What is the length of a submarine's periscope. Periscope systems of submarines. You also had such collisions

Periscope rifle in 1915

TR-4 reconnaissance pipe

Periscopes are used by the Navy

Two Dutch Walrus-class submarines, periscopes clearly visible.

A periscope is a must-have instrument for any submarine. The emergence of new technical means of observation on submarines - radar and hydroacoustics - did not replace the periscope. These tools complemented it, especially in poor visibility conditions (fog, rain, snow, etc.).

To prevent the enemy from noticing the periscope, the dimensions of its head protruding from under the water should be minimal. But for successful observation of air targets, the periscope head is forced to be made thicker so that the necessary anti-aircraft surveillance optics can be placed in it. Therefore, two periscopes are currently installed on a submarine: an attack periscope (commander’s) and an anti-aircraft periscope.

The attack periscope is used to detect the enemy and monitor him during a torpedo attack during daylight hours with good visibility.

Aviation poses a huge danger to submarines. Having greater speed, planes can suddenly appear above a submarine and drop bombs before the submarine has a chance to dive. Therefore, when crossing boats, the main attention is paid to monitoring the air.

Using an anti-aircraft periscope, you can observe the air and the surface of the sea, that is, from the horizon to the zenith. Therefore, the anti-aircraft periscope is used more often than the attack periscope.

Out of ignorance, it is easy to romanticize the profession of a sailor: the sound of waves, the cry of seagulls, the pleasant salty air, the feeling of complete freedom. The reality, of course, is completely different, especially for submariners. People locked in a submarine may not rise to the surface for months, and the only way to see the sky is to look through the periscope. And even this is considered a privilege. How submariners maintain their sanity in such an atmosphere, how meetings with other boats ended, and how much wine was required for a long voyage, captain 1st rank, commander of the Soviet nuclear submarine Vladimir Nikolaevich Voroshnin told us.

Gotta be obsessed

- Sailors, and especially submariners, are called elite troops. Do you agree with this?

You know, every branch of the military considers itself elite. But I think that serving on submarines is a very prestigious occupation. You need to be an obsessed person, especially a submarine commander. Without this, service cannot be achieved; the boat requires full dedication. Therefore, the requirements for submariners are very strict. If you look at it from this point of view, then submariners are the elite.

- Severe demands - do you mean health?

Not only. Health is necessary everywhere: in the army, aviation, navy, police. A deep intellectual component is also important. The boat is a bundle of engineering, science, and colossal practice. And everything is intertwined, one cannot exist without the other. This, together with physical health, is the basis for service on a submarine.

- How about some relief? I heard that wine is allowed. How about something stronger?

There was wine, of course. For one trip, for example, 400 kilograms of dry wine were allocated. Stronger - by no means. You can't drink on a boat, simply by definition. Yes, we know: there was a war, there were different legends about that time. Then they drank - in such conditions it was necessary to relieve stress. But I didn’t drink anything other than what was required.

List of food on the submarine for the trip

About life on a submarine

- You commanded the K-452 Novgorod the Great. What is so special about the submarine?

This is a second generation nuclear submarine, but modernized - that is, in the interval between the third and second. A very interesting submarine: in addition to torpedoes, it is armed with cruise missiles. K-452 was a serious threat to surface ships. And the title “Novgorod the Great” was awarded to the submarine after me.

Conditions on K-452 were good. For example, as a young officer in the Baltic Fleet, I served on a diesel submarine. And the living situation there is very harsh. Drinking water in tanks must be strictly conserved. You can't organize a luxurious bathhouse. A kettle of fresh water for your head, otherwise you need to wash with water from cooling diesel engines - and it is sea water.

On K-452 we made water ourselves. But you still need to spend wisely: if you use the liquid unlimitedly, the service life of the system for its preparation will begin to decrease. In addition, soapy water that goes overboard can unmask the submarine.

K-452 can stay under water for four months. This is only related to food. If it is brought up and loaded - like airplanes are refueled in the air - then we can be on the road for a very long time. Everything will depend only on the degree of endurance of people.

“The weather is warm, the sea smells wonderful. I don’t want to dive in"

- How long was your longest dive? When they went underwater and didn't come up.

About three months.

- How can one endure such isolation in a confined space and a team of one hundred people?

Of course, we understood this difficulty in swimming. We thought about leisure time. I had a political officer, there was a Komsomol and party organization - they really worked and did some interesting events that relieved stress.

Everyone understands that there are living people here. Can they not quarrel? No, they can't. Someone is bound to say something, offend someone, and because of this, tension grows. Conversations and events managed to defuse the situation. On ordinary ships, there are also long voyages, and they have exactly the same problems.

- But on the ship at least you can see the sky.

And I said at the beginning that people should be intellectually mature. That's why it's needed. People lack air - I mean internally. Sometimes, when someone distinguishes himself in something, he would say to him: “Come here, go outside.” And I let him look through the periscope. A person is immediately happy - at least he can see what is happening around him.

