiles were chosen for the experiments - WGr kal 28 cm Wz40 and WGr kal 21 cm Wz42.

The WGr kal 28 cm turbojet was by that time widely used in the Wehrmacht, although his career was already in decline. It consisted of a high-explosive warhead with a caliber of 280 mm and a solid propellant rocket engine with a diameter of approximately 160 mm. The stabilization of the projectile was carried out by rotation, for which the engine had a nozzle block with beveled nozzles. The starting weight of the projectile was 82 kg, and the firing range - in air - 2200 m.

For experiments on the deck of a submarine, four standard launchers were installed at an angle of 45 ° to the vertical, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the ship. This orientation of the launcher was determined, apparently, by the fear of damaging the submarine's hull with powder gases at the moment the projectile was launched.

Another projectile for “underwater shooting” was the high-explosive grenade WGr kal 21 cm Wz 42, which had just been adopted by the Wehrmacht. This projectile had a perfect aerodynamic shape and was made in one caliber - 210 mm, the projectile weight was 112.6 kg, firing range (in air) - 7850 m. The stabilization of the projectile was also carried out by rotation. Six standard launchers in the form of pipes were installed on the deck of the submarine, similar to the previous case.

For the use of rockets at sea, they underwent some modifications, the main of which was to seal the engine case to prevent water from entering the fuel charge, the difficulty was that the engine had a lot of nozzles. For example, WGr kal 21 had 23 of them, and they had to be sealed in such a way that, on the one hand, it would prevent water from entering, especially under pressure at depth, and on the other hand, the sealant at the time of launch should have simultaneously disappeared from all nozzles, in order to prevent a pressure surge in the combustion chamber and not create an asymmetric thrust, which reduces the accuracy of shooting.

Possible schemes for the use of rockets (PC) from submarines

Installation of launchers for 28-cm missiles on the deck of a submarine
In the event that it came to combat use, fuses would have to be finalized. Rocket launches from under the water were purely research in nature and were supposed to demonstrate the very possibility of launching rockets in the aquatic environment. As a result of the launches from depths of 2 to 15 meters, it was found that:
1. The use of rockets from under water is quite possible.
2. The flight range strongly depends on the depth from which the launch was made.
3. It is necessary to develop a special rocket for underwater shooting,
4. The problem of fire control required a solution.

When conducting these experiments, the question arose - how to most effectively use missile weapons from a submarine? The following proposals were considered:

1. ATTACK TO A SURFACE TARGET FROM A SURFACE POSITION

In this case, the rocket, in comparison with an artillery shell, has only one advantage - a more powerful warhead. However, rockets had much worse accuracy compared to cannons. In addition, there was the problem of storing missile ammunition. It is unlikely that all missiles would be stored in launchers in constant combat readiness during the entire campaign. It is clear that an ammunition cellar would have to be equipped inside the strong hull of the submarine. But then how to feed a rocket onto the deck through narrow boat hatches? After all, the weight of the rocket was significant (see table). In addition, the service staff could not be near the launcher during launch. This reduced the accuracy of shooting, because while the gunner would hide in the boat through the hatch, the sight would probably go astray. And the last thing - because of the bright torch, the missile launch unmasks the submarine - especially at night.

2. ATTACK TO A COASTAL TARGET FROM THE SURFACE

All the above thoughts apply to this case as well. But besides this, one more difficulty is added - to solve the problem, the submarine will have to come close to the coast - after all, the range of the rocket was small, and this is pure suicide.

3. UNDERWATER TARGET ATTACK

The effectiveness of such shooting was highly questionable. By analogy, the American Hedgehog rocket launcher fired a volley of 24 missiles. The probability of hitting the target in this case was very small. On a submarine, it would hardly be possible to increase the number of missiles in a salvo, so such a weapon would be purely psychological in nature.

4. ATTACK TO SURFACE TARGETS FROM UNDER WATER

This proposal was recognized as the most promising. An underwater missile, compared to a torpedo, has a much higher speed, so it is less affected by various disturbances, and the target will not have time to carry out an evasive maneuver. All this was supposed to increase the chances of hitting the target. But the rocket had one significant drawback compared to the torpedo. The fact is that during torpedo firing, the commander directs the device only in azimuth, and the depth automaton installed on the torpedo maintains the given depth of travel. It is very difficult to install such a device on a rocket, so when firing, you will have to point the weapon both in azimuth and in elevation.

