The first victims of German submarines More and more German boats sank other people's transports. In the world, the Kaiser's Germany acquired the image of a “vicious aggressor”, but was never able to take control of enemy sea communications. 7 May 1915 on the Liverpool - New York line

German spare parts for Soviet submarines It is necessary to clarify that in the 20–30s of the 20th century, Germany not only ordered components for its submarines, but also sold them abroad, in particular to the USSR. Thus, military historian A. B. Shirokorad (“Russia and Germany. History

The tasks of German submarines They were formulated by K. Dönitz on the eve of his assumption of the post of commander of the first Weddigen submarine flotilla at the end of September 1935. Several years before the start of unrestricted submarine warfare, he foresaw its possibility:

The role of German submarines in the Norwegian operation This was the first operation of the Reich command, in which all three types of armed forces played a major role - the army, the navy (including the submarine) and the aviation - therefore, the organization of interaction between different types of troops was given

Characteristics

The Germans are sinking British ships: Decoding the call signs of German submarines The surrender at Stalingrad marked the beginning of the end for Germany. The course of the war was turned. Although in the south and west, the Allies' successes still did not look convincing enough. In African

German submarine Bieber " (translated from German as "Beaver") are a series of 325 gasoline-powered midget submarines built in Germany in 1944.

German submarine "Bieber" beaver

On November 21, 1943, four ultra-small British Wellman-class submarines, by order of the commander of the British Navy in the Orkney and Shetland Islands, Admiral L. Wells, launched an attack on a German floating dock and ships in the Norwegian port of Bergen (Operation Barbara). The operation ended in failure. Two boats were lost, and two went to the Germans as a trophy.

The English ultra-small submarine Wellman served as the starting point for the creation of the German Bieber Beaver class submarine

Taking the ultra-small Wellman as a basis, the German designer of the corvette captain Heinrich Bartels began work in February 1944 on the creation of a German midget submarine commissioned by the Entwurf Flenderwerke shipyard in Lübeck. On February 23, 1944, G. Bartels prepared working documentation, and by March 15, a prototype of the submarine, designated “Adam,” was ready.

Production of a midget submarine, "Adam" (Adam), for the factory workers it was "Bunte-Boot", the Bunte boat was nicknamed after the director of the plant, Mr. Bunt

On March 29, it was demonstrated to the commander of the German Navy, Grand Admiral Karl Doenitz. "Adam" differed from subsequent serial submarines of the "Bieber" class: it had a displacement of only 3 tons, a maximum length of 7 m, a hull width and draft of 0.96 m, and a cruising time on the surface of 13 hours (at a boat speed of 7 knots ), and in a submerged position - 2.5 hours (at a speed of 6 knots). The submarine's diving depth reached 25 m.

The desire to ensure the possibility of transporting boats on trucks and launching them from an unequipped shore led to the fact that the displacement of the serial “Beaver” was limited to 7 tons, and the crew was limited to one person. Due to a shortage of diesel engines, the submarines were equipped with gasoline engines. Each production boat of the Bieber class cost the Nazi Navy 29 thousand Reichsmarks.
Nicknamed an assault weapon in the Nazi Reich, they were armed with two 533 mm torpedoes (or mines) and were controlled by one person. The smallest Kriegsmarine submarines could only operate in coastal waters.

The Bieber-class midget submarine was officially called a “submersible single-seat assault craft” and was intended to operate against enemy ships in the English Channel near the French and Dutch coasts.

In total, eight divisions were formed from the Biebers (from 261 to 268). But their combat use turned out to be extremely unsuccessful. They suffered from ventilation problems. A running gasoline engine (which could not be completely isolated from the pilot’s cabin) poisoned the air inside the submarine and often led to the death of the submarine’s driver.

The total losses of the Bieber class midget submarines for the period from August 1944 to April 1945 amounted to 113 units. After analyzing the situation, Flenderwerke engineers began developing more modern modifications of the Beaver: Bieber II and Bieber III. But they no longer had to take part in World War II.

