Submarines of the "Gato" class (the name comes from the name of the cat shark, borrowed from the Spanish el gato - cat) - a series of American submarines from 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 US Navy's military operations in the Pacific Ocean during World War II became a true 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. Analysis of the trial operation of these submarines made it possible to select the most successful model. It was this that began to be improved and used in mass production.
It was the submarine Cachalot SS-170. In its production, welding was used instead of traditional riveting. This reduced the weight of the structure while increasing its strength. In addition, this submarine was distinguished by the presence of an electromechanical computing device TDS, which allows solving aiming problems while firing torpedoes. TDS automatically entered lead, target angle, and travel depth into the torpedo control system.
In 1933, on the basis of the Cachalot submarines, a series of 10 Toure R submarines was laid down. The new submarines, unlike the prototype, had a larger displacement and size, which made it possible to install on board a diesel-electric power plant of greater power (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 Toure 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 American fleet ordered 16 Salmon-class submarines with enhanced weapons. A couple of additional stern torpedo tubes were mounted on them. 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 (which entered service 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 increased time for charging batteries forced the developers of the remaining ten submarines (named after the lead ship, they are classified as a separate type “Sargo”) to return again to a scheme using a diesel-electric power plant, which did not have the above-mentioned disadvantages. During the rework, the submarine was able to additionally place 44 tons of fuel and double the battery capacity, which increased the surface cruising range (by 1,000 miles) and underwater navigation (85 miles).
The next stage in the improvement of American submarines was the Tambor submarine, carrying 24 torpedoes and 10 torpedo tubes. Tambor was the last production submarine to enter service in the Pacific before the outbreak of 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 Japanese expansion could only be stopped through asymmetrical retaliatory actions. Admirals Nimitz and King proposed to act in two directions: to conduct holding battles and strike deep into Japanese territory. The fleet command had at its disposal several aircraft carriers, about 30 squadron submarines, 10 old V-class submarines and several dilapidated S-class submarines.
The forces of aircraft carriers managed to hold back the Japanese advance. The Japanese lost in the Coral Sea, and were completely defeated at Midway Atoll. In principle, the United States was winning the war in the Pacific theater; all it had to do was drag it out and wait until Japan exhausted its resources. But these two decisive operations accelerated the defeat of the Japanese Empire.
Deep strikes were carried out almost exclusively by submarines. With the exception of Dolittle's raid on Tokyo in April 1942, US aircraft were unable to reach Japanese territory until mid-1943. American submarines operated deep into enemy territory, striking convoys, from the early days of the war. 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 torpedoes going off 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 1941 budget, which envisaged the construction of 6 submarines, was revised with the beginning of the war in the direction of a sharp increase in their number. The French capitulation also forced the US government to sharply increase funding for the shipbuilding program. On May 20, 1940, construction of 22 more submarines was added to the 6 planned submarines, and on August 16, 43 more submarines were ordered. All submarines were ordered by the following companies: Electric Boat Company (41); Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (14); Mare Island Naval Shipyard (10). Soon, the Mare Island Naval Shipyard had 2 slips available, and in April 1941 it received an order for 2 additional submarines. Thus, before the attack on Pearl Harbor, 73 Gato-class submarines were built. By 12/07/1941, only one submarine of this type had been put into operation - “Drum” (SS 228), 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.
The seventy-three Gato-class submarines were assigned numbers from SS 212 to SS 284. Unlike other navies, where tactical numbers are assigned arbitrarily and can change, in the American fleet the ship receives a permanent number. As a rule, the number consists of a two-letter index (vessel type) and a serial number. The numbers are allocated in blocks for different shipyards. For example, the block of numbers SS 212-227 was allocated by the Electric Boat Company, and the numbers SS 228-235 - Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. These numbers did not contain information about the order of laying, 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 were out of sequence. Although the last submarine of the Gato series was Grenadier (SS 525), there were gaps in the series among the lower numbers. The further series, up to SS 562, were also canceled. In connection with this, the first post-war series of submarines were 6 Tang class submarines with numbers starting with SS 563. If the ship was redesigned, the letter prefix was changed, but the number remained unchanged. For example, “Cavalla” (SS 244) was converted into a PLO in 1952, its designation changed to SSK 244.
The Gato class submarines differed from their predecessors, the Tambor class submarines, in their details. "Gato" was heavier by 51 tons and longer by 1.4 m. The additional length allowed the installation of more powerful diesel engines and additional bulkheads between the engine compartments. The first Gato submarines were equipped with old diesel engines, like the Tambor. However, lengthening the hull improved hydrodynamics, which made it possible to gain half a knot of speed on the surface (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. Based on the results of the operation of Tambor class submarines, the internal fittings were strengthened, increasing the maximum diving depth by 15 m (up to 91.5 meters). The calculated crushing depth did not change - 152 m. The maximum diving depth was equal to the depth at which the submarine can operate without problems and leaks associated with increased pressure. During combat operations, captains quite often exceeded the maximum depth, trying to avoid depth charges.
There were slight differences between the submarines produced by different shipyards. The most noticeable of these was the configuration of the drainage holes. The drainage holes on submarines built in government shipyards were more numerous and extended further to the stern and bow than on submarines built by Electric Boat. Later, many submarines received additional equipment and weapons, so their appearance could vary widely.
