Submarines. Submarines of the Second World War: photos. submarines of the USSR and Germany of the Second World War

Our military industry was ahead of the United States in the production of nuclear and diesel submarines.

The first Soviet nuclear submarines are Project 627 submarines. These include the Leninsky Komsomol nuclear submarine, which entered service in 1958. Its appearance is quite consistent with the appearance of modern submarines.

American nuclear submarine "Nautilus" appearance It also resembled the appearance of boats from World War 2. Leninsky Komsomolets,” in my opinion, is the most beautiful submarine of all those produced after it not only by the USSR, but also by other countries of the world.

In 1959-1963, Soviet industry produced twelve Project 627A Kit submarines. The boats were equipped with a very powerful hydroacoustic station, which made it possible to detect targets at distances that had never been reached before.

But, despite the complete difference between our first nuclear submarine (NPS) and US submarines, the majority of Russian residents believe the myths created by liberals that scientists and designers of the USSR “ripped off” a nuclear submarine from the United States. They believe, without even thinking about how the documentation necessary for the production of such complex equipment can be delivered to the country. They believe, regardless of the fact that our beauty is completely different from the antediluvian appearance of the first American nuclear submarine.

In 1960, Project 658 boats entered service. They differed from Project 627 in both appearance and purpose. In addition to torpedoes, the new boats were equipped with D-2 missile systems. The missiles were launched from a surface position.

Also in the 1960s, we built Project 670 boats, which were armed with Amethyst cruise missiles from V.N. Chelomey, which were intended to combat American aircraft carrier formations. The missiles were launched from under the water, from a depth of 50 meters. Having reached a height of 60 meters, the missile was aimed at a target located within a radius of 80 km. The Americans called them "Charlie".

In 1963, the Navy's submarine fleet was replenished with boats of a new type - Project 675. These long narrow boats carried P-5 anti-ship missiles. The missiles were launched on the surface with remote control of the missile in flight, which forced the crew to remain on the surface for more than 10 minutes during an attack on enemy ships, risking being destroyed.

In 1965, the Soviet Union began producing a series of high-speed boats that were intended to hunt enemy ships and submarines. In the West they were nicknamed “Victors,” that is, winners. These are 671 series boats with many modifications. They were designed at the Malachite Design Bureau under the leadership of G. Chernyshov. The latest series of boats had a speed of 30 knots and were armed with 650 mm torpedo tubes and missiles.

In 1972, we began manufacturing nuclear submarines (NPS) of the 667B series "Moray". The West called them "Deltas". The boats could move at a depth of 550 meters at a speed of 26 knots. They had a body made of low-magnetic steel and had increased stealth. These nuclear submarines belonged to Soviet boats second generation. They carried twelve RSM-40 ballistic missiles with a charge of 1.5 megatons. These were the brainchild of designer S. Kovalev. Murena-M of Project 667D carried sixteen intercontinental ballistic missiles. Project 667BDR Kalmar nuclear submarines, which began construction in 1976, carried sixteen missiles with multiple warheads - RSM-50. Later they were modernized and armed with high-precision RSM-54 missiles with a target engagement range of 8,300 kilometers. They could already hit US territory without leaving the bases of the Kola Peninsula.

In 1982, we laid down a boat with a titanium hull of Project 945 “Mars” at the Krasnoye Sormovo plant. The boat was designed by the Lazurit Design Bureau under the leadership of Nikolai Kvasha. Intended, in particular, to combat enemy submarines. It was distinguished by high speed of movement. It was armed with depth charges, anti-submarine torpedoes and cruise missiles to destroy ground targets.

Multipurpose submarines include the Shchuka-M boat of Project 971, which entered service in 1983. She belongs to the third generation of submarines with reduced noise levels and improved communications and detection capabilities.

The difference from the second generation boats is very significant: it detects targets at three times greater distances, has a four times lower noise level, and the crew size has been almost halved due to the automation of a number of boat and weapon control processes. The crew size was three times smaller than American and English boats of similar displacement. The designers of the Almaz Design Bureau, under the leadership of N. Chernyshov, created an inexpensive multifunctional nuclear submarine. The case was made of low-magnetic steel, and not of expensive titanium. The displacement of the boat is 5700/7900 tons (surface and submerged positions), length 108 meters, diving depth 500 meters, speed 35 knots. It is armed with RK-55 missiles with nuclear warheads and eight torpedo tubes.

Of particular note is the world's largest nuclear submarine, Project 941 "Akula", which entered the USSR Navy in 1981. It has enormous striking power, significantly superior to all known submarines, including the American Ohio-class submarines.

The gigantic Project 941 Akula boat was created to be armed with the most powerful three-stage solid-propellant missiles R-39 (RSM-52), which are twice as long and three times as heavy as the American Trident missiles that are in service with the Ohio boat, which is the basis of the US strategic offensive forces. . The boat's hull has a reliable original design. Two of the main hulls have a maximum diameter of 10 meters and are located parallel to each other according to the catamaran principle. At the front of the boat, between the main pressure hulls, there are missile silos. In total, the missile carrier has five habitable durable hulls inside its light hull. The Americans call these boats "Typhoons". And currently they are the most powerful boats for strategic strikes. The Sharks carry twenty missiles with 200 nuclear warheads. Considering that in the USA there are 300-odd cities with a population of 100 thousand to 10 million people, we can say that in the absence of missile defense, one such nuclear submarine could destroy America. “Shark” or in American “Typhoon” has a length of 175 meters and a displacement of 24.5 tons. It is not inferior in size to the giant battle cruiser of the First World War. Has a speed of 27 knots underwater. Due to its enormous size, it is, of course, noisy. But if necessary, it can go at low speed silently. For the sake of secrecy, the designers included special propellers in the design of the boat, augers - “Archimedean screws” in special tunnels under the hull. With their help, the boat is able to move slowly, stealthily, almost completely silently.

In 1986, our submarine fleet received the Project 949A Antey boat. This nuclear submarine designed by P. Pustyntsev and I. Bazanov is highest achievement the development of submarines designed for one purpose - the destruction of aircraft carriers. Our country will probably never create a better boat for fighting aircraft carriers. The main weapons of the boats are 24 3M-45 missiles of the P-700 “Granit” complex with a range of 500 kilometers. These cruise missiles have a supersonic speed of Mach 2.5 and are far superior to the much-touted American Harpoon and Tomahawk missiles. In flight, they exchange information, distribute targets among themselves, and confuse the anti-aircraft defense of the attacked ships. This is a Russian weapon that acts not as Western individuals, but as the Russian community together, the whole world. There are no analogues to our Project 949 and 949A boats in the American Navy, just as there are no analogues to the missiles in their arsenal. In fact, it is impossible to call the subsonic American Tomahawk missiles an analogue of the Harpoons.

But for attacks on coastal targets, the USSR made subsonic Tomahawk-type missiles, which have a combat range of 1,500 km with a conventional warhead, and 2,500 km with a nuclear warhead, and they fly at an altitude of 60-80 meters. Our analogues, “Thunder” and “Granat,” are superior to “Tomahawks” only in terms of target engagement range.

On August 12, 2000, a boat of this project, “Kursk,” perished in the Barents Sea. In my opinion, the true reasons for the death of the boat and crew are still hidden to this day, and the United States has a direct connection to its death. Let's not forget our sons. Eternal glory and memory to them.

In 1999, twenty-three dead Russian Kursk submariners were held at gunpoint in the Mediterranean Sea by NATO aircraft carriers, from whose decks they flew to bomb unarmed Serbs, confident in their impunity, having lost human face US pilots. When ours were spotted by the British and Americans, 23 Russian submariners managed to escape pursuit on the Kursk nuclear submarine, since NATO lost sight of them. But in the Barents Sea they could not escape death, because, I think, they were stabbed in the back there. And the loss of our Kursk nuclear submarine by the NATO fleet in 1999 in the Mediterranean indicates that it was a silent, most advanced boat in the world with a quick-witted, highly professional crew.

