Aces submariners. The last submarine ace of the Kriegsmarine

The role of submarines was highly appreciated by the Germans during the First World War. Despite the imperfection of the technical base, the design solutions of that time were the basis for the latest developments.

The main promoter of submarines in the Third Reich was Admiral Karl Dönitz, an experienced submariner who distinguished himself in the battles of the First World War. Since 1935, with his direct participation, the German submarine fleet began its rebirth, soon becoming the shock fist of the Kriegsmarine.

By the beginning of World War II, the Reich submarine fleet consisted of only 57 units, which were divided into three classes of displacement - large, medium and shuttle. However, Dönitz was not embarrassed by the quantity: he knew perfectly well the capabilities of German shipyards, capable of increasing productivity at any moment.

After Europe capitulated to Germany, England, in fact, remained the only force opposing the Reich. However, its capabilities largely depended on the supply of food, raw materials and weapons from the New World. In Berlin, they perfectly understood that blocking the sea routes, and England would be not only without material and technical resources, but also without reinforcements, which had been mobilized in the British colonies.

However, the successes of the Reich surface fleet in releasing Britain proved to be temporary. In addition to the superior forces of the Royal Navy, the German ships were also opposed by British aircraft, before which they were powerless.

From now on, the German military leadership will rely on submarines, which are less vulnerable to aircraft and capable of approaching the enemy unnoticed. But the main thing is that the construction of submarines cost the Reich budget an order of magnitude cheaper than the production of most surface vessels, while fewer people were required to service the submarine.

"Wolf Packs" of the Third Reich

Dönitz became the ancestor of a new tactical scheme, according to which the German submarine fleet of World War II operated. This is the so-called concept of group attacks (Rudeltaktik), nicknamed by the British "wolf pack" (Wolfpack), in which the submarines made a series of coordinated attacks on a previously planned target.

As conceived by Dönitz, groups of 6-10 submarines were to line up on a wide front in a line along the path of the alleged enemy convoy. As soon as one of the boats detected enemy ships, it began pursuit, while sending the coordinates and course of its movement to the headquarters of the submarine forces.

The attack by the combined forces of the "flock" was carried out at night from the surface position, when the silhouette of the submarines was almost indistinguishable. Given that the speed of the submarines (15 knots) was higher than the pace at which the convoy was moving (7-9 knots), they had plenty of opportunities for tactical maneuver.

Over the entire period of the war, about 250 "wolf packs" were formed, and the composition and number of ships in them constantly changed. For example, in March 1943, the British convoys HX-229 and SC-122 were attacked by a "flock" of 43 submarines.

Great advantages for the German submarine fleet were given by the use of "cash cows" - supply submarines of the XIV series, thanks to which the autonomy of the strike group during the campaign increased significantly.

"Convoy Battle"

Of the 57 German submarines, only 26 were suitable for operations in the Atlantic, however, even this number was enough to sink 41 enemy ships with a total weight of 153,879 tons as early as September 1939. The first victims of the "wolf pack" were British ships - the liner "Athenia" and the aircraft carrier "Koreydzhes". Another aircraft carrier, Ark-Royal, escaped a sad fate, as torpedoes with magnetic fuses launched by the German submarine U-39 detonated ahead of time.

Later, U-47, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Gunther Prien, penetrated the raid of the British military base Scapa Flow and sank the battleship Royal Oak. These events forced the British government to remove aircraft carriers from the Atlantic and restrict the movement of other large warships.

The successes of the German submarine fleet forced Hitler, who until that time had been skeptical about submarine warfare, to change his mind. The Fuhrer gave the go-ahead for the mass construction of submarines. Over the next 5 years, another 1108 submarines entered the Kriegsmarine.

1943 was the apogee of the German submarine fleet. During this period, 116 "wolf packs" plowed the sea depths at the same time. The greatest "convoy battle" took place in March 1943, when German submarines inflicted heavy damage on four Allied convoys: 38 ships with a total tonnage of 226,432 brt were sunk.

Chronic drunkards

On the shore, German submariners earned a reputation as chronic drunkards. Indeed, returning from a raid once every two or three months, they were completely drunk. However, this was probably the only measure that made it possible to relieve the monstrous stress that accumulated during his stay under water.

Among these drunkards were real aces. For example, Gunther Prien, mentioned above, on whose account there are 30 ships with a total displacement of 164,953 tons. He became the first German officer to be awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves. However, the hero of the Reich was not destined to become the most productive German submariner: on March 7, 1941, his boat sank during the attack of an allied convoy.

As a result, the list of German submarine aces was headed by Otto Kretschmer, who destroyed 44 ships with a total displacement of 266,629 tons. He was followed by Wolfgang Lüth with 43 ships of 225,712 tons and Erich Topp, who sank 34 ships of 193,684 tons.

Standing apart in this row is the name of Captain Max-Martin Teichert, who on his boat U-456 in April 1942 staged a real hunt for the British cruiser Edinburgh, which was transporting 10 tons of Soviet gold from Murmansk as payment for Lend-Lease supplies. Teichert, who died a year later, never found out what cargo he had sunk.

End of success

During the entire period of the war, German submariners sank 2,603 Allied warships and transport ships with a total displacement of 13.5 million tons. Including 2 battleships, 6 aircraft carriers, 5 cruisers, 52 destroyers and more than 70 warships of other classes. More than 100 thousand military and merchant sailors of the allied fleet became victims of these attacks.

The West group of submarines should be recognized as the most productive. Her submarines attacked 10 convoys, sinking 33 ships with a total tonnage of 191,414 gross tons. This "wolf pack" lost only one submarine - U-110. True, the loss turned out to be very painful: it was here that the British found the encryption materials for the Enigma naval code.

Even at the end of the war, realizing the inevitability of defeat, German shipyards continued to stamp submarines. However, more and more submarines did not return from their missions. For comparison. If in 1940-1941 59 submarines were lost, then in 1943-1944 their number had already reached 513! During all the years of the war, 789 German submarines were sunk by the Allied forces, in which 32,000 sailors died.

Since May 1943, the effectiveness of the Allied PLO has increased markedly, in connection with which Karl Dönitz was forced to withdraw submarines from the North Atlantic. Attempts to return the "wolf packs" to their original positions were not successful. Dönitz decided to wait for the commissioning of new submarines of the XXI series, but their release was delayed.

By this time, the Allies had concentrated about 3,000 thousand combat and auxiliary ships and about 1,400 aircraft in the Atlantic. Even before the landing in Normandy, they dealt a crushing blow to the German submarine fleet, from which it never recovered.

Submarines dictate the rules in naval warfare and force everyone to meekly follow the established order.

Those stubborn ones who dare to neglect the rules of the game will face a quick and painful death in cold water, among floating debris and oil slicks. Boats, regardless of the flag, remain the most dangerous fighting vehicles capable of crushing any enemy.

I bring to your attention a short story about the seven most successful submarine projects of the war years.

Boats type T (Triton-class), UK

The number of submarines built is 53.
Surface displacement - 1290 tons; underwater - 1560 tons.
Crew - 59 ... 61 people.
Operating immersion depth - 90 m (riveted hull), 106 m (welded hull).
Full speed on the surface - 15.5 knots; in the underwater - 9 knots.
A fuel reserve of 131 tons ensured a surface cruising range of 8,000 miles.
Armament:
- 11 torpedo tubes of caliber 533 mm (on boats of sub-series II and III), ammunition load - 17 torpedoes;
- 1 x 102 mm universal gun, 1 x 20 mm anti-aircraft "Oerlikon".

A British submarine Terminator capable of knocking the crap out of the head of any enemy with a bow-mounted 8-torpedo salvo. The T-type boats had no equal in destructive power among all the submarines of the WWII period - this explains their ferocious appearance with a bizarre bow superstructure, which housed additional torpedo tubes.

