Historical History of submarines

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Cornelius Drebbel submarine (1620), UK

Crew - 12 rowers + 3 passengers.

The first moving submarine, moved by 6 pairs of oars. It sailed in Thames river. Probably only semi submerged.

Turtle (1775) of David Bushnell, USA

Displacement - ~1 ton.
Length - 1.8 m
Crew - 1 man

The first submarine used in combat (although unsuccessfully). It also innovated many advanced features which are still used on modern subs: first propeller (although very primitive), first ballast tanks, first conning tower, first depth gauge, first armed submarine (a time bomb attached to target ships hull).

Nautilus (1800) of Robert Fulton, France

Displacement - 6 t
Length - 6.5 m
Crew - 3 men

The first submarine with hydrodynamic shape (the modern subs have very similar shape!), first dive planes, first separate propulsion systems for surface and underwater (folded sail and human powered), improved propeller. It tried to attack British frigate couple times but failed because of very low speed. Fulton's second submarine, which was very similar to first destroyed a small sloop during the 1801 tests for the first time in history.

H.L. Hunley (1863) of James McClintock, CSA

Displacement - 6.8 t
Length - 12 m
Crew - 8 men

The submarine itself was not innovative (human powered), but it carried the first sucessful submarine attack in 1864, sinking the USS Housatonic with spar torpedo. The submarine itself did not survive either. The next successful attack by a submarine happened only in 1914.

Plongeur (1863) of Simeon Bourgeois and Charles Brun, France

Displacement - 420 t
Length - 43 m
Crew - 12 men

The first mechanical powered submarine (compressed air engine). Because of very primitive weapons and very poor range it had no military value. There was also a Pyrhydrostat project (1854) of Antoine Payerne, France with steam engine, no evidence if was ever built.

Ictineo II (1864) of Narcis Monturiol, Spain

Displacement - 46 t
Length - 14 m
Crew - 20 men

The first submarine with steam engine, air independent steam engine for submerged. It made several test dives, but never actually sailed under water.

Holland-1 (1878) of John Philip Holland, USA

Displacement - 2.25 t
Length - 4.3 m
Crew - 1 man

The first submarine with gasoline engine (used on surface), human powered submerged. A midget experimental submarine.

Nordenfeldt-1 (1883) of George Garret, Sweden

Displacement - 60 t
Length - 19.5 m
Crew - 3 men

The first submarine armed with torpedo, although it was virtually unusable. Steam engine (for submerged it used accumulated steam). The submarine was sold to Greek navy, the second similar submarine was sold to Turkish navy, the third was tried to sell to Russian navy. All three Nordenfeldt submarines had very poor underwater performance and no military value.

Peacemaker (1883) of Josiah Tuck, USA
Elektrochod (1885) of Stefan Drzewiecki, Russia
Goubet-1 (1885) of Claude Goubet, France



Displacement - 20 t
Length - 9.1 m
Crew - 3 men

Displacement - 1.8 t
Length - 5 m
Crew - 2 men

Displacement - 11 t
Length - 5.8 m
Crew - 2 men

One of those was the first electrically driven submarine. There are conflicting reports (not sure if "Peacemaker" was built). So I post all three. Anyhow they all had very poor performance and no practical value at all.

Gymnote (1888) of Gustave Zede, France
Peral (1888) of Isaac Peral, Spain

Displacement - 30 t
Length - 17.8 m
Crew - 5 men

Displacement - 85 t
Length - 22 m
Crew - 7 men

These two all electric submarines were armed with torpedoes (although no evidence they ever fired them even during the tests), they are first subs with decent underwater capabilities and limited military value, except very poor range. Peral was rejected by Spanish navy, Gymnote served as test boat till 1907.

Baker's boat (1892) of George Baker, USA

Displacement - 20 t
Length - 14 m
Crew - 3 men

Its a first submarine using revolutionary concept: a thermal (steam) engine for surface, and electric battery for submerged operation, which can be also recharged in the sea. The same concept is used on diesel electric submarines till today. It's design with rotating propellers instead of dive planes was not successful though and it lost US navy competition to Holland.

Gustav Zede (1893) of Gustav Zede and Gaston Romazzotti, France

Displacement - 270 t
Length - 45 m
Crew - 19 men

It carried the first ever successful torpedo attack against both static and moving ship, while submerged (during the 1898 tests ). Its was all electric submarine and thus could not recharge batteries in the sea, but thanks to its large size (compare to previous submarines) it still could travel couple days and it can be named as the first submarine with real military value.

