Submarine Overview

A Submarine (short for submarine , military style submarine without the hyphen) is a boat that was built for underwater motoring.Modern large submarines, a mass of up to 26,000 tons can have are also U-boats called.
The term U-Boot refers specifically used a military submarine. Civilian submarines, whether commercially or for research , is known mostly as a dive boat .

History

Antiquity to the Middle Ages

The desire of people to dive longer and deeper than the depth breathing air is to fly about as old as the desire. That is why people have always dealt with developing, devices or instruments that would make this possible. From ancient times in this regard are reports of Aristotle and Pliny the Elder before.

Even Alexander the Great is already diving attempts in the Mediterranean have taken (see diving bell). Detailed descriptions of a "Colymphas" (Greek for "diving") above and suitable for military submarine come from the 7/8 Century of pseudo-Jerome in his Aethicus Ister attributed cosmography, a mixture of facts , myths , and geographical designs and Christian wisdom.

A recent description of a submersible vehicle in a story is in about 1180/90 resulting epic " Salman and Morolf ".

13th to 16 Century

An early technical drawing of a submarine comes from Guido da Vigevano , the end of the 13th Born century, so this was in the early 14th Likely comeThe story of the technical nature of the development of a dive or dive boat begins with the 15th Century. For example, in 1405 the Nuremberg war architect designed Konrad Kyeser in his work Bellifortis a first wetsuit . Roberto Valturio 1472 drew his submarine and Leonardo da Vinci in 1515 drew a one-man submarine. century.

17th to 18 Century

These ideas were further advanced, and 1604 described Magnus level for the first time in a book, the basic ideas and requirements for the construction of a submersible. The Dutch inventor Cornelis Jacobszoon Drebbel was the first that went beyond mere theory and in 1620 the first maneuverable underwater vehicle , a coated leather with wooden rowing boat called.

The Rotterdam ship was the first designed for military use submarine history. It was constructed in 1653 by the Frenchman De Son in Rotterdam, Holland.

On behalf of the Landgrave of Hesse in 1691 constructed the French physicist Denis Papin , who is also a professor at the University of Marburg , was a dive boat, the first copy but 1692 on the Fulda in the presence of a large crowd of spectators  was destroyed. The second experiment showed with a candle burning, the flames appeared again, after allegedly have enough breathable air for people in the boat was found. Despite the setbacks had the idea to build a functioning underwater vehicle, now motivated inventors worldwide. 1772 was Steinhude the first underwater vehicle in Germany tested. It was made ​​of wood and had the form of a fish, which is why it has the name Hecht received. By boat about twelve minutes was submerged. The American David Bushnell built in 1776 Turtle ("Turtle"), a structure made ​​of iron and oak. She is considered the first real submarine, because as drive two screws were operated by hand cranks, and not like the two predecessors a sail or oar on the water surface drives the vehicle. 1799 described the Bergmeister Joseph von Baader a design for a two-man submarine.

19th Century

In general, the submarine technology in the 19th Promoted century of simple theories to the first usable ships out. Overall progress made ​​possible by the invention of steam engine ,batteries , gasoline and electric motor drive systems that were independent of weather, wind and muscle power and thus submarines offered opportunities to drive underwater. The industrial production of steel made ​​an important contribution to the progress of the submarine construction by set a tremendously durable building material instead of the slight and fragile against wood decay and parasites.

Moreover, with the invention of the state torpedoes by Giovanni Luppis in 1860 also a useful weapon for the use of submarines available.

Overall, therefore, allowed the technical progress of industrialization, the transformation of the submarine to the Navy for small nations interesting and useful vehicle.

Robert Fulton's Nautilus

The American Robert Fulton designed 1801, the submarine Nautilus . It had a hand crank drive for a screw, but now were new rudder for lateral and depth control, and a compressed air supply system for the four-man crew with breathing air. The Nautilus even caught the attention of Napoleon , but was ultimately for military operations to be slow.

W. Bauer Brandtaucher

On 18 December 1850 the Bavarian artillery sergeant was Wilhelm Bauer in Kiel in Germany, the first built submarine, called Brandtaucher to water. Since the design was built under enormous cost pressure, had been waived the installation of diving cells. The dipping process should be done by the floods of water into the boat. At the first diving attempt on 1 February 1851 in the center of Kiel Fjord but shifted the ballast aft, where the flooded water also flowed into the tail. The boat sank by then, and more water came in through the seams of the outer skin and the Einstiegsluk. The boat sank to the bottom in about twelve feet of water depth. The three-man crew, including Wilhelm Bauer, waited until the internal pressure was as great as that of outside, opened the Einstiegsluk and drove to the surface, where she was rescued. The accident Brandtaucher was salvaged in 1887. After various stations the submarine museum now has its home at the Bundeswehr Military History Museum in Dresden. A model of the fire diver is in the Deutsches Museum in Munich. A life-size model of the bow of the fire diver is in Kiel Maritime Museum.

American Civil War

During the American Civil War, several hand-powered submarines were built, including the CSS H. L. Hunley . On 17 February 1864, she sank the enemy ship USS Housatonic , which also makes the first submarine in the world, which has in times of war destroyed another ship under combat conditions (older submarines only for testing purposes had ships sunk). In this action, the submarine was lost, however, along with his eight-member crew. Until 4 May 1995 the Hunley of the National Underwater and Marine Agency found (NUMA) and salvaged 2000th

Charles Bruns Plongeur

In 1863, the introduced French Navy with the Plongeur one of the world's first in the submerged state not operated by muscle power submarines in service. The boat used a compressed air operated piston engine, was under water to cover a distance of up to 9 km and was a spar torpedo armed. The pneumatic drive required very large tanks, so the submarine was with a length of 43 m and a displacement of 426 ts much larger than any other submarine designs of its time. Because of the drive concept and the short range of the boat could not operate autonomously and took a steam-powered overwater escort vessel that Plongeur drag into the target area and provide them with the necessary air pressure needed.

Narcís Monturiols Ictíneo II

On 2 October 1864 was of Narcís Monturiol with Ictíneo II left one of the first U-boats with a mechanical drive to water. The boat was made ​​of wood - reinforced by Kupferzargen - and was completely covered with about two millimeters thick copper plates. It was by amagnesium , zinc and potassium driven processing engine.

Julius Kröhls Sub Marine Explorer

As the first functional submarine in the world is the Sub Marine Explorer , since it was the first boat that could show up on their own again. The boat was in 1865 by the German-American Julius Kröhl manufactured in New York. The modern design with its streamlined hull was similar to today's boats, a system of ballast chambers for diving and compressed air tanks for the appearance. The purpose of the boat was to gather pearls from the ocean floor, for which it had three deck plates down. After successful testing, it was disassembled into parts and to Panama shipped where Kröhl dived for pearls. In 1867 he died, just like the entire team, probably due to the bends .Only in 2006, the ship was re-discovered. Until then, the locals thought was a ruined Japanese midget submarine from World War II. It lies off the coast of Panama on the basis and can still be reached on foot at low tide.

The boat is still lost forever because the severe corrosion of a salvage or restoration impossible.

