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 autonomy increased significantly shock group during the hike.

"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 Günther Prien, penetrated the British raid. 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" came in March 1943, when German submarines inflicted heavy damage on four Allied convoys: 38 ships were sunk with a total tonnage of 226,432 brt.

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! For all the years of the war allied forces 789 German submarines were sunk, 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.

Dispassionate statistics show that during the Second World War, the best submariners were German submariners. They sank 2,603 ​​Allied warships and transport ships with a total displacement of 13.5 million tons. As a result, 70 thousand military sailors and 30 thousand sailors of the merchant fleet died. The ratio of losses and victories, thus, was 1:4 in favor of the German submarines. Soviet submariners, of course, could not boast of such successes, but they nevertheless delivered major troubles to the enemy. List of German submarine war aces who sank ships with a total displacement of more than 100 thousand tons: 1. Otto Kretschmer- sank 44 ships, including 1 destroyer - 266629 tons. 2. Wolfgang Luth- 43 ships, including 1 submarine - 225,712 tons (according to other sources, 47 ships - 228,981 tons). 3. Erich Topp- 34 ships, including 1 American destroyer - 193684 tons. 4. Herbert Schulze- 28 ships - 183432 tons (on his account the first of all the ships officially sunk by German submarines - the transport "Bosnia" - was sunk on September 5, 1939). 5. Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock- 25 ships - 183253 tons. 6. Karl-Friedrich Merten- 29 ships - 180869 tons. 7. Heinrich Liebe- 31 ships - 167886 tons. 8. Günther Prien- 30 ships, including the English battleship "Royal Oak", sunk by him on October 14, 1939 in the roadstead in the main naval base of the British fleet Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands - 164953 tons. Günter Prien became the first German officer to receive oak leaves for the Knight's Cross. An outstanding submariner of the Third Reich died very early - on March 8, 1941 (during the attack of a convoy en route from Liverpool to Halifax). 9. Joachim Schepke- 39 ships - 159130 tons. 10. Georg Lassen- 26 ships - 156082 tons. 11. Werner Henke- 24 ships - 155714 tons. 12. Johan Mor- 27 ships, including a corvette and an air defense cruiser - 129292 tons. 13. Engelbert Endras- 22 ships, including 2 cruisers - 128879 tons. 14. Reinhardt Hardegen- 23 ships - 119405 tons. 15. Werner Hartmann- 24 ships - 115616 tons.

Also worthy of mention Albrecht Brandi who sank a minelayer and a destroyer; Reinhardt Suhren(95,092 tons), which sank a corvette; Fritz Julius Lemp(68607 tons), which damaged the English battleship "Barham" and actually sank the first ship of all destroyed by the German submarine fleet, the passenger liner "Athenia" (this happened on September 3, 1939 and was not then recognized by the German side); Otto Shewhart(80688 tons), which sank the English aircraft carrier Courageous on September 17, 1939; Hans Dietrich von Tiesenhausen, which sank the English battleship Barham on November 25, 1941.

Only five of Germany's best submariners sank 174 combat and transport ships allies with a total displacement of 1 million 52 thousand 710 tons.

For comparison: Soviet submarine fleet By June 22, 1941, he had 212 submarines in combat strength (to this must be added 54 submarines built already during the war). These forces (267 submarines) were sunk 157 enemy warships and transports- 462,300 tons (meaning only confirmed data).

The losses of the Soviet submarine fleet amounted to 98 boats (of course, excluding 4 submarines lost by the Pacific Fleet). In 1941 - 34, in 1942 - 35, in 1943 - 19, in 1944 - 9, in 1945 - 1. The ratio of losses and victories is 1: 1.6 in favor of submarines.

The best submariner of the Soviet Navy Alexander Ivanovich Marinesko sank 4 passenger and commercial vehicles with a total displacement of 42,507 tons:

January 30, 1945 - passenger liner "Wilhelm Gustlov" - 25484 tons (on the submarine S-13); February 10, 1945 - large transport ship "General von Steuben" - 14660 tons (on S-13); August 14, 1942 - Helene transport ship - 1800 tons (on M-96); October 9, 1944 - a small transport "Siegfried" - 563 tons (on S-13).

For the destruction of the liner "Wilhelm Gustlov" Alexander Marinesko "honored" to get on the list personal enemies Fuhrer and Germany.