Along with nuclear submarines, the industry of the USSR, unlike the USA before last day continued to produce diesel submarines. These boats include the Project 877 Halibut boats, which entered service in 1982. They are equipped with simple but effective navigation systems. The hull of the boat in a submerged position allows you to develop high speed when minimum consumption energy. They were in great demand abroad, and we sold them to developing countries. But perhaps the United States, whose submarine fleet needed diesel boats, also acquired them through these countries. And the United States needed these boats, since they were needed for use in the shallow coastal strip of the seas, often dotted with islands and with coasts indented by bays.

In the period from 1950 to 1958, the largest series was produced in the amount of 215 units of our diesel submarines (DPL) of Project 613 “Eski” - boats of the “C” series. They faithfully served the cause of defending the fatherland until the year of the death of the USSR - until 1991. At the same time, large submarines with a displacement of 1831/2600 tons (surface and underwater displacement) of Project 611 “Buki” were produced. They dived to a depth of 200 meters and had a speed of 17 knots on the surface and 15 knots when moving underwater. "Buks" were already boats for the ocean. They were also scrapped in 1991. In the second half of the 1950s, the USSR began building the world's best diesel-electric boats of the 641 series. 75 of these beautiful ships entered service. They were supplied to Libya, Poland, India and Cuba. After all, with appropriate armament, a submarine is able to perform tasks that nuclear submarines perform, but at the same time it costs much less and is less noisy. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, it was diesel submarines, not nuclear submarines, that were sent to the shores of Cuba.

In the early 1970s, Rubin Design Bureau began developing the second-generation 641B Buki series submarines. The Americans called them "Tango". They were distinguished not only by improved control systems for the boat and its weapons, but also by improved living quarters for the crew. 17 such submarines entered service.

But the best in the world, or more correctly, not a diesel, but a diesel-electric boat, still remains the wonderful USSR Project 877 boat called “Varshavyanka”, created in the 1980s. It has a displacement of 2300 (submerged 3036) tons, a length of 72.8, a width of 9.9 meters, a maximum diving threshold of 300, and a working speed of 240 meters, an underwater speed of 17 knots, and a surface speed of 10.

The United States was very upset when we got the Varshavyanka, since they bore huge costs associated with the construction of nuclear submarines, and they could not replace them with cheap submarines where it was inappropriate to use nuclear submarines, since they had lost the experience of building submarines. To master the construction of submarines, new billions of dollars were needed, but they were no longer enough and the United States never mastered the production of submarines. But they survived the arms race thanks to the collapse of the USSR and the use of the dollar as an international currency.

But the main underwater weapons, of course, remained nuclear submarines. The improvement of weapons for submarines was constant until Gorbachev came to power. Our most talented designer V. Makeev turned the walls of the fuel tanks into the walls of a rocket and pushed in the engines, creating the RSM-25 ballistic missile "Zyb" of the RSM-40 and RSM-50 type for submarines, but one and a half times shorter - just under 10 meters in length and even more power. This opened up the possibility for our designers to create much smaller nuclear submarines even when equipped with strategic nuclear missiles. But will they be able to use this opportunity in today's Russia?

Our scientists and engineers in Soviet era Already in the 1960s, they began manufacturing lightweight and durable titanium casings with low magnetism for nuclear submarines and developed the most complex technology, both the production of titanium alloys with the necessary properties, and the manufacture of submarine hulls from it. The hulls of our boats were double, that is, they consisted of an outer and an inner hull, which increased the safety of operating the boat at great depths and increased the survivability of nuclear submarines in combat. In addition, we invented a liquid metal reactor (LMR), where instead of water, a mixture of low-melting metals - lead and bismuth - was used as a coolant.

In 1966, we were the first to circumnavigate the world underwater through seamounts, magnetic anomalies, and without ever surfacing, we came home safe and sound. We were the first to pass under the ice of the Arctic on the Leninsky Komsomol nuclear submarine, and during the voyage in some places we walked in water that was barely larger than the size of a submarine.

For free navigation under water, USSR scientists conducted 7077 oceanographic expeditions to study the topography of the seabed, underwater currents and other mysteries of the ocean. The USSR nuclear submarine K-222 in December 1969 set a world speed record under water - 44 knots (80.4 km/h). Not a single US destroyer could keep up with such a boat. And they tell us that we were behind the US technically.

In 1984, the USSR built the 685 series nuclear submarine Komsomolets, which could dive to a depth of more than a kilometer and move at a speed of 30 knots. Neither country had a weapon that could hit it at such a depth. Torpedoes and bombs were flattened by the water column. The Americans called her "Mike". Before Gorbachev’s arrival, the USSR managed to build only one boat, but a fire inside the boat’s hull deprived us of the Komsomolets nuclear submarine. Notice how many troubles have befallen our the best technology with Gorbachev coming to power!!!

It is obvious that in the submarine fleet, America’s main strategic offensive force, the USSR was ahead of the United States. In the period from 1953 to 1993, the USSR built 243 nuclear submarines, and the USA - 179. For our state, the production of nuclear submarines with strategic missiles cost much less than the USA, which purchased boats from their private companies and at the same time had enormous public expenses cash for reasons common to all capitalist countries when carrying out public procurement.

According to the most underestimated data, one nuclear submarine missile carrier cost the Americans $100 million. Actually, these are really not boats, but submarine cruisers with strategic missiles on board.

Even liberals recognize the advantages of Soviet nuclear submarines over similar-purpose boats from Western countries. But, right there, they savor the accidents that happened on Soviet submarines, without remembering their own accidents and disasters.

And everyone writes that our boats were noisy compared to American boats, and therefore they were easy to detect and destroy. Moreover, this opinion is imposed even on the majority of the Russian population. But, in my opinion, the noise of our submarines is a myth invented and propagated by the Americans in order to somehow reduce the predominance of Russian talent over Anglo-Saxon talent.

To confirm my words, I will give examples. Previously, we looked at how the Kursk was able to escape the cloud of ships and helicopters accompanying the aircraft carrier. They could easily find a noisy nuclear submarine in the Mediterranean Sea. “Captain Protopopov recalls how they bypassed the forward NATO defense zone under an ice shell and moved into the narrow Robson Strait, covered with thick ration ice:

The map did not give exact measurements - no one had ever walked here. We walked, as navigators say in such cases, according to the newspaper, and not according to the map. The gap between the ground and the lower edge of the ice was narrowing all the time. Sometimes it seemed that the boat would fit into this vice like a wedge, and we would not be able to turn around... There were no safe depths for us in the Baffin Sea because of the icebergs. We identified them using sonars. And they parted ways with them under water based on the acoustics’ reports. Remember how in the movie “The Mystery of Two Oceans?”

They went out into the Atlantic and met a surprise: the US nuclear strike aircraft carrier America, a weakly protected colossus with a displacement of 79 thousand tons, with eighty-six aircraft on board, was heading past them to the base. “We attacked him covertly. Of course - conditionally. They returned home unnoticed,” recalled Vladimir Protopopov.

We will add: in the event of war, “America” was doomed. The boat came within range of a point-blank torpedo strike, and the American acoustics with their vaunted high-tech equipment did not hear it! Moreover, “America” does not have close-in anti-submarine weapons. By the way, who there thinks our boats are too noisy?..

In 1987, the famous Operation Atrina began, conceived by the Navy Commander Admiral Vladimir Chernavin. K-524 went out to sea again (already under the command of cavalier I. Smelyakov), and with it four more “Pikes”, the entire thirty-third division. It was led by the hero of the Greenland raid, Admiral Shevchenko, and the ships were commanded by underwater aces: cavaliers M. Klyuev, V. Alimov, B. Muratov and S. Popkov...

