Germany
During World War I, Germany actively used submarines to destroy enemy merchant tonnage. And, although the Germans lost, their submariners achieved unprecedented results. Almost five thousand ships with a total tonnage of more than 11 million GRT (gross register tons) were sunk.
In the next war, the ships of the Kriegsmarine again asserted themselves as a formidable force. According to the British Admiralty, during World War II, German submariners destroyed 2,775 ships worth 14,573,000 GRT.
The most effective, as we have already said, was the submarine U-48.
U-48 returns from a successful campaign (photo source)
She entered service with the Kriegsmarine in April 1939 and was a class VIIB boat. From the very first days she took part in the Battle of the Atlantic. U-48 opened its account of sunk ships on its very first voyage: the boat sent three ships worth 14,777 GRT to the bottom.
During her combat career, she made 12 cruises and spent 325 days at sea. During this time, the submarine sank 51 ships with a total tonnage of 306,874 GRT and an anti-submarine ship, the British sloop Dundee.
Three U-48 commanders - Herbert Schulze, Hans-Rudolf Rösing and Heinrich Bleichrodt - became submarine aces. All of them were awarded Knight's Crosses. U-48 mechanical engineer Erich Zürn, as well as submarine watch officer Reinhard Suhren, also became holders of this order.
Team U-48 and “three black cats” - the emblem of the boat
The combat journey of U-48 ended on July 1, 1941. The boat was transferred to the Baltic and included in one of the training flotillas. On September 25, 1943, the submarine was transferred to the 3rd Submarine Training Division as a training aid. And on May 3, 1945, the boat was sunk in the Baltic, not far from Neustadt.
The successes of the U-48 could not be surpassed by any other boat, and it went down in history as the most successful “trade fighter” in World War II.
“Baby”, Soviet Union
0
Series VI and VI-bis - 50 built. Series XII - 46 built. Series XV - 57 built (4 took part in hostilities). Performance characteristics of M type boats, series XII: Surface displacement - 206 tons; underwater - 258 tons. Autonomy - 10 days. Working diving depth - 50 m, maximum - 60 m. Full surface speed - 14 knots; in underwater - 8 knots. Cruising range on the surface is 3,380 miles (8.6 knots). Submerged cruising range is 108 miles (3 knots). Armament: - 2 torpedo tubes of 533 mm caliber, ammunition - 2 torpedoes; — 1 x 45 mm anti-aircraft semi-automatic. The project of mini-submarines for the rapid strengthening of the Pacific Fleet - the main feature of the M-type boats was the ability to be transported by rail in a fully assembled form. In the pursuit of compactness, many had to be sacrificed - service on the Malyutka turned into a grueling and dangerous undertaking. Difficult living conditions, strong roughness - the waves mercilessly tossed the 200-ton “float”, risking breaking it into pieces. Shallow diving depth and weak weapons. But the main concern of the sailors was the reliability of the submarine - one shaft, one diesel engine, one electric motor - the tiny “Malyutka” left no chance for the careless crew, the slightest malfunction on board threatened death for the submarine. The little ones quickly evolved - the performance characteristics of each new series were several times different from the previous project: the contours were improved, the electrical equipment and detection equipment were updated, the diving time was reduced, and the autonomy increased. The “babies” of the XV series no longer resembled their predecessors of the VI and XII series: one-and-a-half-hull design - the ballast tanks were moved outside the durable hull; The power plant received a standard two-shaft layout with two diesel engines and underwater electric motors. The number of torpedo tubes increased to four. Alas, Series XV appeared too late - the “Little Ones” of Series VI and XII bore the brunt of the war. Despite their modest size and only 2 torpedoes on board, the tiny fish were simply distinguished by their terrifying “gluttony”: in just the years of World War II, Soviet M-type submarines sank 61 enemy ships with a total tonnage of 135.5 thousand gross tons, destroyed 10 warships, and also damaged 8 transports. The little ones, originally intended only for operations in the coastal zone, have learned to fight effectively in open sea areas. They, along with larger boats, cut enemy communications, patrolled at the exits of enemy bases and fjords, deftly overcame anti-submarine barriers and blew up transports right at the piers inside protected enemy harbors. It’s simply amazing how the Red Navy were able to fight on these flimsy ships! But they fought. And we won!
