On January 10, 1951, an important event took place in the city of Leningrad, which determined the fate of the Soviet Navy. On this day, at the shipyard, now bearing the proud name "Admiralty Shipyards", the first lead diesel-electric submarine of a new type, called the "Project 611", was laid down.
Project Features
Submarines of project 611 (abbreviated as PL) at the time of creation were the largest and most advanced in the world. They replaced the "cruising" ships of the period of the Second World War and became the first submarines built after the Great Patriotic War. In the NATO classification, project 611 submarines were assigned to the Zulu class, according to which they got their name and numbering. In appearance and characteristics, they were close to the advanced German submarines and to the American submarines of the guppy class. Project 611 submarines in the photo are very similar to German class XXI boats.
Where were the submarines built
The first boats of Project 611 were built at the Leningrad Shipyard No. 196 (now the Admiralty Shipyards). In total, 8 submarines were built there. Then the right to build project 611 boats passed to the Molotov Shipyard No. 402 (the future Sevmash), which was engaged in the construction of submarines from 1956 to 1958. He created another 18 units of a new type.
Experiments on already constructed samples were carried out mainly in northern waters.
Submarine Development
Submarines of the 611th project were developed even before the Great Patriotic War (approximately from the beginning of the 40s), but with its beginning all projects were forced to be curtailed, all funding was thrown at the successful conduct of the war. By the way, before the start of World War II, submarines were not considered the key to success in the war, since they were still new to most military and sailors.
Only in 1947 the project was resumed by decree of the People's Commissariat of Industry, it was then that the backlog of Soviet boats from German and American became noticeable. It was headed by designer S. A. Egorov, who received the Stalin Prize of the third degree in 1946 for the invention of a new type of naval weapons and subsequently led several more submarine projects that followed after success in the development of 611.
Construction
To work on the project, a special construction technology was created, consisting in the possibility of installation in sections of all types of equipment without preliminary hydraulic testing. This reduced construction time, but was a revolutionary and therefore outlandish decision. In the future, this technology was not recognized as very reliable, and therefore the installation took place only after hydraulic testing of all parts of the ship, as previously planned. The first submarine of project 611 was laid in 1951 and a year later it was launched. The construction of all units of the project took no more than two years.
Two months after launching the first submarine of a new type, the Minister of Industry V.A. Malyshev visited the shipyard. He got acquainted with the description of the ship’s tests and was not satisfied with the organization of work - he was not satisfied with the deadlines, as well as the approach of winter and freezing. To assist in the rapid construction of new submarines, it was decided to overtake the boat to Tallinn in order to avoid problems caused by ice formation and at the same time to test the patency of the vessel in ice conditions.
Test problems
At the first attempts to make shots from the vessel, vibrations of its bow were noticed. To deal with the problem, Academician Krylov was invited to the plant. After studying the drawings of the ship and the features of idle firing, he came to the conclusion that fluctuations occur due to the exit of the air bubble and are within normal limits. Soon another defect was discovered - the magnetic field of the boat during operation critically exceeded the permissible norm. It was discovered that this is due to an incorrectly assembled propeller motor. Under the guidance of Professor Kondorsky, the error was corrected, which gave positive results. Thus, most of the problems on submarines were caused not by errors in calculations and drawings, but by the human factor.
In late May - early June 1952, the boat returned to Leningrad again to finalize and eliminate the discovered flaws and defects. High-speed tests were carried out for a long time, as a result of which it was decided to replace some parts of the structure with more durable ones. It was decided to trim the propellers in order to achieve the greatest flow around and, as a result, the highest speed in the water. Despite the fact that as a result of all the actions with the boat she got the ability to develop a sufficiently high speed by the standards of that time, the goal was never achieved.
In the early summer of 1953, another problem was discovered - vibration during immersion. During a test dive at 60 meters, a fire occurred to study the vibration of the bow. The entire crew was urgently evacuated, and the compartment was sealed. The fire was such a force that it could not be put out for quite a long time, and he managed to cause significant material damage. Fortunately, human casualties were avoided. To restore the burned compartment took more than two months and considerable funding. A special commission was created, the purpose of which was to identify the causes of the fire. As it turned out, the reason was not the technical flaws of the vessel, but the negligence of the crew involved in assembling it - the compartment caught fire as a result of a short circuit that would not be dangerous if one of the electricians did not leave their oiled padded jacket behind the switchboard.
After the fire, the tests it was decided to stop, and the boat was put into operation. The construction of a series of similar models has begun.
The purpose of the new boats
A new submarine project has been developed to carry out several tasks. Firstly, a new type of boat was supposed to operate on ocean communications against enemy ships. Secondly, Project 611 submarines were supposed to serve for the defense of other ships. And thirdly, the new boats were suitable for long-range reconnaissance.
Subsequently, the 611 submarines of the project served for experiments and tests of new military developments. The latest weapons were tested on their sides, and it was their modifications that became the first submarines in the world capable of launching a ballistic missile from under water.