The notorious British conservatism is a thing of the past - the British were among the first to equip their boats with ASDIC sonar. Alas, despite their powerful weapons and modern means of detection, the T-type boats of the high seas did not become the most effective among the British submarines of the Second World War. Nevertheless, they went through an exciting battle path and achieved a number of remarkable victories. "Tritons" were actively used in the Atlantic, in the Mediterranean Sea, smashed Japanese communications in the Pacific Ocean, and were noted several times in the cold waters of the Arctic.

In August 1941, the Taigris and Trident submarines arrived in Murmansk. British submariners demonstrated a master class to their Soviet colleagues: 4 enemy ships were sunk in two campaigns, incl. "Baia Laura" and "Donau II" with thousands of soldiers of the 6th Mountain Division. Thus, the sailors prevented the third German attack on Murmansk.

Other famous T-boat trophies include the German light cruiser Karlsruhe and the Japanese heavy cruiser Ashigara. The samurai were “lucky” to get acquainted with the full 8-torpedo salvo of the Trenchent submarine - having received 4 torpedoes on board (+ one more from the stern TA), the cruiser quickly capsized and sank.

After the war, the powerful and perfect Tritons were in service with the Royal Navy for another quarter of a century.
It is noteworthy that Israel acquired three boats of this type in the late 1960s - one of them, INS Dakar (formerly HMS Totem), died in 1968 in the Mediterranean Sea under unclear circumstances.

Boats of the "Cruising" type of the XIV series, the Soviet Union
The number of submarines built is 11.
Surface displacement - 1500 tons; underwater - 2100 tons.
Crew - 62 ... 65 people.

Full speed on the surface - 22.5 knots; in the underwater - 10 knots.
Surface cruising range 16,500 miles (9 knots)
Submerged cruising range - 175 miles (3 knots)
Armament:

- 2 x 100 mm universal guns, 2 x 45 mm anti-aircraft semi-automatic;
- up to 20 minutes of barriers.

... On December 3, 1941, German hunters UJ-1708, UJ-1416 and UJ-1403 bombarded a Soviet boat that tried to attack a convoy near Bustad Sund.

“Hans, can you hear that creature?
— Nine. After a series of explosions, the Russians sank to the bottom - I detected three hits on the ground ...
Can you tell where they are now?
— Donnerwetter! They are blown. Surely they decided to surface and surrender.

The German sailors were wrong. From the depths of the sea, a MONSTER rose to the surface - a K-3 cruiser submarine of the XIV series, which unleashed a flurry of artillery fire on the enemy. From the fifth salvo, the Soviet sailors managed to sink U-1708. The second hunter, having received two direct hits, smoked and turned aside - his 20 mm anti-aircraft guns could not compete with the "hundreds" of a secular submarine cruiser. Having scattered the Germans like puppies, K-3 quickly disappeared over the horizon at 20 knots.

The Soviet Katyusha was a phenomenal boat for its time. Welded hull, powerful artillery and mine-torpedo weapons, powerful diesel engines (2 x 4200 hp!), high surface speed of 22-23 knots. Huge autonomy in terms of fuel reserves. Remote control of ballast tank valves. A radio station capable of transmitting signals from the Baltic to the Far East. Exceptional level of comfort: shower cabins, refrigerated tanks, two seawater desalters, an electric galley… Two boats (K-3 and K-22) were equipped with Lend-Lease ASDIC sonar.

But, oddly enough, neither the high performance nor the most powerful weapons made the Katyusha an effective weapon - in addition to the dark story with the K-21 attack on the Tirpitz, during the war years, boats of the XIV series accounted for only 5 successful torpedo attacks and 27 thousand br. reg. tons of sunk tonnage. Most of the victories were won with the help of exposed mines. Moreover, their own losses amounted to five cruiser boats.

The reasons for the failures lie in the tactics of using the Katyushas - the mighty submarine cruisers, created for the expanses of the Pacific Ocean, had to "stomp" in the shallow Baltic "puddle". When operating at depths of 30-40 meters, a huge 97-meter boat could hit the ground with its bow, while its stern was still sticking out on the surface. It was a little easier for the sailors of the North Sea - as practice has shown, the effectiveness of the combat use of the Katyushas was complicated by the poor training of personnel and the lack of initiative of the command.
It's a pity. These boats were counting on more.

"Baby", Soviet Union

Series VI and VI-bis - 50 built.
Series XII - 46 built.
Series XV - 57 built (4 took part in the fighting).

TTX boat type M series XII:
Surface displacement - 206 tons; underwater - 258 tons.
Autonomy - 10 days.
The working depth of immersion is 50 m, the limit is 60 m.
Full speed on the surface - 14 knots; in the underwater - 8 knots.
Cruising range on the surface - 3380 miles (8.6 knots).
Cruising range in a submerged position - 108 miles (3 knots).
Armament:
- 2 torpedo tubes of caliber 533 mm, ammunition - 2 torpedoes;
- 1 x 45 mm anti-aircraft semi-automatic.

The project of mini-submarines for the rapid strengthening of the Pacific Fleet - the main feature of the M-type boats was the ability to be transported by rail in a fully assembled form.

In pursuit of compactness, many had to be sacrificed - service on the "Baby" turned into a grueling and dangerous event. Difficult living conditions, strong "chatter" - the waves ruthlessly threw a 200-ton "float", risking breaking it into pieces. Shallow diving depth and weak weapons. But the main concern of the sailors was the reliability of the submarine - one shaft, one diesel engine, one electric motor - the tiny "Baby" left no chance for the careless crew, the slightest malfunction on board threatened the submarine with death.

The kids evolved quickly - the performance characteristics of each new series differed several times from the previous project: contours were improved, electrical equipment and detection tools were updated, diving time was reduced, and autonomy grew. The "babies" of the XV series no longer resembled their predecessors of the VI and XII series: one and a half hull design - the ballast tanks were moved outside the pressure hull; The power plant received a standard twin-shaft layout with two diesel engines and electric motors for underwater travel. The number of torpedo tubes increased to four. Alas, the XV series appeared too late - the brunt of the war was borne by the "Baby" VI and XII series.

Despite their modest size and only 2 torpedoes on board, the tiny fish were simply terrifying "gluttony": in just the years of World War II, Soviet M-type submarines sank 61 enemy ships with a total tonnage of 135.5 thousand gross tons, destroyed 10 warships, and also damaged 8 transports.

The little ones, originally intended only for operations in the coastal zone, have learned to fight effectively in open sea areas. They, along with larger boats, cut enemy communications, patrolled at the exits of enemy bases and fjords, deftly overcame anti-submarine barriers and undermined transports right at the piers inside protected enemy harbors. It's just amazing how the Red Navy could fight on these flimsy boats! But they fought. And they won!

Boats of the "Medium" type of the IX-bis series, the Soviet Union

The number of submarines built is 41.
Surface displacement - 840 tons; underwater - 1070 tons.
Crew - 36 ... 46 people.
The working depth of immersion is 80 m, the limit is 100 m.
Full speed on the surface - 19.5 knots; submerged - 8.8 knots.
Surface cruising range 8,000 miles (10 knots).
Submerged cruising range 148 miles (3 knots).

“Six torpedo tubes and the same number of spare torpedoes on racks convenient for reloading. Two cannons with a large ammunition load, machine guns, explosive equipment ... In a word, there is something to fight. And 20-knot surface speed! It allows you to overtake almost any convoy and attack it again. Technique is good…”
- opinion of the S-56 commander, Hero of the Soviet Union G.I. Shchedrin

The Eskis were distinguished by their rational layout and balanced design, powerful armament, and excellent running and seaworthiness. Originally a German design by Deshimag, modified to meet Soviet requirements. But do not rush to clap your hands and remember the Mistral. After the start of serial construction of the IX series at Soviet shipyards, the German project was revised with the aim of a complete transition to Soviet equipment: 1D diesel engines, weapons, radio stations, a noise direction finder, a gyrocompass ... - in the boats that received the designation "IX-bis series", there was not a single bolts of foreign production!

