German torpedo boats. Weapons of the Second World War. Torpedo boats. floating torpedo tube

Pictured: Soviet torpedo boat TK-47 captured by the Germans in the port of Libau.

Long before the outbreak of the Second World War, the leadership of the Soviet Navy attached great importance the development of light forces of the fleet, especially torpedo boats. Therefore, by the beginning of World War II, the USSR had 269 torpedo boats of the Sh-4, G-5 and D-3 types. Then, already during the war, the domestic industry built at least 154 more torpedo boats, including 76 boats of the G-5 type, 47 boats of the D-3 type of the second series, 31 boats of the Komsomolets type of project 123bis. In addition, 166 (according to other sources, even 205) Higgins and Vosper-class torpedo boats were received from the allies under the Lend-Lease program. That is, the Soviet fleet practically did not experience a shortage of torpedo boats.

True, the load on boat boats turned out to be unexpectedly high - after all, in addition to their main task of searching for and attacking ships on enemy communications, torpedo boats had to perform additional combat missions during the war. Such as, for example, reconnaissance and patrol, landing and evacuation of reconnaissance and sabotage groups, protection of coastal convoys, minelaying, anti-submarine warfare in coastal waters, and much, much more.

It is not surprising that such an intensive use of torpedo boats, and often in an unusual form, led to tangible losses. So, only in the first six months of the war, almost 40 torpedo boats were lost, and in total during the years of the Great Patriotic War, according to official data, 139 Soviet torpedo boats were lost.

List of torpedo boats of the USSR Navy that died during the Great Patriotic War:

TK-27 (type G-5) commander Lieutenant Safronov.
June 27, 1941, together with three other torpedo boats, ensured the evacuation of the command and headquarters of the Libau naval base to Vindava. At the crossing, the boats were attacked by four German torpedo boats S-31, S-35, S-59 and S-60 from the 3rd torpedo boat flotilla. After the battle, TK-27 broke away from the group and followed on its own. Soon he was attacked by enemy bombers and sank from the damage received.
According to other sources, in the morning, when leaving the harbor of Liepaja, she was fired upon and sunk by two German fighters Bf-109. Personnel was filmed by a TK-37 boat.

TK-47 (until 05/25/1940 - TK-163) (type G-5) commander chief foreman (foreman of the first article) F. Zyuzin.
June 27, 1941, together with three other torpedo boats, ensured the evacuation of the command and headquarters of the Libau naval base to Vindava. On the way, the detachment was attacked by four German torpedo boats S-31, S-35, S-59 and S-60 from the 3rd torpedo boat flotilla. In the ensuing battle, TK-47, covering the retreat of the rest of the boats, was heavily damaged and used up fuel. For two days the boat drifted on the high seas and, after new damage received as a result of machine-gun fire from an enemy fighter, was abandoned by the crew. Having built rafts from the gas tanks of the boat, five sailors and three officers of the base headquarters headed for the shore. On the morning of July 1, they landed in the Ventspils region, were taken prisoner by the Aizsargs and handed over to the Germans.
The abandoned boat was captured by the Germans, who handed it over to the Finns. In the Finnish Navy, the boat was called "Viima".

TK-12 (type G-5) commander senior lieutenant M. V. Zlochevsky.
July 3, 1941 hit a floating mine and sank west of Balaklava (Black Sea). The entire crew was killed.

TK-123 (G-5 type)
On July 18, 1941, during a daytime attack on an enemy convoy in the Irben Strait, it was set on fire by German minesweepers and sank.

TK-71 (until 05/25/1940 - TK-123) (G-5 type) commander Lieutenant N. S. Skripov.
July 22, 1941 escorted the tug "Lachplesis" from the island of Ezel to Paldiski. In the Gulf of Riga, south of Abruk Island, it was attacked by German torpedo boats S-28 and S-29 from the 3rd torpedo boat flotilla. It caught fire, exploded and died with all the personnel.

U-1 (until April 1941 - TK-134)

U-2 (until April 1941 - TK-144) (type Sh-4)
On August 13, 1941, at the Ochakov - Nikolaev (Black Sea) crossing, it was fired upon by enemy coastal artillery, received serious damage and was flooded by personnel.

TK-103 (G-5 type)
August 28, 1941, during the transition Baltic Fleet from Tallinn to Kronstadt, in the area of ​​Prangli Island, died under shelling Soviet ships(leader "Minsk", destroyers "Fast" and "Glorious"), who mistook a group of their torpedo boats for enemy boats at night.
According to other sources, it hit a mine and sank near Cape Yuminda (Gulf of Finland).

TK-34 (until 09/07/1941 - TK-93) (G-5 type) commander Lieutenant V. I. Belugin.

TK-74 (until 09/07/1941 - TK-17) (G-5 type) commander Lieutenant I.S. Ivanov.
On September 17, 1941, during the withdrawal of Soviet troops, it was flooded by the crew in Keyguste Bay of Ezel Island due to the fact that they did not have time to complete the repair of damage received on September 7 from enemy aircraft.

U-4 (type Sh-4)
On September 18, 1941, in the port of Svobodny, she received serious damage and sank.

TK-91 (until 09/07/1941 - TK-94) (G-5 type) commander Lieutenant Aristov.
On September 20, 1941, at 14:10, near Sommers Island in the Gulf of Finland, it was set on fire by a German seaplane Ar-95 from SAGr.125, exploded and sank.

TK-12 (type D-3) commander senior lieutenant A. G. Sverdlov.
On September 23, 1941, at about 15:40, during an attack on a convoy in the Gulf of Finland, it was sunk by artillery fire from German patrol ships V-305, V-308 and V-313 in the area of ​​the Orrengrund Bank (in the Suursaari area).

TK-24 (until 09/07/1941 - TK-83) ​​(G-5 type) commander Lieutenant M. P. Kremensky.
On September 27, 1941, during the attack of the German cruisers "Leipzig", "Emden", destroyers T-7, T-8 and T-11 in the bay of Lyu (Esel Island), it sank from a shell hit. The crew was filmed by other boats.

TK-114 (until 09/07/1941 - TK-184) (G-5 type)
On October 1, 1941, at 20:50 in the evening, during the transition, he was blinded by a searchlight from the Finnish island of Ranki and sat on stones near Reypon, north of Gogland Island in the Gulf of Finland. The next day, it was fired upon by a German reconnaissance aircraft and exploded at 09:25. The personnel was removed by the TK-53 boat.

