November 2, 1996 in the city of Severodvinsk in a solemn atmosphere was laid the first (both in our country and in the world) strategic nuclear submarine belonging to the 4th generation. The new strategic missile submarine was named "Yuri Dolgoruky". Research in the field of missile submarines belonging to the new 4th generation began in the USSR in 1978.

Direct development of the project 955 submarine (code) was carried out by Rubin Central Design Bureau, the chief designer of the project was VN Zdornov. Active work began in the late 1980s. At this point, the global situation has changed, which left a certain imprint on the appearance of the new submarine. In particular, it was decided to abandon the exotic layout and gigantic dimensions possessed by the Shark PLA, returning to the “classical” scheme.

According to the original plans, the new submarine rocket carrier planned to equip the missile system created by the "Makeevskoy" firm. The main armament was to be powerful solid-fuel missiles "Bark", equipped with a new system of inertial-satellite targeting, which would significantly improve the accuracy of fire. But a series of unsuccessful rocket test launches and meager funding forced the designers to reconsider the composition of the missile carrier’s missile weapons.

In 1998, at the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering (MIT), which previously specialized in designing strategic ground-based ballistic solid-fuel missiles (including the Kurier, Pioneer, Topol, and) missiles (the well-known Medvedka ") Work began on the creation of an absolutely new rocket system, which is known as. This complex in terms of the accuracy of defeating targets and the ability to overcome enemy missile defense must surpass the American counterpart - Trident II.

The new naval missile is quite unified with the intercontinental ballistic missile Topol-M, which is in service with the RVSN, but is not a direct modification. Significant differences in the ground and sea-based features do not allow the development of a universal rocket that would meet the requirements of the Strategic Missile Forces and the Navy to the same extent.

The new sea-based missile, according to various sources, is capable of carrying from 6 to 10 nuclear units of individual guidance, which have the ability to maneuver in pitch and yaw. The total weight of the missile is 1150 kg. The maximum launch range is 8000 km, which is enough to hit almost all points in the United States with the exception of southern California and Florida. At the same time, during the last test launch, the rocket traveled 9100 km.

According to the existing plans for the modernization of the Russian submarine fleet, the Borey Project 955 SSBN should become one of the 4 types of submarines to be put into service. At one time, one of the features of the Soviet, and then the Russian fleet was the use of dozens of various modifications and types of submarines, which significantly complicated their repair and operation.

Currently, between the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation and USC - United Shipbuilding Corporation signed a contract to develop a modified version of SSBN Ave. 955A "Borey". The amount of the contract for the development of boats amounted to 39 billion rubles. Construction of submarines of Project 955A will be carried out in Severodvinsk at PO Sevmash. The submarines of the new project will each have 20 Bulava SLBMs and an improved set of computing facilities.

Creation history and design features

Since the late 80s, the Project 955 submarine was designed as a two-shaft SSBN, similar in design to the submarines of the 667 BDRM Dolphin series with a reduced height of the mines of ballistic missiles for the Bark missile system. Under this project, a submarine with factory number 201 was laid in 1996. In 1998, it was decided to abandon the Bark SLBM in favor of creating a new solid-fuel Bulava missile with other dimensions.

This decision led to the redesign of the submarine. At the same time, it became clear that the submarine could not be built and put into operation within a reasonable time frame in the face of reduced funding and the collapse of the USSR. The collapse of the USSR led to the cessation of deliveries of specific grades of metal-roll produced by Zaporozhye Steel Foundry, which turned out to be on the territory of independent Ukraine. At the same time, when creating boats, it was decided to use the groundwork for unfinished submarines of projects 949A “Antey” and 971 “Shchuka-B”.

The movement of the submarine is carried out using a single-shaft propulsion system with propulsion qualities. Similar to the Project 971 submarines of the Pike-B, the new submarine has retractable nasal horizontal rudders with flaps, as well as two reclining thrusters that increased its maneuverability.

Submarines of the Borey project are equipped with a rescue system - a rescue pop-up camera that can accommodate the entire crew of the submarine. The rescue chamber is located in the boat hull behind the SLBM launchers. In addition, there are 5 life rafts of the KSU-600N-4 class on an underwater bomber.

The hull of the submarine project 955 "Borey" has a two-part design. Most likely, the durable hull of the boat is made of steel up to 48 mm thick and with a yield strength of 100 kgf / sq. Mm. The submarine hull is assembled using the block method. The equipment of the submarine is mounted inside its hull in depreciation blocks on special shock absorbers, which are part of the general construction system of a two-stage damping system. Each of the shock-absorbing blocks is isolated from the submarine hull with the help of rubber-cord pneumatic shock absorbers. The bow end of the cutting deck PLA is made with a slope forward, this is done in order to improve the flow.

The hull of the submarine is covered with a special rubber anhydroacoustic coating, also in its design, probably, active means of noise reduction are applied. According to A.Dyachkov, director general of Rubin Central Design Bureau, submarines of the Borey Project 955 have 5 times less noise than the Antey 949A submarines or 971 Shchuk-B submarines.

Hydroacoustic armament of the submarine is represented by MGT-600B Irtysh-Amfora-Borey - a single automated digital GAK, which unites as GAK itself in its pure sense (echo direction finding, noise-finding, target classification, GA-communication, detection of GA-signals), so are all hydroacoustic stations of the so-called “small acoustics” (measurement of the speed of sound, measurement of ice thickness, mine detection, detection of torpedoes, search for wormwood and divorces). It is assumed that the range of this complex will surpass the SJC of American submarines of the “Virginia” type.

A nuclear power plant (NPP) was installed on the submarine, most likely with a VM-5 thermal water neutron reactor or a similar one with a capacity of about 190 MW. The reactor uses a control and protection system PUF - "Aliot". According to unconfirmed information so far, the new generation NPI will be installed on the boats of this project. For the movement of the submarine, a single-shaft steam-turbine steam-turbine unit with a main turbo-gear unit OK-9VM or similar with improved damping and power of approximately 50,000 hp is used.

To improve maneuverability, the submarine of Project 955 "Borey" is equipped with 2 thrusters of two-speed propulsion electric engines PG-160, each with a power of 410 hp. (according to other data with a capacity of 370 hp). These electric motors are located in the advanced columns in the rear part of the submarine.

The main armament of the boat are solid propellant ballistic missiles R-30 "Bulava", created by the Moscow Institute of Heat. Shipboard military launch complex (KBSK) was established in the GRTs them. Makeeva (city of Miass). On the first boats of the Project 955, the Borey will have 16 Bulava submarines each; on the boats of the Project 955A their number will be increased to 20 units.

In addition to rockets, the boat has 8 bow 533-mm torpedo tubes.  (Maximum ammunition 40 torpedoes, rocket-torpedoes or self-transporting mines). USET-80 torpedoes and Vodopad missiles can be used from the boat. There are also 6 one-time non-rechargeable 533-mm REPS-324 “Barrier” launchers for launching hydroacoustic countermeasure facilities, which are located in the superstructure (similar to the Project 971 boats). Ammunition - 6 self-propelled instruments of hydroacoustic counteraction: MG-104 "Throw" or MG-114 "Beryl".

As of May 2011, it was known that, starting with the 4th hull of the Borey Project 955 submarine (conventionally Ave. 09554), the shape of the hull of the boat, which will become closer to the originally designed submarine, will change. Probably, these boats will be built without the use of the reserve, which remained from the PLA of project 971. In the nasal compartments of the SSBN it is planned to abandon the two-hull.

Along with the bow antennas of the Irkysh-Amphora State Joint-Stock Company, the long-drawn case antennas of the SAC will be used. Torpedo tubes are planned to move closer to the center of the hull and make them airborne. The front rudders are going to move to the wheelhouse. The number of mines is planned to increase to 20, with a decrease in the size of the permeable superstructure in the area of ​​mines. The power plant, which will be unified with other submarines of the 4th generation, will also be modernized.

Main TTX boats:
  Crew - 107 people (including 55 officers);
  Maximum length - 170 m;
  The greatest width - 13.5 m;
  Draft hull average - 10 m;
  Underwater displacement - 24,000 tons;
  Surface displacement - 14.720 tons;
  Underwater speed - 29 knots;
  Surface speed - 15 knots;
  Maximum immersion depth - 480 m;
  The immersion depth is 400 m;
  The autonomy of swimming - 90 days;
  Armament - 16 launchers of missiles R-30 “Bulava”, on project 955A boats - 20PUs, 8x533 torpedo tubes.

/According to the materials militaryrussia.ru  and vadimvswar.narod.ru /

ATTACHMENT:

Submarine device

This section is written on the basis of materials taken from the site http://randewy.narod.ru/nk/pl.html “Young Sailor’s Internet Club”, and is intended to give an overview of the design and construction of submarines. Although the illustrations refer to the mid-twentieth century, they nevertheless give an idea of ​​the design of modern submarines, which differ from those shown in the drawings, primarily by their size and shape, adapted for swimming underwater, and not for swimming on the surface and “diving ", As it was before the appearance of nuclear submarines and the development of anti-submarine defense.

Submarines can be of one of three architectural-constructive types. The figure above shows cross-sections of boats of various architectural and structural types.   (there are numerals on it: 1 - durable hull, 2 - superstructure, 3 - fencing of felling and sliding devices, 4 - durable chopping, 5 - main ballast tanks, 6 - light hull; 7 - keel; the meaning of these terms is explained further in the text ):

· single body (a),  having a “naked” robust body that ends at the bow and stern with well-streamlined extremities of lightweight construction;

· semi-enclosures (b),  besides having a strong case, it is also light, but part of the surface of a strong case remains open;

· two-part (in),  having two cases: internal - lasting  and outdoor - light. At the same time, the light hull has a streamlined shape, completely covers the robust hull and extends the entire length of the boat. The interspace is used to accommodate various equipment and parts of tanks.

Submarines of the USSR and Russia are double-hulled. Most US nuclear submarines (they have not built diesel-electric since the early 1960s) are single-hull. This is an expression of top priority for naval strategists of various qualities: surface flooding for the USSR and Russia and secrecy for the United States.

Robust housing  - the main structural element of the submarine, ensuring its safe location at depth. It forms a closed volume, impermeable to water. Inside the robust building there are rooms for personnel, main and auxiliary mechanisms, weapons, various systems and devices, batteries, various supplies, etc. Its internal space is divided along the length by transverse watertight bulkheads into compartments, which are named according to their purpose and, accordingly, the nature of the weapons and equipment placed in them.

In the vertical direction, the compartments are separated by decks (stretch throughout the entire length of the boat hull from compartment to compartment) and platforms (within one compartment or several compartments). Accordingly, the premises of the boat have a multi-tiered arrangement, which increases the amount of equipment per unit volume of the compartments. The distance between decks (platforms) “in the light” is made over 2 m, i.e. somewhat larger than the average height of a person.

Structurally durable housing consists of frames and cladding. The bars have, as a rule, a circular ring, and in the extremities may have an elliptical shape and are made of sectional steel. They are installed from one another at a distance of 300 - 700 mm, depending on the design of the boat, both from the inside and from the outside of the hull plating, and sometimes combined from both sides.

The sheathing of the robust hull is made of special rolled sheet steel and welded to the frames. The thickness of the cladding sheets reaches 35 - 40 mm, depending on the diameter of the robust hull and the maximum depth of the submarine.

Bulkhead durable hull are durable and light.

Bulkheadsdivide the internal volume of modern submarines into 6 - 10 waterproof compartments. Durable bulkheadsthey block shelter compartments where surviving crew members can prepare for an independent ascent from a sunken boat to the surface or wait for outside help. The location of the solid bulkheads are internal and end; in shape, they are flat and spherical (spherical somewhat lighter than flat ones with the same strength, and internal spherical bulkheads are convex towards the shelter compartments).

Light bulkheads  they are intended to separate functionally specialized rooms and ensure the ship’s surface unsinkability (i.e., when flooding the compartments, they withstand water pressure only if the boat is on the surface or at a depth of between 20 and 30 m).

Structurally, the bulkheads are made of kit and plating. A bulkhead kit usually consists of several vertical and transverse racks (beams). Sheathing is made of sheet steel.

The end watertight bulkheads of the sturdy hull are of equal strength with it and close it in the fore and aft ends. These bulkheads serve on most submarines as rigid supports for torpedo tubes, shafting, steering gear drives, fixing the set and the internal structures of the light ends.

The compartments communicate with each other through waterproof doors that have a round or rectangular shape. These doors are equipped with quick-release locking devices.

In the upper part of the robust hull, a solid cabin is installed, communicating through the lower hatch with the central post (inside the durable hull) and through the upper hatch with the bridge (at the top of the felling fence and retractable devices - periscopes, antennas). On most modern submarines, solid logging is performed in the form of a circular cylinder with a vertical axis or is a combination of a cylindrical part and truncated cones. On some boats, a solid cabin is designed so that it can be used as a pop-up rescue chamber, the purpose of which is to evacuate the entire crew or some part of it (which retained the possibility of access to the central post and pop-up camera after the accident)  from a sinking or sunken submarine.

At present, on most boats, the main purpose of a solid cabin is to carry out the entrance to the strong hull as high as possible above the surface of the water when sailing on the surface. In addition, since the central position on many boats is one of the shelters, the durable cabin is designed to perform the function of an airlock when people leave the sunken boat.

Outside, a solid chopping house and sliding devices located behind it, in order to improve the flow, when moving in the submerged position, are closed with light structures, which are called a felling barrier or a sliding device fence. At the top of the fence there is a running bridge with a full set of devices necessary for controlling the boat in the surface position and means of communication with the central post. There are exits to the upper deck from the deckhouse fencing (in fact, the entrance to the robust hull through the robust deck hatches is the main one, since the hatches in the robust hull of the boat operation manual are required to be kept closed in most cases).

The torpedo loading and entrance hatches are located in the upper part of the robust hull and are closed from above with lightweight structures called superstructure. In most cases, these hatches are located in shelter compartments and are life-saving, for which purpose they are equipped with locking devices. The superstructure also contains devices designed for mooring, towing a boat and securing its anchorage.

Tanksdesigned for diving, surfacing, signage and trimming boats, as well as for storage of liquid cargo (fuel, oils, etc.). Depending on the purpose of the tank are divided into tanks: main ballast, auxiliary ballast, ship stocks and special. Structurally, depending on the purpose and nature of use, they are either durable, i.e. calculated for the maximum immersion depth, or light, capable of withstanding a pressure of 1–3 kg / cm 2 (kg is an off-system unit, a kilogram of force equal to a weight of 1 kg mass with a free fall acceleration of 9.81 m / s 2). They can be located inside the robust hull, as well as in the space between the strong and light hull in the middle of the ship and in the light extremities in the bow and stern with respect to the robust hull.

Keel- welded (formerly riveted) box-shaped, trapezoidal, T-shaped and sometimes semi-cylindrical section beam, located in the bottom of the boat hull. It is designed to provide longitudinal strength, to protect the hull from damage when laying on stony ground and to accept and redistribute the load when the boat is docked. It can be located in the between-shell space on double-hulled boats, and on the one-and-a-half and single-hull can be located both inside the robust hull and outside - depending on what is more important for the customer - good hydrodynamics or protection of the sturdy hull from mechanical damage those or other tactical purposes put on the ground.

Light body  - structurally includes a rigid frame (set), consisting of frames (transverse stiffeners), stringers (longitudinal stiffeners and plate elements of the set), transverse impermeable bulkheads; The frame is a carrier of the lining of the light body. Structurally, a set of lightweight body is connected with a durable body inside it. The lightweight hull has a streamlined shape that provides the required seaworthiness both in the surface and in the submerged position. The light hull is subdivided into parts: the outer hull, fore and aft ends, superstructure. At the same time, both permeable and impermeable structures (tanks) are included in its composition. In addition to the light hull, the construction of the boat includes separate, mostly permeable, structural elements: felling protection, stabilizers, fairings of various kinds of devices placed outside the strong hull and beyond the contours of the “ideal” forms of the light hull.

