The first victims of German submarines More and more German boats sank other people's transports. In the world, Kaiser's Germany acquired the image of an "evil aggressor", but was never able to take control of enemy sea communications. May 7, 1915 on the Liverpool - New York line

German Spare Parts for Soviet Submarines It should be clarified that in the 1920s and 1930s, Germany not only ordered components for its submarines, but also sold them abroad, in particular, to the USSR. So, the military historian A. B. Shirokorad (“Russia and Germany. History

The tasks of the German submarines They were formulated by K. Dönitz on the eve of his assumption of the post of commander of the first flotilla of the Weddigen submarines at the end of September 1935. A few years before the start of an unlimited submarine warfare he foresaw its possibility:

The role of German submarines in the Norwegian operation This was the first operation of the Reich command, in which all three types of armed forces played an important role - the army, navy (including underwater) and aviation - therefore different kinds troops were attached

Characteristics

The Germans are sinking British ships: Deciphering the call signs of German submarines The surrender at Stalingrad marked the beginning of the end for Germany. The course of the war was reversed. Although in the south and west the successes of the Allies still did not look convincing enough. in African

In this note, I bring to your attention the firepower that the boats had. The topic was again reviewed by me briefly, without giving details and nuances, since with detailed coverage this issue you will need to write at least a large review article. To begin with, to make it clear how the Germans singled out the issue of the need to have a gun on board and use it, I will cite an excerpt from the "Manual to submarine commanders", where the following is said about this:

"Section V Artillery weapons of submarines (submarine as a carrier of artillery)
271. The presence of artillery on a submarine is fraught with contradictions from the very beginning. The submarine is unstable, has a low-lying artillery platform and an observation platform, and is not suitable for artillery fire.
All gun mounts on a submarine are ill-suited for an artillery duel, and in this respect the submarine is inferior to any surface ship.
In an artillery battle, a submarine, in contrast to a surface ship, must immediately bring all its forces into action, because. even one hit in the strong hull of a submarine already makes it impossible for it to dive and leads to death. Therefore, the possibility of an artillery battle between a torpedo submarine and military surface ships is excluded.
272. For submarines used for torpedo attacks, artillery is, as it were, a conditional and auxiliary weapon, because the use of artillery over water contradicts the whole essence of a submarine, i.e., a sudden and covert underwater attack.
Based on this, we can say that on a torpedo submarine, artillery finds its use only in the fight against merchant ships, for example, to delay steamers or to destroy unarmed or lightly armed ships (§ 305)."(with)

deck artillery
Caliber, Type, Shooting, rate of fire, Angle of elevation , effect. range, Calculation

105 mm SK C/32U - U-boot L C/32U Single 15 35° 12.000 m 6 pers.
105 mm SK C/32U - Marine Pivot L Single 15 30° 12.000 m 6 pers.
88 mm SK C/30U - U-boot L C/30U Single 15-18 30° 11.000 m 6 pers.
88 mm SK C/35 - U-boot L C/35U Single 15-18 30° 11.000 m 6 pers.

Of all types of German submarines designed and built from 1930 to 1945, boats of I, VII, IX and X series were armed with deck artillery of a caliber over 88 mm. At the same time, only the VII series carried an 88-mm caliber gun, the rest of the indicated series of boats had a 105-mm gun. The gun was located right on the upper deck in front of the wheelhouse, the ammunition was stored partly there in the superstructure of the boat, partly inside the strong hull. Deck artillery was in the department of the second shift officer, who acted on the boat as a senior artilleryman.
On the "sevens" the gun was installed in the region of 54 frames on a pyramid specially reinforced in the superstructure, which was reinforced with longitudinal and transverse beams. In the area of ​​​​the gun, the upper deck was expanded to 3.8 meters in length, thus forming a place for artillery crew. The standard ammunition per boat was 205 shells - 28 of which were in special containers in the superstructure next to the gun, 20 shells in the wheelhouse, the rest in the "weapon" inside the strong hull in the second compartment from the bow.
The 105 mm gun was also mounted on a pyramid, which was welded to the pressure hull. Depending on the type of boat, the ammunition for the gun ranged from 200 to 230 shells, of which 30-32 were stored in the superstructure next to the gun, the rest in the "weapon" located in the CO and galley.
The deck gun was protected from water from the side of the barrel by a waterproof plug, from the side of the breech in a special sleeve-plug. A well-thought-out gun lubrication system made it possible to keep the gun in working condition at various temperatures.
I mentioned various cases of using a deck gun and .
By the end of 1942, the command of the submarine forces came to the conclusion that the deck guns on the boats that participated in the hostilities in the Atlantic theater should be dismantled. Thus, almost all "sevens" of type B and C lost such artillery. The guns were left on the Type IX submarines, Type VIID and X minzags. But by the end of the war it was already difficult to find a German boat of any type that carried deck artillery.