Submarine innovations of a new type
In the designs of new models, the influence of German models was noticeably felt. Especially the similarity was observed in the design of submarines 611 with German ships of the 21 series.
The innovation was the special structure of the ships. New methods for the use of frames were used for the Soviet Union - they were installed from the outside, which made it possible to improve the strength of the hull and the internal layout, allowing more space to be allocated for the mechanisms.
Main characteristics
Submarines 611 of the project had a length of 90.5 m. Their width was 7.5 m. The speed varied depending on the position. Above the water, the boat developed a speed of 17 knots, and hiding under the water - 15 knots. The range also depended on external factors: above the water it was more than 2000 miles, and below it - 440 miles.
The 611 diesel submarine fuel system was created using external fuel systems. Inside, the fuel was supplied through special tubes.
A submarine of project 611 could be submerged to a depth of 200 m, had the opportunity to exist autonomously for more than 70 days, accommodating a crew of 65 people.
Design
Project 611 submarines were two-hull and three-shaft. The case was divided into 7 compartments:
- 1st compartment - bow. There were 6 torpedo tubes.
- 2nd compartment - battery. Batteries were located there, above which was a cabin for officers, a shower room and a wheelhouse.
- The 3rd compartment was central, with retractable devices.
- 4th compartment - like the second, battery. Above it was a wardroom for foremen, a radio room, pantries and a galley.
- 5th compartment - diesel, accommodating two diesel compressors and three engines.
- 6th compartment - electric, served to accommodate three electric motors.
- 7th compartment - aft. Four torpedo tubes were placed there, and above them were the crew cabins.
Modifications
We can say that project 611 is an underwater breakthrough of the Soviet Union. There were many modifications of this type of boat. Known subprojects 611RU, PV611, 611RA, 611RE, AB611, AB611E, AB611C, P611, AB611C, AV611D, 611P, V611 and others. Submarines 611 of the project were subsequently redesigned into their modifications - more efficient and faster. One of the most successful refining was the Lira model. This submarine project was not created for military purposes, but for scientific research.
In 1953, the command of the Navy of the USSR came up with the idea to equip ships with ballistic or cruise missiles. The government supported the idea, especially since it became known that America had already begun to equip submarines with this type of weapon. In early 1954, the CPSU Central Committee issued a decree on the beginning of experimental work on arming submarines with ballistic missiles and the development of a new vessel with advanced jet weapons. Work on the project was carried out under the heading "secret" and received the code name "Wave". NN Isanin, a shipbuilding engineer who worked on project 611, was appointed chief designer. SP Korolev, the founder of astronautics and the father of many rocket and space and weapons developments in the USSR, became responsible for the development. The modification project was ready in August 1954, its main weapon was a ballistic missile.
The project was approved in September. The work was immense, at that time no one knew how to launch from a swinging platform of a submarine, whether launch under water is possible, how the red-hot gases of a rocket affect a submarine and how the depth and rocking affect rockets. Experts were pioneers in these matters, literally from scratch paving the way for future inventions and developments.
From scratch I had to develop a launch shaft. It was necessary to create a new apparatus capable of withstanding unprecedented conditions and overloads. After all, a rocket weighing several tons was to be launched from or from under water!
“It was necessary to create a fundamentally new unit capable of holding the rocket after loading it onto the boat, putting it into the mine shaft, pushing it out before launch and releasing it from the mount at the right time. All these operations after the ship surfaced had to be completed in 5 minutes and with an excitement of up to 5 points, and even with a rocket weighing over 5 tons! " - this is how the employee of TsKB-16 V. Zharkov wrote about this in his memoirs.
The project was conducted in absolute secrecy. When reconstructing the already completed B-67 boat, most of the crew did not suspect what was actually happening, believing that simple repairs were being carried out. Under the guise of felling repair, instead of a group of batteries, a rocket mine and the equipment necessary to maintain its operation were placed. In particular, the Saturn horizon azimuth and counters of the Dolomite type, which give directions to the missile guidance system, were installed at that time.
To accommodate new equipment, which was not included in the plan before, it was necessary to sacrifice part of the artillery, spare batteries and spare missiles. This was done quite successfully, since replacements and modifications did not affect the safety and combat effectiveness of underwater units.
To study the effect of pitching on rockets, in February 1955, an experimental launch of rockets from several platforms swinging and simulating the state of a boat under water took place at the Kapustin Yar training ground. In parallel, tests of new devices specially designed for a new type of submarine were being tested.
The ship entered service on September 11, 1955. Five days later, a test launch of missiles was scheduled. The shells were delivered aboard the B-67 in complete secrecy. Isanin and Korolev were personally present at their launch. Representatives of the government, industry and the navy arrived with them. An hour before the scheduled start, preparations began. The boat was commanded by captain F.I. Kozlov (now wearing the rank of admiral and Hero of the Soviet Union). At 1732 hours a launch command was given, and for the first time in the world a rocket was launched from a submarine. The accuracy of the shooting confirmed the success of the work. Subsequently, seven more test launches were made, only one of which ended in failure due to missile problems.