The problems of the combat use of boats of the "Medium" type, in general, were similar to the cruising boats of the K type - locked in mine-infested shallow water, they could not realize their high combat qualities. Things were much better in the Northern Fleet - during the war years, the S-56 boat under the command of G.I. Shchedrina made the transition across the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, moving from Vladivostok to the Polar, subsequently becoming the most productive boat of the Soviet Navy.

An equally fantastic story is connected with the S-101 "bomb catcher" - over the years of the war, over 1000 depth charges were dropped on the boat by the Germans and the Allies, but each time the S-101 returned safely to Polyarny.

Finally, it was on the S-13 that Alexander Marinesko achieved his famous victories.

“The brutal alterations that the ship got into, bombing and explosions, depths far exceeding the official limit. The boat protected us from everything ... "
- from the memoirs of G.I. Shchedrin

Boats like Gato, USA

The number of submarines built is 77.
Surface displacement - 1525 tons; underwater - 2420 tons.
Crew - 60 people.
The working depth of immersion is 90 m.
Full speed on the surface - 21 knots; in a submerged position - 9 knots.
Surface cruising range 11,000 miles (10 knots).
Submerged cruising range 96 miles (2 knots).
Armament:
- 10 torpedo tubes of caliber 533 mm, ammunition - 24 torpedoes;
- 1 x 76 mm universal gun, 1 x 40 mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun, 1 x 20 mm Oerlikon;
- one of the boats - USS Barb was equipped with a multiple launch rocket system for shelling the coast.

The Getow-class ocean-going submarines appeared at the height of the Pacific War and became one of the most effective tools of the US Navy. They tightly blocked all strategic straits and approaches to the atolls, cut off all supply lines, leaving the Japanese garrisons without reinforcements, and Japanese industry without raw materials and oil. In the skirmishes with the Gatow, the Imperial Navy lost two heavy aircraft carriers, lost four cruisers and a damn dozen destroyers.

High speed, lethal torpedo weapons, the most modern electronic means of detecting the enemy - radar, direction finder, sonar. The cruising range that provides combat patrols off the coast of Japan when operating from a base in Hawaii. Increased comfort on board. But the main thing is the excellent training of the crews and the weakness of Japanese anti-submarine weapons. As a result, the Getow ruthlessly destroyed everything - it was they who brought victory in the Pacific Ocean from the blue depths of the sea.

... One of the main achievements of the Getow boats, which changed the whole world, is the event of September 2, 1944. On that day, the Finback submarine detected a distress signal from a falling plane and, after many hours of searching, found a frightened pilot in the ocean, and there was already a desperate pilot . The one who was saved was George Herbert Bush.

The list of Flasher trophies sounds like a fleet joke: 9 tankers, 10 transports, 2 patrol ships with a total tonnage of 100,231 gross tons! And for a snack, the boat grabbed a Japanese cruiser and a destroyer. Lucky damn!

Type XXI electric robots, Germany
By April 1945, the Germans managed to launch 118 submarines of the XXI series. However, only two of them were able to achieve operational readiness and go to sea in the last days of the war.

Surface displacement - 1620 tons; underwater - 1820 tons.
Crew - 57 people.
The working depth of immersion is 135 m, the maximum one is 200+ meters.
Full speed on the surface - 15.6 knots, in the submerged position - 17 knots.
Surface cruising range 15,500 miles (10 knots).
Submerged cruising range 340 miles (5 knots).
Armament:
- 6 torpedo tubes of caliber 533 mm, ammunition - 17 torpedoes;
- 2 Flak anti-aircraft guns of 20 mm caliber.

Our allies were very lucky that all the forces of Germany were thrown to the Eastern Front - the Fritz did not have enough resources to release a flock of fantastic "Electric boats" into the sea. If they appeared a year earlier - and that's it, kaput! Another turning point in the battle for the Atlantic.

The Germans were the first to guess: everything that shipbuilders of other countries are proud of - a large ammunition load, powerful artillery, a high surface speed of 20+ knots - is of little importance. The key parameters that determine the combat effectiveness of a submarine are its speed and power reserve in a submerged position.

Unlike its peers, "Eletrobot" was focused on being constantly under water: the most streamlined hull without heavy artillery, fences and platforms - all for the sake of minimizing underwater resistance. Snorkel, six groups of batteries (3 times more than on conventional boats!), powerful el. full speed engines, quiet and economical el. creep engines.

The Germans calculated everything - the entire campaign "Electrobot" moved at periscope depth under the RDP, remaining difficult to detect for enemy anti-submarine weapons. At great depths, its advantage became even more shocking: 2-3 times the range, at twice the speed, than any of the submarines of the war years! High stealth and impressive underwater skills, homing torpedoes, a set of the most advanced means of detection ... "Electrobots" opened a new milestone in the history of the submarine fleet, defining the vector of development of submarines in the post-war years.

The Allies were not ready to face such a threat - as post-war tests showed, the Electrobots were several times superior in terms of mutual sonar detection range to the American and British destroyers guarding the convoys.

Type VII boats, Germany

The number of submarines built is 703.
Surface displacement - 769 tons; underwater - 871 tons.
Crew - 45 people.
Working depth of immersion - 100 m, limit - 220 meters
Full speed on the surface - 17.7 knots; in a submerged position - 7.6 knots.
Surface cruising range 8,500 miles (10 knots).
Submerged cruising range 80 miles (4 knots).
Armament:
- 5 torpedo tubes of caliber 533 mm, ammunition - 14 torpedoes;
- 1 x 88 mm universal gun (until 1942), eight options for superstructures with 20 and 37 mm anti-aircraft guns.

* the given performance characteristics correspond to boats of the VIIC sub-series

The most effective warships ever to sail the world's oceans.
A relatively simple, cheap, massive, but at the same time well-armed and deadly means for total underwater terror.

703 submarines. 10 MILLION tons of sunk tonnage! Battleships, cruisers, aircraft carriers, destroyers, enemy corvettes and submarines, oil tankers, transports with aircraft, tanks, cars, rubber, ore, machine tools, ammunition, uniforms and food ... The damage from the actions of German submariners exceeded all reasonable limits - if not the inexhaustible industrial potential of the United States, capable of compensating for any losses of the allies, the German U-bots had every chance to “strangle” Great Britain and change the course of world history.

Often the successes of the "sevens" are associated with the "prosperous time" of 1939-41. - allegedly when the Allies had the escort system and Asdik sonars, the successes of the German submariners ended. A completely populist claim based on a misinterpretation of "prosperous times".

The alignment was simple: at the beginning of the war, when there was one Allied anti-submarine ship for every German boat, the “sevens” felt like invulnerable masters of the Atlantic. It was then that the legendary aces appeared, sinking 40 enemy ships each. The Germans already had victory in their hands when the allies suddenly deployed 10 anti-submarine ships and 10 aircraft for every active Kriegsmarine boat!

Beginning in the spring of 1943, the Yankees and the British began methodically bombarding the Kriegsmarine with anti-submarine warfare and soon achieved an excellent loss ratio of 1:1. So they fought until the end of the war. The Germans ran out of ships faster than their opponents.

The entire history of the German "sevens" is a formidable warning from the past: what a threat the submarine poses and how high the costs of creating an effective system to counter the underwater threat.

English Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham said: “It takes the Navy three years to build a ship. It will take three hundred years to create a tradition." The German fleet, the enemy of the British at sea during the years of both world wars, was very young and did not have such an amount of time, but the German sailors tried to create their traditions in an accelerated way - for example, using the continuity of generations. A striking example of such a dynasty is the family of Admiral General Otto Schulze.