The outer case is the waterproof part of the light case, located along the strong case. It closes a solid hull around the perimeter of the boat’s cross section from the keel to the upper waterproof stringer and extends along the length of the ship from the bow to the aft end bulkheads of the solid hull or tanks of the main ballast. Some boats have an ice belt, which is a thickening of the hull of the light hull in the area of ​​the cruising waterline.

The extremities of the light hull serve to streamline the bow and stern of the submarine; They extend from the end bulkheads of the solid hull to the stem (in the bow) and the stern stem (in the stern), respectively. However, boats (primarily nuclear, which most of the time swimming is carried out under water) can have a drop-shaped hull without a stem and a stern stem (the stem and stern stem are vertical stiffeners in the ship’s hull kit, which make the bow and stern sharpened accordingly, which is necessary to reduce water resistance when swimming on the surface).

In the nose tip are located: the nose torpedo tubes, tanks of the main ballast and buoyancy, a chain box, anchor device, receivers and radiators of the main sonar stations.

In the aft tip are: tanks of the main ballast, horizontal and vertical rudders, stabilizers, propeller shafts and screws. Some boats have fodder torpedo tubes (most modern boats do not have fodder torpedo tubes: this is primarily due to the large size of propellers and stabilizers, as well as the fact that the control algorithms of torpedoes allow us to bring them to almost any course regardless direction of the shot).

Below is a longitudinal section of a diesel-electric submarine of the mid-twentieth century with an explanation of the structural elements and devices. (A longitudinal section of the Kursk submarine with explanations is presented in Fig. 5 in Chapter 6).

1. Durable case. 2. Nose torpedo tubes. 3. Lightweight body. 4. Nose torpedo compartment. 5. Torpedo loading hatch. 6. Superstructure. 7. Robust chopping. 8. Fencing felling. 9. Retractable devices. 10. Entrance hatch. 11. Aft torpedo tubes. 12. Stern tip. 13. Feather steering. 14. Aft trim tank, the purpose of which is trim trim - the longitudinal inclination of the boat. 15. Aft waterproof bulkhead. 16. Aft torpedo compartment. 17. Internal waterproof bulkhead. 18. Bay main propulsion motors. 19. Ballast tank. 20. Engine compartment. 21. Fuel tank. 22, 26. Stern and bow groups of batteries. 23, 27. Team accommodation. 24. Central post. 25. The hold of the central post. 28. Nose trim tank. 29. Nasal waterproof bulkhead. 30. Nasal tip. 31. A buoyancy tank (an attribute of some diesel-electric submarines; its purpose is to be empty when sailing in a surface position with the aim of imparting additional buoyancy to the nasal tip so that the boat can easily climb the wave, and not bored her nose - it reduces the speed and impairs handling).

The following figure shows a cross-section of the fencing of the felling of a half-body submarine of the mid-twentieth century, indicating the elements of the hull structure.

1. Navigation bridge. 2. Robust chopping. 3. Superstructure. 4. Stringer. 5. Equalization tank (designed to accurately balance the buoyancy force and the weight of the boat in a submerged position). 6. Reinforcing stand (braket). 7, 9. Knives (plates to which the elements of the kit are attached, they are designed to distribute the load and eliminate stress concentration. 8. Platform. 10. Boxed keel. 11. Diesel engine foundation. 12. Sheathing of durable hull. 13. Stamps of durable hull. 14. Main ballast tank. 15. Diagonal pillars (brakes). 16. Tank cover. 17. Light hull plating. 18. Light hull knob. 19. Upper deck.

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Ensuring durability is the most difficult task, and therefore the main attention is paid to it. In the case of a two-part design, the water pressure (excess 1 kgf / cm² for every 10 m depth) assumes rugged casehaving an optimal shape to withstand pressure. Wrap is provided light body. In some cases, with a single-hull structure, a robust case has the form that simultaneously satisfies both the conditions for withstanding pressure and the flow conditions. For example, the hull of the Dzhevetsky submarine, or the British ultra-small submarine   X-craft.

Robust case (PC)

The main tactical characteristic of the submarine, the depth of immersion, depends on how strong the body is, how much water pressure it can withstand. Depth determines the stealth and invulnerability of the boat, the greater the depth of the dive, the harder it is to detect the boat and the harder it is to hit it. Most important working depth  - the maximum depth at which the boat can stay indefinitely without residual deformations, and marginal  Depth is the maximum depth to which the boat can still sink without destruction, albeit with residual deformations.

Of course, strength must be accompanied by water resistance. Otherwise, the boat, like any ship, just can not swim.

Before going to sea or before going, during a test dive, the submarine is tested for strength and tightness of a durable hull. Immediately before immersion from the boat using the compressor (on diesel submarines - the main diesel engine), part of the air is pumped out to create a vacuum. The command "listen in the compartments" is given. At the same time monitor the cut-off pressure. If the characteristic whistle of air is heard, and / or the pressure is quickly restored to atmospheric, the durable casing is leaky. After diving into the positional position, the command “look around in the compartments” is given, and the casing and fittings are visually checked for leaks.

Light body (LC)

Light hull contours provide optimal flow at a calculated turn. Underwater position inside the light body is water, - inside and outside of it the pressure is the same and there is no need for it to be durable, hence its name. Equipment that does not require isolation from outboard pressure is located in a lightweight body: ballast and fuel (on diesel submarines) tanks, GAS antennas, steering gear thrusters.

Types of hull design

• Monocase: the main ballast tanks (CFH) are located inside the robust hull. Light body only in the extremities. The elements of the set, like a surface ship, are inside a robust hull. The advantages of this design: saving size and weight, respectively, lower the required power of the main mechanisms, the best underwater maneuverability. Disadvantages: the vulnerability of the robust hull, a small margin of buoyancy, the need to make the TsGB durable. Historically, the first submarines were single-body. Most US submarines are also single-hull.

• Double body  (TSGB inside the light housing, the light housing completely covers the robust): in the case of double-shell submersibles, the elements of the set are usually located outside the robust housing to save space inside. Advantages: increased buoyancy, more robust design. Disadvantages: increase in size and weight, complication of ballast systems, less maneuverability, including during diving and ascent. According to this scheme, the majority of Russian / Soviet boats were built. For them, the standard requirement is to ensure floodability when flooding any compartment and the adjacent Central City Hospital.

• Half body: (TSGB inside the light body, light body partially closes the durable). Advantages of one-and-a-half submarine submarines: good maneuverability, reduced dive time with a sufficiently high survivability. Disadvantages: less buoyancy, the need to put more systems in a rugged hull. This design differed medium submarines of the Second World War, for example, German type VII, and the first post-war, for example, the type of "Guppy", USA.

Superstructure

The superstructure forms an additional volume above the TSH and / or the upper deck of the submarine, for use on the surface. It is carried out easy, in a submerged position it is filled with water. It can play the role of an additional camera over the TSB, insuring the tank against emergency filling. It also has devices that do not require water resistance: mooring, anchor, emergency buoys. At the top of the tanks are ventilation valves  (KV), under them - emergency shutdowns  (AZ). Otherwise they are called the first and second constipations of the Central City Hospital.

Robust chopping

Mounted on a sturdy case on top. Performed waterproof. It is a gateway for access to the submarine through the main hatch, a rescue chamber, and often a battle post. It has upper  and lower hatch. Through it the mines of periscopes are usually missed. Robust logging provides additional flooding in the surface position - the upper hatch is high above the waterline, the danger of flooding the submarine with a smaller wave, damage to the solid logging does not violate the tightness of the durable hull. When operating under the periscope cutting allows you to increase it departure  - the height of the head above the body - and thereby increase the periscope depth. Tactically it is more profitable - an urgent dive from under the periscope is faster.

Felling fence

Less often - a fence of sliding devices. Installed around a solid logging to improve the flow around it and retractable devices. It also forms a running bridge. Performed easy.

Where the meanders of the northern shores of the Scandinavian Peninsula turn to the southeast, the northern “sea home” of the Soviet Union - the Barents Sea - begins. On the approaches to it, the Soviet ships met and took under their protection the caravans of Allied merchant ships going to our shores, did not allow the enemy to attack these ships and their escort, and often even warned of such an attack.

At the very beginning of July 1942, a large allied caravan approached the area of ​​the Barents Sea. The path of the caravan lay past the numerous, winding Norwegian fjords, deep into the land. They hid the German ships, trapping the right moment for access to sea routes of communication from America and England to the Soviet ports of the Barents and White Seas. This time, the prey seemed particularly tempting to the Germans. They decided to send to intercept the caravan large forces of their fleet, the new battleship Tirpitz. This gigantic ship with a displacement of 45,090 tons and a quarter of a kilometer in length shortly before this was put into operation by the German fleet. But "Tirpitz" went to sea not alone. The former “pocket” battleship, now classified as a cruiser, the Admiral Scheer, went along with the battleship. Eight destroyers followed with help and for the protection of both ships.

It was a formidable squadron. 152 artillery guns were on its ships, from small-caliber anti-aircraft guns on destroyers to giant guns of the caliber of 380 millimeters on the Tirpitz; 16 four-pipe torpedo tubes of destroyers could meet any enemy with 64 torpedoes. And all these ships had still high maneuverability and high speed.

Against this entire squadron, in order to block her way to the caravan, to defeat her and force her to retreat, in order to drive the predator back to his deep lair, the Soviet submarine K-21, commanded by the renowned Hero of the Soviet Union captain 2 rank N. Lunin

Lunin knew where the German ships could come from. "K-21" stood in their way, shielded by the allied caravan. Having alerted their mechanical “ears” - the noise-finders, straining their “eyes” - the periscopes, the Soviet submarine and its crew waited patiently for the enemy. They knew which ships they would fight against. The strength and multiplicity of the enemy only more inspired Soviet sailors to exploit, sharpened their ability to trap the hated enemy so that until the last moment the enemy would not even suspect the presence of a submarine. And this was difficult to achieve. German planes, also hunting for a caravan, flew over the K-21 every now and then, had to quickly go under water, skillfully hiding from the enemy's airborne enemy. Six long and painful days slowly stretched in continuous patrols along enemy shores, listening to the sounds of the sea, observing the horizon and sky. Finally, on July 5, at 4.30 pm, the direction finders “heard” the enemy ships, more - they indicated where from which direction the enemy, still invisible to the periscope, was approaching. Only half an hour later, at a distance of 50 cable lenses, the periscope caught the vague outlines of a ship that looked like a submarine. "K-21" came out to meet the enemy, on it were preparing to attack. Soon, observers reported that the submarine was spotted as a destroyer, and that now silhouettes of two such German ships are looming on the horizon. Lunin continued to maneuver to take the most advantageous position to attack. It took another 18 minutes, and then on the horizon, first there were two haze, and then the tops of the masts of two large enemy ships.

  A submarine struck a torpedo strike at an enemy warship

At K-21, they realized that it was these enemy ships that were most dangerous for the caravan, that in no case could they be missed where allied vessels were passing, that it was necessary to get close to this new, very tempting for a submarine goal and certainly hit her torpedoes. The K-21 boldly approached the enemy, and after a few minutes its commander became convinced that before him was an entire squadron of the enemy - the Tirpitz battleship and the cruiser Admiral Scheer, accompanied by eight destroyers with a displacement of 2,400 tons each. From the air, these ships were covered by aircraft.

It seemed that with such a dense, reliable protection it was impossible to get close to either the battleship or the cruiser. But Lunin dived under the enemy squadron so as to find himself in the middle of its system.

It was boldly conceived and accurately executed. And when the "K-21" stuck out its "eye" - the periscope, its commander saw that he was between the two large ships of the enemy and could choose any of them. Lunin chose a battleship. The K-21 commander knew that eight high-speed destroyers are strong guards. One has only to suspect the presence of the boat, and dozens of depth charges will explode the depths of the sea, break the attack. It was necessary not to reveal himself until the instant of a torpedo salvo. Only one salvo of two torpedoes will not succeed in repeating it. Therefore, the volley must be accurate to surely hit the battleship. It was impossible to expect that two torpedoes would sink such a huge, well-protected ship from underwater impact. But they could permanently disable it, deprive the German fleet of its best, strongest ship. The game was worth the candle, was worth the risk, was worth the stress of all the forces and skills of the hero commander and his heroic team. Lunin took a position to attack, the invisible lines of the torpedo triangle connected the "K-21" with the "Tirpitz" and the point at which the torpedoes were to hit him. And then a short team ... Two torpedoes carry their deadly charges to the enemy. The distance is so small that no maneuvers will help. The submarine quickly hides its periscope. Lunin and his people are waiting, listening intently. Seconds pass, more and more. Finally, two torpedo explosions tell the heroes that two heavy wounds were inflicted on the giant ship, which is now a lot of trouble on the battleship, on the cruiser, and on the destroyers, you must somehow bring the hit ship to the base. The enemy squadron is no longer up to the attack on the caravan. The fascists are amazed at the bold suddenness of the attack and are waiting for new underwater strikes.

"K-21" escapes from the German ships sweeping in dismay; the fascist squadron turns back, rather, rather back to its base.

So the Soviet submarine turned into a shameful flight a strong squadron of fascists and for many months brought down the most powerful German ship.

The K-21 victory over Tirpitz, Scheer and their protection is only one link in the long chain of victories of the Soviet submariners. Everywhere, where on the seas near our shores lay the paths of German warships and transports, they were trapped by well-aimed torpedoes of Soviet submarines. 450 ships and transports of the enemy were sent to the bottom of the sea Soviet submariners only in the first three years of the Patriotic War.

“K-21” is a large submarine, but in comparison with the giant “Tirpitz” it can be called a pygmy. In the ranks of the Soviet submarine fleet a lot of genuine pygmy ships, small submarines. They are called "babies." And these submarines became a thunderstorm of the fascist fleet, in their combat account many enemy ships were sunk.

Their combat role is highly appreciated in the poem of the poet Lebedev-Kumach.

  "Under the modest and affectionate nickname" baby "
  Our boats in the fleet
  But terrible jokes are able to "baby"
  To joke with an impudent enemy. ”

How did it happen and why did submarines win such a big, important place in the naval war?

Invisible enemy

After the attempts of Bushnell and Fulton, the idea of ​​creating a submarine was taken up by many inventors, who often had no relation to the fleet, to the sea. These people created one design after another. Many failed, others achieved partial success, they managed to build their own boat, test it. Russian inventors contributed their share to the creation of a practically usable submarine (Schilder, Dzhevetsky, Aleksandrovsky). But even the most successful solutions of the problem in the end turned out to be unsatisfactory - the tests showed many shortcomings, often ended in accidents, were dangerous for the team. The idea of ​​a submarine ahead of the production capabilities of its construction, it was still impossible to manufacture such perfect machines and mechanisms that were needed for the sustainable, reliable operation of the submarine.

Only at the end of the last century, the possibilities of mechanical engineering made it possible to create and manufacture the necessary devices. The appearance of the first practically usable submarines designed and built by French and American inventors also dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. But there were so many failures and disappointments before this success that there was still great distrust of the submarine in the fleets of all countries.

By the beginning of World War I, submarines were in a pen in all fleets, including Germany.

In the very first days of the war, on September 5, 1914, the German submarine U-21 opened an account, sinking the British cruiser Pathfinder.

Naval sailors of all countries were alerted, but still did not take this warning seriously.

On September 22, 1914, the outdated German submarine U-9 sent three English cruisers to the bottom of the sea one after the other (Abukir, Hog, and Cressy).

This time there was no doubt: a new formidable force appeared on the sea and had to be very, very reckoned with.

The German command, which until that time had not put the military capabilities of submarines into anything, began the feverish construction of these ships.