DESIGN
The submarine's hull was made of ship steel 3 mm thick and had a streamlined shape. In the middle of the hull there was a small cabin (made of aluminum alloy) only 52 cm high with portholes and an entrance hatch. The rectangular portholes were made of armored glass (one at the bow, one at the stern, and two portholes on each side). A 150 cm long periscope and a snorkel extended from the wheelhouse. Behind the wheelhouse was the engine exhaust pipe.
Four bulkheads divided the hull into five compartments. The first contained a ballast tank; in the second - the control post and the driver of the submarine; in the third compartment a 6-cylinder petrol engine of the Otto model (taken from an Opel Blitz light truck) with a volume of 2.5 liters and a power of 32 hp was placed. e.; in the fourth there is an electric motor with a power of 13 hp. (powered by batteries) and shafting; in the fifth there is a stern ballast tank.
To propel the Beaver, a propeller with a diameter of 47 cm was used. The submarine was controlled by one person - the driver. She could move on the surface at a speed of 6.5 knots (the cruising range was up to 130 miles), or under water at a speed of 5.3 knots.

When diving, the driver could only breathe freely for 45 minutes (so the boat could only travel 8.6 miles underwater at a speed of 5 knots). During prolonged swimming under water, the air became oversaturated with carbon dioxide, and this led to poisoning of the crew. To somehow rectify the situation, the boat driver was equipped with a self-contained breathing apparatus with three cartridges with a carbon dioxide absorber, which should have been enough for 20 hours under water. In addition, due to the poor balance of the boat, underwater movement under the periscope was extremely difficult, which is why ships were often attacked from the surface.

Till type G7e electric torpedoes, or naval mines

The beaver was armed with two 533-mm modified electric torpedoes of the G7e type, which were suspended using two yokes on rail guides along the sides of the submarine.

Performance characteristics of ultra-small submarines of the "Bieber" class

• Displacement, t: surface: 6.5
• Dimensions, m: length: 9.04 width: 1.57 draft: 1.37
• Power plant: Gasoline engine with a capacity of 32 hp. e., electric motor with a power of 13 hp. With.
• Speed, knots: surface: 6.5 underwater: 5.3
• Maximum immersion depth, m: 20
• Armament: 2 x 533 mm Till electric torpedoes (type G7e) or sea mines
• Crew, persons: 1

Combat use German submarine "Bieber" beaver .
Each production boat of the Bieber class cost the Nazi Navy 29 thousand Reichsmarks.

• On August 30, 1944, during the first combat campaign, only 14 of the 22 assigned Beavers were able to go to sea, of which only two reached the calculated position, and none hit a single target. On December 22-23, 1944, 18 submarines went to a combat position from the port of Rotterdam, but only one boat returned.
• On December 23, at 16:25, five miles from Vlissingen, the Beaver, under the control of driver Schulze, finally won its first (and only) victory. He sank the MV Alan A. Dale, a convoy cargo ship with a displacement of 4,702 GRT, sailing from New York to Antwerp with a cargo of equipment and ammunition. But on the way back, the boat’s compass malfunctioned, and it ran aground in territory occupied by the enemy. The boat driver was captured.
• On December 24-25, 1944, another 14 submarines went on a combat mission, and not one of them returned.

"Bieber" was intended for operations against enemy ships in the English Channel on the French and Dutch coasts, photo in the Imperial War Museum London

• On December 27, 1944, tragedy occurred. Two torpedoes were spontaneously launched, which came off the guides of one mini-boat and hit a nearby minesweeper and the lock. As a result of the explosions, 11 Bobrovs, a minesweeper and a tugboat sank. Six people were killed and three were missing.
• March 6, 1945 - another tragedy.

The total losses of midget submarines of the Biber class for the period from August 1944 to April 1945 amounted to 113 units

In the harbor of Rotterdam, where the Beavers were based, a spontaneous torpedo launch occurred again. The result was the sinking of 14 submarines, and another nine boats were damaged. On the same day, 11 submarines set out on a mission, none of which returned to base...