Otto Schultze was born on May 11, 1884 in Oldenburg (Lower Saxony). His career in the navy began in 1900, when, at the age of 16, Schulze was enlisted as a cadet in the Kaiserlichmarine. Having completed his training and practice, Schulze received the rank of lieutenant zur see in September 1903 - at that time he served on the armored cruiser Prinz Heinrich (SMS Prinz Heinrich). Schulze met World War I already on board the dreadnought "König" (SMS König) in the rank of lieutenant commander. In May 1915, tempted by the prospect of serving on submarines, Schulze transferred from the battle fleet to a submarine, took courses at the submarine school in Kiel and received command of the training submarine U 4. Already at the end of the same year, he was appointed commander of the ocean boat U 63, which entered service with the German fleet on March 11, 1916.

Otto Schulze (1884–1966) and his middle son Heinz-Otto Schulze (1915–1943) - it is clear that, in addition to love for the sea, the father passed on to his sons a characteristic appearance. The nickname of the father "Nose" was inherited by the eldest son Wolfgang Schulze

The decision to become a submariner was a fateful one for Schulze, as service on submarines gave him much more in terms of career and fame than he could have achieved on surface ships. During his command of U 63 (03/11/1916 - 08/27/1917 and 10/15/1917 - 12/24/1917) Schulze achieved impressive success, sinking the British cruiser Falmouth (HMS Falmouth) and 53 ships with a total tonnage of 132,567 tons, and deservedly decorated his the uniform of the most prestigious award in Germany - the Prussian Order of Merit (Pour le Mérite).

Among the victories of Schulze is the sinking of the ex-liner "Transylvania" (Transylvania, 14348 tons), which was used by the British Admiralty during the war as a military transport. On the morning of May 4, 1917, Transylvania, which was making the transition from Marseille to Alexandria guarding two Japanese destroyers, was torpedoed by U 63. The first torpedo hit the middle of the ship, and ten minutes later Schulze finished it off with a second torpedo. The sinking of the liner was accompanied by a large number of victims - Transylvania was overcrowded with people. On that day, in addition to the crew, there were 2860 soldiers, 200 officers and 60 medical personnel on board. The next day, the Italian coast was littered with the bodies of the dead - U 63 torpedoes caused the death of 412 people.

The British cruiser Falmouth was sunk by U 63 under the command of Otto Schulze on 20 August 1916. Before that, the ship was damaged by another German boat U 66 and was taken in tow. This explains the small number of victims during the sinking - only 11 sailors died

After leaving the U 63 bridge, Schulze until May 1918 led the 1st boat flotilla, based at Pola (Austria-Hungary), combining this position with service at the headquarters of the commander of all submarine forces in the Mediterranean. The submarine ace met the end of the war in the rank of corvette captain, becoming a holder of many awards from Germany, Austria-Hungary and Turkey.

In the period between the wars, he held various staff and command positions, continuing to move up the career ladder: in April 1925 - frigate captain, in January 1928 - captain zur see, in April 1931 - rear admiral. At the time of Hitler's rise to power, Schulze was commander of the North Sea Naval Station. The arrival of the Nazis did not affect his career in any way - in October 1934, Schulze became vice admiral, and two years later he received the rank of full admiral of the fleet. In October 1937, Schulze retired, but with the outbreak of World War II he returned to the fleet, and finally left the service on September 30, 1942 with the rank of admiral general. The veteran survived the war safely and died on January 22, 1966 in Hamburg at the age of 81.

The ocean liner Transylvania, sunk by Otto Schulze, was the newest ship launched in 1914.

The underwater ace had a large family. In 1909, he married Magda Raben, with whom six children were born - three girls and three boys. Of the daughters, only the youngest daughter Rosemary was able to overcome the age of two, her two sisters died in infancy. For the sons of Schulze, fate was more favorable: Wolfgang, Heinz-Otto and Rudolf, having reached adulthood, followed in the footsteps of their father, enlisting in the Navy and becoming submariners. Contrary to Russian fairy tales, in which traditionally “the older one was smart, the middle one was this way and that, the youngest was a fool at all,” the abilities of the sons of Admiral Schulze were distributed in a completely different way.

Wolfgang Schulze

On October 2, 1942, an American B-18 anti-submarine aircraft spotted a submarine in the surface position 15 miles off the coast of French Guiana. The first attack was successful, and the boat, which turned out to be U 512 (type IXC), after the explosion of bombs dropped from the aircraft, disappeared under water, leaving an oil slick on the surface. The place where the submarine lay on the bottom turned out to be shallow, which gave the surviving submariners a chance to escape - the bow depth gauge showed 42 meters. About 15 people ended up in the forward torpedo room, which in such situations could serve as a shelter.

By the beginning of World War II, the main American bomber Douglas B-18 "Bolo" was outdated and was forced out of the bomber units by the four-engine B-17. However, the B-18 also found something to do - more than 100 vehicles were equipped with search radars and magnetic anomalous detectors and transferred to anti-submarine service. In this capacity, their service was also short-lived, and the sunk U 512 became one of the few successes of the Bolo.

It was decided to go outside through the torpedo tubes, but there were half as many breathing apparatus as there were people in the compartment. In addition, the room began to fill with chlorine, which was emitted by the batteries of electric torpedoes. As a result, only one submariner managed to rise to the surface - 24-year-old sailor Franz Machen.

The crew of the B-18, circling over the site of the death of the boat, noticed the escaped submariner and dropped the life raft. Mahen spent ten days on the raft before being picked up by a US Navy ship. During his “single voyage”, the sailor was attacked by birds, which inflicted significant wounds on him with their beaks, but Mahen rebuffed the aggressors, and two winged predators were caught by him. After tearing the carcasses apart and drying them in the sun, the submariner ate poultry meat, despite its nasty taste. On October 12, it was discovered by the American destroyer Ellis. Subsequently, while being interrogated by the US Naval Intelligence Department, Mahen gave a description of his deceased commander.

“According to the testimony of the only survivor, the crew of the U 512 submarine consisted of 49 sailors and officers. Its commander is Lieutenant Commander Wolfgang Schulze, the son of an admiral and a member of the "Nose" Schulze family, which left a noticeable mark on German naval history. However, Wolfgang Schulze did little to match his famous ancestors. He did not enjoy the love and respect of his crew, who considered him a narcissistic, unrestrained, incompetent person. Schulze drank heavily on board and punished his men very severely for even the most minor infractions of discipline. However, in addition to the drop in morale of the team due to the constant and excessive tightening of the "nuts" by the boat commander, Schulze's crew was dissatisfied with his professional skills as a submarine commander. Believing that fate had prepared him to become the second Prien, Schulze commanded the boat with extreme recklessness. The rescued submariner stated that during U 512 tests and exercises, Schulze was always inclined to remain on the surface during air attack exercises, repelling aircraft attacks with anti-aircraft fire, while he could give the order to dive without warning his gunners, who, after leaving boats under water remained in the water until Schulze surfaced and picked them up.

Of course, the opinion of one person may also be too subjective, but if Wolfgang Schultze corresponded to the characterization given to him, then he was very different from his father and brother Heinz-Otto. It is especially worth noting that for Wolfgang this was the first combat campaign as a boat commander, in which he managed to sink three ships with a total tonnage of 20,619 tons. It is curious that Wolfgang inherited his father's nickname, given to him during his service in the Navy - "Nose" (German: Nase). The origin of the nickname becomes apparent when looking at the photo - the old underwater ace had a large and expressive nose.

Heinz-Otto Schulze

If the father of the Schulze family could truly be proud of anyone, it was his middle son Heinz-Otto (Heinz-Otto Schultze). He came to the fleet four years later than the elder Wolfgang, but managed to achieve much greater success, comparable to the achievements of his father.

