Bars-class submarine (1915)

For the modern submarine class, see [[:Akula-class submarine submarine]].
Bars in 1914
Class overview
In commission: 19141941
Completed: 24
Lost: 9
General characteristics
Displacement:650 tons surfaced
780 tons submerged
Length:68 m (223 ft 1 in)
Beam:4.5 m (14 ft 9 in)
Draft:3.9 m (12 ft 10 in)
Propulsion:Diesel-electric
2,640 hp diesel
900 hp electric
2 shafts
Speed:18 knots (33 km/h) surfaced
9 knots (17 km/h) submerged
Range:400 nmi (740 km)
Complement:33
Armament:1 × 63 mm (2.5 in) or 75 mm (3.0 in) gun
1 × 37 mm (1.5 in) AA gun
4 × 457 mm (18.0 in) torpedo tubes
8 × torpedoes in drop collars (later removed)

The Bars class were a group of submarines built for the Imperial Russian Navy during World War I. A total of 24 boats were built between 1914 and 1917.

Design

These boats were designed by Ivan Bubnov and based on the preceding Morzh class. The Morzh design was enlarged with more powerful engines and a larger torpedo armament. They were single hulled boats with four internal 18 inch torpedo tubes and 8 external torpedoes in drop collars.

The design had numerous shortcomings, including a lack of internal bulkheads and a slow diving time. Surviving boats were modernized after the Russian Civil War by installing bulkheads, new diesels, pumps and extra torpedo tubes (the external drop collars were removed).

Volk in 1914

Ships

Baltic Fleet
Built by Baltic Shipyard, St. Petersburg or Noblessner Yard, Reval
Ship Service/Fate
Bars БАРС (Snow Leopard) Sunk 25 May 1917.

Wreck location is in the Swedish territorial waters to the north-east of Gotska Sandö island, found 10 September 2009.

Edinorog ЕДИНОРОГ (Unicorn) Sunk 25 February 1918.

Wreck found on 28 May in 2009 by the Estonian Maritime Museum in the northern part of the Gulf of Finland.

Gepard ГЕПАРД (Cheetah) Sunk 28 October 1917
Kuguar КУГУАР (Cougar) Hulked 1922
Leopard ЛЕОПАРД Renamed Krasnoarmeets. Hulked 1936
Lvitsa ЛЬВИЦА (Lioness) Sunk 11 June 1917
Pantera ПАНТЕРА (Panther) Sank British destroyer HMS Vittoria off the island of Seiskari during the British Intervention in Russia. Aksel Berg was navigating officer at the time. The ship was renamed Komissar and converted to a harbour training ship 1941
Rys РЫСЬ (Lynx) Renamed Bolshevik, sunk in an accident 13 September 1935
Tigr ТИГР (Tiger) Renamed Kommunar, broken up 1936
Tur ТУР (Aurochs) Renamed Tovarich, sunk in an accident 25 June 1935
Ugor УГОРЬ (Eel) Sunk 27 March 1920
Vepr ВЕПРЬ (Wild Boar) Hulked 1922
Volk ВОЛК (Wolf) Stricken 1936
Yaguar ЯГУАР (Jaguar) Stricken 1936
Yaz ЯЗЬ (Ide (fish)) Stricken 1922
Zmeya ЗМЕЯ (Serpent) Renamed Proletariy, sunk in an accident 22 May 1931
Erzh ЕРШ (Ruffe) Sunk in an accident 22 May 1931
Forel ФОРