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Famous submariners of World War II. The best submarines of the Great Patriotic War

I present to your attention short story about the seven most successful submarine projects of the war years.

T-type boats (Triton-class), Great Britain Number of submarines built - 53. Surface displacement - 1290 tons; underwater - 1560 tons. Crew - 59…61 people. Working immersion depth - 90 m (riveted hull), 106 m (welded hull). Full surface speed - 15.5 knots; in underwater - 9 knots. A fuel reserve of 131 tons provided a surface cruising range of 8,000 miles. Armament: - 11 torpedo tubes of 533 mm caliber (on boats of subseries II and III), ammunition - 17 torpedoes; - 1 x 102 mm universal gun, 1 x 20 mm anti-aircraft "Oerlikon".

HMS Traveler British submarine Terminator, capable of “knocking the crap out” of any enemy with the help of a bow 8-torpedo salvo. The T-type boats had no equal in destructive power among all the submarines of the WWII period - this explains their ferocious appearance with a bizarre bow superstructure, where additional torpedo tubes were located. The notorious British conservatism is a thing of the past - the British were among the first to equip their boats with ASDIC sonars. Alas, despite their powerful weapons and modern detection means, the T-class high seas boats did not become the most effective among the British submarines of World War II. Nevertheless, they went through an exciting battle path and achieved a number of remarkable victories. "Tritons" were actively used in the Atlantic, in the Mediterranean Sea, they destroyed Japanese communications on Pacific Ocean, have been spotted several times in the frozen waters of the Arctic. In August 1941, the submarines "Tygris" and "Trident" arrived in Murmansk. British submariners demonstrated a master class to their Soviet colleagues: in two trips, 4 enemy ships were sunk, incl. "Bahia Laura" and "Donau II" with thousands of soldiers of the 6th Mountain Division. Thus, the sailors prevented the third German attack on Murmansk. Other famous T-boat trophies include the German light cruiser Karlsruhe and the Japanese heavy cruiser"Ashigara." The samurai were “lucky” to get acquainted with a full 8-torpedo salvo of the Trenchent submarine - having received 4 torpedoes on board (+ another one from the stern tube), the cruiser quickly capsized and sank. After the war, the powerful and sophisticated Tritons remained in service with the Royal Navy for another quarter of a century. It is noteworthy that three boats of this type were acquired by Israel in the late 1960s - one of them, INS Dakar (formerly HMS Totem) was lost in 1968 in the Mediterranean Sea under unclear circumstances.

Boats of the "Cruising" type, series XIV, Soviet Union Number of submarines built - 11. Surface displacement - 1500 tons; underwater - 2100 tons. Crew - 62…65 people. Working diving depth - 80 m, maximum - 100 m. Full surface speed - 22.5 knots; in underwater - 10 knots. Cruising range on the surface 16,500 miles (9 knots) Cruising range underwater - 175 miles (3 knots) Armament: - 10 torpedo tubes of 533 mm caliber, ammunition - 24 torpedoes; - 2 x 100 mm universal guns, 2 x 45 mm anti-aircraft semi-automatic guns; - up to 20 minutes of barrage.

...On December 3, 1941, German hunters UJ-1708, UJ-1416 and UJ-1403 bombed a Soviet boat that tried to attack a convoy at Bustad Sund. - Hans, can you hear this creature? - Nain. After a series of explosions, the Russians lay low - I detected three impacts on the ground... - Can you determine where they are now? - Donnerwetter! They are blown away. They probably decided to surface and surrender. The German sailors were wrong. From depths of the sea A MONSTER rose to the surface - the cruising submarine K-3 series XIV, unleashing a barrage of artillery fire on the enemy. With the fifth salvo, Soviet sailors managed to sink U-1708. The second hunter, having received two direct hits, began to smoke and turned to the side - his 20 mm anti-aircraft guns could not compete with the “hundreds” of the secular submarine cruiser. Scattering the Germans like puppies, K-3 quickly disappeared over the horizon at 20 knots. The Soviet Katyusha was a phenomenal boat for its time. Welded hull, powerful artillery and mine-torpedo weapons, powerful diesel engines (2 x 4200 hp!), high surface speed of 22-23 knots. Huge autonomy in terms of fuel reserves. Remote control ballast tank valves. Radio station capable of transmitting signals from the Baltic to Far East. An exceptional level of comfort: shower cabins, refrigerated tanks, two seawater desalinators, an electric galley... Two boats (K-3 and K-22) were equipped with Lend-Lease ASDIC sonars.

But, oddly enough, neither the high characteristics nor the most powerful weapons made the Katyusha an effective weapon - in addition to the dark story of the K-21 attack on the Tirpitz, during the war years the XIV series boats accounted for only 5 successful torpedo attacks and 27 thousand br. reg. tons of sunk tonnage. Most of the victories were achieved with the help of mines. Moreover, its own losses amounted to five cruising boats. K-21, Severomorsk, our days The reasons for the failures lie in the tactics of using Katyushas - the powerful submarine cruisers, created for the vastness of the Pacific Ocean, had to “tread water” in the shallow Baltic “puddle”. When operating at depths of 30-40 meters, a huge 97-meter boat could hit the ground with its bow while its stern was still sticking out on the surface. It was a little easier for the North Sea sailors - as practice has shown, the effectiveness combat use“Katyusha” was complicated by poor training of personnel and lack of initiative by the command. It's a pity. These boats were designed for more.

“Malyutki”, Soviet Union Series VI and VI-bis - 50 built. Series XII - 46 built. Series XV - 57 built (4 took part in hostilities). Performance characteristics of boats of type M series XII: Surface displacement - 206 tons; underwater - 258 tons. Autonomy - 10 days. Working diving depth - 50 m, maximum - 60 m. Full surface speed - 14 knots; in underwater - 8 knots. Cruising range on the surface is 3,380 miles (8.6 knots). Submerged cruising range is 108 miles (3 knots). Armament: - 2 torpedo tubes of 533 mm caliber, ammunition - 2 torpedoes; - 1 x 45 mm anti-aircraft semi-automatic.