The Gato class submarines had two hulls. The internal strong hull was surrounded by a lightweight outer hull, inside which fuel tanks, trim tanks and ballast tanks were located. The central part of the durable body is a cylindrical structure made of 14.3 mm steel. The strong hull tapered conically at the bow and stern, and a conning tower cylinder was attached to the hull on top. The pressure 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 ensured high surface speed. At the bow there was a capstan and anchor, a buoyancy tank and front depth rudders. The deck structure in front of and behind the bridge has been strengthened. Two 76.2 mm caliber guns were installed here (barrel length 50 calibers), but in practice one gun was left or both were dismantled.
Air accumulated below deck, slowing down the submarine's descent. To eliminate this drawback, drainage holes were made in the deck. The top of 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 waterproof compartments.
Bow torpedo compartment
The bow torpedo compartment served to accommodate six torpedo tubes (4 above deck level, 2 below deck). When setting off on a combat mission, the boat carried one torpedo in each tube. There were 2 spare torpedoes for the 4 upper torpedo tubes, and only one for the below-deck tubes. There were a total of 16 torpedoes attached to the bow tubes. A sonar, as well as a hydrodynamic log, extended outward from the front torpedo compartment and rotated. In addition, there were 14 berths in the bow torpedo compartment.
The following equipment was installed in the compartment: hydraulic pump; mechanism for controlling bow depth rudders; hydraulic motor for steering rudders; air duct for ventilation and blowing of torpedo tubes; compressed air cylinders for launching torpedoes; purge valve box; manifold and valves of normal fuel tanks No. 1 and 2; manifold and valves of sanitary tank No. 1; manifold and valves of fresh water tanks No. 1 and 2; mechanisms for controlling the purge valve of the bow ballast tank and controlling the purge of the main ballast tank.
Bow battery compartment
The bow battery compartment was located between frames 35 and 47. It was separated from the bow torpedo compartment by a sealed bulkhead. The submarine carried 252 batteries (6 rows of 21 each), half of which were located below deck in the bow battery compartment. The hydrogen generated during battery operation was removed by a special ventilation system. The deck of the compartment served to accommodate premises for officers: a pantry; wardroom; 3 residential officer cabins. One of the cabins was intended for 3 junior officers. The first lieutenant and senior 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, and the officer’s cabins were quite crowded. The non-commissioned officer's cabin served for storing and maintaining the ship's log.
The compartment housed the following equipment: bulkhead latches; exhaust and supply ventilation lines; battery ventilation compressors; ballast tank valve control mechanism 2A-2B; external and internal emergency air supply fittings.
Control station
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 diving depth of the submarine. The steering 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 center plane of the compartment. The ventilation system lines, external emergency air supply fittings, a hatch to the conning tower and bulkhead latches were installed on the ceiling.
On the starboard side of the compartment deck were installed a valve box for the high-pressure air system, electrical distribution panels, a 225-pound air manifold, purge manifolds for the 10- and 600-pound main ballast tanks, and an auxiliary power distribution panel.
On the left side there was a signal ejector, a weapons group, a valve box for the hydraulic system, a ventilation valve for the quick dive tank, a combat post for ascent and submersion and control of the aft horizontal rudders, emergency ventilation flaps and a valve box for the trim line. The panel of indicators for the holes of the durable case was also located here, jokingly nicknamed the “Christmas tree”. This nickname was given because each hatch in the pressure hull had two lights: red and green. A red signal meant the hatch was opening, a green signal meant closing. This is where the slang expression “green board” came from, meaning that all the hatches were battened down and the submarine could submerge.
Below the control deck was a pump room housing the manual and hydraulic negative buoyancy control mechanisms, high pressure air compressors, low pressure compressor, bilge pump, trim pump, vacuum pump, hydraulic accumulator, air conditioning machine, refrigerator and storeroom.
In the aft part of the control station there was a radio room in which a radio station, a CSP-888 encryption machine (operating speed 45-50 words per minute), and a direction finder indicator were installed.
Conning tower
A special, rather cramped compartment, located outside the hull contours above the control station, cylindrical in shape, equipped with its own ventilation and air conditioning system. It contained 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 station through the lower conning tower 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 a combat or needle periscope; it was inconspicuous, having the smallest possible diameter. "Type 3" provided a larger field of view, but was thicker. Beginning in 1944, submarines began to be equipped with “type 4” periscopes or, instead of a “type 3” periscope, a night periscope. The Type 4 periscope was shorter and thicker, so it had a greater aperture ratio. The periscope had an ST radar-rangefinder, which helped carry out night underwater attacks. On the left 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 submarine's spare controls. During an underwater attack, the fighting compartment became crowded, as it housed the fighting stations of the captain, first officer, one or two sonar and radar operators, one or two TDC operators, and a telephone operator.
Aft battery compartment
Below the deck of the aft battery compartment between frames 58 and 77 were the remaining 126 batteries, as well as pipelines and a compressor for the ventilation system. The deck housed the galley, main buffet, freezer and refrigerator. The ship's first aid kit was also located here and the sailors' dining room was equipped. In addition, there were 36 sleeping places and lockers for the crew’s personal belongings. There was also a double sailor shower and a dishwasher. The aft battery compartment was the most spacious on the submarine.
Bow engine room
Placed between frames 77 and 88. It housed diesel engines Nos. 1 and 2, which rotated the shafts of electric generators. In addition, oil and fuel pumps, emergency air supply fittings, bulkhead flaps, a valve for the general ship ventilation system, air blowers, a liquid fuel separator and pump-out compressors were installed here.
Aft engine room
Behind the bow engine room, between frames 88 and 99, there was an aft engine room. The equipment of this compartment differed from the previous one in the entrance hatch in the ceiling. An auxiliary diesel generator (power 300 kW) was installed under the compartment deck, which supplied power to battery chargers and auxiliary mechanisms.
