The very first submarine in Russia, built in 1721, was called the “Hidden Vessel”, and in appearance it looked more like a wine barrel than a submarine.

The idea of ​​​​creating the first submarine came to the mind of a peasant near Moscow and part-time self-taught inventor Efim Prokopyevich Nikonov. Having made several attempts, he was able to reach Peter the Great and convince the Tsar of the need for a sealed boat - “... In case of war, I will make a vessel suitable for the enemy, with which, at sea, in quiet times, it will destroy ships... secretly to the very bottom..." - Nikonov wrote a petition to Peter.

In 1720, after a personal conversation with the tsar, the inventor was ordered: “ hiding from prying eyes", first make a working model of the first submarine: " not to the extent that one would approach a ship at sea, but for the sake of testimony and testing in the river».

By order of Peter the Great, the Admiralty Collegium promoted Efim Nikonov to “master of hidden ships” in early January, and already on January 31, 1720, in accordance with the order of the Tsar, the Admiralty Collegium made the decision: “ Peasant Efim Nikonov should be sent to the office of Major General Golovin and ordered to make a model ship, and what’s more, forests and craftsmen should be sent from the said office at the request of this peasant Nikonov».

A model of the first submarine in Russia was built in St. Petersburg at the Ober-Sarvaer shipyard site. Work began in February 1720, and thirteen months later, in March 1721, the model was ready.

Since neither drawings nor detailed descriptions of this vessel have survived, one can only assume that the “Hidden Vessel” was barrel-shaped. The basis for this is the participation of coopers in its construction, as well as the order to release fifteen iron strips, most likely intended for hoops, with the help of which the wooden hull of the submarine was tightened. The bow part of the first Russian submarine repeated the structure of a conventional surface ship for those times, and the stern part was equipped with a rudder. The cabin on the upper deck played the role of a periscope and had thick viewing glasses.

Ordinary oars were used as the engine, and the ship's crew consisted of four members. Fifty candles were provided for testing, which suggests that the time underwater was expected to be on the order of ten hours.

The first test took place in the presence of Peter in the summer of the same year on Lake Razliv, and they could not be called successful - the bottom of the primitive structure burst. However, despite this, Nikonov was given instructions to begin construction of a “hidden fiery vessel of a large hull” on the slipway of the Galernaya shipyard in St. Petersburg.

By the autumn of 1724, the first submarine was built on a full scale. However, this time the test ended unsuccessfully. The boat sank to the bottom like a stone, hit the ground and broke the bottom. The biography of Peter 1 says that he ordered the inventor to strengthen the hull of the ship, correct shortcomings, and also publicly announced - “ Efim Prokopyevich, so that no one blames the embarrassment».

Nikonov repaired all the damage, but on January 25, 1725, Peter the Great died. So the inventor lost his patronage. But, despite this, he still completed the repairs, and in the spring of 1725 the first Russian submarine was re-launched. But a leak was again detected in the boat’s hull, and it was pulled ashore again.

The last launch of the submarine took place in 1727 and did not end well. As a result, the naval authorities, dejected by this outcome, ordered the submarine to be placed under lock and key in a barn. There it was stored for many years until it rotted over time. Nikonov, in the winter of 1728, was demoted to an ordinary carpenter and sent to the Astrakhan shipyard.

Today, a monument to the very first submarine in Russia, made at the St. Petersburg cooperage factory, is installed in Sestroretsk, near the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul.

Historians claim that the initiator of the idea of ​​​​building a submarine ship is the famous Italian inventor Leonardo da Vinci. However, he never brought his promising project to completion. Moreover, da Vinci completely destroyed all shipbuilding and drawings, fearing the consequences of the participation of such a boat in a possible submarine war.

It is difficult to say what the next invention of the great Leonardo might be called. But thanks, again, to historians, it is known for sure that submarine ship number 1 of the Russian Navy had three names at once. The first of them, the fruit of the joint efforts of Russian engineers Ivan Bubnov, Ivan Goryunov and Mikhail Beklemishev, was received in July 1901 on the eve of the start of construction of the submarine at the shipyard in St. Petersburg.