Italy
Italian submariners were active in submarine warfare. But their successes were not as impressive as those of their colleagues from Germany. According to German historian Professor Jürgen Rover, during World War II, Italian submarines sank 124 ships with a total tonnage of 670,523 GRT.
"Leonardo da Vinci"
The most successful among them was Leonardo da Vinci. This submarine belonged to the Marconi class boats. She entered service with the Italian Navy at the end of 1939. In 1940–1943 she went “hunting” eight times. During the last, eighth voyage, the submarine died. During her combat service, Leonardo da Vinci sank 17 ships totaling 120,243 GRT.
The submarine was commanded alternately by captains di Corveto Ferdinando Calda, Luigi Longanesi Cattani and Gianfranco Gazzana Priarogi. The latter became the best underwater ace in Italy. Gazzana Priaroggi perished along with his entire crew in May 1943 when the Leonardo da Vinci sank British ships in the Atlantic, west of Cape Finisterre.
The best submariners of World War II
The concept of “best submariners” is ambiguous and requires clarification for its correct understanding. Naturally, the definition of “best” is carried out by the name of the submarine commander, who has an important, but not all determining, significance during the voyage. The crew of the boat together with its captain are a single whole, since one without the other, not only achieve any success, but even survive at sea. Thus, the activity of the entire crew, which is represented by the commander, is actually assessed. The criterion for evaluation is the total tonnage of enemy ships sunk. Sometimes the number of ships sunk, the time spent on voyages, and the thousands of miles traveled by submarines are used for assessment. However, these criteria are most often used for qualification assessments in peacetime.
It is generally accepted to consider the commander of a submarine that sank more than 100 thousand tons of ship tonnage to be a “underwater ace” or “tonnage king.” Only German submariners were such record holders in World War II - 34 of them achieved this result. Among submariners from other countries, only about a dozen boat commanders were able to approach this figure, although they were the most productive in their fleet.
In addition to high personal results, German submariners also had high efficiency of the submarine fleet as a whole. They sank 2,603 Allied warships and transport vessels with a total displacement of 13.5 million tons. The Americans destroyed 1314 ships with a total tonnage of 5.3 million tons. British - 403 ships with a tonnage of 1.42 million tons. The Japanese sank 184 ships with a tonnage of 907 thousand tons. The USSR - 157 ships with a tonnage of 462.3 thousand tons.
The contribution of “underwater aces” to these statistics is very significant. For example, only the 5 best German submariners sank 174 Allied combat and transport ships with a total displacement of 1.5 million tons. In terms of tonnage, this is slightly more than the entire British submarine fleet, and three times more than the Soviet one.
The high performance of the German submarine fleet was achieved, first of all, due to the huge German submarine fleet of 2054 submarines (almost 50% of the entire submarine fleet of the world), which in the first half of the war almost completely controlled all sea routes to Europe. In addition, the success was facilitated by the high training of the crews, advanced submarines, and the incredible intensity of their use in military campaigns. On average, the duration of a German submarine's voyage was 3-6 months, and sometimes 9-10 months a year. And the number of trips of one boat could reach 20 times. At a time when Allied submarines went to sea 5-6 times during the war. The total duration of campaigns rarely reached 3 months during the entire war. It is also necessary to note the high repairability of the German submarine fleet. Almost 70% of the available fleet was constantly in service, at a time when the Allies had only half of the fleet on the move, and the USSR and Japan only 30%.
Not least important in the performance of the Germans was the tactics used by the submariners - “free hunting” and “wolf packs”. Of the total Allied losses from submarines, 61% were ships sailing outside convoys; 9% were lagging behind the convoys and 30% were traveling as part of the convoys. As a result, 70 thousand military sailors and 30 thousand merchant seamen died.
German submariners paid a high price for this success: 647 submarines were destroyed. Of the 39 thousand submariners who participated in combat campaigns, 32 thousand died. The overwhelming majority were in the last two years of the war.
Below is information about the submarine commanders who achieved the highest results in their country.
UK Submariners
Malcolm David Wanklyn (06/28/1911 – 04/14/1942)
Lieutenant Cmdr. In 1933, he entered service in the submarine fleet and commanded the submarine N-31, which sank in the North Sea. Since the summer of 1940, he commanded the submarine “Upholder”, on which he made 28 combat cruises in 15 months and sank 14 ships with a total tonnage of 93 thousand tons, damaged 3 ships with a tonnage of 33 thousand tons. Among the sunk ships was one destroyer and two enemy submarines. For the destruction of the heavily guarded large Italian liner SS Conte Rosso, Wanklyn was awarded the highest British military award, the Victoria Cross. In April 1942, the submarine Upholder was lost with its entire crew, presumably falling into a minefield.