It was supposed to use missiles in conjunction with torpedoes, while the tactics of carrying out the attack practically did not change. The submarine went to the target and attacked it with torpedoes. Then, moving away from persecution, she dived under it. At this point, it is possible to re-attack the target with missiles from vertically mounted launchers.

Since the warhead of a rocket is less than that of a torpedo, the submarine should not be harmed by its weapons. After passing under the target, missiles could once again fire at the target or the anti-submarine ships chasing the boat from launchers directed to the stern.

To implement such a scheme for combat use, a rocket for underwater firing was proposed, designated as "caliber 165 mm". "Caliber 165" had a number of features that distinguish it from its ground counterparts.

So the fuel charge had an internal channel of small diameter, which indicates that the engine had a relatively small thrust, with increased operating time. Therefore, an underwater projectile traveled all the way to the target with a running engine, which is natural, because an underwater missile (unlike land-based sisters) could not move by inertia for a long time - the resistance of water is much greater than that of air. Attention is drawn to the low degree of expansion of the nozzle, which is due to the fact that the outflow occurs in water, the pressure in which is quite high. For stabilization, hydrodynamic surfaces were used - it was considered unprofitable to spin the projectile in water.

Projectile for underwater shooting caliber 165 mm

1 - nozzle with radial holes for the release of powder gases and the formation of a gas cavity; 2-pipe for supplying powder gases to the nozzle; 3 - warhead; 4-fuel charge; 5 - igniter; 6 - grate; 7 - cover with electric igniter leads; 8 - nozzle; 9 - stabilizer

But the most important invention included in the project was the use of a gas cavity. Part of the propellant gases was taken from the engine and fed through the tube into the head of the rocket, where it flowed into the water through several radial holes made in a special nozzle. As a result, a gas cocoon was formed - a "gas cavity" in which the projectile moved. At the same time, the water resistance dropped sharply. After the war, the gas cavity was used in several examples of aircraft torpedoes and rocket propelled mines.

I don’t have any other data on the “caliber 165” - it is not known whether the projectile was built, whether it was tested, and what were the results.

There is also no data on the types of boats on which it was supposed to use rockets. On trials, most likely, a boat of the VII series was used. Since the launchers are of a simple and light design, there would be no significant difficulties in installing them on most types of German submarines.

Even less is known about the projects of liquid-propellant torpedoes. So the rocket torpedo under the UGRA project was supplied with a rocket engine, which worked on an oxidizer - 70% hydrogen peroxide (oxidizer reserve - 20.8 kg) and fuel - 50% hydrazine hydrate + 50% alcohol + 0.6 g copper per liter (fuel reserve 1, 18 kg). This combination was self-igniting. Both liquids were fed into the combustion chamber using compressed air on board. The total weight of the torpedo was 74.6 kg, length - 2 m, diameter - 244 mm. Under water, the torpedo was supposed to develop a speed of 30 knots at a distance of 1000 m. The combustion chamber was cooled by sea water.

According to the Lt 1500 project, a jet torpedo was supposed to have dimensions comparable to conventional torpedoes: total weight - 1500 kg, length - 7050 mm, caliber - 553 mm. The power plant consisted of a rocket engine, the combustion chamber of which was cooled by outboard water. Ingalin was used as an oxidizing agent - 82-83% hydrogen peroxide, the stock of which was 380 kg. The fuel was "Decalin" - pure decahydronaphthalene, the stock of which was 46.7 kg. A concentrated solution of sodium or calcium permanganate (stock - 90 kg) was used as a catalyst for the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide.

All three liquids (oxidizer, fuel, and catalyst) were supplied by compressed air to the combustion chamber, where hydrogen peroxide decomposed with the release of oxygen, water vapor, and heat. In this mixture, "Decalin" instantly spontaneously ignited, the temperature in the combustion chamber increased, and the exhaust gases flowed through the nozzle, creating thrust.

According to calculations, the speed should have been 40 knots at a range of 1830 m. These torpedoes remained only in projects or any laboratory samples that did not receive further development due to the fact that they did not promise any significant advantages over conventional torpedoes .

STRATEGIC WEAPONS FOR SUBMARINES

The German "Wonder Weapon" - the V-1 projectile and the V-2 ballistic missile, according to the plans of the fascist elite, was supposed to turn the tide of the war. However, its characteristics turned out to be such that it was suitable only for terror against the civilian population. The accuracy of the shooting was such that it was possible to hit only a large area target such as a city, which was carried out during the shelling of London and some other British cities. However, the American continent was beyond the reach of such attacks.