The rusty skeletons of submarines of the Third Reich are still found at sea. The German submarines of World War II are no longer the ones on which the fate of Europe once depended. However, these huge piles of metal are still shrouded in mystery today and haunt historians, divers and adventure lovers.

Forbidden construction

The fleet of Nazi Germany was called the Kriegsmarine. A significant part of the Nazi arsenal consisted of submarines. By the beginning of the war, the army was equipped with 57 submarines. Then, gradually, another 1,113 underwater vehicles were used, 10 of which were captured. During the war, 753 submarines were destroyed, but they managed to sink enough ships and have an impressive impact on the whole world.

After World War I, Germany was unable to build submarines under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. But when Hitler came to power, he lifted all prohibitions, declaring that he considered himself free from the shackles of Versailles. He signed the Anglo-German Naval Agreement, which gave Germany the right to a submarine force equal to Britain's. Hitler later announced the denunciation of the agreement, which completely freed his hands.

Germany developed 21 types of submarines, but they mainly came down to three types:

1. The small Type II boat was designed for training and patrol duties in the Baltic and North Seas.
2. The Type IX submarine was used for long voyages in the Atlantic.
3. The Type VII medium submarine was intended for long-distance voyages. These models had optimal seaworthiness, and minimal funds were spent for its production. That's why most of these submarines were built.

The German submarine fleet had the following parameters:

• displacement: from 275 to 2710 tons;
• surface speed: from 9.7 to 19.2 knots;
• underwater speed: from 6.9 to 17.2 knots;
• diving depth: from 150 to 280 meters.

Such characteristics indicate that Hitler’s submarines were the most powerful among all Germany’s enemy countries.

"Wolf Packs"

Karl Doenitz was appointed commander of the submarines. He developed an underwater hunting strategy for the German fleet, which was called “wolf packs.” According to this tactic, submarines attacked ships in large groups, depriving them of any chance of survival. German submarines hunted mainly for transport ships that supplied enemy troops. The point of this was to sink more boats than the enemy could build.

This tactic quickly bore fruit. “Wolf packs” operated over a vast territory, sinking hundreds of enemy ships. U-48 alone was able to kill 52 ships. Moreover, Hitler was not going to limit himself to the results achieved. He planned to develop the Kringsmarine and build hundreds more cruisers, battleships and submarines.

The submarines of the Third Reich almost brought Great Britain to its knees, driving it into the blockade ring. This forced the Allies to urgently develop countermeasures against the German “wolves”, including the massive construction of their own submarines.

Fighting the German "wolves"

In addition to Allied submarines, aircraft equipped with radar began to hunt for the “wolf packs”. Also, in the fight against German underwater vehicles, sonar buoys, radio interception equipment, homing torpedoes and much more were used.

The turning point occurred in 1943. Then each sunk Allied ship cost the German fleet one submarine. In June 1944 they went on the offensive. Their goal was to protect their own ships and attack German submarines. By the end of 1944, Germany had finally lost the Battle of the Atlantic. In 1945, the Kringsmarine faced a crushing defeat.

The army of German submariners resisted until the last torpedo. Karl Dönitz's last operation was the evacuation of some of the naval admirals of the Third Reich to Latin America. Before his suicide, Hitler appointed Dennitz as head of the Third Reich. However, there are legends that the Fuhrer did not kill himself at all, but was transported by submarines from Germany to Argentina.

According to another legend, the valuables of the Third Reich, including the Holy Grail, were transported by the submarine U-530 to Antarctica to a secret military base. These stories have never been officially confirmed, but they indicate that German submarines from World War II will haunt archaeologists and military enthusiasts for a long time.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The wake of German submarines (Type II-A) at sea during maneuvers, 1939
Source: http://waralbum.ru/149250/

3. The Kriegsmarine included 13 captured submarines, including:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

British destroyer HMS Forester, 1942

Submarines dictate the rules in naval warfare and force everyone to meekly follow the routine.

Those stubborn people who dare to ignore the rules of the game will face a quick and painful death in the cold water, among floating debris and oil stains. Boats, regardless of flag, remain the most dangerous combat vehicles, capable of crushing any enemy.