TK-151 (until 09/07/1941 - TK-154) (type G-5) commander senior lieutenant I. V. Tkachenko.
On October 3, 1941, for unknown reasons, he died on the transition from Dago Island to Khanko (Gulf of Finland). The entire crew was missing.
According to some sources, on October 3, 1941, it was sunk by enemy aircraft at the exit from the Irben Strait, according to other sources, on October 5, 1941, it was sunk by enemy destroyers when departing from Syrve Island.

TK-21 (until 09/07/1941 - TK-24) (G-5 type)
On October 8, 1941, while moored in the harbor of Sommers Island in the Gulf of Finland, she was attacked by enemy bombers, received heavy damage and sank.

TK-52 (type D-3) commander senior lieutenant A. T. Kolbasov.
On October 14, 1941, at the Gogland-Hanko crossing (Gulf of Finland), as part of a detachment in a storm, he broke away from the rest of the boats in the area of ​​​​Kallbedari Bank. October 18 west of the island Borstö (west of Hanko), the boat and 6 crew members were captured by the Finns. In the Finnish navy it was called "Vasama" and was used as a patrol boat.

TK-64 (until 09/07/1941 - TK-121) (G-5 type)
On October 16, 1941, during the passage of Cape Kolgania - Kronstadt (Gulf of Finland), in a snowstorm, it anchored at Cape Seyviste, was blown away and thrown onto stones near the island of Bjorke (in the Koivisto region). Received damage and was abandoned by the crew. In November 1941, it was discovered by the Finns, repaired and introduced into the Finnish Navy under the name "Viima".

TK-141 (until 09/07/1941 - TK-144) (G-5 type)
On October 16, 1941, during the passage of Cape Kolgania - Kronstadt (Gulf of Finland), in a snowstorm, it anchored at Cape Seyviste, was blown away and thrown onto stones near the island of Bjorke (in the Koivisto region). Received damage and was abandoned by the crew. In November 1941, it was discovered by the Finns, repaired and introduced into the Finnish Navy under the name "Vihuri".

TK-131 (until 09/07/1941 - TK-134) (G-5 type)
October 17, 1941 at 13.45-15.00 at the crossing southwest of Gogland (Gulf of Finland) was attacked and sunk by machine-gun fire by two Finnish Fokker D-21 aircraft from LLv 30.

TK-13 (until 09/07/1941 - TK-11) (G-5 type)
On October 22, 1941, she sank near Lavensaari Island in the Gulf of Finland as a result of an accident.
According to other sources, it was sunk by enemy aircraft.

TK-74 (until 1937 - TK-23) (G-5 type)
On October 26, 1941, while parking in Novorossiysk (Black Sea), a fire broke out on the boat, gasoline tanks exploded and it sank.
According to other sources, it burned down during the transition from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk.

TK-72 (type D-3)

TK-88 (type D-3)
November 1, 1941 in the period 9.25-10.15 when following as part of a link to Hanko 5 km east of the island Seskar (Gulf of Finland) was attacked by five Finnish Fokker D-21 aircraft from LLv 30, exploded from machine gun and cannon fire and sank with the entire crew.

TK-102 (type D-3)
November 1, 1941, in the period 9.25-10.15, while traveling as part of a link to Hanko, 5 km east of Seskar Island (Gulf of Finland), it was attacked by five Finnish Fokker D-21 aircraft from LLv 30, exploded from machine gun and cannon fire and sank with the entire crew .

TK-72 (type G-5) commander P. Ya. Konovalov.
November 1, 1941 hit a mine and sank in the Black Sea.

TK-71 (type G-5) commander L. M. Zolotar.
November 12, 1941 during the bombardment of Gelendzhik (Black Sea) was damaged and sank. Later it was raised, repaired and commissioned.

TK-142 (until 08/11/1941 - TK-145) (G-5 type)
November 12, 1941 during the bombing of Gelendzhik (Black Sea) was damaged by a bomb explosion and sank.

TK-21 (until 11/13/1940 - TK-181) (type G-5) commander Romanov.
On November 17, 1941, at 23:00, while crossing from Sevastopol to Gelendzhik, together with the TK-11, it collided with it near Cape Sarych near Yalta (Black Sea) and sank. The personnel were saved.

TK-12 (type D-3)
On December 11, 1941, during the evacuation of the garrison from the island of Gogland, it was crushed by ice near the island of Lavensaari (Gulf of Finland).

TK-42 (type D-3)
On December 11, 1941, during the evacuation of the garrison from the island of Gogland, it was crushed by ice and sank near the island of Lavensaari (Gulf of Finland). The crew was rescued by the Volga gunboat.

TK-92 commander senior lieutenant B. G. Kolomiets.
On December 26, 1941, during the landing in the Eltigen area (Kerch Strait), he was thrown ashore by a wave, and later shot by enemy coastal artillery. 2 crew members were killed.
According to other sources, after the Kerch operation, the boat was delivered to the repair base with huge damage (it had 272 bullet and shrapnel holes), but was completely restored and went back into service.

TK-85 (until 11/13/1940 - TK-142) (G-5 type) commander Lieutenant Zhulanov.
On December 27 (28), 1941, during the landing in the port of Kamysh-Burun (Kerch Strait), as a result of an enemy mine, it received a hole and sank near the shipyard. From the crew, 3 people died.

TK-105 (until 11/13/1940 - TK-62) (G-5 type) commander Lieutenant I. N. Vasenko.
On December 27 (28), 1941, during the landing in the port of Kamysh-Burun (Kerch Strait), it was thrown ashore by a storm and on December 29, 1941 was destroyed by enemy mortar and artillery fire. 3 crew members were killed.
According to other sources, it was set on fire by enemy mortar and artillery fire and washed ashore.

TK-24 (type G-5) commander Lieutenant A.F. Krylov.
On December 29, 1941, during the landing in the port of Kamysh-Burun (Kerch Strait), it was set on fire by enemy mortar and artillery fire and thrown ashore by a storm. 3 crew members were killed.

To be continued…

The idea to use a torpedo boat in combat first appeared in the First World War. world war from the British command, but the British failed to achieve the desired effect. Further, the Soviet Union spoke on the use of small mobile ships in military attacks.

History reference

A torpedo boat is a small warship designed to destroy warships and transport ships with projectiles. During the Second World War, it was repeatedly used in hostilities with the enemy.

By that time naval troops major Western powers had no a large number of such boats, but their construction increased rapidly by the time hostilities began. On the eve of the Great Patriotic War, there were almost 270 boats equipped with torpedoes. During the war, more than 30 models of torpedo boats were created and more than 150 were received from the allies.