Depending on the manufacturer, the submarines were equipped with diesel engines from Fairbanks-Morse or General Motors. Fairbanks-Morse 38D81/8 (power 1600 hp) - 10-cylinder, two-stroke, with opposed cylinders. General Motors 16-278A (power 1600 hp) - 16-cylinder, two-stroke, with a V-shaped cylinder arrangement. Air for the engine was supplied by a compressor.
The fuel pump (capacity 37.9 l/min) was powered by a DC electric motor (power at 1150 rpm 0.736 kW). The cooling system operated on fresh water, cooled with sea water before reuse. The engines were started 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 produced a current of 415 V. The DC generators were air-cooled and parallel-excited. While sailing, they powered electric motors or charged batteries.
Steering/engine compartment
It was located between frames 99 and 107. At the same time, on the deck there was a power plant control station, a remote control for turning off the engines, an auxiliary electrical distribution panel and a lathe. Four propeller electric motors were installed under the deck of the compartment (the power of each at 1300 rpm is 1000 kW), which rotated the propeller shafts in pairs: on the starboard side - right rotation, on the port side - left rotation.
Electric motors Nos. 1 and 3, through reduction gears (reduced the rotation speed to 280 rpm), rotated the propeller shaft on the starboard side, and electric motors Nos. 2 and 4 - on the left. In addition, oil and circulation pumps were installed below deck.
On submarines of later production, gearboxes were not installed, since double-anchor electric motors were installed, which could change power at a rotation speed of 67..282 rpm within the range of 15 - 2000 kW.
Aft torpedo compartment
In the aft torpedo compartment, located between frames 107 and 125, there were four torpedo tubes (they were loaded with torpedoes before the trip) and four spare torpedoes. There was also a boatswain's toolbox and fifteen berths. Although the submarine had 70 sleeping places (formally 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 size by the end of the war usually exceeded 80 people. Some beds in torpedo compartments were lowered only after the torpedo tubes were reloaded. By the end of the war, the number of targets at sea had decreased significantly; submarines could return from a cruise without firing a single shot.
In addition to torpedoes, Gato-class submarines 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 to be installed on 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 on machines around the perimeter of the cabin. The large-caliber 12.7-mm Browning machine gun did not gain popularity. Although it was highly effective when firing at air targets, it was large in size and weight, which made it difficult to remove the machine gun during an emergency dive.
The anti-aircraft machine gun was to be replaced by a Swiss-made 20-mm Oerlikon cannon (length 70 calibers). In the United States it was produced under license. Many submarines received one such gun after the start of the war. Single-barreled guns were later replaced by twin ones.
The Swedish 40 mm Bofors cannon (60 calibers long) was adopted by the American Navy shortly after it became clear that the American 28 mm anti-aircraft gun was ineffective against modern aircraft. In 1944, Gato-class submarines began to be equipped with one Bofors gun. The gun proved itself to be excellent, and it began to be installed on all submarines before the end of 1944.
The deck in front and behind the bridge had a reinforced structure for mounting guns. The artillery armament of the Gato submarines was varied. The location and type of placement of the guns depended on the wishes of the boat commander and the time of its commissioning.
The Gato class submarines had reinforced platforms on the deck in front and behind the deckhouse, which were intended for the installation of guns. Only some submarines carried a pair of guns at once. The following guns could be installed on submarines:
The 76.2 mm gun with a 50-caliber barrel was the standard deck gun for American submarines during World War II. Many modifications were produced with different designations. The modifications differed from each other mainly in the type of cutting. Although the gun was simple to operate, it used projectiles (5.9 kg - 13 lb) that were too light to be effective even against small ships. Combat experience forced the submarines to be equipped with an artillery system of greater power.
Initially, 102-mm guns with a barrel length of 50 calibers were installed on several S-class submarines. Later they were installed on Gato-class submarines. For the 102 mm cannon, 15 kg shells were already used. The main disadvantage of the gun was the high initial velocity of the projectile, which was 884 m/s, so the projectile often penetrated light targets without causing serious damage.
The barrel of the 127-mm cannon (barrel length 25 calibers) was made of stainless steel, and therefore the gun did not require a plug at the muzzle. This simplified the transfer of the gun from the traveling position to the combat position. The gun fired 24.4 kg high-explosive shells (the mass of the high-explosive charge was 2.55 kg). The initial speed was 808 meters per second. This gun was considered to ideally meet the requirements for deck artillery on submarines.
There were a large number of visual differences between submarines produced by different shipyards. Most noticeable were the location, number and configuration of the scuppers. Some submarines were equipped with additional equipment and weapons. This is why naval historians claim that it is impossible to find two absolutely identical Gato-class submarines.
Modernization of the Gato-class submarines continued until the end of World War II, with work covering not only weapons and design, but also equipment.
For example, hydroacoustic equipment was constantly modernized. The first series of submarines were equipped with WCA sonars 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 bearing, and if the target was a submarine, then the depth of the dive was 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 (by tonnage sunk), 8 belong to this class. 19 boats were lost. One of them (SS-248 "Dorado") was sunk by an American aircraft en route to the Panama Canal in the Caribbean Sea, 18 were lost as a result of enemy opposition in the Pacific Ocean.
Among the Gato-class submarines, the most famous during the war were Flasher SS-249 (the leader in sunk tonnage, 100,231 GRT), Barb SS-220, Growler SS-215, Silversides SS-236, "Trigger" SS-237, and "Wahoo" SS-238.