Shooting from modified boats of Project 611 was carried out only when the vessel was above the water and when the sea was rough no more than 5 points. The speed of the boat should not exceed 12 knots.
It took about 2 hours to prepare the missiles for launch. The launch of the first rocket usually took about 5 minutes. During this time, the trigger with a rocket rose. If the launch after lifting the mechanism was canceled for any reason, the rocket could not be lowered back into the mine, and it was supposed to be dropped into the water. After that, it took about 5 minutes again to prepare for the launch of the next rocket.
Modification of project 611 proved successful, an order was given for the mass construction of such vessels. The new project was named AB-611 (in NATO encoding - Zulu V). Part of the ships of the project 611 was also adapted for the surface launch of missiles. They were used as experimental ones: thanks to launches made from them, experience was accumulated in the operation of submarines of this type and missile weapons. The boats were rebuilt and modified many times, and the last of them was decommissioned only in 1991.
Before developing submarines, the launch of which could be carried out under water, it was necessary to check a few more nuances. For example, to study the influence of external factors (for example, pressure) on the integrity of launch silos. One of the experiments was the flooding of the boat (naturally, without a crew) and the subsequent attack by its depth charges. The experiment showed that mines can withstand such damage and remain operational.
The final project of modifications was the launch of rockets from under the water. Korolev transferred the work on this project to designers under the direction of V.P. Makeev. Many theoretical calculations and prototype tests confirmed the possibility of launching missiles from a water-filled mine. Work began on the construction of submarines. Of the 77 test launches, 59 were successful, which was a very good result. Of the remaining 18 unsuccessful launches, 7 ended in failure due to crew errors, and 3 due to missile failure.
Thus ended the work on the modifications of the project 611. The work of the pioneers in this matter was not easy - they laid the foundation for shipbuilding in the future. The data obtained during the experiments conducted in the 50–70s are still relevant and are used for the construction of new types of deep-sea weapons and submarines.
"Famous" representatives of the project 611
The modification of the B-61 submarine (at the factory was held under number 580) was laid down on January 6, 1951, a few months later it went into the water and lasted 27 years.
The B-62 boat was built in less than a year and served from 1952 to 1970. She has performed many scientific tests, including sonar equipment.
The B-64 boat (serial number 633) was re-equipped several times. Having entered the water in 1952, in 1957 she was converted into a missile submarine and made four launches in tests of new types of missiles. In 1958, it was returned to its original form, after which it served another 20 years.
B-67 (serial number 636) was launched in early September 1953. With it, for the first time in the world in 1955, a ballistic missile was successfully launched. Two years after the rocket test, the boat underwent another experiment. So, in December 1957, the submarine was deliberately flooded in order to study the effect of depth on shells and bombs. Flooding was carried out without a crew and was successful. Two more years later, a trial attempt was made of an underwater launch of the rocket. The launch did not succeed for a long time, and the attempts were unsuccessful only in 1960, when it was possible to launch a ballistic missile at a depth of 30 meters. Subsequently, obsolete types of missiles were removed from the boat, but it continued to serve for military experiments.
The B-78 boat entered service in 1957. It was called the Murmansk Komsomolets and after a little less than ten years of successful military service was converted for experiments and research of navigation systems. She served longer than her "sisters" and was disabled only with the collapse of the USSR.
The fate of the B-80 boat, which received number 111, is interesting. Laid down in Severodvinsk, she participated in a campaign in Egypt, and after incapacitation she again went abroad, being sold to Dutch entrepreneurs. In 1992, completely freed from military attributes, the boat was presented to the public as a floating bar. The last known parking spot for the B-80 is the city of Den Heldere (near Amsterdam) in Holland.
The B-82 boat was launched in 1957. Almost immediately, experiments began on it to tow and transfer fuel under water. Due to the success of the experiments on this boat, new techniques and systems were introduced related to refueling and tugboat under water.
B-89, number 515 at the plant, served science - it tested hydroacoustic equipment. She remained in service until 1990.
Value for the fleet
Submarines of the 611th project were of great importance for the Soviet and then the Russian fleet. Being the first boats constructed after World War II, they became the experimental basis for the study and testing of new developments in the naval industry.
Thanks to the submarines of type 611, many types of other submarines appeared, for example, the submarine of the Shark project - the largest submarine to date. This project is considered one of the most successful.
Submarines 611 have not yet been decommissioned, experiments are still ongoing on their sides, and several new generations of submarines have already appeared and launched. This suggests that they withstand the test of time. For example, the submarines of the Antei project, which have become the pinnacle of work on the “killer aircraft carriers” - ships that can repel aircraft.
Special submarines were created for export to other countries. Submarines of the Varshavyanka project, named after the Warsaw Pact, also owe their appearance to work on 611 boats.
Even such modern ships as boats of the Ash and Borey type owe their appearance to Soviet developments. For example, submarines of the Ash project can sink deep under water thanks to experiments with the flooding of the first ships created after World War II.
The most advanced representative of the Russian Navy is also interesting. These are the submarines of the Borey project, which have gathered all the best technological innovations tested and developed on previous ship projects.