USS Holland/Holland-VI (1897) of of John Philip Holland, USA
Narval (1898) of Maxime Laubeuf

Displacement - 64/74 t
Length - 16.4 m
Crew - 6 men

Displacement - 117/202 t
Length - 34 m
Crew - 13 men

These two were the first modern submarines, which could travel at long distances on surface thanks to their thermal engine and recharge their batteries while in sea (first this concept was used on Baker's submarine). Their designs were also very successful and used on many succeeding submarines. Holland used gasoline engine which was less bulky than Narval's steam engine, but had explosion hazard. Both boats entered navy service in 1900.

Aigrette (1904), France

Displacement - 178/253 t
Length - 35.8 m
Crew - 12 men

The first diesel electric submarine. Derived from Narval submarine. Diesel engine was both compact and no explosion hazard.

 

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U-21 boat/type U-19 (1913), Germany

Displacement - 650/837 t
Length - 64.2 m
Crew - 35 men

The first submarine to sink a ship by a torpedo (HMS Pathfinder) on 1914 September 5.

The first unsuccessful torpedo attack by a submarine happened on 9 December 1912, by French made Greek Delfin submarine (which was based on Narval design by the way).

U-27 boat/type U-27 (1913), Germany

Displacement - 675/867 t
Length - 64.7 m
Crew - 35 men

The first submarine to sink another submarine (HMS E3) on 1914 October 18. The German submarine was submerged during the attack and E3 was surfaced.

HMS Venturer/V type(1943), UK

Displacement - 658/740 t
Length - 62.3 m
Crew - 33 men

The only submarine to sink another submarine while they were both submerged when she sinks U-864 on 1945 February 6.

Type XXI (1945), Germany

Displacement - 1,621/1,819 t
Length - 76.7 m
Crew - 57 men

The first submarine designed to operate primarily submerged, rather than as surface ships that could submerge as a means to escape detection or launch an attack. It had about 2 times higher submerged speed (17.2 knots) and 4 times higher submerged range (340 nm at low speed) compare to other WW2 submarines, had sophisticated detection equipment for its time. It directly influenced all post WW2 submarine designs.

USS Nautilus (1955), USA

Displacement - 3,533/4,092 t
Length - 98 m
Crew - 105 men

USS Albacore (1953), USA
USS Barbel (1959), USA
USS Skipjack (1959), USA



Displacement - 1,240/1,540 t
Length - 62.1 m
Crew - 54 men

Displacement - 2,146/2,637 t
Length - 66.9 m
Crew - 79 men

Displacement - 3,075/3,513 t
Length - 77 m
Crew - 93 men

The first modern submarines with teardrop design. The Albacore and Skipjack were also first submarines to cross the 30 knot speed. The Albacore was unarmed experimental diesel electric, Barbel first serial diesel electric and Skipjack first serial nuclear.

There was also a midget 76 ton experimental German V-80 submarine built in 1940 with teardrop design and AIP engine, which achieved record 28 knot speed, but it was never commissioned.

USS George Washington (1959), USA

Displacement - 5,959/6,709 t
Length - 116.3 m
Crew - 112 men

The first SSBN and the first submarine to launch missiles from under the sea.

USS Tullibee (1960), USA

Displacement - 2,316/2,607 t
Length - 83 m
Crew - 67 men

The first designated hunter-killer submarine with very quiet machinery and very big bow mounted spherical sonar array (that's why amidships angled torpedo tubes were used instead of bow). This design is used on US submarines till today. Russia later adopted this design as well.

Project 670 Charlie I (1967), USSR

Displacement - 3,574/4,980 t
Length - 95.6 m
Crew - 77 men

The first submarines with underwater launched cruise missiles. Wold's first SSGN.

Project 669 Papa (1969), USSR

Displacement - 5,200/8,770 t
Length - 106.4 m
Crew - 75 men

The world fastest submarine - 44.7 knots. Only one was built.

Project 941 Typhoon (1981), USSR

Displacement - 23,200/48,000 t
Length - 170 m
Crew - 168 men

The world's largest submarine (SSBN).

Project 685 Mike (1983), USSR

Displacement - 5,568/8,500 t
Length - 118.4 m
Crew - 64 men

Worlds deepest diving submarine (1027 m). Only one was built.

Gotland (1996), Sweden

Displacement - 1,494/1,599 t
Length - 60.4 m
Crew - 33 men

World's first successful AIP submarines (Stirling engine). The first test Stirling AIP submarine was Swedish Nacken, converted in 1988. Later Stirling AIP was used by Japanese and Chinese.