Military submarines late 19th Century

In the late 19th Century began the navies of various countries for submarines to care. The Navy ministries of many countries, mainly from Spain, France and the United States wrote for competitions from submarines and did a demonstration of inventions and developments.1886 asked the Spanish Navy one of a naval officer named Isaac Peral designed electrically powered submarine named Peral in service, but could not develop the primitive Akkumulatortechnik. 1881 led the Frenchman Goubet the electric motor as an underwater propulsion.From 1888 in France U-boats were built and placed at the service of the Navy. Henri Dupuy de Lome and Gustave Zédé first developed a battery-powered submarine named Gymnote , built in Toulon. There subsequently developed more and larger boats:

The 48.5 m longsiren , followed in 1892 by a 36.5 m long boat named Morse . Both boats were also battery powered and equipped with modern Whitehead armed torpedoes. The biggest step the French Ministry of the Navy did with by Maxime Laubeuf developed Narval , built in the 1899th She already had a steam engine operating at the surface running, was charging the batteries. This boat was the basis for the siren class , were made ​​in 1900 by the four copies in the service of the French Navy. 1904 France replaced with the introduction of Aigrette class unsuitable for the steam-powered submarines by the much more efficient and reliable diesel engine.

Work done in the U.S. who emigrated Irishman John Philip Holland pioneered. First, he constructed in 1879 four submarines for the United Fenian Brotherhood , which with this new underwater weapon, the Royal Navy and defeat Ireland wanted to become autonomous.Holland boats were already at the surface running from a gasoline engine driven. 1888 wrote the U.S. Navy announced a competition for submarine construction, the Netherlands won. Due to financial problems could provide the Navy Holland from 1895 until money to build a prototype. Thus arose in 1897, the first 40 m long plunger (also known as Holland V called), but because of the lofty goals of the Navy has had many technical deficiencies especially in drive technology. Holland's next design, with 25.4 m significantly smaller Holland VI , but could inspire 1898 the Navy so much that in 1900, the first six boats of similar design Adder class were built. The other navies, especially the Royal Navy, were the rapid development of submarines, however, critical of, rejecting the first submarine building.

1930/Erster 1900 to World War

With the use of the Hunley 1864 began also a growing interest in the use of submarine warfare purposes. In Imperial Germany was initially reluctant to. The experimental submarine (1897) was of Howaldt in Kiel still built on its own account and as a failure already scrapped at the 1902nd
In 1902 in Germany, finally, a prototype of a 200-ton experimental submarine named Trout built and extensively tested. The small submarine turned out to be quite interesting and war-ready and there were three other boats of the same class for the export to Russia made. Now it has been thought in Germany over the use of military submarines, and finally granted after much hesitation on 4 April 1904, the Naval Office of the marine engineer Gustav Berling build to construct the job, a submarine for sea warfare and. Berling then turned to the Germania shipyard in Kiel. His design was leaning in this case to the three previously exported to Russia submarines. However, since there have been some significant changes in the design, delayed the delivery of the submarine, and in April 1905 started the construction. The main changes were mainly the pressure hull, the horizontal arrangement of the torpedo tubes as well as the drive, because you wanted to use instead of a gasoline engine, a potentially dangerous kerosene drive which was not yet fully developed. On 14 December 1906, after several test runs, the first German military submarine of the Imperial German Navy as SM U 1 ( His Majesty's Submarine 1 ) put into service. Today is U 1 at the Deutsches Museum in Munich.

With the beginning of World War I (1914-1918) submarines were first on a larger scale in the trade war ( trading submarine ) or for military purposes (see submarine warfare used). The attack took place on a submarine surfaced and almost always merchant ships were sunk with most of the cannon. Should dive the submarine to escape only to be a prosecution, because under the water it was in World War undetectable to enemy warships. Maximum diving depths were therefore meaningless. The Imperial Navy estimated the submarines at the beginning of the war, little and put more on the big battleships than the tiny submarines. The reputation of the U-boat driver was low.That changed abruptly when SM U 9 on 21 September 1914 off the Dutch coast, one of the three battleships " HMS Aboukir "," Cressy HMS "and" HMS Hogue existing "blockade federation completely submerged. The armored cruiser did not believe a potential hazard by German submarines and torpedoes not detected, which were then compressed air-operated and left their mark in the water.

Rather, a emergence adopted at mines and ignored reports of torpedo bubble traces of the ship tours. This ignorance cost thousands of sailors life, the German submariners made ​​overnight hero and led to the rapid expansion of the German submarine fleet. The reputation of the submariners to the crews on the expensive capital ships, which were hardly used and only achieved limited success, increased enormously. The beginning of the war against the U-boat associations of Britain or France, only small German submarines fleet grew rapidly and showed very quickly that it was technically superior to other nations. In particular, their significantly improved periscopes and the better quality torpedoes made ​​them very quickly to a very serious threat to the fleets and merchant vessels of the enemy.

After the end of World War II slowed the development of military submarines. Germany, now the largest manufacturer in the development and production was the Treaty of Versailles banned. The Allies, however, were in possession of a large offensive submarine weapon no need.

1930 to 1945 - World War II

See also: Battle of the Atlantic , Pacific war , anti-submarine warfare
In the Second World War saw the leadership of the German Navy at the outbreak of war against a very strong enemy fleet. As Britain and France acted as guarantor powers of Poland, it was hoped to achieve with the relatively cheap manufactured submarines maximum burial successes. U-boats were the main threat to all trade routes. They were made ​​primarily to attack cargo ships, cut with the aim of Britain as an island state of much-needed resources. Despite their technical and logistical limitations and the minimal number of only 57 boats at the beginning of World War II U-boat arm was initially so successful. These successes convinced the initially skeptical Hitler to agree to an increased submarine construction program. More and more submarines were put into service and their number approached the basic demand of the Commander of Submarines (BdU) Karl Doenitz to 300 boats for a successful blockade war against England. Of the most successful (the "aces") among the commanders were partially achieved enormous sinkings.

One of the most famous German U-boat commander was Günther Prien , who in 1939 as commander of U 47 in the Bay of Scapa Flow , the stronghold of the British Home Fleet ( Home Fleet invaded), and there an obsolete battleship , the HMS Royal Oak sunk.

Far more important still was the sinking of merchant ships. Here nocturnal attacks of water to at night difficult sifting submarines were most successful. After the initial success, the British economy quickly felt the effects of the thousands of tons of sunken ship area, and there were extensive countermeasures tactical and logistic ( Geleitzugsystem ), as well as purely technical initiated. The rapid progress in radar technology and the features of the backup destroyer convoys hereby made ​​surfaced submarines at night now widely recognized and combatted. Withdrew from the submarine by immersion, it was with ASDIC located and with depth charges to be fought.

Because of the low battery capacity could the submarines under water not settle quickly enough from backup units and suffered increasing losses. The German design and manufacture of the so-called "electric boats" of the types XXI and XXIII , which were ahead of their time and should be built in large numbers came by the end of the war no more, or only sporadically. The Type XXI was the first submarine design that was designed for a vast underwater use. The boats were under water with these types of e-machines faster than showed up with diesel engines and had (by high battery capacity and the opportunity to snorkel operation) the ability to operate long submerged. He made ​​obsolete all other sub-types at once and became the starting point of the entire submarine development after 1945.