The history of the creation of a torpedo ship

Back in 1927, the TsAGI team carried out the development of the project of the first Soviet torpedo ship, headed by A.N. Tupolev. The ship was given the name "Pervenets" (or "ANT-3"). It had the following parameters (unit of measurement - meter): length 17.33; width 3.33 and draft 0.9. The strength of the vessel was 1200 hp. s., tonnage - 8.91 tons, speed - as much as 54 knots.

The armament that was on board consisted of a 450 mm torpedo, two machine guns and two mines. The pilot production boat in mid-July 1927 became part of the Black Sea naval forces. They continued to work at the institute, improving the units, and in the first month of the autumn of 1928, the ANT-4 serial boat was ready. Until the end of 1931, dozens of ships were launched into the water, which they called "Sh-4". Soon, the first formations of torpedo boats arose in the Black Sea, Far Eastern and Baltic military districts. The Sh-4 ship was not ideal, and the fleet management ordered a new boat from TsAGI in 1928, which was later called the G-5. It was a completely new ship.

Torpedo ship model "G-5"

The G-5 planing vessel was tested in December 1933. The ship had a metal hull and was considered the best in the world as technical specifications, and in terms of armaments. Serial production of "G-5" refers to 1935. By the beginning of World War II, it was the basic type of boats in the USSR. The speed of the torpedo boat was 50 knots, the power was 1700 hp. with., and were armed with two machine guns, two 533 mm torpedoes and four mines. Over the course of ten years, more than 200 units of various modifications were produced.

During the Great Patriotic War, the G-5 boats hunted enemy ships, guarded ships, carried out torpedo attacks, landed troops, and escorted trains. The disadvantage of torpedo boats was the dependence of their work on weather conditions. They could not be at sea when its excitement reached more than three points. There were also inconveniences with the placement of paratroopers, as well as with the transportation of goods associated with the lack of a flat deck. In this regard, before the war itself, new models of long-range boats "D-3" with a wooden hull and "SM-3" with a steel hull were created.

Torpedo leader

Nekrasov, who was the head of the experimental design team for the development of gliders, and Tupolev in 1933 developed the design of the G-6 ship. He was the leader among the available boats. According to the documentation, the vessel had the following parameters:

• displacement 70 tons;
• six 533 mm torpedoes;
• eight motors of 830 hp with.;
• speed 42 knots.

Three torpedoes were fired from torpedo tubes located at the stern and having the shape of a chute, and the next three from a three-tube torpedo tube that could turn and was located on the deck of the ship. In addition, the boat had two cannons and several machine guns.

Gliding torpedo ship "D-3"

torpedo boats USSR brand "D-3" were produced at the Leningrad plant and Sosnovsky, which was located in Kirov region. There were only two boats of this type in the Northern Fleet when the Great Patriotic War began. In 1941, another 5 ships were produced at the Leningrad plant. Only starting from 1943, domestic and allied models began to enter service.

The D-3 ships, unlike the previous G-5s, could operate at a farther (up to 550 miles) distance from the base. The speed of the torpedo boat of the new brand ranged from 32 to 48 knots, depending on the engine power. Another feature of the "D-3" was that they can make a volley while stationary, and from the "G-5" units - only at a speed of at least 18 knots, otherwise the fired missile could hit the ship. On board were:

• two torpedoes 533 mm sample of the thirty-ninth year:
• two DShK machine guns;
• gun "Oerlikon";
• coaxial machine gun "Colt Browning".

The hull of the ship "D-3" was divided by four partitions into five waterproof compartments. Unlike boats of the G-5 type, the D-3 was equipped with better navigation equipment, and a group of paratroopers could move freely on the deck. The boat could take on board up to 10 people who were accommodated in heated compartments.

Torpedo ship "Komsomolets"

On the eve of World War II, torpedo boats in the USSR were further developed. Designers continued to design new and improved models. So a new boat called "Komsomolets" appeared. Its tonnage was the same as that of the G-5, and the tube torpedo tubes were more advanced, and it could carry more powerful anti-aircraft anti-submarine weapons. For the construction of ships, voluntary donations from Soviet citizens were attracted, hence their names appeared, for example, "Leningrad Worker", and other similar names.

The hull of the ships, released in 1944, was made of duralumin. The interior of the boat included five compartments. On the sides on the underwater part, keels were installed to reduce pitching, the trough torpedo tubes were replaced with tube tubes. Seaworthiness increased to four points. Armament included:

• torpedoes in the amount of two pieces;
• four machine guns;
• depth bombs (six pieces);
• smoke equipment.

The cabin, which housed seven crew members, was made of an armored seven-millimeter sheet. World War II torpedo boats, especially Komsomolets, distinguished themselves in the spring battles of 1945, when Soviet troops approached Berlin.

The path of the USSR to create gliders

The Soviet Union was the only major maritime country that built ships of this type. Other powers switched to the creation of keel boats. During the calm, the speed of the red-lined vessels was significantly higher than that of the keel ones, with a wave of 3-4 points - on the contrary. In addition, keeled boats could take on board more powerful weapons.

Mistakes made by engineer Tupolev

The float of a seaplane was taken as a basis in torpedo boats (Tupolev's project). Its top, which affected the strength of the device, was used by the designer on the boat. The upper deck of the vessel was replaced by a convex and steeply curved surface. It was impossible for a person to stay on deck even when the boat was at rest. When the ship was moving, it was completely impossible for the crew to leave the cockpit, everything that was on it was thrown off the surface. AT war time When it was necessary to transport troops on the G-5, the servicemen were put into the gutters that the torpedo tubes have. Despite the good buoyancy of the vessel, it is impossible to transport any cargo on it, since there is no place to place it. The design of the torpedo tube, which was borrowed from the British, was unsuccessful. The lowest ship speed at which torpedoes were fired is 17 knots. At rest and at a lower speed, a salvo of a torpedo was impossible, since it would hit the boat.

Military German torpedo boats

During the First World War, in order to fight the British monitors in Flanders, the German fleet had to think about creating new means of fighting the enemy. They found a way out, and in 1917, in the month of April, the first small one was built, having torpedo armament. The length of the wooden hull was a little over 11 m. The ship was set in motion with the help of two carburetor engines, which overheated already at a speed of 17 knots. When it was increased to 24 knots, strong splashes appeared. One 350 mm torpedo tube was installed in the bow, shots could be fired at a speed of no more than 24 knots, otherwise the boat hit the torpedo. Despite the shortcomings, German torpedo ships entered the mass production.

All ships had a wooden hull, the speed reached 30 knots in a wave of three points. The crew consisted of seven people, on board there was one 450 mm torpedo tube and a machine gun with a rifle caliber. By the time the armistice was signed, there were 21 boats in the Kaiser fleet.