The boats left Zapadnaya Litsa one after another. For the first time they walked not alone, not in pairs, but as a whole squadron! Here is one “Pike” that went beyond the “corner” - the Scandinavian Peninsula, the second, the third... The Americans knew very well about this campaign. But at hour X, the boats, stretched out in a huge column in the ocean, turned “all of a sudden” to the west and dived into the cold waters of the Atlantic. Along the way, they were given the task of finding out the situation in this part of the ocean, which was poorly covered by other types of our reconnaissance.

Alarmed by the movement of an entire division of submarine cruisers to their shores, the Americans alerted dozens of patrol aircraft, the full power of anti-submarine forces. But in vain. For eight whole days, “Pikes” disappeared from all displays and screens. The hunt for them was carried out with complete seriousness. The commanders later said: it was almost impossible to surface for a lightning-fast communication session or to pump air into the cylinders. They managed to enter the Sargasso Sea, overgrown with algae, into the Bermuda Triangle itself unnoticed. And soon ours were already several tens of miles from the Hamilton Bermuda base, where the forces of the American and British fleets are stationed... It was reported to US President Reagan: Russian missile submarines are dangerously close to the shores of America...

Five Russian nuclear-powered ships have chained tens of times more enemy forces to themselves! It’s easy to imagine how exhausted the Stars and Stripes would be if at least fifty North Sea nuclear submarines went to sea! We must carry these people in our arms. But their names did not thunder throughout the country, they were not transported in open limousines during ceremonial marches and were not showered with flowers... But we remember you, Russian heroes of the last campaigns! Your hour will strike again. The hour of those who held victory in the Third World War, the Cold War,” wrote M. Kalashnikov.

It is obvious that the United States lagged behind the USSR in the capabilities of the submarine fleet, both in the fight against enemy ships and submarines, and in the defeat of enemy territory with strategic nuclear weapons from nuclear submarines. Our submarines were superior to US submarines in terms of technical characteristics and armament.

Even after the destructive rule of the USSR by M. S. Gobachev in “1991, the USSR had 940 sea-based ballistic missiles against 672 similar ICBMs in the United States.”

The above data clearly indicate that the United States lags behind the USSR not only in the number and total power of land-based strategic offensive weapons in the form of thermonuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles, but also in ICBMs based on nuclear submarines.

Having examined the main types of weapons of the USSR and the USA, we come to the conclusion that we were not only not inferior, but superior to America, both in technical characteristics and in the quantity of all types of weapons, except aircraft carriers.

But the absence of aircraft carrier formations did not affect the security of the USSR, since we are not an island, but a continental power - aircraft carriers will meet aircraft of the USSR Air Force based on the territory of the Soviet Union and countries Eastern Europe. The West was weak to conquer or destroy the USSR by military force. But without aircraft carriers, despite our military might, we could not quickly and effectively provide assistance to other countries in repelling, as M. Kalashnikov put it, “the terrible invasion of the American-like “gray race.” We did not protect our country from the American-like ones.

K-19 was the very first nuclear submarine capable of firing a nuclear missile against an unsuspecting enemy within 3 minutes. It was a combination of nuclear energy and nuclear weapons. The Soviet Union counted on its success. The K-19 boat was a technical miracle and proved the triumph of politics. It was the most advanced addition to Khrushchev's nuclear arsenal.

In the late 50s and early 60s, each of the most powerful powers with nuclear weapons sought to gain an advantage over the other. Soviet leader N.S. Khrushchev boasted of his superiority. The Soviet leader really liked to play with nuclear weapons in the international political game, making large bets, and the K-19 boat was one of the trump cards. Khrushchev decided to turn the entire navy into a submarine fleet. In his opinion, large surface ships are a relic of the past.

The deadliest Soviet submarine, K-19, was under the command of Captain 2nd Rank Nikolai Zateev. At 33, Zateev quickly made a career in the Soviet Navy. He was the best person the K-19 could be trusted at sea. Under his command was a team of 139 people. Most were only 20 years old. The average age of officers is 26 years. These men were the elite of the Soviet submarine fleet and pioneers of nuclear submarines.

Zateev and his crew were “pioneers” on the way new form submarine warfare. Before the atomic age, submarines were powered by diesel-electric engines. They could only be underwater limited time, since it was necessary to surface to replenish air reserves and charge the batteries. In the mid-50s, nuclear energy changed the submarine, making it possible to remain under water for an unlimited time. The first nuclear submarine in the United States was a submarine called Nautilus. Then the race began. The USSR created its first nuclear submarine, Leninsky Komsomol, in 1958.

The K-19 boat was launched on October 11, 1959. She was significantly faster and twice as fast as diesel submarines. On the surface, she could travel 26 knots.
The K-19 submarine was the pride of the Soviet submarine fleet. Inside it were two nuclear reactors, providing colossal energy to the submarine's steam turbine engine. For the Soviet Union, the K-19 was a secret technical achievement. Only two years have passed since the laying of the nuclear submarine, commissioning and first mission. Neither the designers of the bureau nor the designers at the plant had the relevant experience.

Nuclear submarines were agile and silent. Missiles from them could be launched from any ocean, at any time, and completely unnoticed by the enemy. The K-19 boat was created with the purpose of being off the coast of the United States awaiting an order to strike. She was armed with last word Soviet missile technology: three R-13 missiles had a range of 600 km, but could only fire on the surface.

boat "K-19" tests and trip

In 1960, Captain 2nd Rank Zateev commanded the K-19 boat during sea trials, checking a completely new ballistic missile and the operation of nuclear reactors. After sea trials, the nuclear submarine joined the Northern Fleet.

As international tensions increased, submarine commander Zateev was ordered to take the K-19 boat out on combat patrol in the North Atlantic for three weeks and take part in naval exercises of the USSR Navy, code-named “Polar Circle”.

The Soviet war games were more than exercises - they were a show of force in which it was necessary to show that the USSR was ready for serious action. After preparation, Captain 2nd Rank Zateev took the Soviet submarine out of a top-secret base into the Barents Sea. The commander headed west into the Norwegian Sea, heading into the waters patrolled by NATO ships between Iceland and Great Britain. While the K-19 was on its course, a crisis broke out between the superpowers over Berlin, putting the crew on the very brink of war. The Soviet leadership wanted to safely lock Berlin behind the Iron Curtain. The West wanted Berlin to remain a free city. General Secretary Khrushchev met with President Kennedy at the Vienna summit, where he warned that he would take active measures regarding Berlin. He believed he could intimidate the US President by using his nuclear advantage. In such a tense atmosphere, NATO ships and aircraft patrolled the seas on the approaches north of the Atlantic. The K-19 boat had to bypass these zones and remain undetected. This was the first real test for submariners. The walls of the Soviet submarine allowed it to descend to a depth where sonar could not reach it - this is 220 meters. The tactic worked and the K-19 overcame NATO barriers and entered the North Atlantic. Now she had to hide until the next stage of her mission.

USSR naval exercises began in the Atlantic, where they took part large number ships. Naturally, this could not go unnoticed by the Americans - they began to persistently listen to the broadcast by all means. The role of the nuclear submarine K-19 in these exercises was simple - to portray an American missile-carrying submarine. If the K-19 managed to outwit the hunter, it would move on to the next stage of the mission - practical missile firing at a target in northern Russia. Taking on the role of captain of an American submarine, Zateev went under the pack ice to avoid detection. His course ran between Greenland and Iceland via clogged with ice Denmark Strait. There were huge icebergs along the course. Even at a depth of 180 meters there was no guarantee that the K-19 would not encounter one of them. Both nuclear reactors of the Soviet submarine operated without interruption. The heat generated by the nuclear reaction produces steam, which turns the submarine's propellers. The reactor is always under very high pressure. This brings the heat transfer agent to 150 degrees Celsius. One small leak could cause a disaster.

disaster at K-19

The task was completed according to plan. "K-19" is the pride of the Soviet submarine fleet with best side justified its purpose. Captain 2nd Rank Zateev at the command post checked the course laid out by the navigator and went to his cabin in the second compartment. On July 4, 1961, at 04:15, the reactor compartment alarm sounded sharply. On the control panel, the instruments showed the pressure drop on the first perimeter to zero, the compensating mufflers - at zero. This was the worst that could be expected. The K-19 commander was informed that radiation was leaking from the rector and was not responding to the control system. Instant temperature rise in the internal pipes of the reactor.