One of the reasons why this happened is the history of the brothers' service until they were appointed commanders of combat submarines. Wolfgang, after receiving the rank of lieutenant in 1934, served on the shore and surface ships - before getting on the submarine in April 1940, he was an officer in the battlecruiser Gneisenau (Gneisenau) for two years. After eight months of training and practice, the eldest of the Schulze brothers was appointed commander of the training boat U 17, which he commanded for ten months, after which he received the same position on U 512. Based on the fact that Wolfgang Schulze had practically no combat experience and despised caution , his death in the first campaign is quite natural.

Heinz-Otto Schulze returned from a campaign. To the right of him, the flotilla commander and underwater ace Robert-Richard Zapp ( Robert Richard Zapp), 1942

Unlike his older brother, Heinz-Otto Schulze consciously followed in his father's footsteps and, becoming a lieutenant in the navy in April 1937, immediately chose to serve in submarines. After completing his studies in March 1938, he was assigned as a watch officer on the boat U 31 (type VIIA), on which he met the beginning of World War II. The boat was commanded by Lieutenant Commander Johannes Habekost, with whom Schulze made four combat campaigns. As a result of one of them, the British battleship Nelson was blown up and damaged on mines laid by U 31.

In January 1940, Heinz-Otto Schulze was sent to courses for submarine commanders, after which he commanded the training U 4, then became the first commander of the U 141, and in April 1941 he received the brand new "seven" U 432 (type VIIC) at the shipyard. Having received his own boat under his arm, Schulze showed an excellent result on the very first campaign, sinking four ships of 10,778 tons during the battle of the Markgraf group of boats with convoy SC-42 on September 9–14, 1941. The commander of the submarine forces, Karl Doenitz, gave the following description of the actions of the young commander of U 432: "The commander succeeded in his first campaign, showing perseverance in attacking the convoy."

Subsequently, Heinz-Otto made six more military campaigns on U 432 and only once returned from the sea without triangular pennants on the periscope, with which German submariners celebrated their successes. In July 1942, Dönitz awarded Schulze the Knight's Cross, believing that he had reached the mark of 100,000 tons. This was not entirely true: the personal account of the commander of U 432 amounted to 20 ships sunk for 67,991 tons, two more ships for 15,666 tons were damaged (according to the site http://uboat.net). However, Heitz-Otto was in good standing with the command, he was bold and decisive, while acting prudently and in cold blood, for which he was nicknamed "Mask" (German: Maske) by his colleagues.

The last moments of U 849 under the bombs of the American "Liberator" from the naval squadron VB-107

Certainly, when he was awarded Doenitz, the fourth campaign of U 432 in February 1942 was also taken into account, by which Schulze confirmed the hope of the commander of the submarine forces that boats of the VII series could successfully operate off the east coast of the United States together with submarine cruisers of the IX series without refueling. In that campaign, Schulze spent 55 days at sea, sinking five ships for 25,107 tons during this time.

However, despite the obvious talent of a submariner, the second son of Admiral Schulze suffered the same fate as his older brother Wolfgang. Having received command of the new submarine cruiser U 849 type IXD2, Otto-Heinz Schulze died along with the boat in the very first campaign. On November 25, 1943, the American Liberator put an end to the fate of the boat and its entire crew off the east coast of Africa with its bombs.

Rudolf Schulze

The youngest son of Admiral Schulze began serving in the Navy after the outbreak of war, in December 1939, and not much is known about the details of his career in the Kriegsmarine. In February 1942, Rudolf Schultze was assigned to the post of officer in charge of the submarine U 608 under the command of Oberleutnant zur see Rolf Struckmeier. On it, he made four military campaigns in the Atlantic with a result of four ships sunk at 35,539 tons.

Former boat of Rudolf Schulze U 2540 on display at the Naval Museum in Bremerhaven, Bremen, Germany

In August 1943, Rudolf was sent to training courses for submarine commanders and a month later became the commander of the training submarine U 61. At the end of 1944, Rudolf was appointed commander of the new "electric boat" XXI series U 2540, which he commanded until the end of the war. It is curious that this boat was sunk on May 4, 1945, but in 1957 it was raised, restored and in 1960 included in the German Navy under the name "Wilhelm Bauer". In 1984, she was transferred to the German Maritime Museum in Bremerhaven, where she is still used as a museum ship.

Rudolf Schulze was the only one of the brothers who survived the war and died in 2000 at the age of 78.

Other "underwater" dynasties

It is worth noting that the Schulze family is no exception for the German fleet and its submarine - other dynasties are also known in history, when sons followed in the footsteps of their fathers, replacing them on the bridges of submarines.

Family Albrecht gave two submarine commanders to the First World War. Oberleutnant zur see Werner Albrecht (Werner Albrecht) led the underwater mine layer UC 10 on his first trip, which turned out to be his last, when on August 21, 1916 the minelayer was torpedoed by the British boat E54. There were no survivors. Kurt Albrecht (Kurt Albrecht) successively commanded four boats and repeated the fate of his brother - he died on U 32 along with the crew northwest of Malta on May 8, 1918 from depth charges of the British sloop Wallflower (HMS Wallflower).

The surviving sailors from the submarines U 386 and U 406 sunk by the British frigate Spray disembark from the ship in Liverpool - for them the war is over.

Two submarine commanders from the younger generation of Albrechts participated in World War II. Rolf Heinrich Fritz Albrecht, commander of U 386 (type VIIC), did not achieve any success, but managed to survive the war. On February 19, 1944, his boat was sunk in the North Atlantic by depth charges from the British frigate HMS Spey. Part of the crew of the boat, including the commander, was captured. The commander of the torpedo carrier U 1062 (type VIIF), Karl Albrecht, was much less fortunate - he died on September 30, 1944 in the Atlantic along with the boat during the transition from Malay Penang to France. Near Cape Verde, the boat was attacked with depth charges and sank the American destroyer USS Fessenden.

Family Franz was noted by one submarine commander in the First World War: Lieutenant Commander Adolf Franz (Adolf Franz) commanded the boats U 47 and U 152, having lived safely until the end of the war. Two more boat commanders participated in World War II - Lieutenant zur see Johannes Franz, commander of U 27 (type VIIA), and Ludwig Franz, commander of U 362 (type VIIC).

The first of them, in a matter of days after the start of the war, managed to establish himself as an aggressive commander with all the makings of an underwater ace, but luck quickly turned away from Johannes Franz. His boat became the second German submarine sunk in World War II. Having unsuccessfully attacked the British destroyers Forester (HMS Forester) and Fortune (HMS Fortune) west of Scotland on September 20, 1939, she herself became a prey from a hunter. The commander of the boat, together with the crew, spent the entire war in captivity.

Ludwig Franz is interesting primarily because he was the commander of one of the German boats that became a confirmed victim of the Soviet Navy in the Great Patriotic War. The submarine was sunk by depth charges of the Soviet minesweeper T-116 on September 5, 1944 in the Kara Sea, along with the entire crew, without having had time to achieve any success.

The armored cruiser "Dupetit-Toire" was torpedoed by the boat U 62 under the command of Ernst Hashagen on the evening of August 7, 1918 in the Brest region. The ship was sinking slowly, which made it possible for the crew to leave it in an organized manner - only 13 sailors died

Surname Hashagen (Hashagen) in World War I was represented by two successful submarine commanders. Hinrich Hermann Hashagen, commander of U 48 and U 22, survived the war by sinking 28 ships worth 24,822 tons. Ernst Hashagen, commander of UB 21 and U 62, achieved truly outstanding success - 53 ships destroyed for 124,535 tons and two warships (the French armored cruiser Dupetit-Thouars) and the British sloop Tulip (HMS Tulip)) and the well-deserved "Blue Max", as they called Pour le Mérite, on the neck. He left behind a book of memoirs called "U-Boote Westwarts!"