Captain Howard W. Gilmore of the SS-215 "Growler" became the first submariner to be awarded the Medal of Honor. Gilmore was wounded by the Japanese transport Hayasaki on February 7, 1943, while on the bridge. The captain gave the order for an immediate dive, although Gilmore himself did not manage to reach 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 a second trip to that area.
SS-245 "Cobia" was sunk by Japanese transports that were going 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 its career. Four of them were sunk in one campaign.
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 are preserved as monuments: USS Cavalla (SS-244) at Seawolf Park, USS Cobia (SS-245) at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, USS Drum (SS-228) at Battleship Memorial Park ).
Specifications:
Length - 95 m.
Width - 8.3 m.
Surface displacement - 1526 tons.
Underwater displacement - 2410 tons.
Working immersion depth - 90 m.
Surface speed - 20 knots.
Underwater speed - 8 knots.
Power point:
4 diesel engines with 1400 hp each.
4 electric motors with a power of 1370 hp each.
2 batteries with 126 cells each.
Navigation autonomy - 75 days.
Crew - 60/85 people.
Weapons:
Artillery - 76 mm caliber deck gun.
Torpedo armament - 6 bow and 4 stern torpedo tubes of 533 mm caliber, 24 torpedoes.
Anti-aircraft weapons - 2 machine guns of 12.7 mm or 7.62 mm caliber.
Prepared based on materials:
dic.academic.ru
wunderwafe.ru
anrai.ru
Divers of the Russian Geographical Society and the Russian Ministry of Defense for the first time studied the American submarine Herring sunk near the island of Matua. The submarine SS-233 was destroyed by Japanese coastal artillery in 1944. The exact coordinates of the submarine were transferred to the American side so that the place of its death would be designated on maps as a mass grave.
Journalists from the Zvezda TV channel filmed the research work on video.
Scientific search work began in August in the area of Cape Yurlov, where 83 members of her team rest at a depth of 110 meters (translated from English as herring). The expedition involved the rescue ship Igor Belousov, as well as the remote-controlled search and rescue vehicle Panther Plus and the uninhabited underwater reconnaissance robot Tiger. With their help, divers examined the sunken submarine in detail.
The submarine lies almost flat on the bottom. Over 73 years under water, the boat was overgrown with a dense layer of shell rock. However, in the video you can distinguish the wheelhouse, deck guns and other hull elements.
“The submarine was quite large for its time, its length is about 95 meters. It is in very good condition, shell holes are clearly visible, the boat is practically not destroyed, even the rudders and propellers have been preserved, and the deckhouse superstructure has been preserved,” says the executive director of the Center underwater research of the Russian Geographical Society Sergei Fokin.
The width of the Gato-class submarine is just over eight meters. The submarine carried 24 torpedoes. In May 1944, an American submarine commanded by Lieutenant David Zabriske reported torpedoing two Japanese ships, the Ishigaki and the Hokuyo Maru, in the Kuril Islands area. Then the submarine attacked and sank two more merchant ships - the Hibiri Maru and the Iwaki Maru - in the harbor formed by the strait between the coast of Matua and the small island of Toporkovy located near it. When retreating along a narrow, shallow channel, the boat, which was on the surface, could not maneuver and was fired upon by Japanese coastal artillery. After several shell hits, she sank almost immediately.
Help "RG"
Matua Island is located in the central part of the Kuril ridge. It extends 11 kilometers in length and 6.5 kilometers in width. The height of the highest point - Sarychev Peak (Fuyo Volcano) is 1485 meters. On the eve of World War II, the Japanese turned the island of Matua into a powerful fortress with underground pillboxes. There was a large airfield here, from which Japanese aircraft could control the entire northwest Pacific Ocean. The island-fortress was defended by units of the 42nd Infantry Division of the Japanese Army and the Third Naval Brigade, which capitulated to the Soviet landing on August 26 and 27, 1945.
Last update: 08/23/2017 at 17:01
Divers of the Pacific Fleet and researchers of the Russian Geographical Society are preparing to study a submarine from the Second World War that sank near the island of Matua. According to experts, the object of study is the American submarine Herring (SS-233), which was sunk by Japanese coastal artillery in 1944.
The AS-55 normobaric space suit is actively used in the research operation and several deep-sea dives have already been carried out for the purpose of a detailed examination of the underwater object.
According to the press service of the Russian Ministry of Defense, scientific research work will take place in the area of Cape Yurlov at a depth of 110 meters. They will involve the rescue ship Igor Belousov, as well as the remote-controlled search and rescue vehicle Panther Plus and the uninhabited underwater reconnaissance robot Tiger.
“The AS-55 normobaric spacesuit is actively used in research operations. Several deep-sea dives have already been carried out for the purpose of a detailed examination of the underwater object,” says an official statement from the press service of the Ministry of Defense.
Let us recall that the submarine was discovered on June 25 during an underwater survey of the coast near the island of Matua, where a large Japanese military base was located during World War II.
“Research of the archives suggests that this is the American submarine Herring, sunk by Japanese coastal artillery,” RIA Novosti quotes Alexander Kirilin, secretary of the scientific council of the Russian Military Historical Society.
