19 march
110 years of the Russian submarine fleet
On March 19 (6th according to the old style), 1906, Nicholas II signed a decree "On the classification of ships of the Russian Imperial Navy", where "He deigned to command" to include submarines in a separate category.
The development of "hidden ships" went on in the country for a long time, but the first combat submarine "Dolphin" was built only in 1903. Its successful tests proved the possibility of production at domestic factories. And on August 13, 1903, the Naval Ministry gave instructions to begin the development of projects for submarines of a larger displacement.
The Russo-Japanese War caused great damage to the Russian fleet, which forced the tsarist government to look for ways to restore the disturbed balance of power at sea. One of the solutions was the urgent construction of submarines.
In those years, there was no organization for training submariners in Russia. Captain 2nd Rank M. Beklemishev was considered the only authority on this issue. He was entrusted with the training of personnel.
On January 29, 1905, a meeting was held on the Gromoboi cruiser from a detachment based in Vladivostok to clarify the condition of the boats and the degree of their readiness for combat operations. Plans were developed for two applications. It is characteristic that the use of boats in offensive operations was envisaged.
Already in June-July 1905, eight submarines completed practical training of personnel and began to carry out patrol service near the islands of Russian and Askold, remaining there for days. With the accumulation of experience and training of personnel, they went to remote areas. This became known to the Japanese, which affected the morale of their sailors. Valentin Pikul wrote about this well in his novel The Cruiser: “The Japanese fleet was seized by panic - these are not mines, these are Russian submarines … If this is so, then, it seems, secret information from St. Petersburg is confirmed: the Baltic sailors put their submarines on railway platforms to send them to the Far East. Are they already here?.."
By the end of the summer, there were 13 submarines in Vladivostok. But their capabilities did not meet the requirements of the Far Eastern theater of military operations. A common disadvantage was the short cruising range. The Marine Technical Committee classified them as coastal ships. Nevertheless, the presence of submarines has become a serious factor.
According to many historians, they not only saved Vladivostok from a direct attack by Kamimura's squadron, and after Tsushima - from the entire power of Admiral Togo's fleet, but also made the whole world think about the significance of the new naval weapon.
In Russia, the Far Eastern experience was not immediately comprehended. After lengthy discussions and skirmishes between the supporters of surface and submarine ships, a compromise was reached, which resulted in the imperial decree of March 6, 1906.
The existing experience in construction and combat use showed the main thing: the need for special personnel for a new type of naval weapon. On February 8, 1906, a project for the organization of a Diving Training Squad was submitted to the State Council for consideration. The initiator was a participant in the war with Japan, Captain 1st Rank Eduard Schensnovich, later Vice Admiral. According to his report on the need for training submariners, a commission was appointed, which formulated its opinion on this issue as follows: “Not a single part of the naval specialty requires such positive knowledge from the personnel as submarines; here everyone should know exactly what he needs to do under different circumstances; mistakes are not made, and therefore all employees must pass the most thoroughly appropriate course at school and pass the exam perfectly according to the established program."
On May 29, the "Regulations on the Scuba Diving Training Unit" were approved. Rear Admiral Schensnovich was appointed commander. At first, there were no theoretical studies, training was carried out exclusively in practice. The cadres were drawn from sailors who were part of the detachment located in Libau, and who already had diving experience.
In 1907, officers who had previously served on submarines were subjected to special examinations. Those who survived were awarded the title of scuba diving officer. In 1908, the training system and procedure were finalized. The students were recruited from the surface fleet specialists. The total duration of the course for officers was ten months, for sailors - from four to ten, depending on the specialty and degree of training.
Until 1914, all newly built submarines entered the Training Detachment, which mastered them, staffed them and, after completing the training course, sent them to the disposal of the Black Sea and Baltic fleets. The detachment in Vladivostok was also replenished by submariners from Libava.
After 1914, new weapons have shown their indispensability in all fleets of the world. “The submarine was the center around which military, political and economic concepts were deployed. It became one of the main factors of the war,”wrote the military historian Vice Admiral Alexander Stahl in 1936. Subsequently, this assessment was fully confirmed.
