U-1 - a submarine (PL) of the Imperial Naval Forces of Germany . It became the first submarine introduced into the combat structure of the German fleet; was one of the most successful submarines of its time. In service since December 1906 . During World War I was a training submarine. Saved to the present.
| U-1 | |
|---|---|
| SM U 1 | |
 U-1 on a postcard printed before the start of World War I | |
| Ship history | |
| Flag state |  German Empire |
| Launching | August 4, 1906 |
| Current status | Saved as a museum exhibit |
| Main characteristics | |
| Project designation | Single building |
| Speed (surface) | 10.8 knots |
| Speed (underwater) | 8.7 knots |
| Immersion depth | 30 m |
| Crew | 22 pax |
| Dimensions | |
| Surface displacement | 238 t above water, 283 t full underwater |
| The length is the greatest (on design basis) | 42.39 m |
| The width of the body naib. | 3.75 m |
| Average draft (on design basis) | 3.17 m |
| Power point | |
| 2 - kerosene internal combustion engine; 400 l with. 2 electric motors; 400 l with. | |
| Armament | |
| Artillery | Not |
| Torpedo mine weapons | 1 TA 450 mm caliber, 3 torpedoes |
Background
At the turn of the XIX and XX centuries, the leadership of the Kaiser fleet was quite skeptical about the combat capabilities of submarines. This led to some delay in the construction of submarines in comparison, for example, with France . It is significant that the first submarines built in Germany were three Karp-type submarines ordered by Russia in 1904 [1] .
Only in 1904 was an order issued for the design and construction of the first German submarine. By this time, the submarines that existed among other European powers had already managed to sufficiently demonstrate both advantages and disadvantages. For example, gasoline internal combustion engines used on French submarines were found to be unreliable and extremely fire hazardous.
Therefore, German designers tried to maximally embody new achievements in shipbuilding in the design of their first submarine. This was expressed, in particular, in the use of kerosene , much less fire hazard than gasoline. At the beginning of 1907, the German Minister of the Sea (the “founding father” of the German dreadnought fleet), Grand Admiral A. von Tirpitz stated [2] :
| “France built many submarines, but all those launched before 1905 have no military significance ... We did not want to use too dangerous gasoline engines. But as soon as the kerosene engine became operational, we built a vessel that fully meets our objectives, instead of having 30 or 40 unusable vessels in the ports now |
Nevertheless, the design of the submarine’s hull was based on the French scheme developed by designer M. Lobef , which subsequently became typical of all world submarines - a two-hull, with a light external and durable inner hull. Electric motors were also a sample developed by French designers [3] .
Build
The submarine was built at the shipyard " Germany " in Kiel . It was launched on August 4, 1906, and entered service on December 14 of that year [4] . Two kerosene engines developed a power of 400 hp, and electric motors developed the same power. The cruising range at a speed of 10 knots in the above-water position was 1,500 miles (~ 2850 km). Under water, the boat could travel 50 miles (~ 80 km) at a speed of 5 knots. Armament was only one torpedo tube with ammunition, three torpedoes. The submarine could take in addition to the torpedoes also one mine barrage . The boat did not have artillery weapons [4] [5] . Despite the modest characteristics of the U-1 compared to subsequent types of submarines, the U-1 was one of the most successful submarines of the first decade of the 20th century [5] .
Service
Before the start of World War I, the U-1 was in the combat structure of the fleet. However, with the outbreak of war, it was already obsolete due to the rapid development of submarines and the emergence of their more progressive types. Therefore, she was transferred to the training flotilla and remained in its composition for almost the entire war. The boat did not participate directly in the fighting [4] .
After the defeat of Germany, U-1 was decommissioned (in December 1919 ) and purchased by the shipyard "Germany", on which it was built. The boat was installed as a memorial ship at this shipyard. In 1921, the submarine was transferred to the German Museum of the Achievements of Natural Sciences and Technology in Munich and sent to this city. Under the terms of the 1919 Versailles Peace Treaty , one side was cut off from U-1 [5] . During World War II, the U-1 was damaged during the bombing, but was repaired after the war. The boat is available for viewing to the present [1] [3] .
See also
- Museum Submarines List
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 Submarines: Over 300 submarines from all over the world . Proflib Digital Library (2001). - S. 42. Date of treatment February 22, 2017.
- ↑ History of the U-1 submarine . Korabli.eu (August 08, 2011). Date of treatment February 22, 2017.
- ↑ 1 2 Submarine U1 . Deutsches Museum (2001). Date of treatment February 22, 2017.
- ↑ 1 2 3 U 1 (English) . Uboat.net (2001). Date of treatment February 24, 2017.
- ↑ 1 2 3 Victor Egorov. Submarine U-1 (Germany; 1906) . Sub.Atomnik.ru (2001). Date of treatment February 22, 2017.