From ancient times, man was drawn to sink to the bottom, then rise into the air, then reach the very center of the Earth. However, this was possible for some time only in science fiction novels and fairy tales. Nowadays, an underground boat is no longer just a fantasy. Successful development and testing in this area has been conducted. After reading our article, you will learn a lot of interesting things about such a device as an underground boat.
Underground boats in literature
It all started with a flight of fancy. In 1864, Jules Verne published a famous novel entitled "Journey to the Center of the Earth." His heroes descended to the center of our planet through the mouth of a volcano. In 1883, Shuzi's Underground Fire book was published. In it, the heroes, working with picks, paved the mine to the earth's center. True, the book already said that the core of the planet is hotter. Alexey Tolstoy, a Russian writer, has achieved greater success. In 1927, he wrote The Engineer Hyperboloid Garin. The hero of the work made his way almost through the thickness of the earth, while being mundane and even with some cynicism.
All these authors built hypotheses that could not be substantiated in any way. The matter remained with inventors and engineers, rulers of human thoughts of the late 19th - early 20th centuries. However, in the publication "Winners of the bowels" published in 1937, Grigory Adamov reduced the problem of storming the bowels of the earth to the usual achievements of the USSR authorities. The design that the underground boat had in his book seemed to have been copied from the drawings of the secret design bureau. Is this a coincidence?
First developments
Now no one can answer the question of what formed the basis of the bold guesses of Grigory Adamov. However, judging by the few data, there were still grounds for them. The first engineer who allegedly created the drawings of the underground apparatus was Peter Rasskazov. This engineer was killed in 1918 by a German intelligence agent who stole all the documentation from him. Americans believe that the first development began by Thomas Edison. However, it is more reliable that they were carried out in the late 20-30s of the 20th century by engineers from the USSR A. Treblev, A. Baskin and A. Kirilov. It was they who developed the design of the first underground boat.
However, it was intended solely for utilitarian purposes related to oil production, in order to facilitate this process and satisfy the needs of the socialist state. They took the real mole as the basis, or the earlier developments in this area by Russian or foreign engineers - now it’s hard to say. However, it is known that in the Ural mines located under the mountain of Grace, trial "swims" of the boat were carried out. Of course, the sample was experienced, rather a smaller copy than a full-fledged working device. Apparently, it resembled later coal mining combines. The presence of flaws, a reliable engine, slow driving speed was natural for the first model. It was decided to curtail work on the underground.
Strakhov resumes the project
After some time, the era of mass terror began. Many experts who participated in this project were shot. However, on the eve of the war, they suddenly remembered the Steel Mole. The authorities again became interested in the underground boat. P.I. Strakhov, a leading specialist in this field, was called to the Kremlin. At that time, he worked as a curator in the construction of the Moscow metro. The scientist, in an interview with D.F. Ustinov, who headed the arms commissariat, confirmed the opinion about the combat use of the underground. He was instructed to develop, according to the surviving drawings, an improved experimental model.
War interrupts work
Urgently allocated people, funds, necessary equipment. The Russian underground boat was supposed to be ready as soon as possible. However, the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War, apparently, interrupted the work. Therefore, the state commission did not accept the experimental sample. He was prepared for the fate of many other projects - the sample was sawn into metal. At that time, the country needed more aircraft, tanks and submarines for defense. And Strakhov did not return to the underground boat anymore. He was sent to build bunkers.
German submarines
Naturally, similar designs were also made in Germany. Any superweapon that could bring world domination to the Third Reich was necessary for leadership. In fascist Germany, according to information obtained after the end of the war, there were developments of underground military devices. The codename of the first of these is Subterrine (project by R. Trebeletsky and H. von Vern). By the way, some researchers believe that R. Trebeletsky is A. Trebelev, an engineer who fled from the USSR. The second development is Midgardschlange, which means "Midgard Snake". This is a Ritter project.
After the end of World War II , Soviet authorities discovered not far from Koenigsberg the adits of unknown origin, next to which were the remains of an exploded structure. It has been suggested that these are the remains of Midgard Snake.
No less remarkable was the Sea Lion project (its other name is Subterrine). Back in 1933, Horner von Werner, a German engineer, filed a patent for him. According to his plan, this device could reach speeds of up to 7 m / h. On board could be 5 people, and the weight of the warhead was up to 300 kg. This apparatus, moreover, could move not only underground, but also under water. This underground submarine was immediately classified. Her project was in the military archive.
Probably no one would have remembered him if the war had not begun. Count von Staufenberg, who was in charge of military projects, extracted it from the archive. He suggested that Hitler use a submarine to invade the British Isles. She was supposed to quietly cross the English Channel and secretly go underground to the desired location.