To bombard New York, it was proposed to install a V-1 on a submarine that would cross the Atlantic Ocean, approach the target at a distance of 220 km and launch a projectile. This project was discussed at the Reich Air Ministry on July 29, 1943, but due to the lack of weapons and the lack of suitable submarines, it was postponed until better times.

When the V-1 was put into service and began to be used against England, they returned to the project again.

It was supposed to use submarines of the XXI series as a missile carrier. I have no data on the technical details of the German project, but we can present its main features by analogy with the American missile submarine program. The fact is that, using German experience, and after the war, German specialists, the Americans created a copy of the V-1, which in the fleet received the designation "Lun" (LTVN-2). For testing, two submarines were converted: Kask and Carbonero. Behind the cabin, they installed a cylindrical container with spherical lids. Immediately behind the container, a truss launcher with a constant elevation angle was mounted. Before the launch, the boat floated up, the lid of the container opened, and the rocket on the launch cart rolled out onto the launcher. Here the wings were docked to it, and after the pre-launch preparation, the launch was carried out. The takeoff was carried out with the help of solid-propellant launch boosters, which were then dropped along with the cart. The first flight test was carried out in June 1948.

But back to the German project. Apparently, it completely coincided with the American one, although some sources speak of two hangars - one behind the wheelhouse and the second in front of it. American successes showed that the technical difficulties were quite surmountable and, no doubt, the Germans would have carried out this project, but the effectiveness of the new weapon was in great doubt.

As already mentioned, the V-1 had poor firing accuracy - according to the results of "ground" launches, it was known that only 80% of the shells that reached the target hit a circle with a diameter of 13 km. But when using a projectile from the side of the ship, the accuracy should have decreased even more. The fact is that before the start it is necessary to determine the coordinates of the submarine as accurately as possible. And this is not an easy task, because the Germans throughout the war did not have any navigation system off the American coast. This argument is confirmed by the fact that they could not even establish weather stations in that area (except for a few episodes).

It was also necessary to increase the reliability of the shells themselves and their launch system. Indeed, according to "ground" experience, it is known that many V-1s exploded directly at the start or shortly after separation from the launcher. If this happened on a submarine, then she would have received serious damage with the threat of her death.

It was necessary to reduce the pre-launch preparation time, which was approximately 30 minutes. It is clear that being on the surface near the enemy coast in an area with intensive shipping and strong anti-submarine defense is a very dangerous occupation.

The effectiveness of projectiles could be increased by using a radio command control system with television surveillance of the target or using an infrared homing head. Then they could be used against surface targets. But at that time the Germans were only working on such systems and it was far from success. The option of using a suicide pilot was not excluded.

Floating launcher for the V-2 rocket

The use of a nuclear (or, to a lesser extent, chemical) warhead could radically increase the effectiveness of weapons. Then the problem of shooting accuracy would not be so acute. But the Germans did not have nuclear weapons, and they were afraid to use poisonous substances.

And the last aspect of the problem is economic. Only the massive use of projectile aircraft could have any noticeable effect on the population and government of the enemy, but how can this be achieved if one submarine took only one projectile, and before launching it had to make a transatlantic flight? In general - the costs were high, but little sense. This explains the fact that the project was not embodied in metal, however, many German inventions were used after the war in the fleets of their former opponents. This, first of all, concerns the use of sealed containers outside the hull of the boat for transporting the rocket and the use of solid fuel boosters for its launch.

To strike at America, it was planned to use another version of the "wonder weapon" - the V-2 ballistic missile. In 1942-1944. engineer Dickman proposed the concept of launching the V-2 from a floating launcher, which would be towed to the launch site by a submarine. The project received the designation "Lifejacket".

The container contained one missile and was a self-contained vehicle, the size of a small submarine. Yes, in fact, it was a submarine, only without a power plant.

The rocket was located in the central shaft and was fixed in four guides made in the form of beams. In the mine there were fixed and folding platforms for maintenance and pre-launch preparation of all rocket systems. Directly under the rocket engine there was a flame divider and gas outlet channels that ran along the outer casing of the container to the upper hatch of the mine. The number of gas outlet channels could be from two to four. Under the mine there was a room with control and testing equipment and start-up automation. From this room, the main operations of pre-launch preparation and launch were carried out.