In May 1944, an American submarine reported torpedoing two Japanese ships, the Ishigaki and the Hokuyo Maru, in the Kuril Islands area. Then the submarine attacked and sank two more merchant ships - the Hibiri Maru and the Iwaki Maru - in the harbor formed by the strait between the coast of Matua and the small island of Toporkovy located near it. When retreating along a narrow, shallow channel, the boat, which was on the surface, could not maneuver and was fired upon by Japanese coastal artillery. And upon leaving the strait, it sank after sustaining damage at a depth of 330 feet, which corresponds to the depth of 104 meters indicated by Russian experts. The entire crew, 83 people, died along with the boat.
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 ridge. 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.
There was a large airfield here, from which Japanese aircraft could control the entire northwest Pacific Ocean. Units of the 42nd Infantry Division of the Japanese Army and the Third Naval Brigade were located on the fortress island. They capitulated to the Soviet landing on August 26 and 27, 1945.
Submarines... Perhaps there is no more mysterious and formidable type of weapon created by man. Starting from their first appearance, the first battles with their participation, they inspired horror and awe first of sailors, and with the installation of missile weapons on submarines - also of ordinary people, residents of large cities. The foam path of the periscope caused and continues to cause consternation among most who saw it in reality. Throughout their history, the actions of submarines and their crews were shrouded in a semi-mystical aura of mystery and romance. Often - quite deservedly, because the very principle of the operational-tactical use of this type of weapon fundamentally implies STEALTH.
The topic is immeasurably huge! One mention of the possibility of the appearance of enemy submarines could tip the scales in favor of the weaker (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, are overgrown with legends to such an extent 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 ADVANCES 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 on his underwater miracle electric ship “Nautilus” rams enemy ships 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 - periscope.
At the very beginning of our 21st century, American divers discovered two Japanese submarines at the bottom of Pearl Harbor, which sank during an attack by Japanese aircraft on US naval ships. One of the submarines transported aircraft, and the second was small in size and should reach high speed.
It is known that from the beginning of the 30s in Japan very serious attention was paid 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 allowed them to reach a speed of 24 knots underwater, appeared in 1934. They were supposed to be delivered to the squadron’s battle area (in the amount of 12 units) on board an aircraft carrier specially equipped for this purpose “ Shitose" and launch within 17 minutes. After successful testing of boats in the deepest secrecy, Japan began in 1936 the serial construction of high-speed dwarf submarines, called for secrecy purposes "type A target ship". Several of them were transported on large submarines to the area of the US naval base of 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, new dwarf submarines of the type were created in Japan 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 of the type Koryu in Japan, submarines of even smaller displacement were built Kairiu, which in appearance resembled a torpedo with a small wheelhouse and stabilizers located on the sides in its area, into which rudders were built in to control the boat in depth. Noteworthy is the possibility of disposable use of boats like Kairiu when placing explosives in the nose compartment. A boat of this type became a transition from a dwarf submarine to the notorious human torpedo (Kaiten). Fast boats type Kaiten were built in large series. Armament - 550 kg of explosives in the bow compartment. Displacement is about 8 tons, length 15 m, hull diameter 1 m. The boat could travel 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 control rudders and left it through a special hatch in the lower part of the cabin. However, subsequently from such use Kaytenov The leadership of the Japanese Navy refused, turning the driver into a suicide bomber, after which the boats began to be called human torpedoes. Obviously, such a barbaric attitude towards the life of sailors was planned at the creation stage Kaytenov, as evidenced by the name itself, translated from Japanese as meaning “road to heaven.” In total, Japan built about 700 man-torpedoes. It is officially believed that their use was a gesture of despair and could not save the Land of the Rising Sun from a crushing defeat. But is this so and is this what these boats were built for?
...At the end of last year, another expedition led by Evgeniy Vereshchagi discovered in an underground hangar of one of the islands of the Kuril Ridge
A fairly well-preserved submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy.
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 rubble and pull the boat to the surface.
And now - a well-known illustration from Shapiro’s work:
Kairiu-class submarine
It should be noted that in general all the expeditions of “Bel.Kam, Tour” under the leadership of E.M. Vereshchagi had a fairly specific goal. However, let’s give the floor to E.M.V. himself.
“...Every year on June 1, American submarine veterans respectfully 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 pinpoint the exact location of the death of the heroic five-star (!) boat, or even raise it. Moreover, many offspring of honored US sailors served and died on it: the baronial, count and princely titles of “junior” were officially worn by 8 people in the crew and one had an additional prefix to the name “grandson”, i.e. - third. There is a peculiar mystery in such indifference of American officials to the fate of the honored boat. Which?
When the American Ambassador to Russia Alexander Vershbow was in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and journalist Vladimir Efimov told him in a television conversation about the expedition’s plans to honor the memory of the Herring boat with a special sign and even called on the Americans to 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 knew anything about this boat at all.
We know more about her than they do. We truly honor her memory, because she died for the Kuril Islands! A memorial sign in honor of the Herring crew is safely stored in the cabin of our yacht Arcturus, and we, taking advantage of the good weather on the ocean, poured out onto the deck and, holding on to the rails and all kinds of guy ropes, admired the islands. Yes, we know that the Americans did not allow the Japanese to live here in the period 1943-45. We are just passing by those places where 60 or more years ago active sea and air battles took place between these countries. For example, the coordinates have been accurately established, and in some places off the coast of Paramushir the remains of Japanese transports sunk by American submariners are still visible. A little south of the mouth of the largest river on this island - Tuharka, near the Nightingale Rocks, lie the wreckage of a Japanese transport, hit by the boat SS-136 (S-31). Another transport lies beyond Cape Krusenstern, etc. The wreckage of American boats and planes also lies at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. For example, in July 1942, somewhere here, the Grunion boat disappeared forever, and on October 7, 1943, off the coast of Paramushira, the Japanese destroyer Ishigaki sank the S-44 (SS-155), the favorite of the American submarine fleet at the Pearl Harbor base.