On the sunken liner, 3,700 non-commissioned officers - graduates of the diving school, 100 submarine commanders who completed a special advanced training course in managing boats with a single engine of the Walther system, 22 high-ranking party officials from East Prussia, several generals and senior officers of the RSHA, a battalion of auxiliary service were killed Danzig port from the SS troops numbering 300 people, and only about 8,000 people (!!!).

As after the surrender of the 6th Army, Field Marshal Paulus in Stalingrad, mourning was declared in Germany, and the implementation of Hitler's plans to continue the all-out submarine war was seriously hampered.

For two outstanding victories in January-February 1945, all Marinesko crew members were awarded state awards, a submarine S-13- Order of the Red Banner.

The legendary submariner himself, who fell into disgrace, was awarded his main award posthumously only in May 1990. He was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union 45 years after the end of the war.

Without a doubt, Alexander Marinesko deserved to have monuments erected not only in Russia, but also in Great Britain and the United States of America. His feat saved the lives of many thousands of English and American sailors and brought closer the hour Great Victory.

Captain 3rd rank Alexander Marinesko tops the list of Soviet submariner aces not in terms of the number of enemy ships destroyed, but in terms of the amount of their displacement and the amount of damage inflicted on Germany's military potential. Following him are the following most successful submariners:

2. Valentin Starikov(lieutenant commander, commander of the submarine M-171, K-1, Northern Fleet) - 14 ships; 3. Ivan Travkin(captain of the 3rd rank, commander of the submarine Shch-303, K-52, Baltic Fleet) - 13 ships; 4. Nikolai Lunin(captain of the 3rd rank, commander of the submarine Shch-421, K-21, Northern Fleet) - 13 ships; 5. Magomed Gadzhiev(captain of the 2nd rank, submarine division commander, Northern Fleet) - 10 ships; 6. Grigory Shchedrin(captain of the 2nd rank, commander of the S-56 submarine, Northern Fleet) - 9 ships; 7. Samuil Bogorad(captain of the 3rd rank, commander of the Shch-310 submarine, Baltic Fleet) - 7 ships; 8. Mikhail Kalinin(lieutenant commander, commander of the Shch-307 submarine, Baltic Fleet) - 6 ships; 9. Nikolai Mokhov(lieutenant commander, commander of the Shch-317 submarine, Baltic Fleet) - 5 ships; 10. Evgeny Osipov(lieutenant commander, commander of the Shch-407 submarine, Baltic Fleet) - 5 ships.

AT United States Navy The greatest success was achieved by the crews of the Totog submarine - it sank 26 enemy warships and transports. In terms of displacement, the best result belongs to the crew of the Flasher submarine - 100231 tons. But the most famous US submariner during the Second World War was Joseph Inright.

NewsInfo based on materials from the website "Russian Submarine Fleet"

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".

HMS Traveler

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 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 offensive to 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, 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.

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. An 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 sonars.

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, 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

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 sailors from the North Sea - as practice has shown, the effectiveness combat use"Katyusha" 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.
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.

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 quickly evolved - 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, autonomy was growing. 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.

Despite their modest size and only 2 torpedoes on board, the tiny fish were distinguished by 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.
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 boat 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” - 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.

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.

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 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.

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

The list of trophies "Flasher" sounds like a fleet joke: 9 tankers, 10 transports, 2 patrol ship with a total tonnage of 100,231 brt! 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 last days 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

Our allies were very lucky that all the forces of Germany were thrown into Eastern front- the Fritz did not have enough resources to release a flock of fantastic "Electroboats" 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, 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.

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

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 detection tools ... "Electrobots" opened a new milestone in the history of the submarine fleet, determining 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 add-ons with 20 and 37 mm anti-aircraft guns.

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

Most Effective warships of all that have ever plied the 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

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 for each German boat there was one anti-submarine ship of the allies each, the “sevens” felt themselves invulnerable masters of the Atlantic. It was then that the legendary aces appeared, sinking 40 enemy ships each. The Germans were already holding victory in their hands when the Allies suddenly put up 10 anti-submarine ships and 10 aircraft per Kriegsmarine boat in operation!

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 whole history of the German "sevens" is a formidable warning from the past: what kind of threat does the submarine pose and how high 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.