The third generation boats already have full-fledged recreation areas. Live birds, fish swim, plants. And slides with photographs of nature: a green grove, cows, a flowing stream - this is a very good stress reliever. But I didn’t have this on my K-452.

- Apart from the obvious like family and meetings with friends, what was particularly missing on the submarine?

Once it surfaced because the antenna was frozen. It was necessary to lift the insulation and wash it with alcohol. You can’t stay on the surface for a long time - don’t think that the oceans are huge and silent. In fact, they are full of many means of control: airplanes, the SOSUS underwater surveillance system, etc.

Each ascent must be justified. If you spend at least a couple of hours on the water, someone will definitely fly in and look at you.

So, I surfaced then - and the weather was warm, the sea smelled great, the air was clean. I don't want to dive in. This is what is missing most of all.

- What can you do with your free time?

Each combat unit organizes some kind of event. We tried to organize concerts, prepared drawings, and made people laugh. For example, once we celebrated the New Year, and there was a big concert in shifts: two were watching, and one was on watch, and they changed. When we arrived at the base and tried to give the same concert for our wives and children, it didn’t work out.

- Why?

The point is the unusual condition that happens on a hike. The talent on a submarine, and on surface ships as well, is incredible. People in a stressful state somehow express themselves, there is a desire to express themselves. They start writing poetry. Nobody claims to be Yevtushenko, the poems are clumsy, but people think and show feelings.

Memory of Vysotsky: walk 42 minutes heading 42 degrees

- How did you find out and react to news from land?

There is combat and general, political information that needs to be given to the crew. I remember they told us: “The poet, bard Vladimir Vysotsky died at 42.” Everyone loved Vysotsky, but at the same time there was some kind of invisible ban on his popularization. Declaring mourning on a boat? It is forbidden.

Everyone has tapes, everyone listens to Vysotsky. Deputy says: “People come to me - I need to somehow celebrate, express their attitude.” How to do it? I decided: to emerge to a depth of 42 meters, set a course of 42 degrees, give the turbine 42 revolutions and go like this for 42 minutes. Nothing was said to anyone. But everyone understood.

- Have you deviated greatly from the course?

I motivated this by necessity.

- Were you then questioned about this maneuver?

One tall employee of the special department shook hands and said: “You came up with a good idea - course 42.” He let me know that he had been informed. But there were no consequences, no one reprimanded.

About meetings with other submarines

- Have you ever used weapons, let’s say, not for training purposes?

We were in a state of cold war, but it did not come to heated events and the use of weapons. Although submarines sometimes collided.

- How is this possible, given the many systems on the submarine?

It's somehow possible. Nature has not been thoroughly studied. Sound travels well in water, but there is a lot of interference. Pressure, salinity, suspended matter - all this affects sound energy. If we classify the clashes as “hot moments,” then they were. But nothing more, no weapons.

-Have you also had such collisions?

There was no direct way for me to poke my submarine into the hull of another. But meetings did happen.

- Both submarines know about each other. What to do?

Someone leaves, and someone catches up. In my case, it was me who was catching up. This is a requirement: surveillance must be organized. That submarine knew about me, I knew about it. No one succeeded in secret surveillance.

- What if the second submarine didn’t want to escape?

Then she performed a maneuver to organize surveillance of me. They had the same tasks. Who will endure whom? This is a lot of stress for the crew: the maneuver is carried out on alert, everyone is on high alert. There is no time for lunch or dinner here, everything is skipped.

Maritime traditions and finding a Quaker

There used to be a lot of talk about quakers - mysterious sounds that are sometimes heard by the crews of ships and submarines. According to different versions they come from whales or from military detection systems. Have you encountered such a phenomenon?

During my service I listened to them a lot and marked them on the map. One day they gave me a task: to check the Quakers. Some boat reported it, and they told me to double check. Not because they didn’t believe her, but in order to find out whether this was really a stationary phenomenon or something else. And I found a Quaker there.

I decided: it was not there, I need to check what it is. The boat was at a depth of 160 meters, the depth of the sea was somewhere around 300 meters. That is, I was in the middle. Aimed at the Quaker and went straight for him. I stopped the turbines, extinguished the inertia, and moved as if coasting, very slowly. And went right through the Quaker. But it didn't hit anything. It was not worthy to hit him, whatever it was.

- Tell us about maritime traditions - like the one when the commander’s wife breaks champagne on the side of a new ship.

Not necessarily a wife - you can simply appoint a woman. Then, by the way, the neck of the broken bottle is placed on a wooden pedestal, and it is stored on a submarine like a relic.

In fact, there are many traditions. Drinking sea water, for example, is such an initiation into submariners. It somehow passed me by, but if they had told me, of course I would have drunk it. They also give you a sledgehammer to kiss.