Italy also had a large submarine fleet (in June 1940, more than 100 submarines), and has operated in the summer of 1940, the first Italian U-boats in the Atlantic. The ships of the Royal Italian Navy were to capitulation of Italy in September 1943 in use. Unlike the German but they fulfilled the expectations placed on them hardly, as both the construction of the boats (for large tower, which was widely seen even at night) as well as the training of crews not met the requirements of the trade war. At a general level, the Italian successes only a fraction of those who achieved the Germans.

In contrast to the German U-boats, the British submarines were not originally developed for use in the trade war on the high seas. They were used mostly to monitor the ports and naval bases under German control. The existing boat H-class and L-class submarines were single hull, whose designs dated from the First World War. double hull boats offshore boats included the Thames and T-Class.

Of the newly developed by the Royal Navy modern double hull boats offshore A-Class before the war ended, only the two boats were Anchorite and Astute completed, that no longer came to the war effort.

Militarily significant were the British in the Mediterranean operating submarines from their bases in Malta, Gibraltar and Alexandria successfully torpedoed ships of the Axis powers, which should carry supplies to the North African theater of war. Much of the supply of goods for the German-Italian Army Africa was here based on the information of the British Ultra Secret sunk.Its decryption of Enigma -M radio communications made ​​it possible for the British to locate enemy naval operations early and countermeasures. The successful completion of the operation " Ultra " , in which the British destroyer HMS Somali was specifically on the hunt for German weather and supply ships to capture their cipher and key supplied, this possibility late May 1941.

Only towards the end of the war intervened Soviet submarines in the Baltic Sea in the war effort, where they threatened the German ship transports to and from the East Prussian boiler. They caused three of the most devastating maritime disasters of all time: On 30 January 1945 buried S-13 (С-13) , the Wilhelm Gustloff , with more than 9,000 people were killed. On 10 February sunken S-13 , the Steuben(3,400 deaths), 16 April was the Goya victims of Soviet submarine L-3 (Л-3) (over 7,000 dead).
In the war possessed both Japan and the United States on major submarine fleet, which stood next to this theater of war, some British and Dutch submarines in service. While the Japanese Navy leadership was the main task of its submarines in the security of one's over-water fleet operations and combating enemy warships, the Americans focused on the sinking of merchant ships. In Japan, there was also the development and use of micro-submarines, which were of the large "underwater cruisers" placed near the target area. Japan also built submarine aircraft carriers, which could take up to a pressure hull up to three aircraft. It was planned, with these aircraft as the locks of the Panama Canal and San Francisco bomb. At the beginning of the war, the Japanese merchant fleet had a ship GRT space of 6 million. Of this end of the war 5,053,491 GRT (1178 ships) were sunk. The delays due to the losses in the Japanese supply shortages as well as in the supply of raw materials in Japan contributed to the Allied victory in the Pacific. The Japanese submarine weapon suffered through the use of sonar in the Americans heavy losses, from a total of 190 U-boats were lost 127th Often, the Japanese submarines were attacked before they could ever reach the target. The U.S. Navy lost 52 submarines, which represented almost 16% of all boats in service.

After 1945

Although the U-boat campaign had proved to be very costly, the strategic value of the U-boat force gained more and more importance in the Cold War . The aim of the submarine development now was to improve the weaknesses of the models of World War II. This was aimed particularly at extreme long - from underwater tours and great depths - and fast.

The process culminated in the construction of nuclear-powered submarines , which met the required long dive times. The United States was the leader in this development, and on 21 January 1954 was the first nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus , is launched.On 3 August 1958, it passed the first vessel in a diving trip in the Arctic to the geographical North Pole . On 23 January 1960 the research submarine reached Trieste with 10,916 meters depth the second lowest point on earth.

In the following years he developed the submarines more quickly. They were built bigger and more powerful. There was nothing to announce hardly spectacular "public" developments in submarine technology and anti-submarine weapon was in their entirety as very secret, the public learned in the following decades, only in the form of "disaster" about something the modern submarines.

Accidents

Since World War II submarines make especially by major crashes headlines:

• On 9 April 1963, there was a tragic accident in the Atlantic. The USS Thresher broke a deep dive attempt into six parts. It is now assumed that a high-pressure pipe burst and thus the ballast tanks could not be blown out in time. However, the prototype of a submarine-hunting was also before tax problems in intercepting the ship at high speed at great depths. There were no survivors.
• On 8 Occurred in March 1968 aboard the Soviet submarine K-129 an explosion, and then the submarine sank. 86 crew members were killed. This also marked the beginning of Azorian Project , the secret trial of the CIA , to salvage the Soviet submarine of about 5,000 meters.
• In May 1968, the nuclear-powered disappeared USS Scorpion on a trip to Norfolk of Gibraltar near the Azores. To date, there are various speculations about the disappearance, from a collision up to a uncontrolled losgelaufenen torpedo. Most likely, however, is a malfunction of a torpedo battery, leading to an internal explosion.
• In 1986, the Russian submarine sank K-219 in the Atlantic due to the explosion of the fuel in one of its rockets Startsilo.
• On 12 August 2000 sank the Russian submarine K-141 Kursk of a number of its own torpedo explosions with his entire, 118-person crew.
• End of December 2011, there was a major fire at the rubber sleeve of the nuclear-powered Russian submarine Yekaterinburg (after the eponymous town ; project 667BDRMclass).

Fighting

Even after the Second World War there were isolated cases of fighting in which submarines were involved. The first still found with conventional submarines in the Bangladesh warinstead of the year 1971, when India intervened in the war between Bangladesh and Pakistan. It was on 9 December 1971, the Indian frigate INS Khukri by the Pakistani submarinePNS Hangor sunk a boat of French Daphne class . Eleven years later, first attacked a nuclear submarine at a naval vessel: On 2 May 1982, the Argentine cruiser was General Belgrano in the Falklands War by a torpedo of the British submarine HMS Conqueror sinks.
Moreover submarines to reconnaissance used. To an international scandal occurred in October 1981 when the nuclear-armed Soviet submarine torpedoes W-137 ( Whiskey class ) before the Swedish Karlskrona naval base on a skerry and ran from the Swedish Navy was applied. The Soviet leadership denied then an espionage operation against neutral Sweden and the incident led to a "navigation error".

State of the art

Size

The largest submarines ever built, are those of the Soviet Project 941 (NATO name: Typhoon class), modeled on the Soviet submarine from the movie Hunt for Red October .

Drives

Since the Second World War, the great powers laid almost entirely on the use of nuclear-powered submarines, it was left to smaller navies (mainly Germany, Italy, Sweden and the Netherlands) to develop the technology for conventionally powered submarines. The current state of the technology is the introduction of Air Independent Propulsion systems in the form of, for example, fuel cells , power cycle or Stirling engine . Examples include the German submarine Type 212 A , the first boat U 31 in March 2004 to the German Navy was passed, and the Swedish Gotland class whose boats are since 1996 in operation. U 31 is the first Submarine on a hybrid of electric and fuel cell drive, thus enabling week-long dives without the disadvantages of a nuclear drive (pump and turbine noise, heat dissipation (heat Train), security risks).