"Wolf Packs" in World War II. Legendary submarines of the Third Reich Gromov Alex

Appendix II Illustrious German Submarine Officers of World War II

Appendix II

Famous German submarine officers of World War II

Otto Kretschmer graduated from school in Exeter (England). On October 9, 1930, he entered the Navy as a cadet. October 1, 1934 received the rank of lieutenant. He served on the training ship Niobe and the light cruiser Emden. In January 1936 he was transferred to the submarine fleet. From November 1936 he served as a watch officer on U-35. In connection with the death of the commander in a car accident, on July 31, 1937, Kretschmer became the commander of U-35 and, in this capacity, sailed to the coast of Spain (to support Franco's troops). On August 15, 1937, a new commander was appointed, and Kretschmer continued to perform his duties as a watch officer for another month and a half, until September 30, 1937. On October 1, 1937, he was given command of the boat U-23, on which he made 8 trips.

January 12, 1940 torpedoed the tanker "Denmark" (10,517 tons), a month later sank the destroyer "Daring". On April 18, 1940, he was appointed commander of the submarine U-99. On the night of November 4, 1940, U-99 under the command of Kretschmer sank the British auxiliary cruisers Patroclus (11,314 tons), Laurentik (18,724 tons) and Forfar (16,402 tons). On March 17, 1941, U-99 was discovered by the British destroyer Walker and bombarded with depth charges. When the boat surfaced, the destroyers shot her, after which Kretschmer gave the order to flood the boat. The crew was taken prisoner. Kretschmer until the end of the war was in the Bowmanville POW camp. December 26, 1941 Otto Kretschmer was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. The commandant of the camp gave him the award.

In 1955, Otto Kretschmer joined the Bundesmarine. Since 1958, the commander of the amphibious troops of the Federal Republic of Germany. In 1970, Kretschmer retired with the rank of flotilla admiral. Otto Kretschmer died on August 5, 1998 in a Bavarian hospital, where he ended up after a car accident.

Wolfgang Luth was born on October 15, 1913 in Riga. In April 1933 he joined the Kriegsmarine. On December 30, 1939 he was appointed commander of the submarine U-9. January 27, 1940 - commander of the U-138 submarine, October 21, 1940 - commander of the U-43 submarine.

On October 24, 1940, Lieutenant zur See Lut received the Knight's Cross for sinking 49,000 tons in 27 days. On May 9, 1942, he was appointed commander of the submarine U-181. By November 1943, he sank 43 ships (225,712 tons) and 1 Allied submarine, becoming the second most successful submarine ace of World War II, second only to Otto Kretschmer. For his success, Wolfgang Lüth became the first of two submariners to be awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds (the second awarded was Albrecht Brandi). In January 1944 Luth was appointed commander of the training 22nd submarine flotilla of the Kriegsmarine. On August 1, 1944, he was promoted to the rank of captain-zur-see and appointed head of the naval school in Mürwik, near Flensburg, which later became the seat of the Dönitz government.

Wolfgang Lüth was shot by a German sentry on May 13, 1945, 5 days after the end of the war, but before the Dönitz government was arrested. The sentry was acquitted as Lute did not answer the triple question "Stop, who's coming".

He was buried in Flensburg with full military honors. It was the last solemn funeral in the history of the Third Reich.

Erich Topp Born July 2, 1914 in Hannover (Lower Saxony) in the family of engineer Johannes Topp. On April 8, 1934, he joined the Reichsmarine and on April 1, 1937, he was promoted to lieutenant-zur-see. From April 18 to October 4, 1937 he was adjutant aboard the light cruiser Karlsruhe, which in June 1937 during the Spanish civil war patrolled the Spanish coast.

Even before the outbreak of World War II, Karl Dönitz convinced young officer join the submarine forces of the Kriegsmarine. In June 1940, Topp was given command of the submarine U-57. type II-C, on which he sank 6 ships in two campaigns. When returning from a military campaign near Brunsbüttel, an accident occurred. The Norwegian bulk carrier Rona crashed into a submarine illuminated at night, and it sank within seconds. Six sailors died.

In December 1940, Topp was appointed commander of U-552, a Type VII-C submarine. On it, he made ten campaigns, in which he sank 28 merchant ships and damaged 4 more. On October 31, 1941, his boat sank the American destroyer Reuben James, which became the first American ship sunk in World War II. In October 1942, Topp became the head of the 27th submarine flotilla in Gotenhafen. Until the end of the war, he was the commander of U-2513, a class XXI "electric boat".