In conversations we always use “compAs”. This is purely professional, so you can always understand that a person is connected with the sea. Do you know the song “Hope is my earthly compass”? It hurts my ears when it’s sung with the emphasis on “o”.

- What is your most memorable trip?

Long trip to Cuba. We didn't get there. When it was time to surface and enter the port of Cienfuegos on the surface, a sound message arrived: the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy ordered to turn back and head to the base. The conference of non-aligned countries began in Havana [summit of the Non-Aligned Movement on September 3-9, 1979. - Here and further approx. Onliner.by]. They thought that the submarine, new at that time, would make a bad impression. This made us very sad. We went to Cuba for a month. Of course, at maximum speed you can get there in a week, but then there was no need to rush.

Around the time of your service, there was an accident on the K-19. Have you ever thought that this could happen to your submarine?

I was still in the Baltic Fleet at that time, but not in command of a boat. Yes, I did. This can happen to any nuclear reactor on a submarine or station. There was a technical flaw on the K-19, and it showed itself [referring to the reactor accident in 1961, when 8 sailors immediately died, and many received large doses of radiation; then, in 1972, the K-19 caught fire, killing 28 people]. The crew coped - they were heroic people.

- Did you have any desire to quit your service after news of such incidents?

If not an emergency reactor, then many other situations can occur. The boat might just sink. But you see, this is mine. I've been a sailor since fourth grade. It was very difficult to become a submarine commander, and it was not easy to be one either. However, I don't regret anything.

The editors express gratitudeBelarusian Union of Military Sailors
for help in organizing the material

Advanced optronics (optoelectronics) give non-hull-penetrating mast systems a distinct advantage over direct-view periscopes. The development direction of this technology is currently determined by low-profile optronics and new concepts based on non-rotary systems.

Interest in optoelectronic periscopes of a non-penetrating type arose in the 80s of the last century. The developers argued that these systems would increase the flexibility of the submarine's design and its safety. The operational advantages of these systems included displaying the periscope image on multiple crew screens as opposed to older systems where only one person could operate the periscope, simplified operation and increased capabilities, including the Quick Look Round (QLR) feature, which allowed for maximum reduction the time the periscope is on the surface and thereby reduce the vulnerability of the submarine and, as a consequence, the likelihood of its detection by anti-submarine warfare platforms. The importance of the QLR mode has recently increased due to the increasing use of submarines for information collection.

A conventional Type 212A class anti-submarine submarine of the German Navy displays its masts. These diesel-electric submarines of the Type 212A and Todaro classes, supplied to the German and Italian navies respectively, are distinguished by a combination of masts and penetrating (SERO-400) and non-penetrating types (OMS-110).

In addition to increasing the flexibility of the submarine's design due to the spatial separation of the control post and optocoupler masts, this makes it possible to improve its ergonomics by freeing up the volume previously occupied by periscopes.

Non-penetrating type masts can also be relatively easily reconfigured by installing new systems and implementing new capabilities; they have fewer moving parts, which reduces the life cycle cost of the periscope and, accordingly, the amount of its maintenance, routine and overhaul. Continuous technological progress is helping to reduce the likelihood of periscope detection, and further improvements in this area are associated with the transition to low-profile optocoupler masts.

Virginia class

In early 2015, the US Navy installed a new low-observable periscope, based on L-3 Communications' Low-Profle Photonics Mast (LPPM) Block 4, on its Virginia-class nuclear submarines. To reduce the likelihood of detection, the company is also working on a thinner version of the current AN/BVS-1 Kollmorgen (currently L-3 KEO) optocoupler mast installed on submarines of the same class.

L-3 Communications announced in May 2015 that its optical-electronic systems division L-3 KEO (in February 2012 L-3 Communications merged KEO, which led to the creation of L-3 KEO) received a competitive award A $48.7 million contract from Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) for the development and design of the low-profile mast, with an option to produce 29 optocoupler masts over four years, as well as maintenance.

The LPPM mast program aims to maintain the characteristics of the current periscope while reducing its size to that of more traditional periscopes, such as the Kollmorgen Type-18 periscope, which began being installed in 1976 on Los Angeles-class nuclear submarines as they entered the fleet.

L-3 KEO provides the US Navy with a Universal Modular Mast (UMM) that serves as a lifting mechanism for five different sensors, including the AN/BVS1 optocoupler mast, high-speed data mast, multi-function masts and integrated avionics systems.

Virginia-class attack submarine Missouri with two L-3 KEO AN/BVS-1 photocoupler masts. This class of nuclear submarines was the first to install only optocoupler masts (command and observation) of a non-penetrating type

Although the AN/BVS-1's mast has unique characteristics, it is too large and its shape is unique to the US Navy, allowing the submarine's nationality to be immediately identified when a periscope is detected. Based on publicly available information, the LPPM mast has the same diameter as a Type-18 periscope, and its appearance resembles the standard shape of that periscope. The modular LPPM non-hull type mast is installed in a universal telescopic modular compartment, which increases the stealth and survivability of submarines.