Technology

Submarines differ by several features of ordinary vessels: They swim not only (on the surface), but float in water ( Warlords ). In Warlords, the main field of application, its mass should be equal to the displaced water (mass displacement; see Archimedes' principle ).
This condition is, however, never reached exactly. On the one hand as well, even from the smallest differences between the submarine and the mass of the displaced water. On the other hand, the density of the surrounding water continuously altered by changes in salinity, the amount of suspended solids (plankton) and the temperature of the water. The submarine has thus always a, albeit small, to rise or fall trend ( inflation / negative buoyancy), and therefore must be controlled are what water is being flooded in the control cells or expressed.
The well is controlled boat maneuvered under water in the vertical direction only dynamically, that is by means of its horizontal hydroplanes , of which each pair were placed fore and aft. Modern submarines carry forward hydroplanes partly on the side of the tower.

Hulk

The first underwater vehicles from the 15th to 18 Century, were almost invariably made ​​of wood and - if at all - only held together by nails or Eisenzargen. Often the boats were manufactured so that it symbolizes a normal wooden boat another wooden boat keel upwards mounted. In general, the wooden planks of such underwater vehicles were sealed by bad luck and also to seal completely covered with a skin of leather. These "submarines" have been mostly to Einhüllenboote where the ballast tanks were mounted inside the pressure hull. Since the cells were associated with the outer water, they had to be built flameproof and corresponding pumps exist.
It was only when the mid-19th Century technically able to attach the drive screw and the rudder to the fuselage so that the vehicles could be moved and controlled independently, without being pulled to the surface of a support vehicle, also changed the structure of the fuselage. Now the construction of the shells have been strengthened by increased metal inserts, and the early 20th Century, the first submarines were built with an all steel hull.
Ballast tanks and tanks are moved rather quickly from the pressure vessel to the outside, there were thus Einhüllenboote with saddle tanks . From the search for a good seaworthiness in surface running was thus finally the two shell boot , wherein the diving cells were placed around the cylindrical pressure vessel. The boat was therefore a second envelope in the form of boat. Since this dip in state inside and out was under the same pressure, they did not need to be particularly strong. The fuel consumption due to changes in weight were encountered in that the fuel oil was not pressure-resistant, open-bottomed bunkers driven floating on sea water.
With the after or during the Second World War, increasing technical development gradually disappeared after the water aspect of the submarine. The boats were initially given hydrodynamically clean, smooth shape, and U.S. developments around the experimental submarine USS Albacore eventually led to today mostly built teardrop shape with cylindrical center piece. This is normally achieved in that the cylindrical pressure body is made ​​by free-floating structures, fore and aft streamlined. Also, the upper deck and the tower are freiflutend, but there are no continuous second envelope. Today's common boats are thus neither single-nor two-shell boats and sometimes half shell boats called.

In modern boats the internals such as crew quarters, command center, driving, etc. increasingly decoupled acoustically, that is, with passive and active damping and intermediate carriers suspended from the hull or mounted. More conventional propellers have been by a single vielflügligen sickle propeller or a nozzle propeller or pump jet replaced. The aim is to further minimize noise emissions to the surrounding water and the quietness of the boat, making it virtually "invisible" (see stealth technology ). Reports of magnetohydrodynamic drives ("caterpillar drive" or MHA-like technique), however, should be more attributable to Fiction.
The following graph gives an idea of the size of older and modern submarines compared to a Boeing 747 airliner (for abbreviations seeMilitary classification of submarines ):

Depth

The pressure hull of modern military submarines normally maintain a water pressure of 600 meters was. Given the depth of the oceans, this means that they can actually operate just below the water surface. Some Soviet nuclear submarines have body pressure from titanium and are able to dive 900 meters deep. U-boats of type Alfa allegedly even come under 1,200 meters. Special civilian deepwater submarines and Bathyscaphen are able to reach any point on the seabed.

Control

Submarines must be able to maneuver in three dimensions.

• Ballast tanks : tanks, which are filled to increase the weight when diving with water and air to surface. The start of filling the buoyancy cells with air, sometimes the whole process, is blowing called. blowing (submarine) is the complete emptying of the cells when the boat has broken through the surface of the water, by means of diesel exhaust or a special electric fan to air . save
• Rule cells : The cells are usually the fine adjustment of the boat ground to the state of uncertainty in the water to maintain, and are therefore always partially filled with air to zufluten water. There are usually several control cells in which this bubble is driven under different pressures to be used for rough and fine mass changes. The control cells are flameproof.
• Torpedo cells : When the boat discharges weapons (mostly torpedoes), the lost weight should be balanced. This has its own torpedo cells that can be flooded when firing rapidly. Since a torpedo salvo may well weigh ten tons or more, these cells are quite large.
• Under impulse cells : this particular task diving cells is to increase the weight of the submarine as soon as possible in order to achieve faster alarm dive times. These were in combat in World War II boats sometimes less than 30 seconds. Since the sub-drive cells could be exposed to high water pressure, they had after the boat disappeared under the water surface, to be expelled. In modern nuclear submarines This technique is no longer used, since they usually have to appear only once during their operations and emerge only after months. Therefore you need to dive in some cases several minutes.
• Trimming cells : They are used to the boat einzusteuern 0-heavy and to an even keel. The trimming system comprises a fixed amount of water, which can be pushed forward or backward. This is done by compressed air in the opposite tank or with a pump in the trimming line, the latter has the advantage to save pressurized air. The trim cells are not flameproof iA (in contrast to the control cells).
• Hydroplanes : You assume the tuning submerged. The arrangement of the forward hydroplanes varies in modern submarines greatly.The tower-mounted hydroplanes are not able to support the immersion process, and make the appearance in iced water. Small submarines sometimes have a dynamic depth control, ie, they control only with diving rudders. This technique is mainly used for unmanned submarines and model.

For fine-tuning at periscope depth, see: Papenberg instrument

Drive

The route over water, in principle, all drives can be used for ships that come into question. Ordinary marine engines ( diesel engines , gas turbines ) are internal combustion engines , and require large amounts of oxygen for the combustion process, which is in surface running in the air.

• Normal steam engines have to say the serious problem that they are very big and bulky, and the process of steam generation is sluggish, before it can be used, you have to heat up long, and then you can steam production not simply turn it off, what a submarine, which will dive quickly and hardly useful.
• Petroleum and gasoline engines fulfill the requirement in principle, at a low weight to be able to quickly provide a high performance, and also can be turned off again quickly. In practice, however, have the irritant and flammable vapors of fuel proved problematic. Again and again at the beginning of submarine development in motor fires and explosions in the boats and the crews suffered considerable irritation.
• Diesel engines for a long time proved to be the most suitable unit to drive the boat through water. Since the invention of a snorkel for submarines, the diesel engine even at      periscope depth to be used. However, the boat is therefore bound by a very small depth.