Baby! Mini-submarine project to quickly strengthen the Pacific Fleet - main feature M-type boats now have the ability to be transported by rail in a fully assembled form. In the pursuit of compactness, many had to be sacrificed - service on the Malyutka turned into a grueling and dangerous undertaking. Difficult living conditions, strong roughness - the waves mercilessly tossed the 200-ton “float”, risking breaking it into pieces. Shallow diving depth and weak weapons. But the main concern of the sailors was the reliability of the submarine - one shaft, one diesel engine, one electric motor - the tiny “Malyutka” left no chance for the careless crew, the slightest malfunction on board threatened death for the submarine. The kids quickly evolved - performance characteristics of each new series differed significantly from the previous project: the contours were improved, the electrical equipment and detection equipment were updated, the diving time was reduced, and the autonomy increased. The “babies” of the XV series no longer resembled their predecessors of the VI and XII series: one-and-a-half-hull design - the ballast tanks were moved outside the durable hull; The power plant received a standard two-shaft layout with two diesel engines and underwater electric motors. The number of torpedo tubes increased to four. Alas, Series XV appeared too late - the “Little Ones” of Series VI and XII bore the brunt of the war.

Despite their modest size and only 2 torpedoes on board, the tiny fish were simply distinguished by their terrifying “gluttony”: in just the years of World War II, Soviet M-type submarines sank 61 enemy ships with a total tonnage of 135.5 thousand gross tons, destroyed 10 warships, and also damaged 8 transports. The little ones, originally intended only for operations in the coastal zone, have learned to fight effectively in open sea areas. They, along with larger boats, cut enemy communications, patrolled at the exits of enemy bases and fjords, deftly overcame anti-submarine barriers and blew up transports right at the piers inside protected enemy harbors. It’s simply amazing how the Red Navy were able to fight on these flimsy ships! But they fought. And we won!

Boats of the “Medium” type, series IX-bis, Soviet Union Number of submarines built - 41. Surface displacement - 840 tons; underwater - 1070 tons. Crew - 36…46 people. Working diving depth - 80 m, maximum - 100 m. Full surface speed - 19.5 knots; submerged - 8.8 knots. Surface cruising range 8,000 miles (10 knots). Submerged cruising range 148 miles (3 knots). “Six torpedo tubes and the same number of spare torpedoes on racks convenient for reloading. Two cannons with large ammunition, machine guns, explosive equipment... In a word, there is something to fight with. And 20 knots surface speed! It allows you to overtake almost any convoy and attack it again. The technology is good...” - opinion of the S-56 commander, Hero Soviet Union G.I. Shchedrin

The Eskis were distinguished by their rational layout and balanced design, powerful armament, and excellent performance and seaworthiness. Initially a German project from the Deshimag company, modified to meet Soviet requirements. But don’t rush to clap your hands and remember the Mistral. After the start of serial construction of the IX series in Soviet shipyards, the German project was revised with the goal of a complete transition to Soviet equipment: 1D diesel engines, weapons, radio stations, a noise direction finder, a gyrocompass... - there were none in the boats designated “series IX-bis”. bolt foreign production! The problems with the combat use of the "Medium" type boats, in general, were similar to the K-type cruising boats - locked in mine-infested shallow water, they were never able to realize their high fighting qualities. Things were much better in the Northern Fleet - during the war, the S-56 boat under the command of G.I. Shchedrina made the transition through the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, moving from Vladivostok to Polyarny, subsequently becoming the most productive boat of the USSR Navy. No less fantastic story connected with the “bomb catcher” S-101 - during the war years, the Germans and Allies dropped over 1000 depth charges on the boat, but each time the S-101 returned safely to Polyarny. Finally, it was on the S-13 that Alexander Marinesko achieved his famous victories.

Gato class boats, USA Number of submarines built - 77. Surface displacement - 1525 tons; underwater - 2420 tons. Crew - 60 people. Working diving depth - 90 m. Full surface speed - 21 knots; submerged - 9 knots. Cruising range on the surface is 11,000 miles (10 knots). Submerged cruising range 96 miles (2 knots). Armament: - 10 torpedo tubes of 533 mm caliber, ammunition - 24 torpedoes; - 1 x 76 mm universal gun, 1 x 40 mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun, 1 x 20 mm Oerlikon; - one of the boats - USS Barb was equipped reactive system volley fire for shelling the coast.

Ocean-going submarine cruisers of the Getou class appeared at the height of the war in the Pacific Ocean and became one of the most effective tools of the US Navy. They tightly blocked all strategic straits and approaches to the atolls, cut all supply lines, leaving Japanese garrisons without reinforcements, and Japanese industry without raw materials and oil. In battles with the Gatow, the Imperial Navy lost two heavy aircraft carriers, lost four cruisers and a damn dozen destroyers. High speed, lethal torpedo weapons, the most modern radio equipment for detecting the enemy - radar, direction finder, sonar. Cruising range providing combat patrol off the coast of Japan while operating from a base in Hawaii. Increased comfort on board. But the main thing is the excellent training of the crews and the weakness of Japanese anti-submarine weapons. As a result, the "Getow" mercilessly destroyed everything - it was they who brought victory in the Pacific Ocean from the blue depths of the sea.

...One of the main achievements of the Getow boats, which changed the whole world, is considered to be the event of September 2, 1944. On that day, the Finback submarine detected a distress signal from a falling plane and, after many hours of searching, found a frightened and already desperate pilot in the ocean . The one who was saved was one George Herbert Bush. The list of Flasher trophies sounds like a naval joke: 9 tankers, 10 transports, 2 patrol ships with a total tonnage of 100,231 GRT! And for a snack, the boat grabbed a Japanese cruiser and a destroyer. Lucky damn thing!

Electric boats of type XXI, Germany By April 1945, the Germans managed to launch 118 submarines of the XXI series. However, only two of them were able to achieve operational readiness and go to sea in last days war. Surface displacement - 1620 tons; underwater - 1820 tons. Crew - 57 people. Working depth of immersion is 135 m, maximum depth is 200+ meters. Full speed in the surface position is 15.6 knots, in the submerged position - 17 knots. Cruising range on the surface is 15,500 miles (10 knots). Submerged cruising range 340 miles (5 knots). Armament: - 6 torpedo tubes of 533 mm caliber, ammunition - 17 torpedoes; - 2 Flak anti-aircraft guns of 20 mm caliber.