Worldwide, after the end of the First World War, there was a decline in the production of torpedo ships. Only in 1929, in November, the German company "Fr. Lyursen accepted an order for the construction of a combat boat. Released vessels were improved several times. The German command was not satisfied with the use of gasoline engines on ships. While the designers were working to replace them with hydrodynamics, other designs were being finalized all the time.

German torpedo boats of World War II

Even before the outbreak of World War II, the naval leadership of Germany set a course for the production of combat boats with torpedoes. Requirements were developed for their shape, equipment and maneuverability. By 1945, it was decided to build 75 ships.

Germany was the third largest exporter of torpedo boats in the world. Before the start of the war, German shipbuilding was working on the implementation of Plan Z. Accordingly, the German fleet had to be solidly re-equipped and have a large number of ships with carriers torpedo weapons. With the outbreak of hostilities in the fall of 1939, the planned plan was not fulfilled, and then the production of boats increased sharply, and by May 1945, almost 250 units of Schnellbotov-5 alone were put into operation.

Boats with a hundred-ton carrying capacity and improved seaworthiness were built in 1940. Warships were designated starting with "S38". It was the main weapon of the German fleet in the war. The armament of the boats was as follows:

• two torpedo tubes with two to four missiles;
• two thirty-millimeter anti-aircraft weapons.

The maximum speed of the vessel is 42 knots. 220 ships were involved in the battles of World War II. German boats on the battlefield behaved bravely, but not recklessly. In the last few weeks of the war, the ships were involved in the evacuation of refugees to their homeland.

Germans with a keel

In 1920, despite the economic crisis, a check was made in Germany on the work of keel and row ships. As a result of this work, the only conclusion was made - to build exclusively keel boats. At the meeting of Soviet and German boats, the latter won. During the fighting in the Black Sea in 1942-1944, not a single German boat with a keel was drowned.

Interesting and little-known historical facts

Not everyone knows that the Soviet torpedo boats that were used during the Second World War were huge floats from seaplanes.

In June 1929, aircraft designer A. Tupolev began the construction of a planing vessel of the ANT-5 brand, equipped with two torpedoes. The ongoing tests showed that the ships have such a speed that the ships of other countries could not develop. The military authorities were pleased with this fact.

In 1915, the British designed a small boat with great speed. Sometimes it was called a "floating torpedo tube".

Soviet military leaders could not afford to use Western experience in designing ships with torpedo launchers, believing that our boats were better.

The ships built by Tupolev had an aviation origin. This is reminiscent of the special configuration of the hull and the ship's plating, made of duralumin material.

Conclusion

Torpedo boats (photo below) had many advantages over other types of warships:

• small size;
• high speed;
• great maneuverability;
• a small number of people;
• minimum supply requirement.

The ships could go out, attack with torpedoes and quickly hide in sea ​​waters. Thanks to all these advantages, they were a formidable weapon for the enemy.

Few people know that the Soviet torpedo boats of World War II were giant seaplane floats.

On August 18, 1919, at 03:45, unidentified aircraft appeared over Kronstadt. The air raid alert was sounded on the ships. Actually, there was nothing new for our sailors - British and Finnish aircraft were based 20-40 km from Kronstadt on the Karelian Isthmus and almost all summer of 1919 raided ships and the city, although without much success.

But at 04:20, two speedboats were spotted from the destroyer Gavriil, and almost immediately there was an explosion at the harbor wall. This is a torpedo from a British boat, which passed by the Gabriel, exploded, hitting the pier.

In response, the sailors from the destroyer smashed the nearest boat to smithereens with the first shot from a 100-mm gun. In the meantime, two more boats, having entered the Middle Harbor, headed: one - to the training ship "Memory of Azov", the other - to the Rogatka Ust-Kanal (entrance to the dock of Peter I). With torpedoes fired, the first boat blew up the "Memory of Azov", the second one blew up the battleship "Andrew the First-Called". At the same time, the boats were machine-gunned at the ships near the harbor wall. When leaving the harbor, both boats were sunk by fire from the destroyer Gabriel at 04:25. Thus ended the British torpedo boat raid that went down in history. civil war called the Kronstadt wake-up call.

Floating torpedo tube

Note that this was not the first use of British torpedo boats in the Gulf of Finland. On June 17, 1919, the cruiser Oleg was anchored at the Tolbukhin Lighthouse, guarded by two destroyers and two patrol ships. The boat approached almost point-blank to the cruiser and fired a torpedo. The cruiser sank. It is easy to understand how the service was carried out by the Red Naval Marines, if neither on the cruiser, nor on the ships guarding it, no one noticed a suitable boat during the day and with excellent visibility. After the explosion, indiscriminate fire was opened on the “English submarine”, which the military men dreamed of.

Where did the British get the boats, moving at an incredible speed for that time of 37 knots (68.5 km / h)? English engineers managed to combine two inventions in the boat: a special ledge in the bottom - redan and a powerful gasoline engine of 250 hp. Thanks to the redan, the area of ​​\u200b\u200bcontact of the bottom with water, and hence the resistance to the course of the ship, decreased. The extended boat no longer sailed - it seemed to crawl out of the water and glided along it at great speed, leaning on the water surface only with an extended ledge and a flat aft end.

Thus, in 1915, the British designed a small high-speed torpedo boat, which was sometimes called a "floating torpedo tube".

Shooting back

From the very beginning, the British command considered torpedo boats exclusively as a sabotage weapon. British admirals intended to use light cruisers as carriers of torpedo boats. The torpedo boats themselves were supposed to be used to attack enemy ships in their bases. Accordingly, the boats were very small: 12.2 m long and 4.25 tons displacement.

Putting a normal (tubular) torpedo tube on such a boat was unrealistic. Therefore, planing boats fired torpedoes ... backwards. Moreover, the torpedo was thrown out of the stern chute not with its nose, but with its tail. At the moment of ejection, the torpedo engine was turned on, and it began to catch up with the boat. The boat, which at the time of the salvo had to go at a speed of about 20 knots (37 km / h), but not less than 17 knots (31.5 km / h), turned sharply to the side, and the torpedo retained its original direction, while simultaneously taking on a given depth and increasing the stroke to full. Needless to say, the accuracy of firing a torpedo from such an apparatus is significantly lower than from a tubular one.

Revolutionary boats

On September 17, 1919, the Revolutionary Military Council of the Baltic Fleet, on the basis of an inspection certificate of an English torpedo boat raised from the bottom in Kronstadt, turned to the Revolutionary Military Council with a request to order the urgent construction of English-type speedboats at our factories.