The real problem arises, however, drive to dive, as there is not enough air for the operation of internal combustion engines is available, and at larger depths and gases can not be derived. You must set air independent drives are used.

• Muscle power: The first submarines were powered by hand with Fußkurbel, treadmill or crank. Mentioned here would be about the Brandtaucher , Bushnell Turtle , Fulton Nautilus and Hunley of Southern in the American civil war .
• Steam-powered: experiments with a system based on chemical vapor drive for so-called Fleet submarine on piston engine or turbine base were abandoned as an aberration soon. This drive is found, however, in a modified form to this day the torpedo .
• Electric drive with batteries : Suitable as a sole drive for small submarines, for example, research submarines and divers means of transport, but also for robots and torpedoes. In connection with an internal combustion engine that charges the batteries at surface running, he is still the drive for almost all nichtatomar powered submarines.During the First World War was formed this combined diesel-electric drive as standard out.
• Walter drive with highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide : During the Second World War, there was on the German side tests with an air independent propulsion turbine on the basis of highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide in combination with diesel fuel. The hydrogen peroxide was prepared in the above as Zersetzerkammer catalyst acting manganese dioxide (manganese dioxide) directed to where it is rapidly decomposed at very high heat, then the oxygen-containing hot steam diesel fuel was injected, the ignited immediately itself. The resulting gas-vapor mixture then drive a turbine. These were the so-called Walter submarines, named after its designer Hellmuth Walter . As advantages longer dive times and much greater speed under water were mentioned. The drive has not been taken into production, the key findings of boat development, such as the smooth hull form, but were still in the war used ( Type XXI , Type XXIII ) and significantly affected all post-war developments. After the Second World War, the United Kingdom continued the research at the Walter drive, due to the hazardous nature of the chemicals used and the high fuel consumption of this extremely powerful drive but was soon abandoned. An error in the hydrogen-drive a torpedo to the sinking of the Russian submarine K-141 Kursk led.
• Circulatory diesel drive : The diesel engine (or any other internal combustion engine ) with an oxygen supplier such as liquid oxygen (LOX) or hydrogen peroxide , operated under water. The combustion gases are washed, and the lack of oxygen before the re-combustion again added. The CCD (Closed Cycle Diesel) was the mid-1990s through to TNSW submarine U1 - which was also used as a test vehicle for the fuel cell - tested successfully, but could not prevail on the international market.
• Nuclear power : When nuclear submarines are used as main propulsion engines steam turbines. The steam is in turn by a nuclear reactor generated. For maneuver rides often, an electrically powered auxiliary drive to the propeller shaft are coupled. Auxiliary steam turbines and generators produce electricity, which in turn serves the supply of electrotechnical equipment. Since by electrolysis and oxygen and drinking water can be extracted from seawater, submarines can remain for months with nuclear propulsion underwater.
• Stirling Engine : In some submarines of the Swedish and Japanese navy, possibly also in the Navy of the People's Republic of China, come air independent Stirling engines are used to improve the Geräuschtarnung extraordinarily silent. Stirling engines operate on the basis of a temperature gradient, therefore, no waste gas produced and must be as not to be ejected.
• MESMA drive : A French development is this cycle steam turbine drive represents the actual steam cycle is the ethanol -burning cycle, separated similar to the cauldron-turbine ship propulsion. Liquid oxygen (LOX) replaces the earlier hydrogen peroxide the Walter drives the turbine does not act directly on the propeller shaft, a generator provides the acoustic decoupling. Such systems are used in the Spanish and Pakistan Navy for use.
• Fuel cells : In these boats are driven ultimately by electric motors . In the fuel cell, but the energy is not produced in a chemical fuel via the detour of the combustion, but catalytically converted directly into electricity, which then drives the electric motors. The development of this technology began towards the end of World War II. The interest of using fuel cells for submarines is so much older than the automobile industry. Today this form of propulsion is probably comply with the nuclear propulsion, the most advanced represents both the independence of atmospheric oxygen and a minimum of moving parts that cause noise, long residence under water, and the little heat to the requirements of modern military submarines. Using the classes 212 A and 214 were now in some marine fuel cell submarines from a German design introduced.
• Magnetohydrodynamic drive (MHD propulsion): This is about the U-boat through a propulsion nozzle or a continuously changing magnetic field down. By electromagnetic effects ( Lorentz force ) on the conductive salt ions in sea water so that a water jet is generated, according to the reaction principle drives the submarine. In practice, this propulsion technology was in the 1990s by the Japanese company Mitsubishi on the testbed Yamato 1 applied, however, brought only a disappointing mileage of 8 knots (15 km / h).

Notauftauchen

If a submarine blows on all of its dive and control cells with the on-board compressed air, it is therefore initiating a fast Auftauchvorgang, called Notauftauchen or Emergency Surface. The ensuing forces are so great that the submarine briefly escaped from the water 'jumping out'. If the submarine at a steep angle to the water surface increases the Auftauchvorgang's fastest. Examples:

• In October 1986, the captain of the nuclear-powered Soviet submarine chose K-219 at a depth of approximately 350 m to Notauftauchen. Just two minutes after an explosion on board the K-219 broke through the surface.
• the USS Greeneville (SSN-772) during a simulated Notauftauchen 2001 rammed a Japanese fishing boat.
• in the movie Hunt for Red October , probably inspired by the accident on the K-219 , a notauftauchendes submarine is seen.
• K-145

Military submarines

Many states have military submarines, accurate data on the numbers, however, are often secret.
The strength of submarines against surface ships is that they operate hidden and difficult to be discovered.
Because submarines are not visually detectable, because the sea is dark at greater depths and radar does not work under water, they can at long distances only acoustically be located at short distances by the heating of the water by the drive or distortion of Earth's magnetic field through the steel shell.
Therefore, particularly in the construction ensure that a submarine is as quiet as possible.This is enabled by a streamlined hull and specially shaped propeller.

Tasks and types of submarines

The original purpose of submarines was to combat surface ships. In this role, the subs gained its importance in both world wars. With the beginning of the nuclear age there were two other main tasks: strategic submarines equipped with nuclear missiles and served the nuclear deterrent . They formed part of the so-called first strike , but could also be the second strike capability are expected to survive an enemy attack on their own country and should be ready for a counter strike. At the same time hunting on enemy strategic submarines special hunting submarines developed. Both tasks were used primarily, but not exclusively, nuclear-powered submarines. Recently, hunting submarines with nichtnuklearem, air-independent propulsion have been developed. The German Navy and some allies with the boats currently in Germany developed fuel cell drive are purchased. In the German Navy's submarines are the Type 212 A , which are made ​​by little into service.
In addition to these traditional functions, the Enlightenment with submarines has gained in importance. Because of their ability to operate unseen and listen to acoustic sensors with very wide, U-boats gather in scenarios just below the threshold of open conflict important insights. Another special task is the use of frogmen from the submarine. Both functions may be performed by conventional or special submarines.
We can distinguish different types of military or civilian submarines, whichever purpose and which job belongs to the respective submarine. Because submarines are today, however, mostly used militarily, in the list below, the predominant share of the various military applications submarine types:

