Submarines of the "Bars" or "Morzh" type for the Baltic Sea were built in 1912 under the shipbuilding program "Rapid Reinforcement of the Baltic Fleet" in the amount of 18 units. According to this program, six submarines were intended for the Siberian Flotilla, twelve - for the Baltic Fleet. The choice of the type of submarines for construction under the 1912 program was dictated by strict credit and time constraints. In January-March of the same year, they began to develop an operational-tactical task. According to the assignments agreed by MGSH (Marine General Staff) and GUK (Main Directorate of Shipbuilding), the full surface speed of the submarine was supposed to be 16 knots, the underwater speed of 11-12 knots, the cruising range on the surface at a speed of 10 knots - 2500 miles, submerged at a speed of 11-12 knots - 25-33 miles. The boat was to be armed with 2-4 bow tube torpedo tubes, 8 torpedo tubes of the Drzewiecki system. The draft was supposed to be 3, 66 meters.
In the tasks that were developed in the underwater navigation brigade of the Baltic Fleet, the requirements for the surface speed were increased to 18 knots, the cruising range at a speed of 10 knots was to be 3000 miles, the underwater speed was reduced to 10 knots, the torpedo armament was to consist of 2 stern and 2 bow tubular torpedo tubes and 10 devices of the Drzewiecki system, the draft was supposed to be 4.28 meters, the immersion time was 3 minutes, the buoyancy margin was 25%. A requirement was also put forward to install watertight bulkheads to ensure surface unsinkability. On the basis of these assignments, the MGSH on March 11, 1912, developed a task in which the requirements for surface speed were reduced - not less than 16 knots, the underwater speed was increased to 12 knots and the underwater range was "25 miles at 12 knots + 46 miles by economy". Torpedo armament - two bow tubular torpedo tubes and twelve devices of the Drzewiecki system (later the number of Drzewiecki torpedo tubes was reduced to 8 pcs.). As a result, on June 21, 1912, those. The Council of the Main Directorate decided to stop the choice on the submarines of engineer Bubnov, namely, on the submarines of the "Morzh" type. Since the fulfillment of all the requirements of the Marine General Staff led to an increase in the cost of 600 thousand rubles for each submarine and a displacement of up to 900 tons, those. the council decided to limit the full submerged speed for 3 hours - 10 knots, with a mandatory increase in surface speed to 18 knots. Recognizing the need for watertight bulkheads, they were abandoned due to lack of credit. Submarine projects based on the Morzh submarine were ordered to the Noblessner Society and the Baltic Shipyard. Their consideration took place on August 2, 1912. The displacement of the submarines of the Baltic Shipyard was 660 tons, the hull diameter was increased by 110 millimeters, the metacentric height was 1200 mm, two diesel engines had to work on each shaft, the displacement margin was 8 tons. The Noblessner project (where IG Bubnov moved) - a displacement of 650 tons due to an increase in the length of the cylindrical insert by 915 mm, which made it possible to "better place cabins for personnel and engines", metacentric height - 960 mm. The Noblessner project was recognized as the best and put forward a mandatory requirement to reduce the displacement margin to 1 percent of the surface displacement. Four submarines were ordered to the Noblessner shipyard (not yet existing at the time of the order) and two submarines to the Baltic shipyard. All boats were ordered for the Baltic Sea. Six more submarines, in the same proportion, were ordered early in 1913. On December 12, 1913, six submarines were ordered for the Siberian Flotilla under the same conditions. The cost of one submarine built by the Baltic Shipyard was 1 million 550 thousand rubles (excluding the cost of torpedoes), "Noblessner" - 1 million 775 thousand (including torpedo ammunition). The beginning of the construction of the first submarines at the Baltic Shipyard in July - August 1913, the term of readiness for tests according to the plan - the summer of 1915. The beginning of construction of the first nine Noblessner submarines - May-December 1914, the planned readiness period for testing 2 boats - 1915, 6 boats - 1916, and 1 boat - 1917.