It built its naval war plan on the communications of its opponents, and mainly on the sea routes from America to England, on the combat use of submarines. The Germans declared a merciless underwater war. They waged this war, as in our days, also against women, children, old people, the wounded and the sick. In 1915, the German submarine "U-20" deliberately and coolly sank the passenger ship "Lusitania" and with it hundreds of women, children, and innocent passengers. Here's how later the commander of the German submarine that sank the Lusitania, described the picture of her death.

“... The ship stopped and very quickly fell on the starboard side, at the same time sinking its nose. It looked like he was about to turn over. The boats, completely clogged by people, fell into the water by bow or stern and then overturned ... "

  The sinking of the "Lusitania" by a German submarine in 1915. The vessel goes to the bottom with a bow 18 minutes after the explosion

  Lusitania is swallowed up by the ocean. On the surface there were only fragments, overturned boats and sinking people still fighting for life.

“The ship was sinking with incredible speed. There was a terrible panic on deck. Lifeboats fell into the water. Mad people ran up and down the decks. Men and women threw themselves into the water and tried to swim towards empty, overturned lifeboats ... ”

German submarine warfare became a symbol of unbridled sea robbery.

At the same time, the Germans inflicted painful blows on the supply of Britain and France, and this greatly worsened the martial law of the Allies.

It took a tremendous strain of all forces, all the technical capabilities of America and England, in order to find the means of protection from underwater danger, to defeat it.

Allies found these funds. They created sea convoys of high-speed patrol ships. They armed the ships of the convoys with instruments catching the approach of submarines, and depth charges hitting them under water.

In turn, the Allied submarines struck at German commerce. Brave Russian sailors boldly acted on the enemy routes of communication on the Baltic and Black seas, disrupting the supply of the enemy's army.

The Germans lost the battle for communication. But when, after a quarter of a century, they again plunged the world into an even more bloody Second World War, they began it where they had finished the first. They placed great hopes on their submarine fleet, which, before the announcement of military operations, went out to sea and oceans, where they could pass the routes of enemy ships.

Nine hours after the declaration of war, the huge passenger ship “Athenia” was the first victim of the fascist pirates - it was sank by a torpedo of a German submarine. An underwater war began on the sea routes, a continuous attack by the fascists on the main artery, along which supplies of England and its allies from America were going on, and the “battle for the Atlantic” began. It was one of the decisive battles of the second world war. But this time, the opponents of Germany were not taken by surprise. They were able to quickly and decisively mobilize all means of fighting submarines. The same convoys, but armed with even more sophisticated anti-submarine weapons, proved to be a reliable means to combat the underwater danger. Position after position lost the fascists in the new battle for the Atlantic. The losses of the Allied convoys became less and less. And, finally, the time came when often the ships from distant America followed the ports of England and the Soviet Union without any loss. On the other hand, the underwater fleet of fascist Germany carried more and more losses. The Allies sank more submarines than the German shipyards were able to re-build.

But the submarine war was not only on the communications of the allies. This struggle was also conducted on German communications. Submarines of America, England, and the Soviet Union successfully stoked warships and military transports of fascists on the sea routes of their supply. All the routes of the German ships in the north of Europe, along its Atlantic coast, in the Mediterranean, Baltic and Black seas were under the blows of allied submarines. Similarly, in an iron embrace they choked German military forces where the Germans or their allies were waiting for help from the sea. How are arranged, than these menacing ships are armed?

"Nautilus" of the XX century

About eighty years ago, Jules Verne's brilliant fantasy created Captain Nemo's Nautilus, a fantastic submarine with a displacement of 1,500 tons, traveling at speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour.

The ship had the shape of a cigar with a length of 70 meters and a diameter in the center of 8 meters. In the "Nautilus" were scheduled many devices that later appeared on modern submarines. For eighty years, Jules Verne was able to predict both the dimensions, the main features of the device, and the combat significance of these ships. Only the weapon remained a secret to him. The self-moving mine, the torpedo, appeared only ten years after the release of the novel “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea”. Such a projectile at the time of Jules Verne seemed so impracticable that even the richest technical fantasy Vern could not arm them with a submarine of the distant, as it seemed, the future. When choosing a weapon for the "Nautilus", the novelist turned ... to the old ram.

Several years ago, a rather large warship with a displacement of 2,730 tons was launched at one of the American shipyards. The long one — 100 meters — and the very narrow deck of the ship did not have any superstructures. Only in the middle rose a low tower - the military cabin of the ship. On both sides of the cabin - two medium-caliber guns on thumbs, aimed trunks at the bow and stern.

From the command bridge, light trapezium down the radio station antenna. There are no ordinary ship masts or pipes. Strange ship! Observers on the coast are guessing, trying to guess the destination of the ship. Maybe this is a submarine? But no one believes that such gigantic boats can exist. And even the name of the ship, “Narwhal” (a giant sea animal of the whale family, armed with a long and sharp tusk), which was printed on board in large letters, does not help to solve the problem.

The ship goes to the open sea. The commander gives a short command, and ... the ship begins to sink into the water. Upstairs there are no people, they went down inside. The exit hatch slammed.

It turns out that this is indeed a submarine, only of enormous size. The dive continues. Placed along the entire length of the underwater part of the hull, the kingston caps are open and greedily “drink” dull-green water. For tens of seconds, hundreds of tons of water rush into special tanks of the ship. Narwhal is heavy. 2730 tons is its weight in surface position, weight without water. To sink, the ship absorbs 1230 tons of water, and its weight - displacement - grows to 3960 tons. This is a feature of submarines. Each of them has two displacements - surface and underwater. 1500 tons is the Nautilus underwater displacement. It turns out that it would be possible to carve out two and a half Nautilus from Narval. But in 1934 the submarine “Surcouf” entered service of the French fleet, which, although a little, was still larger than the “Narval”.

It took only 30 seconds, and the dive was over. This means that the water filled the tanks and forced all the air out of them through the outlet valves. The boat floats under water. Now she resembles a huge sea animal. Above the sea, only the tops of the two periscopes stick out - the “eye” of the boat. One of them serves to observe the surface of the sea, the other - the zenith - is guarding the sky, tracking down airplanes. Nautilus had no such eyes for Captain Nemo.

All the machines, mechanisms, instruments, all spare parts, materials, supplies of provisions, fresh water, weapons and, finally, the people of the submarine - all this is housed in its hull. But the submarine, moving away from the enemy, fleeing from artillery fire or from depth charges, descends to great depths. A huge sea water column presses against the hull. If the boat is located at a depth of 10 meters, then for every square centimeter of the surface of the hull a column of water weighs 1 kilogram presses. When the depth increases to 20 meters, the pressure increases to 2 kilograms per square centimeter. Approximately every 10 meters of depth they add 1 kilogram of pressure to a tiny space, smaller than a penny coin.

  The cross section of a modern submarine in the central control station 1 - anti-aircraft periscope; 2 - periscope attacks; 3 - steering wheel: vertical steering; 4 - the place of the 102 mm caliber gun; 5 folding seat; 6 entrance hatch; 7 - permeable superstructure; 8 - side tanks of the main ballast; 9 - high pressure air lines; 10 - part of the central post; 11 - differentiating pipeline; 12 - fuel tanks; 13 - drainage line; 14 - periscope winch; 15 - vertical steering wheel; 16 - tank drainage pipes; 17 - compressed air cylinders; 18 - battery pit; 19 - vent pipe

It may happen that a submarine will have to dive to a depth of 100-120 meters, then the pressure per square centimeter will increase to 10-12 kilograms. But the hull of the submarine is a very large surface - several million square centimeters. Multiply these millions by 10–12 kilograms, and monstrous pressure will turn out, in tens of millions of kilograms or tens of thousands of tons. The hull of an underwater ship must be so strong as to withstand such pressure. Therefore, for the manufacture of the hull used the most durable, highest quality materials.

Each ship during its course as it cuts water. Water resists such cutting. There are the most advantageous contours already studied by shipbuilders - forms for the nose and the whole hull of the ship, in which water provides the least resistance to movement. It turned out that the “cigar” submarine is very durable and walks well under water, but it can withstand the slightest bad weather on the surface. The waves and the wind easily bank such a boat, fill it with water and do not allow to make any big transition.

It must be remembered that submarines sink only during hostilities, in dangerous areas, close to the enemy, during an attack or escape from pursuit; most of the transitions they make on the surface. Therefore, we had to build submarines in the form of surface ships. Then they decided to keep both forms and began to build double-hull submarines. A second, lighter, but seaworthy body is put on a strong steel cigar. It happens that this second hull does not completely surround the strong hull of the submarine - then the boat belongs to the one and a half hull.

  The location of the torpedo in the bow of the submarine 1 - torpedo compartment with six spare torpedoes; 2 - watertight bulkhead hatches for loading torpedoes into vehicles; 3 - compressed air tank for firing torpedoes; 4 - compressed air ejects the torpedo from the apparatus; 5 - torpedo tube; 6 - tank with compressed air; 7 - hydrophone; 8 - windlass for underwater anchor; 9 - overhead rail track for loading torpedoes; 10 - spare torpedoes prepared for loading into vehicles; 11 - drive for opening the covers of torpedo tubes; 12 - front covers of torpedo tubes

The strength of a cigar is designed so that its walls can withstand water pressure at a depth of 100-120 meters. The length of it is divided by transverse bulkheads into separate rooms - compartments. They contain all the mechanisms, batteries, torpedo tubes, the main reserves of fuel, lubricating oil, fresh water, provisions, the team of the underwater ship. Between both buildings left empty space. It is also divided by bulkheads into separate rooms. Some of these rooms serve as cisterns for the water that the Kingstones absorb when they dive; another part stores stocks of liquid fuel for diesel engines of the surface course.

"Narwhal" moves under water. Now his screws are rotated by electric motors underwater stroke. Its movements are directed by the rudders: up and down - two horizontal (fore and aft), to the sides - one vertical (behind). The handlebars are shifted down, up, right, left, and the boat maneuvers, obedient to the will of its commander. In the center of the boat is the room, which is called the "central control".

This post is located under the wheelhouse of the ship, and it is from it that we will begin our acquaintance with the internal structure of the modern Nautilus.

Handwheels, handles, levers, all kinds of devices are placed in the post in strict order. Between them winding mazes of tubes, wires. There are many of them, and they all have their own purpose. All this is the way in which the command is transmitted - verbal, electrical, mechanical. The periscope tubes descend from above. The commander and his assistant do not break away from the optical glasses of the ship and give orders. At the side of the three steering wheels; turning each of them entails shifting one of the rudders. At the steering wheels are steering.

To turn the steering wheel, the steering has to make quite a lot of effort. Therefore, there is also an electrical transmission to the helm. It is necessary to turn the small handle of the contactor, and the steering electric motor will make your steering wheel turn as ordered by the ship's commander. And only if there was an accident with electromechanisms, manual steering wheels come to the rescue.

Immediately piled up big dials with arrows. They hang over the handwheels, and each of them continuously provides very important information. These are the controls that lead the ship in the darkness of its diving.

Vertical wheel, as in the torpedo, controls the progress of the boat in the direction; therefore, a compass is a shelter at the helm of a vertical rudder, a guide to the sea.

Horizontal rudders cause the ship to either sink to depth or ascend. Therefore, three instruments were located near the steering wheels of the horizontal rudders. One of them - the depth gauge - shows how deep the ship goes; the other, the inclinometer, signals how far the ship has bent to the right or left about its longitudinal axis; the third, the diphrenometer, also shows a slope, only now near the transverse, horizontal axis (aft or on the bow).

The submarine ship has mechanical “ears”, the so-called noise-finders. Sensitive plate membranes capture the distant noise of screws and mechanisms of an approaching ship.

Just as in the telephone, these sounds, perceived by the membranes, turn into oscillations of the electric current and through the wires fall into the headphones of the auditory tube. The devices are so arranged that the strength of the sound can determine where and at what distance and even in what direction the ship is heard. The closer this ship, the more this noise is heard.

With the help of special sound receivers and transmitters, you can establish communication between ships, between two submarines or between a submarine and a surface ship.

There are still many other devices, dials, scales that signal the commander how the machines, mechanisms, equipment inside the ship, in its rooms and compartments work.

All these devices require an attentive, love relationship to oneself, accurate knowledge of how to use them, in order to correctly “hear” or “read” their every second reports.

In the fore and aft parts of the ship hull torpedo tubes are rigidly sealed. There are only six of them on the Narvale, but there are submarines with ten to twelve vehicles. Right there, behind torpedo tubes, spare torpedoes are stored. As soon as the torpedo salvo releases the tubes of the apparatuses, the new torpedoes, already prepared, will take their place for the next shot.

In recent years, torpedo tubes have been placed outside the hull of the submarine, outside and not only rigidly fasten them, but also make them turning.

In the stern of the ship, electric underwater motors sheltered. Further, in the direction of the central post - the engine room. Here are located the powerful diesel engines of the surface run and dynamo. Even closer to the center of the boat - the premises of the officers and the radio room. From here the submarine sends its reports on the air. On the way to the bow of the ship, we will have to visit the main post again. Below it is installed under the electric current accumulators, feeding the electric motors underwater course. From the nose torpedo tubes, which ends with a short tour of the submarine, we are separated only by the premises for the team.

Along the way, we passed by cylinders that were sheltered near batteries with compressed air up to 225 atmospheres. The role of compressed air in a submarine is large and very diverse. When the boat sinks, the pressure of compressed air opens the kingston. Released from cylinders compressed air rushes into the tank and "expels" the water from the hull of the ship. Narwhal is getting easier and easier. 1230 tons of water, "drunk" Kingston dive, go back into the sea. The ship quickly floats to the surface and continues its journey in the cruising position. The cylinders are empty, the supply of compressed air is exhausted. Then the high pressure compressor starts working. This machine sucks in the outside air, compresses it to the required pressure and delivers the torpedoes into the vessel’s balloons, into the air tanks, creates a new supply of compressed air.

Even more work is performed by electric current. After all, electric motors are omnipresent on a submarine ship, they set in motion all the mechanisms. Several dozen electric motors operate on a large submarine. All of them, like the main electric motors underwater running, are powered by batteries. In an underwater ship, the weight of the batteries is about one tenth of the weight of the entire ship.

On the way to the motors, the electric current is intercepted by the ship’s main power station. Here is a control panel. Turning the switch - and the current goes to the auxiliary small stations located in separate rooms of the ship. The responsibility of the electricians of a submarine is to take care of all the complex electrical equipment, to take care of dozens of motors, hundreds of cells in the battery, kilometers of wires winding through all the spaces of the ship.

Submarines in battle

Submarines perform various combat missions, so they are divided into three types. Each type has its own purpose.

For example, there are large submarines. These are large ships from 1,000 to 3,000 tons of surface displacement. They are able to travel vast distances up to 18,000 miles on the surface and conduct operations in the ocean far from their bases. Their main weapon is torpedoes, but they are also armed with artillery. On very large boats even large-caliber guns are mounted. Their shells can cause great damage to an enemy surface ship.

A large type boat independently fights against the enemy, trapping its ships on the tracks. A month and a half such an underwater ship may not leave his post. As the sailors say, such a boat has high autonomy. This means that it can be torn off from its base for a long time, does not need to enter its port. Of course, whose more stocks on the boat, the greater its autonomy. Large type boats are fast, their surface speed reaches 22 knots, and underwater - 11 knots.

There are also medium type submarines. Such boats are designed to carry the positional service on the less extensive sea expanses. Their displacement ranges between 500 and 1000 tons. Stocks of fuel, fresh water, provisions and torpedoes for them are less. Surface and submarine engines are less powerful than large submarines; they travel up to 5,000 miles. Moreover, their surface speed of 14-18 knots, and underwater speed of 8-10 knots. These submarines are already less autonomous, they leave their bases for 20-25 days.

There are also small submarines. Their displacement - up to 450 tons. On the water, they move at a speed of 13–14 knots, and under water, 6–8 knots. Such submarines take with them little stocks and torpedoes. Therefore, they leave not far from the base and not for long.