In total, Erich Topp sank 34 ships (about 200,000 GRT), 1 destroyer and 1 military support vessel. Thus, he became the third most successful submariner of World War II, behind Otto Kretschmer and Wolfgang Lüth.

From May 20 to August 17, 1945, Topp was a prisoner of war in Norway. On June 4, 1946, he began to study architecture at Technical University Hannover and graduated in 1950 with a diploma with honors.

On March 3, 1958, he rejoined the German Navy. From August 16, 1958, Topp served as a staff officer on the NATO military committee in Washington. On November 1, 1959, he was promoted to captain-zur-see, from January 1, 1962 he served as commander of the landing forces and at the same time, for one month, was and. about. submarine commander. On October 1, 1963, he was appointed chief of staff in the fleet command, from July 1, 1965 he served as head of a subdivision in the German Ministry of Defense. After receiving the rank of flotilla admiral on November 15, 1965, he became a deputy inspector of the Navy. December 21, 1966 was promoted to rear admiral. For his merits in the restoration of the naval forces and their integration into NATO structures, on September 19, 1969, he was awarded the Cross of Merit for the Federal Republic of Germany. December 31, 1969 retired. After leaving the Bundesmarine, Topp worked as a consultant for several years, including at the Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft shipyard. Erich Topp died on December 26, 2005 at the age of 91.

Victor Ern was born in the Caucasus in Gadabay in the family of a German colonist on October 21, 1907. In 1921, the Ern family fled to Germany.

On October 1, 1927, he entered the Navy as a cadet. October 1, 1929 promoted to lieutenant. He served on the light cruisers Königsberg and Karlsruhe. In July 1935, one of the first naval officers was transferred to the submarine fleet.

From January 18, 1936 to October 4, 1937 he commanded the submarine U-14, in July-September 1936 he participated in hostilities off the coast of Spain. In 1939 he graduated from the Naval Academy and in August 1939 he was enrolled in the headquarters of Karl Dönitz.

On May 6, 1940, he was appointed commander of the U-37 submarine, on which he made 4 campaigns (having spent a total of 81 days at sea).

On the very first trip to Norwegian waters, Ern sank 10 ships with a total displacement of 41,207 gross tons and damaged 1 ship. In the second campaign, Ern chalked up 7 ships (with a displacement of 28,439 GRT), in the third - 6 more ships (28,210 GRT). In total, in a fairly short period, Ern sank 24 ships with a total displacement of 104,842 gross tons and damaged 1 ship with a displacement of 9,494 gross tons.

On October 21, 1940 he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, and on October 26 he was again transferred as the 1st officer of the Admiral Staff to the headquarters of the commander of the submarine fleet.

In November 1941, he was sent to the Mediterranean Sea to coordinate the activities of submarines, and in February 1942 he was appointed 1st officer of the Admiral Staff at the headquarters of the commander of submarines in the Mediterranean.

In July 1942, during a business trip to North Africa Ern was badly wounded and taken prisoner by British troops. After recovery, he was placed in a prisoner of war camp in Egypt, and in October 1943 he was exchanged for British prisoners and returned to Germany through Port Said, Barcelona and Marseille.

Since 1943, 1st officer of the Admiral Staff in the Operations Department of the OKM. In May 1945 he was interned by British troops. After his release, he worked at Siemens, held high positions in Bonn. Died December 26, 1997

Hans Günther Lange was born on September 28, 1916 in Hannover. On September 1, 1937, he entered the Navy as a cadet. August 1, 1939 promoted to lieutenant. He served on the destroyer Jaguar.

September 1, 1941 transferred to the submarine fleet. As the 1st watch officer, he made a trip to the Mediterranean Sea on the submarine U-431.

In July 1942 he was transferred to the 24th submarine flotilla. On September 26, 1942, he was appointed commander of the U-711 submarine, on which he made 12 campaigns (having spent a total of 304 days at sea). U-711's main area of ​​operations was the waters of the Arctic, where Lange operated against allied convoys. In the autumn of 1943, he acted as part of the Viking submarine group, in March - April 1944 - the Blitz group, in April - May 1944 - the Kiel group.