PERFORMANCE DATA OF UNGUIDED MISSILES PLANNED TO ARM SUBMARINES

Further in the stern was the "fuel compartment", the main volume of which was occupied by a tank with an oxidizer - liquid oxygen. Since oxygen evaporated during the voyage, the tank was made in the form of a Dewar vessel, equipped with thermal insulation, as well as pumping, drainage and volume compensation systems. Fuel - alcohol - during the flight was stored directly in the rocket tank, and a small reserve was located in the container, with which the projectile was refueled, to compensate for evaporation and leaks.

The hydrogen peroxide tank, with all the necessary systems, was also located in the fuel compartment.

The container had two air systems. One, designed to refuel rocket cylinders, had a drainage and cleaning system. The other was intended for general ship needs - the drive of ship mechanisms and the purge of ballast tanks. Both systems could be powered by a boat compressor.

In addition, the container had a number of systems typical for any ship: a ventilation system, drainage, depth stabilization, power supply, trim, dive-surface, etc.

As you can see, it was a very complex device with a displacement comparable to the displacement of some submarines - 550 tons under water and 355 tons above water. The length of the container was about 30 m.

The container was supposed to be used as follows: a type XXI submarine took up to three launchers in tow. After leaving the port, ballast tanks were filled, and the container was immersed to a predetermined depth. In the future, during the entire trip, the depth was maintained automatically. After arriving at the launch area, the ballast tanks were purged, and the container floated, and after filling the feed tanks, it was transferred to a vertical position so that the level of the hatch was as high as possible above the water level. After that, the starting team on inflatable rafts swims from the submarine to the container, opens the hatch and gets inside.

PERFORMANCE DATA OF GUIDED MISSILES

rocket type
Length, m
fuselage diameter, m
Wingspan, (stabilizer), m
takeoff weight, kg
explosive charge, kg
fuel weight, kg
engine's type	PWRD Argus 014	PUVRD IJ-15-1
engine thrust, kg
Maximum speed, km/h
Range, km
Control system	inertial	inertial with radio correction.	inertial
Shooting accuracy
At a distance, km

Submarine "Cask", armed with an LTV-N-2 Loon projectile. A container for storing the projectile and a launch ramp are visible. The German project for arming boats of the XXI series with V-1 shells apparently had the same scheme.

The pre-launch preparation time is estimated at 4-6 hours, which is somewhat longer than with "land" launches, and is explained by more complex, marine specifics. After pre-launch preparation and aiming of the rocket, the launch team returns to the boat and launches. After the rocket takes off, the hatch of the container is closed, the ballast tanks are filled with water, and the container is ready for towing back to the base.

All the technical problems that were mentioned in the description of the V-1 (especially in terms of determining the launch site, the reliability of the rocket and low efficiency due to the lack of a nuclear charge) apply to the V-2.

But in this case, there is another one. The fact is that aiming in azimuth was carried out by turning the entire rocket, and such a tip could go astray due to sea currents and wind while the launch team leaves the container. In this regard, it would be necessary to modify the control system of the “sea” rocket or install a special system on the container to stabilize the azimuth.

At the end of 1944, the construction of one such container began at the Shihau shipyard in the city of Elblag, but they did not have time to finish it, and it went to the advancing Soviet troops. The further fate of this product is not known to me. In principle, this project was feasible, but it was very complicated and expensive. This is confirmed by the fact that after the war this method of launching missiles was not developed.

The Germans, including engineer Dickman, developed other ways to use the V-2 in the fleet. According to one of them, the container with the rocket had to be installed on the deck of the submarine in a horizontal position. Before the launch, the container was raised, and after the rocket took off, the boat could drop it and take up its main task - the fight against enemy shipping. This option was rejected because of the high cost - the container was large, comparable to the dimensions of the XXIII series submarine.

Search work was also carried out to launch missiles from under the water, but Germany was losing the war, and it is OFFICIALLY CONSIDERED that these projects remained only on paper. But here's what is extremely curious: immediately after the Second World War, both the Americans and we had captured Project XX1 boats, but with an unusual “hump” behind the wheelhouse. At one time I personally happened to see such a “beauty” - she is still alive and is used (at least until 1991 - for sure) as a TCB.

UTS-3, until 1978 - "N-27 R2", until 1946 -U-3515 XXI XC/40.