The official commissioning of the submarine, originally named Destroyer No. 113, took place in March 1902. One of the creators, captain of the first rank and future general Mikhail Beklemishev, was appointed commander of the boat. After which the destroyer, as submarines were then called, was included in the lists of the Russian navy under number 150. And on May 31, 1904, the first Russian submarine began to be called “Dolphin”.

"Dolphin" is almost invisible

The fate of the debut Russian submarine with internal combustion engines cannot be called happy. Already on June 8, 1903, during the initial sea trials, the Dolphin, together with the chief designer Ivan Bubnov on board, almost sunk to the bottom of the Neva. And a little more than a year later, on June 16, 1904, the panic of the crew caused not only a new unscheduled sinking of the ship, but also the death of a third of its sailors.

The destroyer's participation in the Russo-Japanese War turned out to be almost formal, limited to 17 days at sea and participation in combat patrols. However, there were also casualties: one of the sailors died during an accidental explosion. The short stay of “Dolphin” in Murmansk was more tragic. Another gross mistake by the crew led to the fact that on April 26, 1917, the boat sank right in its home port, after which it was forever excluded from the lists of the Navy.

And already under Soviet power, in 1920, it was not only completely written off, but also sent for scrap. By the way, a year earlier in Petrograd, Ivan Bubnov himself died of typhus. In addition to the Dolphin, this outstanding Russian shipbuilder, mechanic and mathematician managed to design another three dozen similar submarines. Including “Shark”, “Leopard”, “Killer Whale”, “Lamprey”, “Walrus” and others.

"The Hidden Vessel"

"Dolphin" by Major General of the Corps of Naval Engineers Bubnov, who tragically died in the Barents Sea, became the first submarine in "epaulets". But it is not at all the first such project in the more than 300-year history of the Russian fleet. The “pioneer” here is the Russian peasant Efim Nikonov. In 1721, not far from Sestroretsk, he presented to the court of Peter I, who understood the courts, his invention called “The Hidden Vessel.”

Unfortunately, Efim Nikonov did not have time to complete the submarine due to the sudden death of the Tsar. Other predecessors of the brilliant designer Ivan Bubnov can be considered two Russian engineers who lived in the 19th century - Karl Schilder and Ivan Alexandrovsky. Their submarines were built and tested back in 1834 and 1866, respectively. But they never made it into the Tsarist Navy.

The first submarine was built in Russia under Peter I. Efim Prokopievich Nikonov, who worked as a carpenter at a state-owned shipyard, in 1718 submitted a petition to Tsar Peter I, in which he claimed that
“...he will make a suitable ship for the enemy in case of war, with which, at sea, in quiet times, he will break up ships, at least ten or twenty, and for testing that ship he will make a model...”

Peter I appreciated the proposal and ordered, “hiding from prying eyes,” to begin work

In 1720-1721, on the instructions of Peter I, he first built a model, and then, in 1721-1724, a full-size underwater “Hidden Vessel”, which became the first Russian submarine.

Design of Nikonov's first submarine

What was Nikonov's submarine like? The world's first submarine had a wooden hull about 6 m long and about 2 m wide, sheathed on the outside with sheets of tin. The original immersion system consisted of several tin plates with many capillary holes, which were mounted in the bottom of the boat. During the ascent, water taken into a special tank through holes in the plates was removed overboard using a piston pump. At first, Nikonov intended to arm the boat with guns, but then he decided to install an airlock chamber through which, when the ship was underwater, a diver dressed in a spacesuit (designed by the inventor himself) could emerge and, using tools, destroy the bottom of the enemy ship. Crew - 4 people. Propulsion - two pairs of oars. The weapons (“fire pipes”) are something like primitive flamethrowers. Ballast was received through a system of original perforated kingstons and pumped out with a hand pump. The ship was equipped with a lock. The first Russian military submarine was named Morel.

Submarine testing

• The first tests of the ship, in the presence of Peter I, took place in the fall of 1724 and ended in an accident: when it hit the ground, the bottom of the ship was broken. The Tsar ordered the hull of the boat to be strengthened with iron hoops, encouraged the inventor and warned officials so that “no one would blame him for embarrassment.”
• In the spring of 1725, the ship was launched after repairs, but a discovered leak prevented the dive.
• Nikonov tested his ship for the third time in 1727.