However, these plans were not destined to materialize. Hermann Goering convinced Adolf Hitler that it was much cheaper and faster to force England to surrender by simple bombing. Therefore, the operation was not carried out, although Goering could not fulfill his promise.
Exploring the Sea Lion Project
After the victory over Germany in 1945, an unofficial confrontation began on the territory of this country. Former allies began to compete among themselves for possessing the military secrets of Germany. Among some other developments, the German underground boat project called the Sea Lion fell into the hands of Abakumov, General SMERSH. The group, led by professors G.I. Pokrovsky and G.I. Babat, began to study the capabilities of this apparatus. As a result of the research, the following verdict was issued - the underground can be used by Russians for military purposes.
Development by M. Tsiferov
At the same time (in 1948) engineer M. Tsiferov created his own underground projectile. He was even given the USSR copyright certificate for the development of an underground torpedo. This device could move independently in the thickness of the earth, while developing a speed of up to 1 m / s!
Secret factory construction
In the USSR, meanwhile, Khrushchev came to power. Their trump cards, military and political, were necessary in the outbreak of the Cold War. The engineers and scientists who were faced with this problem proposed a solution that advanced the project of creating an underground boat to a new level of development. It was supposed to be done with a nuclear engine, like the first submarines that had a nuclear reactor. In a short time for pilot production, it was necessary to build another secret plant. By order of Khrushchev, in early 1962, construction began near the village of Gromovka (Ukraine). Soon, Khrushchev publicly announced that the imperialists should be taken not only from outer space, but also from underground.
Development of the "Battle Mole"
After 2 years, the plant released the first underground boat of the USSR. She had a nuclear reactor. The underground nuclear boat was called the "Battle Mole". The design had a titanium case. The stern and nose was pointed. The submarine "Battle Mole" in diameter reached 3.8 m, and its length was 35 meters. The crew consisted of five people. In addition, the Battle Mole submarine was able to take on board a ton of explosives, as well as another 15 paratroopers. The combat mole’s nuclear reactor allowed the boat to reach speeds of up to 7 m / h.
What was the Battle Mole nuclear submarine designed for?
The combat mission that was set for her was the destruction of the missile silos and underground command bunkers of the enemy. At the General Staff, it was planned to deliver such "subterins" to the US using atomic submarines specially designed for this. California was chosen as the destination, where high seismic activity was observed due to frequent earthquakes. She could disguise the movement of the Russian underground. The USSR underground boat could also establish a nuclear charge and, having detonated it remotely, cause an artificial earthquake in this way. Its consequences could be attributed to an ordinary natural disaster. This could undermine the power of the Americans financially and materially.
Tests of a new underground boat
In 1964, in the early fall, the Battle Mole tested. Good results were demonstrated by the underground. He managed to overcome the heterogeneous soil, as well as destroy the command bunker that was underground that belonged to a conditional enemy. Several times the prototype was demonstrated to members of government commissions in the Rostov region, the Urals and in Nakhabino near Moscow. After that, mysterious events began. During a planned test, an atomic ship allegedly exploded in the Ural Mountains. At the same time, the crew died under the command of Colonel Semyon Budnikov (it is possible that this is a fictitious name). The reason for this is supposedly a sudden breakdown, as a result of which the mole was crushed by rocks. According to other versions, there was a diversion of foreign intelligence services or even the device falling into the anomalous zone.
Minimize programs
After Khrushchev was removed from leadership positions, many programs were curtailed, including this project. The underground boat again ceased to interest the authorities. The economy of the Soviet Union was bursting at the seams. Therefore, this project, as well as many other developments, such as Soviet ekranoletos flying over the Caspian in the 60-70s, was abandoned. The Soviet Union in an ideological war could compete with the United States, but noticeably lost in the arms race. I had to save literally on everything. This was felt by ordinary people and understood Brezhnev. The existence of the state was at stake, therefore, advanced bold projects that did not promise quick superiority were kept secret for a long time.
Is work going on?
In 1976, information about the underground nuclear fleet of the Soviet Union leaked to the press. This was done for the purposes of military-political misinformation. The Americans fell for this bait and set about building such devices. It is difficult to say whether such machines are currently being developed in the West and in the USA. Does anyone need an underground boat today? The photos presented above, as well as historical facts, are arguments in favor of the fact that this is not just a fantasy, but a real reality. How much do we know about the modern world? Perhaps, right now, underground boats are furrowing somewhere in the earth. The secret developments of Russia, as, indeed, of other countries, no one is going to advertise.