- Germans introduced type 212, the world's first fuel cell AIP in 2005.
- Pakistani Hamza (French Agosta 90B class) commissioned in 2008 is the world first submarine with MESMA AIP.

There were also a German Type VIII submarines built in 1944 which used peroxide AIP turbines, but during the WW2 Germans used the AIP in wrong way: instead making low speed high endurance AIP, they made high speed low endurance AIP propulsion.

 

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German post WW2 submarine review

Type 201 (62-63) - First German post WW2 subs. They had chisel shaped nose and teardrop middle and rear, two decks, 8 torpedo tubes in 3 rows on first deck. This design remained in most of German submarines till today (Type 205, Type 206, Type 209, Type 210 and Type 214).
Were built of non-magnetic steel, which had corrosion problems. As result only 3 subs were built and they were scrapped after only 1 year, their components were cannibalized for Type 205 submarines.

Type 205 shows its distinguish 'chisel nose' shape.

Type 205 (67-70) - Very similar to Type 201 with regular steel instead of problematic non-magnetic. Armament - 8 torpedo tubes with no spare torpedoes for reload. Submarines were quiet and agile, but because of their small size had poor range, depth and speed.

11 submarines were built for German Navy and 2 for Danish. The last one went out of service only in 2005.

Type 207 Kobben (65-67) - Subclass of Type 205 submarine for Norway. Slightly increased in size, with bigger depth (170 m instead of 100 m). 15 were built. 2 still serve in Polish navy.

Type 206 (73-75) - Based on Type 205 with non-magnetic steel (issues were solved). Increased size and depth (200 m). Improved stealth. More powerful sonar. Excellent subs for shallow and confined water operations like Baltic sea. 18 were built. In early 90-es 12 were modernized to Type 206A level (modern equipment) and served in German navy till 2011.

Type 540 Gal (76-77) - The subclass of Type 206 for Israel. Slightly increased size. Has 2 spare torpedoes for reloading. In 1983 they were armed with Sub Harpoons. 3 were built, last one decommissioned in 2002.

Type 209 (71-08) - Submarines for export, based on Type 205 but with more than 2 times increased displacement. It allowed drastically increase range (surface over 2 times and underwater by a third) and underwater speed by 5 knots, optimized for deep seas and oceans. Number of torpedo tubes remained the same - 8 but were added 6 torpedoes for reloading (total 14).

From 1971 to 2008 were built 61 submarines of 5 classes and 17 subclasses for 13 countries. With each new variant they got new upgrades. Their displacement also grew by 30-50%, further increasing range, endurance and depth. From 209/1400 Thomson (84) built for Chile they got new superstructure which improved their seakeeping and hydrodynamic capabilities also gave them more modern look.

Difference between pre 1984 and post 1984 type 209 submarines.

TR-1700 (84-85) - much larger displacement (largest German built submarines), new 3 deck design with 6 torpedo tubes on middle deck. But Type 209 hull shape remained. Thanks to the large displacement their range increased by 25%, speed from 22 knots to 25 knots and depth to 300 m. 2 were built for Argentine. Still in service.

Type 209 and TR-1700 submarines together. You can see the difference between 2 deck 8 torpedo tubes layout (used on Type 201,205,206,209,210,214) and 3 deck 6 torpedo tube layout (used on TR-1700, Dolphin, 212).

Type 210 Ula (89-92) - based on 209, heavily modified for coastal shallow water operations. Slightly smaller than 209/1100 thanks to automation crew reduced from 31 to 21. 6 were built for Norway.

Dolphin (99-00) - a 212 variant without AIP. 3 deck design similar to TR-1700. In addition to 6 533-mm torpedo tubes were added 4 650-mm. It's the first German built submarine with full teardrop hull and X shaped stern planes for improved maneuverability. Well suited for both shallow and deep waters. 3 were built for Israel.

Type 212A (05-..) - compare to Dolphin it got fuel cell AIP and dive planes were moved to the sail. The pressure hull is narrowed in the rear, which allowed to insert oxygen and hydrogen tanks between the pressure and light hulls without breaking the teardrop shape.

You can see the oxygen (big ones on top) and hydrogen (small ones around) tanks between the pressure and light hulls of 212 submarine.

Type 214 (07-..) - based on type 209 with fuel cell AIP and other 212 technologies. In contrast to 212 the pressure hull is not narrowed in rear, so oxygen tank for AIP is located inside the pressure hull, while hydrogen tanks are located in special structure under the hull.

You can see the underhull structures for hydrogen tanks on 214 and Dolphin II submarines.