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

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

HMS Traveler

The notorious British conservatism is a thing of the past - the British were among the first to equip their boats with ASDIC sonars. Alas, despite their powerful weapons and modern detection means, the T-class high seas boats did not become the most effective among the British submarines of World War II. Nevertheless, they went through an exciting battle path and achieved a number of remarkable victories. “Tritons” were actively used in the Atlantic, in the Mediterranean Sea, destroyed Japanese communications in the Pacific Ocean, and were spotted several times in the frozen waters of the Arctic.

In August 1941, the submarines "Tygris" and "Trident" arrived in Murmansk. British submariners demonstrated a master class to their Soviet colleagues: in two trips, 4 enemy ships were sunk, incl. "Bahia Laura" and "Donau II" with thousands of soldiers of the 6th Mountain Division. Thus, the sailors prevented the third German attack on Murmansk.

Other famous T-boat trophies include the German light cruiser Karlsruhe and the Japanese heavy cruiser Ashigara. The samurai were “lucky” to get acquainted with a full 8-torpedo salvo of the Trenchant submarine - having received 4 torpedoes on board (+ another one from the stern tube), the cruiser quickly capsized and sank.

After the war, the powerful and sophisticated Tritons remained in service with the Royal Navy for another quarter of a century.
It is noteworthy that three boats of this type were acquired by Israel in the late 1960s - one of them, INS Dakar (formerly HMS Totem) was lost in 1968 in the Mediterranean Sea under unclear circumstances.

Boats of the "Cruising" type XIV series, Soviet Union
The number of submarines built is 11.
Surface displacement - 1500 tons; underwater - 2100 tons.
Crew - 62…65 people.

Full surface speed - 22.5 knots; in underwater - 10 knots.
Surface cruising range 16,500 miles (9 knots)
Submerged cruising range - 175 miles (3 knots)
Weapons:

- 2 x 100 mm universal guns, 2 x 45 mm anti-aircraft semi-automatic guns;
- up to 20 minutes of barrage.

...On December 3, 1941, German hunters UJ-1708, UJ-1416 and UJ-1403 bombed a Soviet boat that tried to attack a convoy at Bustad Sund.

Hans, can you hear this creature?
- Nain. After a series of explosions, the Russians lay low - I detected three impacts on the ground...
-Can you determine where they are now?
- Donnerwetter! They are blown away. They probably decided to surface and surrender.

The German sailors were wrong. From the depths of the sea, a MONSTER rose to the surface - the cruising submarine K-3 series XIV, unleashing a barrage of artillery fire on the enemy. With the fifth salvo, Soviet sailors managed to sink U-1708. The second hunter, having received two direct hits, began to smoke and turned to the side - his 20 mm anti-aircraft guns could not compete with the “hundreds” of the secular submarine cruiser. Scattering the Germans like puppies, K-3 quickly disappeared over the horizon at 20 knots.

The Soviet Katyusha was a phenomenal boat for its time. Welded hull, powerful artillery and mine-torpedo weapons, powerful diesel engines (2 x 4200 hp!), high surface speed of 22-23 knots. Huge autonomy in terms of fuel reserves. Remote control of ballast tank valves. A radio station capable of transmitting signals from the Baltic to the Far East. An exceptional level of comfort: shower cabins, refrigerated tanks, two seawater desalinators, an electric galley... Two boats (K-3 and K-22) were equipped with Lend-Lease ASDIC sonars.

But, oddly enough, neither the high characteristics nor the most powerful weapons made the Katyusha effective - in addition to the dark story of the K-21 attack on the Tirpitz, during the war years the XIV series boats accounted for only 5 successful torpedo attacks and 27 thousand brigade . reg. tons of sunk tonnage. Most of the victories were achieved with the help of mines. Moreover, its own losses amounted to five cruising boats.

K-21, Severomorsk, today

It's a pity. These boats were designed for more.