Submariners of Germany
Kretschmer Otto (05/01/1912 - 08/05/1998)
Admiral of the flotilla. In 1936 he entered the submarine fleet and served as 1st mate on the U-35 submarine. Since 1937 - commander of the U-23 submarine. He laid several mines on it off the coast of Great Britain and sank 8 ships. Since 1940 he became the commander of U-99. On the first patrol, he sank 11 ships, then 8 more. He sank the British auxiliary cruisers Patrocles, Forfar and Lorient, as well as the destroyer Daring. Made 16 military campaigns. In total, he sank 46 ships with a total displacement of 273 thousand tons. and damaged 6 ships with a displacement of 38 thousand tons. He was the most effective submariner in Germany. Awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords.
Lute Wolfgang (Wolfgang Lüth) (10/15/1913 – 05/13/1945)
Captain 1st rank. In 1933, he entered the navy as a cadet, completing a 9-month circumnavigation of the world on the light cruiser Karlsruhe. He served on the light cruiser Königsberg. In 1937 he was transferred to the submarine fleet. In 1939, he was appointed commander of the U-9 submarine, on which he made 6 cruises. Sank the French submarine Doris. Since 1940, he was transferred to the U-138 submarine, on which he sank 4 ships with a total displacement of 34.6 thousand tons. In 1940 - 1942. commanded the boat “U-43” and made 5 trips (204 days at sea), during which he sank 12 ships with a displacement of 64.8 thousand tons. In 1942 - 1943. Commanding the submarine U-181, he made 2 voyages lasting 335 days. Lyut's main victims were not ships in convoys, like many other submariners, but independently moving ships. In total he made 16 military campaigns. He had 46 sunken ships with a total displacement of 225.8 thousand tons, as well as 2 damaged ships with a total displacement of 17 thousand tons. He had the 2nd result among German submarine warfare aces. Awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords and Diamonds.
Erich Topp (07/02/1914 – 12/26/2005)
Captain 2nd rank. Since 1940, he commanded the submarine U-552, which attacked the convoy HX-156. Sank the US destroyer Reuben James. At the end of 1941 he set sail for the Azores region. Made 13 military campaigns. During the war, he sank 35 merchant ships with a displacement of 197 thousand tons and damaged 4 ships with a displacement of 32 thousand tons. He was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords.
Heinrich Liebe (01/29/1908 – 07/27/1997)
Captain 2nd rank. From 1931 he served on the battleship Schleswig-Holstein. In 1935 he was transferred to the submarine forces. In 1936-1938. commanded the submarine U-2. In 1938, he received the U-38 boat, on which he made 9 trips, spending a total of 333 days at sea. Sank the steamship "Manaar" with a displacement of 7 thousand tons. In 1941, off the coast of Africa, he sank 8 ships with a displacement of 47 thousand tons. Made 9 military campaigns. In total, during the hostilities, he sank 34 ships with a total displacement of 187 thousand tons and damaged 1 ship with a displacement of 3.7 thousand tons. He was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves.
Viktor Schütze (16.02.1906 – 23.09.1950)
Captain 1st rank. In 1925 he entered the navy as a cadet, and four years later he was promoted to lieutenant. Served on torpedo boats. In 1935 he was transferred to the submarine fleet. Commanded the submarines U-19 and U-11. In 1939, he was appointed commander of the U-25 submarine, on which he made 3 cruises, spending 105 days at sea. Since 1940, he commanded the submarine U-103. I spent 4 trips on this boat, lasting 201 days. In total he made 7 military campaigns. During the hostilities, he sank 35 ships with a total displacement of 180 thousand tons and damaged 5 ships with a displacement of 14 thousand tons. He was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves.