The system features include short-wave infrared imaging, high-resolution visible imaging, laser ranging and a set of antennas that provide broad coverage of the electromagnetic spectrum. The prototype of the LPPM L-3 KEO optocoupler mast is currently the only operational model; it is installed aboard the Virginia-class submarine Texas, where all subsystems and operational readiness of the new system are tested.

The first production mast will be manufactured in 2017, and its installation will begin in 2018. According to L-3 KEO, it plans to design its LPPM so that NAVSEA can install a single mast on new submarines and can also upgrade existing vessels as part of an ongoing improvement program aimed at improving reliability, capability and affordability. An export version of the AN/BVS-1 mast, known as the Model 86, was first sold to a foreign customer under a contract announced in 2000, when the Egyptian Navy contemplated a major upgrade of its four Romeo-class diesel-electric anti-submarine submarines. Another unnamed European customer has also installed the Model 86 on its diesel-electric submarines (DSS).

Periscope systems before installation on a submarine

L-3 KEO, along with the development of LPPM, is already supplying the US Navy with the Universal Modular Mast (UMM). This non-penetrating type mast is installed on Virginia class submarines. The UMM serves as a lifting mechanism for five different sensor systems, including the AN/BVS-1, OE-538 radio tower, high-speed data antenna, mission-specific tower, and integrated avionics antenna tower. KEO received a contract from the US Department of Defense to develop the UMM mast in 1995. In April 2014, L-3 KEO received a $15 million contract to supply 16 UMM masts for installation on several Virginia-class nuclear submarines.

Images from the L-3 KEO AN/BVS-1 optical-electronic mast are displayed at the operator’s workplace. Non-penetrating masts improve the ergonomics of the center post and also increase safety due to the structural integrity of the hull

Another UMM customer is the Italian Navy, which also equipped its Todaro class diesel-electric submarines of the first and second batch with this mast; the last two boats were scheduled to be delivered in 2015 and 2016 respectively. L-3 KEO also owns the Italian periscope company Calzoni, which developed the E-UMM (Electronic UMM) electric mast, which eliminated the need for an external hydraulic system for raising and lowering the periscope.

The latest offering from L-3 KEO is the AOS (Attack Optronic System) commander's non-penetrating optronic system. This low profile mast combines the characteristics of the traditional Model 76IR search periscope and the same company's Model 86 optocoupler mast (see above). The mast has reduced visual and radar signatures, weighs 453 kg, and the diameter of the sensor head is only 190 mm. The AOS mast sensor kit includes a laser rangefinder, thermal imager, high-definition camera and low-light camera.

OMS-110

In the first half of the 90s, the German company Carl Zeiss (now Airbus Defense and Space) began preliminary development of its Optronic Mast System (OMS) optronic mast. The first customer of the serial version of the mast, designated OMS-110, was the South African Navy, which chose this system for three of its Heroine-class diesel-electric submarines, which were delivered in 2005-2008. The Greek Navy also chose the OMS-110 mast for its Papanikolis diesel-electric submarines, followed by South Korea who decided to buy this mast for its Chang Bogo-class diesel-electric submarines.

OMS-110 type non-piercing masts have also been installed on the Indian Navy's Shishumar-class submarines and the Portuguese Navy's traditional Tridente-class anti-submarine submarines. One of the latest applications of the OMS-110 was the installation of universal UMM masts (see above) on the Italian Navy Todaro submarines and the German Navy Type 2122 class anti-submarine submarines. These boats will have a combination of an OMS-110 optronic mast and a SERO 400 command periscope (hull penetrating type) from Airbus Defense and Space.

The OMS-110 optocoupler mast features dual-axis line-of-sight stabilization, a third-generation mid-wave thermal imaging camera, a high-resolution television camera and an optional eye-safe laser rangefinder. Quick Surround View mode allows you to get a fast, programmable 360-degree panoramic view. It can reportedly be completed by the OMS-110 system in less than three seconds.

Airbus Defense and Security has developed the OMS-200 low profile optocoupler mast, either as an addition to the OMS-110 or as a stand-alone solution. This mast, shown at Defense Security and Equipment International 2013 in London, features improved stealth technology and a compact design. The OMS-200 modular, compact, low-profile, non-penetrating command/search optocoupler mast integrates various sensors into a single housing with a radio-absorbing coating. As a "replacement" for the traditional direct-view periscope, the OMS-200 system is specifically designed to maintain stealth in the visible, infrared and radar spectrums.