It seems that the Americans staged a vengeful hunt for the Ishigaki, and on May 31, 1944, it was finally tracked down and sunk by the famous American submarine SS-223 Herring. 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. The submarine "Herring" left the Portsmouth shipyard on January 15, 1942 and belongs to the "Gato" class - the newest class of American boats of the SS series at that time. Until November 1943, she served in the Atlantic, where she successfully sank “small” Germans, after which she was transferred to the Pacific Ocean. And here the boat was not the last. At the time of her death, her account included the Japanese ships "Hakozaki Maru", "Nagoja Maru", the frigate-destroyer "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 the Herring pursued for almost a day and then sank the AKV Nagoja Maru. On May 16, 1944, the Herring, under the command of Lieutenant David Zabriskie Jr., left Pearl Harbor on its eighth and, alas, last, combat patrol to the Kuril Islands. Five days later, communication with the boat was lost, but it still had radio contact with another American boat - the SS-220 "Zubets" (in English - "Barb").
By the way, on July 2, 1945, this submarine was the first in the world to use ballistic missiles with conventional warheads to fire at the Japanese on Sakhalin. Finally, in order to be satisfied with the effect through the periscope, the submarine sank 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 "Seld" worked together in the Kuril waters, and "Zubets" witnessed the sinking of the Japanese frigate "Ishigaki" by "Herring", 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 launched a undaunted attack with practically 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 with fire by a Japanese coastal battery. The boat sank 2 km away. from the shore. The crew died, it consisted of 83 people. Americans consider the Herring one of the successful boats of World War II. During a year and a half of combat life, it 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 World War II. And this is an established historical fact.
But, knowing that our “potential friends” NEVER WERE LEADERS (at 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 the 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 began to be equipped with “snorkels” or “snorkels” for the first time. This North German word means "nose". Holland equipped its submarines with air intakes in late 1940, but they only used them for ventilation. The German snork, 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 was thus a kind of answer to radar.
The new intermediate type, equipped 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 could maintain this speed for a long time. In addition, the new type was equipped 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 posed by our acoustic torpedoes, which differed from conventional electric ones in a complex listening device connected to the steering mechanism. We could fire this type of torpedoes without even seeing the object or setting the distance. Such a torpedo, flying out of the apparatus, made circles until the submarine sank to great depths so as not to be in its path. Then it went in the direction from which the sounds of the ship’s propellers were coming, and struck the stern, where the engines and control devices were located. The listening device was so sensitive that it could detect even a stationary ship by the sound of its auxiliary engines. In just one month of 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 attacks, since for them it became simply suicide. Later, various, but not very effective, counter-devices were installed on enemy ships.
Source: Heinz Schaffer. U-BOAT 977. Moscow CENTROPOLIGRAPH 2002 pp. 177-178.
BoatU-2502
XXI
series, next to it is a boatXXIIIseries. 1944th.
For the first time, 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. Of the 53 team members, only one managed to survive. The boat lay at a depth of 108 meters, 46 kilometers off the coast of the emirate of Fujairah. U-2502 class XXI-XC/40 was launched in 1944. She was part of the “Gruppe Monsun” group, which hunted 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 flying a Blenheim bomber on patrol in the Gulf of Oman that day. . In 1999, the boat was raised, restored and restored.
In the photo:U-2502
XXIproject. Our days.
The idea of arming a submarine with missile weapons is not new. It arose almost simultaneously with the emergence of the submarine itself as a class. Let's remember Schilder's project:
In 1942, on the initiative of Dr. Steinhof, who worked at the famous (in our time) Peenemünde rocket center, experiments were carried out on launching 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 its career was already in decline. It consisted of a high-explosive warhead with a caliber of 280 mm and a solid fuel rocket engine with a diameter of approximately 160 mm. The projectile was stabilized 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 was 2200 m.
For the experiments, four standard launchers were installed on the deck of the submarine at an angle of 45° to the vertical, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the ship. This orientation of the launcher was apparently determined by the fear of damaging the skin of the submarine with powder gases at the moment the projectile was launched.
The other 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 weight of the projectile was 112.6 kg, the firing range (in air) - 7850 m. The projectile was also stabilized by rotation. Six standard launchers in the form of tubes were installed on the deck of the submarine, similar to the previous case.
To use the rockets at sea, they underwent several modifications, the main one being the sealing of the engine housing to prevent water from entering the fuel charge; the difficulty was that the engine had many 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 was necessary to prevent the entry of water, especially under pressure at depth, and on the other hand, the sealant had to simultaneously disappear from all nozzles at the moment of launch, to prevent a pressure surge in the combustion chamber and not create asymmetrical thrust, which reduces shooting accuracy.
Possible schemes for using missiles (PC) from submarines
Installation of launchers for 28 cm missiles on the deck of a submarine
If it came to combat use, the fuses would have to be modified. The missile launches from under water were purely research in nature and were supposed to demonstrate the very possibility of launching rockets in an aquatic environment. As a result of launches from depths from 2 to 15 meters, it was established that:
1. Using missiles from underwater is quite possible.
2. Flight range strongly depends on the depth from which the launch is made.
3. It is necessary to develop a special missile for underwater firing,
4. The problem of fire control required a solution.
When conducting these experiments, the question arose - how to most effectively use missile weapons from aboard a submarine? The following proposals were considered:
1. ATTACKING A SURFACE TARGET FROM THE SURFACE POSITION
In this case, the rocket, compared to an artillery shell, has only one advantage - a more powerful warhead. However, the missiles had much worse firing accuracy compared to the cannon. 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 installed inside the submarine’s durable hull. But then how to deliver a rocket onto the deck through narrow boat hatches? After all, the weight of the rocket was significant (see table). In addition, the staff could not be near the launcher during launch. This reduced the accuracy of shooting, because while the gunner was hiding in the boat through the hatch, the sight would probably be lost. And lastly, because of the bright torch, a missile launch unmasks the submarine, especially at night.