Submariners of Italy
Carlo Fecia di Cossato (25.10.1908 - 27.08.1944)
Captain 2nd rank. He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1928 and served on submarines. At the beginning of the war he commanded the submarines Ciro Menotti and Tazzoli. In 1941, he sank three large enemy transports in one campaign. In 1942, during a two-month campaign, he destroyed 6 Allied ships, and in the next two months - 4 more. In 1943, after Italy signed an armistice, he transferred from the submarine fleet to the commander of a squadron of torpedo boats, on which he destroyed 7 more ships, but this time German ones. Made 10 combat cruises on a submarine. Sank 16 Allied ships with a total displacement of 86 thousand tons. Awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and the Gold Medal of Military Valor.
Gianfranco Gazzana Priaroggia (30.08.1912 - 23.05.1943)
Corvette captain. In 1935, after graduating from the Naval Academy, he was assigned to the heavy cruiser Trento, and then transferred to the submarine fleet. He served as first mate on the submarine Domenico Millilire, and then commanded the submarines Archimede and Leonardo da Vinci. In one trip he managed to sink 6 ships with a total displacement of 58.9 thousand tons. In total, he made 11 military campaigns and sank 9 Allied transport ships with a total tonnage of 76.4 thousand tons. On May 23, 1943, the submarine Leonardo da Vinci was sunk with its entire crew 300 miles west of Cape Finisterre by Royal Navy ships. Gianfranco Gazzana Priaroggia was posthumously awarded the Italian Gold Medal for Military Valor, as well as the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.
Submariners of the USSR
The effectiveness of Soviet submarine commanders was determined, unlike the rest of the world, not in the tonnage sunk, but in the number of ships sunk. It is not difficult to assume that this was done by the Soviet ideological machine to disguise the low efficiency of the submarine fleet in comparison with other countries. After all, it is obvious that the destruction of a cruiser or large transport and a torpedo boat or minesweeper makes a big difference, both in the amount of damage inflicted on the enemy and in the value of the ship for the enemy fleet. However, the commissioners “did not see this difference.” Therefore, the 13 declared ships of Ivan Travkin (commander of the submarine Shch-303, K-52, Baltic Fleet) were compared with the number of sunk ships of submarine warfare aces of other countries. Indeed, Travkin’s 13 sunk ships do not look so “sad” in comparison with the 16-19 ships sunk by the British or Americans. True, Travkin was officially credited with 7 sunk ships, although in fact he sank 1 transport of 1.5 thousand tons. Based on this, below we present the rating of Soviet submarine commanders in comparable units of measurement, in the tonnage of ships sunk. Naturally, it absolutely does not coincide with the decades of Soviet military statistics imposed on us.
The list is headed by Alexander Marinesko, who caused the greatest damage to the German military potential in comparison with other Soviet submariners.
Marinesko Alexander Ivanovich (01/02/1913 – 11/25/1963)
Captain 3rd rank. In 1933 he graduated from the Odessa Naval School and served as third and second mate on the ships Ilyich and Red Fleet. In 1933, he was sent to a special course for command staff of the RKKF, after which he was appointed navigator on the submarine Shch-306 (“Haddock”) of the Baltic Fleet. In March 1936 he received the rank of lieutenant, in November 1938 - senior lieutenant. After completing retraining courses at the underwater diving training detachment, he served as assistant commander on the L-1 submarine, then as commander on the M-96 submarine, whose crew, based on the results of combat and political training in 1940, took first place, and the commander was awarded gold medals. hours and promoted to the rank of lieutenant commander.
In October 1941, Marinesko was expelled from the list of candidates for membership in the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) for drunkenness and organizing gambling card games in the submarine division. In August 1942, the M-96 boat went on a combat mission for the first time. According to Soviet reports, it sank a German transport; according to German data, the boat missed. In November 1942, the boat set out on its second voyage to disembark a group of reconnaissance officers. For this campaign, Marinesko received the Order of Lenin and the rank of captain of the 3rd rank. In April 1943, Marinesko was appointed commander of the S-13 submarine, on which he served until September 1945. The submarine went on a cruise only in October 1944. She managed to damage the Siegfried transport, with a displacement of 553 tons, which in the report “grew” to 5 thousand tons. For this campaign, Marinesko received the Order of the Red Banner. From January 9 to February 15, 1945, Marinesko was on his fifth military campaign, during which two large enemy transports were sunk - Wilhelm Gustloff (25.5 thousand tons) and Steuben (16.6 thousand tons) . Thus, Marinesko, having completed 6 military campaigns, sank two ships with a total tonnage of 40.1 thousand tons and damaged one with a displacement of 553 tons.