“Baby”, Soviet Union
Series VI and VI bis - 50 built.
Series XII - 46 built.
Series XV - 57 built (4 took part in combat operations).

Performance characteristics of boats type M series XII:
Surface displacement - 206 tons; underwater - 258 tons.
Autonomy - 10 days.
Working immersion depth - 50 m, maximum - 60 m.
Full surface speed - 14 knots; in underwater - 8 knots.
Cruising range on the surface is 3,380 miles (8.6 knots).
Submerged cruising range is 108 miles (3 knots).
Weapons:
- 2 torpedo tubes of 533 mm caliber, ammunition - 2 torpedoes;
- 1 x 45 mm anti-aircraft semi-automatic.

Baby!

In the pursuit of compactness, many had to be sacrificed - service on the Malyutka turned into a grueling and dangerous undertaking. Difficult living conditions, strong roughness - the waves mercilessly tossed the 200-ton “float”, risking breaking it into pieces. Shallow diving depth and weak weapons. But the main concern of the sailors was the reliability of the submarine - one shaft, one diesel engine, one electric motor - the tiny “Malyutka” left no chance for the careless crew, the slightest malfunction on board threatened death for the submarine.

The little ones quickly evolved - the performance characteristics of each new series were several times different from the previous project: the contours were improved, the electrical equipment and detection equipment were updated, the dive time was reduced, and the autonomy increased. The “babies” of the XV series no longer resembled their predecessors of the VI and XII series: one-and-a-half-hull design - the ballast tanks were moved outside the durable hull; The power plant received a standard two-shaft layout with two diesel engines and underwater electric motors. The number of torpedo tubes increased to four. Alas, Series XV appeared too late - the “Little Ones” of Series VI and XII bore the brunt of the war.

Despite their modest size and only 2 torpedoes on board, the tiny fish were simply distinguished by their terrifying “gluttony”: in just the years of World War II, Soviet M-type submarines sank 61 enemy ships with a total tonnage of 135.5 thousand gross tons, destroyed 10 warships, and also damaged 8 transports.

The little ones, originally intended only for operations in the coastal zone, have learned to fight effectively in open sea areas. They, along with larger boats, cut enemy communications, patrolled at the exits of enemy bases and fjords, deftly overcame anti-submarine barriers and blew up transports right at the piers inside protected enemy harbors. It’s simply amazing how the Red Navy were able to fight on these flimsy ships! But they fought. And we won!

Boats of the “Medium” type, series IX-bis, Soviet Union
The number of submarines built is 41.
Surface displacement - 840 tons; underwater - 1070 tons.
Crew - 36…46 people.
Working immersion depth - 80 m, maximum - 100 m.
Full surface speed - 19.5 knots; submerged - 8.8 knots.
Surface cruising range 8,000 miles (10 knots).
Submerged cruising range 148 miles (3 knots).

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

The problems with the combat use of the "Medium" type boats, in general, were similar to the K-type cruising boats - locked in mine-infested shallow water, they were never able to realize their high combat qualities. Things were much better in the Northern Fleet - during the war, the S-56 boat under the command of G.I. Shchedrina made the transition through the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, moving from Vladivostok to Polyarny, subsequently becoming the most productive boat of the USSR Navy.

An equally fantastic story is connected with the S-101 “bomb catcher” - during the war years, the Germans and Allies dropped over 1000 depth charges on the boat, but each time the S-101 returned safely to Polyarny.

Finally, it was on the S-13 that Alexander Marinesko achieved his famous victories.

S-56 torpedo compartment

“Cruel alterations in which the ship found itself, bombings and explosions, depths far exceeding the official limit. The boat protected us from everything..."

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

Ocean-going submarine cruisers of the Getou class appeared at the height of the war in the Pacific Ocean and became one of the most effective tools of the US Navy. They tightly blocked all strategic straits and approaches to the atolls, cut all supply lines, leaving Japanese garrisons without reinforcements, and Japanese industry without raw materials and oil. In battles with the Gatow, the Imperial Navy lost two heavy aircraft carriers, lost four cruisers and a damn dozen destroyers.