Zateev went to the reactor compartment to personally familiarize himself with the situation. He learned that the situation was becoming critical. According to the instructions, an inevitable thermal explosion awaited them. The reactor was no longer cooled. If the temperature of the core continued to rise, this would cause a catastrophic release of steam and, as a result, complete destruction. K-19 was no longer the most stealthy with the most modern weapons. It turned into an underwater atomic bomb. Zateev gave the order to surface and sent a distress signal to Moscow.

At this critical moment, when the USSR and the USA were on the brink of war over Berlin, Soviet submariners faced a nuclear disaster at sea. Khrushchev visited the US Embassy in Moscow - he wanted to check the “political tension”, and 3000 km away, the K-19 submarine was drifting in the Norwegian Sea. The commander urgently needed to contact the General Staff. Something terrible happened to nuclear reactors. A radiation leak has begun. A radiation hazard was announced on the ship, but no one had any idea about the permissible radiation doses. Captain 2nd Rank Zateev gathered all the mechanics at the control room.

The radio operator could not contact the main headquarters. Sea water has damaged the seal of the long-range antenna. The K-19 boat was left to its own devices; no one could come to the rescue. But one of the youngest officers proposed a plan to eliminate the accident that could save the nuclear submarine. Engineer Yuri Filin proposed laying an additional pipeline to the reactor oxygen removal system. Theoretically, the plan could have worked, but it was necessary to weld the pipes in the reactor compartment. Under these critical circumstances, this was the only option. The sailors needed emergency equipment, including pipes, hoses, gas masks, suits radiation protection and electro welding machine. It was necessary to start the diesel engine to provide electricity to the welding machine. While the equipment was being moved, precious minutes passed, and the temperature in the reactor core continued to rise. In order not to waste time, we decided to connect a rubber hose with an emergency cooling pump. The reactor responded by tearing the rubber hose to shreds, which is when a serious breakdown occurred. Overheated reactor when hit cold water There was an explosion of steam that tore apart the entire rubber line and people received their first large dose of radiation.

The first attempt to fix the system only made the situation worse. The radiation level outside the compartment also crept up. The captain of the reactor compartment, Lieutenant Commander Krasichkov, insisted that Zateev leave the compartment. Now the radiation began to spread throughout the nuclear submarine. The emergency welding team was preparing to enter the radiation-emitting compartment. They had no idea of ​​the horror that awaited them. With welding equipment in place, two welding crews of three now attempted to set up the cooling system for a second time, this time with metal pipe. High level radiation forced me to work 10-minute shifts. The temperature reached 399 degrees Celsius, but the reactor survived. The lives of 139 K-19 crew members were at stake.

The submarine commander still had to send people into the radiation-emitting compartment to finish the job. But one man, Lieutenant Boris Korchilov, freed him from this responsibility and volunteered to go there himself. He replaced his colleague Mikhail Krasichkov. The welding team is almost finished installing the cooling pipe. Now the moment of truth had come - it was necessary to turn on the improvised cooling system. Finally, after 4 hours, the temperature began to drop. Lieutenant Korchilov's team did their job, but success came at a terrible price. There was no more oxygen inside the reactor compartment, everything was shining there purple ionized hydrogen. The shock cooling of the reactor led to a powerful release of radiation. By this time, many had already received a lethal dose of radiation. At first the submariners looked fine, then they began to vomit yellowish mucus, some of them lost their hair very quickly, then their faces began to burn and they began to swell. Through the dedication and skillful actions of a handful of volunteers, the rest of the crew were saved. Finally the rector was controlled, but the horror continued. Radiation contamination spread throughout K-19. Not knowing the situation on the Soviet submarine "K-19", the ships and vessels of the USSR Navy continued their war games. Attempts to subordinate the long-distance communication antenna led to nothing. The only thing that remained was the transmission of the SOS signal from the Western transmitter, but there was no answer.

The waiting was nerve-wracking. Captain 2nd Rank Zateev had lost all hope, and he needed to somehow remove the crew from the nuclear submarine. He decided to head southeast in the direction of the Soviet fleet on the emergency engine. He hoped that he would be found. When K-19 was on its intended course, two officers suggested a completely different way out. They tried to convince the captain to go north to the island of Jan Mayen in the Norwegian Sea, disembark the crew there and sink the submarine. Zateev understood that a riot was impending on the ship.

"K-19" rescue

K-19 was a top-secret nuclear submarine. US intelligence did not even know about its existence. Flooding it would mean the greatest success for the West. The commander did not allow a Soviet submarine to be sent there, where, according to intelligence data, a NATO naval base was located. Suspecting a conspiracy, Captain 2nd Rank Zateev ordered all personal weapons thrown overboard with the exception of five pistols, which he distributed to the most reliable officers.

The submarine commander ordered the weakest to be taken to the deck. Finally, help was spotted on the horizon. K-19 and her crew were no longer alone. It was a Soviet Foxtrot-class submarine. The submariners were horrified by what they saw: many were vomiting, the sailors were sitting or lying on the deck. The commander understood that the people needed to get off the submarine as soon as possible and provide medical care. Through the submarine rescuer, he requested further instructions and awaited a response. However, the General Staff, paralyzed by indecision, did not respond. The next morning, no instructions were received, then captain 2nd rank Zateev decided to take the initiative into his own hands. Transfer your people to the rescue submarine. Transporting people was not an easy task in the conditions of ocean waves. Only along the protruding planes and rudders was the crew able to move to another submarine. 11 submariners were carried on stretchers, they received a huge dose of radiation and could not walk. The first Soviet rescue submarine left for base with most of the K-19 crew. The crew of the second submarine “S-270”, which had just arrived at the scene of the tragedy, immediately began to rescue the victims. Captain Zateev and another officer made a decision that, as he knew, could cost him his shoulder straps. He decided to abandon the only nuclear-powered missile submarine. There was no fire, there was no flooding - he could have been considered a coward for such an action, but it is easy to judge the actions of others while sitting in a warm chair in Moscow. As befits a captain, he was the last to leave the ship.

Captain 2nd Rank Zateev ordered the rescuer “S-270” to load the torpedo tubes of another boat and get ready to fire. If NATO ships had tried to capture the K-19, he would have ordered it to be torpedoed and sent to the bottom. Finally, a radiogram arrived from Moscow: “Another Soviet submarine is approaching to provide security for the damaged K-19.” The ordeal ended with 14 deaths.

the fate of the K-19 submarine continues

By the time they returned to base, K-19 was completely contaminated with radiation. One of the two reactors was destroyed. But the Soviet leadership decided that it was too valuable to be scrapped. Her designers were ordered to refit her. It was a serious and dangerous undertaking that took three years to complete. Two months after the incident with the infected K-19, a rocket was launched to determine the effects of radiation. The missiles performed flawlessly.

In the end, it was the rapid pace of construction of the K-19 and deficiencies in welding that led to the tragic failure. This is exactly what the first mate Vladimir Vaganov learned many years later. "K-19" was built in less than a year. In a hurry, the welding machine was damaged and a drop from the electrode got into the pipeline of the first cooling circuit.