For two outstanding victories in January-February 1945, all Marinesko crew members were awarded state awards, and the S-13 submarine was awarded the Order of the Red Banner. The commander of the boat, who fell into disgrace, was awarded his main award posthumously only in May 1990. He was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union 45 years after the end of the war.
Augustinovich Mikhail Petrovich (09/22/1912 – 09/22/1984)
Vice Admiral. In 1932 he graduated from the Naval School, then from the Coastal Defense School of the Red Army Naval Forces, and in 1936 he completed training in the Submarine Training Unit. During the war, he commanded the K-1 submarine in the Northern Fleet. Participant of 13 military campaigns, spent 172 days at sea. Carried out one torpedo attack, 13 mine laying. Destroyed 6 enemy transports and 2 warships with a total tonnage of 18.6 thousand tons. He was awarded the Order of Lenin, two Orders of the Red Banner, the Order of Nakhimov II degree, two Orders of the Patriotic War and the Order of the Red Star.
Grishchenko Pyotr Denisovich (07/12/1980 – 01/14/1991)
Captain 1st rank. In 1931 he graduated from the M.V. Frunze Naval School and served on the Panther submarine. After graduating from the Naval Academy in 1940, he served on the L-3 submarine in the Baltic Fleet. Under the command of Grishchenko, the L-3 submarine made one successful torpedo attack, and 5 transports were blown up by the mines it placed. In general, the submarine sank 6 ships with a total tonnage of 16.4 thousand tons. He was awarded 9 orders, incl. two Orders of Lenin, two Orders of the Red Banner, two Orders of the Red Star and three Orders of the Patriotic War.
Shchedrin Grigory Ivanovich (12/01/1912 – 01/07/1995)
Vice Admiral. In October 1942, he organized the transfer of six submarines from the Pacific Fleet to the Northern Fleet. These boats included the S-56. The passage through 9 seas and 3 oceans, about 17 thousand miles long, ended in March 1943 in Polyarny. Under the command of Shchedrin, the S-56 made 8 military campaigns and sank 2 transports and 2 warships with a total tonnage of 10.1 thousand tons. For successful command of the ship and demonstrated courage and heroism, Shchedrin was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the medal “ Golden Star" and the Order of Lenin.
US Submariners
At the beginning of the war, military statistics of the US Navy kept records of enemy losses and the effectiveness of combat operations of its own forces according to the generally accepted system - confirming the statements of the command of its troops. However, such statistics did not reflect the real picture, which negatively affected the planning of military operations and even the fairness of rewarding their soldiers. Therefore, in January 1943, the command of all branches of the US armed forces formed the Joint Naval Assessment Committee (JANAC), which generated statistical reports based on 12 different sources of information. To date, these reports are considered to be as objective as possible and have undergone virtually no adjustments with the receipt of new information. In 1947, JANAC compiled a report on the performance ratings of U.S. Navy submarine commanders. The methodology for calculating the rating included not only data on the sunk tonnage of enemy ships, but also their number, the time spent attacking one target, the number and range of cruises, the number of torpedoes fired at one target, etc. As a result, the actual skill of the submariners was assessed, practically excluding luck and fortune. Below is information about the submariners leading this rating.
Richard O'Kane (Richard Hetherington "Dick" O'Kane) (02/02/1911 – 16/02/1994)
Captain 1st rank. In 1934 he graduated from the US Naval Academy. He spent his first years of service on the heavy cruiser Chester and the destroyer Pruitt. In 1938 he graduated from diving school and was appointed navigator on the submarine Wahoo. In 1943, he took command of the submarine "Tang", on which he made 5 combat cruises, sinking 24 enemy ships with a total tonnage of 93.8 thousand tons. In the rating of submarine commanders of the US Navy, he ranks first in terms of performance. He was awarded the Medal of Honor, three Navy Crosses and three Silver Stars.
Slade Deville Cutter (11/01/1911 – 06/09/2005)
Captain 1st rank. After graduating from the Naval Academy in 1935, he served on the battleship Idaho. In 1938 he completed his studies at the diving school and from the end of 1941 he commanded the submarine Pompano, on which he made three combat cruises before it was seriously damaged. Afterwards he commanded the new submarine Seahorse, on which he sank 4 ships with a total displacement of 19.5 thousand tons in one combat campaign. for which he received his first Navy Cross. In total he made 5 cruises, during which he destroyed 19 enemy ships with a total tonnage of 71.7 thousand tons. He was awarded four Navy Crosses and was recognized as the second most successful submarine commander in the United States.
