Open AccessThe «Russian type» of Submarines: from «Delphin» to «Bars»
Author(s) -
Polikarpov Vladimir
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
tehnologos
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2687-0266
pISSN - 2687-0258
DOI - 10.15593/perm.kipf/2021.4.07
Subject(s) - submarine , engineering , survivability , economic shortage , hull , navy , marine engineering , shipbuilding , civil engineering , forensic engineering , law , history , political science , linguistics , philosophy , archaeology , government (linguistics) , aerospace engineering
The rise of submarine shipbuilding in Russia of 1900–1915 was influenced by the shortage of financial, technical and personnel resources. And yet the fleet received, along with American and German, boats of domestic design. Their design was concentrated in the hands of the outstanding theorist and engineer I.G. Bubnov, who announced the development of a special "Russian type" of a submarine that embodied the theoretical installations professed by him. The ships created according to Bubnov's designs are often regarded by fleet historians as unsurpassed in the world naval technology. Such a view contradicts the concrete data accumulated in historical research and needs critical consideration. For this purpose it is used classical methods of source studies and analysis of historiographical practice. The actual data indicate the harm brought to the fleet by the monopolization of scientific and technical activities. Submariners have developed a critical attitude towards the imposed type with its inherent number of persistent shortcomings. Bubnov refused to correct the shape of the hull which caused excessive water resistance. At the same time, in an effort to achieve the set speed of the boat, the designer envisaged in his projects such a powerful power plant that it exceeded the real capabilities of mechanical engineering and was also heavy and cumbersome. The boat commanders and engineers pointed out the need to reduce the submerging time of the boats, increase their survivability, add watertight bulkheads, abandon the low-impact mine vehicles of Dzhevetsky system, make the hull shape more streamlined, but the maritime administration preferred to save time and money and dismissed claims, sacrificing the comfort and safety of the crews. The experience of the First World War and familiarization with the most successful American and British designs nevertheless prompted I.G. Bubnov in 1915-1916. to revise the design principles concerning the shape of the hull, the internal structure of boats, the nature of engines, weapons, but the more advanced projects prepared by him could not be realized.