“PYGMY”, “SIREN”, “TRITON” MADE IN THE USSR

In 1921 – 1939 in Leningrad acted Special technical Bureau for military inventions (Sptecbureau), it was headed by engineer V. I. Bekauri. In 1934 in a 1st division Sptecbureau was formed by a group of dedicated submarines. Her first project embodied in the metal, was the midget submarine APSS (aerobody self-propelled projectile), representing odnostolpnoy the boat-the torpedo with a displacement of 8.5 tons. APSS was controlled by radio (VHF and LW) during visual tracking of a plane or ship. There was a possibility and manual control.

 

Two boats of APSS was built in 1935 and 1936 the Leningrad shipbuilding and mechanical plant №196 “sudomekh”. On arms did not take them, and before the beginning of world war II the two samples taken.

 

Following submarine Sptecbureau called APL (aeroportnaya boat). Initially, it is also designed as a radio-controlled projectile. In the future, the project is made in ultra-small submarine with the crew. This boat was involved in a group of engineers, headed by F. V. Shchukin. By August 1935, the plant № 196 “sudomekh” was made a prototype of a single submarine with a displacement of 18 tons with two 457-mm side torpedo tubes open and a crew of four people.

In August 1935, the submarine came to the factory tests in Oranienbaum. There were several exits in the Gulf of Finland. In November 1935 by rail midget submarine, which received the symbol “Pygmy”, was taken in Balaklava, Sevastopol base Sptecbureau for acceptance testing. But even before they started the people’s Commissar of defence has signed the order about construction of a 10 serial the Premier League, but progress is extremely slow. Sptecbureau parts were given to plant No. 196 project documentation for the “pygmies”, and the factory wanted to complete the project. Only in August 1936 at the factory number 196 under the guidance of an engineer. Scheglova started to build the head submarine series.

 

Meanwhile, Balaclava brigade of workers “Sudomeh” under the leadership of K. A. Shchukin and V. A. Shabalin brought the submarine to the condition required by the Navy. Testing began in October 1936 and was carried out in the mode of secrecy in Quarantine Bay mostly at night.

 

 

In December, the commander of the boat senior Lieutenant B. A. Uspensky addressed to the chief of the naval forces to cease testing. Habitability conditions on the boat was extremely heavy, and each appearance was accompanied by malfunctions of equipment. Misalignment of the motor with line shaft caused a strong vibration, and the magnetic compass due to the close laying of power cable, giving the error to 36°. Experimental diesel is heavily smoked and basked, his roar was heard for miles, and the motor outputs after the unit just burned down. When testing torpedo tubes at the first torpedo when fired, not cocked the trigger, and she drowned. The second torpedo in the shot grazed the hull of the boat and moved to the circulation, almost hitting at the next round of the Premier League.

 

In the autumn of 1937, the state Commission admitted the mini boat is not suitable for acceptance.

 

Of course, the construction of reliable and efficient ultra-small boats requires not only initiatives of the engineering teams, and years of experience of underwater shipbuilding. But the main reason for the cessation of work was that in late 1937 – early 1938, the NKVD arrested almost all the leading experts Sptecbureau. 23 February 1938 Shchukin was shot.

 

After that, the nuclear submarines dismantled and moved from Balaklava on a test basis of the marine weapons in Feodosia. In the summer of 1942 she was in the hands of the Germans. In August 1942 the boat was inspected in Feodosia Italian divers from the 110th squadron of the midget submarines. In the Italian archives have been preserved a few photos of the “Pygmy”.

 

 

Submarine “Triton-2” on the arms yard of the Military historical Museum of the Pacific fleet in Vladivostok

 

 

Boat “Triton-114” in the parade. Under normal conditions, during transportation of the divers in the boat was not sitting, and white streaks on the hull and rudders are not applied

 

After the liberation of the Crimea “Pygmy” are never found. The disappearance of boats for many years was shrouded in mystery. And only in 1980-ies near Feodosia (44°56’22″N, 35°25’43″E) at a depth of about 50 meters, divers found an unknown midget submarine. Apparently, during the retreat the Germans decided not to leave the submarine to the Soviet troops, and just took her out to sea and sunk.

 

Continuing the conversation about the first of the midget boats, not to mention that in 1947 in Leningrad, the plant № 196 “sudomekh” tested captured German boat “Seehund”, adapted to the needs of the Navy. Further work had.

 

THE CREATION OF SPECIAL FORCES

 

October 22, 1938 in the Pacific fleet were held doctrine in which underwater saboteurs landed via torpedo tube of the submarine U-112. According to the scenario, frogmen did a passage in the anti-submarine nets in the Bay of Ulysses, and then secretly went ashore, where they held a demonstration diversionary action. After that, they returned to the submarine waiting for them on the ground, and went into the base. The teachings were perfect, but these tasks during the years of world war frogmen are not fulfilled.

About the underwater special forces remembered in the early 1950-ies. 24 June 1953 Directive of the chief of the General staff of the Soviet Navy in the black sea fleet division was created underwater saboteurs, the first commander of which was captain 1st rank E. V. Yakovlev. In October 1954, a similar special unit was established in the Baltic sea. In March 1955 underwater saboteurs appeared in the Pacific fleet, in November-in the Northern fleet.

 

Is there a need in special equipment, underwater transporters, which would allow the commandos to covertly and quickly reach the area of the attack and to deliver cargo. Anything like the Soviet Navy at that time was not.

 

“SIREN”

 

8 January 1958 the command of the Navy made the decision on creation of means of delivery divers. In April, the development apparatus for the transport of legkomolyabb performed TSKB-50. In August of the same year in Kaspiysk was tested and adopted double conveyor legkomolyabb “Triton”. Just to 1966, the Navy received 2 experienced and 16 serial devices of this type.

 

Parallel to the development of a similar project was conducted by the Leningrad shipbuilding Institute, and built – Leningrad plant № 151 “Engine”. By July 1958 he was ready breadboard double underwater vehicle “Siren”.

 

The first “Siren” was made on the basis of captured German torpedoes G-7E. Act laboratory tests self-propelled apparatus “Siren” in the pool and then at sea was signed on 5 November 1958. The special laboratory was instructed to remedy the defects and to develop fixtures for production of self-propelled apparatus “Siren” with divers on Board of the torpedo tube of a submarine at depths up to 20 m.

 

 

 

When the naval Museum in Gdynia is organizing a traveling exhibition, the only surviving copy of the boat Blotniak transported on such a trailer

 

 

 

 

Yugoslav boat R2-M – analogue of the “Triton-1M” from Croatia

 

Re-plant tests of two prototypes of “Siren” in the July-September 1959 in the district of Kaspiisk and state tests in December 1959 in Feodosia showed the inconvenience of cabs with prolonged driving. It was decided the state tests are not to be counted, to improve the habitability, to address deficiencies and order the installation batch of 10 devices.

 

In February – April 1960 were tested on the habitability of a prototype of the “Sirens” in the pool. The findings were disappointing:

 

– cabin is too close, the movement of legkomolyabb difficult, there is a rapid exhaustion and cooling;