Soviet submarine K-1

Last updated
Shadowgraph Kreiserskaya class submarine.svg
Profile drawing of the class
History
Naval Ensign of the Soviet Union (1935-1950).svg Soviet Union
NameK-1
Builder Zavod No. 194, Leningrad
Laid down27 December 1936
Launched28 April 1938
Completed16 December 1940
Commissioned26 June 1940
FateMissing after 5 September 1943
General characteristics
Class & type Soviet K-class submarine
Displacement
  • 1,490  t (1,470 long tons) (surfaced)
  • 2,104 t (2,071 long tons) (submerged)
Length97.7 m (320 ft 6 in) (o/a)
Beam7.4 m (24 ft 3 in)
Draught4.5 m (14 ft 9 in) (full load)
Installed power
  • 8,400  PS (6,200  kW) (diesel)
  • 2,400 PS (1,800 kW) (electric)
Propulsion2-shaft diesel electric
Speed
  • 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph) (surfaced)
  • 10.3 knots (19.1 km/h; 11.9 mph) (submerged)
Range
  • 7,500  nmi (13,900 km; 8,600 mi) at 10.3 knots (19.1 km/h; 11.9 mph) (surfaced)
  • 176 nmi (326 km; 203 mi) at 3.1 knots (5.7 km/h; 3.6 mph) (submerged)
Test depth80 m (260 ft)
Complement66
Sensors &
processing systems
Tamir-51 sonar
Armament
  • 6 × bow 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes
  • 4 × stern 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes (2 internal, 2 external)
  • 2 × 100 mm (3.9 in) deck guns
  • 2 × 45 mm (1.8 in) deck guns
  • 20 × mines

K-1 was the lead boat of her class of a dozen double-hulled cruiser submarines built for the Soviet Navy during the late 1930s. Although given a heavy torpedo armament, the boats could also lay mines. Commissioned in 1940, the boat was assigned to the Northern Fleet. During the Second World War, she made sixteen war patrols, including eight minelaying missions. K-1 never returned from her last patrol in September 1943, probably sunk by a mine laid by a German heavy cruiser.

Contents

Design and description

Despite the unsuccessful Pravda class built in the early 1930s, the Soviet Navy still dreamed of cruiser submarines capable of attacking enemy ships far from Soviet territory. In 1936 it received approval to build them with the addition of minelaying capability (Project 41). The boats displaced 1,490 metric tons (1,470 long tons ) surfaced and 2,104 t (2,071 long tons) submerged. They had an overall length of 97.7 meters (321 ft), a beam of 7.4 meters (24 ft 3 in), and a draft of 4.5 meters (15 ft) at full load. The boats had a maximum operating depth of 80 m (260 ft). Their crew numbered 66 officers and crewmen. [1]

For surface running, the K-class boats were powered by a pair of 9DKR diesel engines, one per propeller shaft. The engines produced a total of 8,400 metric horsepower (6,178  kW ), enough to give them a speed of 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph). When submerged each shaft was driven by a PG11 1,200-metric-horsepower (883 kW) electric motor for 10.3 knots (19.1 km/h; 11.9 mph). The boats had a surface endurance of 7,500 nautical miles (13,900 km; 8,600 mi) at 10.3 knots (19.1 km/h; 11.9 mph) and 176 nmi (326 km; 203 mi) at 3.1 knots (5.7 km/h; 3.6 mph) submerged. [1]

They were armed with six 533-millimeter (21 in) torpedo tubes in the bow and four were in the stern, two internal and two external. They carried a dozen reloads. A dual-purpose minelaying/ballast tank was located under the conning tower that housed 20 chutes for EP-36 mines which also served as outlets for the ballast tank's Kingston valves. This arrangement proved problematic as this was the location of the greatest structural loads in the hull and the mines were sometimes pinched in the chutes as the hull flexed. Another issue was that the chutes would sometimes jam when debris was drawn in with ballast water. The boats were also equipped with a pair of 100-millimeter (3.9 in) B-24PL deck guns fore and aft on the conning tower and a pair of 45-millimeter (2 in) 21-K guns above them. [2] [1]

Construction and career

K-1 was commissioned into the Baltic Fleet on 26 May 1940 and departed Leningrad for Polyarny via the White Sea–Baltic Canal on 23 June. She was commissioned into the Northern Fleet on 6 August. During the Great Patriotic War, the boat made 16 patrols, half of which were minelaying missions. K-1 was damaged by a mine on 11 August 1942, but managed to make port three days later. The submarine departed base on 5 September 1943 and was never heard or seen again, probably sunk by a mine laid by the Admiral Hipper. [3] [4] [5]

Claims

Ships sunk by K-1 [4]
DateShipFlagTonnageNotes
8 November 1941Flottbeck War ensign of Germany (1938-1945).svg 1,930 GRTFreighter (mine)
26 December 1941Kong Ring Flag of Norway.svg 1,994 GRTFreighter (mine)
8 April 1942Kurzsee War ensign of Germany (1938-1945).svg 734 GRTFreighter (mine)
23 May 1942Asuncion War ensign of Germany (1938-1945).svg 2,454 GRTFreighter (mine)
12 September 1942Robert Bornhofen War ensign of Germany (1938-1945).svg 6,643 GRTFreighter (mine)
6 December 1942V-6116/Ubier War ensign of Germany (1938-1945).svg 350 GRTPatrol vessel (mine)
6 December 1942V-6117/Cherusker War ensign of Germany (1938-1945).svg 304 GRTPatrol vessel (mine)
Total:14,409 GRT

References

  1. 1 2 3 Budzbon, Radziemski & Twardowski, p. 142
  2. Polmar & Noot, p. 265
  3. Budzbon, Radziemski & Twardowski, p. 144
  4. 1 2 "K-1". uboat.net. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  5. Polmar & Noot, p. 264

Bibliography