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IDN TAKE: A Brief History on the Evolution of Submarines
Monday, November 23, 2015 by Indiandefense News
The World's first functional Submarine built in 1720 by the Russian Carpenter Yefim Nikonov
by Debojyoti Kumar
The Dawn of Submarines
The idea of usage of the submarine in a war got its root way back in history as early as 413 BC. The first known usage of the submarines in a war happened in the seige of Syracuse during Peloponnesian war which dates back to approximately 413 BC, where divers were used to clear obstructions. Divers were also used by Alexander during the seige of Tyre. It is asserted from the records of history that the first submersible device used in a war was in the form of a diving bell by Alexander himself.
In the year 1720 first military submarine was built by Yefim Nikonov, who was a carpenter, by order of Russian Czar Peter the Great of Russia. Nikonov was able to arm his submarine with "fire tubes" which were protruded above the water after approaching the enemy ship and some combustible mixture were cannoned out of the tubes to destroy the enemy ship.
The Turtle built by David Bushnell in 1775 was the world's first submersible with a Documented Record of use in Combat
Turtle was the first American military submarine commissioned in the year 1776 which did not see much of usage in wars and was designed by David Bushnell. In 1800 Nautilus built by the French navy was designed by Robert Fulton. Submarino Hipopotamo was the first south American submarine built and tested in Ecuador in the year 1837, and , was designed by Jose Rodriguez Lavandera. Brandtaucher was a Bavarian submarine designed by Wilhelm Bauer and built by August Howaldt in the year 1851. Submarine Flach built by Karl Flach was used by Chilean Govt. during the war between Chile & Peru against Spain in the year 1865.
Submarine Toro Submarino was built by the Peruvian government during the war of Pacific in 1879. Submarine Plongeur launched in 1863 was built by the French navy but did not see any operations. All the above submarines built during the post renaissance period were either abandoned or sunk during experiments due to problems related to pressure, buoyancy and stability problems during diving & ascending.
Ictinoe II a submarine of Spain designed by Narcis Monturiol in 1864 implemented air independent propulsion and double hull and was able to partially solve problems related to pressure, buoyancy and stability problems during diving & ascending which plagued earlier submarines.
The Advent of Torpedoes in War
Nordenfelt I was a 56 tonne, 19.5 meter long Steam Powered Submarine
In the year 1866 Whitehead torpedo was designed by Robert Whitehead. It was fourteen inches in diameter and eleven inches in length which advanced by means of compressed air and had an explosive warhead. It had a speed of 13 km/h and could hit a enemy ship at a distance of 640 meters. It was absorbed in many naval services during 1870s and was instrumental in sinking of the ship Intibah in 16 January 1878 by Russian torpedo carrying ships.
These developmental events regarding the submarines were examples pertaining to human understanding of potential effectiveness of engaging submarine as a war waging machine. The modern submarines started taking shape during the the period of 1870s and 1880s. Swedish industrialist and financier Thorsten Nordenfelt, designer George Garret and Cohran & Co. togethet in 1885 Nordenfelt-I which was derived out of a submarine namely Resurgam (second) built in the year 1878 by the combination of same enthusiasts Nordenfelt-I was the first submarine to harbour a torpedo in it. The submarine measured 19.5 meters weighed 56 tonnes and could cruise for 240 Kilometers. This submarine was purchased by Greece. Nordenfelt-I was followed by Nordenfelt-II and Nordenfelt-III which were improvements over Nordenfelt-I and carried two torpedo tubes andd two 35mm machine guns. Nordenfelt-II was the first submarine to fire a torpedo from a submarine while submerged. Nordenfelt-IV was acquired by the Russians. All these submarines were powered by steam engines. Inspite of the improvements in Nordenfelt series of submarines problems persisted related to rapid submergence, propulsion, underwater balance and maintenance persisted.
The Age of Electric Powered Submarines
Drzewiecki-designed Submarine built in 1881 and now in the Central Naval Museum, Saint Petersburg
With the advent of electric batteries electrically powered submarines emerged in 1880s. Such type of submarines were recorded to be built by Stefan Drzewiecki of Russia, James Franklin Waddington and team of James Ash & Andrew Cambell of England, Dupuy de Lome and Gustave Zede of France and Isaac Peral of Spain. As per records Stefan Drzewiecki was the first naval engineer to successfully build a submarine with electric propulsion which was tested in Neva river. In 1886 battery powered submarine Nautilus was constructed by Ash and Campbell. Electrically powered submarines Goubet-I and Goubet-II built by civil engineer Calude Goubet became inspiration for naval architect Dupuy de Lome and he began work on a submarine which after his demise was completed by Gustave Zede in 1888 and was named Gymnote. Although Gymnote was equipped with a periscope and an electric gyrocompass for navigation was not a successful project due to its very limited range. But hydroplanes of Gymnote became standard for future submarines. In the same year of 1888 Peral submarine was constructed by Isaac Peral and was launched by Spanish navy with new air systems, hull shape, propeller, and cruciform external controls, and three Schwarzkopf torpedoes with one torpedo tube in the bow. The submarine underwent two years of trial before it was scrapped siting short range permitted by its batteries. Despite several more designs navigting with submarines was not reliable and submarines were not put to service by navies of countries until the turn of 20th century.