Dudley Walker Morton (07/17/1907 – 10/11/1943)
Captain 3rd rank. In 1930 he graduated from the Naval Academy. Before the start of the war, he served on cruisers and aircraft carriers, and then on R- and S-class submarines. During the year, he made 5 military cruises on the submarine Wahoo, during which he sank 19 ships with a total tonnage of 54.7 thousand tons. In 1943, the boat carrying Morton went missing. He was awarded the Navy Cross, three Gold Stars and the Distinguished Service Cross.
Eugene Bennett Fluckey (05.10.1913 - 28.06. 2007)
Rear Admiral. In 1935, he graduated from the Naval Academy and was assigned to serve on the battleship Nevada, then transferred to the destroyer McCormick. In 1938 he entered a diving school, after graduating from which he served on the S-42 and Bonita submarines. From January 1944 to August 1945, he commanded the submarine “Barb”, on which he made 5 combat cruises, sinking 16 ships with a total tonnage of 95 thousand tons. Among the destroyed ships were a Japanese cruiser and a frigate. He was awarded the Medal of Honor and four Navy Crosses. It ranks fourth in the performance rankings of the American fleet.
Samuel David Dealey (09/13/1906 – 08/24/1944)
Rear Admiral. In 1930 he graduated from the Naval Academy and was assigned to the battleship Nevada. He then served on the destroyer Rathburne. After graduating from diving school, he served on various submarines as a first mate, and in 1938 he was appointed commander of the old destroyer Reuben James. In 1941, he was transferred to the position of commander of the S-20 submarine. In 1942, he received a new submarine “Harder”, on which he made 6 combat cruises, sinking 16 enemy ships with a total tonnage of 54 thousand tons. In the performance rating of the US Navy it ranks fifth. He was awarded the Medal of Honor and the Silver Star.
Joseph Inrait (09/18/1910 – 07/20/2000)
Captain 2nd rank. He graduated from the Naval Academy at Annapolis in 1933 and became a career naval officer. During the war, he commanded the submarine Archerfish, which on November 28, 1944 discovered the Japanese aircraft carrier Shinano with a military escort. Aircraft carrier with a displacement of 71.9 thousand tons. was considered the largest aircraft carrier in the world until 1961, when the United States built the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. Inright attacked the carrier with four torpedoes, which hit the bow of the ship. For the successful operation he was awarded the Navy Cross. And although Joseph Inright was not included in the top ranking of the most successful US submariners, the ego attack is considered one of the most successful in naval battles.
Assessing the performance of American submariners, one cannot fail to note the crew of the Flasher submarine, which, under the command of two commanders, tops the rating of the most productive submarine of the US Navy. This submarine destroyed 21 enemy ships with a total tonnage of 104.6 thousand tons. Information about these captains is below.
Reuben Thornton Whitaker (09/23/1911 – 10/09/1985)
Rear Admiral. In 1934 he graduated from the Naval Academy. Commanded the submarine Sturgeon. From September 25, 1943 to October 31, 1944, he commanded the Flasher submarine, on which he sank 15 enemy warships and transports with a displacement of 56.4 thousand tons. He was awarded the Navy Cross and the Silver Star.
George William Grider (01.10.1912 – 20.03.1991)
Captain 1st rank. He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1936 and served on the battleship Mississippi. After graduating from diving school, he was appointed captain of the Skipjack submarine. From October 31, 1944 to March 1946, he commanded the boat “Flasher,” on which he sank 6 ships with a tonnage of 43.8 thousand tons. In total, he made 5 military campaigns. He was awarded the Navy Cross.
Submariners of Japan
Matsumura Kanji (松村寛治) (11/06/1899 – 11/18/1944)
Vice Admiral. After graduating from the Naval Academy, he continued his studies at a diving school. Since 1935, he served on submarines as an officer. In 1940, he was appointed commander of the submarine I-21. Participated in the attack on Pearl Harbor. During two military campaigns he sank enemy ships with a total tonnage of 44 thousand tons. In total, he made 11 military campaigns and sank 10 Allied transport ships with a total tonnage of 58.9 thousand tons. On November 29, 1943, the I-21 submarine and its entire crew were lost off Tarawa Atoll, presumably from an attack by a TBF Avenger carrier-based aircraft from the convoy aircraft carrier Chenango.