During World War II, Oberleutnant zur see Berthold Hashagen, commander of the submarine U 846 (Type IXC/40), was less fortunate. He was killed along with the boat and crew in the Bay of Biscay on May 4, 1944 from bombs dropped by the Canadian Wellington.

Family Walther gave the fleet two submarine commanders in World War I. Lieutenant Commander Hans Walther, commander of U 17 and U 52, sank 39 ships of 84,791 tons and three warships - the British light cruiser HMS Nottingham, the French battleship Suffren (Suffren) and the British submarine C34. Since 1917, Hans Walter commanded the famous Flanders submarine flotilla, in which many German submarine aces fought in the First World War, and ended his naval career already in the Kriegsmarine with the rank of Rear Admiral.

The battleship "Suffren" - the victim of the attack of the submarine attack of the U 52 boat under the command of Hans Walter on November 26, 1916 off the coast of Portugal. After the explosion of ammunition, the ship sank in seconds, killing all 648 crew members.

Oberleutnant zur see Franz Walther, commander of UB 21 and UB 75, sank 20 ships (29,918 tons). He died along with the entire crew of the boat UB 75 on December 10, 1917 on a minefield off Scarborough (west coast of Great Britain). Lieutenant zur see Herbert Walther, who commanded the U 59 boat at the end of World War II, did not achieve success, but managed to survive until the surrender of Germany.

Concluding the story about family dynasties in the German submarine fleet, I would like to note once again that the fleet is primarily not ships, but people. This applies not only to the German fleet, but it will also sound true in relation to the sailors of other countries.

List of sources and literature

Gibson R., Prendergast M. German submarine warfare 1914–1918. Translation from German. - Minsk.: "Harvest", 2002
Wynn K. U-Boat Operations of the Second World War. Vol.1–2 - Annopolis: Naval Institute Press, 1998
Busch R., Roll H.-J. German U-boat Commanders of World War II - Annopolis: Naval Institute Press, 1999
Ritschel H. Kurzfassung Kriegstagesbuecher Deutscher U-Boote 1939–1945. Band 8. Norderstedt
Blair S. Hitler's U-boat War. The Hunters, 1939–1942 - Random House, 1996
Blair S. Hitler's U-boat War. The Hunted, 1942–1945 - Random House, 1998
http://www.uboat.net
http://www.uboatarchive.net
http://historisches-marinearchiv.de

Otto Kretschmer entered the history of World War II under the nickname "King of the tonnage". For his achievements, he is often called the best Dönitz submariner or underwater ace No. 1. But is this so? After all, some of his colleagues also committed deeds that no one could surpass. Will they push Kretschmer off the pedestal? Let's try to figure out who could be the best submariner of the Third Reich.

German submarine aces

The French word "ace" began to be actively used in military terminology during the First World War. It meant "a specialist of the highest class" or "the best of the best." Initially, this was the name of military pilots who were fluent in the art of piloting and air combat and shot down at least five enemy aircraft. Soon aces appeared among the submariners. Already in September 1914, German submarines declared themselves as a formidable weapon, when their torpedoes sent four British cruisers to the bottom. After that, the submarines engaged in the destruction of merchant ships and achieved impressive success.

A distinctive feature of the submarine ace of the Kaiser fleet was the awarding of the submarine commander with the highest military order of Prussia "Pour le Mérite" ("For Merit"). In the German armed forces, because of the color of the cross, he was nicknamed "Blue Max". The first cavalier of the order among submariners was the famous Otto Weddigen. In total, 29 submarine commanders were awarded this award in World War I. Prominent figures among them were Lothar von Arnaud de la Perriere and Otto Herzing.

The Treaty of Versailles deprived Germany of submarines for 16 years. But with the coming to power of Hitler, Versailles was denounced, and submarines reappeared in the German fleet. By the beginning of World War II, it consisted of 57 boats. The Kriegsmarine made extensive preparations for submarine warfare: as of September 1, 1939, 80 new submarines were laid down.

Since submarines were once again at war with merchant shipping, their commanders needed to be encouraged to sink as many ships as possible. Therefore, according to the new rules, the Knight's Cross relied for 100,000 brt, and for 200,000 - Oak leaves to it. The destruction of an enemy battleship or aircraft carrier automatically made the submarine commander a holder of the Knight's Cross.

During World War II, 124 commanders received this award. However, only 34 of them managed to overcome the bar of 100,000 GRT, another 50 sank over 50,000 GRT. Seven commanders were made knights of the Knight's Cross for sinking or damaging large warships: Prien, Shewhart, Esten, Hugenberger, von Tizenhausen, Bigalk and Rosenbaum.

Let us pay attention to the particularly outstanding submariners of Dönitz.

Otto Kretschmer

Kretschmer began the war as the commander of a small "two" U 23. He had all the qualities to achieve success: a fearless, prudent, cold-blooded and aggressive submariner. His dislike for chatter became the talk of the town on the submarine. Colleagues gave him the nickname "Silent Otto".

Until March 1940, U 23 operated in the North Sea. During this time, she was credited with the sinking of a destroyer and 25,738 GRT of merchant tonnage. But in reality, the "two" sank less: five ships at 10,736 gross tons - and caused irreparable damage to two ships at 15,513 gross tons.

On April 2, 1940, Kretschmer was appointed commander of the U 99, a type VIIB boat, which was being completed. On April 18, she entered the Kriegsmarine. From that moment, the ascent of the "silent Otto" to the underwater Olympus began, since the Atlantic was much more promising than the North Sea.

Otto Kretschmer in Berlin after the ceremony of awarding the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross for the sinking of 200 thousand brt. Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-L16644 / CC-BY-SA 3.0.
de.wikipedia.org

In his first campaign, Hessler acted confidently and aggressively, sinking four ships in the Atlantic with a total tonnage of 18,482 gross tons. The second campaign of U 107 was a unique event in the history of the Kriegsmarine. The boat was sent south to the African port of Freetown. After spending 96 days at sea, she sank 14 ships at 86,699 GRT. This was the best result shown by a German submarine in one campaign, and it remained unsurpassed.

Since the sum of the tonnage sunk in two campaigns of U 107 exceeded 100,000 GRT, Hessler was entitled to the Knight's Cross. But Dönitz was silent. The commander felt inconvenience: the one presented for the highest award was his son-in-law. Even the intervention of high authorities did not spur Dönitz to action. As a result, Grand Admiral Erich Raeder himself signed the award documents, and his headquarters sent a personal congratulation to U 107.

The third campaign of U 107 was the last for Hessler in his career as a submariner. He again received the task of operating off the African coast, but he could not repeat his previous success. After the Freetown massacre in the spring and summer of 1941, the British limited the movement of single ships by introducing a system of convoys there.

Nevertheless, Hessler managed to distinguish himself. On September 24 of the same year, U 107 successfully attacked convoy SL-87, sinking three ships at 13,641 GRT. Upon the return of the boat to the base, Günter Hessler was transferred to the headquarters of the commander of the submarine forces, where he served until the end of the war.

Erwin Rostin came to the submarine from minesweepers. At the beginning of the war, he commanded the 7th minesweeping flotilla, and then alternately was the commander of the minesweepers M 98 and M 21. In March 1941, already being a lieutenant commander, Rostin switched to submarines and, after completing his training, became the commander of the brand new "nine" U 158 .

Rostin literally burst into the ranks of the Dönitz underwater guard like a meteor. In the first half of 1942, he made two trips to the US coast, during which he sank 17 ships at 101,321 GRT. In the first of them, Rostin sent five vessels to the bottom at 38,785 gross tons.