• Nuclear submarines can travel long distances and are often very large (up to 48,000 tons displacement ).
• Strategic missile submarines (SSBN german / french SNLE) served the nuclear deterrent (See Ohio-class and Vanguard -class ). First submarines of this type caused by alterations of attack submarines (see George Washington class ). The initial plans were still back at the German A4 rocket or the use of the prepared U.S. V1 replicas against Japan. In the course of disarmament there was an attempt to use some boats for conventional missiles or the transport of special forces.
• Angriffs-/Jagd-U-Boote (including tactical submarines) are usually armed with torpedoes to attack other ships or submarines. In addition, they can also cruise missiles for attacking land targets or rewarding sea targets (such as aircraft carrier battle groups to be inserted). This is their main job, they are as submarines with cruise missiles known.Hunting submarines exist with a variety of powertrains. Nuclear-powered hunting submarines serve to combat enemy submarines. Hunting submarines represent the most effective weapon against submarines with ballistic missiles, as they often operate submerged under the ice. In addition, the sensor range of submerged submarines is far greater than that of surface vessels or aircraft. Hunting submarines are distinguished primarily by their high speed. Like the one Russian Alfa class submarines to the fastest existing submarines.
• Supply submarines and submarine tankers (World War II): this task boats it was in World War II, other submarines at sea with supply replenishment ( dairy cows ). The large, but also cumbersome boats were easy targets and were, if still intact, now used differently.
• Commercial submarines : they were only used in WWI. The only ever built and used commercial submarines that were part of a civilian shipping company, the U "Germany" and U "Bremen" was. During World War II were merely military submarines of the type IX D, the so-called monsoon boats that operated in the Indian Ocean, loaded for the return trip to Germany in Penang with rubber, tungsten, tin, quinine and opium. They broke through the Allied naval blockade. In the 70s, there were plans to use large submarines for Arctic crude oil transportation.
• Submarine minelayer : Still in the First World War came specialized submarines as minelayer (mine shaft) are used. But already during World War II could be made ​​laying specially developed ground mines over the torpedo tubes. Today this function is ensured only through the torpedo tubes or special outer minefield.
• Submarine was in World War I and in the interwar period for the trade war after prize regulations developed. Thus, they were armed with heavy artillery in addition to torpedoes, and even wore dinghies observation aircraft. The largest submarine in World War II, the French Surcouf was such a Submarine. Aircraft served on Japanese submarines to explore large areas, plans to bomb the Panama Canal during World War II by 6 Seiran aircraft submarines I-400 and I-401 were indeed were not carried out because the two U boats were operational until early summer 1945. The less successful Fleet submarines were built primarily to emerged with a steam engine in the association of the regular fleet ride.
• Coastal submarines are generally smaller and more agile built. They operate primarily with conventional operating in the field of continental Schelfes .
• Other military submarine tasks :
• Enlightenment: coastal reconnaissance, reconnaissance with towing autogyro (wagtail) or onboard aircraft (above)
• Development: testing of new technologies, such as USS Albacore , the German Walter boats and the French Gymnote
• Transport: frogman, manned torpedoes, supply means, courier services, etc.
• Rescue: rescue or recovery abortive submarine crews

Military classification

To denote submarine types mostly the standards used by the U.S. Navy. They provide information about the drive and use a submarine.Generally, the abbreviation "SS" in the U.S. Navy for "ship, submersible" (German: " ship, submersible "). Depending on the drive and purpose of a military submarine or letters tags are attached:

• N for "nuclear", ie, nuclear-powered, see nuclear submarine .
• G for "guided missiles", which is the primary offensive weapons with guided missiles such as cruise missiles or Seezielflugkörpern , most tactically used, see submarines with cruise missiles .
• B for "ballistic", ie the armed ballistic intercontinental ballistic missiles for strategic deployment, see submarines with ballistic missiles .
• K for "conventional", ie the classic diesel-electric submarine for ocean use.
• C for "coastal", ie, the special design for use in coastal waters.

In addition to these possibilities knows the nomenclature of the U.S. Navy also has other functions such as U-tanker (letter O for Oiler ), training boats (T for training ) or radar surveillance (R for radar picket .) These abbreviations, however, are uncommon and internationally today are no more submarines of this type used.
The former Soviet and current Russian Navy uses a similar system, the combination of the abbreviation for Submarine (PL) allows added to shortcuts for propulsion and armament type: [4]

• PL (ПЛ) (Podwodnaja Lodka, Подводная Лодка, U-Boot)
• PLA (ПЛА) (Podwodnaja boat Atomnaja, Подводная Лодка Атомная, Atomgetriebenes U-Boot)
• PLARB (ПЛАРБ) (Podwodnaja Lodka Atomnaja Raketnaja Ballistitscheskaja, Подводная Лодка Атомная Ракетная Баллистическая, Atomgetriebenes U-Boot myth ballistischen rockets)
• PLARK (ПЛАРК) (Podwodnaja Lodka Atomnaja Raketnaja Krylataja, Подводная Лодка Атомная Ракетная Крылатая, Atomgetriebenes U-Boot myth Lenkflugkörpern)

For boats with diesel engines, this results in:

• DPLRB (ДПЛРБ) (Diselnaya Podwodnaja Lodka Raketnaja Ballistitscheskaja, дизельная подводная лодка с баллистическими ракетами, Diesel-U-Boot myth ballistischen rockets)
• DPLRK (ДПЛРК) (Diselnaya Podwodnaja Lodka Raketnaja Krylataja, дизельная подводная лодка с крылатыми ракетами, Diesel-U-Boot myth Lenkflugkörpern)

Sensors

For the surface running submarines today radar .
For orientation, when the U-boat floats just below the water surface, a periscope be extended, with the environment can be explored via water. In addition to the traditional optical periscope are increasingly used electrooptical Ausfahrmasten. They have a rule about night vision capable components.
In addition, can be determined using special antennas, the radar signals or radio broadcasts of surface units.
Underwater, a submarine locate other ships only acoustically. This can passively hydrophones done (underwater microphones, usually. cylinder as base as base ball or linear antenna side (flank array / FAS)) or active sonar on, the U-boat's position with the sonar itself reveals.
Passive sonar systems, even at several hundred meters long cables called as towed sonar is towed behind the submarine (English Towed Array / CAS). This has some advantages, but also disadvantages. Thus the sensitivity of the passive sonar significantly increased, on the one hand much more hydrophones in the tow cable can be attached, and on the other hand, the distance to drive the submarine has reduced the noise. This leads to a significantly increased sensitivity, which ensures increased listening range and bearing accuracy.A disadvantage of the towing sonar is its length (some up to half a kilometer long) and weight. The maneuverability of the submarine and also is limited by the speed, the latter is the lesser problem, since the towed sonar anyway only at slow speed or slow speed is used.The Einholdauer the towing sonar depends on the length of the cable and may well take longer than a minute, in critical situations, but can be "long" too. Must quickly in a crisis situation, the speed increases, initiated a tight turning maneuvers or the diving depth is changed rapidly, often no other choice than to cut the towed sonar.