2. ATTACKING A COASTAL TARGET FROM THE SURFACE POSITION
All the thoughts expressed above apply to this case as well. But besides this, another difficulty is added - to solve the problem, the submarine will have to come close to the shore - after all, the missile’s flight range was short, and this is pure suicide.
3. ATTACK UNDERWATER TARGET
The effectiveness of such shooting was highly questionable. By analogy, the American Hedgehog rocket launcher fired a salvo of 24 missiles. The probability of hitting the target 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. ATTACKING A SURFACE TARGET FROM UNDERWATER
This proposal was considered the most promising. An underwater missile, compared to a torpedo, has a significantly 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 when firing torpedoes, the commander aims the device only in azimuth, and the specified depth of travel is maintained by the automatic depth control installed on the torpedo. It is very difficult to install such a device on a rocket, so when firing you will have to aim the weapon both in azimuth and in elevation.
The missiles were supposed to be used in conjunction with torpedoes, but the attack tactics remained virtually unchanged. The submarine approached the target and attacked it with torpedoes. Then, escaping pursuit, she dived under it. At this moment, a repeated attack on the target with missiles from launchers mounted vertically is possible.
Since the missile's warhead is smaller than that of a torpedo, the submarine should not be harmed by its weapon. After passing under the target, the missiles could once again fire at the target or the anti-submarine ships pursuing the boat from launchers aimed at the stern.
To implement such a scheme for combat use, a missile for underwater firing, designated as “caliber 165 mm,” was proposed. "Caliber 165" had a number of features that distinguished it from its ground-based counterparts.
Thus, the fuel charge had an internal channel of small diameter, which indicates that the engine had relatively little thrust, with increased operating time. Therefore, the underwater projectile traveled the entire way to the target with the engine running, which is natural, because an underwater missile (unlike its land-based sisters) could not move for a long time due to inertia - the resistance of water is much greater than that of air. Noteworthy is the low degree of expansion of the nozzle, which is due to the fact that the outflow occurs into water, the pressure in which is quite high. Hydrodynamic surfaces were used for stabilization; spinning the projectile in water was considered unprofitable.
165 mm underwater projectile
1 - nozzle with radial holes for releasing powder gases and forming a gas cavity; 2-tube 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 cavern. Part of the powder gases was taken from the engine and fed through a 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, water resistance decreased sharply. After the war, the gas cavity was used in several types of aircraft torpedoes and rocket-propelled mines.
I have no other information about the “caliber 165” - it is unknown whether the projectile was built, whether it was tested, and what the results were.
There is also no data on the types of boats on which the rockets were supposed to be used. The tests most likely used a Series VII boat. Since the launchers are of a simple and lightweight design, there would be no significant difficulties in installing them on most types of German submarines.
Even less is known about liquid-propellant torpedo projects. Thus, the jet torpedo according to the UGRA project was supplied with a liquid-propellant rocket engine, which operated on an oxidizer - 70% hydrogen peroxide (oxidizer reserve - 20.8 kg) and fuel - 50% hydrazine hydrate + 50% alcohol + 0.6 g of 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. Underwater, the torpedo was supposed to reach a speed of 30 knots at a distance of 1000 m. The combustion chamber was cooled with sea water.
According to the Lt 1500 project, the jet torpedo had to have dimensions comparable to conventional torpedoes: total weight - 1500 kg, length - 7050 mm, caliber - 553 mm. The power plant consisted of a liquid-propellant rocket engine, the combustion chamber of which was cooled by sea water. “Ingalin” was used as an oxidizing agent - 82-83% hydrogen peroxide, the supply of which was 380 kg. The fuel used was “Decalin” - pure decahydronaphthalene, the reserve 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 fed into the combustion chamber using compressed air, where hydrogen peroxide decomposed, releasing oxygen, water vapor and heat. In this mixture, Decalin instantly ignited spontaneously, 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 some laboratory samples, which were not further developed due to the fact that they did not promise any significant advantages over conventional torpedoes .
STRATEGIC WEAPONS FOR SUBMARINES
The German “Miracle Weapon” - the V-1 aircraft 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 only suitable for terror against the civilian population. The shooting accuracy was such that it was only possible to hit a large area target such as a city, which was done during the shelling of London and some other British cities. However, the American continent was beyond the reach of such attacks.
To shell New York, it was proposed to install the V-1 on a submarine, which would cross the Atlantic Ocean, approach the target at a distance of 220 km and launch the projectile. This project was discussed in the Reich Air Ministry on July 29, 1943, but due to the lack of development 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, the project was returned to again.
It was planned to use XXI series submarines as a missile carrier. I have no information about the technical details of the German project, but we can imagine 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 navy received the designation “Lun” (LTVN-2). Two submarines were converted for testing: Casque and Carbonero. Behind the cabin they installed a cylindrical container with spherical lids. A truss launcher with a constant elevation angle was mounted immediately behind the container. Before the launch, the boat floated to the surface, the container lid was opened, and the rocket on the launch trolley rolled out onto the launcher. Here the wings were docked to it, and after pre-launch preparation, the launch was carried out. The takeoff was carried out using solid fuel boosters, which were then dropped along with the cart. The first flight test was carried out in June 1948.