The OMS-200 optocoupler mast combines three sensors, a high-definition camera, a short-wave thermal imager and an eye-safe laser rangefinder. The high quality, high resolution image from a short wave thermal imager can be complemented by the image from a medium wave thermal imager, especially in poor visibility conditions such as fog or haze. According to the company, the OMS-200 system can combine images into one picture with excellent stabilization.

Series 30

At the Euronaval 2014 in Paris, Sagem announced that it has been selected by the South Korean shipyard Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) to supply non-penetrating photocoupler masts for the equipment of the new South Korean diesel-electric submarines of the "Son-Won-II" class, for which DSME is the lead contractor. This contract marks the export success of Sagem's latest family of Search Optronic Mast (SOM) Series 30 optocoupler masts.

This non-hull-penetrating search optronic mast can simultaneously receive more than four advanced electro-optical channels and a full complement of electronic warfare and Global Positioning System (GPS) antennas; Everything fits in a lightweight sensory container. The Series 30 SOM optronic mast sensors include a high-resolution thermal imager, a high-definition camera, a low-light camera and an eye-safe laser rangefinder.

The mast can accept a GPS antenna, an early warning avionics antenna, a direction finding avionics antenna and a communications antenna. Among the operating modes of the system there is a fast all-round viewing mode, with all channels available at the same time. Dual screen digital displays have an intuitive graphical interface.

Sagem has developed and started production of the Series 30 family of command and search masts, which have been ordered by many navies, including the French. The command mast has a low visual profile

The Scorpene-class diesel-electric submarines built by DCNS are equipped with a combination of penetrating and non-penetrating masts from Sagem, including a Series 30 mast with four optocoupler sensors: a high-definition camera, a thermal imager, a low-light camera and a laser rangefinder

Sagem has already supplied the Series 30 SOM variant to the French Navy's new Barracuda-class diesel-electric submarines, while another variant has been sold to an as yet unnamed foreign customer. According to Sagem, the Series 30 SOM mast supplied to the South Korean fleet will also include a signals intelligence antenna, as well as optical communications equipment operating in the infrared range.

A command variant of the Series 30 SOM, designated Series 30 AOM, is also available; it features a low profile mast and is fully compatible with the Series 30 SOM variant in terms of mechanical, electronic and software interfaces. The same container and cables can be used for both sensor units, allowing fleets to select the optimal configuration for specific applications. The basic set includes a high-resolution thermal imager, a high-resolution television camera, optionally an eye-safe laser rangefinder, a short-wave thermal imager and a day/night backup camera.

CM010

Pilkington Optronics' pedigree dates back to 1917, when its predecessor became the sole supplier to the British Navy. At one time, this company (now part of the Tales company) began proactively developing the CM010 family of optocoupler masts, installing a prototype in 1996 on the British Navy nuclear submarine Trafalgar, after which in 2000 it was selected by BAE Systems to equip new Astute class nuclear submarines. The CM010 twin photocoupler mast was installed on the first three boats. Tales subsequently received contracts to equip the remaining four submarines of the class with CM010 masts in a twin configuration.

Thales has equipped all Astute-class submarines of the British fleet with optocoupler masts with CM010 and CM011 sensor heads. These products represent the basis for promising new series of periscopes

The CM010 mast includes a high-definition camera and thermal imager, while the CM011 has a high-definition camera and an image enhancement camera for underwater surveillance, which is not possible with a traditional thermal imager.

In accordance with the contract received in 2004, Tales began supplying CM010 masts to the Japanese company Mitsubishi Electric Corporation in May 2007 for installation on the new Japanese Soryu diesel-electric submarines. Tales is currently developing a low-profile variant of the CM010 with the same functionality, as well as a sensor package consisting of a high-definition camera, a thermal imager and a low-light camera (or rangefinder). This sensor kit is intended to be used for special tasks or diesel-electric submarines of smaller dimensions.

The low-profile ULPV (Ultra-Low Profle Variant), designed for installation on high-tech platforms, is a unit of two sensors (a high-definition camera plus a thermal imager or a camera for low light levels) installed in a low-profile sensor head. Its visual signature is similar to that of a commander's periscope with a diameter of up to 90 mm, but the system is stabilized and has electronic support.

The Japanese diesel-electric submarine Hakuryu, belonging to the Soryu class, is equipped with a Thales CM010 mast. The masts were delivered to the shipyard of Mitsubishi, the main contractor of the Soryu class submarines, for installation on board these submarines

Panoramic mast

The US Navy, the largest operator of modern submarines, is developing periscope technology as part of its Afordable Modular Panoramic Photonics Mast (AMPPM) program. The AMPPM program began in 2009, and as defined by the Office of Naval Research, which oversees the program, its goal is “to develop a new sensor mast for submarines that has high-quality sensors for panoramic search in the visible and infrared spectra, as well as short-wave infrared and hyperspectral sensors for long-range detection and identification.”