Tracking Protection

Passive Tracking Protection

The basic principle is that a submarine is to locate the heavier, smaller and quieter it is. Diesel electric-powered submarines have so submerged. Many advantages over the much larger nuclear submarines The main advantage of nuclear submarines, their endurance and speed. High speeds decrease but the sensor range and significantly increase the noise level. Additionally causing the high temperature of the reactor, a number of problems. In modern nuclear reactors with low power dissipation, the cooling solely by convection can be accomplished. Otherwise, cooling water pumps are needed that produce sounds that are propagated through the hull into the water and to locate there are. The waste heat from the cooling water of nuclear reactors is to locate even by satellite. Another possibility to attenuate the intrinsic noise of a submarine is to all machines on a free-swinging, rubber-mounted platform to build in order to reduce noise transmission to the so the remaining ship's hull. Specially shaped propeller ensure minimization of cavitation noise .
Besides the loss of the intrinsic noise measures are also used, which the tracking by enemy sonar to hinder. Sun damps Opanin shell, an approximately 4 mm thick rubber coating, the acoustic backscatter in the frequency band 10 to 18 kHz up to 15%. The effect of the protective agent is highly dependent on salt content, air content and temperature of the water. This technique was pioneered in 1943 in the German U 480 applied. The special design of the hull can reduce the sonar radar cross section of a submarine, so that an incident sonar pulse is deflected or scattered and only a very faint echo is reflected back towards the transmitter
The hull consists of some submarine classes from a non-magnetic steel . Thus, the detection by capturing the submarine produced distortion of the earth's nearly impossible.
Since the Second World War also be measured radio monitoring devices on submarines, which are intended to warn the crew of the submarine against a possible radar detection by enemy air and sea targets.

Active Tracking protection, active countermeasures

A preservative is in ejecting decoys (" Bolden "). A decoy can be a lifting body, the calcium hydride (CaH 2 ), and may be ejected from the submarine. It floats in water, producing hydrogen bubbles intended for active sonar detection simulate a decoy, can run behind the threatened submarine. Another remedy is the expulsion or dragging of decoys that mimic the sounds of the submarine or its drive and thus lead to passive sonar detection of approaching torpedoes astray.
In addition, today also come electronic decoys used. They are divided into soft and hard kill systems. The soft kill systems are called jammers and decoys. Jammer generate a very strong interfering signal is to hide the sonar of the attacking torpedoes. Decoys take on the active sonar signal of the attacking torpedoes and send it back as an echo appearance to attract the right target from the weapon and deflect. In hard kill systems, anti-torpedo torpedoes come as the SeaSpider Atlas electronics. Alternatively, at the Rafael Torbuster, intended to provide a decoy, lure of the attacking torpedo and then destroy an integrated explosives.
For flying submarine hunter meanwhile launched from torpedo tubes missiles are under development or in use. On the use of "smart" torpedoes as extensive mines , as self-running decoy and shedder, as de-mining, communications and reconnaissance assets can also be speculated just as rocket-propelled through the use of "Kavitationsblasentorpedos" to protect against hostile torpedoes.

Communication

Communicating with submerged submarines is problematic. Very long-wave radio signals (VLF, very low frequency, VLF ), such as the naval radio station DHO38 can penetrate about 10 to 30 meters deep in the sea water. During World War II took the Navy the VLF transmitter Goliath at 16.55 kHz (main frequency) to communicate messages to submerged submarines. Only the superpowers now have the ability to little data to send submarines to even at depths up to 300 meters. This happened at 76 Hz (USA) and 82 Hz (Russia), ie SLF ( Super Low Frequency ). The only relatively small data rate allowed only a "call signal" to submarines ask as to rise to about 15 meters below the water surface in order to VLF (VLF (3 ... 30 kHz)) receive higher data rate messages without antenna to be positioned above the water surface buoys, etc. have. The VLF system (VLF) is for single-sided radio traffic without sticking out of the water part of the submarine still in operation.
For the SLF system it looks like this: The 76 Hz frequency of the United States was abandoned in September 2004, and activities on the Russian 82-Hz frequency observed any more for a long time.
If large amounts of data are exchanged or received the submarine not only, but also needs to send, but it is forced to penetrate the surface of the water with conventional antenna towers or buoys. This, however, makes it easier to locate the submarine. Longer messages to a submarine stored on a satellite and downloaded (in seconds). For a submerged submarine, there is the possibility of having a radio buoy rise to a stored message, which is then sent to a satellite, for example. That is also the rule for emergency situations, where the boat sank to the ocean floor and help is needed from outside. Attempts to solve the problem of communication by satellite-based lasers that can penetrate into the sea, to a certain degree, were probably abandoned after the end of the Cold War.
Scientists Maurice Green and Kenneth Scussel by the U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR) has succeeded 2007 also, an underwater GPS system to develop that will allow accurate positioning of submarines. The system is able to locate on the basis of acoustic signals and computer calculations the position of submarines and in the future possibly also by divers. For this purpose, on the seabed entrenched precisely positioned GPS base stations to be set up. A submarine sonar pulses can with the GPS base station on the seabed "communicate". By the response signal of the GPS seabed station which calculates the exact depth and the azimuth of the received sound pulse, a computer system on board a submarine with the GPS data to calculate its own position under water.
Over very short distances, acoustic underwater telephones ( Gertrude ) are used. In addition, information can be carried in the form of sonar Morse exchange messages. In civilian submersibles it is often a recourse to a wired connection.

Armament

Torpedoes are the most common weapon of military submarines. They are torpedo tubes ejected from the fuselage, and a propeller drive, more recently, by a water jet or to supercavitation driven leading rocket engine. Modern torpedoes are usually of which they abschießenden submarines remote controlled via a wire, but can also automatically detect targets. The torpedo rooms where the torpedoes and other weapons are stored, are located mostly in the bow of the submarine. In more recent developments, such as the U.S. Los Angeles-class , however, the weapons were placed amidships and rather directed the torpedo tubes forward at an angle, in this way was a more powerful active sonar can be accommodated in the bow. Torpedo tubes at the rear of a submarine were common until after World War II, however, are no longer used because they autonomously or for remote-homing torpedoes are not required.
From the torpedo tubes of modern submarines can also missiles are launched. The most common principle here is to have a missile that can be launched from surface vessels to stow in a cylindrical container. This container leaves the submarine in the same way as a torpedo and penetrates the surface of the water, after which it releases the missile. Such missiles are mainly used against ships.
Even cruise missiles against land targets can be launched from torpedo tubes. However, they are mostly of vertical access shafts fired to reduce the number of accompanying torpedoes not need. Specializing in the use of anti-ship missiles, submarine-types are generally the abbreviated SSG and SSGN classified. Along with the aforementioned vertical starters were also other starting methods using, so the U.S. was USS Halibut equipped with a launch pad on the foredeck, while the Soviet classes Juliett and echo the missiles were placed at an angle of 20 ° deployable launch containers. Unlike modern designs had these early missile submarines all appear to fire the weapon.
Ballistic Missile ( Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile , SLBM) launched from vertical shafts. They have much larger diameter than torpedoes and should leave the water as quickly as possible. Most modern submarines with ballistic missiles (Class SSBN or SSB ) are fitted to a number of missile silos located amidships behind the tower. The exceptions are the Russian Typhoon class , located in the tower at the end of the fuselage and the missile before it, and the older, now decommissioned class golf and hotel where the missiles were housed in the tower. After the first ballistic missiles that could be fired from submarines, even as medium-range missiles were classified (for example, UGM-27 Polaris ), which have more modern missiles like Trident now has the range of ICBMs . Only the mentioned older submarines golf and hotel class came as a ballistic missile early short-range missiles of the type Scud with a range of 150 km is used. Submarine-launched ballistic missiles are mostly nuclear- equipped and are in the theory of nuclear war as asecond-strike weapons are used.
Unlike earlier times, when submarines with deck-mounted guns were armed, modern submarines have no or hardly any water weaponry. Since submarines present time operating exclusively under the water surface, is simply no such weaponry is needed. In addition, towards the end of World War II deck guns were removed from submarines to reduce the hydrodynamic drag and increase underwater speed. However, the fact that almost no submarines against anti-submarine helicopters and can defend aircraft required for the development of anti-aircraft weapons that are used by submerged submarines. It only exist various shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missile starter similar to the known FIM-92 Stinger , which are fired from the tower. For example, the Russian is Sierra-class with the types of missile launchers for SA-N-5 Grail or SA-N-8 Gremlin equipped. The German Navy is developing the system IDAS for the submarine Type 212 A , however, an anti-aircraft weapon, which can be from a submerged submarine launched from a torpedo tube and fired at a target on the water surface.

