The concept of a ship that can dive onsome time under the water, goes into the depths of centuries. Today it is already impossible to separate historical facts from myths and find out who was the original author of this idea. Submarines are primarily used for military purposes and form the basis of the fleets of many countries. This is due to the main characteristic of submarines - secrecy and, as a consequence, low visibility for the enemy. The possibility of delivering sudden strikes against enemy ships made submarines an indispensable component of the armed forces of all maritime powers.
The first relatively reliable references toships that can dive under water date back to the 16th century. The British mathematician William Burne outlined in his book called "Inventions and Devices" a plan for the creation of such a vessel. The Scottish scholar John Napier wrote about the idea of using submarines to sink enemy ships. However, in history there was no information about the practical implementation of these early theoretical developments.
The first sample of a submarine that successfully passedtest, was designed in the early 17th century by Cornelius van Drebbel, a Dutchman in the service of the English King James the First. His vessel was set in motion with the help of oars. During the trials on the River Thames, the Dutch inventor demonstrated to the British monarch and thousands of Londoners the ability of the boat to submerge under water, stay there for several hours and then safely surfaced. The creation of Drebbel made a deep impression on his contemporaries, but it did not arouse the interest of the English admiralty. The first submarine was never used for military purposes.
The development of science and industry in the 18th century is nothas had a significant impact on the success of attempts to build and use submarines. The Russian Emperor Peter I actively contributed to the work of the inventor-self-taught Yefim Nikonov on the creation of the first submarine. According to modern researchers, the ship built in 1721, in terms of technical solutions, really was a prototype of the submarine. However, most of the tests conducted on the Neva ended unsuccessfully. After the death of Peter the Great, the model of the first submarine was forgotten. In other countries, throughout the 18th century, there has also been little progress in the design and construction of ships intended for immersion in the depths of the sea.
The first case of successful sinking of the enemyThe submarine was recorded during the civil war in the United States of America. The rowing submarine "Hanley", named after its designer, stood in the arsenal of the Confederate army. She was not very reliable. This was evidenced by the results of several unsuccessful trials, accompanied by human casualties. Among the dead was the designer of the submarine Horace Lawson Hanley. In 1864 the submarine of the Confederates attacked the enemy sloop "Khausatonic", the displacement of which exceeded one thousand tons. The enemy ship sank to the bottom as a result of an explosion of a mine attached to a special pole in the bow of the Hanley. This battle was for the boat first and last. Due to technical problems, it sank a few minutes after the attack.
Mass production and use of underwaterboats in the world began only at the dawn of the 20th century. Submarines had a serious impact on the course of the First World War. German boats showed their effectiveness in combating enemy ships, and were also used to attack commercial convoys in order to establish an economic blockade. The use of submarines against civilian vessels caused a wave of indignation and contempt on the part of Britain and its allies. Nevertheless, the German tactic of the underwater blockade proved to be extremely effective and caused considerable damage to the enemy's economy. The most egregious example of this method of warfare was the destruction of the passenger transatlantic liner "Lusitania" by a torpedo fired from a German submarine.
The role of submarines grewthe course of development of global conflicts of the 20th century. During the Second World War, Germany's strategy did not undergo significant changes: its submarines were primarily used to cut off the sea supply routes of the enemy. The German submarine fleet was one of the most serious problems for the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition. Before the entry into the war of the United States, Britain was in a critical situation because of the blockade. Numerous American warships to some extent reduced the effectiveness of the actions of German submarines.
The second half of the 20th century was markeda number of revolutionary technological breakthroughs. The discovery of atomic energy and the creation of a jet engine have greatly expanded the horizons of the use of submarine vessels. The submarines turned into carriers of intercontinental ballistic missiles. The first test launch was made in 1953. Nuclear reactors partially replaced traditional diesel-electric generators. It was invented equipment that makes it possible to extract oxygen from seawater. These innovations have increased the autonomy of submarines to an incredible extent. Modern boats can remain submerged for weeks and months. But new technologies have also generated additional dangers, primarily associated with radiation leakage when using nuclear reactors.
In the era of the so-called Cold War, the SovietThe Union and the United States competed in the creation of large submarines. The submarines of the two superpowers were involved in a kind of game of cat and mouse in the vast oceans.
Identifying the absolute leader among the submarinesis associated with certain difficulties. They consist in the fact that the global list of submarines is extremely diverse. A wide range of qualities and characteristics of vessels does not allow establishing a single evaluation criterion. For example, it is very difficult to compare atomic and diesel-electric submarines. With some degree of conventionality, one can single out the Soviet heavy missile submarine cruiser Akula (for the codification of NATO - the Typhoon). It is the largest submarine in the history of navigation. According to some experts, the creation of such a powerful vessel played a significant role in ending the Cold War.
The American television channel Discovery tried to rank the submarines with special characteristics:
In this rating there are submarines created in different epochs, which, strictly speaking, should not be compared directly. Nevertheless, the list gives an idea of the most outstanding submarines.