The Soviet Union did not confirm a dangerous incident on board the K-19 for many years. Only a few weeks after the nuclear submarine was towed to base, it was widely boasted that missile-carrying submarines were the backbone of the navy. In fact, “K-19” is the first Soviet submarine that suffered an accident and went out of commission. The nuclear submarine incident deprived the Soviet Union of a key component - its nuclear arsenal at the very peak of the Cold War, but the West soon took another technological leap forward - new American satellites replaced the modern U-2 reconnaissance aircraft. The United States received a complete image of the USSR from space using the Corona satellite. At the time, the United States believed that the USSR had 250 ICBM launch sites. Satellites confirmed that the Soviet Union was deceiving the American leadership. Instead of hundreds of launch sites, only fifteen were discovered. Having received such information, US President Kennedy called Khrushchev's statement a “nuclear bluff” and refused to concede on the Berlin issue. The crisis stalled when the Soviets began building the notorious Berlin Wall.
K-19 returned to service in 1965, after being completely deactivated and rebuilt. It was converted to launch a rocket from under water. It continued to form part of the USSR's strategic submarine forces. The K-19 disaster led to an urgent review of the design of all Soviet nuclear submarines, which began to be equipped with additional reactor cooling systems. For some time, the K-19 rusted in the harbor of the Kola Peninsula, awaiting disposal.

Ironically, submariners are still proud of this submarine - a symbol of the sacrifices made on the altar of the Cold War. Those who survived the disaster on the K-19 owe their lives to a handful of sailors who selflessly fulfilled their duty and sacrificed their own lives.

Here they are:
Boris Korchilov, Yuri Ardoshkin, Evgeniy Koshenkov, Nikolai Savkin, Semyon Penkov, Valery Kharitonov, Boris Ryzhkov and Yuri Povstev.

Despite all the fears for his fate and its uncertainty, Captain 1st Rank Nikolai Vladimirovich Zateev was not subject to punishment as the only culprit. He continued to serve in the submarine fleet and died 27 years after the incident in 1998.

Specifications nuclear submarine "K-19" project 658:
Length - 114 m;
Width - 9.2 m;
Displacement - 5375 tons;
Ship's power plant - two nuclear reactors;
Speed ​​- 26 knots;
Immersion depth - 330 m;
Crew - 104 people;
Autonomy - 50 days;
Weapons:
D-2 missile system with three R-13 missiles;
Torpedo tubes 533 mm - 4;
Torpedo tubes 400 mm - 4;

Submarines that are integral part Navy, perform a series most important tasks related to the security of the Russian Federation in the World Ocean and inland waters. Currently, Russia has several varieties of such military equipment in service.

Types of submarines

The sovereignty of the state in 2018 is protected by submarines:

• diesel-electric;
• atomic.

The boats can be equipped with missiles:

• winged;
• ballistic.

Diesel-electric models can be multi-purpose or special-purpose vehicles. In the middle of the last century, one steam and gas turbine boat was built in the USSR. However, after the accident that occurred on board, she never recovered. Subsequently, such boats were not built in the country.

Nuclear underwater technology, among other things, can be:

• torpedo;
• multi-purpose;
• special purpose.

Generations of submarines

Thus, ships began to be classified after the Second World War based on their combat characteristics in anti-submarine defense conditions. The concept of “generation” arose with the advent of nuclear submarines. At that time, in the conditions of a tough arms race, it was important to carry out a radical modernization of nuclear submarines. As a result, the efforts of engineers led to qualitative leaps in the development of underwater shipbuilding.

Currently, Russia is developing the fifth generation of nuclear submarines. We started designing these vessels in March 2014. Presumably, serial production of such military equipment of the Husky project will begin in the period from 2020 to 2030.

How many in Russia today

As of 2018, the Russian Navy has 72 units of such military equipment. In service in country 13 different projects boats. At the same time, Russia’s sovereignty is protected by:

• nuclear boats with ballistic missiles in the amount of 13;
• nuclear with cruise missiles - 9 pcs.;
• nuclear multi-purpose - 18 pcs.;
• nuclear special purposes - 8 pcs.;
• diesel engines for special purposes - 1 pc.;
• diesel engines of other types - 23 pcs.

The very first model

So, we found out. Currently there are 72 of them. The country's sovereignty these days is protected by powerful equipment of this variety with excellent combat characteristics. Russian submarines are equipped with the latest navigation systems, can detect targets at the longest distances, and have fast-acting weapons.

The very same military equipment This variety has existed in our country for more than 100 years. The first submarine in Russia put into service was built at the beginning of the last century. A primitive prototype of such equipment was constructed in the state under Peter I. The author of this, in fact, the very first boat was a craftsman from the city of Sestroretsk, Efim Nikonov. The master tested his invention in the presence of the king himself. Nikonov's submarine was something like a huge barrel. Among other things, a prototype periscope was installed on it. The boat moved using ordinary oars. If necessary, it could accommodate up to 8 people.

Efim Nikonov called his brainchild a “hidden ship.” The boat's dives were successful twice. However, her trials before Peter I, unfortunately, ended in failure. The boat hit the ground, causing its bottom to break. Later, the master tried to repair his brainchild, but a leak was discovered in the boat again.

Underwater technology of Tsarist Russia

Real ships of this type began to be produced in our country back in 1902. Then, in the strictest secrecy, the tsarist government built the small submarine “Peter Koshka”. In fact, this ship was not a combat boat. It was used for sabotage in harbors. A full-fledged underwater vessel in Russian Empire built in 1904. This boat was gasoline-electric and was called “Dolphin.” She was expelled from the Navy in 1917.

Despite the fact that the first vessel of this type was built in the country in 1904, the official day of the formation of the submarine fleet in Russia is considered to be March 19, 1906. It was then that Emperor Nicholas II signed a decree on the withdrawal of the first 20 submarines from the destroyer forces.

From 1904 to 1908, the “Killer whale”, “Carp”, “Chum salmon”, “Catfish”, “Sturgeon” projects were implemented in Russia. Later the boats “Kayma”, “Akula”, “Poshtovy” and others were produced. The last development of the tsarist government before the revolution was the Bars class vessels.

USSR submarines

The first project in Russia after the revolution was “Decembrist”. These boats, unlike the Bars, were double-hulled. Each of the six ships of this series built in the young republic was equipped with eight torpedo tubes and two guns. The crew of the boats consisted of 47 people.

By the beginning of the Second World War, the Russian Navy already had 212 submarines. In addition to destroying enemy ships, during the war they were used for laying minefields, reconnaissance, and transporting people and fuel. From 1941 to 1945 23 boats were awarded the Order of the Red Banner. At the same time, 12 became guards, and 4 also became red banners.

The country's most successful submarine was the S-56, laid down in 1936. It became famous, among other things, for being the first Soviet ship to circumnavigate the world. The submarine's voyage lasted 67 days, and during this time it survived 3 enemy attacks.

First nuclear submarine

During the Second World War, diesel-electric submarines were used to perform combat missions. The first one nuclear boat was built in the country in 1959. It was called “Leninsky Komsomol”. This submarine was not the first in the world. Two more boats were built before her. The ship inherited its name from the M-106, which was previously in service. This boat was lost during the fighting in 1943.

In 1962, this ship passed under the ocean ice and surfaced at the North Pole to plant the USSR flag. Since this boat was brand new and was built in a hurry, it, unfortunately, was constantly in need of repairs. On September 8, 1967, a fire occurred on the ship, which killed 39 people. But the crew managed to avoid the explosion of torpedoes, including those with nuclear warheads. The boat returned to base on its own.

The first Soviet nuclear submarine was decommissioned in 1991. Currently, the boat is being rebuilt with the aim of organizing a museum on board. Visitors will be able to view the exhibits on board directly under water.

State of affairs today

New Russian submarines, the projects of which are currently being implemented, have good potential. But back in the 90s of the last century, due to well-known events, the Russian Navy was in a deplorable state. A similar situation existed in the country until 2000. The impetus for the new development of the country's submarine fleet was the tragedy that happened to the Kursk ship. It was after this event that the society of our country realized the deplorable state of the Russian Navy.

In subsequent years, the Russian government implemented a number of fleet reforms. This concerned both the improvement of material conditions and the training of personnel. The crisis that began in the 90s was overcome. However, even at the present moment the combat effectiveness of the submarine fleet in our country is lower than in Soviet times. There were even more ships in the Soviet Union - 250. Today, the answer to the question of how many submarines Russia has is 72 units. That is almost 4 times less. In addition, some ships today are undergoing reconstruction and modernization at shipyards.