The successes of other Japanese submariners did not exceed 50 thousand tons.
In conclusion. An analysis of the combat activity of submarine fleets during the war shows that the best submariners, who accounted for approximately 2% of the total number of submarines, accounted for about 30% of the total tonnage of ships sunk. Thus, during the Second World War, among all branches of the armed forces, it was the category of “best submariners” that turned out to be the most effective and efficient. It is not for nothing that submariners in all countries are treated with the greatest respect and reverence.
Based on materials from the sites: https://www.deol.ru; https://wio.ru; https://warspot.ru; https://warspot.ru; https://bgudkov.ru; https://wiki.wargaming.net; www.uboat.net; https://flot.com; https://en.wikipedia.org.
See also Photo Germany. Submarine fleet.
All publications
Share in:
Japan
The submarine forces of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II sought to weaken the navies of their opponents as much as possible. The Japanese deliberately did not use their submarines as trade fighters. Nevertheless, their submarines still caused some damage to Allied merchant shipping. According to researcher Erminio Bagnasco, they sank 184 ships with a total tonnage of 907,000 GRT.
I-10 in 1942
The submarine I-10 is considered the most successful. She belonged to the A1 type boats and entered service with the Imperial Navy in October 1941. During the fighting in the Pacific and Indian Oceans in 1941–1944, she sank 15 ships worth 81,632 GRT.
Of its four commanders, Yasuchika Kayabara showed the best result. He commanded I-10 in 1941–1942 and sank nine ships totaling 43,458 GRT.
The boat was lost in the Pacific Ocean in 1944. Her last message was received on June 28. It is believed that the submarine was destroyed by an American destroyer on July 4 off the island of Saipan.
Boats of the "Cruising" type XIV series, Soviet Union
0
Number of submarines built - 11. Surface displacement - 1500 tons; underwater - 2100 tons. Crew - 62...65 people. Working depth of immersion - 80 m, maximum - 100 m. Full surface speed - 22.5 knots; in underwater - 10 knots. Cruising range on the surface 16,500 miles (9 knots) Cruising range underwater - 175 miles (3 knots) Armament: - 10 torpedo tubes of 533 mm caliber, ammunition - 24 torpedoes; — 2 x 100 mm universal guns, 2 x 45 mm anti-aircraft semi-automatic guns; - up to 20 minutes of barrage. ...On December 3, 1941, German hunters UJ-1708, UJ-1416 and UJ-1403 bombed a Soviet boat that tried to attack a convoy at Bustad Sund. - Hans, can you hear this creature? - Nain. After a series of explosions, the Russians lay down on the bottom - I detected three impacts on the ground... - Can you determine where they are now? - Donnerwetter! They are blown away. They probably decided to surface and surrender. The German sailors were wrong. From the depths of the sea, a MONSTER rose to the surface - the cruising submarine K-3 series XIV, unleashing a barrage of artillery fire on the enemy. With the fifth salvo, Soviet sailors managed to sink U-1708. The second hunter, having received two direct hits, began to smoke and turned to the side - his 20 mm anti-aircraft guns could not compete with the “hundreds” of the secular submarine cruiser. Scattering the Germans like puppies, K-3 quickly disappeared over the horizon at 20 knots. The Soviet Katyusha was a phenomenal boat for its time. Welded hull, powerful artillery and mine-torpedo weapons, powerful diesel engines (2 x 4200 hp!), high surface speed of 22-23 knots. Huge autonomy in terms of fuel reserves. Remote control of ballast tank valves. A radio station capable of transmitting signals from the Baltic to the Far East. An exceptional level of comfort: shower cabins, refrigerated tanks, two seawater desalinators, an electric galley... Two boats (K-3 and K-22) were equipped with Lend-Lease ASDIC sonars. But, oddly enough, neither the high characteristics nor the most powerful weapons made the Katyusha an effective weapon - in addition to the dark story of the K-21 attack on the Tirpitz, during the war years the XIV series boats accounted for only 5 successful torpedo attacks and 27 thousand br. reg. tons of sunk tonnage. Most of the victories were achieved with the help of mines. Moreover, its own losses amounted to five cruising boats. The reasons for the failures lie in the tactics of using Katyushas - the powerful submarine cruisers, created for the vastness of the Pacific Ocean, had to “tread water” in the shallow Baltic “puddle”. When operating at depths of 30-40 meters, a huge 97-meter boat could hit the ground with its bow while its stern was still sticking out on the surface. It was not much easier for the North Sea sailors - as practice has shown, the effectiveness of the combat use of Katyushas was complicated by the poor training of personnel and the lack of initiative of the command. It's a pity. These boats were designed for more.