The second campaign began on May 20, 1942. U 158 successfully operated in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. Rostin made a real massacre there, sinking 12 ships with a total tonnage of 62,536 gross tons. Upon learning of this success, on June 29, Karl Dönitz sent a message to U 158 congratulating the commander on his award of the Knight's Cross.

Erwin Rostin's star went down as fast as it came up. The very next day after the commander's congratulations, U 158 was attacked by an American aircraft and sunk west of Bermuda. The entire crew was killed.

Wolfgang Luth

Now let's turn our attention to the last candidate - the outstanding submariner Wolfgang Lüth. His personality, well known to lovers of maritime history, needs no introduction. So let's move on to the arguments in his favor.

Lut became the first and only commander of a boat of the II series who was awarded the Knight's Cross for real, not imaginary success. During the command of the "twos" U 9 and U 138, he was credited with 12 merchant ships for 87,236 GRT. And although the real result was less - 13 ships (12 as a result of torpedo attacks and one more after laying mines) with a total tonnage of 56,640 gross tons - none of the commanders of the "twos" managed to get close to such figures.

Wolfgang Luth. By many standards, he was a unique submariner who stands out among the aces of Dönitz for his achievements.
4.bp.blogspot.com

Wolfgang Lüth holds the absolute endurance record among German submarine commanders. For four years he commanded combat submarines, having made 15 military campaigns with a total duration of 640 days. At the same time, Lut traveled more than 160,000 km, or, in other words, circled the equator four times, so that he can be recognized not only as a talented submariner, but also as an excellent navigator. Diesel submarines of that time were very far from comfortable conditions. It was necessary to be able to walk such a distance in that stink, dampness and other "charms" for which they were famous.

Separately, there is a question about its effectiveness. In the Kriegsmarine, Wolfgang Luth received the nickname "Great Hunter", which was quite right. In the official German and post-war assessments of the success of German submarines, Otto Kretschmer took the first place in terms of tonnage sunk. But it is precisely the trading tonnage that is more on Luth's account.

The result of the "silent Otto" consisted of 40 ships for 208,954 gross tons and three auxiliary cruisers with a total tonnage of 46,440 gross tons. This gave a total of 255,394 brt. Luth's successes amounted to 46 ships sunk at 225,204 GRT. That is, the "Great Hunter" sank the "merchants" more than Kretschmer. Of course, this does not deprive Otto of leadership in the overall results, but it clearly indicates that Lut was more successful in the war with merchant ships.

Who is who

The analysis of the successes and achievements of the above German aces allows us to conclude that Otto Kretschmer is the most effective submariner in the Kriegsmarine. But given the controversy of his merit in the sinking of the Terje Viken mother ship, the result can be reduced by 20,000 GRT. Although even with such a deduction, Kretschmer overtakes Luth in the overall standings: 234,756 against 225,204 brt.

Nevertheless, Wolfgang Luth showed a better result in the number and tonnage of merchant ships sunk than Kretschmer. This means that Lut can be recognized as the best submariner in the Kriegsmarine in terms of the war with merchant tonnage and share the first place with Kretschmer.

At the same time, it is worth noting the role of the much lesser-known Hessler and Rostin. They received their Crosses honestly, without any exaggeration. Of course, the specifics of the actions of the boats of the IX series differed from the "sevens", but this does not negate the uniqueness of the phenomenon of "100,000 brt in two trips", which no one could repeat. This allows Hessler and Rostin to also claim the title of the best submariner.

Thus, places on the pantheon of the underwater "Olympus" can be distributed as follows:

Otto Kretschmer - the best result of the sunk tonnage in the overall standings;
Wolfgang Luth - the best result in the number and tonnage of merchant ships;
Günter Hessler and Erwin Rostin - the fastest achievement of the 100,000 GRT mark.

What about Prin? Günther Prien was and remains the No. 1 submarine ace. Thanks to the British fleet's raid on the holy of holies and success in the tonnage war, he retained this title in the history of the Kriegsmarine submarine.

Sources and literature:

NARA T1022 (captured documents of the German Navy).
Blair, S. Hitler's U-boat War. The Hunters, 1939–1942 / S. Blair. - Random House, 1996.
Blair, S. Hitler's U-boat War. The Hunted, 1942–1945 / S. Blair. - Random House, 1998.
Busch, R. German U-boat Commanders of World War II / R. Busch, H.-J. Roll. - Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1999.
Busch, R. Der U-boot-Krieg 1939-1945. Deutsche Uboot-Erfolge von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 / R. Busch, H.-J. Roll. - Band 3. - Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn, Hamburg-Berlin-Bonn.
Rohwer, J. Axis Submarine Successes of World War Two / J. Rohwer. - Annapolis, 1999.
U-Boat War in the Atlantic 1939–1945: German Naval History by Hessler, Günther (editor). - HMSO, London, 1992.
Wynn, K. U-Boat Operations of the Second World War / K. Wynn. - Vol. 1–2. - Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1998.
Churchill, W. World War II / W. Churchill. - In 6 vols. Vol. 1: The impending storm. - M.: TERRA; "Bookshop - RTR", 1997.
http://www.uboat.net
http://www.uboatarchive.net
http://historisches-marinearchiv.de

Submarines dictate the rules in naval warfare and force everyone to meekly follow the established order.

I bring to your attention a short story about the seven most successful submarine projects of the war years.

Boats type T (Triton-class), UK
The number of submarines built is 53.
Surface displacement - 1290 tons; underwater - 1560 tons.
Crew - 59 ... 61 people.
Operating immersion depth - 90 m (riveted hull), 106 m (welded hull).
Full speed on the surface - 15.5 knots; in the underwater - 9 knots.
A fuel reserve of 131 tons ensured a surface cruising range of 8,000 miles.
Armament:
- 11 torpedo tubes of caliber 533 mm (on boats of sub-series II and III), ammunition load - 17 torpedoes;
- 1 x 102 mm universal gun, 1 x 20 mm anti-aircraft "Oerlikon".

HMS Traveler

Boats of the "Cruising" type of the XIV series, the Soviet Union
The number of submarines built is 11.
Surface displacement - 1500 tons; underwater - 2100 tons.
Crew - 62 ... 65 people.

Full speed on the surface - 22.5 knots; in the underwater - 10 knots.
Surface cruising range 16,500 miles (9 knots)
Submerged cruising range - 175 miles (3 knots)
Armament:

- 2 x 100 mm universal guns, 2 x 45 mm anti-aircraft semi-automatic;
- up to 20 minutes of barriers.

... On December 3, 1941, German hunters UJ-1708, UJ-1416 and UJ-1403 bombarded a Soviet boat that tried to attack a convoy near Bustad Sund.

Hans, do you hear that creature?
- Nine. After a series of explosions, the Russians sank to the bottom - I detected three hits on the ground ...
- Can you tell where they are now?
- Donnerwetter! They are blown. Surely they decided to surface and surrender.

The German sailors were wrong. From the depths of the sea, a MONSTER rose to the surface - a cruising submarine K-3 of the XIV series, which unleashed a barrage of artillery fire on the enemy. From the fifth salvo, the Soviet sailors managed to sink U-1708. The second hunter, having received two direct hits, smoked and turned aside - his 20 mm anti-aircraft guns could not compete with the “hundreds” of a secular submarine cruiser. Having scattered the Germans like puppies, K-3 quickly disappeared over the horizon at 20 knots.

But, oddly enough, neither the high performance nor the most powerful weapons made the Katyusha effective - in addition to the dark one with the K-21 attack on the Tirpitz, during the war years, the boats of the XIV series accounted for only 5 successful torpedo attacks and 27 thousand br. reg. tons of sunk tonnage. Most of the victories were won with the help of exposed mines. Moreover, their own losses amounted to five cruiser boats.

K-21, Severomorsk, today

It's a pity. These boats were counting on more.