88 mm guns U29 and U95. The waterproof cap is clearly visible.

Elevation angle of the 88 mm gun on the U46. It seems that it still exceeds those 30 and 35 degrees indicated in the performance characteristics. The gun had to be lifted with the barrel up when loading torpedoes into the bow compartment. The photo below shows how this happened (U74 getting ready to receive a torpedo)



105-mm gun on "one" U26


105 mm guns U103 and U106


General view of the 105 mm gun with its mounts.

Gunners U53 and U35 are preparing for practical firing




Artillery crew U123 prepare to open fire. The tanker is directly ahead. The target will be sunk by artillery fire. The end of the operation "Paukenschlag" February 1942.

But sometimes the tools were used for other purposes :-)
In the pictures below U107 and U156

Flak
Caliber, Type, Shooting, rate of fire, Angle of elevation , effect. range, Calculation

37 mm SK C/30U - Ubts. LC 39 Single 12 85° 2.500 m 3/4 pers.
37 mm M42 U - LM 43U Automatic (8 shots) 40 80° 2.500 m 3/4 pers.
37 mm Zwilling M 42U - LM 42 Automatic (8 rounds) 80 80° 2.500 m 3/4 pers.
30 mm Flak M 44 - LM 44 Automatic (exact specifications unknown. For type XXI submarines)
20 mm MG C/30 - L 30 Automatic (20 rounds) 120 90° 1.500 m 2/4 pers.
20 mm MG C/30 - L 30/37 Automatic (20 shots) 120 90° 1.500 m 2/4 pers.
20 mm Flak C/38 - L 30/37 Automatic (20 rounds) 220 90° 1.500 m 2/4 pers.
20 mm Flak Zwilling C/38 II - M 43U Automatic (20 shots) 440 90° 1.500 m 2/4 pers.
20 mm Flak Vierling C38/43 - M 43U Automatic (20 shots) 880 90° 1.500 m 2/4 pers.
13.2mm Breda 1931 Automatic (30 rounds) 400 85° 1.000 m 2/4 pers.

Quad installations are highlighted in red, dual installations in blue.

Of the firepower that the German submarines had, the most interesting anti-aircraft weapons. If deck guns were obsolete by the end of the war, then the evolution of anti-aircraft fire among the Germans is clearly visible from the above table.

By the beginning of the war, German submarines had only a minimum of anti-aircraft guns, since it was believed that the threat from the air was clearly underestimated by the fleet command. As a result, the designers in the projects provided for no more than one anti-aircraft gun on the boat. But during the war, the situation changed and reached the point that some submarines were literally stuck with anti-aircraft guns, such as "anti-aircraft boats" (flakboats).
The main weapons of the boats were initially recognized as 20-mm 20-round anti-aircraft guns, which were installed on all types of boats with the exception of the II series. On the latter, they were also provided, but were not included in the standard armament of the boats.

Initially, on the first "sevens" in up to war time The 20-mm anti-aircraft machine type MG C / 30 - L 30 was supposed to be installed on the upper deck behind the wheelhouse. This is clearly seen on the example of U49. Behind the open hatch, an anti-aircraft gun carriage is visible.

But already in wartime, the 20-mm anti-aircraft gun was moved to the site located behind the bridge. It looks good in the photo. Alternately, anti-aircraft platforms U25, U38 (Karl Doenitz himself is on the bridge of the boat), U46

"Twos", depending on the type and purpose of the boat, received anti-aircraft weapons, both before the war and during the war. The gun was located in front of the wheelhouse. Either a carriage was installed for it, or it was installed in the same place on a waterproof container (in the form of a barrel) in which the machine was stored in a disassembled state).
U23 before the war


Waterproof "barrel", also known as a carriage on the U9 (Black Sea)


Same for U145


And this is already ready. U24 (Black Sea)


Option to install an anti-aircraft gun on a gun carriage. U23 (Black Sea)


"Twos" operating on the Black Sea were subjected to some modification. In particular, the cabin was modified in the direction of standard ocean-going boats by adding to it a platform for installing additional firepower. Boat armament of this type at the World Cup theater due to this, it has grown to 2-3 barrels per submarine. In the photo U19 is fully armed. Anti-aircraft guns in front of the cabin, spark on the site behind the bridge. By the way, machine guns are visible on the sides of the cabin.