Boats of the “Medium” type, series IX-bis, Soviet Union
0
Number of submarines built - 41. Surface displacement - 840 tons; underwater - 1070 tons. Crew - 36...46 people. Working diving depth - 80 m, maximum - 100 m. Full surface speed - 19.5 knots; submerged - 8.8 knots. Surface cruising range 8,000 miles (10 knots). Submerged cruising range 148 miles (3 knots). “Six torpedo tubes and the same number of spare torpedoes on racks convenient for reloading. Two cannons with large ammunition, machine guns, explosive equipment... In a word, there is something to fight with. And 20 knots surface speed! It allows you to overtake almost any convoy and attack it again. The technology is good..." - opinion of the commander of the S-56, Hero of the Soviet Union G.I. Shchedrin "Eski" were distinguished by a rational layout and balanced design, powerful weapons, excellent performance and seaworthiness. Initially a German project, modified to meet Soviet requirements. But don’t rush to clap your hands and remember the Mistral. After the start of serial construction of the IX series at Soviet shipyards, the German project was revised with the aim of a complete transition to Soviet equipment: 1D diesel engines, weapons, radio stations, a noise direction finder, a gyrocompass... - there was not a single one in the boats designated “series IX-bis”. foreign made bolt! The problems with the combat use of "Medium" type boats, in general, were similar to the K-type cruising boats - locked in mine-infested shallow water, they were never able to realize their high combat qualities. Things were much better in the Northern Fleet - during the war, the S-56 boat under the command of G.I. Shchedrina made the transition through the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, moving from Vladivostok to Polyarny, subsequently becoming the most productive boat of the USSR Navy. An equally fantastic story is connected with the S-101 “bomb catcher” - during the war years, the Germans and Allies dropped over 1000 depth charges on the boat, but each time the S-101 returned safely to Polyarny. Finally, it was on the S-13 that Alexander Marinesko achieved his famous victories.
Gato type boats, USA
0
Number of submarines built - 77. Surface displacement - 1525 tons; underwater - 2420 tons. Crew - 60 people. Working diving depth - 90 m. Full surface speed - 21 knots; submerged - 9 knots. Cruising range on the surface is 11,000 miles (10 knots). Submerged cruising range 96 miles (2 knots). Armament: - 10 torpedo tubes of 533 mm caliber, ammunition - 24 torpedoes; — 1 x 76 mm universal gun, 1 x 40 mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun, 1 x 20 mm Oerlikon; - one of the boats, USS Barb, was equipped with a multiple launch rocket system for shelling the coast. Ocean-going submarine cruisers of the Getou class appeared at the height of the war in the Pacific Ocean and became one of the most effective tools of the US Navy. They tightly blocked all strategic straits and approaches to the atolls, cut all supply lines, leaving Japanese garrisons without reinforcements, and Japanese industry without raw materials and oil. In battles with the Gatow, the Imperial Navy lost two heavy aircraft carriers, lost four cruisers and a damn dozen destroyers. High speed, lethal torpedo weapons, the most modern radio equipment for detecting the enemy - radar, direction finder, sonar. The cruising range allows for combat patrols off the coast of Japan when operating from a base in Hawaii. Increased comfort on board. But the main thing is the excellent training of the crews and the weakness of Japanese anti-submarine weapons. As a result, the "Getow" mercilessly destroyed everything - it was they who brought victory in the Pacific Ocean from the blue depths of the sea. ...One of the main achievements of the Getow boats, which changed the whole world, is considered to be the event of September 2, 1944. On that day, the Finback submarine detected a distress signal from a falling plane and, after many hours of searching, found a frightened and already desperate pilot in the ocean . The one who was saved was one George Herbert Bush.