According to the Office, the AMPPM program should significantly reduce production and maintenance costs through modular design and a fixed bearing. In addition, a significant increase in availability is expected compared to current optocoupler masts.

In June 2011, a prototype mast developed by Panavision was selected by the Authority for the AMPPM program. First there will be at least two years of testing on land. This will be followed by testing at sea, which is scheduled to begin in 2018. New AMPPM fixed masts with 360-degree visibility will be installed on Virginia-class nuclear submarines.

ENGINES

Submarines of all types were equipped with diesel engines and electric motors. Diesels provided the surface propulsion of the boat, and electric motors provided the underwater propulsion. The diesel engines that rotated the propeller shafts were installed on very powerful supports. They occupied almost the entire space of the engine room, so that only a narrow passage remained between them. The heat and the smell of fuel made it extremely difficult to work in the engine room, and it was also very crowded, which made troubleshooting many mechanical problems very difficult.

Small submarines of the II series were usually equipped with 350 hp diesel engines. and electric motors with 180 or 205 hp. Larger boats of the VII series were first equipped with two diesel engines with a power of 1160 hp, and later F46 engines from the company F. Krupp Germaniawerft AG(on most boats) or similar M6V 40/46 engines from the company MAN 1400 hp Diesels of the company F. Krupp Germaniawerft AG were considered less economical, but much more reliable, however, in the conditions of mass construction of boats, refuse from diesel engines of the company MAN German shipbuilders could not. The electric motors of the VII series submarines had a power of 375 hp. Diesels of the company MAN brand M9V 40/46 with a power of 2200 hp. were installed on oceangoing (cruising) boats of the IX series, however, they turned out to be more susceptible to lateral rolling (the center of gravity is higher than that of the V-shaped ones), which, with an excessively lightweight design, led to frequent breakdowns. Boats of the IX series usually had electric motors with a power of 500 hp, but on the “electric boats” of the XXI series the power of the electric motors was 2500 hp, which was important for underwater sailing. The electric motors were mounted on the same propeller shafts as the diesels, and therefore they idled when the boat was running on diesels; the latter set in motion generators that recharged the batteries. The main suppliers of electric motors were companies Siemens, AEG And Brown-Boveri.

SNORKEL

The snorkel was a pipe that allowed submarines to operate at periscope depth on diesel engines. In 1943, when losses among submariners began to increase, snorkels appeared on boats of the VIIC and IXC types; they were also included in the design of the boats of the XXI and XXIII series being created. Submarines began using the new technology in combat in the first months of 1944, and by June of that year, approximately half of the submarines stationed in France were equipped with them.

A radar detector antenna was installed on the upper head of the snorkel to warn the submarine of the proximity of the enemy, when the upper end of the snorkel could be exposed to radiation from the radar station of an aircraft or surface ship. At the same time, the antenna mounted on the snorkel was also used for radio communications. For greater secrecy, the part of the snorkel located above the surface of the water was covered with a layer that absorbs electromagnetic energy, which reduced its detection range by radar. On Series VII boats, the snorkels were retracted forward and stored in a recess on the left side of the hull, while on Series IX submarines this recess was located on the starboard side. More modern boats of the XXI and XXIII series had telescopic snorkels that rose vertically from the conning tower next to the periscope.

However, snorkels were not without their drawbacks. The main one was the following: when the automatic valves were tightly closed to prevent seawater from entering the diesel engines, the engines began to pump air out of the boat, which caused its vacuum and, accordingly, respiratory pain and ruptured eardrums among crew members.

COMPUTING DEVICE

The central place in the submarine's torpedo armament complex was occupied by a computer-resolving device (CSD) located in the conning tower. Mechanically, it received data on the submarine’s course and its speed, as well as the direction to the target read from the azimuthal circle of the periscope (in a submerged position) or the fire control device (FCU) (in a surface position).

On the very first boats of series I and II there was no equipment at all for setting the gyroscopic angle; accordingly, after launch the torpedoes went straight. The captain calculated the necessary data for firing through the periscope, after which they were transmitted by voice to the torpedomen and the value of the gyroscope rotation angle was manually entered into the torpedoes. The launch command was given by the commander or the first watch officer, shouting it through the hatch into the central control post and into the torpedo compartment - to the torpedo operator, after which he pressed the torpedo launch button.

However, in 1938, with the start of mass production of boats of the VII and IX series, the situation changed for the better. The need for voice commands was eliminated due to the introduction of an improved computer, called T.Vh.Re.S.1. Now the data was transmitted to the torpedo compartment automatically, where it was displayed on the display, after which changes in the depth of travel and the angle of rotation of the torpedo gyroscope were made by torpedo operators, again manually directly in the torpedo compartment. Improvements in torpedo armament made it possible to introduce a gyroscopic angle of ± 90 degrees.