Three times Lange attacked small Soviet radio stations located on the islands of the Barents Sea (Pravda, Prosperity, Sterligov). On August 23, 1944, Lange attacked the Soviet battleship Arkhangelsk (the former English Royal Sovereign, temporarily transferred to the USSR) and the Soviet destroyer Zorkiy, and 3 days later was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

On September 21, 1944, as part of the Grif group, he took part in the attack on the Soviet convoy VD-1 (4 transports, 5 minesweepers, 2 destroyers).

In March - April 1945, he participated in the attack on convoys JW-65 and JW-66.

On May 4, 1945, the Lange boat was sunk off the coast of Norway by British aircraft; 40 people died, 12 people, including Lange, were taken prisoner. Released in August 1945. In October 1957 he entered the German Navy. He took part in the development of new types of submarines, commanded the 1st submarine squadron.

From January 1964 - commander of the submarine fleet, and then held high staff positions. In 1972 he retired.

Werner Winter was born March 26, 1912 in Hamburg. On October 9, 1930, he entered the Navy as a cadet. October 1, 1934 promoted to lieutenant. He served on the battleship Silesia and the light cruiser Emden. In July 1935 he was transferred to the submarine fleet.

From October 1, 1937 to October 3, 1939, he commanded the U-22 submarine, on which he made 2 campaigns (22 days) at the very beginning of the war.

In November 1939 he was transferred to the headquarters of the commander of the submarine forces.

On August 13, 1941, he was appointed commander of the submarine U-103, on which he made 3 campaigns (having spent a total of 188 days at sea).

In total, during the hostilities, Winter sank 15 ships with a total displacement of 79,302 gross tons. From July 1942 - commander of the 1st submarine flotilla in Brest (France). In August 1944, he surrendered to the troops of the Western Allies who captured Brest. Released in November 1947. For some time he served in the German Navy. In March 1970, he retired with the rank of captain-zur-see. Died September 9, 1972

Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock famous as the commander of U-96, depicted in the novel "Das Boot" and the film of the same name.

Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock was born in Bremen on December 11, 1911. In 1931, with the rank of naval cadet, he joined the Reichsmarine, where he served on the light cruiser Karlsruhe and the training sailboat Horst Wessel, until in April 1939 he was transferred to the submarine flotilla. After serving as a watch officer on a "canoe" U-8 type II-B, he received the rank of lieutenant commander and in December 1939 took over as commander of the same small U-5 type II-A.

The first campaign, which lasted 15 days and ended in vain, Lehmann-Willenbrock made during the operation "Hartmut" for the invasion of German troops in Norway. After returning from the campaign, he received under his command the newly built medium boat U-96 type VII-C. After three months of preparation and training of the crew, the boat U-96 under the command of Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock began to make military campaigns in the Atlantic. In the first three campaigns alone, ships with a total displacement of 125,580 gross tons were sunk. In March 1942, Lehmann-Willenbrock left U-96 and took command of the 9th Kriegsmarine flotilla based at Brest. In March 1943 he received the rank of corvette captain. In September 1944, he took command of U-256 and transferred it to Bergen. On December 1, 1944, he received the rank of frigate captain, then, in December, he took command of the 11th Kriegsmarine submarine flotilla based in Bergen and stayed at this post until the end of the war. After a year spent in a prisoner of war camp, Lehmann-Willenbrock, from May 1946, was engaged in butchering ships sunk in the Rhine. In 1948, together with three comrades, he built the Magellan sailboat, after which the four of them crossed the Atlantic and reached Buenos Aires, where they took part in the regatta.

Lehmann-Willenbrock was a captain on merchant ships. In March 1959, as captain of the Inga Bastian, Lehmann-Willenbrock and his crew rescued 57 sailors from the burning Brazilian ship Commandante Lira. In 1969 he became the captain of Germany's only nuclear ship, the research ship Otto Hahn, a position he held for more than ten years.

For outstanding post-war service, he was awarded the Federal Cross of Honor in 1974 on a ribbon. For many years, Lehmann-Willenbrock was the head of the Bremen Submarine Society, and the society still bears his name.

In 1981, Willenbrock acted as an adviser on the filming of the film Das Boot about the campaign of his U-96. Subsequently, he returned to his native Bremen, where he died on April 18, 1986 at the age of 74.

Werner Hartenstein born February 24, 1908, in Plauen. April 1, 1928 joined the Reichsmarine. After training on various ships, including the Niobe and the light cruiser Emden, he served on the light cruiser Karlsruhe, from September 1939 to March 1941 he commanded the Jaguar torpedo boat. In April 1941 he joined the submarine forces and in September he was given command of U-156. From January 1942 to January 1943, he completed five combat campaigns and sank about 114,000 gross tonnage of the enemy.