Our allies were very lucky that all the forces of Germany were sent to the Eastern Front - the Krauts did not have enough resources to release a flock of fantastic “Electric Boats” into the sea. If they appeared a year earlier, that would be it! Another turning point in the Battle of the Atlantic. The Germans were the first to guess: everything that shipbuilders in other countries are proud of - large ammunition, powerful artillery, high surface speed of 20+ knots - is of little importance. The key parameters that determine the combat effectiveness of a submarine are its speed and cruising range when submerged. Unlike its peers, “Electrobot” was focused on being constantly under water: a maximally streamlined body without heavy artillery, fences and platforms - all for the sake of minimizing underwater resistance. Snorkel, six groups of batteries (3 times more than on conventional boats!), powerful electric. Full speed engines, quiet and economical electric. "sneak" engines.

The stern of U-2511, sunk at a depth of 68 meters. The Germans calculated everything - the entire “Electrobot” campaign moved at periscope depth under the RDP, remaining difficult to detect for enemy anti-submarine weapons. On great depth its advantage became even more shocking: 2-3 times the cruising range, at twice the speed, than any of the wartime submarines! High stealth and impressive underwater skills, homing torpedoes, a set of the most advanced detection means... “Electrobots” opened a new milestone in history submarine fleet, defining the vector of development of submarines in the post-war years. The Allies were not prepared to face such a threat - as post-war tests showed, the “Electrobots” were several times superior in mutual hydroacoustic detection range to the American and British destroyers guarding the convoys.

Type VII boats, Germany Number of submarines built - 703. Surface displacement - 769 tons; underwater - 871 tons. Crew - 45 people. Working diving depth - 100 m, maximum - 220 meters Full speed in the surface position - 17.7 knots; submerged - 7.6 knots. Cruising range on the surface is 8,500 miles (10 knots). Submerged cruising range 80 miles (4 knots). Armament: - 5 torpedo tubes of 533 mm caliber, ammunition - 14 torpedoes; - 1 x 88 mm universal gun (until 1942), eight options for add-ons with 20 and 37 mm anti-aircraft installations. * the given performance characteristics correspond to boats of the VIIC subseries

The most effective warships ever to roam the world's oceans. A relatively simple, cheap, mass-produced, but at the same time well-armed and deadly weapon for total underwater terror. 703 submarines. 10 MILLION tons of sunk tonnage! Battleships, cruisers, aircraft carriers, destroyers, corvettes and enemy submarines, oil tankers, transports with aircraft, tanks, cars, rubber, ore, machine tools, ammunition, uniforms and food... The damage from the actions of German submariners exceeded all reasonable limits - if only Without the inexhaustible industrial potential of the United States, capable of compensating for any losses of the allies, German U-bots had every chance to “strangle” Great Britain and change the course of world history.

U-995. Graceful underwater killer The successes of the “sevens” are often associated with the “prosperous times” of 1939-41. - allegedly, when the Allies appeared the convoy system and Asdik sonars, the successes of the German submariners ended. A completely populist statement based on a misinterpretation of “prosperous times.” The situation was simple: at the beginning of the war, when for every German boat there was one Allied anti-submarine ship, the “sevens” felt like invulnerable masters of the Atlantic. It was then that the legendary aces appeared, sinking 40 enemy ships. The Germans already held victory in their hands when the Allies suddenly deployed 10 anti-submarine ships and 10 aircraft for each active Kriegsmarine boat! Beginning in the spring of 1943, the Yankees and British began to methodically overwhelm the Kriegsmarine with anti-submarine equipment and soon achieved an excellent loss ratio of 1:1. They fought like that until the end of the war. The Germans ran out of ships faster than their opponents. The whole history of the German “sevens” is a formidable warning from the past: what threat does the submarine pose and how high are the costs of creating effective system countering the underwater threat.

A funny American poster of those years. "Hit the weak points! Come serve in the submarine fleet - we account for 77% of the sunk tonnage!" Comments, as they say, are unnecessary.

During the Second World War, fights and duels were fought not only on land and in the air, but also at sea. And what’s noteworthy is that submarines also took part in the duels. Although the bulk of the German Navy was involved in battles on the Atlantic, a significant share of fights between submarines took place on the Soviet-German front - in the Baltic, Barents and Kara seas...

The Third Reich entered World War II with not the largest submarine fleet in the world - only 57 submarines. The Soviet Union (211 units), the USA (92 units), and France (77 units) had much more submarines in service. The biggest naval battles The Second World War, in which the German Navy (Kriegsmarine) participated, took place in the Atlantic Ocean, where the main enemy of the German troops was the most powerful navy group of the Western allies of the USSR. However, fierce confrontation also took place between the Soviet and German fleets - in the Baltic, Black and North Seas. Submarines took an active part in these battles. Both Soviet and German submariners showed tremendous skill in destroying enemy transport and combat ships. The effectiveness of the use of the submarine fleet was quickly appreciated by the leaders of the Third Reich. In 1939–1945 German shipyards managed to launch 1,100 new submarines - this is more than any country participating in the conflict was able to produce during the war years - and, indeed, all the states that were part of the Anti-Hitler coalition.

The Baltic occupied a special place in the military-political plans of the Third Reich. First of all, it was a vital channel for the supply of raw materials to Germany from Sweden (iron, various ores) and Finland (timber, agricultural products). Sweden alone satisfied 75% of the ore needs of German industry. In the water area Baltic Sea The Kriegsmarine housed many naval bases, and the skerry area of the Gulf of Finland had a great abundance of convenient anchorages and deep-water fairways. This created excellent conditions for the German submarine fleet for active combat operations in the Baltic. Soviet submariners began performing combat missions in the summer of 1941. By the end of 1941, they managed to send 18 German transport ships to the bottom. But the submariners also paid a huge price - in 1941, the Baltic Navy lost 27 submarines.