In 1939, all the elements were combined into one common device and the T.Vh.Re.S.2 calculating and solving device was obtained. This device was mounted on the wall of the conning tower and at the time of the attack was served by a boatswain with the rank of sergeant major or oberfeldwebel. The boatswain manually entered the course, speed of the submarine and bearing to the target into the device. The speed was set by the commander to the helmsman, the course was read from the gyrocompass repeater, the bearing to the target - when attacking from an underwater position from the azimuth circle of the periscope and when attacking from a surface position from a fire control device - powerful binoculars in a durable case, mounted on the bridge on a stand with a special stand. At the commands of the commander, seven other parameters were entered in strict sequence: torpedo depth, torpedo speed, target speed, target position (right or left along the course), target heading angle, distance to the target and target length. Within a few seconds after this, the device calculated all the data necessary for firing, which was sent to the control panel in the torpedo compartment and taken into account during launch.

The last option, called T.Vh.Re.S.3, made it possible to enter data into torpedoes directly from the computer, but this affected the size of the entire torpedo firing control system and it was moved to the central post, with the exception of the remaining ones control room of the data input panel and the fire control stand. The command to launch torpedoes was received automatically by pressing buttons on the fire control rack.

ENCRYPTION MACHINE "ENIGMA"

By the beginning of World War II, the Germans were no longer limited to unreliable code books; increasingly complex technical devices were created to encode messages.

In the navy, the Germans made extensive use of Enigma encryption machines, which were electromechanical machines approximately the size of a portable typewriter with a standard keyboard. These devices were quite simple and easy to use. They ran on batteries and were portable. Having prepared the device for work, the operator typed the message in clear text, as on a regular typewriter. Enigma automatically performed the encryption and displayed the corresponding encrypted letters. The second operator transcribed them and sent them by radio to the recipient. At the receiving end the process was reversed.

The principle of encryption was to replace the letters of the encrypted text with other letters. In a simplified way, the operating principle of the Enigma encryption machine is as follows. The machine included three (and later more) rotating encoders (rotors), each of which was a thick rubber wheel, threaded with wires and having 26 input and output contacts according to the number of letters. Since the encoders were interconnected, when a letter key was pressed, the electrical signal passed through three encoders, then the signal passed through the reflector conductors and returned through the three encoders, highlighting the encrypted letter. The relative position of the encryptors and their initial positions determined the key of the current day.

The structure and principle of operation of the Enigma encryption machine are discussed in more detail in the article “Enigma encryption machine” on the page of the “Facts” section.

In the first years of the war, Great Britain suffered considerable losses from German submarines, which is why it was so important for British intelligence to “break” the Enigma code. The best mathematicians and engineers were sent to decipher the German codes, and a group of cryptographers settled in the Bletchley Park estate. To understand the principle of operation of Enigma, it was necessary to obtain a copy of this encryption machine. The British intelligence agency planned to arrange the crash of a hijacked German plane over the English Channel in order to lure a submarine and capture Enigma, but they did without it. The encryption machine was removed in March 1941 from the captured German minesweeper "Krebs", in May - from the meteorological ship "Munich", then from several more transport ships. As it turned out, the Germans deployed vehicles of a similar type both on submarines and on ordinary lightly armed ships. True, special code magazines were used on submarines; without them, it was extremely difficult to decipher the code. On May 9, 1941, the British managed to capture the German submarine U-110, and Enigma, along with the code logs, soon ended up in Bletchley Park.

When British convoys, using the intercepted data, began to successfully evade the submarines and sink them, the Germans realized that their code had been cracked. In February 1942, the Enigma was improved by adding another rotor, but on October 30, 1942, the code logs for the new machine were captured on the submarine U-559. Using the information obtained, mathematicians were able to unravel the operating principle of the machine, which ultimately led to the Germans finally losing control of the Atlantic Ocean in 1943.

SONAR

Early submarines were first equipped with an acoustic noise detection device known as a "group sonar," or GHG. It consisted of 11 (later 24) hydrophones placed in the bow of the light hull in a semicircle around the stock of the bow horizontal rudders and connected to a receiver in the second compartment. Since the acoustic sensors were mounted in the bow of the boat along the sides of the hull, the accuracy of detecting the noise source was acceptable only if the ship being carried was located abeam the boat.

A more advanced acoustic noise detection device is the "scanning sonar", or KDB. It consisted of a rotating, rotating, retractable rod in the bow end of the hull, on which six hydrophones were mounted. The antenna was located on the upper deck immediately behind the network cutter, but its main drawback was its poor protection against depth charges, so the installation of this modification was soon abandoned.

During the last years of the war, acoustic noise detection devices were improved. A so-called “balcony sonar” was created, which provided a wider viewing angle compared to GHG and KDB. All 24 hydrophones were installed inside a radome, shaped like a balcony, at the bottom of the boat's bow. The new scheme had the highest direction-finding accuracy (it was even mechanically linked to the torpedo firing control system) with the exception of a narrow sector of 60°, located directly at the stern. The “balcony sonar” was developed for boats of the XXI series and was not widely used on boats of the VII and IX series.