Submarine type "Bars": a - longitudinal section; b - plan. 1 - tubular torpedo tube; 2 - stern and bow underwater anchors; 3 - replacement tanks of anchors; 4 - centrifugal pump; 5 - trim tank; 6 - apparatus of the Drzewiecki system; 7 - main propeller motors; 8 - main diesel engines; 9 - conning tower; 10 - periscopes; 11 - steering wheel of vertical rudders; 12 - binnacle of a removable compass; 13, 17 - oil, substitution, equalizing, "tear-off" and oil tanks; 18 - officer cabins; 19 - battery cells; 20 - compressor; 21 - fresh water tank; 22, 23 - bow and stern horizontal rudders
The first four submarines of the Baltic Shipyard were laid down: Bars on July 20, 1913, Vepr on August 1, 1913, Gepard on August 17, 1913, and Volk on September 2, 1913. The boats were handed over to the fleet on July 25, September 3, July 12 and April 15, 1915, respectively. Due to the lack of diesel engines under the project, these submarines were equipped with 2 diesels from gunboats of the "Shkval" type of the Amur Flotilla, each with a capacity of 250 hp. The regular diesel engines were ordered by the German company Krupp for the lead submarine, for the second and third - at the Riga plant of the Feldzer company, and for the fourth diesel engine the Baltic plant was to be created using German technology. The maximum surface speed of the Bars submarine is 9.7 knots, the cruising range at this speed is 3065 miles, and the dive time is 3 minutes. Submarine "Wolf" - 11, 15 knots, 2400 miles and 2 minutes 10 seconds, respectively. In 1915, the artillery was included in the artillery - in July, a 37 mm cannon and detachable machine guns of 7.62 mm were tested on the Cheetah and Bars. On September 11, 1915, the Naval Minister approved the decision to install one 37-mm and 57-mm artillery gun and one machine gun on all submarines.
In fact, this composition was installed only on the Bars and Gepard submarines. "Lioness", "Tiger", "Wolf" and "Vepr" received two artillery mounts of 57 mm caliber, and "Lioness" and "Tiger" - an additional 37 mm gun on a curved pedestal (weight about 128 kg). "Lynx", "Leopard" and "Panther" received one 57- and 75-millimeter gun each. The Naval Minister on December 23, 1916, approved the decision to arm thirteen Bars-class submarines with "non-standard diesels" with artillery consisting of 57-, 75-mm guns and 7, 62-mm machine guns. Submarines "Cougar" and "Snake" with standard diesels were to receive a bow 57-mm gun, one 37-mm gun and a machine gun. In the 1920s, on the Bars-class submarines that remained in service, the 57-mm guns were replaced by 75-mm guns.
During the tests of the lead submarines "Bars" and "Gepard", several design flaws were revealed: strong vibration of the hull during the operation of the main engines, a very low arrangement of torpedo tubes of the Drzewiecki system, insufficient strength of deck tanks, unmasking water fountains during immersion, slow filling ballast tanks by gravity, insufficient rigidity of fastening periscopes and others. The revision, taking into account these shortcomings, began with the Vepr submarine, while: on the submarines of the Baltic plant, the diameter of the kingston was increased to 254 millimeters, and on the submarines of the Noblessner plant - up to 224 millimeters; changed the system of air removal from the ventilation valves of the end CGB; on submarines with non-standard diesel engines, four centrifugal pumps (each with a capacity of 900 m3) were installed instead of two; the control posts of the bow and stern horizontal rudders were moved to the central post; installed steamheating, and also took other measures to improve living conditions. Drzewiecki's torpedo tubes were transferred to the VP, and the niches for them were repaired. On the submarines "Bars", "Gepard" and "Vepr" this was done in the winter of 1915/1916, on the "Wolf", "Tiger", "Lioness" and "Panther" - during the completion. On subsequent submarines, there were no cutouts. In the 1920s, Drzewiecki's torpedo tubes were removed. Submarine anchors were replaced with heavier ones. We installed wooden keels for the boats to lie on the ground.
Submarine "Panther" type "Bars"
Submarines of the Baltic Sea submarine division
The immersion time was reduced from 3 minutes to 2 (on the "Lynx" submarine - 1 min. 27 sec., "Unicorn" - 1 min. 40 sec.).
The official laying of the Bars-class submarines at the Noblessner plant was made on July 3, 1914 (Tiger, Lioness, Leopard, Cougar, Lynx, Panther, Jaguar, Tour for the Baltic Fleet; "Eel", "Ide", "Trout" and "Ruff" for the Siberian Flotilla). Since the Noblessner plant in Reval, conceived by the center of submarine shipbuilding, was just under construction, the hulls of the Cougar, Panther, Tiger and Lioness submarines were manufactured at the St. Petersburg Admiralty Plant, and then assembled in Reval.