After the death of Peter I, he fell into disgrace. In 1728, he was demoted from a craftsman to an ordinary carpenter and exiled to the Astrakhan shipyard.
A modern researcher, shipbuilding engineer E.E. Kolosov believes that Nikonov’s ship “according to the technical solutions embedded in it, was the prototype of a modern submarine” and that Nikonov himself, despite the failures, “proved in action the possibility of underwater navigation: in the summer of 1721 Efim, on his “model ship,” nevertheless made two successful dives and ascents on the Neva.”

The “Hidden Vessel” was stored for some time in the Galern Yard until it collapsed due to disrepair. Where the first Russian submarine was tested in 1721, today there is a stone with a memorial plaque and a model (picturesque, but, in my opinion, absolutely unsuccessful) of the very “sample” for which Efim Prokopievich Nikonov once vouched for his life.

Video - submarine in the water

The idea of ​​submerging a boat under water to covertly approach and attack enemy ships has attracted military leaders since ancient times. According to legend, Alexander the Great himself used underwater reconnaissance for the enemy. But the first real combat submarine was created by the Russian carpenter-inventor Efim Nikonov, with the direct support of the reformer Tsar Peter I.

One of the first submarine concepts was presented by the Englishman William Bourne in 1578. But it was only in 1620 that Cornelis Drebbel built the first working model. It was made of wood, propelled by oars, and could remain underwater for several hours. Air was supplied through special tubes from the surface. Drebbel demonstrated his boat's diving capabilities by diving on the River Thames and remained underwater for three hours. During this time, thousands of Londoners gathered on the shore were convinced that the ship had sunk and the crew had already died.

Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens, who witnessed the tests, later wrote that this “daring invention” could be used during war to attack enemy ships lying in direct line of sight and unaware of the danger. Like Huygens, many others recognized the military potential of submarines. Despite this, another hundred years passed before the first military submarine was built.

In 1718, Russian carpenter Efim Prokopyevich Nikonov wrote to Peter I that he could build a “hidden ship” that could float underwater and destroy any enemy ships with cannons. Surprisingly, the tsar invited Nikonov to St. Petersburg and ordered the construction of the ship to begin.

Nikonov completed a scale model of the first Russian submarine in 1721 and tested it in the presence of Peter. The Tsar was so pleased with the results that he ordered Nikonov to build a full-size secret warship.

Nikonov’s “hidden ship” was built of wood in the shape of a barrel. It was armed with flamethrowers. The submarine had to approach the enemy ship, expose the ends of the flamethrower tube from the water, set fire to and explode the enemy ship. In addition, an airlock was provided for aquanauts, who could exit the submarine and destroy the enemy.

The first test of a full-size submarine was carried out in the fall of 1724. It was a disaster. The “hidden ship” sank when it reached the bottom and broke through the side. Nikonov himself and four rowers were inside. It was a real miracle that the crew managed to escape.

Peter supported the inventor and encouraged Nikonov to improve the design. But failures continued to haunt him. The second and third tests of the Russian “hidden vessel” ended in failure. After the death of his highest patron, Nikonov was accused of abuse of public funds, was demoted to ordinary carpenter and sent to work at a shipyard on the Volga River.

The first successful use of a military submarine occurred during the American Revolutionary War. The Turtle submarine was developed by American inventor David Bushnell. It was an egg-shaped device that could accommodate one person.

In 1776, in New York Harbor, Sergeant Ezra Lee, piloting the Turtle, tried and failed to attach an explosive charge to the hull of the British battleship HMS Eagle. According to American reports, Lee was discovered before he could complete the combat mission. There is no information from the British side about this attack. All this raises doubts among some historians about the very fact of the attack. Some even believe that "The Turtle" and the entire story surrounding it were created as disinformation and to boost the morale of the colonialists.

Submarine vessels appeared to take part in hostilities, but very often inventions.

The Russian submarine fleet is 110 years old.

At the turn of the XIX-XX centuries. The leadership of the Russian Empire began to clearly understand the need to create its own military submarine fleet.