Saving Appliances

Such disasters as the Thresher , the Scorpion or the Kursk show, it also comes in peace again to accidents. In order to rescue the crew, various rescue agents have been developed:

• Rescue Submarine : Small, portable, largely autonomous submarines that dock at the exit of the damaged submarine and evacuate it.Predecessors were special diving bells. SCUBA divers and tanks and underwater robots to support the use.
• Lifebuoy: It rises from the wreckage, marked the crash site and allows the buoy rope on the anchor of lifting.
• Rescue Capsule: A larger buoy, where the crew takes place. She serves on the rise as a life raft.
• Rescue gear : The mixture of breathing apparatus and a life vest allows for passage of an exit or exit lock collar (which makes the waters of the submarine necessary) the emergency ascent (on small submarines often the only escape route).
• Other rescue measures: limit When flooding watertight bulkheads to flooding. Notausblasen (Emergency Blow) of the ballast tanks and a dynamic emergency ascent to the surface may still be possible.
• Resus-bottles: The hydrazine gas generators are modular, identical systems. They generate an electrical pulse down the required working gas to blow the ballast tanks by catalytic decomposition of hydrazine. The starting device of the "Resus" systems can be operated manually or automatically in response to a specific diving depth.

Submarines of the German Navy

The German Navy as the armed force of the armed forces has only submarines with diesel and fuel-cell, but not on nuclear submarines. Since the tasks of the German Navy in the NATO alliance were initially set to pure coastal surveillance, and as a field of operation only the "flat" Baltic and the North Sea came into question were mainly very small, quiet, and not designed for large depths submarines relevant . Therefore, during the time of playing East-West conflict, the then 24 submarines of the former German Navy an important role in the defense of the West German and Danish Baltic coast against amphibious landings of Marines of the Warsaw Pact . In addition, there was an international restriction that Germany must have only subs (submarines) to a maximum of 500 tons displacement. With the changed political circumstances have also changed the role of the German Navy.Nevertheless, has been omitted nuclear submarines in favor of the development of conventional submarines. The new boats with fuel cell drive the 212 Class A primarily engaged in the fight against other submarines, and the unnoticed reconnaissance and operate worldwide depending on requirement. Continue until June 2010 U-boats were the Type 206A in service, their areas ranged from the North and Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean. The commander of the German U-Boats have the grades Lieutenant , Lieutenant Commander or Commander .
Christoph Aschmoneit was the leading German submarine builder.

Civilian submarines

In addition to military use, there are civilian tasks for submarines.

• Deep-sea submarine or bathyscaphe used for research purposes and can dive much deeper than military submarines. They are usually constructed around a spherical pressure hull around, have battery operated and can not move around very quickly. Their depth control is often made ​​by vertical screw drives. Building on the Bathysphere of William Beebe from the 1930s into the 1950s, the Bathyscaphen FNRS-2 , FNRS-3 and Trieste put in place and could always put up larger deep-diving records. The valid until today was the 23rd January 1960 with the Trieste erected in the later named after her Triestetief in the Mariana trench to a depth of 10,910 m. In addition to these trips alone for vertical when being used for oceanographic research Bathyscaphen were constructed at great depths from about 1960 also numerous small research submarines made ​​that are designed for lower depths. They are horizontally movable and are so for a variety of scientific and technical work.

Research submarines are used for systematic study of the seabed or ocean currents. They meet geological , marine biology ,oceanography or archaeological tasks.
Search submarines are often unmanned track examine objects on the ocean floor and. Gained notoriety as the expeditions to the wreck of the RMS Titanic (with Alvin ) or Bismarck . The only nuclear-powered research submarine was the NR-1 in the U.S. Navy.

• Tourist submarines

• be used to open up the underwater world for tourists. They have large windows and can not dive very deep (a few meters). Usually they are used in the vicinity of reefs such as the Azores, the Canary Islands. First purpose built for tourism purposes submarine was Auguste Piccard (PX-8) , in 1964 at the Swiss national exhibition with up to 40 passengers in Geneva appeared.
• Unmanned submarines (including ROV ) used to primarily research and are usually equipped with cameras, often equipped with gripper arms. You can dive very deep and are considerably smaller than manned submarines, as they have to transport oxygen supply and no passengers.

In addition, there are also remote-controlled submarine models, which are built by modelers and are also sold as toys. Their depth is at most a few meters.

• Commercial submarines arrived only in the two world wars used to evade enemy naval blockades to trade with neutral nations trade and thereby to procure essential war goods.
• Smuggling submarines : For the smuggling of drugs submarines similar semi-submersible vessels (known as self-propelled semi-submersibles used / SPSS). Since 2006 a large number of these boats is in the jungles of Colombia have been built, which are between 12 and 25 m long and can carry up to 15 tonnes of goods or five people. They are usually introduced at the target and sunk. In the GDR, there were attempts to midget submarines for the flight from the Republic to build, however, these attempts by the Stasi revealed.
• Other civilian tasks :
• Rescue: Rescue or abortive rescue submarine crews mainly plays a role in the military field. After the loss of the submarine USSThresher and Scorpion , the U.S. Navy developed the so-called Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV). The USSR and Russian Federation ( Pris-Class ), the UK ( LR-5 ) and Sweden ( URF ) have such vehicles in service, besides even Italy, Japan, Korea, Australia and China.
• Repair / maintenance: repair or maintenance of certain underwater objects such as pipelines , oil rigs , underwater stations or -cables are often carried out by special repair submarines, the etc on this necessary devices / tools such as robotics, welding equipment, wrench . feature. Often this also diving robots.