Not all submarines torpedo main weapon. There are also such submarines, whose main weapon is mine. These are underwater barriers. Imperceptibly, such a boat is taken into enemy waters and covers them with underwater "surprises" - mines. Whenever it is especially necessary to keep a minefield a secret, an underwater minelayer will come to the rescue (see also Fig. On pages 168–169). The displacement of the underwater layer of 1000-1500 tons and above, there are fence layers and 2000 tons. They pick up a few dozen mines at their base, put them in the designated place and return for a new stock. Underwater barriers are also armed with torpedo tubes for firing torpedoes.

  Submarine fired a torpedo (view under water)

  Underwater mine layer places mines from inclined mining apparatus.

The first underwater minelayer appeared during the world war of 1914-1918. in the Russian fleet. This submarine - it was called the "Crab" - was designed by the Russian naval engineer Naletov for the secretive production of active minefields in the Black Sea at the exit from the Bosphorus.

The subtlety makes all submarines excellent scouts for those cases when it is necessary to investigate in detail and imperceptibly what is being done at the very approaches to the enemy bases.

We were interested in the device of the underwater ship, its machines and instruments. But the mechanisms are controlled by people - the commanders and the crew.

People on a submarine a lot. Already not one, not four people make up his crew. On such a boat as the Narwhal, eighty-eight people of the team, on the "Surkuf" - one hundred fifty. This is the largest number of people on a submarine; on smaller boats, this number is reduced to twenty-five to thirty people.

  What can be seen in the periscope of a submarine when aiming and releasing a torpedo at an enemy ship

The most accurate and trouble-free mechanisms need careful, qualified service. The slightest malfunction of the machine, the instrument may entail danger in swimming, in battle. Therefore, the people of the underwater ship - this is his most important force. These are special people - exceptionally courageous, resolute, very attentive to their work. There can be no extra people on a submarine; each person is strictly registered. He is entrusted with the responsible work of servicing some mechanism; the success of navigation, victory in battle depends on his work. Gone, or indistinctly, knows his job as a helmsman, and a submarine hiding from a close surface enemy will suddenly find itself on the surface. Let it not last long, any fraction of a minute, anyway, a successful shot or blow of his corps can cause a mortal wound to the enemy.

If he doesn’t love, the motorist doesn’t know his car, he doesn’t keep track of the fuel supply, the lubrication, the bearings and the temperatures, the knock knocks break into the noise of his diesel engines.

The signalman, who is keeping watch on the military cabin of the ship, needs to quickly understand the situation at sea, cover the water and the sky with the eye, near and far, do not miss anything suspicious, let it be for the time being just a harmless looking point. Hearing and vigilance, attention and observation are helping out here. Acute and intense vigilance, chased clarity in work, the strictest discipline, impeccable organization - these are the qualities that are necessary for every submariner.

All these qualities are highly developed by our sailors and officers. Therefore, they stand in the front ranks of the heroes, defenders of the homeland, so we often learn about awarding them with orders of the USSR, therefore the whole country, young and old, shows special love and respect for the glorious submariners of the Soviet Navy.

What is the secret of the success of a submarine? The fact that it is very difficult to detect even in broad daylight; that it leaves the water extremely quickly, hides from the enemy and strikes in this position; in that the surface ship does not expect, does not see the danger or notices it at the very last moment, when it is impossible or difficult to avoid a strike. All this gives the submarine a great advantage over surface ships. Due to its secrecy, a submarine can trap an enemy in its path, take a convenient position for combat in advance, and suddenly send torpedoes into it at close range.

How does a submarine use its stealth?

Early morning. The sea seems empty. Even far on the horizon, no haze is visible - signs of approaching ships. A lone submarine floats on the surface in the so-called cruising position. This means that a significant part of the hull is visible on the surface along its entire length, from bow to stern. In this position, the submarines make the usual transitions, if there are no enemy ships nearby.

Everything is calm on the boat. Powerful diesel engines work in the engine room - they set the boat in motion on the surface, and now they make the dynamo work, they accumulate electric power for the underwater running motors in batteries.

“Smoke is on the horizon!” The observer reported to the commander in the battle tubes. Immediately the command is issued: “Everything is down! Stop diesel! Immediate immersion! ”The boat quickly hides in the water and does not linger even in a positional position when only the conning tower is visible on the surface. (In this position, submarines usually lie in wait for the enemy on his probable "road", and the commander follows the movement of the enemy who has appeared from the wheelhouse.)

Seen smoke is fast approaching. The submarine immediately plunges deeper into a combat position. Only a periscope remains on the surface. Stopped the noise of diesel engines. These engines cannot operate under water, air is required for their operation. Humming electric motors are heard. Electric current from charged batteries flows into the windings of these motors, the shafts rotate, and with them the screws of the submarine.

Once again, the command is issued: "Prepare the devices for a shot."

The boat commander does not break away from the periscope and is closely watching the smoke. Black clouds rise higher, and beneath them the contours of the enemy ship are looming.

The screws of the boat rotate faster, the ship covertly approaches closer to the enemy. Torpedo tubes were prepared, torpedo devices and mechanisms were installed. The boat lay on the combat course. If you draw the course of the enemy in the form of a straight line in front of the ship, the boat approaches it perpendicularly. The enemy is getting closer and closer. You just need to choose the right moment of the shot. The commander waits wary. He has already determined the course of the ship, determined its speed. On the glass of the periscope, in the center, there is a cross with divisions. The commander is waiting for the moment when the ship - the part where the machines are located - will pass through the cross.

Now both the target and the torpedo are at certain distances from the meeting point they have chosen in advance. At this moment, it is enough to release a torpedo, and after a very short time - in tens of seconds - a collision and an explosion will occur.

Sounds team: "Apparatus, pl!"

A light push shakes the boat. An oblong shadow escapes from the nose and rushes forward. On the surface of the sea appears a bright straight trail. This is the torpedo path. The boat is hiding its periscope; on the surface, nothing already betrays its presence. The commander waits, straining his ear. And when the sound of a dull blow rushes into the silence of the boat, the periscope again flies to the surface. In impatient excitement, the commander gropes with his optical eye the enemy ship and finds him at that moment when he lurches to the side and then goes to the bottom.

Underwater "mosquitoes"

In the north of Norway, the shores of Altenfiord are particularly deep into its shores. There, in this fjord, the Germans made parking for their battleships. Inside the Alten-fjord, even deeper, the Co-fjord bay, which is surrounded by mountains, winds even more into the land. Here, in this narrow but deep water nook and cranny, the Germans hid their battleship Tirpitz. Most of all, the Germans were afraid of attacks by submarines and torpedo attacks from the air. Two rows of anti-submarine networks blocked the narrow passage to the bay where the Tirpitz stood. These networks were always guarded by guard ships. And the "Tirpitz" was surrounded by special anti-torpedo networks descending to a depth of 15 meters. It was as if there was no way to penetrate these underwater, besides very dangerous walls, in any case, the fascists thought so.

  The parking of the German battleship "Tirpitz" in the C-fiord  1 - damaged German battleship "Admiral Tirpitz"; 2 - anti-torpedo networks - underwater "walls" "Tirpitz"; 3 - destroyer base; 4 - traces of oil from a damaged battleship; 5 - duty destroyer in anti-submarine defense networks (PLO); 6 - tanker; 7 - anti-submarine networks
  Right and left longitudinal sections of mine layer, laying mines from the stern

  Draft triple submarine, which appeared shortly before the beginning of the Second World War 1 - eye; 2 - aft horizontal steering wheel; 3 - the mechanic; 4 - log hatch; 5 - commander; 6 - periscope; 7 - armored conning tower; 8 - cabin inspection slit; 9 - two torpedoes in two vehicles; 10 - horizontal nose steering; 11 - outer cover of the torpedo tube; 12 - steering; 13 - rechargeable batteries; 14 - diesel 10 hp; 15 - motor-generator system for charging batteries; 16 - screw; 17 - steering wheel

The day came on September 22, 1943. Since the time when the Soviet submarine K-21 delivered its powerful blows to the Tirpitz, the ship was being repaired. Finally, the repair was over, and the Tirpitz was preparing to make pirate raids on Allied communications again. And suddenly, in broad daylight, just 200 meters from the battleship of the watch, the submarine periscope came to light. Almost simultaneously, torpedoes began to tear at the side of the ship, one after another. One, the second, several. Similarly, an entire submarine division burst into a tight bay and surrounded Tirpitz. Everything that could fire on the battleship, on patrol vessels, from coastal batteries, brought down a violent fire on the waters of the bay. The bay was boiling from shells, but the deed was already done. New holes gaped in the Tirpitz building, again for many months the Germans were left without their strongest ship. Again the giant and all his guards were defeated by the pygmy ships, this time by genuine babies, mosquito submarines, with a displacement of only tens of tons and with a crew of four people. Nevertheless, these “mosquitoes” of the English fleet proved to be so combat-capable that they managed to overcome all obstacles on a difficult and dangerous path, find a passage in anti-submarine networks, pass under anti-torpedo networks, silently slip past numerous noise-bearing stations and sink their deadly stings into the hull of a battleship. What was the power of these dwarf submarines?

  A Japanese midget submarine captured by the Americans while repelling the Japanese navy’s attack on the Pearl Harbor naval base on December 6, 1941. A 135-kg explosive charge was allegedly placed in the stern of the submarine if it was in danger of falling into the hands enemy 1 - periscope; 2 - antenna; 3 - two torpedoes; 4 - control post; 5 - motors; 6 - two screws; 7 - battery room; 8 - charge for submarine blasting

Already in the pre-war years, in the press, there were reports of allegedly built midget submarines in various countries. In the minds of submarine inventors, the idea reigned - to design and build an authentic underwater mosquito, so small that several such boats could be delivered by the mother ship to the theater of operations and here, at close range, be issued against the enemy ships. A number of semi-fantastic projects of such underwater mosquitoes appeared.

The bulk of a battleship or a special ship-womb moves on the sea surface. Not far away - the ships of the enemy. Then something extraordinary happens. In the underwater part of the hull of a battleship opens a large hatch. A tiny submarine creeps out of the hole, as if from a torpedo tube. Its screw starts to rotate - an electric motor is working inside the battery-powered battery. The energy reserve is small, but the move to the enemy and back too little. The boat popped its periscope to the surface and moved forward. Inside - a team, just one person. A weapon is only one torpedo tube and one torpedo embedded in its tube. It is difficult to notice such a submarine. Imperceptibly, she steals up to the enemy, and at negligibly close distance, without a miss, she thrusts her torpedo sting into it. After a while the baby submarine is again near its womb ship. The hatch in the case opens and the mosquito hides inside the nest ship.

Gradually, the projects of the submarine-mosquito became increasingly practical and information began to slip into the press about real attempts to create combat-ready "pocket-sized" submarines in some countries. Appeared and descriptions of such boats. Thus, the foreign press reported such a submarine allegedly under construction in Japan. Her team consists of only three people. It was pointed out that such an underwater “Liliput” is capable of sinking to a much greater depth than large submarines, namely, to a depth of almost 500 meters. The range of such a boat is quite large - 600 miles. At the same time there were reports of even smaller submarines with a team of only two people.

All these messages were perceived nevertheless as unreliable, as sensations, without solid ground. But with the sudden attack of the Japanese on the base of the American fleet in Pearl Harbor, the Japanese-American war began. Underwater mosquitoes, apparently delivered to the battlefield by large ships of the Japanese fleet, participated in this attack for the first time.

What role did these ships play in the attack on the large American ships? There is still no reliable information about this. But in any case, it is known that these mosquitoes, approximately, are arranged in the same way as the Lilliputian submarines described before the start of the war.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese used underwater mosquitoes to attack the harbor of Sydney (Australia) and Diego-Suarez (Madagascar). And soon the same dwarf submarines appeared on the Mediterranean from the Italians, who used them to attack the British ships in the harbor of La Valette (Malta).

In all these “combat episodes, the Japanese and Italians sent their underwater“ mosquitoes ”against the ships hiding in the harbor, behind the meanders of the protected passageways. Lilliputian submarines easily found loopholes for themselves through all kinds of obstacles, they rather slipped through mine curtains, under nets, penetrated the very depths of secluded sites, approached an insignificantly short distance to the enemy ships. This fighting quality of dwarf submarines attracted the attention of sailors. The British took into account the experience of the combat use of underwater "mosquitoes" and began to develop their own design of such ships. The victory over Tirpitz is the result of this work. About the device of the English underwater "mosquitoes" it is known that they are quadruple and do not resemble either Japanese or Italian. Their surface part is similar to the outlines of the boat.

New in the device of the submarine

The stock of electricity in the batteries of the submarine is so small that it will last only a few hours of full speed under water at a speed of 10-11 knots. If you need to hide under water longer or more often, you have to strictly save energy and slow down to 3-5 knots. Then there is enough energy for 30–20 hours of underwater travel. Nevertheless, the moment finally comes when all the energy in the batteries dries out and needs to be recharged. And for this purpose you need to surface. Well, if there are no enemy ships on either the near or the horizon, then the problem is solved simply. And what if the enemy is close, if it is impossible to ascend, and the boat does not have an underwater course, has lost movement, is frozen in place and can neither attack nor leave? The need to ascend to charge batteries is a big drawback in the design of a submarine, often weakening it in combat. But the same numerous battery cells are guilty of one more drawback - their heavy weight of heavy ballast lies in the lower rooms of the ship and amounts to tens or even hundreds of tons of excessive displacement. How nice it would be to do without them, without their aggravating weight! How nice and comfortable it would be to have only one engine for both the surface and the underwater course and not necessarily float up! Not so long ago it was a dream of submariners, but it seemed that it was impossible to accomplish.

A diesel engine is not suitable for underwater travel, even if in some way we could supply it with a sufficient supply of air. After all, the exhaust gas, as in a torpedo, will bubbles out onto the surface, a bubble trace will turn out, and the boat will be easy to detect. How to be? Would it be good to have such fuel under water that would not give a trace at all? But how to solve this problem? And “all the same, the people of science and technology apparently also solved this task.

Even on the eve of the Second World War, designers and inventors worked hard on the task of creating a new, single engine for a submarine. On the surface, such an engine is fed with ordinary liquid fuel, and under water with a mixture of oxygen and hydrogen - with explosive gas. Does this mean that you need to take with them stocks of these gases?

The answer is that both gases are produced ... while sailing from seawater. How it's done?

When the submarine is on the surface, the motor is running surface. He drives a dynamo, it turns out electric current. But now this current no longer accumulates in the batteries, they are not on the ship. The current goes to a special apparatus-electrolyzer. There he decomposes incoming seawater into oxygen and hydrogen. Both gases are collected in separate tanks, compressed in them and stored as fuel for underwater travel. The submarine is sinking. The supply of liquid fuel to the motor is stopped; instead, hydrogen and oxygen are fed to the cylinders of the same engine. Hydrogen burns in oxygen, but exhaust gas does not work. No bubbles rise to the surface. Oxygen and hydrogen are constituents of water; when these gases burn in the cylinders of the engine, the products of their combustion go into the sea in the form of water and disappear without a trace.

  Scheme of the operation of the engine of the submarine (diesel-electric motor; diesel-hydrogen engine)

Such a solution of the task relieves of accumulators and, apparently, provides the boat with better underwater travel, it frees for a longer period from the need to float to renew the stock of new fuel.

Most recently, in the press, there were reports that some submarines are equipped with special instruments that supply the diesel with air for work and in the submerged position.

Still, the secrecy of the submarine is still insufficient. If it is not visible from the surface, then it can be heard. After all, mechanical “ears” are on surface submarine hunters. These ears catch the noise of the screws of the submarine and open up not only its presence under water, but also indicate where and at what distance it hides. So, you need to make the submarine silent. This task, apparently, has already been partially solved - there were quite a few cases in World War II when submarines slipped into the depths of the enemy's protected bases, past a number of wary noise-guiding stations and ... got to the enemy ships without obstacles, drowned and damaged them and also safely got out into the open sea.