The first eight submarines (from "Lioness" to "Yaz") were launched in 1915-1917 and entered service on May 14, December 28, December 30, July 23, November 4 and April 14, 1916, August 8, 4 October 1917 respectively. The submarine "Yaz" was not completed, in the 1920s it was dismantled for metal. The construction of the submarines Trout, Ruff and Eel was handed over to the Baltic Shipyard. On October 22, 1916, the submarine "Eel" was launched and entered service in the spring of 1917. Submarines "Trout" and "Ruff" were completed as minelayers. In addition, in the summer of 1915, the submarines "Unicorn" and "Snake" (originally for the Siberian Flotilla) were laid down at the Baltic Shipyard; they entered service in December 1916 and March 1917, respectively.
Diesel engines with a design power of 1320 hp. each, were installed only on the "Snake" and "Cougar". The full surface speed of the Cougar submarine was 16.65 knots. Surface cruising range - 2,400 miles at 11 knots. Submarine range of these submarines: 28.4 miles at 8.6 knots and 150 miles at 2.35 knots. On the submarines "Unicorn" and "Eel" installed 420-horsepower diesel engines from "New London". Full speed of the submarine "Unicorn" was: surface - 12, 5 knots; underwater - 7, 7 knots. The cruising range is 2600 miles at 8, 3 knots and 22 miles at 7, 7 knots. According to the ship's crew, the dimensions of the standard diesel engines were too large for the compartments of the Bars-class submarines, so normal maintenance is impossible. Diesel engines of the New London Company were unreliable. The 250-horsepower diesel engines of the Kolomna plant were more reliable, provided a greater cruising range, however, the optimal pitch of propellers of 1, 1 meter for these diesel engines was unprofitable for electric motors, which in combination with artillery equipment, additional rudder guards, etc. led to a decrease in speed full underwater course.
Submarines of "Bars" type differed in design and construction from submarines of "Morzh" type in the execution of tanks: the equalizing tank was made in the form of a cylinder, which encircled a "tear-off" tank, each of the trimmed tanks was reduced to 2.5 tons; the space between the double spherical end bulkheads was divided by a horizontal bulkhead into tanks - upper (trim) and lower (for fresh water). Metacentric height on the surface - 120 mm; underwater 180 (200) mm.
Load components (in percent with standard diesel engines): "body" - 26, 2; "storage batteries" - 17.5; "main diesels" - 12; "ballast, cement, paint" - 6, 8; "electric motors" - 5, 5; "other cargo" - 4, 1. Torpedo tubes of the Drzewiecki system on the Jaguar submarine were replaced by four torpedo tubes of the GA Lessner plant.
Submarine "Cougar" type "Bars"
An attempt was made to supplement the armament of submarines with mine weapons. Mine rails were installed on the Vepr submarine in 1915, but the trim was disturbed, because of which the device was dismantled. On the submarines "Bars", "Lioness" and "Tiger", brackets with sockets for 8 minutes were installed on the sides. However, these devices were not used in combat.
On the submarines "Leopard" and "Volk", the telescopic receiving tube of the ship's ventilation was extended to the level of the periscope pedestals to ensure the charging of storage batteries at the periscope depth; the gas outlet pipe from diesel engines was raised to the same height. Due to the small cross-section of the intake pipe, there was only enough air for the operation of one diesel engine.
All Bars-class submarines were equipped with a radiotelegraph with a removable antenna. On the submarine "Unicorn" in the winter of 1916/1917, a 5 kilowatt radio station and an English folding mast for radio communications were tested. In 1916, twelve sets of underwater signaling devices of the American company Fessenden were received and by September of the following year they were installed on the submarines Tour, Jaguar, Panther, Lynx and Tiger.
On 6 submarines in 1917, they installed 5 sets of pneumatic shears designed for cutting anti-submarine nets.
The submarine "Wolf" in the First World War achieved the greatest success - it sank four transport with a total capacity of 9626 reg. t. During the Civil War, the Panther submarine sank the British destroyer Victoria. In 1917, the submarines "Gepard", "Lioness" and "Bars" were killed. The submarine "Unicorn" suffered a navigational accident, was raised, but on March 25, 1918, during the Ice Campaign, it sank.