In the book by Navy history expert Gennady Drozhzhin “Aces and Propaganda. Myths of Underwater Warfare" contains interesting data. According to the historian, of all nine German submarines operating in all seas and sunk by Allied submarines, four boats were sunk by Soviet submariners. At the same time, German submarine aces were able to destroy 26 enemy submarines (including three Soviet ones). Data from Drozhzhin’s book indicate that during the Second World War duels took place between underwater vessels. The fights between the submarines of the USSR and Germany ended with a result of 4:3 in favor of the Soviet sailors. According to Drozhzhin, only Soviet M-type vehicles - “Malyutka” - took part in fights with German submarines.

“Malyutka” is a small submarine with a length of 45 m (width - 3.5 m) and an underwater displacement of 258 tons. The crew of the submarine consisted of 36 people. “Malyutka” could dive to a limiting depth of 60 meters and remain at sea without replenishing supplies of drinking and technical water, provisions and Supplies within 7–10 days. The armament of the M-type submarine included two bow torpedo tubes and a 45-mm gun in the wheelhouse fence. The boats had quick diving systems. If used skillfully, the Malyutka, despite its small dimensions, could destroy any submarine of the Third Reich.

Diagram of the submarine type "M" XII series

The first victory in duels between submarines of the USSR and Germany was won by Kriegsmarine servicemen. This happened on June 23, 1941, when the German submarine U-144 under the command of Lieutenant Friedrich von Hippel was able to send the Soviet submarine M-78 (under the command of Senior Lieutenant Dmitry Shevchenko) to the bottom of the Baltic Sea. Already on July 11, U-144 discovered and attempted to destroy another Soviet submarine, the M-97. This attempt ended in failure. U-144, like Malyutka, was a small submarine and was launched on January 10, 1940. The German submarine was heavier than its Soviet counterpart (underwater displacement of 364 tons) and could dive to a depth of more than 120 meters.

Submarine type "M" XII series M-104 "Yaroslavsky Komsomolets", Northern Fleet

In this duel of the “lightweight” representatives, the German submarine won. But U-144 failed to increase its combat list. On August 10, 1941, the German ship was discovered by the Soviet medium diesel submarine Shch-307 “Pike” (under the command of Lieutenant Commander N. Petrov) in the area of the island. Dago in the Soelosund Strait (Baltic). The Pike had a much more powerful torpedo armament (10 533 mm torpedoes and 6 torpedo tubes - four at the bow and two at the stern) than its German opponent. The Pike fired a two-torpedo salvo. Both torpedoes hit the target accurately, and U-144, along with its entire crew (28 people), was destroyed. Drozhzhin claims that the German submarine was destroyed by the Soviet submarine M-94 under the command of Senior Lieutenant Nikolai Dyakov. But in fact, Dyakov’s boat became a victim of another German submarine - U-140. This happened on the night of July 21, 1941 near the island of Utö. M-94, along with another submarine M-98, patrolled the island. At first, the submarines were accompanied by three minesweeper boats. But later, at 03:00, the escort left the submarines, and they continued on their own: M-94, trying to quickly charge the batteries, went deep, and M-98 headed under the shore. At the Kõpu lighthouse, the M-94 submarine was hit in the stern. It was a torpedo fired from the German submarine U-140 (commander J. Hellriegel). The torpedoed Soviet submarine rested on the ground, the bow and superstructure of the submarine rose above the water.

The location of the Soviet submarine M-94 after it was hit by German torpedoes
Source – http://ww2history.ru

The crew of the M-98 submarine decided that the “partner” had been blown up by a mine, and began rescuing the M-94 - they began to launch a rubber boat. At that moment, the M-94 spotted the periscope of an enemy submarine. The commander of the helmsman squad, S. Kompaniets, began to semaphore the M-98 with pieces of his vest, warning of an attack by a German submarine. M-98 managed to evade the torpedo in time. The crew of U-140 did not re-attack the Soviet submarine, and the German submarine disappeared. M-94 soon sank. 8 crew members of the Malyutka were killed. The rest were rescued by the M-98 crew. Another “Malyutka” that died in a collision with German submarines was the M-99 submarine under the command of Senior Lieutenant Boris Mikhailovich Popov. M-99 was destroyed during combat duty near the island of Utö by the German submarine U-149 (commanded by Captain-Lieutenant Horst Höltring), which attacked a Soviet submarine with two torpedoes. It happened on June 27, 1941.

In addition to the Baltic submariners, they fought fiercely with by German troops and their colleagues from the Northern Fleet. The first submarine of the Northern Fleet that did not return from the combat campaign of the Great Patriotic War was the M-175 submarine under the command of Lieutenant Commander Mamont Lukich Melkadze. M-175 became a victim of the German ship U-584 (commanded by Lieutenant Commander Joachim Decke). This happened on January 10, 1942 in the area north of the Rybachy Peninsula. The acoustician of a German ship detected the noise of diesel engines of a Soviet submarine from a distance of 1000 meters. The German submarine began pursuing Melkadze's submarine. The M-175 followed a zigzag pattern on the surface, charging its batteries. The German car was moving under water. U-584 overtook the Soviet ship and attacked it, firing 4 torpedoes, two of which hit the target. M-175 sank, taking 21 crew members with it to the depths of the sea. It is noteworthy that the M-175 has already once become a target for a German submarine. On August 7, 1941, near the Rybachy Peninsula, the M-175 was torpedoed by the German submarine U-81 (commanded by Lieutenant Commander Friedrich Guggenberger). A German torpedo hit the side Soviet ship, but the fuse on the torpedo did not go off. As it turned out later, the German submarine fired four torpedoes at the enemy from a distance of 500 meters: two of them did not hit the target, the fuse on the third did not work, and the fourth exploded at the maximum travel distance.

German submarine U-81

Successful for Soviet submariners was the attack of the Soviet medium submarine S-101 on the German submarine U-639, carried out on August 28, 1943 in the Kara Sea. The S-101, under the command of Lieutenant Commander E. Trofimov, was a fairly powerful combat vehicle. The submarine had a length of 77.7 m, an underwater displacement of 1090 tons and could navigate autonomously for 30 days. The submarine carried powerful weapons - 6 torpedo tubes (12-533 mm torpedoes) and two guns - 100 mm and 45 mm in caliber. The German submarine U-639 of Oberleutnant Wichmann carried out a combat mission - laying mines in Ob Bay. The German submarine was moving on the surface. Trofimov ordered to attack the enemy ship. S-101 fired three torpedoes and U-639 sank instantly. 47 German submariners were killed in this attack.