Dolphin II (14-..) - enlarged Dolphin with AIP. The AIP scheme is similar to 214. Nearly 500 tons heavier than 212 and 214 making it one of the largest German built subs in pair with the TR-1700.

Type 218SG - based on Type 214. Larger size, X shaped stern planes.

 

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US SSN:

Nautilus (55) - 1 unit. First nuclear submarine in the world. Its design was very similar to diesel electric submarines of its time but larger in size. Two shafts, noisy. In 1956 entered in service Seawolf submarine, similar to Nautilus but with liquid metal cooled reactor. It proved to be unreliable and converted to water reactor in 1960.

3,180/3,500 t
22/23.3 knots
213 m depth
6 533-mm torpedo tubes (26 torpedoes)

Skate (57-58) - 4 units. First serial nuclear submarines in the world. Similar to Nautilus but smaller and cheaper.

2,550/2,848 t
15.5/18 knots
213 m depth
8 533-mm torpedo tubes (22 torpedoes)

Skipjack (57-61) - 6 units. First teardrop shape single shaft nuclear submarine, sail dive plane. New powerful reactor S5W (same type of reactor was used on Tresher and Sturgeon submarines). Very fast and agile but noisy submarine. Depth also remained low.

3,075/3,513 t
15/31 knots
215 m depth
6 533-mm torpedo tubes (24 torpedoes)

Tullibee (60) - 1 unit. First designated hunter-killer submarine with very quiet machinery and big bow mounted spherical sonar array AN/BQQ-1 (that's why amidships angled torpedo tubes were used instead of bow). This design is used on US submarines till today. But because of the small size it had low speed and depth. Used turbo-electric transmission.

2,177/2,607 t
13/16 knots
215 m depth
4 533-mm torpedo tubes (12 torpedoes)

Tresher/Permit (61-68) - 14 units. These submarines combined high speed of Skipjack with quiet machinery and powerful sonar like Tullibee (AN/BQQ-2). The depth was also increased. As result submarines became much larger and more expensive. In order to make the sail smaller to reduce water drag SIGINT equipment was removed.

3,750/4,310 t
15/28 knots
213 m depth
4 533-mm torpedo tubes (23 torpedoes)

Sturgeon (66-75) - 37 units. Modification of Tresher/Permit class. Reduced noise. Optimized for Arctic operations. The SIGINT equipment was returned so the sail increased in size. During the modernization they were equipped with AN/BQQ-5 sonar from Los Angeles class.

Sturgeon class included two unique subclass submarines:

- SSN 671 Narwhal (69) with S5G natural circulation reactor (this design was used later on Ohio class) and sophisticated multi-stage turbine instead of reduction gears (this was not successful).
- SSN 685 Glenard P. Lipscomb (74) with turbo-electric transmission.

4,250/4,780 t
15/26 knots
400 m depth
4 533-mm torpedo tubes (23 torpedoes)

Los Angeles (76-96) - 62 units. 3rd generation submarine. Single hull design (previous submarines had mixed single-double hull design), new much more powerful reactor S6G, reduced noise. New much more powerful sonar with digital signal process (AN/BQQ-5). It is the most produced SSN in the world. Was built in 3 batches: base Los Angeles - 31 units (76-85), Los Angeles with VLS for 12 Tomahawk missiles - 8 units (85-89), Imrpoved Los Angeles - 23 units (88-96) with much quieter machinery and new battle management system.

6,210/6,927 t
32 knots
300 m depth
4 533-mm torpedo tubes (26 torpedoes) + 12 VLS for Tomahawk missiles

Seawolf (97-05) - 3 units. 4th generation submarine. S6W natural circulation reactor, pump jet propulsion. Increased depth. Has quiet tactical speed of 20 knots. Very expensive.

7,460/9,137 t
33+ knots
490 m depth
8 660-mm torpedo tubes (50 torpedoes)

Virginia (04-..) - 11 active, 5 building, 30 total planned. Utilizes Seawolf's key technology and and design advances in smaller and cheaper platform. Has smaller depth, speed and armament, but similar sonars and noise characteristics. Better optimized for littoral operations. S9G reactor can operate 33 years without refueling.

From 11th submarine (commissioned in 2014) it uses new horseshoe-shaped Large Aperture Bow (LAB) sonar array, instead of spherical used on all US submarines since Tullibee. Another change is change is the switch from 12 vertical launch tubes, to 12 missiles in 2 tubes from Ohio SSGN.

-/7,800 t
30 knots
4 533-mm torpedo tubes (26 torpedoes) + 12 VLS for Tomahawk missiles