In conclusion, it should be said that German scientific and technical thought left a deep mark on the history of the development of military technology, and we will be amazed and surprised at the depth of this mark for many, many years to come.

Submarines of the type "Gato"

Submarine
Name = Gato-class submarines
Original name = Gato class
Illustration = USS Paddle;0826305.jpg
Signature = USS "Paddle" (SS-263), 1944-45
Flag =
Port =
Launched =
Withdrawn =
Status =
Type = Cruise DPL
Project = Gato class
NATO =
Power plant = 4 diesel engines with 1,350 hp each, 2 electric motors with 1,370 hp each. two batteries of 126 cells, two screws
Surface speed = 20¼ knots
Speed ​​underwater = 8¾ knots
Working depth = 90 m
Limit Depth =
Crew = 60 people in peacetime, 80-85 people in wartime
Autonomy = 75 days
Displacement = 1,550 tons
Displacement full = 2 460 t
Length = 95 m (93.6 m at the waterline)
Width = 8.31 m
Height =
Draft = 4.65 m
Artillery = 3" (76mm) deck gun
Torpedoes = 6 bow and 4 stern 21" (533 mm) TAs, 24 torpedoes
Missiles =
Air defense = 2 .50 caliber machine guns (12.7 mm), 2 .30 caliber machine guns (7.62 mm)
Aviation =
Cost =
commons = Category:Gato class submarines

Submarines of the type "Gato"(_en. gato, a type of shark, borrowed from _es. el gato, cat) - a series of American submarines from World War II. Based on the previous Tambor project, the Gato project has undergone significant upgrades that have improved the patrol and combat qualities of submarines. Modified diesel engines and batteries increased the range and duration of patrols. The living conditions of the crew have also significantly improved. The Gato class bears the name of the first ship in the series, USS Gato (SS-212).

Some Gato-class submarines are preserved as monuments: USS Cavalla (SS-244) is installed in Seawolf Park, USS Cobia (SS-245) is on display at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, and USS Drum (SS-228) is in the Battleship Memorial Museum park.

Main characteristics

* Power plant:
** Four 16-cylinder General Motors Model 278A diesel engines with 1,350 hp each. (1,000 kW), except for the submarines SS 228-239 and SS275-284, equipped with 10-cylinder diesel engines of models 38D-1/8 manufactured by Fairbanks-Morse;
** Two electric motors manufactured by General Electric with a capacity of 1,370 hp. With. (1,020 kW), except for SS 228-235, equipped with Elliott Motor and SS 257-264, with Allis-Chalmers motors;
** Two 126-cell Exide batteries, except SS 261, 275-278, and 280, with Gould batteries.
** two propellers.

* cruising range:
** Surfaced 11,800 nautical miles at 10 knots (21,900 km at 19 km/h),
** Submerged 100 nautical miles at 3 knots (185 km at 5.6 km/h).
* Dive duration: 48 hours.

Interesting Facts

* USS Gato (SS-212) USS Balao (SS-285) and USS Tench (SS-417), which did not have fundamental differences, became the founders of the most numerous class of American submarines.
* Howard W. Gilmore, captain of the USS Growler (SS-215) was the first submariner to receive the Medal of Honor. On February 7, 1943, Gilmour, while on the bridge, was wounded from the Japanese transport "Hayasaki" and gave the necessary order for an immediate dive, although he himself did not manage to reach the hatch in time.
* USS Darter (SS-227) was the only American submarine to sink as a result of hitting the bottom.
* Edward Beach's book "Submarine!" is a kind of elegy for the USS Trigger (SS-237) Gato-class submarine.
* USS Wahoo (SS-238), under the command of one of the most famous US submariners, Dudley "Mash" Morton, was the first American submarine to penetrate the Sea of ​​Japan. She was sunk in 1943 while returning from her second trip to that region.
* USS Cobia (SS-245) sank Japanese transports coming with tank units as reinforcements to Iwo Jima.
* USS Flasher (SS-249) became the most productive US submarine in World War II. The tonnage of ships sunk by her amounted to nobr | 100,231 GRT according to JANAC calculations.
* USS Harder (SS-257), commanded by Samuel D. Dealey, became the only submarine to sink 5 escort ships in her career. Of these, four were sunk during one campaign.
* USS Mingo (SS-261) was sold to Japan after the war and served under the name "Kuroshio".
* USS Cavalla (SS-244) sank the Japanese aircraft carrier Shōkaku, which had previously participated in the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Representatives

see also

* US Navy Submarine Types

* [ http://www.wimaritimemuseum.org/sub.htm Wisconsin Maritime Museum ]
* [ http://www.revell.com/Gato.gato.0.html Gato Class Submarine Kit ]

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Sakhalin experts are almost 100% sure that the object found in the area of ​​the Kuril Islands during the second expedition of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation and the Russian Geographical Society is an American submarine.