Duels between German and Soviet submarines were few in number, one might even say isolated, and took place, as a rule, in those zones where the Baltic and Northern Navy of the USSR operated. “Malyutki” became victims of German submariners. The duels between German and Soviet submariners did not affect the overall picture of the confrontation between the naval forces of Germany and the Soviet Union. In a duel between submarines, the winner was the one who quickly figured out the location of the enemy and was able to deliver accurate torpedo strikes.

The submarine fleet of the Kriegsmarine of the Third Reich was created on November 1, 1934 and ceased to exist with the surrender of Germany in World War II. During its relatively short existence (about nine and a half years), the German submarine fleet managed to fit itself into military history as the largest and deadliest submarine fleet of all time. German submarines that inspired terror in sea captains from North Cape to Cape Good Hope and from the Caribbean Sea to the Strait of Malacca, thanks to memoirs and films, have long turned into one of the military myths, behind the veil of which real facts often become invisible. Here are some of them.

1. The Kriegsmarine fought with 1,154 submarines built in German shipyards (including the submarine boat U-A, which was originally built in Germany for the Turkish Navy). Of the 1,154 submarines, 57 submarines were built before the war, and 1,097 were built after September 1, 1939. The average rate of commissioning of German submarines during World War II was 1 new submarine every two days.

Unfinished German submarines of type XXI on slips No. 5 (in the foreground)
and No. 4 (far right) of the AG Weser shipyard in Bremen. In the photo in the second row from left to right:
U-3052, U-3042, U-3048 and U-3056; in the near row from left to right: U-3053, U-3043, U-3049 and U-3057.
On the far right are U-3060 and U-3062
Source: http://waralbum.ru/164992/

2. The Kriegsmarine fought with 21 types of German-built submarines with the following technical characteristics:

Displacement: from 275 tons (type XXII submarines) to 2710 tons (type X-B);

Surface speed: from 9.7 knots (XXII type) to 19.2 knots (IX-D type);

Submerged speed: from 6.9 knots (type II-A) to 17.2 knots (type XXI);

Immersion depth: from 150 meters (type II-A) to 280 meters (type XXI).

Wake column of German submarines ( type II-A) at sea during maneuvers, 1939
Source: http://waralbum.ru/149250/

3. The Kriegsmarine included 13 captured submarines, including:

1 English: “Seal” (as part of the Kriegsmarine - U-B);

2 Norwegian: B-5 (as part of the Kriegsmarine - UC-1), B-6 (as part of the Kriegsmarine - UC-2);

5 Dutch: O-5 (before 1916 - British submarine H-6, in the Kriegsmarine - UD-1), O-12 (in the Kriegsmarine - UD-2), O-25 (in the Kriegsmarine - UD-3 ), O-26 (as part of the Kriegsmarine - UD-4), O-27 (as part of the Kriegsmarine - UD-5);

1 French: “La Favorite” (as part of the Kriegsmarine - UF-1);

4 Italian: “Alpino Bagnolini” (as part of the Kriegsmarine - UIT-22); "Generale Liuzzi" (as part of the Kriegsmarine - UIT-23); "Comandante Capellini" (as part of the Kriegsmarine - UIT-24); "Luigi Torelli" (as part of the Kriegsmarine - UIT-25).

Kriegsmarine officers inspect the British submarine Seal (HMS Seal, N37),
captured in the Skagerrak Strait
Source: http://waralbum.ru/178129/

4. During World War II, German submarines sank 3,083 merchant ships with a total tonnage of 14,528,570 tons. The most successful Kriegsmarine submarine captain is Otto Kretschmer, who sank 47 ships with a total tonnage of 274,333 tons. The most successful submarine is U-48, which sank 52 ships with a total tonnage of 307,935 tons (launched on 22 April 1939, and on 2 April 1941 received heavy damage and did not participate in hostilities again).

U-48 is the most successful German submarine. She is in the picture
almost halfway to its final result,
as shown by white numbers
on the wheelhouse next to the boat emblem (“Thrice black cat”)
and the personal emblem of the submarine captain Schulze (“White Witch”)
Source: http://forum.worldofwarships.ru

5. During World War II, German submarines sank 2 battleships, 7 aircraft carriers, 9 cruisers and 63 destroyers. The largest of the destroyed ships - the battleship Royal Oak (displacement - 31,200 tons, crew - 994 people) - was sunk by the submarine U-47 at its own base at Scapa Flow on 10/14/1939 (displacement - 1040 tons, crew - 45 people).

Battleship"Royal Oak"
Source: http://war-at-sea.narod.ru/photo/s4gb75_4_2p.htm

Commander of the German submarine U-47 Lieutenant Commander
Günther Prien (1908–1941) signing autographs
after the sinking of the British battleship Royal Oak
Source: http://waralbum.ru/174940/

6. During World War II, German submarines made 3,587 combat missions. The record holder for the number of military cruises is the submarine U-565, which made 21 trips, during which it sank 6 ships with a total tonnage of 19,053 tons.

German submarine (type VII-B) during a combat campaign
approaches the ship to exchange cargo
Source: http://waralbum.ru/169637/

7. During World War II, 721 German submarines were irretrievably lost. The first lost submarine is the submarine U-27, sunk on September 20, 1939 by the British destroyers Fortune and Forester off the coast of Scotland. The latest loss is the submarine U-287, which was blown up by a mine at the mouth of the Elbe after the formal end of World War II (05/16/1945), returning from its first and only combat campaign.

British destroyer HMS Forester, 1942

In 1936, the submarine S-56 was laid down - the most productive Soviet submarine during the Great Patriotic War. This boat is also famous for being the first Soviet submarine to circumnavigate the world.

