The submarine K-21 is one of the most mysterious in the history of the Soviet fleet. Scientists are still arguing about whether she really managed to injure the most powerful German ship Tirlitz, or not. Today, the boat is located in Severomorsk and functions as a museum. Everyone can see its exhibits.
What is interesting about the boat?
The K-21 submarine, built in 1939, took part in a large number of operations against the fascist invaders in its fifteen years of service. Already in its first campaign, its crew managed to send large Norwegian vehicles carrying military equipment to the bottom with the help of well-placed minefields.
But the submarine gained the most fame in June 1942, when as a result of an enemy attack it was forced to defend a convoy of food and attack the battleship Tirlitz. And here quite serious differences begin: the Soviet side claims that the ship was seriously damaged during the attack, and in the German documentation there was no attack on the Tirlits. Whether the battleship was damaged or not - scientists still can not come to a consensus on this issue.
KR - Cruiser Rudnitsky
Submarines of the 21st type originally had exactly this name, it was planned that they would significantly surpass foreign analogues. It was originally planned that this type of submarine will have a hangar on the deck where it will be possible to store reconnaissance aircraft. Such an innovation had to be abandoned due to the high cost, as well as difficulties with the design of such a model.
Submarines had a fairly large size, but it was quite easy to manage them, the specialists and submariners had very few complaints about the work of underwater cruisers. The outer hulls of the boats were assembled using electric welding, then this technique was a real breakthrough, due to it it was possible to seriously reduce the mass of the ship and significantly increase the duration of its stay in the autonomous mode.
On the submarine K-21 there were two periscopes of increased power, with which it was possible to take pictures. There were installed modern, at that time, radio stations capable of transmitting a signal using short waves. Due to this, it was possible to provide high-quality radio communication in both directions at long distances.
Ten torpedo tubes, two dozen torpedoes and a couple dozen barrage mines made the boat a serious enough enemy. In parallel with this, two artillery pieces of 45 and 100 mm caliber were installed on it. The boat could be in independent sailing for 50 days and carry out long-term operations, which quite often had to be carried out by the USSR.
Service in the Navy: the beginning of the journey
Since 1939, the ship repeatedly passed between existing fleets, until in the end the command decided to assign it to the Northern Division. 1941 was a turning point for the K-21 boat, the history of its baptism of fire and campaigns began precisely then. The baptism of fire of the submarine was very successful, the sailors were able to set mines in the Bestsund Strait in the dark and go unnoticed. The next morning, the Norwegian ship carrying shells and food went down, pushing against the bombs placed.
After a couple of days, the submarine successfully torpedoed two enemy ships, causing the German fleet to suffer serious losses. In the second campaign, K-21 managed to send another enemy vehicle to the bottom, as well as an anti-submarine boat, which conducted reconnaissance activities in the patrol area. Throughout the winter from 1941 to 1942, the submarine actively participated in operations against the fascist invaders, and its crew gained experience.
The most controversial episode in the life of a submarine
There is a mystery that is still trying to solve the experts who are exploring the submarine K-21. This story is directly related to the operation to escort the Allied convoy PQ-17. It included 35 ships, which were supposed to deliver provisions and military equipment from the British allies to the Soviet Union. They were accompanied by 21 vessels: destroyers, auxiliary vessels, air defense ships, submarines, minesweepers and patrol ships.
The British command made a serious mistake, as a result of which the convoy was left without escort vessels. The ships had to break through the enemy’s blockade on their own, they were subjected to serious attacks from the air and from the depths of the ocean. But the main problem was that the Germans sent a whole squadron to destroy the convoy, which was led by the then-modern battleship Tirlitz.
To protect the allied convoy, the Northern Fleet leadership sent several submarines to intercept the squadron. Among them was the submarine K-21. The history of the convoy says that it was her crew who managed to detect the enemy first. German ships demonstrated miracles of maneuvers, without letting anyone into their wedge. However, the captain of the Soviet submarine managed to slip between the escort ships and launch a salvo of 4 torpedoes.
Further - a continuous riddle. It has been established for certain that two torpedoes passed, and the other two exploded. The submarine went on a dive, giving the command the coordinates of the current location of the enemy squadron. The sailors were ready for the Germans to strike back, but were mistaken in their assumptions. The battleship, along with the squadron, turned and headed back to the Norwegian fjords, it is known that he no longer participated in military operations.