This need was caused by the successful development of a similar shipbuilding industry in Europe and the USA. And already in January 1901, at the suggestion of the chief inspector of Russian shipbuilding, Lieutenant General E.N. Kuteynikov, professional design of domestic combat submarines began in St. Petersburg. By this time, the industrial production of electric motors and electric batteries had already been mastered, making it possible to ensure the movement of a submarine underwater, internal combustion engines, including diesel engines, which were highly economical and turned out to be most suitable as surface engines. Torpedoes turned out to be the most effective as underwater weapons for submarines, which allowed them to attack surface ships both at anchor and moving on the open sea.

On January 4, 1901, the Naval Ministry approved the “Submarine Construction Commission,” headed by the talented shipbuilding engineer I.G. Bubnov. The commission developed a project for the first domestic combat-ready submarine "Dolphin". In 1901, I.G. Bubnov was appointed its builder at the Baltic Shipyard, supervised its testing and commissioning of the fleet.

On August 29, 1903, the first Dolphin submarine, almost completely finished and standing at the outfitting wall of the plant, was visited by Emperor Nicholas II. The Emperor was pleased, and the boat was put into service. This was the beginning of the creation of the submarine forces of the Russian fleet. It should be noted that the construction of the Dolphin submarine was clearly experimental in nature and it did not have much combat value. This was the first-born of our submarine forces.

Emperor Nicholas II accepts the report of the commander of the submarine "Dolphin", Captain II Rank M.K. Beklemishev at the Baltic Shipyard.

In connection with the start of the construction of submarines, the issue of training personnel: crews and specialist officers to serve on them became acute: they were staffed exclusively by volunteers. The training took place on the submarine "Dolphin", which was also the first training submarine for training submarine specialists, and Captain 2nd Rank M.N. Beklemishev was their first commander-mentor and teacher.

There were also losses. So on June 29 (16), 1904, during the 18th training dive on the Neva, the submarine “Dolphin” sank. The “Dolphin” was commanded on this outing by Lieutenant A.N. Cherkasov. Besides him, there were two officers and 34 lower ranks on the boat, of which only four belonged to the Dolphin team, the rest were learning the basics of scuba diving “in order to accustom them to being on a boat underwater.” A. Cherkasov obviously did not take into account the overload of the boat (24 people weigh about 2 tons) and, as a consequence of this, a greater than usual diving speed.

The emergency situation was aggravated by the design flaws of the boat. Only 2 officers and 10 sailors were saved. Lieutenant A.N. Cherkasov and 24 sailors did not have time to leave and died. Three days later the submarine was raised. The submariners were buried at the Smolensk cemetery. 24 names of the victims are engraved on the tombstone. Lieutenant A.N. Cherkasov is buried nearby in a separate grave. On his tombstone there is an inscription: “Here lies the body of Lieutenant Anatoly Nilovich Cherkasov, who died on the destroyer Dolphin on June 16, 1904, along with a crew of 24 people. Lower ranks." These were the first losses of the first combat submarine of the Russian fleet.

Dolphin" in Vladivostok.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905 became the first in world history in which submarines took part - ships of a new type, which by this time were just beginning to take their place in the military fleets of the leading maritime powers of the world.

In April 1904, the battleships Yashima and Hatsuse were blown up by mines near Port Arthur, but the Japanese believed that they were being attacked by submarines, and the entire squadron fired long and furiously into the water. The commander of the 1st Pacific Squadron, Rear Admiral V.K. Vitgeft, ordered a radiogram when the Japanese battleships were blown up, saying that the admiral thanked the submarines for the successful job. Of course, the Japanese intercepted this message and “took note of it.” In 1904, submarines began to be sent to Vladivostok by rail.

At the end of December 1904, eight submarines were already there. On January 14 (1), 1905, by order of the commander of the Vladivostok port, all these boats were organizationally included in the Separate Detachment of Destroyers, which, in turn, was subordinate to the head of the Vladivostok cruiser detachment, Rear Admiral K. Ya. Jessen. Direct management of the actions of the Separate Detachment was entrusted to the commander of the Kasatka submarine, Lieutenant A.V. Plotto, and Lieutenant I.I. Riznich, who commanded the submarine “Pike,” was appointed his deputy. A. Plotto was the first commander of the first tactical Separate detachment of submarines (Born A.V. Plotto on March 12, 1869, later vice admiral, naval leader, theorist and practitioner of diving. Died in 1948 at the age of 79 years , buried in Piraeus (Greece)). By the end of 1905, there were 13 submarines in Vladivostok.