“Six torpedo tubes and the same number of spare torpedoes on racks convenient for reloading. Two cannons with large ammunition, machine guns, explosive equipment... In a word, there is something to fight with. And 20 knots surface speed! It allows you to overtake almost any convoy and attack it again. The technology is good...” - this is how Captain Georgy Ivanovich Shchedrin, Hero of the Soviet Union, spoke about his boat S-56.

The "C" in the name stands for "Medium". This is a Soviet diesel-electric torpedo submarine - a converted German project by DeSchiMAG ("German Ship and Engineering Company"), which Soviet designers thoroughly reworked for the Soviet production base. They changed diesel engines, weapons, radio stations, a direction finder, a gyrocompass... Solov, in the Soviet “esques” there was not a single foreign-made bolt. The result was a maneuverable and fast ship, distinguished by a rational layout and balanced design, powerful weapons, and excellent performance and seaworthiness.

But, oddly enough, neither the high performance nor the most powerful weapons made the Eski an effective weapon - most of the victories were won with the help of deployed mines.

The reasons for the failures lie in the tactics of using “Esoks” - submarine cruisers created for the ocean expanses had to “tread water” in the shallow Baltic “puddle”. Operating at depths of 20 to 30 meters, the 77-meter boat could hit the ground with its bow while its stern would still be sticking out on the surface.

Things were much better in the Northern Fleet, where the S-56 boat under the command of G.I. became famous. Shchedrin.

S-56 and a Hurricane-class patrol ship.

So, S_56 was laid down in 1936 at the Andre Marty shipyard (now the Admiralty Shipyards) in Leningrad. Then it was disassembled into parts and delivered by rail in sections across the whole country - to Vladivostok, to plant No. 202 (Dalzavod named after K. Voroshilov), where it was again welded into a single whole. And they launched it in December 1939.

Commander of the submarine C-56, captain 2nd rank Grigory Ivanovich Shchedrin.

Captain Shchedrin later recalled: “The members of the acceptance committee simultaneously started the stopwatches. My job is to control the ship... We ventilate the rapid dive tank, stay at a given depth... The standard set by the designers has been met and exceeded... We have to dive to the maximum depth. We dive “whatnot”, that is, we linger at depths, first every twenty, and then ten meters. Everything is going as well as possible - the boat is completely sealed, only occasionally it is necessary to tighten one or another seal to eliminate drip leakage of water. People are doing great. Most of them were at such depths for the first time, and yet I did not see any signs of excitement on any face - such is the power of confidence in one’s technique. They laid down on the ground at a depth of five meters exceeding the official limit. We tested the pumps and outboard fittings - everything works fine. The strong hull, its frame, the plating sheets - these steel muscles of the ship, as they are often called, did not utter a single “moan”. The workers welded good steel!”

Helmsman-signalmen D.S. Podkovyrin and V.I. Legchenkov at the control room of the submarine S-56.

Already in October 1942, the S-56, under the command of Captain Shchedrin, set out on a transoceanic crossing along the route: Vladivostok - San Francisco (USA) - Panama Canal - Halifax (Canada) - Rosyth (Scotland) - Polar (USSR). The hike took 67 days. During which time the submariners survived one attack by a Japanese submarine and two attacks by the German Kriegsmarine, and twice got into accidents due to their own negligence. As a result, the submariners, having covered 16,632 nautical miles (including 113 nautical miles under water), became part of the 2nd division of the Northern Fleet submarine brigade. That is, the submariners essentially traveled around the world - and all so that the boat, made in Leningrad, would reach the base near Murmansk.

Meeting the crew of the S-56 submarine in Polyarny.

During the Great Patriotic War, the S-56 was the most productive Soviet submarine. S-56 submariners made 8 combat missions, carried out 13 attacks with the release of 30 torpedoes, sinking 4 ships (2 warships and 2 transports) and damaging one. In 1944, the S-56 boat was awarded the Order of the Red Banner for military services. On February 23, 1945, the submarine was awarded the Guards title. During the Great Patriotic War, the S-56 was declared lost 19 times.

For comparison: Otto Kretschmer of the Kriegsmarine, commander of U-23, the most successful submariner of World War II, sank 44 ships, including 1 destroyer. However, this comparison speaks not so much about the poor training of Soviet sailors, but about the fact that they were opposed by the most professional army and navy in the world.

But the Soviet sailors survived thanks to their survivability: during the Great Patriotic War, the S-56 was declared dead 19 times.

Captain 2nd rank I.F. Kucherenko hands over to the commander of the S-56, Captain 3rd Rank G.I. Shchedrin medal "For the defense of the Arctic." Also, for the successful command of the submarine and the personal courage and heroism shown at the same time, captain 2nd rank Shchedrin G.I. By Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated November 5, 1944, he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal. . The S-56 submarine was awarded the Order of the Red Banner on March 31, 1944, and was awarded the Guards rank on February 23, 1945.

After World War II, the S-56 continued to serve in the Northern Fleet. In 1954, the boat made another transoceanic crossing - along the Northern Sea, from Murmansk to Vladivostok.

In 1955 the boat was removed from combat personnel, disarmed and converted into a floating charging station - for charging the batteries of other boats.

Only 20 years later, in 1975, they remembered the heroic boat. In honor of the 30th anniversary of the Victory, the boat was pulled ashore and cut into pieces again. Then parts of the boat were installed on the foundation on Korabelnaya Embankment, next to the Pacific Fleet headquarters building on the shore of Zolotoy Rog Bay.

The parts were docked and connected - already as a museum ship.

July 25, 1982 on the Day Navy The S-56 submarine was included in the general ensemble of the Pacific Fleet Glory Memorial.

C-56 wardroom. Today, the only surviving "esque" submarine in the world is part of memorial Complex"Battle Glory of the Pacific Fleet."

The interior has been converted into a museum.

Control station.

Acoustics cabin.

Captain's cabin

Sailors' cabin.

Torpedo tubes.

Torpedoes and bunks for sailors.

I bring to your attention a short story about the seven most successful submarine projects of the war years.