According to the Soviet side, the torpedoes exploded after being hit by the Tirlitz, however, German documents of the wartime do not contain any information about the damage to the battleship and subsequent repairs. According to the enemy, the torpedoes did not reach the ship, and it went back, as the Soviet troops managed to declassify its location. This case was called the “Lunin attack” by the name of the captain of the submarine. The true truth about this incident is still unknown to anyone, since experts could manipulate historical facts at the request of the ruling parties, and the participants in the events themselves are no longer alive.
Innovations in the history of the fleet
Submarines of type 21 during the Second World War were created quite often, which allowed to achieve a significant increase in the number of the Soviet fleet. However, until 1943, the Soviet Navy did not know how to transfer fuel between submarines, the pioneer in this matter was the K-21. Submarine Sch-402 during a military operation ran into a depth bomb, resulting in serious damage to the fuel tank.
In a matter of hours, the boat was left without fuel, which seriously affected its performance. Despite the difficult weather conditions, the K-21 sailors were able to bring special hoses to the surface through the wheelhouse and extend it to the Shch-402. Together, a little less than 15 tons of vital fuel was transferred, after the operation, both ships went to the port of Polyarnoye, where they managed to get there without incident.
Who did the K-21 fight against?
German 21 series submarines became the main opponents of the Soviet fleet during the war. Created in 1943-1945, they immediately received the nickname “Silent Kriegsmarine Killers” because they made minimal noise and could dive to a depth of 200-220 meters, so it was quite difficult to find them. Such submarines consisted of 9 blocks, and materials for almost each of them were produced in a separately constructed factory.
The production of 21 series submarines was entrusted to three shipyards located in Danzig, Bremen and Hamburg. The blocks were connected in such a way that light included in the central part of the submarine was to be visible from the extreme compartments. Since the production of boats was carried out in haste, the Nazis could not avoid the mistakes that the Soviet submariners took advantage of.
First of all, it was about the disadvantages associated with energy parameters. Submarines of the 21st series could not develop the power of their own diesel engines when they went under the “snorkel”. The latter began to vibrate at a speed of more than 16 kilometers per hour, and periscopes joined it, it became impossible to work with it in motion. Another serious drawback is the impossibility of parallel recharging of the batteries, the least discharged of them was initially charged, then the charge came in progressively. In the conditions of battle, charging in this way was impossible, since the ship needed to get a large amount of energy in the shortest possible time.
Soviet troops, with the support of the Allies, managed to destroy a large number of German submarines by the end of the war, type 21 was no exception. In parallel with these fascist invaders, it was not possible to put into operation new submarines in time, since all the technical shortcomings identified during the construction were not timely corrected. The lack of qualified personnel capable of commanding modern submarines also had a special influence here.
Post-war service
Until its withdrawal from the fleet, the K-21 submarine constantly carried combat duty, and also took part in oceanographic expeditions. In 1949, the submarine received a new name: B-4. Since 1954, the ship has been a training base where submariners periodically practiced emergency situations.
In the early 1980s, it was decided to create a museum from the boat, where everyone can get acquainted with the history of the war. Three compartments in the stern were redone for exposure; the first four were left in their original condition. In 1983, the ship was put on a specially made pedestal located in Severomorsk. In the 1990s, the underwater part of the submarine was repaired, and in 2008 - the inside. In the course of recent works, the exposition of the museum was also updated.
What does the boat look like now?
The last update of the exposition of the museum-submarine K-21 was carried out in 2014, at the same time overhaul of the submarine was carried out. The ship is placed on a concrete pedestal in such a way that at high tide its lower part is submerged under water, while the air temperature is acceptable for life in the inner part.
The fourth, fifth and sixth compartments of the submarine were redone for the needs of the museum, the first three it was decided to leave unchanged. There is also a number of rooms where visitors are not allowed, since there is located the electrical equipment necessary to maintain the existence of the ship. Every year, about ten thousand tourists come to the museum who are interested in the life of the submarine fleet during the Second World War.
What does the exposition start with?
All excursions to the underwater museum begin from the sixth compartment, where internal equipment used during the combat service of the ship has long been dismantled. The guides tell the guests of the exposition how the submarine fleet appeared in Russia in general and what difficulties the sailors had to experience in the first years of its operation. Among the exhibits you can even find exclusive photos of Emperor Nicholas II, in which in 1903 he receives a report from the captain of the Dolphin, the very first submarine created in the Russian Empire.
The following is a story about class K submarines, which belonged to boat number 21, and the history of their creation. A large number of difficulties accompanied this project, since at that time the domestic industry was not so developed as to provide the materials needed for construction in a timely manner.