But to track down the enemy and to attack the submarine again have to sacrifice their stealth, emerge under the periscope. And this again connects the submarine with the surface - the breaker from the periscope gives it to the enemy. So, you need to provide the submarine with such "eyes" that would "see" through the thickness of the sea water. But under water the boat is blind. So, only the feeling of the enemy can replace her "vision". Newer sonar instruments, especially mechanical “ears” that replace the ship’s sense of touch, grope the enemy, determine its course and the distance at which it is located, replace its periscope with a submarine and launch it without attacking it to the surface. The submarine is completely released from the surface of the sea and is made truly invisible in battle.

So, the submarine became completely secretive, it is not visible and not heard, as if now in battle nothing would betray her presence and the place where she is hiding. It turns out that this is not true. We already know about the bubble, uplifted by gases or compressed air during a torpedo shot from a submarine. Then there was still a bubble trail of torpedoes on the water. Where this trail began - the place where the submarine hid, its surface opponents would rush there. Only bubble-free shooting and a traceless torpedo will finally hide the submarine, make it completely secretive.

But the low submarine speed of such a submarine will be its weak point. Just a few knots are nothing compared to Captain Nemo's tremendous Nautilus speed. It turns out that the offspring of modern modern science and technology, a perfect submarine, far ahead of Jules Verne’s imagination in terms of its weapons and combat capability, approaching it in range, lags far behind its speed. Little has been done in this direction, our scientists and technicians have not yet learned how to accumulate so much energy in all kinds of batteries so that it can power enough powerful engines and increase the speed of a submarine, especially underwater speed. But in recent years, individual inventors in their projects are trying to increase this speed in other ways. For example, one of the projects described a transcontinental submarine "screw" boat, ostensibly for the speedy transport of mail and cargo from one continent to another. In appearance, it resembles a torpedo and consists of two bodies. In the internal case of a cylindrical form there is a room for the team, storage rooms, engines and a gyroscope balancing a vessel. The other, outer casing is formed by an outer steel lining, which rotates around a fixed inner casing using a special drive and on special bearings. The outer steel shell is provided with metal ribs, curled along its entire length like a screw. When the engine rotates this shell, the spiral ribs are screwed into the water, like the thread of an ordinary screw into a tree, and cause the boat to move forward. The inventor believed that such a submarine should cross the Atlantic Ocean in 10-12 hours. It is curious that the idea and even the details of the project of such a submarine are not new. Back in 1889, the Russian engineer Apostolov took a patent for a submarine of the same device. But in those days, the level of technology has not yet allowed to implement such a bold idea. The successes of modern engineering can make it possible to implement it in a more or less near future. Invisible, inaudible and fast, armed with a traceless, remote-controlled torpedo, such a submarine will become an even more formidable opponent of the submarine giants of the modern navy.

Against an invisible enemy

The fact that the submarine is an invisible enemy makes it necessary to use special, very different from the usual means and to protect protected areas from them and to detect and destroy them.

The best way to destroy enemy submarines also serves as a submerged strike. Therefore, albeit very briefly, this chapter describes how they are protected today from an invisible enemy, how they are found and destroyed.

In the Second World War, belligerent countries resorted to Lilliputian submarines in order to penetrate the raids and harbors. Why did the same Lilliputian submarines be needed for this purpose? Why can't ordinary submarines perform such tasks?

The small size and features of the device allowed these boats to more easily overcome all the protective barriers to the sheltered ships. What are these barriers?

Here we have a picture of a closed anchorage of ships. The narrow passage to the depth of the raid is securely blocked. A chain of long and heavy wooden floats is stretched across the aisle, from one bank to the other, or to any natural impassable obstacles (rocks, shoals). These floats support heavy metal nets extending to the very bottom of the sea. The networks are fixed and blocking the path not only for submarines, but also torpedoes in case a submarine, or an invisibly approaching boat, or an airplane launches a torpedo, aiming it at the ship at the "wall". In the underwater "fencing" there is also its own "gate" - for the passage of its own ships. The gate is a movable section of the fence, which can be opened like a door, and then locked again, this section is a non-motorized vessel-barge 30 meters or more in length, which closes the narrow passage left in the fence. This vessel also carries a net covering the entire water column at the gate. The section of the underwater fence - a float with a net - has its special maritime name - Bon. It happens that the booms are made not of networks, but of interconnected logs. There are special ships that put floats with heavy nets in place, remove or change them when needed.

The parking of the ships, barred by network booms and station mines. The figure also shows the ships - network fence, serving the underwater "fence" 1 - station mines, exploded by electric current from the shore; 2, 3 - tools that protect approaches to parking; 4 - wooden booms-floats, carrying barrier networks; 5 - ship - network barrier; 6 - ship- "gate", closing and opening the underwater "fence"; 7 - the gatekeeper, towing the "gate" when it is necessary to open or close them; 8 - parked ship; 9 - network anchor; 10 - tankers; 11 - the networks closing access to the parking for enemy submarines and torpedoes

In addition, there are “gatekeeper” ships that are on duty at the barge, unlocked - pulled to one side or closed - they put it in place.

  In the underwater "fence" open "gate" for the passage of their ships

Underwater "fence" is still on the way to it is protected by station mines. And if a submarine or other secretive enemy ship hits these mines or bombs, finds itself or is simply noticed by observation posts, the batteries of quick-firing guns on the both sides of the aisle, aimed in advance at those places where the secretly picked up could be detected, on this case enemy.

Underwater obstruction networks to detect the enemy hiding under water were used 2,000 years ago. So one Roman commander (shortly before our era) blocked the nets with a water passage through which enemy scout divers could sail. These nets above the water were equipped with bells.

As soon as the diver-submariner touched the net, the bells began to ring the alarm.

The booms and networks, stationary mines, coastal mine artillery, covert observation and listening posts — all this quickly turns into an unprotected port, which somehow got an enemy ship, into the axle nest, where to get out unscathed is very difficult. This had once experienced for himself even a harmless whale, which, following the ships, somehow got inside their enclosed parking lot. The underwater gates slammed shut, and the whale was trapped, from which he could not escape.

Underwater fences from nets or logs are suitable only for narrow passages leading to closed fleet parking. But it happens that you need to place a kind of trap for submarines in the wide open spaces of the sea. This is done in the case when it is known that enemy submarines have chosen the most important communications area for themselves, where they hunt surface ships. This is where the traps should be set. And in this case metallic nets come to the rescue of the minerals.

Back in the First World War, the Allies blocked huge underwater spaces with nets. One of these fences off the coast of Flanders stretched in length for almost 200 kilometers. How did you manage to install such a long network fence under water?

The nets for this purpose were made of steel cable with a diameter of 9.5 millimeters with square cells. The side of the square of the cell was 3.6 meters. Networks were connected in the form of separate panels with a length of about 90 meters and a width of up to 50 meters. Two such panels were connected into one kind of frame, the "basis" of the network. This framework frame was attached to the bottom with two anchors, and the nets did not sink; they were supported from the surface by hollow glass balls. One after another such frames were built across the probable path of an invisible enemy and not only blocked his path. This fence was also armed with explosive cartridges - two for each web of the net. As soon as the submarine hit the net, one panel pulled out, enveloped the ship, the cartridges approached its hull and finally exploded - the invisible enemy died. Such networks are called “positional”, they are used today.

Antenna mines, the very mines with tentacles stretched up and down, which have already been discussed in the second chapter of this book, help positional networks. These mines are also placed on the probable paths of enemy submarines - they guard not only the width of the path, but also the depth. No matter how deeply the submarine dives, it can still cling to the tentacles of the antenna mine and be under its blow.

  Submarine stuck in the anti-submarine network  1 - supporting floats; 2 - network cells made of thick steel cable; 3 - the presence of a submarine is issued by a breaker, arising from the work of screws in one place; 4 - the submarine gives a full reverse gear, trying to break free from the net; at the same time the horizontal wheel of the boat is captured by the network * * *

To bar the way to submarines, to make it dangerous, saturated with deadly traps - this is still not enough for a successful fight against an invisible enemy. Not so often submarines fall into these traps. They must be pursued and destroyed mercilessly, so that enemy factories do not have time to replenish the losses in these ships. And for this you need to be able to detect submarines during their cruising at sea, before they manage to attack a caravan of merchant ships or military transports or warships.

  The project of a new electromechanical device for detecting enemy submarines  Detection devices are placed under water near the protected shore and consist (each) of a pair of hollow balls, which are attached to a common anchor with short and insulated cables. One ball is zinc, the other is copper. In salty sea water, these two balls become the anode and cathode of a battery and an electric current flows between them. Fluctuations of water from a submarine passing along the shore cause changes in the flow of current, which are recorded by the instruments on the shore. From each pair of balls to the shore stretches an insulated electric cable, through which the excited electric current flows to the instruments at the coastal recording station. The figure shows a diagram of the entire device and how the recording devices indicate the location of the enemy submarine.

If the position network is made light and is not armed with cartridges, if a special signal buoy is tied to it from above, such a network can be used to detect submarines. When an invisible enemy comes across it and tears up the cloth, the signal buoy leaves first under water. But then a special device forces the cable that connects the buoy to the net to unwind from the view. Therefore, the buoy pops up again. If all this happens during the day, the buoy begins to smoke with clearly visible white smoke. At night, during the ascent of the buoy, a special cartridge lights up and glows. Not far from the signal network guarding her special ships. They notice the movements of the buoy and floats, smoke or light, rush to the net and bomb the submarine with depth charges.

  How to “grope” a submarine using an ultrasonic echo sounder (devices for measuring the depths of the sea)   1 - ultrasonic beam "groped" the submarine; 2 - reflected beam; 3 - submarine detected

But signaling networks alone are not enough.

In all countries, inventors excel in their search for more and more new tools for the timely detection of submarines. An interesting project of one of these devices, published in the American magazine. The author of the project proposed to use the property of seawater used in the mine business more than once to play the role of a solution in an electrical element, if copper and zinc plates are immersed in it. What can be a device built on such a principle shows the picture on pp. 182-183.

* * *

It is impossible to dot the vast sea and ocean expanses with nets and other detecting devices. In addition to detecting devices, scouts are also needed, such intelligence officers who could very quickly and vigilantly inspect large sea spaces and penetrate their eyes under the water, even if not deep, but still at some depth. Such a scout these days was the plane.

  The aircraft accompanying the convoy discovered the submarine that had reached the convoy and bombarded it with the ships guarding the convoy with depth charges.

  Submarine-hunting vessels from two neighboring shore bases headed for an enemy submarine tracked down from the air.

With the high speed of modern aircraft for pilots there is almost no "boundless" space. They quickly examine huge areas of the sea and easily notice the submarine, when it is still on the surface, in a cruising position. And if the weather is clear, if the sea is calm, the water is clear, then the submarine will not hide even at shallow depths — the contours of the submarine ship are clearly visible from the air. And then the reconnaissance plane turns into a dangerous enemy of the submarine - its bombs can hit it on the surface and at depth. Often reconnaissance aircraft accompany the fleet at sea crossings. The air observer surveys the sea, peers into the depths, looks out for enemy submarines, guards his ships.

  A patrol ship went out of the neighboring base to “hunt” for a submarine

This is a reliable guard, and only one thing prevents it from being even more reliable, even more vigilant. The speed of the aircraft is its most important advantage. And this same high speed turns out to be a disadvantage when it comes to guarding ships on the way, timely detection of enemy submarines. This speed, even if it is reduced to the smallest possible value, will still be much greater than the speed of the protected ships. The aircraft is forced to overtake its ships and return again, all the time circling over the sea. He can not hold all the time over the same fairway, follow gradually along its length, continuously observe. That is why a submarine can remain unnoticed, which is why in recent years, before the war, they began to pay particularly great attention to gyroplanes and helicopters, such flying machines that can moderate their speed to a very small size and even “hang” above the sea in front of guarded ships.

  Frigate times sailing fleet

But not yet heard about the use of such aircraft in the Second World War. Instead, they used airships. These aircrafts are slow and cumbersome in comparison with airplanes, but to combat submarines their disadvantage turned out to be a great advantage. They are able to slowly lead the guarded ships ahead and track down the invisible enemy. And having seen it, they can almost hang, hover above it, drop their depth charges into it. Just like a cat, lurking at the burrow, patiently and persistently lurks the moment when a mouse appears, so the airship can spend hours not leaving its airborne station over the dive site of the submarine, wait for its appearance on the surface and immediately destroy it. Airships were used in this war in the US Navy and so justified the hopes placed on them that their number began to grow rapidly, increased many times. Airships are particularly suitable for fulfilling their role as a naval reconnaissance and anti-submarine ship in areas where for some reason they are less in danger of being attacked by enemy fighters.

Still, aerial reconnaissance is not enough to detect submarines. Well, if an enemy submarine is cruising on the surface, or moving under a periscope, or at a shallow depth; well, if the weather is clear, the sea is calm, nothing interferes with aerial observation. And if the situation is different, if there is poor visibility, if an invisible enemy lurks deep under water or even completely lies on the bottom, then how can you detect a submarine?

Corvette times sailing fleet

Surface ships are armed with the same "mechanical ear" as the submarines - the hydrophone. It was in the fight against submarines that such an “ear” was used in World War One. March 23, 1916 the German submarine entangled in the British anti-submarine networks. Underwater predator was sweeping, trying to free himself. The noise of his screws was heard by the patrol ship guarding the network. Depth charges flew into the water, and the submarine went to the bottom. But how did the patrol man hear the submarine? Of course, it was not the ordinary human hearing of his observers that succeeded, but the mechanical ear of the ship, the hydrophone, which was used for the first time and successfully in this combat episode.

For a quarter century, the hydrophone device has improved. The largest physicists - Rutherford, Florisson, Langevin - did not stop looking for the best solution to the problem. Nowadays, the mechanical hearing of ships has become so aggravated that with its help, even at a distance of 7–8 miles, it is precisely determined where the direction of the invisible enemy is. But as soon as it became known about the appearance of the “mechanical ear” on the ships, the shipbuilders began to struggle with the noise of the machines and propeller screws. In addition, submarines often fall to the bottom and trap their opponents there or hide from pursuit in this way. All noises at the same time freeze and no mechanical hearing can help detect an invisible and lurking enemy.

How to be in such cases?

A hydrophone picks up ordinary sounds, such as would be heard by the human ear if it were in the water. But there are extraordinary sounds with a very high oscillation frequency, over 14,000 per second. These are ultrasounds. They are not captured by the ear or the hydrophone. Ordinary sounds propagate in waves in all directions from their source, and ultrasonic waves penetrate the water, like a beam, in one direction. If on their way they meet an obstacle - the bottom of the sea, underwater rock, the hull of the ship - they will be reflected back with the same beam towards their source-emitter.

Back in 1917, when the need for weapons against German submarines was very acute, the well-known French scientist Professor Langevin suggested supplying surface ships with an ultrasound emitter. He rightly believed that the ultrasound beam would serve the surface ship as a groping stick to the blind, like a sense of touch. Penetrating the water in all directions and meeting the body of the submarine, such a beam will be reflected back and will be accepted by its own radiator. The direction from which the reflected beam came from is well known. The speed of propagation of ultrasound in water is also known. This means that it is possible to indicate not only the direction in which the suspicious obstacle was “felt”, but also to calculate at what distance it is located. And this will accurately determine the location of the enemy submarine.

At the end of the First World War, these devices still passed the first tests.

Scientists have worked hard over their improvement over the past decades - acoustics of almost “the whole world. And by the beginning of the Second World War, ultrasound direction finders had already become a proven means of detecting submarines.