The issue was considered very quickly, and already on September 25, 1919, the GUK informed the Revolutionary Military Council that "due to the lack of special-type mechanisms that have not yet been manufactured in Russia, the construction of a series of such boats is certainly not feasible at present." That was the end of the matter.

But in 1922 Bekauri's Ostekhbyuro also became interested in planing boats. At his insistence, on February 7, 1923, the Main Marine Technical and Economic Directorate of the People's Commissariat for maritime affairs sent a letter to TsAGI "in connection with the emerging need for the fleet in gliders, the tactical tasks of which are: area of ​​​​action 150 km, speed 100 km / h, armament one machine gun and two 45-cm Whitehead mines, length 5553 mm, weight 802 kg" .

By the way, V.I. Bekauri, not really relying on TsAGI and Tupolev, secured himself and in 1924 ordered a planing torpedo boat from the French company Pikker. However, for a number of reasons, the construction of torpedo boats abroad did not take place.

Planing float

But Tupolev zealously set to work. The small radius of the new torpedo boat and its poor seaworthiness did not bother anyone at that time. It was assumed that the new gliders will be placed on the cruisers. On the "Profintern" and "Chervona Ukraine" it was supposed to make additional dumping davits for this.

The planing boat ANT-3 was based on a seaplane float. The top of this float, which actively affects the strength of the structure, was transferred to Tupolev's boats. Instead of an upper deck, they had a steeply curved convex surface, which is difficult for a person to hold on to even when the boat is stationary. When the boat was on the move, it was deadly dangerous to leave its conning tower - the wet, slippery surface threw off absolutely everything that fell on it (unfortunately, with the exception of ice, in winter conditions the boats froze over in the surface). When, during the war, troops had to be transported on torpedo boats of the G-5 type, people were put in single file in the chutes of torpedo tubes, they had nowhere else to be. With relatively large reserves of buoyancy, these boats could carry practically nothing, since there was no room for cargo in them.

The design of the torpedo tube borrowed from English torpedo boats was also unsuccessful. The minimum boat speed at which he could launch his torpedoes was 17 knots. At a slower speed and at a stop, the boat could not fire a torpedo salvo, since this would mean suicide for it - an imminent torpedo hit.

On March 6, 1927, the ANT-3 boat, later called the First-born, was sent by rail from Moscow to Sevastopol, where it was safely launched. From April 30 to July 16 of the same year, ANT-3 was tested.

On the basis of the ANT-3, the ANT-4 boat was created, which developed a speed of 47.3 knots (87.6 km / h) in tests. According to the ANT-4 type, serial production of torpedo boats, called Sh-4, was launched. They were built in Leningrad at the plant. Marty (former Admiralty Shipyard). The cost of the boat was 200 thousand rubles. The Sh-4 boats were equipped with two Wright-Typhoon gasoline engines supplied from the USA. The armament of the boat consisted of two groove-type torpedo tubes for 450-mm torpedoes of the 1912 model, one 7.62-mm machine gun and smoke-producing equipment. Total at the plant. Marty in Leningrad, 84 Sh-4 boats were built.

The fastest in the world

In the meantime, on June 13, 1929, Tupolev at TsAGI began the construction of a new planing duralumin boat ANT-5, armed with two 533-mm torpedoes. From April to November 1933, the boat passed factory tests in Sevastopol, and from November 22 to December - state tests. The tests of the ANT-5 literally delighted the authorities - the boat with torpedoes developed a speed of 58 knots (107.3 km / h), and without torpedoes - 65.3 knots (120.3 km / h). Boats of other countries could not even dream of such speeds.

Plant them. Marty, starting from the V series (the first four series are the Sh-4 boats), switched to the production of the G-5 (that was the name of the ANT-5 serial boats). Later, G-5 began to be built at plant No. 532 in Kerch, and with the outbreak of war, plant No. 532 was evacuated to Tyumen, and there, at plant No. 639, they also began building boats of the G-5 type. A total of 321 serial boats G-5 of nine series were built (from VI to XII, including XI-bis).

Torpedo armament for all series was the same: two 533-mm torpedoes in groove tubes. But the machine gun armament was constantly changing. So, the boats of the VI-IX series had two 7.62-mm DA machine guns each. The next series had two 7.62-mm ShKAS aircraft machine guns, which were distinguished by a higher rate of fire. Since 1941, boats have been equipped with one or two 12.7 mm DShK machine guns.

Torpedo leader

Tupolev and Nekrasov (immediate leader of the experimental design team for gliders) # did not calm down on the G-5 and in 1933 proposed the project of the “leader of the G-6 torpedo boats”. According to the project, the displacement of the boat was to be 70 tons. Eight GAM-34 engines of 830 hp each. were supposed to provide a speed of up to 42 knots (77.7 km / h). The boat could fire a salvo of six 533-mm torpedoes, three of which were launched from aft groove-type torpedo tubes, and three more from a rotary three-tube torpedo tube located on the deck of the boat. Artillery armament consisted of a 45-mm semi-automatic gun 21K, a 20-mm gun " aviation type"and several 7.62 mm machine guns. It should be noted that by the beginning of the construction of the boat (1934), both rotary torpedo tubes and 20-mm cannons of the "aviation type" existed only in the imagination of the designers.

suicide bombers

Tupolev boats could operate with torpedoes in waves up to 2 points, and stay at sea - up to 3 points. Poor seaworthiness manifested itself primarily in the flooding of the bridge of the boat even with the slightest wave and, in particular, in the strong splashing of a very low pilothouse open from above, which made it difficult for the boat crew to work. The autonomy of the Tupolev boats was also a derivative of seaworthiness - their design range could never be guaranteed, since it depended not so much on the fuel supply as on the weather. Stormy conditions in the sea are relatively rare, but a fresh wind, accompanied by waves of 3-4 points, is a normal phenomenon. Therefore, every exit of the Tupolev torpedo boats to the sea bordered on a mortal risk, without any connection with the combat activity of the boats.

A rhetorical question: why then were hundreds of gliding torpedo boats built in the USSR? It's all about the Soviet admirals, for whom the British Grand Fleet was a constant headache. They seriously thought that the British Admiralty would operate in the 1920s and 1930s in the same way as in Sevastopol in 1854 or in Alexandria in 1882. That is, British battleships in calm and clear weather will approach Kronstadt or Sevastopol, and Japanese battleships will approach Vladivostok, anchor and start a battle according to the “Gost regulations”.

And then dozens of the world's fastest torpedo boats of the Sh-4 and G-5 types will fly into the enemy armada. At the same time, some of them will be radio-controlled. The equipment for such boats was created at Ostekhbyuro under the leadership of Bekauri.