If we talk about the exhibits of the museum in the submarine K-21, photos of herself will be the most frequent here. There are pictures of the submarine both during the Great Patriotic War, and later. Some stands display photographs of the post-war activities of submarines of the Northern Fleet, for example, photographs of the infamous K-19, nicknamed “Hiroshima” among sailors. Here you can also find a genuine magazine, which was kept on a ship’s watch, it details all the attacks made by the submarine, including the German “Tirlitz”.
In general, the museum has a lot of genuine copies that allow you to feel the spirit of that time. For example, a banner from a factory team repairing a submarine. Also here is a bust of N. A. Lunin, the third commander of the submarine, who carried out the famous attack on the fascist battleship. The fourth and fifth compartments also contain a large number of exhibits related to the boat and the history of the Northern Fleet.
Is it possible to go into combat compartments?
The museum of the K-21 submarine is unique in that most of the submarine is almost completely preserved. Everyone can be convinced of this by visiting the fighting compartments of the ship. A functioning periscope is located in the wheelhouse. With it, you can feel like a real captain of the submarine. There is also a hatchway with a special tube, which is used when it is necessary to withdraw sailors from a flooded submarine.
Passing into the third compartment, museum visitors can look at another periscope, as well as TAS-L - a device used since 1945, designed for torpedo firing. It also houses helms that control the operation of feed drives and new rudders of the horizontal type, and the shaft of the commander’s periscope. Part of the equipment was removed from the boat after it was decommissioned to the shore, however, it is still possible to get an approximate understanding of what it was like in the 1940s.
Tourists and foreigners interested in the history of wartime, especially love the city of Severomorsk. The K-21 submarine is included in the list of places to visit. Only here you can visit the cabin of the submarine commander and see the old cabin company, where tables with painted fields for playing chess are still preserved. On the walls of the wardroom there are historical data on the crews who served on the submarine in different years.
In the first torpedo compartment, you can get to know the torpedo tubes more closely, the guides will tell you in detail how the sailors launched them, hoping to get ahead of the formidable enemy, and also show the storage locations for spare shells. For its time, the submarine was well armed, and also had a high margin of safety, which is why she managed to live up to today's realities.
According to the local administration, the submarine K-21 is in fairly good condition. Repairs carried out in 2014 allowed to extend the life of the submarine by at least another 30 years. The condition of the ship is monitored by the military, if necessary, they request additional materials and funding for ongoing repairs. Despite the fact that the boat has long been deducted from the balance sheet of the Northern Fleet, its command is periodically interested in its condition.
What difficulties can you face?
The current address of the registration of the museum-submarine K-21 is Severomorsk, Square of Courage. However, getting to a small city in the Murmansk region is quite difficult, since it bears the status of a closed one. According to the established rules, citizens can enter the territory of a settlement only at the invitation of those who already live and work in it. Local residents and organizations must apply for permission to enter for their guests at least 10 days in advance. In case of emergency, the application is considered per day.
It is necessary to submit documents to the administration of Severomorsk, if it comes to entry with production goals, socio-cultural needs (artists, etc.), in case of emergency. Those who have property in the city, and local residents who want to invite their friends or close relatives to the region will submit a request there.
A pass to the territory of Severomorsk is valid for a month for those Russians who are registered in other areas of the country and have come to visit their relatives. Those who come there for industrial needs or to meet the various needs of local residents can visit the city for a year. , , , , , .
Residents of the Murmansk region can spend a day in Severomorsk with a passport with a registration mark in another closed community in the region. All passes can be obtained at the military commandant's office at ul. East, 3a. Please also pay attention to the fact that all cargo crossing the city border is subject to a mandatory search, so please specify in advance that it is not allowed to be transported to the territory of a closed settlement.
How does the museum work?
If you decide to go to Severomorsk and visit the cruising submarine K-21, be sure to bring enough money with you. The museum-exhibition is open from Thursday to Monday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., on Tuesdays and Wednesdays it will not be possible to get on a boat, and from 13 a.m. to 2 p.m. the exhibits cannot be seen due to lunch. If you are not lucky enough to get into the city on the museum’s weekend, take care to rent your own accommodation in advance, as this can cause problems.
The cost of visiting the exposition for adults is 50 rubles, for children - 25. Foreign citizens will be able to purchase an entrance ticket for 100 rubles. Ordering a guided tour will cost 50 rubles here. In the 1990s, photography and video were prohibited here. Now the privacy stamp has been removed from the boat, and you can work as an operator, but for this you will need to obtain permission from the administration of the museum. For the opportunity to use the camera you will have to pay 50 rubles, for a video camera - 150 rubles.