"Baby", Soviet Union
Series VI and VI bis - 50 built.
Series XII - 46 built.
Series XV - 57 built (4 took part in the fighting).

TTX boat type M series XII:
Surface displacement - 206 tons; underwater - 258 tons.
Autonomy - 10 days.
Working depth of immersion - 50 m, limit - 60 m.
Full speed on the surface - 14 knots; in the underwater - 8 knots.
Cruising range on the surface - 3380 miles (8.6 knots).
Submerged cruising range - 108 miles (3 knots).
Armament:
- 2 torpedo tubes of caliber 533 mm, ammunition - 2 torpedoes;
- 1 x 45 mm anti-aircraft semi-automatic.

Baby!

The project of mini-submarines for the rapid strengthening of the Pacific - the main feature of the M type boats was the ability to be transported by rail in a fully assembled form.

The kids evolved quickly - the performance characteristics of each new series differed several times from the previous project: contours improved, electrical equipment and detection tools were updated, diving time decreased, autonomy increased. The "babies" of the XV series no longer resembled their predecessors of the VI and XII series: one and a half hull design - the ballast tanks were moved outside the pressure hull; The power plant received a standard twin-shaft layout with two diesel engines and electric motors for underwater travel. The number of torpedo tubes increased to four. Alas, the XV series appeared too late - the brunt of the war was borne by the "Babies" of the VI and XII series.

Boats of the "Medium" type of the IX-bis series, the Soviet Union
The number of submarines built is 41.
Surface displacement - 840 tons; underwater - 1070 tons.
Crew - 36 ... 46 people.
Working depth of immersion - 80 m, limit - 100 m.
Full speed on the surface - 19.5 knots; submerged - 8.8 knots.
Surface cruising range 8,000 miles (10 knots).
Submerged cruising range 148 miles (3 knots).

“Six torpedo tubes and the same number of spare torpedoes on racks convenient for reloading. Two cannons with a large ammunition load, machine guns, explosive equipment ... In a word, there is something to fight. And 20-knot surface speed! It allows you to overtake almost any convoy and attack it again. Technique is good…”
- opinion of the S-56 commander, Hero of the Soviet Union G.I. Shchedrin

The Eskis were distinguished by their rational layout and balanced design, powerful armament, and excellent running and seaworthiness. Originally a German design by Deshimag, modified to meet Soviet requirements. But do not rush to clap your hands and remember the Mistral. After the start of serial construction of the IX series at Soviet shipyards, the German project was revised with the aim of a complete transition to Soviet equipment: 1D diesel engines, weapons, radio stations, a noise direction finder, a gyrocompass ... - there was not a single one in the boats that received the designation "IX-bis series". bolts of foreign production!

The problems of the combat use of boats of the "Middle" type, in general, were similar to the cruising boats of the K type - locked in mine-infested shallow water, they could not realize their high combat qualities. Things were much better in the Northern Fleet - during the war years, the S-56 boat under the command of G.I. Shchedrina made the transition across the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, moving from Vladivostok to the Polar, subsequently becoming the most productive boat of the Soviet Navy.

An equally fantastic story is connected with the S-101 "bomb catcher" - during the war years, over 1000 depth charges were dropped on the boat by the Germans and the Allies, but each time the S-101 returned safely to Polyarny.

Finally, it was on the S-13 that Alexander Marinesko achieved his famous victories.

Torpedo compartment S-56

“The brutal alterations that the ship got into, bombing and explosions, depths far exceeding the official limit. The boat protected us from everything ... "

- from the memoirs of G.I. Shchedrin

Boats like Gato, USA
The number of submarines built is 77.
Surface displacement - 1525 tons; underwater - 2420 tons.
Crew - 60 people.
Working depth of immersion - 90 m.
Full speed on the surface - 21 knots; in a submerged position - 9 knots.
Surface cruising range 11,000 miles (10 knots).
Submerged cruising range 96 miles (2 knots).
Armament:
- 10 torpedo tubes of caliber 533 mm, ammunition - 24 torpedoes;
- 1 x 76 mm universal gun, 1 x 40 mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun, 1 x 20 mm Oerlikon;
- one of the boats - USS Barb was equipped with a multiple launch rocket system for shelling the coast.

High speed, lethal torpedo weapons, the most modern radio equipment for detecting the enemy - radar, direction finder, sonar. The cruising range that provides combat patrols off the coast of Japan when operating from a base in Hawaii. Increased comfort on board. But the main thing is the excellent training of the crews and the weakness of Japanese anti-submarine weapons. As a result, the Gatow ruthlessly destroyed everything in a row - it was they who brought victory in the Pacific Ocean from the blue depths of the sea.

The cabin of the submarine "Flasher", a memorial in the city of Groton.

Type XXI electric robots, Germany

By April 1945, the Germans managed to launch 118 submarines of the XXI series. However, only two of them were able to achieve operational readiness and go to sea in the last days of the war.

Surface displacement - 1620 tons; underwater - 1820 tons.
Crew - 57 people.
Working depth of immersion - 135 m, maximum - 200+ meters.
Full speed on the surface - 15.6 knots, in the submerged position - 17 knots.
Surface cruising range 15,500 miles (10 knots).
Submerged cruising range 340 miles (5 knots).
Armament:
- 6 torpedo tubes of caliber 533 mm, ammunition - 17 torpedoes;
- 2 anti-aircraft guns "Flak" caliber 20 mm.

U-2540 "Wilhelm Bauer" at the eternal parking lot in Bremerhaven, today

The Germans were the first to guess: everything that shipbuilders of other countries are proud of - a large ammunition load, powerful artillery, high surface speed of 20+ knots - is of little importance. The key parameters that determine the combat effectiveness of a submarine are its speed and power reserve in a submerged position.

Unlike its peers, "Eletrobot" was focused on being constantly under water: the most streamlined body without heavy artillery, fences and platforms - all for the sake of minimizing underwater resistance. Snorkel, six groups of batteries (3 times more than on conventional boats!), powerful el. full speed engines, quiet and economical el. creep engines.

Aft part of U-2511, flooded at a depth of 68 meters

Type VII boats, Germany
The number of submarines built is 703.
Surface displacement - 769 tons; underwater - 871 tons.
Crew - 45 people.
Working depth of immersion - 100 m, limit - 220 meters
Full speed on the surface - 17.7 knots; in a submerged position - 7.6 knots.
Surface cruising range 8,500 miles (10 knots).
Submerged cruising range 80 miles (4 knots).
Armament:
- 5 torpedo tubes of caliber 533 mm, ammunition - 14 torpedoes;
- 1 x 88 mm universal gun (until 1942), eight options for add-ons with 20 and 37 mm anti-aircraft guns.

* the given performance characteristics correspond to boats of the VIIC sub-series

The most effective warships ever to sail the world's oceans.
A relatively simple, cheap, massive, but at the same time well-armed and deadly means for total underwater terror.

703 submarines. 10 MILLION tons of sunk tonnage! Battleships, cruisers, aircraft carriers, destroyers, enemy corvettes and submarines, oil tankers, transports with aircraft, cars, rubber, ore, machine tools, ammunition, uniforms and food ... The damage from the actions of German submariners exceeded all reasonable limits - if not for the inexhaustible the industrial potential of the United States, capable of compensating for any losses of the allies, the German U-bots had every chance to “strangle” Great Britain and change the course of world history.

U-995. Graceful underwater killer

The whole history of the German "sevens" is a formidable warning from the past: what kind of threat does the submarine pose and how big are the costs of creating an effective system to counter the underwater threat.

Funky American poster of those years. "Hit the pain points! Come serve in the submarine fleet - we account for 77% of the sunk tonnage!" Comments, as they say, are unnecessary

The article uses materials from the book "Soviet submarine shipbuilding", V. I. Dmitriev, Military Publishing, 1990.