Modern submarines

But be that as it may, some improvements were still achieved in the Russian Navy. The number of submarines in Russia has recently increased. Not long ago, two nuclear submarine projects began to be implemented in the country:

• 955 “Borey”, which replaced the outdated 667 BDR “Squid”;
• ships with 885 Yasen cruise missiles.

Russia's modern Borei submarines are part of the government's strategic defense program. Therefore, their construction at the moment is of a priority nature. Yasen boats have better characteristics than Borey. However, they also cost twice as much. Each one is made to order.

US and Russian submarines

The USA and the Russian Federation are currently the two powers with the most developed submarine fleet. At the same time, experts believe that the American one, developed according to to a greater extent during the Cold War, it has great attack potential. The Russian fleet is currently smaller in number. We found out how many submarines Russia has - 72. However, the defense potential of the Navy in this area has recently been replenished with new specimens. No new submarines have been developed for the US Navy for quite some time.

Shortly after the Christmas holidays of 1959, Admiral Ralph posted the following notice at the entrance to his office: “ I, Commander, US Atlantic Fleet, promise a case of Jack Daniels whiskey to the first submarine commander to present proof that the enemy submarine was exhausted by pursuit and was forced to surface.».

This wasn't a joke. The admiral, as if at the hippodrome, bet on the miracle of American military thought - nuclear submarine. The modern submarine produced its own oxygen and was able to remain underwater throughout the entire voyage. Soviet submariners could only dream of such a ship. During a long voyage, their crews suffocated and were forced to surface, becoming easy prey for the enemy.

The winner was the crew submarine« USS Grenadier» tail number « SS-525"chased for about 9 hours and forced it to surface off the coast of Iceland. The commander of the US submarine, Lieutenant Commander Davis, received the promised box of whiskey from the admiral's hands. They had no idea that very soon the Soviet Union would present them with its gift.

In 1945, the United States openly demonstrated to the world the destructive power of its new weapons, and now it must have a reliable means of delivering them. By air, as it was with Japan, is associated with great risk, which means the only reasonable way to deliver nuclear cargo should be submarine, but one that could secretly, without ever surfacing, deliver a decisive blow was ideal for this nuclear submarine. The creation of such a submarine was a daunting task at that time, even for the USA. Less than a year later, the first ship was laid down at a shipyard in New London, Connecticut. nuclear-powered icebreaker« USS Nautilus» tail number « SSN-571" The project was implemented in an atmosphere of such extreme secrecy that intelligence information about it reached Stalin’s desk only two years later. The Soviet Union again found itself in the role of catching up. In 1949, the first Soviet atomic bomb was tested, and in September 1952, Stalin signed a decree on the creation nuclear submarines in the USSR.

Domestic designers, as happened more than once, were forced to go their own way, as circumstances were difficult for the Soviet Union as a whole and for the Soviet military science in particular. In the USSR, defense work was always headed by people unknown to the general public, who were not written about in the newspapers. The creation of the submarine project was entrusted to the designer V. N. Peregudov. Technical project was approved.

Technical characteristics of the Project 627 nuclear submarine “K-3”, code “Kit”:

Length - 107.4 m;
Width - 7.9 m;
Draft - 5.6 m;
Displacement - 3050 tons;
- nuclear, power 35,000 hp;
Surface speed - 15 knots;
Underwater speed - 30 knots;
Immersion depth - 300 m;
Navigation autonomy - 60 days;
Crew - 104 people;
Armament:
Torpedo tubes 533 mm: bow - 8, stern - 2;

The idea of ​​combat use submarine was as follows: a boat armed with a giant torpedo is taken out by tugs from the base point to the dive point, from where it continues to swim underwater to a given area. Upon receiving the order, the nuclear submarine fires a torpedo, attacking enemy naval bases. During the entire autonomous navigation, ascent nuclear-powered ship not planned, means of protection and counteraction are not provided. After completing the task, she becomes practically defenseless. Interesting fact, first nuclear submarine was designed and built without the participation of the military. The only torpedo with a thermonuclear charge submarines had a caliber of 1550 mm and a length of 23 m. Submariners it immediately became clear what would happen to submarine when launching this super-torpedo. At the moment of launch, the entire mass of water will be fired along with the torpedo, after which an even larger mass of water will fall inside the hull and will inevitably create an emergency trim. To level it, the crew will have to blow out the main ballast systems and an air bubble will be released to the surface, allowing them to immediately detect nuclear submarine, which means its immediate destruction. In addition, specialists from the Navy General Staff found that not only in the United States, but throughout the world there are only two military bases that can be destroyed by such a torpedo. Moreover, they had no strategic significance.

The giant torpedo project was buried. Life-size mock-ups of the equipment were destroyed. Change project nuclear submarine took a whole year. Workshop No. 3 became a closed production facility. Its workers did not have the right to tell even their relatives where they worked.

In the early 50s, hundreds of kilometers from Moscow, the GULAG forces built the first nuclear power plant, the purpose of which was not production. electrical energy for the national economy - it was a prototype of a nuclear installation for nuclear submarine. The same prisoners built a training center with two stands in a pine forest. Over the course of six months, all the fleets of the Soviet Union recruited the crew of the future nuclear submarine, long-term sailors and officers. Not only health and military training were taken into account, but also a pristine biography. Recruiters had no right to utter the word atom. But somehow, in a whisper, rumors spread where and what they were invited to. Getting to Obninsk became a dream. Everyone was dressed in civilian clothes, the military chain of command was abolished - everyone addressed each other only by first name and patronymic. The rest is strictly military order. The personnel were painted as on a ship. The cadet could answer anything from strangers, except that he was a submariner. It was always forbidden to pronounce the word reactor. Even during lectures, teachers called it a crystallizer or apparatus. The cadets practiced a variety of actions to escape the release of radioactive gas and aerosols. The most significant problems were fixed by the prisoners, but the cadets also had their share. Nobody really knew what radiation was. In addition to alpha, beta and gamma radiation, there were harmful gases in the air, even household dust was activated, no one thought about it. The traditional 150 grams of alcohol was considered the main medicine. The sailors were convinced that this was how they removed the radiation picked up during the day. Everyone wanted to go sailing and were afraid of being written off even before the launch submarine to the water.

Lack of coordination between departments has always hindered any project in the USSR. So for the crew of the first nuclear submarine and throughout submarine fleet in general, two hits are made. The Minister of Defense of the USSR, Marshal Zhukov, who, with all due respect to his land-based services in the navy, understood little, issued an order halving wages extra conscripts. Practically trained specialists began to submit reports for dismissal. Of the six recruited crew first nuclear submarine There is only one left who loves his business more than his well-being. With the next blow, Marshal Zhukov canceled the second crew nuclear submarine. With the advent of the submarine fleet, the order was established - two crews. After a multi-month campaign, the first went on vacation, and the second took up combat duty. The tasks of submarine commanders have become exponentially more complicated. They had to come up with something to find time for the crew to rest without canceling combat duty.

launch of the first nuclear submarine of the USSR

And at the Severodvinsk Machine-Building Plant it is ready nuclear submarine« K-3", laid down on September 24, 1954, was already waiting for its first crew. Interior looked like works of art. Each room was painted in its own color bright colors pleasing to the eye. One of the bulkheads is made in the form of a huge mirror, and the other is a picture of a summer meadow with birch trees. The furniture was made to special order from valuable wood and, in addition to its intended purpose, could be turned into an object to help in emergency situations. So the large table in the wardroom was transformed into an operating room if necessary.

The design of the Soviet submarine was very different from the American one submarines. On a submarine " USS Nautilus» the usual diesel principles were repeated submarines, only a nuclear installation was added, and the Soviet submarines« K-3“It was a completely different architecture.