In October 1937, a large exercise was conducted using radio-controlled boats. When a formation representing an enemy squadron appeared in the western part of the Gulf of Finland, more than 50 radio-controlled boats, breaking through smoke screens, rushed from three sides to enemy ships and attacked them with torpedoes. After the exercise, the division of radio-controlled boats was highly appreciated by the command.

We'll go our own way

Meanwhile, the USSR was the only leading maritime power that built redan-type torpedo boats. England, Germany, the USA and other countries moved on to the construction of seaworthy keel torpedo boats. Such boats were inferior to redans in speed in calm weather, but significantly surpassed them in seas of 3-4 points. Keel boats carried more powerful artillery and torpedo weapons.

The superiority of keel boats over redans became obvious during the war of 1921-1933 at east coast USA, which was led by the Yankee government with ... Mr. Bacchus. Bacchus, of course, won, and the government was forced to shamefully repeal the Prohibition. A significant role in the outcome of the war was played by high-speed boats of the Elko company, which delivered whiskey from Cuba and Bahamas. Another question is that the same company built boats for the Coast Guard.

The capabilities of keel boats can be judged at least by the fact that a Scott-Payne boat, 70 feet (21.3 m) long, armed with four 53-cm torpedo tubes and four 12.7-mm machine guns, passed from England in the United States under its own power and on September 5, 1939, was solemnly welcomed in New York. In his image, the Elko company began the mass construction of torpedo boats.

By the way, 60 boats of the Elko type were delivered under Lend-Lease to the USSR, where they received the A-3 index. Based on the A-3 in the 1950s, we created the most common torpedo boat Soviet Navy- project 183.

Germans with a keel

It is worth noting that in Germany, literally bound hand and foot by the Treaty of Versailles and gripped by an economic crisis, they managed to test redan and keel boats in the 1920s. Based on the test results, an unambiguous conclusion was made - to make only keel boats. The Lyursen firm became a monopoly in the production of torpedo boats.

During the war years German boats freely operated in fresh weather throughout the North Sea. Based in Sevastopol and in Dvuyakornaya Bay (near Feodosia), German torpedo boats operated throughout the Black Sea. At first, our admirals did not even believe the reports that German torpedo boats were operating in the Poti region. Meetings between our and German torpedo boats invariably ended in favor of the latter. During the fighting Black Sea Fleet in 1942-1944, not a single German torpedo boat was sunk at sea.

Flying over the water

Let's dot the "i". Tupolev is a talented aircraft designer, but why did you have to take on other than your own business ?! In some ways, it can be understood - huge funds were allocated for torpedo boats, and in the 1930s there was a tough competition among aircraft designers. Let's pay attention to one more fact. The construction of boats was not classified in our country. The gliders flying over the water were used with might and main by Soviet propaganda. The population constantly saw Tupolev's torpedo boats in illustrated magazines, on numerous posters, in newsreels. Pioneers were voluntarily-compulsorily taught to make models of red torpedo boats.

As a result, our admirals became victims of their own propaganda. It was officially believed that Soviet boats were the best in the world and there was no point in paying attention to foreign experience. In the meantime, agents of the German company Lursen, starting in the 1920s, “sticking out their tongues” were looking for clients. Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Spain and even China became customers of their keel boats.

In the 1920s and 1930s, the Germans easily shared secrets in the field of tank building, aviation, artillery, poisonous substances, etc. with their Soviet colleagues. But they did not lift a finger from us to buy at least one Lursen.

German torpedo boats

Four years after the announcement German Empire On July 23, 1875, Fr. Lurssen founded a company in Bremen, which later became famous shipyard city ​​of Lurssen. Already in 1890, the first speedboat was built.

By 1910, about 700 boats left the stocks of the shipyard, which showed an unusual speed for that time. In 1917, the shipyard "Fr. Lurssen Bootswerft" received an order for the manufacture of the first sea boat for navy. In the same year, he was launched and began to serve. After the end of the First World War and the defeat that led to the fall of the Kaiser regime, promising developments had to turn around. Meanwhile, the superpowers began an arms race. Military shipbuilding developed at a rapid pace, ahead of all previously made plans. The limitation of the Washington Treaty and the disarmament agreement adopted in 1922 made it possible to stop the race. After long and difficult negotiations, a control system for the navies of the participating countries was developed.

All the measures taken to limit the fleets did not apply to surface ships with a displacement of up to 600 tons. They could be developed and launched in any quantities at their own discretion. Neither the Washington Treaty of 1922, nor the London Conference of 1930, nor even the Versailles Agreement with regard to Germany, dealt with ships with a displacement of up to 600 tons.

During the First World War, for some reason, the successes of torpedo boats were completely ignored. Their role was underestimated by most of the powers with naval forces. The idea of ​​using speedboats for fighting in coastal waters was gradually forgotten.

After the conclusion of the Treaty of Versailles until the end of the war in 1919, the German Imperial Navy had at its disposal a minimum number of battleships and cruisers built at the turn of the century. These obsolete warships were not ready for combat operations and even combat service. But it was they who were destined to become the basis for the new German fleet. That's what the winners wanted. The victorious powers often behaved defiantly, making decisions that were beneficial to themselves. Despite everything, the German fleet managed to create an effective training system. She surpassed all that were at the disposal of the winners.

In 1925, under the leadership of Admiral Fortlotter, the construction of high-speed torpedo boats began again. At first, these works were carefully hidden. The first attempts were carried out on the basis of six old boats, since after the end of the war no new ones were built. After modernization and bringing them to a state of readiness, systematic tests began. Then the first flotilla was organized. Exercises were held in 1925, the purpose of which was to use these weapons. In 1928, to the design bureau "Fr. Lurssen Bootswerft, the leadership of the Wehrmacht began to show interest in where speedboats were built. And already in 1929, the first torpedo boat was built at the shipyard after a long break. The initiative belonged to Admiral Raeder.

On July 7, 1930, the first torpedo boat entered the fleet under the code value UZ (S) 16 U-BOOT "Zerstorer", and on March 16, 1932 the boat received the new designation "S1". The warship had a displacement of 40 tons, was armed with two 533 mm torpedo tubes and developed a speed of 32 knots. Now this class of ships has its own designation "Schnellboote S-type".

The German fleet allowed itself the opportunity to build the maximum number of warships while not going beyond the limits of the treaty. The construction of high-speed torpedo boats was not limited in any way, but the leadership of the navy was worried about the possible reaction of the victorious countries to the emergence and development of a new class of warships. Unsuccessful experience in other areas only increased anxiety, so development and testing were carried out in the strictest secrecy under the guise of civilian shipbuilding. There was an urgent need to replace old boats with new ships. High-speed torpedo boats were required. In 1932, four more torpedo boats "S2", "S3", "S4", "S5" were built. In 1933, the S6 torpedo boat appeared in the German Navy. Until 1937, they were subordinate to the commander of the intelligence units.