At the beginning of the Russo-Japanese War, none of the countries in the world had yet developed meaningful views on the role of submarines in their fleets. Therefore, the Russian Maritime Department had to develop plans for the use of its submarines in a war at sea, without any experience. No one really had any idea what submarines were capable of or how they should operate.

The Soma commander, Lieutenant Prince Vladimir Vladimirovich Trubetskoy, wrote that “... essentially no one was in charge of the boats, and those commanders who wanted to do something were not given the initiative...”. And further: “...I had to do everything for the first time, even coming up with command words to control the boat. They were mainly developed by the commander of the Skat, Lieutenant Mikhail Tieder, and the commander of the Shchuka, Lieutenant Riznich (many of these “command words” have survived to this day: “Stand in places. To ascend,” “Stand in places. To dive.” , “Blow out the ballast”, “Look around in the compartments” and others). Their combat activities were reduced to patrol duty, conducting short-range reconnaissance and protecting the coast in the Vladivostok area.

Only in one case did Russian submarines, while performing patrol duty and conducting reconnaissance, manage to detect Japanese ships. For the first time in combat practice, the Russian submarine officer commander of the Soma, Lieutenant Prince V.V. Trubetskoy, saw through the periscope not a training target shield, but enemy ships. He decided to attack the enemy. "Som" submerged and began maneuvering in order to take a convenient position for a salvo, but the Japanese ships discovered it, opened fire and went to ram. “Som” dived to 12 meters and performed an evasive maneuver in order to again take a convenient position for firing a torpedo salvo. But the fog that suddenly fell on the sea allowed the enemy ships to escape. Although there was no military clash and this attack was not successful, it played a positive role.

This incident was the attempt of the first underwater attack in the history of the Russian submarine fleet and was carried out by Lieutenant Prince V.V. Trubetskoy. For the first time in world history, new opponents met - surface ships and a submarine, starting on that distant day a confrontation that has not ended to this day.

At first, the submarines belonged to the class of destroyers. By 1906, Russia had 20 such submarine destroyers. This circumstance led to the fact that on March 11, 1906, the Maritime Department, Vice Admiral A.A. Birilev, signed order No. 52, in which the Emperor established a new fleet in Russia - a submarine one.

From this time on, the history of Russian submarine forces began as a branch of the Navy. Just three weeks after Order No. 52, the first scuba diving training squad in Russia was officially created. The purpose of the detachment was to train submariners, accept submarines from industry, man them, and put them into operation.

"Trout"

This boat was built by Krupp in 1902-1903 at his own expense in order to attract the attention of the German government to submarines, the construction of which was widespread in the main maritime states. Thus, the Trout was the embryo of the German submarine fleet. The boat was built in great secrecy, but had no combat significance.

The Trout's displacement was 17/18 tons. A battery of electric batteries and an electric motor provided the boat with a speed of no more than 4-5 knots and a cruising range of about 20 miles at a speed of 3.5 knots. The boat's armament consisted of 2 torpedo tubes installed outside hull 2.

Upon arrival in Vladivostok, this boat aroused distrust among Russian sailors, among whom there were no people willing to sail on it. Only after sailing on the “Trout” of Beklemishev himself were sailors who expressed a desire to serve on this boat. However, she did not go to sea, settling in the harbor “in a state of readiness” since September 1904.

"Catfish"

The submarine "Som" (formerly "Fulton") is one of the first combat submarines built by the Dutch company, which intended to sell it to the US government. In connection with the outbreak of war with Japan, Russia acquired this boat. The boat was finally assembled in St. Petersburg at the Nevsky Plant and sent to Vladivostok. On February 1, 1905, the boat was ready to go to sea, but it was missing the torpedoes that remained in St. Petersburg (they arrived only at the end of March). The first practical shooting on the Soma took place on April 13.

The seaworthiness of this boat was low. The gasoline engine often broke down. The boat commander reported: “At the end of swimming under water, there is always water in the cylinders of the gasoline engine; the measures taken did not lead to the desired results.” In addition, the battery pack was unreliable.

"Pike"

This boat of the “Som” type was built by the Nevsky Plant in 1904 according to Holland’s design, sent from St. Petersburg to the Far East in the summer of 1905 and finally assembled in Vladivostok on November 4, 1905. The delay in the readiness of the boat occurred due to many alterations, including in particular, alterations of the air duct.

On the Pike, the living conditions for personnel were much worse due to the use of longer torpedoes, which took up a lot of space in the bow compartment, where the crew was crazy. The boat commander reported that the life of the crew on campaigns was “becoming unbearable.”

"Killer Whale"

Four boats of this type arrived in Vladivostok in mid-December 1904; of these, only one “Kasatka” was tested in the Gulf of Finland for diving and underwater passage before being sent to the Far East. After installation was completed in Vladivostok, in March 1905, the Killer Whale sailed underwater.

On April 9, the Killer Whale reached the Korean shores and passed south of Gishkevich Bay. After being on the voyage for 7 days, the boat returned due to rusting of the torpedoes. The commander reported that steel torpedoes were unsuitable for active operations (in fact, the only fault was the lack of lubrication of the torpedoes).

"Scat"

The boat arrived in Vladivostok with major deficiencies. It was finally assembled on March 29, 1905 and from April 3 began to go to sea for the purpose of combat training. Torpedo firing began on June 13; out of 10 shots, 6 were successful, 3 torpedoes went off course and one buried itself.

During the voyage, many shortcomings were revealed. Reviews from the boat commander noted the slowness of the dive: “the tanks could be filled within 5-6 minutes.” In addition, the difficulty of controlling the vertical rudder was noted: “To shift the rudder from side to side, 140 turns of the steering wheel are required... the helmsman becomes very tired... hence the delayed action of the rudder and large circulation under water.” Along with this, the commander reported on the vertical instability of the boat while underwater and proposed increasing the area of ​​the horizontal rudders, making them more balanced. The report particularly noted a design flaw in the deckhouse: in stormy weather, water entered the boat through the entrance hatch. which could not be closed when gasoline engines were running.

"Field Marshal Count Sheremetev"

This boat was finally assembled in Vladivostok and began sailing in early May 1905. On May 9, the dynamo was damaged, which took 10 days to fix. Then the boat began firing torpedoes: the first three shots were good, the rest were unsuccessful due to the delay of the tail section of the torpedo by the “tongs” of the lattice apparatus. During the examination, it was discovered that the springs that opened the “tongs” when the torpedo exited the apparatus were corroded.

"Burbot"

The Nalim submarine was finally assembled in Vladivostok on May 7, 1905. Already on May 9, one of the batteries exploded - from a spark when changing the fuse. The boat's voyage was initially very unsuccessful due to the fact that the equipment was poorly mastered by the personnel. During the summer of 1905, the boat several times suddenly and with a large trim went to a depth of up to 55 m.

"Sturgeon"

Due to the alteration of the transporter, this Lack submarine was able to be sent from St. Petersburg only in March 1905. On May 12, the Sturgeon boat was launched and began diving in the harbor. On June 14, when charging the batteries for the first time, it was discovered that they were all damaged.

"Zander"

This boat only began training in underwater swimming on August 2 and on September 21 it fired its first torpedoes, which, when leaving the apparatus, went well towards the target.

"Mullet"

This boat (also Lack) was launched on August 5th. The first dive took place on October 12. From October 14 she went to sea to explore the bays; On November 15, a pump gear tooth broke due to a foreign object. On November 21, the damage was corrected.

Lack's other boats were not completed until the end of 1905. Recently, materials have become known about the participation of the Keta boat in hostilities. In 1904, Lieutenant Yanovich-2nd rebuilt one of Drzewiecki’s boats according to his own design. A gasoline engine was installed; the boat was armed with a torpedo tube, the boat's hull was lengthened, and as a result of the conversion, a completely new semi-submersible ship was obtained.

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