Submarines of the world: list. The first submarine

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

The concept of a ship capable of submerging for some time under water goes back centuries. Nowadays, it is no longer possible to separate historical facts from myths and find out who was the original author of this idea. Submarines are primarily used for military purposes and form the basis of the fleets of many countries. This is due to the main characteristic of submarines - ste alth and, as a result, low visibility for the enemy. The ability to deliver sudden strikes against enemy ships has made submarines an indispensable component of the armed forces of all maritime powers.

Early theoretical developments

The first comparatively reliable references to ships capable of submerging under water date back to the 16th century. The British mathematician William Bourne outlined in his book en titled "Inventions and Devices" a plan for creating such a vessel. Scottish scientist John Napier wrote about the idea of using submarines to sink enemy ships. However, history has not preserved any information about the practical implementation of these early theoreticaldevelopment.

Full size models

The first successfully tested submarine was built in the early 17th century by Cornelius van Drebbel, a Dutchman in the service of King James the First of England. His ship was propelled by oars. During tests on the River Thames, the Dutch inventor demonstrated to the British monarch and thousands of Londoners the ability of a boat to submerge under water, stay there for several hours and then safely float to the surface. Drebbel's creation made a deep impression on his contemporaries, but did not arouse interest from the English admir alty. The first submarine was never used for military purposes.

The development of science and industry in the 18th century did not have a noticeable effect on the success of attempts to build and use submarines. The Russian Emperor Peter I actively contributed to the work of the self-taught inventor Yefim Nikonov to create the first submarine. According to modern researchers, the ship built in 1721, in terms of technical solutions, indeed, was a prototype of a submarine. However, most of the tests carried out on the Neva ended unsuccessfully. After the death of Peter the Great, the model of the first submarine was forgotten. In other countries throughout the 18th century, there was also little progress in the design and construction of ships designed to dive into the depths of the sea.

Examplesapplications in the 19th century

The first case of a successful sinking of an enemy ship by a submarine was recorded during the civil war in the United States of America. The rowing submarine "Hunley", named after its designer, was in service with the Confederate army. She was not very reliable. This was evidenced by the results of several unsuccessful tests, accompanied by human casu alties. Among the dead was the submarine designer Horace Lawson Hunley himself. In 1864, a Confederate submarine attacked the enemy sloop Housatonic, which displaced more than a thousand tons. The enemy vessel sank as a result of the explosion of a mine attached to a special pole in the bow of the Hunley. This battle was the first and last for the boat. Due to technical faults, she sank a few minutes after the attack.

World War I

Mass production and use of submarines in the world began only at the dawn of the 20th century. Submarines had a major impact on the course of the First World War. German boats proved to be effective in fighting enemy ships, and were also used to attack trade convoys in order to establish an economic blockade. The use of submarines against civilian ships caused a wave of indignation and contempt from Britain and its allies. Nevertheless, the German submarine blockade tactics proved to be extremely effective and caused significant damage to the enemy's economy. the most egregiousAn example of this method of warfare was the destruction of the Lusitania passenger transatlantic liner by a torpedo fired from a German submarine.

World War II

The role of submarines increasingly increased in the course of the development of global conflicts of the 20th century. During World War II, Germany's strategy did not change significantly: its submarines were primarily used to cut enemy sea supply routes. The German submarine fleet was one of the most serious problems for the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition. Before the United States entered the war, Great Britain was in a critical situation because of the blockade. Numerous American warships to some extent reduced the effectiveness of German submarines.

Post-war period

The second half of the 20th century was marked by a number of revolutionary technological breakthroughs. The discovery of atomic energy and the creation of a jet engine greatly expanded the horizons for the use of submarines. Submarines have become carriers of intercontinental ballistic missiles. The first test launch was made in 1953. Nuclear reactors have partially replaced traditional diesel-electric generators. Equipment was invented to extract oxygen from sea water. These innovations have increased the autonomy of submarines to incredible limits. Modern boats can remain submerged for weeks andmonths. But new technologies have also given rise to additional hazards, primarily related to radiation leaks from the use of nuclear reactors.

During the so-called Cold War era, the Soviet Union and the United States competed to build large submarines. The submarines of the two superpowers were involved in a kind of cat and mouse game in the vast oceans.

Best Submarine

Identification of the absolute leader among submarines is fraught with certain difficulties. They lie in the fact that the global list of submarines is extremely diverse. A wide range of qualities and characteristics of ships does not allow establishing a single evaluation criterion. For example, it is very difficult to compare nuclear and diesel-electric submarines. With some degree of conventionality, one can single out the Soviet heavy missile submarine "Akula" (according to NATO codification - "Typhoon"). It is the largest submarine in the history of navigation. According to some experts, the creation of such a powerful vessel played a significant role in ending the Cold War.

The American television channel "Discovery" tried to rank submarines with special characteristics:

1. "Nautilus" (the world's first nuclear-powered ship).
2. "Ohio" (carrier of Trident missiles).
3. "Los Angeles" (designed to hunt for submarines).
4. "Pike-M" (Soviet multipurpose boat).
5. "Lyra"(underwater interceptor).
6. George Washington (nuclear missile carrier).
7. "The Elusive Mike" (submarine not available for acoustic detection).
8. "Goldfish" (absolute world speed record).
9. "Typhoon" (the largest submarine).
10. "Virginia" (one of the most protected from boat detection).

This rating contains submarines created in different eras, which, strictly speaking, should not be compared directly. Nevertheless, the list gives an idea of the most outstanding submarines.