In 1941, a whole group of workers from one of our factories deserved a high award — the Stalin Prize — for creating an ultrasonic device that helps our sailors in the fight against German submarines.

But ultrasound, which precisely determines where the invisible enemy is located, often turns out to be powerless, cannot find the enemy's submarine. Its rays-waves penetrate very close, only 1-2 miles; if the submarine has not yet come close to such a distance, the ship’s underwater sense of touch will not feel it. If a submarine hides very deeply, not far from the bottom, or lies completely at the bottom, it will, as it were, become part of the bottom and it will be almost impossible to discern where the sound is reflected from the submarine or from the bottom. All this - very big disadvantages of ultrasonic devices.

  Draft improved trap ship  Above - a detachable platform (poop), armed with a cannon, mounted in the stern of the ship; in the circle - the floating platform separated from the sunk ship and remained afloat; below, the gun crew opens fire and drowns a surfaced submarine; meanwhile, lifeboats stick to the platform, previously departed from the sunk ship

At the beginning of the Second World War, these shortcomings gave the fascists reason to hope that their submarines would still be able to cut the arteries feeding the Allied fronts in Europe and Africa.

At this time, there was information about the new, as if very powerful tool for detecting submarines. Ultrashort radio waves, groping in the darkness of the night, enemy aircraft and ships could be even more powerful means for finding submarines. About this application of radio waves is still unknown. In December 1939, the Prime Minister of England, Churchill, speaking in the House of Commons, for the first time announced that the British ships were armed with a new device for detecting submarines, such a device that unmistakably gropes them at a distance of 10 miles and even at the bottom of the sea, does not allow them to hide anywhere and reliably helps surface vessels to destroy an invisible enemy.

The reports of the British government on deliveries to the Soviet Union include such devices among the weapons sent to our country. They are called "Asdik." How they work, what their action is based on - this is a military secret. It is known that their name "Asdik", in English Asdic, is composed of the initial letters of the name of a special institution of the British Admiralty, which develops means of fighting enemy submarines.

* * *

Aerial reconnaissance — the keen vision of surface ships, hydrophones — their delicate underwater hearing, ultrasonic devices — their sensitive sense of touch — all this today allows them to very successfully and in time to detect an invisible enemy creeping or lurking — a submarine — and bringing it down their blows. But in the event that an enemy submarine still manages to get close to it, it is necessary to take measures to ensure that its torpedoes pass by the target. Therefore, the ships draw zigzags on the water, change the direction and speed at short intervals. Therefore, ships are masked by a special distorting color, which misleads a submarine: it seems that the ship moves at a speed greater than it actually is and from a different angle to the course of the submarine.

* * *

Strikes on enemy submarines are mainly delivered by specially designed surface ships. What are these ships, how do they fight against an invisible enemy?

Coastal waters and areas of lively maritime communications are guarded by patrol high-speed ships, destroyers, hunters of submarines, boats, airplanes and airships. They continually scurry over the sea and above it, do not leave a single unexamined speck, look out for the breaker from the periscope. And a suspicious sign or an authentic trace of an invisible enemy is slightly noticed, the naval patrol rushes into place and throws it with depth charges. The large construction of patrol ships, especially submarine hunters, allowed the Americans to organize a kind of "posts for the destruction" of German submarines. Bases for 1-3 small patrol ships, heavily armed with automatic artillery and depth charges, are organized along the coast at a distance of 80 to 100 miles. These ships are always ready to go to sea on the first signal of the scout. As soon as the patrol aircraft or airship found a submarine somewhere between two bases, he tells them on the radio where to find the enemy, and he remains in place until his ships arrive and helps them in destroying the enemy (see fig. On page 186 –187).

  How do bombers and depth charges  1 - fuse; 2 - the holder of the bomb; 3 - explosion chamber; 4 - throwing force resulting from the explosion; 5 - rod holder bombs; 6 - screw setting the depth of the explosion; 7 - steel bomb shell; 8 - fuse and depth setting mechanism; 9 - detonator; 10 - explosive charge; 11 - pilot glass;

But the best means of fighting the German submarines were the convoys, the very convoys that, in the First World War, knocked out their underwater weapons from the hands of the Germans.

The main combat mission of the German submarines during the first and second World War was the sinking of the Allied merchant ships, cargo ships and oil tankers. The British began to combine a large number of such vessels in one loaf and accompany him on their way with special guard ships. In general, such a connection was called "convoy".

Convoys have their own history. In the 17th and 18th centuries, privateering was very much developed on the seas and oceans - attacks by armed pirate ships on merchant ships. It was at that time that the British first began to combine many ships into one caravan and accompany them with warships. High-speed, well-armed corvettes and frigates, three-masted sailing small ships were most useful for this purpose (see fig. On pages 188–189).

In the First World War, destroyers and destroyers mainly served as convoy ships. In terms of speed and mobility, these ships were most suitable for combat with submarines and at the same time were sufficiently seaworthy for long voyages as part of the convoy.

By the end of the war, they began to build special patrol vessels — submarine-hunting ships and patrol ships — most of all to fight submarines in coastal waters and near lines.

After a quarter of a century, the Germans in the Second World War again relied on the attacks of the submarines on the communications of the Allies, but the British again used convoys armed with the latest means of dealing with an invisible enemy. This time the situation was even more serious, more dangerous.

The Nazis threw a huge number of submarines on the sea routes, much more than in the First World War. They used the tactics of the wolves, their submarines attacked the Allied convoys in "wolf packs", in groups of several dozen ships, and did not cease their attacks during the entire transition. The communications of the Second World War were lengthened, the transition took more time, the ships turned out less often. So, the escort ships took a lot more than they did in the First World War. By the beginning of the war the number of destroyers; Allies turned out to be even less than it was 25 years ago. And these? destroyers were needed for their main, combat purpose - to help large ships in combat and in the march, for delivering torpedoes and artillery strikes on the enemy. It was necessary to urgently build hundreds of new convoy ships.

  Y-shaped bomb

For the protection of low-speed caravans very high speed and torpedo armament of destroyers were not at all necessary. It took a long time to build such ships for escorting caravans, it was expensive. And the enemy did not give too much time, money and materials had to be saved. That is why the allies even before the start of the war created and began to build in large numbers new escort ships specifically designed to protect caravans on the way.

New ships had to be given a name. And then they again recalled the convoys of the 18th century, recalled the corvettes and frigates, and gave the same names to two new types of escort ships. Corvette called the ship with a displacement of only 700-900 tons, but featuring good seaworthiness and mobility. The speed of the corvette is small, only 18.5 knots, and this ship is armed with one anti-aircraft gun, machine guns, assault rifles and depth charges (see fig. On pp. 200–201).

Soon it turned out that such a convoy ship is not doing its job very well. Its low speed was insufficient to prosecute the detected submarines, anti-aircraft armament was not sufficient to repel attacks from the air. That is why a new type of escort or escort ship, the frigate, soon appeared. This is the same corvette, only its displacement increased to 1,000-1,100 tons, the speed increased to 20-22 knots, and instead of one anti-aircraft gun there were two. And, finally, increasing the protection of the caravans, they came to the third type of escort ship, an escort destroyer. It is also a small ship, its displacement is about 900 tons, but with stronger: artillery armament, and the speed has increased to 27.5 knots. Such a destroyer carries with it a large stock of depth charges. Small size and high speed protect the ship from the air and make it a very dangerous enemy of submarines.

  Stern Bomb Dumper

Escort destroyers grow not only in number, but also in size. Such ships have already appeared with a displacement of 1,300 tons with torpedo tubes to fight the surface ocean "raiders" attacking the convoy. In the air above the convoy, as its scouts and planes hover from the air. Without their own floating base, aircraft could not have escorted caravans over long distances across the Atlantic. Therefore, we had to include in the number of escort ships specially built small escort aircraft carriers with a displacement of 10–17 thousand tons, with a speed of 17–25 knots, with 25–30 aircraft.

All escort ships are armed with the latest, most advanced means for detecting German submarines.

What does a big convoy look like? Guarded merchant ships line up in a long line of ships, taking place in the ranks of the order number. All radio installations on ships are sealed. Signals are allowed only visible. At night, a complete blackout. In the air - the roar of the engines covering aircraft. Ahead and to the sides at the end of the column are escort ships of various classes, escort destroyers, corvettes, frigates.

The successes of these ships are great. They led tens of thousands of merchant ships across the expanses of the Atlantic and the Barents Sea. And in almost every battle, wolf packs of German submarines suffer great losses. More and more often, convoys passed to the ports of destination without any loss or with insignificant damage.

In May 1944, the British Admiralty announced the arrival at the ports of the USSR of the largest caravan of the entire war. German submarines continuously attacked the convoy. Despite this, there were no losses in the merchant ships, and only one destroyer was lost from the convoy. Two German submarines paid for it with their death, several were damaged.

What is the weapon escort and patrol ships invisible enemy?

If the submarine is caught on the surface, one or two, a few well-aimed shots from the cannon are enough to send it to the bottom. But it is very rarely possible to attack a submarine by surprise when it is still on the surface: modern submarines sink in 27-30 seconds.

  Scheme of scattering depth charges by area

Back in the last world war, when the allies had just begun to look for the most powerful means for detecting and destroying an invisible enemy, when such a depth weapon bombs had not yet been found and had only to rely on guns and watchful observers, the British invented a very witty and courageous way to lure German submarines boats on the surface of the sea, closer to the guns of the ship hunting for them.

To the north of Scotland near the Orkney Islands was the main base of the British fleet - Scapa Flow. An endless succession stretched from the south to this base of the court with coal, food, ammunition. On the evening of July 24, 1915, one of these ships, the Prince Charles coal miner, seemed to be on its course just in the area of ​​the sea where German submarines were spotted. Soon the coal steamer noticed the Danish steamer "Louise", stalling cars; A German U-36 submarine stood near him, preparing to destroy the ship. The Prince Charles continued on his way, as if hoping to slip past the occupied submarine. But the Germans did not want to miss another booty, and began in full swing approaching an inoffensive and apparently completely defenseless coal miner. From a distance of no more than a mile the Germans fired a cannon. The shell flew over, but the coal mine commander still stopped the cars and lowered the boats. The submarine was getting closer and continued to shoot from his gun. The second projectile flew again, but fell already closer to the coal miner. Here the submarine is already very close, turned to the British overboard, continues to shoot.

And suddenly, quite unexpectedly for the Germans, a miraculous transformation occurs on a defenseless coal miner. The battle flag of the English navy is hoisted on the mast. “Screens” are falling, and disguised weapons open, one of them opens fire. The projectile enters the submarine and breaks near the conning tower. More and more shells get into the boat, and all attempts to dive fail, something is damaged in the boat by the first shell. Shooting, "Prince Charles" is getting closer to the submarine, now every blow of his guns is fatal to the enemy. The Germans came to the deck, waiting every moment for the death of the boat. "U-36" really went to the bottom, and the surviving part of its crew was picked up by the winning ship.

Thus, for the first time, a trap ship, a bait for German submarines, was used to bring them under the blows of the guns of surface ships.

Trap ships were used almost throughout the First World War. As soon as the Germans learned about their appearance, the German submarine commanders became very, very cautious. The submarine “sniffed” its victim for a long time before it decided to surface. But the commanders of the trap ships excellently played scenes of panic on the ship. Fires from the hit shells, holes in the hull of the trap, death and destruction on its deck did not stop the "game". When the crew left the ship in panic in front of the Germans, when the smoke of the fire enveloped the whole ship, when it was almost going to the bottom, then even experienced submarine commanders were caught, ordered to float, get closer to the perishing ship, so that one, two shots, finish him off. And then all of a sudden a ship that barely kept on the water came to life, its guns opened fire for sure and ... the winner turned out to be defeated by his almost finished opponent.

  One of the foreign projects of the newest "hunter" for submarines, armed with long-range bombers in tower installations 1 - aft discharger; 2 - new long-range bombers; 3 - fire control; 4 - powerful spotlights; 5 - three-inch implements; 6 - anchor; 7 - tower rangefinder; 8 - bomb; 9 - rotation and maintenance mechanisms of the tower; 10 - fodder mechanisms; 11 - bomb bombers; 12 - three inch tools

Trap ships did not often succeed, especially since German submarines were acting more carefully.

In this connection, one of the projects to improve trap ships, proposed in the USA and published in one of the American journals in the years of the Second World War (see. Fig. On page 191), is of interest.

In the aft deck of such a ship, a place is provided for a kind of floating gun platform, made in the form of an isolated and easily detachable section of the vessel and built with a large-caliber gun mounted on the deck. If a submarine attacked such a ship with a torpedo, then at the time of its sinking, when the attackers have no doubt of complete and final victory and when the submarine confidently floats to the surface, the gun platform opens from the sinking trap and the gun opens fire on careless opponent and drowns him. The floating platform is equipped with a radio installation and reserves of provisions, then serves as a pier for the lifeboats that left the sunk court and can be picked up some time later by some of their own or friendly ship.

  Longitudinal section of the modern escort ship-corvette  1 - stern bombers; 2, 3 - warehouses; 4 - foreman cabins; 5 - bomb bomb; 6 - life rafts; 7 - engine room; 8 - depth charges; 9 - anti-aircraft gun; 10 - boiler rooms; 11 - onboard fuel tanks; 12 - storeroom of electrical engineers; 13 - officer's cabin (double); 14 - the boat; 15 - observation post; 16 - left-sided 20-mm anti-aircraft gun; 17 - the bridge; 18 - navigator viewing window; 19 - the antenna of the radio direction finder; 20 - wheelhouse and radio room; 21 - spotlight; 22 - signal lamp; 23 - starboard 20-mm anti-aircraft gun; 24 - lamp (pantry); 25 - pharmacy; 26 - officer cabins (single); 27 - tanks with fuel; 28 - fresh water reserves; 29 - rooms for the team (cockpit); 30 - residential deck (team); 31 - 90-mm quick-fire gun in a tower installation; 32 - windlass; 33 - storage of gas masks * * *

From the very beginning of the First World War, military inventors were looking for such a weapon with which it would be possible to strike an invisible enemy under water in that part of the sea where his presence would be suspected or accurately established.

Such a weapon - a depth bomb - was created, and it greatly helped the allies. It destroyed during the whole war 36 submarines, or nearly one-fifth of the total number of submarines sunk. And nowadays, the depth bomb is the sharpest weapon of those surface and air ships that hunt submarines. While we were talking about these ships, we had to mention the depth bomb many times. And now it's time to tell what it is, how it works, how it is directed against an invisible enemy.

Depth bomb (see fig. On p. 193) is a cylindrical projectile. The weight of the bomb charge is different and reaches 270 kilograms. The bomb is called deep because it explodes not with contact with water or with every blow, but at a certain, predetermined depth. The percussion strike of a bomb is associated with the same hydrostat that operates in various mine devices and in a torpedo. The hydrostat is so “tuned” that it lowers the firing pin at a certain depth under water, while the bomb explodes. But it is impossible to know in advance how deep the submarine is hiding. That is why depth charges on a ship are set in advance for action at different depths. A certain number of such bombs with different depth of blasting is a whole series. Bombs are dropped by such series, their strikes therefore overtake the submerged submarine at the same time at different depths.

But after a dive, a submarine can leave the place where its periscope was spotted. True, she had not yet had time to go far, but still the blows of depth charges dropped in one place alone might not cause her any harm. Therefore, the ship drops its bombs on a certain area in such a way that a slight movement of the submarine does not help it to avoid a strike.

  Depth bombs flew out of a bomb bomb

It is not necessary that the depth bomb hit the submarine or explode right there, near it. The impact force is so great that the charge destroys the submarine at a distance of 10 meters, and at a distance of 20 meters the explosion causes serious damage to it, which often disables the most important mechanisms - the submarine has to float.

How to "shoot" depth charges?