On July 1, 1958, the time came for launching. A canvas was stretched over the conning tower, hiding the forms. As you know, sailors are superstitious people, and if a bottle of champagne does not break on the side of the ship, they will remember this at critical moments during the voyage. Among the members admissions committee panic arose. The entire cigar-shaped hull of the new ship was covered with a layer of rubber. The only hard place on which a bottle can break is the small guard of the horizontal rudders. Nobody wanted to take risks and take responsibility. Then someone remembered that women are good at breaking champagne. Young employee of KB " Malachite" confidently swung, and everyone took a breath of relief. Thus was born the first-born of the Soviet nuclear submarine fleet.

By evening when leaving nuclear submarine a strong wind rose into the open sea, which gusts blew away all the carefully installed camouflage from the hull, and submarine appeared before the eyes of the people who found themselves on the shore in its original form.

An interesting fact - when the Americans opened the archives of the Cold War, it was discovered that quite a short time after the launch of the first nuclear submarine "K-3", Captain 1st Rank of the US Navy Berins sailed his submarine at the mouth of the canal leading to the port of Murmansk. He came so close to a Soviet port that he was able to observe the sea trials of a Soviet, but diesel, ballistic missile submarine. The Americans never found out about the Soviet nuclear submarine.

Project 627 nuclear submarines received NATO classification “November”

Nuclear submarine« K-3"turned out excellent in all respects. In comparison with the American submarine, it looked more impressive. After passing all the required tests, the nuclear submarine " K-3"Project 627 was given the name " Leninsky Komsomol"And on July 4, 1958, she became part of the USSR Navy. Already in the summer of 1962, the crew Lenin Komsomol" repeated the feat of the Americans, who in 1958 first nuclear submarine USA " USS Nautilus"made a trip to the North Pole, and then repeated it several times on other nuclear submarines.

Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev personally presented awards to the submariners for the Arctic campaign. The captain of the nuclear submarine Lev Zhiltsov became a Hero of the Soviet Union. The entire crew, without exception, received orders. Their names became known throughout the country.

After the feat in the ice nuclear submarine« Leninsky Komsomol"has become a modern "Aurora" and the subject of visits by numerous delegations. Propaganda window dressing almost completely replaced military service. The captain of the submarine was sent to study at the General Staff Academy, experienced officers were sent to headquarters and ministries, and sailors, instead of servicing complex military equipment, took part in all kinds of congresses and conferences. Soon they had to pay for it in full.

According to Soviet intelligence data, it became known that in neutral waters Mediterranean Sea American is secretly on patrol. The leadership of the USSR Navy hastily began to discuss who to send there and it turned out that there were no available people nearby. We remembered about nuclear submarine« K-3». Submarine hastily equipped with a prefabricated crew. A new commander was appointed. On the third day of the trip to submarine the aft horizontal rudders were de-energized and the air regeneration system failed. The temperature in the compartments rose to 40 degrees. A fire started in one of the combat units, and the fire quickly spread throughout the compartments. Despite persistent rescue efforts, 39 submariners died. Based on the results of an investigation conducted by the Navy command, the crew’s actions were recognized as correct. And the crew was nominated for state awards.

But soon submarine« Leninsky Komsomol“A commission arrived from Moscow, and one of the staff officers found a lighter in the torpedo compartment. It was suggested that one of the sailors climbed in there to smoke, which was the reason nuclear submarine disaster. Award sheets were torn to shreds, and penalties were announced instead.

submarine "Leninsky Komsomol" in Pala Bay, 2004

Superpower rivalry in submarine fleets was intense. The struggle was on power, size and reliability. Powerful nuclear missiles have appeared, for which there are no flight range limits. To sum up the confrontation, we can say that in some ways the US naval forces were superior to the Soviet navy, but in some ways they were inferior.

So, Soviet nuclear submarines were faster and with a greater reserve of buoyancy. The records of immersion and underwater speed still remain with the USSR. About 2,000 enterprises of the former Soviet Union were involved in the production of nuclear submarines with ballistic missiles on board. During the Cold War, the USSR and the USA each threw $10 trillion into the arms race. No country could withstand such waste.

the first nuclear submarine "Leninsky Komsomol" in illustrations

The Cold War has faded into history, but the concept of defense capability has not disappeared. 50 years after the firstborn " Leninsky Komsomol» 338 were built nuclear submarines, 310 of which are still in service today. Operation nuclear submarine« Leninsky Komsomol"continued until 1991, while the submarine served on a par with other nuclear-powered ships. After write-off " K-3» submarine they plan to convert it into a museum ship, the corresponding project has already been developed at the design bureau " Malachite", but for unknown reasons the ship remains inactive, gradually falling into disrepair.

Soviet and Russian submarines of the post-war period

Between 1949 and 1957, 236 diesel-electric submarines of Project 613 (Whiskey type) were built in the Soviet Union using the sectional assembly method, the model for which was the German submarine of the XXI series. Some of these boats were equipped with diving apparatus for combat swimmers located on the upper part of the hull.

Date of launch: 1949 (lead boat of the project). Crew: — 50 people. Displacement: surface - 1050 tons, underwater - 1350 tons. Dimensions: 76 m x 6.5 m x 5 m. Armament: four 533 mm and two 400 mm torpedo tubes. Power plant: two-shaft, diesel-electric, 8000/2700 hp. With. Surface cruising range: 13,000 nautical miles (24,100 km) at 10 knots. Speed: surfaced - 18 knots, submerged - 14 knots.

Foxtrot-class submarines are the most successful Soviet diesel-electric submarines of post-war construction. From 1958 to 1984, 62 submarines of this type were built. Such boats were regularly part of the Soviet fleet formations on duty in the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Since 1968, Foxtrot boats have been exported in large quantities.

Date of launch: 1959 (first boat). Crew: 80 people. Displacement: surface - 1950 tons, underwater - 2540 tons. Dimensions: 91.5 m x 8 m x 6.1 m. Armament: ten 533 mm torpedo tubes. Power plant: three-shaft, diesel-electric with a capacity of 5700/5400 hp. c + electric motor for economic propulsion (140 hp). Surface cruising range: 30,000 nautical miles (55,600 km) at 8 knots. Speed: surfaced - 17 knots, submerged - 16.5 knots.

Diesel-electric submarines of Project 641B (Tango type) were built between 1972 and 1982 and are a further development of Project 641 submarines (Foxtrot type). During this time, 18 such ships of several slightly different modifications were manufactured at the shipyards in Gorky.

Date of launch: 1971 (head sample). Crew: 78 people. Displacement: surface - 2750 tons, underwater - 3546 tons. Dimensions: 90.2 m x 9.6 m x 7 m. Armament: six 533-mm bow torpedo tubes (24 torpedoes). Power plant: two-shaft, diesel-electric, power 5250/5400 hp. With. Surface cruising range: 12,000 nautical miles (22,200 km) at 10 knots. Speed: surfaced - 20 knots, submerged - 16 knots.

The main type of diesel submarines of the modern Russian Navy. The Project 877 submarine (Kilo type) was launched in Komsomolsk-on-Amur in early 1980. Since 1982, submarines of this type began to be built at the Gorky Shipyard, and since 1985 for export deliveries - at the Ship Mechanical Plant in Leningrad. In 1998, the Russian Navy operated fifteen Kilo-class submarines. In addition, boats of this type are built for export.

Date of launch: early 1980 (head sample). Crew: 53 people. Displacement: surface - 2325 tons, underwater - 3076 tons. Dimensions: 72.6 m x 9.9 m x 6.6 m. Armament: six 533-mm torpedo tubes, Igla air defense system. Power plant: single-shaft, diesel-electric, 4000/5500 hp. With. + ED economic progress (1500 hp). Surface cruising range: 6,000 nautical miles (11,112 km) at 10 knots. Speed: surfaced - 15 knots, submerged - 18 knots.

The first Soviet nuclear submarines of Project 627 (627A) (November type) were built in Severodvinsk from 1958 to 1963. The main purpose of these boats was to conduct combat operations against large enemy surface vessels, including attacks on formations of aircraft carriers and battleships.