“The underwater object discovered on June 25 at a depth of 100-110 meters at a distance of 2.8 km from the coast, after a detailed study using a multibeam echo sounder and creating a three-dimensional image, was 99% identified as a submarine,” said at a meeting of the Sakhalin Branch of the Russian Geographical Society ( Russian Geographical Society) expedition member, captain of a large geographical boat Igor Tikhonov.

Sakhalin local historian Igor Samarin suggested that it could be the American submarine Herring (SS-233).

ship graveyard

The island of Matua, where the object was found, is a graveyard of ships. “According to my calculations, at least 5 ships were lost near Matua. In 1941, the first ship ran aground and was wrecked by storms. One of the most unusual events is the death of the Japanese transport "Roye-maru", which carried the garrison to the island and ran aground on March 3, 1944. Then the military was forced to land not on Matua, but on Toporkovy and live for a week on a bare island without food, ”said Samarin.

According to him, another ship came to unload, ran aground, then exploded for unknown reasons. In June 1944, in Double Bay, a whole detachment of Japanese ships became easy prey for the American submarine Herring, which fired torpedoes on the surface and hit two ships at once. On one of them, a division came to Matua, 280 people died, 8 howitzers drowned.

“And then an interesting story begins, connected with the American submarine Herring (SS-233). According to the Americans, who used information from Japanese newspapers, Herring was hit in this battle by coastal artillery. Later, the Japanese went to sea, saw a large oil slick, which confirmed the fact of the death of the boat, ”said Samarin, adding that there is another version. Several Japanese sources claim that the boat then escaped.

“After Herring surfaced in the fog, threw out torpedoes and knocked out ships, not a single artillery piece fired at the boat. She stood where there were no guns, anti-aircraft guns could not turn, because there was not enough angle, and only 20 and 25 mm anti-aircraft guns fired at the submarine. They fired at her with such intensity that one of the machine guns broke the frame, and he fell into a cliff, and the boat disappeared. Therefore, there were doubts whether Herring died, ”Samarin explained.

Igor Tikhonov said that the search for flooded objects in the Double Bay did not give any results. “There are very strong tidal currents. Therefore, if there were sunken ships here, they were simply carried away. According to the latest data, divers found an anchor weighing 2-2.5 tons in the southern part of the bay. It is from a very large ship,” he explained.

Tikhonov said that work near Matua continues. A bathyscaphe may be sent to study the submerged submarine.

Expedition to Matua

Representatives of the expeditionary center of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, the Russian Geographical Society, the personnel of the Pacific Fleet and the Eastern Military District continue to study the time-destroyed infrastructure located on the Kuril Island of Matua. This is the second expedition to Matua, it will last until September. The first joint expedition of the Ministry of Defense and the Russian Geographical Society to Matua took place in 2016.

Members of the second expedition discovered a number of historical artifacts, in particular, they found the remains of the residence of the Japanese head of the garrison, equipped with pillboxes, loopholes and underground passages.

Hydrogeologists, volcanologists, hydrobiologists, landscape scientists, soil scientists, submariners, search engines and archaeologists from Vladivostok, Moscow, Kamchatka and Sakhalin work on Matua. They must collect materials for an atlas of marine life in the waters of the island of Matua and neighboring islands. Work on the study of the island and its waters will last until September 2017, and they will result in the materials necessary for the further development of the island. Specialists will draw up maps of natural hazards, study alternative energy sources, the chemical composition of natural waters, potential soil fertility and other aspects.

Matua is an island of the middle group of the Great Ridge of the Kuril Islands, about 11 km long and 6.4 km wide. During the Second World War, one of the largest naval bases in Japan was located on it. In 1945, the island was ceded to the USSR, and the Japanese base was turned into a Soviet one. The island has preserved many fortifications, mines, grottoes, two runways, which are heated by thermal springs, so they can be used all year round.