The S-Gerat sonar - the main reason for the improvement of VII series boats from type B to type C - never appeared on the boats. This device was considered, first of all, as a means of detecting anchor mines, which were absent in the vast Atlantic. In addition, German submariners did not want to have on board any equipment that could unmask the submarine through its operation.

RADAR

Basic radar equipment began to be installed on submarines in the summer of 1940. The first operational model was the FuMO29 type radar. It was used primarily on Series IX boats, but was also found on a few Series VII boats, and was easily recognized by the two horizontal rows of eight dipoles at the front of the deckhouse. In the top row were the transmitter antennas, in the bottom row were the receivers. The detection range of a large ship by the station was 6-8 km, an aircraft flying at an altitude of 500 m was 15 km, the accuracy of determining the direction was 5°.

In an improved version of the FuMO30 radar, introduced in 1942, the dipoles mounted on the cabin were replaced by a retractable, so-called “mattress” antenna measuring 1 x 1.5 m, which was retracted into a slotted niche inside the wall of the cabin. The equipment did not detect all enemy ships due to the fact that the antenna did not extend very high above the surface of the water, unlike surface ships. In addition, due to signal reflections from waves during a storm, strong interference occurred, and often enemy ships were visually detected before the radar. Only a few submarines received this version of the radar.

The last modified model, FuMO61, was a naval version of the FuMG200 Hohentwil night fighter radar. It entered service in March 1944 and was not much better than the FuMO30, but proved to be an effective aircraft detector. It operated at a wavelength of 54-58 cm and had an antenna almost identical to the FuMO30. The detection range of large ships was 8-10 km, aircraft 15-20 km, direction finding accuracy was 1-2°.

RADAR DETECTORS

The FuMB1 "Metox" radar detector appeared in July 1942. Structurally, it was a simple receiver, designed to record a signal transmitted at a wavelength of 1.3-2.6 m. The receiver was connected to an in-boat broadcast, so that the alarm signal was heard by the entire crew. This equipment worked with an antenna stretched over a knocked together wooden, so-called “Biscayan” cross; When searching for a target, the antenna was rotated manually. However, it had one serious drawback - the fragility of the structure: during an urgent dive, the antenna often broke. The use of FuMB1 made it possible to render the British anti-submarine line in the Bay of Biscay ineffective for six months. Since the end of the summer of 1943, a new FuMB9 "Vanze" station was put into production, recording radiation in the range of 1.3-1.9 m. In November 1943, the FuMB10 "Borkum" station appeared, monitoring the range of 0.8-3.3 m .

The next stage was associated with the appearance of the enemy's new ASV III radar, operating at a wavelength of 10 cm. In the spring of 1943, reports from German submariners became more frequent, according to which boats were subjected to surprise attacks by anti-submarine aircraft at night without the Metox warning signal. The problem associated with the need to control radiation in the frequency range of the English ASV III radar was ultimately solved after the appearance in November 1943 of the FuMB7 Naxos system, operating in the 8-12 cm range. Subsequently, two stations began to be installed on boats: " Naxos" and "Borkum"/"Vance"; as a result of their combined use, submarines finally had superior radiation detection capabilities across the entire radar frequency range.

Since April 1944, they were replaced by the FuMB24 "Fleige" station, which controlled the 8-20 cm range. The Germans responded to the appearance of American flying boats with radar stations APS-3, APS-4 (wavelength 3.2 cm) by creating the FuMB25 receiver " Mücke" (range 2-4 cm). In May 1944, "Fleige" and "Mücke" were combined into the FuMB26 "Tunis" complex.

RADIO STATIONS

Primary radio communications between the submarine and shore command were usually provided by a communications system operating in the 3-30 MHz HF band. The boats were equipped with an E-437-S receiver and a 200-watt transmitter from the company Telefunken, and as a backup - a less powerful, 40-watt, transmitter from the company Lorenz.

For radio communication between the boats, a set of equipment was used in the CB range of 300-3000 kHz. It consisted of an E-381-S receiver, a Spez-2113-S transmitter and a small retractable antenna with a round vibrator in the right wing of the bridge fence. The same antenna played the role of a direction finder.

The possibilities of using VHF waves in the 15-20 kHz range were revealed only during the war. It turned out that radio waves in this range, with sufficient transmitter power, can penetrate the surface of the water and be received on boats located at periscope depth. This required an extremely powerful transmitter on land, and this 1000-kilowatt Goliath transmitter was built in Frankfurt an der Oder. After this, all orders transmitted by the command of the submarine fleet began to be broadcast in the KB and SDV ranges. Signals from the Goliath transmitter were received by the E-437-S broadband receiver from the company Telefunken using the same circular retractable antenna.