The Dawn of the Modern Diesel-Electric Submarine
The United States Navy's first practical Submarine, the Holland, made 7 Knots
In 1876 John Phillip Holland had built a model submarine and a full scaled one in 1878 and a few more which were unsuccessful. In 1886 he again designed Holland Type 6 submarine which made use of combustion power on surface and battery power while submerged. The submarine was launched on 17 May 1897 at The United States Navy on 11 April 1900 purchased Holland VI becoming the United States Navy's first commissioned submarine post civil war.
It was renamed USS Holland. In 1902 Holland received US patent and many countries became interested in Holland's design of submarines and purchased the rights to build them. In 1928 US Navy Bureau Of Engineering designed a diesel-electric power transmission.
In this system the submarine's diesel was used for driving a generator that would either charge the batteries or drive the electric motor. This made electric motor speed independent of diesel engine speed which enabled the diesel engine to run at optimum efficiency without reaching non-critical speed.
Under the supervision of naval architect and ship builder from UK, Arthur Leopold Busch built A-class submarine prototype in Crescent Shipyard. It was sold to Imperial Navy Of Russia in 1905. During 1901 to 1903 Royal navy commissioned the Holland-class submarine under licence from Holland Torpedo Boat Company. French submarine Narval was commissioned in June of the year 1900 in which the classic double hull design was introduced with a pressure hull inside the outer shell and it had a range of 160 kilometer under water. Another French submarine Aigrette commissioned in 1904 used diesel rather than gasoline engine for powering the boat on surface.Seventy six of these submarines were built by 1914. Surprisingly Germans were slow to recognize the importance of submarines. An abandoned submarine of Russia after Russo-Japanese war acquired, improved and commissioned in Imperial German Navy (IGN) in 1906 as its first U boat , the U1. But slowly the pace of induction of submarines increased due to which IGN brought subsequent improvements in their U boats. By 1912-13 diesel engine was introduced which were U-19 class submarines in IGN. At the start of world war one Royal navy had the largest fleet of submarines with 74 boats and IGN had 20 that can be readily used in war.
Submarine Aircraft Carriers
The French Surcouf circa 1935 was designed as an "underwater cruiser", intended to seek and engage in surface combat
During interwar developments (period between the beginning of World War I and at the end of World War II) a remarkable development was the conception of the submarine aircraft carriers. They were equipped with a waterproof hangar and steam catapult to launch and recover small sea planes. The submarine and its plane were used as reconnaissance unit at an age in which radars were not in use. British HMS M2 and French Surcouf and numerous other aircraft carrying submarines of Japanese navy were commissioned during the inter-war period.
Impact of Submarines during the two World Wars
During world war one German U-boats sank around 5,000 allied ships. During world war two German U-boats implemented encrypted communications using enigma cipher machine for intelligence reporting and communication. During the war three thousands allied ships were sunk by U-boats. Imperial Japansese Navy operated a varied types of submarines like midget submarines, medium-range submarines, supply submarines, long-range fleet submarines and submarines that could carry aircrafts.
Japanese navy also introduced most advanced torpedoes at that time ,the Type 95 torpedoes, which were oxygen propelled. Submarine force was the most effective anti-ship weapon in the arsenal of USA. Though it formed only about two percent of the US navy US navy was able to destroy over thirty percent of Japanese navy which included eight aircraft carriers & one battleship and eleven cruisers. Crippling of Japan's military supplies and industrial capacity supporting the war was due to the destruction of sixty percent of Japanese merchant shipping by the American submarines.
One thousand five hundred and sixty enemy vessels were sunk by US submarines during the war. British submarines sank two million tons of enemy shippings and fifty seven major enemy warships which included 35 submarines.
During world war II German type XXI submarines were the first submarines able to operate submerged for extended periods compared to other submarines and air independent propulsion was used by manipulating hydrogen peroxide which was replaced with very large batteries at a later period during the war itself. These submarines were not used for long and experiments with hydrogen peroxide by Russia and USA were considered not so fruitful and was abandoned.
