Hotel class submarine

Hotel II class submarine.
Class overview
Builders: Severodvinsk
Preceded by: November class submarine
Succeeded by: Yankee class submarine
Completed: 8
Retired: 8
Preserved: 0
General characteristics
Type: Nuclear submarine
Displacement: Hotel II class : 5,500 long tons (5,588 t) submerged
Length: 114 m (374 ft 0 in)
Beam: 9.2 m (30 ft 2 in)
Draught: 7.31 m (24 ft 0 in)
Propulsion: 2 × pressurized water reactors, 2 shafts
Speed: 18 knots (21 mph; 33 km/h) surfaced
26 knots (30 mph; 48 km/h) submerged
Complement: 104
Armament: Hotel I class :
D-2 missile system
3 × R-13 (SS-N-4 Sark) missiles
Hotel II class :
D-4 missile system
3 × R-21 (SS-N-5 Serb) missiles

The Hotel class is the general NATO classification for a type of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine that was originally put into service by the Soviet Union around 1959. The Soviet designation is Project 658.

Contents

Design

Development of the submarine, designed to carry the D-2 launch system and R-13 missiles, was approved on 26 August 1956. Work on the design began in September 1956, and the technical project was completed in the first quarter of 1957.

The duties of the chief designer of Project 658 were originally assigned to the chief engineer of OKB-18, P.Z. Golosovskiy. In February 1958 project management was transferred to I.V. Mikhaylov, who in October 1958 had replaced S.N. Kovalev. The deputy of the chief designer was from outset I.D. Spasskiy.

The Hotel design was based on the Project 627 November class, the first Soviet nuclear submarines, modified by adding the missile compartment from the Golf class submarines. Additionally, the Hotels had small horizontal hydroplanes for better maneuverability, and more reliable electro-hydraulic command control surfaces for high-speed underwater operations with reduced noise.

The D-2 launch system on the Hotels placed three R-13 missiles in vertical containers directly behind the sail. The submarine had to be surfaced to launch, but all three missiles could be fired within 12 minutes of surfacing.

Submarines

Hotel I

The first Hotel submarine, the infamous K-19, was laid down on 17 October 1958, and would be given to Captain Nikolai Vladimirovich Zateyev, only to suffer numerous setbacks and accidents. The last of the eight Hotel submarines was launched 1 April 1962. All of them were built at Severodvinsk State Shipyard 402 (now known as the Northern Machine-Building Enterprise - SEVMASH - in Molotovsk (now Severodvinsk) shipyard[1] Russia. The eight Hotels were K-19, K-33, K-55, K-40, K-16, K-145, K-149 (Ukrainskiy Komsomolets), and K-178.

Vessels

Hotel class — significant dates
# Shipyard Laid down Launched Commissioned Status
K-19 SEVMASH, Severodvinsk October 17, 1958 October 11, 1959 November 12, 1960[2] Decommissioned 1991 as KS-19 for scrapping
K-33 "K-54" SEVMASH, Severodvinsk February 9, 1959 August 6, 1960 December 24, 1960[2] Decommissioned 1987 for scrapping
K-55 SEVMASH, Severodvinsk August 5, 1959 September 18, 1960 December 27, 1960[2] Decommissioned 1989 for scrapping
K-40 SEVMASH, Severodvinsk December 6, 1959 June 18, 1961 December 27, 1961[2] Decommissioned 1987 for scrapping
K-16 SEVMASH, Severodvinsk May 5, 1960 July 31, 1961 December 28, 1961[2] Decommissioned 1987 for scrapping
K-145 SEVMASH, Severodvinsk January 21, 1961 May 30, 1962 October 31, 1962[2] Decommissioned 1989 for scrapping
K-149 SEVMASH, Severodvinsk April 12, 1961 July 20, 1962 October 27, 1962[2] Decommissioned 1991 for scrapping
K-178 SEVMASH, Severodvinsk September 11, 1961 April 1, 1962 December 8, 1962[2] Decommissioned 1990 for scrapping

Hotel II

Beginning in 1961 and ending in 1963, all Hotels but one (K-145) were equipped with the new D-4 launch system, which could launch missiles from a depth of 16 meters. The modified submarines received the NATO reporting name Hotel II. They were armed with R-21 (SS-N-5 Serb) missiles, with a range of 1200 km (650 nm).[2][3] The installation of the D-4 launching system required some structural changes of the submarine; before launch, the launch tube had to be flooded. The chief designer of the modification was S.N. Kovalev.

Hotel III

From 1969 to 1970 K-145 was modified by Project 701 to test the R-29 missiles, receiving the NATO reporting name Hotel III. It was lengthened to 130 meters and its displacement increased to 5500 tons surfaced and 6400 tons submerged. The maximum speed was reduced to 18 knots (33 km/h) on the surface and 22 knots (41 km/h) submerged. Six launchers for R-29 missiles were placed in two compartments, each with three launchers. In 1976 K-145 returned to combat service.[2]

References

  1. ^ Hotel Class Submarines
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Podvodnye Lodki Rossii, Atomnye Pervoye Pokoleniye; Tom IV, Chast 1;1st Defense Ministry Scientific-Research Institute & Rubin Central Design Bureau of Marine Equipment; Sankt peterburg, 1996
  3. ^ Jackson, Robert (2000), Submarines of the World, Friedman/Fairfax Books, ISBN 1586632949, http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/48261790 
Hotel-class submarine

K-16 · K-19 · K-33 · K-40 · K-55 · K-145 · K-149 Ukrainsky Komsomolets · K-178
Soviet and Russian submarines after 1945
Ballistic missile nuclear submarines – SSBN
Cruise missile nuclear submarines – SSGN
Nuclear attack submarines – SSN
Conventional missile submarines – SSG or SSB
Conventional attack submarines – SS or SSK
Auxiliary submarines – SSA