The growth of the threat from the air forced the Germans to take measures to increase anti-aircraft weapons. The boat received an additional platform for placing firepower, which could accommodate two twin 20-mm machine guns and one (or twin) 37-mm machine guns. This site was nicknamed "Winter Garden" (Wintergarten). Below is a photo of the boats that surrendered to the Allies U249, U621 and U234




As the pinnacle of the evolution of anti-aircraft weapons of German boats, a quad anti-aircraft gun Flak Vierling C38 / 43 - M 43U, which was received by the so-called "anti-aircraft boats". As an example U441.

In the Mediterranean, the "sevens" received additional weapons by installing Italian "Breda" machine guns in the form of sparks. As an example U81

A separate word is worth mentioning such a "miracle" weapon as a 37 mm anti-aircraft gun SK C / 30U - Ubts. LC 39, which fired solo. This weapon was installed on more than later types Type IX submarine cruisers (B and C) and Type XIV submarine tankers. "Cash Cows" carried two guns of this type on both sides of the felling. "Nines" had one installed behind the wheelhouse. Below are examples of such a weapon on the U103.

Since I did not set myself the task of conducting a complete and detailed description anti-aircraft weapons, I omit such nuances as ammunition and other characteristics of this type of weapon. I once mentioned the training of anti-aircraft gunners on submarines and. Examples of the confrontation between submarines and aircraft can be obtained if you look at the topics of my tag.

Firearms and signal weapons
Caliber, Type, Shooting, rate of fire, Angle of elevation , effect. range, Calculation

7.92 mm MG15 Automatic (50/75 rounds) 800-900 90° 750 m 1-2
7.92 mm MG34 Automatic (50/75 rounds) 600-700 90° 750 m 1-2
7.92 mm MG81Z Automatic (Tape) 2.200 90° 750 m 1-2
In addition to this, the crew of the submarine had at its disposal 5-10 Mauser 7.65 mm pistols, 5-10 rifles, MP-40 assault rifles, hand grenades and two flare guns.

MG81Z on U33

In general, I want to note that the German submarines had quite modern weapons at that time, which proved themselves well during the hostilities. In particular, the British noted after testing the artillery captured by them U570 that, compared with the 3-inch gun of the 1917 model of the year, installed on S-type boats, the 88-mm German gun was superior to the British. The 20 mm anti-aircraft gun was considered by them to be an excellent and effective weapon, which, to their surprise, did not vibrate when fired and had a good store.

Resource used to illustrate the note photo http://www.subsim.com

As usual, Vladimir Nagirnyak pored over the analysis.

Photo 1. U 995 - German submarine museum

This locality was chosen for the installation of the museum for a reason - the fact is that there is a naval memorial in Laboe, which at first was dedicated to the dead German sailors on the battlefields of the First World War, then began to be considered a memorial dedicated to all German sailors who died during the First World War and the Second World Wars, and as a result, the German Maritime Union reclassified it as a monument to all the dead sailors of all nations and is a call for peace at sea.

Photo 2. Naval Memorial

History U 995

Let's go back to the submarine.

Photo 3. Entrance to the submarine

History reference:
At the end of the 42nd year, the production of a new Type VII submarine began at the Hamburg shipyard, which was launched in the middle of the 43rd year.
The new submarine was based in Kiel, not far from Laboe, where the crew was trained, and then went to the naval base in Trondheim, Norway, where she began to serve from the summer-autumn of 1944. During the remaining time of the war, U 995 made 9 sorties, the main purpose of which was the Allied convoys. At the end of the war, the submarine was out of order, which was the reason that the Allied forces did not destroy it during Operation Deadlight. After the end of the war, she came under the jurisdiction of Norway, was repaired and served for about 10 more years, and then given away for free to the German authorities, who towed her to Kiel and carried out repairs to turn her into a museum. In the early 70s, the grand opening of the museum took place, where the notorious Admiral Dönitz was the first of the visitors. To date, the submarine is visited annually by tens of thousands of people.