From point of view combat use the advent of torpedo boats was a decisive step forward. The German Navy was the first to use powerful diesel engines. They made it possible to increase the cruising range and increase the speed on the move up to 36 knots, while fuel consumption decreased.

In the period from 1934 to 1935, seven more torpedo boats with designations from "S7" to "S13" entered the fleet. In July 1935, the first flotilla of torpedo boats was organized. Over time, orders were received for the construction of torpedo boats from S14 to S17. On the lungs warships three diesel engines with a capacity of 2000 hp were installed. everyone. The displacement increased to 92 tons, and the speed was already 39.8 knots. All ships entered service with the first flotilla of torpedo boats. Now the connection consisted of twelve combat-ready warships.

In the period from 1936 to 1938, tactical and technical conditions for their use were developed. They were followed by new parameters of their weapons. The torpedo boats were assigned areas with a distance of up to 700 miles, outlining the coast of the western coast of Germany along the North Sea, as well as a section of the Baltic Sea to the islands. Over time, diesel installations were improved, thanks to which torpedo boats could reach speeds of up to 45 knots.

The best industrial developments went into the construction of torpedo boats. Being the commander of a combat boat, which had a deadly weapon and lightning speed was considered prestigious. Sailors for service on boats were trained on special courses which included mechanics and navigators.

Torpedo boats had offensive and attack missions, so they were armed with appropriate offensive weapons. Their functions were attacks on large ships, penetration into harbors and bases and strikes against forces located there, carrying out attacks on merchant ships following sea routes and raids on objects located along the coast. Along with these tasks, torpedo boats could be used for defensive operations - attacking submarines and escorting coastal convoys, conducting reconnaissance and clearing enemy minefields.

Taking into account their small size, high speed and maneuverability, it became clear that torpedo boats had a lot of advantages over other classes of warships. A torpedo boat could go out, make a torpedo attack and hide in a calm sea. They have minimal need for men and supplies. Torpedo boats have become a formidable weapon.

Hundred-ton torpedo boats with improved seaworthiness appeared in 1940. Warships received a designation beginning with "S38". They became the main weapon of the German fleet in World War II. They were armed with two torpedo tubes and two four torpedoes, as well as two 30 mm anti-aircraft guns. Max speed reached 42 knots.

In World War II, torpedo boats sank enemy ships with a total displacement of almost 1,000,000 tons. Their weapons were mines and torpedoes. 220 boats took part in the fighting, making up seven flotillas. 149 torpedo boats were scuttled by the enemy or their crews. "Naval aces" were the so-called German torpedo boats for the images of aces on tactical symbols. They acted bravely, not recklessly and without making senseless sacrifices.

The last weeks of the war, torpedo boats took part in organized evacuation, which was the main task of the fleet at that time. It consisted in bringing refugees home. For one flight, the torpedo boat could carry up to 110 passengers. AT last days boats saved about 15,000 people in the Baltic Sea. Their last task was not to destroy, but to save human lives.

Specifications of the torpedo boat (Schnellboote S-type:)
Length - 31 m;
Displacement - 100 tons;
Power plant - three diesel engines "MAN" with a capacity of up to 6000 hp;
Speed ​​- 40 knots;
Crew - 10 people;
Armament:
Torpedo tubes 533 mm - 2;
Anti-aircraft gun 30 mm - 1;

Let's make a small digression from our aviation reviews and move on to the water. I decided to start like this, not from above, where all sorts of battleships, destroyers and aircraft carriers are important to blow bubbles, but from below. Where passions boiled no less comical, albeit in shallow water.

Speaking of torpedo boats, it is worth noting that before the start of the war, the participating countries, including even the "Mistress of the Seas" Britain, did not burden themselves with the presence of torpedo boats. Yes, there were small ships, but rather for training purposes.

For example, the Royal Navy had only 18 TCs in 1939, the Germans owned 17 boats, but Soviet Union 269 ​​boats were available. Shallow seas affected, in the waters of which it was necessary to solve problems.

Therefore, let's start, perhaps, with a participant under the flag of the Soviet Navy.

1. Torpedo boat G-5. USSR, 1933

Perhaps experts will say that it would be worth putting the D-3 or Komsomolets boats here, but it’s just that the G-5 was produced more than the D-3 and Komsomolets combined. Accordingly, these boats unequivocally took on such a part of the war that is hardly comparable to the rest.

The G-5 was a coastal boat, in contrast to the D-3, which could well work at a distance from the coast. It was a small boat, which, nevertheless, throughout the Great Patriotic War worked on enemy communications.

During the war, it underwent several modifications, the GAM-34 engines (yes, the Mikulinsky AM-34s became planing) were replaced by the imported Isotta-Fraschini, and then by the GAM-34F with a power of 1000 hp, which accelerated the boat to crazy 55 nodes with a combat load. Empty boat could accelerate to 65 knots.

The armament also changed. The frankly weak DA machine guns were first replaced by ShKAS (an interesting solution, to be honest), and then by two DShKs.

By the way, the huge speed and non-magnetic wooden-duralumin hull allowed the boats to sweep acoustic and magnetic mines.

Advantages: speed, good weapons, cheap design.

Disadvantages: very low seaworthiness.

2. Torpedo boat "Vosper". UK, 1938

The history of the boat is remarkable in that the British Admiralty did not order it, and the Vosper company developed the boat on its own initiative in 1936. However, the sailors liked the boat so much that it was put into service and went into series.

The torpedo boat had a very decent seaworthiness (at that time British ships were the standard) and a cruising range. He also went down in history by the fact that it was for the first time in the fleet that the Oerlikon automatic guns were installed on Vospers, which greatly increased firepower boat.

Since the British TKA were weak rivals to the German Schnellbots, which will be discussed below, the gun came in handy.

Initially, the same engines were installed on the boats as on the Soviet G-5, that is, the Italian Isotta-Fraschini. The outbreak of the war left both the UK and the USSR without these engines, so we have another example of import substitution. In the USSR, the Mikulin aircraft engine was very quickly adapted, and the British transferred the technology to the Americans, and they began to build boats with their own Packard engines.

The Americans further strengthened the armament of the boat, expectedly replacing the Vickers with 12.7-mm Brownings.