HMS Traveler British submarine Terminator, capable of “knocking the crap out” of any enemy with the help of a bow 8-torpedo salvo. The T-type boats had no equal in destructive power among all the submarines of the WWII period - this explains their ferocious appearance with a bizarre bow superstructure, where additional torpedo tubes were located. The notorious British conservatism is a thing of the past - the British were among the first to equip their boats with ASDIC sonars. Alas, despite their powerful weapons and modern detection means, the T-class high seas boats did not become the most effective among the British submarines of World War II. Nevertheless, they went through an exciting battle path and achieved a number of remarkable victories. “Tritons” were actively used in the Atlantic, in the Mediterranean Sea, destroyed Japanese communications in the Pacific Ocean, and were spotted several times in the frozen waters of the Arctic. In August 1941, the submarines "Tygris" and "Trident" arrived in Murmansk. British submariners demonstrated a master class to their Soviet colleagues: in two trips, 4 enemy ships were sunk, incl. "Bahia Laura" and "Donau II" with thousands of soldiers of the 6th Mountain Division. Thus, the sailors prevented the third German attack on Murmansk. Other famous T-boat trophies include the German light cruiser Karlsruhe and the Japanese heavy cruiser Ashigara. The samurai were “lucky” to get acquainted with a full 8-torpedo salvo of the Trenchent submarine - having received 4 torpedoes on board (+ another one from the stern tube), the cruiser quickly capsized and sank. After the war, the powerful and sophisticated Tritons remained in service with the Royal Navy for another quarter of a century. It is noteworthy that three boats of this type were acquired by Israel in the late 1960s - one of them, INS Dakar (formerly HMS Totem) was lost in 1968 in the Mediterranean Sea under unclear circumstances.

...On December 3, 1941, German hunters UJ-1708, UJ-1416 and UJ-1403 bombed a Soviet boat that tried to attack a convoy at Bustad Sund. - Hans, can you hear this creature? - Nain. After a series of explosions, the Russians lay low - I detected three impacts on the ground... - Can you determine where they are now? - Donnerwetter! They are blown away. They probably decided to surface and surrender. The German sailors were wrong. From the depths of the sea, a MONSTER rose to the surface - the cruising submarine K-3 series XIV, unleashing a barrage of artillery fire on the enemy. With the fifth salvo, Soviet sailors managed to sink U-1708. The second hunter, having received two direct hits, began to smoke and turned to the side - his 20 mm anti-aircraft guns could not compete with the “hundreds” of the secular submarine cruiser. Scattering the Germans like puppies, K-3 quickly disappeared over the horizon at 20 knots. The Soviet Katyusha was a phenomenal boat for its time. Welded hull, powerful artillery and mine-torpedo weapons, powerful diesel engines (2 x 4200 hp!), high surface speed of 22-23 knots. Huge autonomy in terms of fuel reserves. Remote control of ballast tank valves. A radio station capable of transmitting signals from the Baltic to the Far East. An exceptional level of comfort: shower cabins, refrigerated tanks, two seawater desalinators, an electric galley... Two boats (K-3 and K-22) were equipped with Lend-Lease ASDIC sonars.

But, oddly enough, neither the high characteristics nor the most powerful weapons made the Katyusha an effective weapon - in addition to the dark story of the K-21 attack on the Tirpitz, during the war years the XIV series boats accounted for only 5 successful torpedo attacks and 27 thousand br. reg. tons of sunk tonnage. Most of the victories were achieved with the help of mines. Moreover, its own losses amounted to five cruising boats. K-21, Severomorsk, our days The reasons for the failures lie in the tactics of using Katyushas - the powerful submarine cruisers, created for the vastness of the Pacific Ocean, had to “tread water” in the shallow Baltic “puddle”. When operating at depths of 30-40 meters, a huge 97-meter boat could hit the ground with its bow while its stern was still sticking out on the surface. It was not much easier for the North Sea sailors - as practice has shown, the effectiveness of the combat use of Katyushas was complicated by the poor training of personnel and the lack of initiative of the command. It's a pity. These boats were designed for more.

Baby! The project of mini-submarines for the rapid strengthening of the Pacific Fleet - the main feature of the M-type boats was the ability to be transported by rail in a fully assembled form. In the pursuit of compactness, many had to be sacrificed - service on the Malyutka turned into a grueling and dangerous undertaking. Difficult living conditions, strong roughness - the waves mercilessly tossed the 200-ton “float”, risking breaking it into pieces. Shallow diving depth and weak weapons. But the main concern of the sailors was the reliability of the submarine - one shaft, one diesel engine, one electric motor - the tiny “Malyutka” left no chance for the careless crew, the slightest malfunction on board threatened death for the submarine. The little ones quickly evolved - the performance characteristics of each new series were several times different from the previous project: the contours were improved, the electrical equipment and detection equipment were updated, the dive time was reduced, and the autonomy increased. The “babies” of the XV series no longer resembled their predecessors of the VI and XII series: one-and-a-half-hull design - the ballast tanks were moved outside the durable hull; The power plant received a standard two-shaft layout with two diesel engines and underwater electric motors. The number of torpedo tubes increased to four. Alas, Series XV appeared too late - the “Little Ones” of Series VI and XII bore the brunt of the war.

Boats of the “Medium” type, series IX-bis, Soviet Union Number of submarines built - 41. Surface displacement - 840 tons; underwater - 1070 tons. Crew - 36…46 people. Working diving depth - 80 m, maximum - 100 m. Full surface speed - 19.5 knots; submerged - 8.8 knots. Surface cruising range 8,000 miles (10 knots). Submerged cruising range 148 miles (3 knots). “Six torpedo tubes and the same number of spare torpedoes on racks convenient for reloading. Two cannons with large ammunition, machine guns, explosive equipment... In a word, there is something to fight with. And 20 knots surface speed! It allows you to overtake almost any convoy and attack it again. The technology is good..." - opinion of the commander of the S-56, Hero of the Soviet Union G.I. Shchedrin

The Eskis were distinguished by their rational layout and balanced design, powerful armament, and excellent performance and seaworthiness. Initially a German project from the Deshimag company, modified to meet Soviet requirements. But don’t rush to clap your hands and remember the Mistral. After the start of serial construction of the IX series in Soviet shipyards, the German project was revised with the goal of a complete transition to Soviet equipment: 1D diesel engines, weapons, radio stations, a noise direction finder, a gyrocompass... - there were none in the boats designated “series IX-bis”. foreign made bolt! The problems with the combat use of the "Medium" type boats, in general, were similar to the K-type cruising boats - locked in mine-infested shallow water, they were never able to realize their high combat qualities. Things were much better in the Northern Fleet - during the war, the S-56 boat under the command of G.I. Shchedrina made the transition through the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, moving from Vladivostok to Polyarny, subsequently becoming the most productive boat of the USSR Navy. An equally fantastic story is connected with the S-101 “bomb catcher” - during the war years, the Germans and Allies dropped over 1000 depth charges on the boat, but each time the S-101 returned safely to Polyarny. Finally, it was on the S-13 that Alexander Marinesko achieved his famous victories.