This information was presented in the information booklet on English language which can be taken when buying a ticket.

Inside the submarine

We go inside and see the aft torpedo room and the electric motor control room.

Photo 4. Aft torpedo room

Electric motors were used during the lift. Thanks to them, the submarine continued to move without immersion in water, but this had a noticeable effect on speed.

Photo 5. Electric motor control room

In the room with electric motors, you can see instruments and a control unit with a communication point where the orders of the senior were sent. officers from the bridge.

Electric motor control room

The diesel engine room is the heart of the submarine. A diesel engine is located here, followed by a mechanical engineer (usually 1-2 people). These sailors enjoyed greater privileges and were given more time to rest.

Submarine Heart

Are you still complaining about the size of your own kitchen? Then sympathize with the local "chef", who was supposed to cook dinner for a team of 40-50 people on a low-powered two-burner electric stove. It is very difficult to turn around in this space. Plus, the lighting is poor. The pan is fastened with a chain with a lock - apparently there were precedents to take it out.

Photo 6. Lunch from the chef

Photo 7

The number of beds was always less than the number of crew, and often two people shared one bed. This did not cause any inconvenience due to the fact that there was a shift method, according to which it turned out that one of the sailors was on duty, and the second rested, slept, had lunch and was engaged in other personal matters.

Photo 8. Regiment of an ordinary soldier

The largest room on the submarine is the control center and cabin.

Photo 9. Hatch to the submarine control center

Orders were given from here, a route was laid and the active life. In addition to following orders from above, each officer was aware that he must save the lives of his team. Navigation charts, a periscope, a radio room and other devices for monitoring the movement of the submarine are located here.

Immediately after the control center there is a radio room and a reception point, they are located parallel to the sleeping quarters of the officers of the submarine - thus it turns out that even during their rest they should be the first to receive information about the situation in the area, or orders from above, plus interceptions of allied radio signals. Interception is a responsible task, which, as a rule, was performed by people with excellent hearing and good reactions in order to catch the signal of the enemy as early as possible. Largely due to the decoding of the Enigma code by the Allied forces, German superiority in the Atlantic was lost.

Radio room - in addition to communication with the coast and other submarines great attention devoted to intercepting enemy signals

The officers were the only ones with their own regiment, plus some personal space. Personal space was expressed in a locker and turnkey compartments where they could store dress uniform, personal items, letters from home.

Officers' personal space

He seems to have told about everything, but one more question remains the main thing - what about a latrine? There is a latrine, of course. The officer staff has a personal one - with a washbasin, the rest of the crew has a common one. I provide a photo of the officer's amenities, it's a pity that through the glass.

Photo 10

The last room, and perhaps the most combat part of the submarine, is the torpedo room.

Photo 11. Torpedo room

One of the most responsible tasks was for the maintenance personnel of the torpedo room. Basically, the submarine had 5 torpedoes - 4 were loaded into the torpedo bays, and one was for reloading.

torpedo room

Torpedoes for U 995 weighed about 300 kg, had electric motor and when fired, they developed a speed of about 30 km per hour. Reloading the torpedo room was, perhaps, the most important work of the rank and file.

The torpedo room was the last one in the U 995 museum. At the exit you can find an automatic machine, as in many places in Europe, which can turn your 5 cent coin into a medallion with the image of a landmark for 1 euro. Not being a particular fan of this entourage, I nevertheless made a medallion for myself.

At the exit of the museum

Afterword

The trip to the museum is over. Visiting such places has always been a priority for me, because I have always been interested in how life was carried out during one of the largest and bloodiest conflicts of the 20th century. The U 995 submarine museum is not the largest, but it is unique. Unique theme that here you can fully immerse yourself in the atmosphere that reigns at a depth of hundreds of meters under water - when you can’t know for sure whether you will surface tomorrow or stay at the bottom sea ​​depths: without exact coordinates the place of your death and without a grave that relatives could visit.

How to get there:

From the city of Kiel, take bus number 100 to Laboe - we get off at the harbor stop and walk along the coast to the monument.
The cost of visiting the museum is 4.5 Euro.

If you happen to travel to the north of Germany, be sure to visit these places and feel the spirit of history.

Goodbye, Labe!

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