At the stern of the ship are arranged a kind of guide trays, dumpers. Bombs are laid in these trays and dumped over the stern. They fall right there, in the "trail" of the ship. But there are also bomb-guns, from which they are fired with depth charges (see fig. On pages 195 and 196).

Now imagine that a surface ship armed with a stern discharger and airborne bombers, noticed a sinking submarine. He rushes to the dive site, so he reached it; then the bombing begins along the ship and from both sides. The ship rushes, leaving behind a large area covered by bombs (see fig. On page 197). Their strikes are spread over the surface and along the thickness of the water hidden beneath it, and form a deadly, fatal zone from which it is very difficult for a submarine to get out unscathed. The successes of depth bombing led to the fact that in the projects of new ships- “hunters” they are trying to use this weapon more and more widely. Information about allegedly designed new hunting ships armed with long-range bombers in turret installations appears in the foreign press (see fig. On page 199). These are a kind of guns, their shooting is controlled from the central fire control station. Such bomb bombs will allegedly be able to hit depth charges from afar with a submerged submerged. In addition, such bomb bombs can create an explosive curtain in the way of torpedoes fired by a ship and make them explode or unscrew prematurely.

Inventors do not stop searching for more advanced weapons to destroy submerged submarines. Thus, in the United States proposed a project "torpedo depth bomb." This is an ordinary torpedo, but its charging compartment can simultaneously serve as a depth bomb. Having noticed a submarine on the surface or its periscope, the hunter ship launches such a torpedo. The device distance in it is set at a certain distance - to the place of the submarine. If the submarine remains on the surface or under the periscope, the torpedo will hit its hull, explode and send it to the bottom. If the submarine has time to dive, then at the end of the torpedo travel distance, just above the "diving" enemy, the mechanism separating the torpedo charging compartment will automatically work. It turns into an ordinary depth bomb and explodes at a given depth.

The nuclear submarine of the project 949A (code “Antey”) was created on the basis of the project 949 by inserting an additional compartment (fifth) in order to accommodate new equipment, for ease of assembly. Its appearance is quite remarkable - leaving a solid hull cylindrical all over, and having placed launchers along the sides between strong and light hulls, the designers got a very broad-shouldered boat, which resembles a loaf in the photos from the bow views. On the prototype, project 661 in the area of ​​rocket mines, the corps in the section had the shape of a figure eight.

Brief characteristics of the project 949 (“Granit”, the first two hulls): surface displacement - 12,500 tons, full underwater - 22,500 tons, dimensions - 144 x 18 x 9.2 m, surface speed - 16 knots, underwater - 32 knots, power - 98,000 hp Crew - 94 people.

The main characteristics of the upgraded project 949A are as follows: displacement above the surface — 14,820 tons, full surface — 15,100 tons, underwater — 19,254 tons, full underwater (taking into account the volume of the light hull) —5,650 tons, which is only 1,000 tons less than that of surface heavy nuclear cruisers like "Kirov"! The reserve of buoyancy is 29.9%, the boat retains surface (not underwater) buoyancy when one compartment is flooded. The total length is 154.8 m, the width is exactly 18 m, the draft in the cruising position with the nose is 9.1 m, at the mid-section 9.3 m and stern 9.5 m, the height from the keel to the top of the wheelhouse fence is 18, 3 m. The length of the light hull is 151.8 m. The width of the boat along the aft horizontal rudders is 22 m, and the NGR (in the extended position) is 24 m.

The durable hull with a length of 122 m is divided into 10 compartments, has a variable diameter, designed for a maximum immersion depth of 600 meters, over which the hull collapses (strong walls made of AK-33 steel are 45 to 68 mm), the working depth is 480 m. The end bulkheads of the solid hull are cast, spherical, the radius of the bow is 8 m, the feed radius is 6.5 m. The transverse bulkheads are flat, between the first and second, and also between the fourth and fifth compartments are designed for a pressure of 40 atmospheres and have a thickness of up to 20 mm Thus, the boat is divided into three compartments, shelters for accidents at depths of up to 400 meters: when flooding a part of a solid hull, people in this case have a chance to escape either in the first compartment, or in the second, the third, or in the stern compartments. In the case of the Kursk accident, it turned out well; moreover, the bulkhead of the stern compartment-shelter withstood the brunt of the explosion! The remaining bulkheads inside the rescue zones are designed for 10 atmospheres (for a depth of no more than 100 meters).

FIRST COMPARTMENT: divided by platforms into three tiers. Below, in the hold, there is an EXA-25 high-pressure air compressor (VVD), fans and a special nasal rechargeable battery (112 elements of product 440) in a special enclosure. Above them is a gas-tight flooring designed for a pressure of 0.1 atm. On the second deck of the equipment of the Skat-3 SSC (the main volume), air-foam fire extinguishing stations (IDPs) and volume-chemical fire extinguishing (LOH), ladders.

Here, on the sides, there are access hatches in special boules (solid fences overboard), in which there are drives for bow horizontal rudders. Between the second deck and the torpedo compartment there is a platform designed for 5 atmospheres, in fact, it is like a horizontal bulkhead for a depth of 50 meters! As you can see, an ordinary fire cannot transfer from up to the deck, neither up nor down, and the design is designed so that even with a hypothetical explosion of hydrogen in the battery, the torpedo compartment is not touched.

Torpedo tubes only 6 (six). Of these, two are in 650 mm caliber (the lower ones are internal, although sometimes they are said to be external) and four are in caliber 533 mm (two at the top, two at the edges). The automated Leningrad-949 torpedo-missile complex consists of a TA, a Grinda PUTS, a torpedo-loading device (with a hatch in the bow bulkhead of a robust hull, 800 mm in diameter), UBZ and three-tiered shelves with torpedoes and missiles. The last moment, taking into account the explosion of the ammunition at the Kursk, is of particular interest. So, according to the project, in the torpedo compartment, in the absence of torpedoes, only 28 (twenty eight) rocket-torpedo types 83-P (10), 84-P (8) missiles, 10 (ten) rocket-torpedoes 86-P (6 ) and 88-P missiles (4). In the torpedo version, 18 USET-80 and 10 types 65-76A are loaded, only 28 units of ammunition, of which, naturally, six are in torpedo tubes. In the mixed version of the project, 16 (or 12) USAT-80 torpedoes, two (or 6) 86-P and ten 83-P rocket-torpedoes can be taken. Reception and production of mines are not provided. TAs Nos. 5 and 6 (650 mm) can serve as rescue exits.

Torpedo tubes and torpedoes themselves are robust torpedo structures; you can shoot at depths of up to 480 meters at speeds from 13 knots (type 65-76A) to 18 knots (USET-80), and protection against an involuntary explosion on torpedoes for more than 100 years of their use brought to perfection: they now have systems that do not allow homing on a firing boat (the torpedo in this case is self-fueled), in addition, the torpedoes fall during loading, they are asleep, alcohol is drained from them, etc. and yet they do not explode. There were cases when the boats were in full swing, hitting the underwater obstacles, crushing their noses, and the torpedo tubes, and the torpedoes in them, and nothing, came to the bases. On the other hand, there was a case of an explosion of ammunition in Polyarny, January 11, 1962, during a fire in the nose compartment of a diesel submarine B-37. The boat just tore two bow compartments ...

The fast-loading device allows you to replace ammunition in torpedo tubes in 5 minutes. Type 65-76A torpedo (cipher “Kit”) was put into service in 1976, anti-ship, long-range, on low-water hydrogen peroxide (fuel kerosene), caliber 650 mm, length 11 m, speed 50 knots, range 50 km. The mass of the torpedo is 4650 kg, the weight of the explosive is 530 kg. There is an option with a nuclear warhead (without homing), but under a treaty in 1989 such torpedoes were removed from service. For the same reason, there are no BA-111 "Squall" missiles in the arsenal.

Torpedo USET-80 in service since 1980, universal, electric, self-guided, caliber 533 mm, search speed - 18 knots, maximum - 50 kts, range 15 km. The mass of the torpedo is 1800 kg, the length is 7.8 m, the weight of the BB is 290 kg. According to the project, it has silver-zinc batteries, but the Kursk had an experienced torpedo with a cheaper power plant. It is worth noting that these torpedoes have significantly better characteristics than foreign ones, while the 65-76A has no analogues at all.

The 83-P “Waterfall” rocket and torpedo (URPK-6) has a caliber of 533 mm, a length of 8.2 m, a firing range of 50 km, and a small UMGT-1 torpedo is installed as the head part. The 86-R “Wind” (URPK-7) is about the same, only its caliber is 650 mm, the firing range is 110 km, the launching depth is twice as much, and the USET-80 torpedo is used as a warhead. The 84-P and 88-P complexes are a modification of the Waterfall and Wind rocket-torpedoes, where the nuclear depth bomb was installed as the head part. Obviously, there were no nuclear warheads of tactical weapons on the Kursk for the reason indicated above.

Solid propellant missiles of these complexes are launched from under water, are corrected by the onboard inertial system, according to the data established earlier from the CICS, the torpedo (or depth charge bomb) is separated at a given point, then the parachute is shot off, the bomb sinks to a certain depth (about 200 m) and there explodes, and the torpedo begins to search and homing at the target.

The total volume of the compartment is 1157 m 3   . On alert No. 1 in the compartment on schedule there are 5 people in the stern, on the left side there is an office room for the commander of the warhead-3 (ammunition reload control station), and on the starboard, through the enclosure, the bulkhead door to the second compartment.

SECOND COMPARTMENT: has four decks. On the top is the main command post with an abundance of consoles: “Corundum” on the right-hand side — steering control post, GAS “Harfa”, “Omnibus”, “Grinda” and “Molybdenum” control panels for controlling general ship systems, control panel CU, main control panel, posts of the watch officer and mechanical engineer. In the aft bulkhead-

a hatch in the third compartment, next to LOX station, the commander’s traveling cabin. With PCG, it is possible to observe through two periscopa (commander's PZKE-11 “Swan”) and stern (navigator, “Signal-3”). Project 949A submarines are armed with a high-precision navigation complex UNK-90-949A “Symphony” (on the first boats are “Medveditsa”), with a KPF-3K receiver indicator and a KPI-7F direction finder, a navigation system linked to sonar-response beacons SNP-3 , NEL-2 and NEL-5 echo sounders, ADK-ZM (or ADK-4M) space system and AVK-73, GKU-1M gyrocompass, KM-145-P2 magnetic compass, Stellite and Scandium inertial systems, lags LKP-1 and “Box”, closed at the Strum VCC. Here there is a vestibule and a ladder that leads to the upper manhole (or rather, to the pop-up rescue chamber).

Through VSK, the crew enters and leaves under normal conditions, in an emergency case its capacity is 107 people. This, in fact, is in itself a super-small, solid submarine with a small autonomy. It has NZ, air, batteries, a radio transmitter, it can be ventilated using a manual drive. The pop-up camera with its coamings using a kremalerny connector is attached to the coamings of a durable hull, while creating a waterproof gateway (pre-chamber) between it and the ship. To separate the pop-up chamber, after the crew has been placed in it, it is necessary to close and batten the lower manhole hatch and the lower hatch of the VSC, hand out the stopper manually, unfold with pneumatics or manually the cremal band, fill the water chamber with the prechamber, if necessary, apply air to the air blowers for the final separation of the HSC from the boat . According to the combat schedule there are 30 people in the compartment.

At the aft bulkhead of the second compartment there is a ladder down to the second deck, which is occupied by the Struna Central Exhibition Complex (from several computers) and the MBU-132 Omnibus. There is also air conditioning, microclimate devices and the main hatch in the third compartment.

On the third deck there is a gyro post and posts of the Granit complex. For the convenience of organizing the pre-launch preparation of missiles (there are 24 of them, after all) and the “unloading” of the CEC, it was decided to divide the shipboard PP system into contours (3 volleys –3 contours). Such a triple duplication dramatically increased the flexibility and survivability of the system, reduced the time for preparing and entering data, thus making it possible to fire various targets simultaneously. Even with damage, malfunctions and errors, one circuit will survive in any case, and the missiles will fly out and find who they need. Of course, there is also a manual data entry channel for the extreme case. In general, there are eight different battle circuits on a boat.

On the fourth deck, at the bow bulkhead, there is a large gas-tight enclosure for battery No. 2. Both batteries have a capacity for 3-hour discharge of 10,500 amperes / hour, at 100-hour 15,000 a / h. Near the air conditioner enclosure, post battery pits with devices for monitoring the gas composition, ventilation mode, etc., provision for dry products, a fresh water tank. To provide the crew with fresh water there are four desalination plants of the PS-2 type, with a capacity of 620 liters per hour. The total volume of the compartment is 1025 m 3 .

THIRD COMPARTMENT:radio electronic systems. It contains all the main pull-out devices. Immediately behind the nasal bulkhead is the Z-KR-01 antenna post shaft for receiving target designation from the Legend space system or from an aircraft observation point. Behind him is the air shaft for the RCP-device operation of the compressor under

water Next, the Coral-B radar antenna, the Radian radar of the MRKP-59 radar complex, the Anis VHF antenna, the Cora-Shtyr long-range antenna, the Zona radio (direction finder) and in Aft, the Sintez satellite communications antenna (all communications facilities are combined into a single Molnia complex). In addition, the television system MTK-110 is connected, which allows under certain conditions to see under water at depths of 50-60 meters. Naturally, in the hold are tanks and hydraulics pumps, which raise and lower all these sliding devices. The fluid used in the hydraulics system is completely non-flammable. A small nuance - lifting of withdrawable devices occurs on a command from the CPU, while in a controlled situation they descend automatically, at a depth of 50 meters.

So, the diametral line of all decks of the third compartment resembles a forest: steel trunks of sliding devices occupy it. In addition, on deck 1 on the left side there are logging of radio communications, on the right-reserve command post, which, for efficiency, has a hatch in the CPU of the second compartment. Next comes the cabin of the hydroacoustics and the house of radio intelligence, at the aft bulkhead on the left side there is a cabin of the radiometrist. On the second deck, from the starboard side of the guard post, the commander’s cabin is behind it, then a hatch in the 4th compartment, from the port side the Coral post with air conditioning, at the aft bulkhead of the third compartment is a chemical service post and LOK station. On alert in the compartment is 24 people.

Down the ladder you can get to the third deck, where there are communication posts, including a secret one, along the left side, a latrine and a wash basin are arranged at the aft bulkhead of the compartment, and in the free areas there are cabins (the commander of the warhead-5, one cabin of officers and three midshipmen ). On the fourth deck, as already mentioned, the hydraulic system, including autonomous, with its tanks and actuators, for opening the outer shields and covers of rocket containers. The steering system is also autonomous. The hold is occupied by drainage and drainage lines, cooling system, there is also the main drainage pump TsN-279 (there are also four drainage pumps of the TsN-294 type and two types of EHA-4). The total volume of the compartment is 956 m 3 .

FOURTH COMPARTMENT:residential, it can be accessed both from the third compartment (on the second deck), and through the entrance hatch, which goes upstairs, to the aft part of the deckhouse (or, more correctly, the fence of the withdrawable devices). On the first deck on the left side from the bow to the stern are the quartermaster's cabin and the Kokov, then a latrine with a washbasin, a medical isolator, an ambulatory, sailors and midshipmen cabins. On the right side is a trap down, the secret part, and then the five cabins of the midshipmen and sailors. According to the staff of all officers in the boat- 43, midshipmen- 37, foremen- 5 and privates- 21, that is 106 people. Autonomy is 120 days. The maximum residence time under water (with a working nuclear power plant, but only with air regeneration, without ventilation) is 2880 hours.