In early part of the 20th century mine laying submarines were developed. These submarines were also used for evacuation of covert agents and military forces and used for intelligence gathering. Submarines were also used for carry cargo in hostile waters and provided supplies to other submarines as well.
inuous improvements in the future
Monday, November 23, 2015 by Indiandefense News
The World's first functional Submarine built in 1720 by the Russian Carpenter Yefim Nikonov
by Debojyoti Kumar
The Dawn of Submarines
The idea of usage of the submarine in a war got its root way back in history as early as 413 BC. The first known usage of the submarines in a war happened in the seige of Syracuse during Peloponnesian war which dates back to approximately 413 BC, where divers were used to clear obstructions. Divers were also used by Alexander during the seige of Tyre. It is asserted from the records of history that the first submersible device used in a war was in the form of a diving bell by Alexander himself.
In the year 1720 first military submarine was built by Yefim Nikonov, who was a carpenter, by order of Russian Czar Peter the Great of Russia. Nikonov was able to arm his submarine with "fire tubes" which were protruded above the water after approaching the enemy ship and some combustible mixture were cannoned out of the tubes to destroy the enemy ship.
The Turtle built by David Bushnell in 1775 was the world's first submersible with a Documented Record of use in Combat
Turtle was the first American military submarine commissioned in the year 1776 which did not see much of usage in wars and was designed by David Bushnell. In 1800 Nautilus built by the French navy was designed by Robert Fulton. Submarino Hipopotamo was the first south American submarine built and tested in Ecuador in the year 1837, and , was designed by Jose Rodriguez Lavandera. Brandtaucher was a Bavarian submarine designed by Wilhelm Bauer and built by August Howaldt in the year 1851. Submarine Flach built by Karl Flach was used by Chilean Govt. during the war between Chile & Peru against Spain in the year 1865.
Submarine Toro Submarino was built by the Peruvian government during the war of Pacific in 1879. Submarine Plongeur launched in 1863 was built by the French navy but did not see any operations. All the above submarines built during the post renaissance period were either abandoned or sunk during experiments due to problems related to pressure, buoyancy and stability problems during diving & ascending.
Ictinoe II a submarine of Spain designed by Narcis Monturiol in 1864 implemented air independent propulsion and double hull and was able to partially solve problems related to pressure, buoyancy and stability problems during diving & ascending which plagued earlier submarines.
The Advent of Torpedoes in War
Nordenfelt I was a 56 tonne, 19.5 meter long Steam Powered Submarine
In the year 1866 Whitehead torpedo was designed by Robert Whitehead. It was fourteen inches in diameter and eleven inches in length which advanced by means of compressed air and had an explosive warhead. It had a speed of 13 km/h and could hit a enemy ship at a distance of 640 meters. It was absorbed in many naval services during 1870s and was instrumental in sinking of the ship Intibah in 16 January 1878 by Russian torpedo carrying ships.
These developmental events regarding the submarines were examples pertaining to human understanding of potential effectiveness of engaging submarine as a war waging machine. The modern submarines started taking shape during the the period of 1870s and 1880s. Swedish industrialist and financier Thorsten Nordenfelt, designer George Garret and Cohran & Co. togethet in 1885 Nordenfelt-I which was derived out of a submarine namely Resurgam (second) built in the year 1878 by the combination of same enthusiasts Nordenfelt-I was the first submarine to harbour a torpedo in it. The submarine measured 19.5 meters weighed 56 tonnes and could cruise for 240 Kilometers. This submarine was purchased by Greece. Nordenfelt-I was followed by Nordenfelt-II and Nordenfelt-III which were improvements over Nordenfelt-I and carried two torpedo tubes andd two 35mm machine guns. Nordenfelt-II was the first submarine to fire a torpedo from a submarine while submerged. Nordenfelt-IV was acquired by the Russians. All these submarines were powered by steam engines. Inspite of the improvements in Nordenfelt series of submarines problems persisted related to rapid submergence, propulsion, underwater balance and maintenance persisted.
The Age of Electric Powered Submarines
Drzewiecki-designed Submarine built in 1881 and now in the Central Naval Museum, Saint Petersburg
With the advent of electric batteries electrically powered submarines emerged in 1880s. Such type of submarines were recorded to be built by Stefan Drzewiecki of Russia, James Franklin Waddington and team of James Ash & Andrew Cambell of England, Dupuy de Lome and Gustave Zede of France and Isaac Peral of Spain. As per records Stefan Drzewiecki was the first naval engineer to successfully build a submarine with electric propulsion which was tested in Neva river. In 1886 battery powered submarine Nautilus was constructed by Ash and Campbell. Electrically powered submarines Goubet-I and Goubet-II built by civil engineer Calude Goubet became inspiration for naval architect Dupuy de Lome and he began work on a submarine which after his demise was completed by Gustave Zede in 1888 and was named Gymnote. Although Gymnote was equipped with a periscope and an electric gyrocompass for navigation was not a successful project due to its very limited range. But hydroplanes of Gymnote became standard for future submarines. In the same year of 1888 Peral submarine was constructed by Isaac Peral and was launched by Spanish navy with new air systems, hull shape, propeller, and cruciform external controls, and three Schwarzkopf torpedoes with one torpedo tube in the bow. The submarine underwent two years of trial before it was scrapped siting short range permitted by its batteries. Despite several more designs navigting with submarines was not reliable and submarines were not put to service by navies of countries until the turn of 20th century.
The Dawn of the Modern Diesel-Electric Submarine
The United States Navy's first practical Submarine, the Holland, made 7 Knots
In 1876 John Phillip Holland had built a model submarine and a full scaled one in 1878 and a few more which were unsuccessful. In 1886 he again designed Holland Type 6 submarine which made use of combustion power on surface and battery power while submerged. The submarine was launched on 17 May 1897 at The United States Navy on 11 April 1900 purchased Holland VI becoming the United States Navy's first commissioned submarine post civil war.
It was renamed USS Holland. In 1902 Holland received US patent and many countries became interested in Holland's design of submarines and purchased the rights to build them. In 1928 US Navy Bureau Of Engineering designed a diesel-electric power transmission.
In this system the submarine's diesel was used for driving a generator that would either charge the batteries or drive the electric motor. This made electric motor speed independent of diesel engine speed which enabled the diesel engine to run at optimum efficiency without reaching non-critical speed.
Under the supervision of naval architect and ship builder from UK, Arthur Leopold Busch built A-class submarine prototype in Crescent Shipyard. It was sold to Imperial Navy Of Russia in 1905. During 1901 to 1903 Royal navy commissioned the Holland-class submarine under licence from Holland Torpedo Boat Company. French submarine Narval was commissioned in June of the year 1900 in which the classic double hull design was introduced with a pressure hull inside the outer shell and it had a range of 160 kilometer under water. Another French submarine Aigrette commissioned in 1904 used diesel rather than gasoline engine for powering the boat on surface.Seventy six of these submarines were built by 1914. Surprisingly Germans were slow to recognize the importance of submarines. An abandoned submarine of Russia after Russo-Japanese war acquired, improved and commissioned in Imperial German Navy (IGN) in 1906 as its first U boat , the U1. But slowly the pace of induction of submarines increased due to which IGN brought subsequent improvements in their U boats. By 1912-13 diesel engine was introduced which were U-19 class submarines in IGN. At the start of world war one Royal navy had the largest fleet of submarines with 74 boats and IGN had 20 that can be readily used in war.
Submarine Aircraft Carriers
The French Surcouf circa 1935 was designed as an "underwater cruiser", intended to seek and engage in surface combat
During interwar developments (period between the beginning of World War I and at the end of World War II) a remarkable development was the conception of the submarine aircraft carriers. They were equipped with a waterproof hangar and steam catapult to launch and recover small sea planes. The submarine and its plane were used as reconnaissance unit at an age in which radars were not in use. British HMS M2 and French Surcouf and numerous other aircraft carrying submarines of Japanese navy were commissioned during the inter-war period.
Impact of Submarines during the two World Wars
During world war one German U-boats sank around 5,000 allied ships. During world war two German U-boats implemented encrypted communications using enigma cipher machine for intelligence reporting and communication. During the war three thousands allied ships were sunk by U-boats. Imperial Japansese Navy operated a varied types of submarines like midget submarines, medium-range submarines, supply submarines, long-range fleet submarines and submarines that could carry aircrafts.
Japanese navy also introduced most advanced torpedoes at that time ,the Type 95 torpedoes, which were oxygen propelled. Submarine force was the most effective anti-ship weapon in the arsenal of USA. Though it formed only about two percent of the US navy US navy was able to destroy over thirty percent of Japanese navy which included eight aircraft carriers & one battleship and eleven cruisers. Crippling of Japan's military supplies and industrial capacity supporting the war was due to the destruction of sixty percent of Japanese merchant shipping by the American submarines.
One thousand five hundred and sixty enemy vessels were sunk by US submarines during the war. British submarines sank two million tons of enemy shippings and fifty seven major enemy warships which included 35 submarines.
During world war II German type XXI submarines were the first submarines able to operate submerged for extended periods compared to other submarines and air independent propulsion was used by manipulating hydrogen peroxide which was replaced with very large batteries at a later period during the war itself. These submarines were not used for long and experiments with hydrogen peroxide by Russia and USA were considered not so fruitful and was abandoned.
In early part of the 20th century mine laying submarines were developed. These submarines were also used for evacuation of covert agents and military forces and used for intelligence gathering. Submarines were also used for carry cargo in hostile waters and provided supplies to other submarines as well.
inuous improvements in the future