Date of launch: 1958 Crew: 110 people. Displacement: surface - 3100 tons, underwater - 4800 tons. Dimensions: 109.7 m x 9.1 m x 6.7 m. Armament: eight 533 mm torpedo tubes. Power plant: twin-shaft, water-cooled nuclear reactor and two steam turbines with a total capacity of 35,000 hp. With. Surface cruising range: unlimited. Speed: surfaced - 15 knots, submerged - 30 knots.

Nuclear submarine with a titanium hull. It entered service in December 1971. This was the first ship of the Lyra class (project 705), which received the designation Alfa in the west. Between 1972 and 1982, five more such boats were built. The nuclear reactor and turbine unit allowed the boat to reach a phenomenal underwater speed of 42 knots.

Date of launch: 1970 Crew: 31 people (officers only). Displacement: surface - 2310 tons, underwater - 3980 tons. Dimensions: 79.5 m x 9.5 m x 6.9 m. Armament: six 533-mm torpedo tubes, 18 conventional or nuclear torpedoes, or 36 min. Power plant: nuclear reactor with liquid metal cooling system, two steam turbines, auxiliary diesel. Surface cruising range: unlimited (autonomy 50 days). Speed: surfaced - 14 knots, submerged - 43 knots.

Project 670M submarines (Charlie II type), built in Gorky between 1972 and 1980, are improved ships of the previous Project 670 (Charlie I). The body length has increased by 9 meters due to an additional compartment located in front of the stabilizer. It houses electronic guidance devices that enable the firing of SS-N -15 and SS-N -16 anti-submarine missiles. In addition, six Charlie II-class boats are armed with SS-N-9 (Malachite) anti-ship missiles, which have a speed of Mach 0.9, a range of 60 miles and are equipped with either nuclear (250 kilotons) or conventional warheads. All submarines of this type are part of the Northern Fleet.

Date of launch: 1973 Crew: 98 people. Displacement: surface - 4372 tons, underwater - 5500 tons. Dimensions: 104.9 m x 9.6 m x 7.8 m. Armament: eight launchers of the Malachite complex, four 533 mm and two 406 mm torpedo tubes (12 and 4 torpedoes). Power plant: single-shaft, nuclear reactor and steam turbine, power 18800 hp. With. Surface cruising range: unlimited. Speed: surfaced - 15 knots, submerged - 24 knots.

In 1983, two nuclear submarines, classified by NATO as the Sierra I class (Russian name - Barracuda), were laid down in the Soviet Union at the shipyards in Gorky and Severodvinsk. These boats were launched in July 1986 and completed in 1987. One of them, Tula, was part of the Northern Fleet in the late 90s; another submarine of the same type was withdrawn from the fleet in 1997. Following these boats, two submarines of the Sierra II type were built in the USSR. The first of them, the boat “Pskov”, originally called “Zubatka”, was launched in June 1988, and the second, “Nizhny Novgorod”, previously called “Okun”, was launched in July 1992. The diving depth of Sierra II type boats is 750 m. design feature submarines of this type is a large gap between the light and durable hulls, which made it possible to reduce the external noise of the boat and increase its survivability.

Date of launch: June 1983 (Carp, Sierra I type). Crew: 61 people. Displacement: surface - 6300 tons, underwater - 9100 tons. Dimensions: 107 m x 12.5 m x 8.8 m. Armament: four 650 mm and four 533 mm torpedo tubes. Power plant: single-shaft, nuclear reactor and steam turbine with a capacity of 43,000 hp. With. Surface cruising range: unlimited. Speed: surfaced - 19 knots, submerged - 35 knots.

The first Soviet nuclear ballistic missile submarines. During the Cold War, three or four Project 667 (667A) submarines (Yankee class) were constantly stationed off the west coast of the United States, with a constant rotation of submarines in the patrol area. In the event of war, this forward detachment was supposed to attack with missiles US air defense bases, aircraft carriers and nuclear missile submarines in ports, as well as nodes of the US command and control system. After this, an intercontinental ballistic missile strike could be carried out without hindrance.

Date of launch: 1967 Crew: 120 people. Displacement: surface - 7766 tons, underwater - 9300 tons. Dimensions: 129.8 m x 11.7 m x 8.7 m. Armament: four 533 mm torpedo tubes, two 406 mm torpedo tubes, 16 RSM-25 missiles . Power plant: twin-shaft, echeloned - two nuclear reactors, two turbines with a capacity of 52,000 hp. pp., two electric motors for low-noise operation. Surface cruising range: unlimited (autonomy 70 days). Speed: surfaced - 16 knots, submerged - 26 knots.

In the early 70s, the Soviet Union began construction of Project 667B nuclear submarines (Delta I type) (“Murena”), which are an improved version of Project 667A submarines (Yankee type). The boats were armed with twelve two-stage SS-N-8 ballistic missiles, which had a range superior to the American Poseidon missiles. The first boat of the Delta I type was laid down in Severodvinsk in 1969 and launched in 1971. In subsequent years, sixteen more similar boats were built.

Date of launch: 1972 Crew: 120 people. Displacement: surface - 8900 tons, underwater: - 13700 tons. Dimensions: 139 m x 11.6 m x 8.4 m. Armament: sixteen R-29 (SS-N -8) missiles, four 533 mm and two 400 -mm torpedo tubes. Power plant: two pressurized water nuclear reactors, two TPAs ​​with a total power of 52,000 hp. With. Surface cruising range: unlimited. Speed: surfaced - 16 knots, submerged - 26 knots.

In the period from 1976 to 1982, the construction of nuclear submarines of Project 667 BDR (Delta III type) (Kalmar) was carried out in the Soviet Union. The boats were armed with sixteen SS-N -18 ballistic missiles. In 1984, the first nuclear submarine of Project 667BDRM (Delta IV type) (Dolphin) was built in Severodvinsk. In subsequent years, seven more boats of this type were built, including Karelia and Novomoskovsk. The boats are part of the Northern and Pacific fleets.

667BDR. Date of launch: 1976 Crew: 130 people. Displacement: surface - 10,550 tons, underwater - 16,000 tons. Dimensions: 155 m x 11.72 m x 8.7 m. Armament: sixteen missiles

R-29Р (SS-N -18), four 533 mm and two 406 mm torpedo tubes. Power plant: two-shaft, two pressurized water nuclear reactors, two TPA with a total power of 60,000 hp. With. Surface cruising range: unlimited. Speed: surfaced - 14 knots, submerged - 24 knots. 667BDRM. Crew: 140 people. Displacement: surface - 11,740 tons, underwater - 18,000 tons. Dimensions: 167 m x 12.2 m x 8.8 m. Armament: sixteen R-29R (SS-N -18) missiles, four 533 mm and two 406- mm torpedo tubes. Power plant: two-shaft, two pressurized water nuclear reactors, two TPA with a total power of 60,000 hp. With. Surface cruising range: unlimited. Speed: surfaced - 14 knots, submerged - 24 knots. Russian Project 941 nuclear submarines (Typhoon class) are armed with three-stage solid-fuel ballistic missiles SS-N-20 Sturgeon. Each such missile is equipped with ten nuclear warheads with a yield of 200 kilotons. The missile's flight range is 8300 km, that is, 4500 miles. The working depth of the Project 941 submarine is 300 m; upon surfacing, the boat can break through ice up to 3 m thick. Between 1980 and 1989, six submarines of this type were built. Date of launch: September 23, 1980 Crew: 175 people. Displacement: surface - 28,500 tons, underwater - 49,800 tons. Dimensions: 172.85 m x 23.3 m x 11.5 m. Armament: 20 RSM-52 ICBM launchers, four 533-mm torpedo tubes, 8 Igla missile defense systems . Power plant: twin-shaft, pressurized water nuclear reactor and steam turbines with a capacity of 100,000 hp. With. Surface cruising range: unlimited. Speed: surfaced - 13 knots, submerged - 27 knots.

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