High speed, lethal torpedo weapons, the most modern radio equipment for detecting the enemy - radar, direction finder, sonar. The cruising range allows for combat patrols off the coast of Japan when operating from a base in Hawaii. Increased comfort on board. But the main thing is the excellent training of the crews and the weakness of Japanese anti-submarine weapons. As a result, the "Getow" mercilessly destroyed everything - it was they who brought victory in the Pacific Ocean from the blue depths of the sea.

...One of the main achievements of the Getow boats, which changed the whole world, is considered to be the event of September 2, 1944. On that day, the Finback submarine detected a distress signal from a falling plane and, after many hours of searching, found a frightened and already desperate pilot in the ocean . The one who was saved was one George Herbert Bush.

The cabin of the submarine "Flasher", memorial in Groton.

Electric robots type XXI, Germany

By April 1945, the Germans managed to launch 118 submarines of the XXI series. However, only two of them were able to achieve operational readiness and go to sea in the last days of the war.

Surface displacement - 1620 tons; underwater - 1820 tons.
Crew - 57 people.
Working depth of immersion is 135 m, maximum depth is 200+ meters.
Full speed in the surface position is 15.6 knots, in the submerged position - 17 knots.
Cruising range on the surface is 15,500 miles (10 knots).
Submerged cruising range 340 miles (5 knots).
Weapons:
- 6 torpedo tubes of 533 mm caliber, ammunition - 17 torpedoes;
- 2 Flak anti-aircraft guns of 20 mm caliber.

U-2540 "Wilhelm Bauer" permanently moored in Bremerhaven, present day

The Germans were the first to guess: everything that shipbuilders in other countries are proud of - large ammunition, powerful artillery, high surface speed of 20+ knots - is of little importance. The key parameters that determine the combat effectiveness of a submarine are its speed and cruising range when submerged.

Unlike its peers, “Electrobot” was focused on being constantly under water: a maximally streamlined body without heavy artillery, fences and platforms - all for the sake of minimizing underwater resistance. Snorkel, six groups of batteries (3 times more than on conventional boats!), powerful electric. Full speed engines, quiet and economical electric. "sneak" engines.

The stern of U-2511, sunk at a depth of 68 meters

The Allies were not prepared to face such a threat - as post-war tests showed, the “Electrobots” were several times superior in mutual hydroacoustic detection range to the American and British destroyers guarding the convoys.

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

* the given performance characteristics correspond to boats of the VIIC subseries

The most effective warships ever to roam the world's oceans.
A relatively simple, cheap, mass-produced, but at the same time well-armed and deadly weapon for total underwater terror.

703 submarines. 10 MILLION tons of sunk tonnage! Battleships, cruisers, aircraft carriers, destroyers, corvettes and enemy submarines, oil tankers, transports with aircraft, tanks, cars, rubber, ore, machine tools, ammunition, uniforms and food... The damage from the actions of German submariners exceeded all reasonable limits - if only Without the inexhaustible industrial potential of the United States, capable of compensating for any losses of the allies, German U-bots had every chance to “strangle” Great Britain and change the course of world history.

U-995. Graceful underwater killer

The situation was simple: at the beginning of the war, when for every German boat there was one Allied anti-submarine ship, the “sevens” felt like invulnerable masters of the Atlantic. It was then that the legendary aces appeared, sinking 40 enemy ships. The Germans already held victory in their hands when the Allies suddenly deployed 10 anti-submarine ships and 10 aircraft for each active Kriegsmarine boat!

Beginning in the spring of 1943, the Yankees and British began to methodically overwhelm the Kriegsmarine with anti-submarine equipment and soon achieved an excellent loss ratio of 1:1. They fought like that until the end of the war. The Germans ran out of ships faster than their opponents.

The whole history of the German “seven” is a formidable warning from the past: what threat does a submarine pose and how high are the costs of creating an effective system to counter the underwater threat.

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

The article uses materials from the book “Soviet Submarine Shipbuilding”, V. I. Dmitriev, Voenizdat, 1990.