On September 12, 1942, the British Laconia transport (19,695 brt) attacked off the coast of West Africa. There were more than 2741 people on the ship, among them 1809 Italian prisoners of war. After the sinking of the ship, a rescue operation began, in which U-507, which was nearby, also took part. Hartenstein's boat took several lifeboats in tow and took many victims on board. Despite clearly visible flags with the Red Cross, the boat was bombed by American aircraft and was badly damaged. Several of those who were rescued died.

This bomb attack led Karl Dönitz on September 17, 1942, to issue the so-called "Laconia Order", which forbade German warships from taking any action to rescue people from sunken ships.

In mid-January 1943, Hartenstein went on his last combat campaign. On March 8, 1943, east of Barbados, his boat with the entire crew was sunk by an American Catalina seaplane.

Horst von Schroeter born June 10, 1919 in Bieberstein (Saxony). On June 28, 1938, he entered the Navy as a cadet. May 1, 1940 promoted to lieutenant. He served on the Scharnhorst battleship, on which he participated in hostilities in the first months of the war.

In May 1940 he was transferred to the submarine fleet. As the 1st watch officer, he made 6 trips on the submarine U-123, commanded by Reinhard Hardegen. On August 1, 1942, he was appointed commander of the submarine U-123, on which he made 4 trips (having spent a total of 343 days at sea).

On June 1, 1944 he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, and on June 17 he handed over the submarine. On August 31, 1944, he was given command of the submarine U-2506 (stationed in Bergen, Norway), but he no longer took part in hostilities.

In total, during the hostilities, Schroeter sank 7 ships with a total displacement of 32,240 gross tons and damaged 1 ship with a displacement of 7,068 gross tons.

In 1956 he entered the German Navy, in 1976–1979. - Commander of the NATO Naval Forces in the Baltic. In 1979, he retired with the rank of vice admiral (this was the highest rank that a submariner in the German Navy could receive). Died July 25, 2006

Carl Fleige was born on September 5, 1905. In October 1924, he joined the Navy as a sailor. He served on destroyers, cruisers and training ship "Gorkh Fok".

In October 1937 he was transferred to the submarine fleet and in May 1938 he was assigned to U-20, commanded by Karl-Heinz Möhle. After Möhle received U-123 in June 1940, he took Fleige with him.

In August 1941, Fleige was transferred to the coastal units of the 5th flotilla in Kiel (the same Möhle became the commander of the flotilla). April 1, 1942 promoted to lieutenant.

On December 3, 1942, he was appointed commander of the U-18 submarine (type II-B) in the Black Sea, on which he made 7 campaigns (having spent a total of 206 days at sea).

Fleiga was particularly successful in military operations against Soviet convoys in the Black Sea.

July 18, 1944 awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. In August 1944, he surrendered command and in December was appointed instructor of the 24th flotilla and the 1st submarine training division.

In total, during the hostilities, Fleige sank 1 ship and damaged 2 ships with a displacement of 7801 gross tons.

Appendix II uses materials from the book by Mitcham S., Muller J. "Commanders of the Third Reich", sites: www.uboat.net, www.hrono.ru, www.u-35.com.

The first year of the Second World War Let the buds turn pink on the chestnuts And again every bush raves in the spring, We won't write a single line for the spring, The whole distant world is so tense and empty. Still calmly dozing, stopovers And the warm wind whispers about spring, And somewhere GERMAN SUBMARINES OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR (EXCEPT FOR SUBMARINES OF TYPE XXI AND XXIII) crawl out somewhere U-ALaid down February 10, 1937, Germaniawerft, Kiel. Launched September 20, 1939, first commander - Lieutenant Commander Hans Kohausch. 9 military campaigns. 7 ships sunk (GRT 40,706). one

Von Dönitz Karl German submarines in World War II Abridged translation from German under general edition and with a preface by Admiral Alafuzov V.A. The following people took part in the translation: Belous V.N., Iskritskaya L.I., Krisental I.F., Nepodaev Yu.A., Ponomarev A.P., Rosenfeld

USSR and Finland on the eve of the Second World War My tasks do not include a detailed description of the events of the Soviet-Finnish war, to which I had no direct relation, but there was one personal moment that made me pay special attention to everything that was at the turn

DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR (1939–1945) Beginning of the Second World War September 3, 1939 Strengthening national security May 26, 1940 On the US military threat and assistance to countries - victims of aggression December 29, 1940 Declaration of a state of emergency May 27, 1941 On repulse

Beginning of World War II The invasion of Nazi troops into Poland led to the outbreak of World War II. Great Britain with its dominions and France declared war on Germany. What about the United States? England and France are in need of military and material assistance. In "Conversation"

7. The finale of the Second World War: the defeat of Japan After the end of the war in Europe, the only center of aggression and war remained - Japan. Stalin, in his military-political strategy, proceeded from the fact that the Soviet Union must strictly fulfill its obligations,

The start of the Second World War was postponed to the week of September 1, 1939, with a military attack on Poland. big war. During the week between August 26 and September 1, the British and French governments made an attempt to reach some kind of solution on the basis of

The beginning of the terrible Second World War There was no declaration of war. Contrary to the truth, Hitler without a twinge of conscience claimed that the Poles were the first to open fire, and he, Hitler, only answered him. In order to believe this, on his orders they staged the notorious "attack on

The starting point in the history of the German submarine fleet was 1850, when the Brandtaucher double submarine, designed by engineer Wilhelm Bauer, was launched in the harbor of Kiel, which immediately sank when trying to dive.

The next significant event was the launch of the submarine U-1 (U-boat) in December 1906, which became the ancestor of a whole family of submarines, which fell to the hard times of the First World War. In total, until the end of the war, the German fleet received more than 340 boats. In connection with the defeat of Germany, 138 submarines remained unfinished.

Under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, Germany was forbidden to build submarines. Everything changed in 1935 after the establishment of the Nazi regime and with the signing of the Anglo-German Naval Agreement, in which submarines ... were recognized as obsolete weapons, which lifted all prohibitions on their production. In June, Hitler appointed Karl Dönitz as commander of all submarines of the future Third Reich.

Grand Admiral and his "wolf packs"

Grand Admiral Karl Doenitz is an outstanding figure. He began his career in 1910, enrolling in naval school in Kiel. Later, during the First World War, he showed himself to be a brave officer. From January 1917 until the defeat of the Third Reich, his life was connected with the German submarine fleet. He is credited with developing the concept of submarine warfare, which consisted of sustained groups of submarines called "wolf packs".

The main objects of the “hunting” of the “wolf packs” are enemy transport ships that provide supplies to the troops. The basic principle is to sink more ships than the enemy can build. Very soon, this tactic began to bear fruit. By the end of September 1939, the Allies had lost dozens of transports with a total displacement of about 180,000 tons, and in mid-October, the U-47 boat, slipping unnoticed into the Scapa Flow base, sent the Royal Oak battleship to the bottom. The Anglo-American convoys were especially hard hit. "Wolf packs" raged in a huge theater from the North Atlantic and the Arctic to South Africa and the Gulf of Mexico.

What did the Kriegsmarine fight on

The basis of the Kriegsmarine - the submarine fleet of the Third Reich - were submarines of several series - 1, 2, 7, 9, 14, 17, 21 and 23rd. At the same time, it is worth highlighting the boats of the 7th series, which were distinguished by their reliable design, good technical equipment, weapons, which allowed them to operate particularly successfully in the Central and North Atlantic. For the first time, a snorkel was installed on them - an air intake device that allows the boat to recharge batteries while submerged.

Aces Kriegsmarine

German submariners were characterized by courage and high professionalism, so each victory over them came at a high price. Among the aces submariners of the Third Reich, the most famous were captains Otto Kretschmer, Wolfgang Lüt (each with 47 sunk ships) and Erich Topp - 36.

Deadly duel

The huge losses of the allies at sea sharply intensified the search for effective means of combating the "wolf packs". Soon, patrol anti-submarine aircraft equipped with radars appeared in the sky, means of radio interception, detection and destruction of submarines were created - radars, sonar buoys, homing aircraft torpedoes and much more. Improved tactics, improved interaction.

rout

Kriegsmarine met the same fate as the Third Reich - a complete, crushing defeat. Of the 1153 submarines built during the war years, about 770 were sunk. Together with them, about 30,000 submariners, or almost 80% of the entire personnel of the submarine fleet, went to the bottom.