Gato class boats, USA Number of submarines built - 77. Surface displacement - 1525 tons; underwater - 2420 tons. Crew - 60 people. Working diving depth - 90 m. Full surface speed - 21 knots; submerged - 9 knots. Cruising range on the surface is 11,000 miles (10 knots). Submerged cruising range 96 miles (2 knots). Armament: - 10 torpedo tubes of 533 mm caliber, ammunition - 24 torpedoes; - 1 x 76 mm universal gun, 1 x 40 mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun, 1 x 20 mm Oerlikon; - one of the boats, USS Barb, was equipped with a multiple launch rocket system for shelling the coast.

Ocean-going submarine cruisers of the Getou class appeared at the height of the war in the Pacific Ocean and became one of the most effective tools of the US Navy. They tightly blocked all strategic straits and approaches to the atolls, cut all supply lines, leaving Japanese garrisons without reinforcements, and Japanese industry without raw materials and oil. In battles with the Gatow, the Imperial Navy lost two heavy aircraft carriers, lost four cruisers and a damn dozen destroyers. High speed, lethal torpedo weapons, the most modern radio equipment for detecting the enemy - radar, direction finder, sonar. The cruising range allows for combat patrols off the coast of Japan when operating from a base in Hawaii. Increased comfort on board. But the main thing is the excellent training of the crews and the weakness of Japanese anti-submarine weapons. As a result, the "Getow" mercilessly destroyed everything - it was they who brought victory in the Pacific Ocean from the blue depths of the sea.

Electric boats of type XXI, Germany By April 1945, the Germans managed to launch 118 submarines of the XXI series. However, only two of them were able to achieve operational readiness and go to sea in the last days of the war. Surface displacement - 1620 tons; underwater - 1820 tons. Crew - 57 people. Working depth of immersion is 135 m, maximum depth is 200+ meters. Full speed in the surface position is 15.6 knots, in the submerged position - 17 knots. Cruising range on the surface is 15,500 miles (10 knots). Submerged cruising range 340 miles (5 knots). Armament: - 6 torpedo tubes of 533 mm caliber, ammunition - 17 torpedoes; - 2 Flak anti-aircraft guns of 20 mm caliber.

The stern of U-2511, sunk at a depth of 68 meters. The Germans calculated everything - the entire “Electrobot” campaign moved at periscope depth under the RDP, remaining difficult to detect for enemy anti-submarine weapons. At great depths, its advantage became even more shocking: 2-3 times greater range, at twice the speed of any wartime submarine! High stealth and impressive underwater skills, homing torpedoes, a set of the most advanced detection means... “Electrobots” opened a new milestone in the history of the submarine fleet, defining the vector of development of submarines in the post-war years. The Allies were not prepared to face such a threat - as post-war tests showed, the “Electrobots” were several times superior in mutual hydroacoustic detection range to the American and British destroyers guarding the convoys.

Type VII boats, Germany Number of submarines built - 703. Surface displacement - 769 tons; underwater - 871 tons. Crew - 45 people. Working diving depth - 100 m, maximum - 220 meters Full speed in the surface position - 17.7 knots; submerged - 7.6 knots. Cruising range on the surface is 8,500 miles (10 knots). Submerged cruising range 80 miles (4 knots). Armament: - 5 torpedo tubes of 533 mm caliber, ammunition - 14 torpedoes; - 1 x 88 mm universal gun (until 1942), eight options for superstructures with 20 and 37 mm anti-aircraft guns. * the given performance characteristics correspond to boats of the VIIC subseries

The most effective warships ever to roam the world's oceans. A relatively simple, cheap, mass-produced, but at the same time well-armed and deadly weapon for total underwater terror. 703 submarines. 10 MILLION tons of sunk tonnage! Battleships, cruisers, aircraft carriers, destroyers, corvettes and enemy submarines, oil tankers, transports with aircraft, tanks, cars, rubber, ore, machine tools, ammunition, uniforms and food... The damage from the actions of German submariners exceeded all reasonable limits - if not for the inexhaustible The industrial potential of the United States, capable of compensating for any losses of the allies, German U-bots had every chance to “strangle” Great Britain and change the course of world history.

U-995. Graceful underwater killer The successes of the “sevens” are often associated with the “prosperous times” of 1939-41. - allegedly, when the Allies appeared the convoy system and Asdik sonars, the successes of the German submariners ended. A completely populist statement based on a misinterpretation of “prosperous times.” The situation was simple: at the beginning of the war, when for every German boat there was one Allied anti-submarine ship, the “sevens” felt like invulnerable masters of the Atlantic. It was then that the legendary aces appeared, sinking 40 enemy ships. The Germans already held victory in their hands when the Allies suddenly deployed 10 anti-submarine ships and 10 aircraft for each active Kriegsmarine boat! Beginning in the spring of 1943, the Yankees and British began to methodically overwhelm the Kriegsmarine with anti-submarine equipment and soon achieved an excellent loss ratio of 1:1. They fought like that until the end of the war. The Germans ran out of ships faster than their opponents. The whole history of the German “seven” is a formidable warning from the past: what threat does a submarine pose and how high are the costs of creating an effective system to counter the underwater threat.

A funny American poster of those years. “Hit the pressure points! Come serve in the submarine fleet - we account for 77% of the sunk tonnage!” Comments, as they say, are unnecessary

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