On the second deck of the fourth compartment, to the right of the entrance hatch, there are ladders up and down, then a large and comfortable cabin is located, a company of officers with a pantry and sink, behind it along the corridor are two blocks of officer cabins, at the aft bulkhead of the watch room and LOK station. The basis of the chemical system of volumetric fire extinguishing in the enclosed compartments is freon-114B-2 (or freon). When extinguishing chladones, they stop burning, reducing the activity of oxygen, or even linking it altogether. The pure freon is inert, does not conduct electricity, has an increased ability to extinguish, but is toxic, especially after combustion. The liquid is in the tank, in the event of a fire and the decision to use LOH from the central station is supplied by compressed air through pipelines through nozzles-sprayers. In the case of timely filing, fire extinguishing is guaranteed. The second system, IDPs, extinguishes an open fire with an air-foam mixture, but it cannot eliminate the ignition of regeneration or two-component torpedo fuel. In total, there are 10 LOH stations and 2 IDPs per boat.

Along the walls of the robust hull are devices and installations for maintaining the microclimate in the rocket mines where the Granit missiles are stored.

The third deck of the 4 compartments consists of two sections: the officers 'cabins with a small shower personnel, the midshipmen and sailors' canteen, and the television center with a video recorder, audio center and a broadcast console on the cabins occupy the bow section. Through a light vestibule there is an entrance to the aft compartment of the compartment - a recreation area. Such zones exist only on two projects - 941 and 949 (on other boats in a truncated version), thanks to them more than 80-day scuba diving became possible. Firstly, there is a gym with exercise equipment, a Swedish wall, a bicycle ergometer, a photo room, opposite the gym — a steam room, a shower and a pool (usually sea water is taken from a depth of at least 250 meters), which is quite roomy and “bulges” onto the lower deck . Secondly, there is a large screen with interchangeable slides, where nature is depicted and various scenes with sound design, on special shelves — plants that are cultivated in hydroponics, canary cells and aquariums, a gaming machine, a TV, a breeze can be imitated.

On the fourth deck, there is not so much fun, but there is also enough of everything: devices for throwing garbage overboard (ASC) pass through the hold, near the galley, near it there is a two-level cooled provisional tank, and the rest of the free space is caused by UMF carbon dioxide absorption devices, which can be found, although not in such quantities, in other compartments (there are 200-210 such cartridges on the boat, under certain conditions they burn and explode). The systems of air regeneration and purification are also duplicated (“Sorbent”, “Jute”, “Kizil” and others), gas control devices with alarm systems are seven items, so that an explosion of oxygen or hydrogen is practically excluded. In the hold are various systems, pumps, highways, pipelines. On alert in the compartment is 8 people. The total volume of the compartment is 1487 m 3 .

FIFTH COMPARTMENT:  supporting mechanisms. On the first deck there is a compressor of the high pressure system AEKS-7.5 and nose ring fans, as well as an exhaust line (gas outlet) of a diesel generator. On the second deck, in the enclosure, a 800 kW diesel diesel generator ASDG-800/1 and switchboards. The total stock of diesel fuel is 43 tons, diesel oil is 4.5 tons. Here on the starboard side is the passage and inter-compartment hatches. On the third deck there is a shore power supply panel (alternating 380 V, 50 Hz, 1500 kW, 220 V, 400 Hz, 50 kW and a constant 175-320 V). In a special room, with a separate exit in the 4th compartment, the control station of the power plant is located, with the consoles of the electric power systems “Onega” and the power plant “Uragan”. On the fourth deck and in the hold is, in addition to drainage pumps and compressors, an electrolysis unit K-4 for oxygen. On the boats of the first generation of such an installation was not yet, regenerative cartridges were used, which, when combined with mud and especially with engine oil, caught fire and served as sources of most fires.

The electrolysis unit splits water into oxygen and hydrogen. The second is removed overboard with a special compressor, and the first in a volume of about 250 liters per hour is fed into the compartments. The percentage in the air inside the boat should be 19-21%, and before the fire on the "Komsomolets" allowed 23%, that is 2% higher than in the earth's atmosphere. At the lower limits, the crew will feel bad if the content is higher, the risk of fire increases. In the event that oxygen and hydrogen somehow merge in air, an explosive explosive mixture is formed. Such explosions have happened, although they do not cause catastrophic destruction. According to the combat schedule, there are 11 people in the compartment. The total volume of the compartment is 616 m 3 .

FIFTH BIS COMPARTMENT:also auxiliary mechanisms, a lot of equipment in them is duplicated. On the upper deck are switchboards, a backup communications post (without own antennas), on the second, an electrolysis unit K-4, an ASDG-800/2 diesel generator in the enclosure, compressors, a DG shield, a rectifier of the DC network, JIOX station, URM , in the stern of the vestibule-gateway with shower. Such locks are arranged to exit through them from the compartment with the radioactivity that has arisen. Here, in this case, decontamination of personnel is organized, and water is supplied from all sides.

On the third deck is a reversible transducer and a small smoking room. On the fourth, there are pumps for the general hydraulic system with communications and pipelines, as well as tanks. On alert in the compartment is 4 people. The total volume of the compartment is 628 m 3 .

SIXTH COMPARTMENT:reactor. It has two corridors, the left and the right side, there are stands of the CPS system, shut-off fans and air conditioners. The right corridor has intersection hatches from the bow and stern, as well as windows for inspecting the hardware enclosures. From both corridors you can go down the ladders to the pumping stations, which occupy a volume along the entire corridor, between them there are hardware enclosures, above which, in turn, are compressor rooms. The corridors of the left and right sides are connected by a transition corridor passing across the compartment, under the elevated floor of which there are fans of the middle ventilation ring. With their help, you can clean the polluted air in the reactor compartment.

There are two gateways (with sealed entrances) for maintenance of reactors, in the compressor there are duplicated evacuation pumps, feed pumps, steam sampling equipment.

Nuclear reactors of type OK-650M.01, on the last boats OK-650.02 (fore-starboard, stern-left side) are not only the most crucial part of the ship’s equipment, but also one of the most reliable ones, 50,000 hours. The total stock of nuclear fuel is 115 kg, which at 36% enrichment of uranium-235 is a colossal energy storage of 11,40000 MW, the campaign of the reactor cores is 60,000 hours. As is known, for a trouble-free process shutdown, it is necessary to damp the active zone with neutron absorbers and to provide cooling of the internal cavity of the reactor and fuel elements. Even during the development of reactor protection systems, an indispensable condition was set that the emergency protection drives and compensating grids (sinks) ensure their lowering by “self-propelled” at a certain speed, even when the electric motors are de-energized. Self-braked links were excluded from the drives, and the grille was spring loaded. With such a system, after a power outage, the reactor is automatically shut off even when the ship is tipped over.

In order to avoid further overheating of the reactor, in the event of an emergency pump de-energization, it was necessary to ensure the natural circulation of primary water, with its gradual cooling, to remove residual heat from fuel elements without battery re-cooling. Reducing the number of buildings of steam generators from four to two, as well as the use of straight tube elements instead of coils in combination with the pipeline laying system solved this problem. The sub-block space can be viewed using a special television system.

In general, no one needs to “jam” anything. According to the combat schedule there are 5 people in the compartment. The total volume of the compartment is 641 m 3 .

SEVENTH SECTION:turbine, they enter through the reactor compartment, get into a niche, then climb the ladder to the first deck, which is a gas-tight flooring through which you can descend to the turbines through the gateway. The emergency control panel of the power plant (along the left side of the aft bulkhead), the main switchboard with the main switchboard of the disconnected load, the LOX station are installed along the aisle. For the first time on these boats, static rectifiers were included in the electric power system, which made it possible to stop reversible converters in the main operational modes of operation of the main power plant. At the same time, a standby mode was provided to ensure readiness of reversible converters for automatic start-up and receiving of the load after a loss of power from the main turbo-generators. This “find” helped to extend the life of many devices and, most importantly, reduce the number of simultaneously noisy mechanisms.

The remaining volume below the gas-tight flooring (calculated at a pressure of 0.1 atm) is occupied by a Sapphire type SCC-9DM starboard, with a capacity of 50,000 hp, as well as a steam ejector chiller and evaporator. In the same compartment there is a power station with a capacity of 3200 kW from the turbogenerator. Starting from the stern, the unit includes a disconnecting clutch, a gearbox, a forward turbine, a reverse turbine, an auxiliary motor clutch and the PG-160 electric motor with 475 hp. Under diesel generators and HED, the boat can go at a speed of 5 knots 500 miles. Under the turbines at full power, the surface speed is 15.4 knots (supercritical), the subsea is 33.5 knots. With the antennas and devices extended, the boat should not move more than 9 knots, otherwise you can just bend them all. In addition, cavitation may begin at the periscope depth around the screws, so the number of revolutions is limited to 60. At a depth of 100 meters, for the same reasons, no more than 21 knots can be developed at 127 revolutions.

On alert in the compartment is 9 people. The total volume of the compartment is 1116 m 3 .

EIGHT Section:turbine, mirror-like identical to the seventh (7 people serve the alarm). Turbines and other critical mechanisms have damping and insulation systems to reduce noise, titanium alloys are widely used to save mass, and BNTU are designed for shock loads corresponding to the parameters of an underwater nuclear explosion. The magnitude of the safe radius for the project 949A with an atomic underwater explosion of 10 kT on the shock wave is 1100 m (for robust hull and main devices) and 1300 m (for the main power plant). The radius of destruction is taken as 80% of the value of the safe radius.

Propeller shafts with a diameter of 950 mm have a complex system of protection against seizure at great depths (when crimped), dead-end stern bushings enter the robust body through mortars and transfer all their enormous effort at full speed to the thrust bearings. Even with a very strong counter-impact, it is unlikely that the shafts can move the Mitchel bearings without complete destruction of the bulkhead (and these bulkheads remained relatively intact). The total volume of the compartment is 1072 m 3 .

NINTH COMPARTMENT:auxiliary mechanisms, the smallest in volume (542 m 3), has only two decks. The first one is occupied by pumps and hydraulic tanks of the steering system, high-pressure air compressor, and an IDP feed station. On the starboard here is a water softening laboratory. In the bow section of the compartment, according to DP, there is a ladder for lifting into the rescue hatch. In the stern part there is the combat post of the reserve steering control from the local post if the control system from the Korund CPU fails. In the volume between the first and second decks pass, with a slight collapse, two lines of propeller shafts, between them stands the compressor VVD type EKSA-25 (above AEX-7.5). There is a lathe. On the left side there are a small shower room, in the hold there is a provision tank and hydraulic cylinders of the steering machines for driving vertical rudders (there are only three), as well as small tanks. On alert in the compartment should be 3 people. Of the rescue devices on the boat 6 inflatable rafts (each for 20 people), 120 gas masks and SSP kits, 53 IP-6 isolating gas masks (they can be under water) and others, such as RM-2, KZM, boot covers, gloves and etc. In all compartments in special sealed tanks, a six-day emergency supply of food is stored.

INTERCORN SPACE.There are mainly high pressure air cylinders VVD-400 located here, which allows the boat to float by blowing ballast tanks from a depth of less than 399 meters (deeper the air simply cannot squeeze out water), the total air supply is 128 cubic meters. There are 25 ballast tanks in total, the time for an urgent dive from the periscope position is 2 minutes 15 seconds. In the design, the kingingston system was adopted as a simpler one; external scippers, in a submerged position, are closed with caps to reduce noise and improve streamlining. For emergency ascent from great depths, a system with powder generators installed in several tanks is used. All exterior structures have ice reinforcement.

There are 1400 different openings in the sturdy casing, for exit of water and air lines, input cables, above the reactor compartment there is a loading hatch with a diameter of 1 meter, slightly less hatches for reloading batteries.

In the nose of the light body, a significant amount was allocated to the underwater antenna of the SJSC Skat-3 MGK-540. The complex is designed for continuous illumination of the underwater situation and fixation of surface targets and consists of a large number of devices and stations: the NOR-1 monitor, the MG-519 mine detection station Arfa, the emergency response station to the request of the search and rescue ship MGS-30, navigation circular NOK-1, MG-512 (“Screw”) detector, MG-518 (“North” echometer), MG-543. All these tools allow in an automated mode to detect, bearing and track all sorts of targets (up to 30 at a time) in the modes of wide and narrowband direction finding in the high-frequency, sound and infrasonic ranges. There is a towed low-frequency receiving antenna produced from the upper tube on the aft stabilizer (installed from the second hull), as well as receivers located along the sides of the light hull. The range of the GAK is up to 220 km. The main mode is passive, but there is the possibility of automated detection, measurement of distance, course angle and distance to the target in the active mode (echo signal). A demagnetizer is laid along the light body.

In the massive wheelhouse (fencing) 29 meters long are, as already mentioned, mines of withdrawable devices, a pop-up rescue chamber, as well as two exits, in the stern of the fencing there are two VIPS devices, a kind of small torpedo tubes for firing hydroacoustic countermeasures devices. The installation of a strong container with Igla-type anti-aircraft missiles for self-defense against anti-submarine aircraft and other improvements begins with the 12th corps. In the Navy such boats are called 949AM. The lightweight body and especially the cabin have ice reinforcement for breaking through the open water in case of ascent.

Behind the cabin there are under the covers two pop-up antennas - the “Hall” (on the first two buildings - “Paravan”) for receiving and transmitting radio signals and the “Swallow” (on the first “Catfish”), designed to receive ultra-low-frequency signals under water and even under ice at depths up to 120 meters. Closer to the stern is the emergency buoy V-600, which is delivered from the central post. At the same time, the Paris system manages to enter into the transmitter the coordinates of the point of release of the buoy, which, after ascent in free navigation, reports these coordinates on the air. Earlier, when the depths of the diving boats were small, everything was simpler: the buoy was given up on a cable with a cable, the lamp was flashing, a radio beacon worked, in the dry compartment of the buoy there was a telephone through which it was possible to negotiate with compartments. This had to be abandoned, of what volume and weight a buoy was needed so that he would ascend, lifting 600 meters of cable and cable on himself!

Just before the aft stabilizer, above the escape hatch, there is a landing ring for docking with autonomous vehicles that are available in the MSS of the Navy.

In the bow there is an anchor with an anchor AS-17 (setting depth in surface position up to 60 meters), a towing device (ACU), retractable mooring devices, spiers, bollards, bollards are installed below the superstructure deck. There are "epron" hatches with the letter "E.", under which there are valves that connect to the boat’s main air line of medium pressure, which allows shallow ballast tanks at shallow depths or supply air to the compartments, as well as access to special lifting rods 400), designed for a force of 400 tons. Along the entire deck, a hard railing is stretched to which special carbines are fastened during deck works at sea.

About the screws, and in principle, about the entire aft end, it should be said: even during the design process, we had to find the optimal contours of the stern, as a result we chose a bifurcated one. Although according to calculations, the speed at the same time was reduced by 0.3 knots, but it ensured the uniformity of the incoming flow to the screws, which reduced noise by 20%. Moreover, by and large, each boat has its own feed. Initially, low-noise five-blade screws with moderate saber-like were used, coaxial four-blades, such as “tandem”, were installed on the 606 order, then experimented with devices straightening the water flow, eventually settled on seven-bladed screws with saber blades with a diameter of 4.8 m. low noise "form of water intakes for cooling devices in the turbine compartments and even shifted them. As a result, the measures taken was achieved noise reduction of 15 decibels.

The anti-radiation and sonar (including non-resonant) coatings of the Fin and Pantsyr hulls play an important role in reducing the physical fields.

The largest volume in the inter-shell space is occupied by mines and SM-225 starting devices for Granit missiles. A total of 24, 12 on one side, according to the state, four missiles must be with nuclear warheads. The mines are located in a row, one by one, at an angle of 40 degrees. Start is made from a depth of 50 meters at a speed of up to 5 knots. At first, external fairing panels are opened (in the direction of the PD), then in the mines, where rockets are assigned for a volley, pressure is leveled off with water, covers are opened and, at 5 second intervals, Granites start from under the water. As is known, the deployment of cruise missile installations outside the robust hull increased the safety of the boat as a whole in each warhead of 900 kg of explosives, and if such a quantity of explosive had been detonated, nothing would have remained of the boat.