The submarines "Cougar", "Eel" and "Vepr" in 1925-1926, after being stored in the port, were dismantled for metal. The submarines that remained in service in 1922-1925 were renamed:
- submarine "Wolf": from 1920 - "PL2", from 25.03.1923 - "Batrak", from 1925 - training submarine, from 10.12.1932 - "U-1", from 15.09.1934 - "B -5". In 1935 it was decommissioned;
- submarine "Snake": from October 1921 - "PL6"; from 31.12.1922 - "Proletarian"; from 14.11.1931 - board number 23, from 10.12.1932 - training submarine "U-2", from 15.09.1934 - "B-6". Delivered for metal on March 11, 1935;
- submarine "Leopard": from 1920 - "PL4", from 31.12.1922 - "Krasnoarmeets", from 10.12.1932 - training submarine "U-7", from 15.09.1934 - "B-7", 08.03.1936 transferred to floating charging station. In 1921 and 1925, it underwent major overhauls. 1940-29-12 excluded from the lists of the fleet and subsequently dismantled for metal;
- submarine "Panther": from October 1921 - "PL5", from 31.12.1922 - "Commissar", from 1931 - "PL13", from 1934 - "B-2". In 1924 - major overhaul. In 1933-1935 - modernization. 1941-21-09 shot down a German plane. Floating charging station - since 1942. In 1955, it was cut into metal;
- submarine "Lynx": from October 1921 - "PL1", from 1923 - "Bolshevik", from 1931 - "PL14", from 1934 - "B-3". 1935-25-07 rammed by the battleship "Marat", killed the entire crew. 1935-02-08 raised and cut into metal;
- submarine "Tiger": from May 1921 - No. 3, from 01.10.1921 - No. 6, from 31.10. 1922 - "Kommunar", from April 1926 - PL1, from 1931-14-11 - "PL11", from 1934 - "B-1". 1922 - 1924 - major overhaul. Disassembled for metal in 1935;
- submarine "Tour": from 1920 - "PL3", from 1922 - "Comrade", from 15.09.1934 - "B-8", from 08.03.1936 - floating charging station. 1924 - major overhaul. From 1940-29-12 it was in storage, dismantled for metal after the Great Patriotic War;
- submarine "Jaguar": from 1920 - "PL-8", from 31.12.1923 - "Krasnoflotets", from 15.09.1934 - "B-4", from 08.03.1936 - floating charging station, dismantled for metal in 1946 year.
Technical characteristics of Bars-class submarines:
Designer - Bubnov I. G.;
Project development time - 1912-1913;
Building plant - Baltic (St. Petersburg), "Noblessner" (Revel);
The number of ships in the series - 18 (actually 16);
Terms of entry into service - 1915-1917;
Surface displacement - 650 tons;
Underwater displacement - 780 tons;
Maximum length - 68.0 m;
Hull width - 4.47 m;
Average draft - 3, 94 m;
Buoyancy reserve - 20%;
Architectural and structural type - single-hull, with double end spherical bulkheads and main ballast tanks at the ends;
Working immersion depth - 46 m;
Maximum immersion depth - 91 m;
Material:
- body plating - steel, 10 mm thick;
- bulkheads - steel 12 mm thick;
- extremities - steel 5 mm thick;
- deckhouses - steel / low-magnetic steel 10 mm thick;
Autonomy - 14 days;
Time of continuous stay under water - 30 hours;
Crew - 45 people;
Power plant:
- type - diesel-electric;
- type of surface running engines - diesel;
- number of surface engines - 2;
- power of surface engines - 1320 hp;
- type of underwater motors - electric motors;
- the number of underwater motors - 2;
- power of underwater engines - 450 hp;
- the number of propeller shafts - 2;
- the number of battery groups - 4;
- the number of elements in a group - 60;
- power of auxiliary diesel generators - 40 hp;
Travel speed:
- the largest surface - 18 knots;
- the largest underwater - 9, 6-10 knots;
- economic surface - 10 knots;
- economic underwater - 5 knots;
Sailing range:
- underwater - 28.5 miles (at a speed of 9.6 knots);
- surface - 2250 miles (at a speed of 10 knots) and 1000 miles (at a speed of 18 knots);
Torpedo armament:
- torpedo tubes caliber - 450 mm;
- the number of tubular bow torpedo tubes - 2;
- the number of tubular aft torpedo tubes - 2;
- the number of torpedo tubes of the Drzewiecki system - 8;
- the total number of torpedoes - 12;
Artillery armament (by decision of the Minister of the Navy on September 11, 1915):
- the number and caliber of artillery installations - 1x57 mm; 1x37 mm (anti-aircraft);
- the number and caliber of machine guns - 1x7, 62 mm;
Surveillance and communication facilities:
- 2 periscopes of the Hertz system of the Italian firm "Offigeone Galileo";
- a radio station with a range of> 100 miles;
- portable searchlight.