However, let's return 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 completely surmountable and, without a doubt, the Germans would have carried out this project, but the effectiveness of the new weapon was highly doubtful.
As already mentioned, the V-1 had poor firing accuracy - based on 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 a ship, the accuracy should have decreased even more. The fact is that before launch it is necessary to determine the coordinates of the submarine as accurately as possible. And this is not an easy task, because the Germans did not have any navigation system off the American coast throughout the war. This argument is confirmed by the fact that they could not even establish a weather station in that area (except for a few episodes).
It was also necessary to improve the reliability of the projectiles themselves and their launch system. After all, from “ground” experience it is known that many V-1s exploded directly at the start or shortly after separation from the launcher. If this had happened on a submarine, it would have received serious damage with the threat of its destruction.
It was necessary to reduce the pre-launch preparation time, which was approximately 30 minutes. It is clear that being on the surface off the enemy coast in an area with intense shipping and strong anti-submarine defense is a very dangerous occupation.
The effectiveness of projectile aircraft could be increased by using a radio command 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 just working on such systems and were far from success. The option of using a suicide pilot was not ruled out.
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 toxic substances.
And the last aspect of the problem is economic. Only the massive use of aircraft-projectiles could have any noticeable impact on the population and government of the enemy, but how could 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 there was little benefit. This explains the fact that the project was not implemented in metal, but many German inventions found application 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 America, it was planned to use another version of the “miracle 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 “Life Jacket”.
The container contained one missile and was an autonomous device, 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. The shaft contained 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 body of the container to the top hatch of the shaft. The number of gas outlet channels could be from two to four. Under the shaft there was a room with control and testing equipment and automatic start-up. The main pre-launch preparation and launch operations were carried out from this room.
TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL DATA OF UNGUIDED MISSILES PLANNED FOR EQUIPMENT WITH SUBMARINES
Further in the stern there was a “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 - was stored directly in the rocket tank during the voyage, and the container contained a small reserve 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, intended for refueling rocket cylinders, had a drying and cleaning system. The other was intended for general ship needs - driving ship mechanisms and purging ballast tanks. Both systems could be powered by a boat compressor.
In addition, the container had a number of systems characteristic of any ship: ventilation, drainage, depth stabilization, power supply, trim, immersion-ascent, etc.
As you can see, it was a very complex device with a displacement comparable to that 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 would tow up to three launchers. After leaving the port, the ballast tanks were filled and the container was sank to a specified depth. Subsequently, throughout the entire trip, the depth was maintained automatically. After arriving at the launch area, the ballast tanks were purged, and the container floated up, and after filling the feed tanks, it was moved to a vertical position so that the level of the hatch was as high as possible above the water level. After this, the starting team swims from the submarine to the container on inflatable rafts, opens the hatch and gets inside.
TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL DATA OF GUIDED MISSILES
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Rocket type |
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Length, m |
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Fuselage diameter, m |
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Wing span, (stabilizer), m |
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Takeoff weight kg |
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Explosive charge, kg |
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Fuel weight kg |
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engine's type |
PuVRD Argus 014 |
PuVRD IJ-15-1 |
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Engine thrust, kg |
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Maximum speed, km/h |
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Range, km |
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Control system |
inertial |
inertial with radio correction. |
inertial |
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Firing accuracy |
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At range, km |
The Kask submarine armed with the LTV-N-2 Loon missile. The projectile storage container and launch ramp are visible. The German project for arming boats of the XXI series with V-1 shells apparently had the same design
The pre-launch preparation time is estimated at 4-6 hours, which is slightly longer than for “ground” launches, and is explained by the more complex, maritime 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 container hatch is closed, the ballast tanks are filled with water, and the container is ready to be towed back to the base.
All the technical problems that were mentioned when describing the V-1 (especially in terms of determining the launch site, rocket reliability and low efficiency due to the lack of a nuclear charge) also apply to the V-2.
But in this case, another one arose. The fact is that aiming in azimuth was carried out by turning the entire rocket, and such aiming could be lost due to sea currents and wind while the launch team was leaving the container. In this regard, it would be necessary to modify the control system of the “sea” missile or install a special system on the container to stabilize the azimuth.
At the end of 1944, construction of one such container began at the Schichau shipyard in the city of Elblag, but they did not have time to finish it, and it fell to the advancing Soviet troops. The further fate of this product is unknown 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 Diekman, developed other ways to use the V-2 in the fleet. According to one of them, the container with the missile had to be installed on the deck of the submarine in a horizontal position. Before launch, the container was raised, and after the rocket took off, the boat could drop it and go about its main task - fighting enemy shipping. This option was rejected due to its high cost - the container was large, comparable to the size of a XXIII series submarine.
Search work was also carried out to launch missiles from under water, but Germany was losing the war, and it is OFFICIALLY CONSIDERED that these projects remained only on paper. But here’s what’s extremely curious: immediately after the Second World War, both the Americans and we had captured Project XX1 boats, but they had an unusual “hump” at the rear of the wheelhouse. At one time I personally had the opportunity to see such a “beauty” - it is still alive and is used (at least until 1991, for sure) as a training device.
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 equipment, and we will be amazed and amazed at the DEPTH of this mark for many, many years to come.
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