Where did the "Vospers" fight? Yes, everywhere. They participated in the evacuation of the Dunker disgrace, caught German "schnellboats" in the north of Britain, attacked Italian ships in the Mediterranean. We also noted. 81 American-built boats were handed over to our fleet as part of the . 58 boats took part in the battles, two were lost.

Advantages: seaworthiness, armament, cruising range.

Disadvantages: speed, large crew for a small ship.

3. Torpedo boat MAS type 526. Italy, 1939

The Italians also knew how to build ships. Beautiful and fast. This is not to be taken away. The standard for an Italian ship is a narrower hull than that of contemporaries, therefore a little more speed.

Why did I choose the 526th series in our review? Probably because they even showed up with us, and fought in our waters, although not where most people thought.

Italians are smart. To two conventional Isotta-Fraschini engines (yes, all the same!) Of 1000 horses each, they added a pair of Alfa Romeo engines of 70 hp. for economical travel. And under such engines, boats could sneak at a speed of 6 knots (11 km / h) for absolutely fantastic distances of 1,100 miles. Or 2000 km.

But if someone had to catch up, or quickly escape from someone, this was also in order.

Plus, the boat turned out to be not only good in terms of seaworthiness, it turned out to be very versatile. And besides the usual torpedo attacks, he could completely walk through the submarine with depth charges. But this is more psychological, since, of course, they did not put hydroacoustic equipment on a torpedo boat.

Torpedo boats of this type participated primarily in the Mediterranean Sea. However, four boats in June 1942 (MAS No. 526-529), together with the Italian crews, were transferred to Lake Ladoga, where they participated in the attack on Sukho Island in order to cut the Road of Life. In 1943, the Finns took them to themselves, after which the boats served as part of the Finnish naval forces.

Italians on Lake Ladoga.

Advantages: seaworthiness, speed.

Disadvantages: versatility in Italian design. The boat was armed, but there were problems with its use. One machine gun, albeit a large-caliber one, is clearly not enough.

4. Patrol torpedo boat RT-103. USA, 1942

Of course, in the USA they couldn't do something small and fidgety. Even taking into account the technology received from the British, they came out with a rather massive torpedo boat, which was generally explained by the number of weapons that the Americans were able to place on it.

The idea itself was not to create a purely torpedo boat, but a patrol one. This can be seen even from the name, because RT stands for Patrol Torpedo boat. That is, a patrol boat with torpedoes.

Torpedoes, of course, were. Two twin large-caliber Brownings are a useful thing in all respects, but we are generally silent about the 20-mm automatic gun from the Oerlikon.

Why does the US Navy need so many boats? Everything is simple. The interests of protecting the Pacific bases required just such ships, capable of primarily carrying out patrol service and, in which case, quickly escape if enemy ships were suddenly discovered.

The most significant contribution of the RT series boats was the fight against the Tokyo Night Express, that is, the supply system of the Japanese garrisons on the islands.

The boats were especially useful in the shallow waters of the archipelagos and atolls, where destroyers were wary of entering. And torpedo boats intercepted self-propelled barges and small coasters carrying military contingents, weapons and equipment.

Advantages: powerful weapons, good speed

Cons: Probably not.

5. Torpedo boat T-14. Japan, 1944

In general, the Japanese somehow didn’t bother with torpedo boats, not considering them weapons worthy of a samurai. However, opinion has changed over time as successful tactic the use of patrol boats by the Americans greatly worried the Japanese naval command.

But the trouble lay elsewhere: there were no free engines. It is a fact, but indeed, the Japanese fleet did not receive a decent torpedo boat precisely because there was no engine for it.

The only acceptable option in the second half of the war was the Mitsubishi project, which was called the T-14.

It was the smallest torpedo boat, even the coastal Soviet G-5 was larger. However, thanks to their space savings, the Japanese managed to squeeze in so many weapons (torpedoes, depth charges and automatic cannon) that the boat turned out to be quite toothy.

Alas, the frank lack of power of the 920-horsepower engine, with all its advantages, did not make the T-14 any competitor for the American RT-103.

Advantages: small size, weapons

Disadvantages: speed, range.

6. Torpedo boat D-3. USSR, 1943

It makes sense to add this particular boat, since the G-5 was a coastal zone boat, and the D-3 just had more decent seaworthiness and could operate at a distance from the coastline.

The first D-3 series was built with GAM-34VS engines, the second went with American Lend-Lease Packards.

The sailors believed that the D-3 with the Packards was much better than the American Higgins boats that came to us under Lend-Lease.

The Higgins was a good boat, but the low speed (up to 36 knots) and the drag torpedo tubes, which froze completely in the conditions of the Arctic, somehow did not come to court. D-3 with the same engines was faster, and since it also turned out to be smaller in terms of displacement, it was also more maneuverable.

The low silhouette, shallow draft and reliable silencer system made our D-3s indispensable for operations off the coast of the enemy.

So the D-3 not only went on torpedo attacks on convoys, it was used with pleasure for landing troops, transporting ammunition to bridgeheads, setting minefields, hunting for enemy submarines, guarding ships and convoys, sweeping fairways (bombing German bottom non-contact mines with depth charges).

Plus, it was the most seaworthy of the Soviet boats, withstanding waves up to 6 points.

Advantages: a set of weapons, speed, seaworthiness

Cons: I don't think there are any.

7. Torpedo boat S-Boat. Germany, 1941

At the end we have Schnellbots. They really were very "schnell", that is, fast. In general, the concept of the German fleet provided for a huge number of ships carrying torpedoes. And the same "schnellboats" were built more than 20 different modifications.

These were ships of a slightly higher class than all those listed before. But what if the German shipbuilders tried to stand out in every possible way? And their battleships were not quite battleships, and a destroyer could puzzle another cruiser, the same thing happened with boats.

These were versatile ships capable of doing everything, almost like our D-3s, but they had very impressive armament and seaworthiness. Especially the weapons.

Actually, like the Soviet boats, the Germans took on their TKA all the same tasks of protecting small convoys and individual ships (especially those coming from Sweden with ore), which, by the way, they succeeded.

Ore carriers from Sweden calmly came to the ports, because the large ships of the Baltic Fleet stood in Leningrad throughout the war, without interfering with the enemy. And for torpedo boats and armored boats, especially submarines, the Schnellbot, stuffed with automatic weapons, was too tough.

So I consider the control over the delivery of ore from Sweden to be the main combat mission that the Schnellbots performed. Although the 12 destroyers that were sunk by boats during the war are not a few.

Advantages: seaworthiness and armament

Disadvantages: dimensions, respectively, not perfect maneuverability.

These ships and their crews had a difficult life. Not battleships after all ... Not battleships at all.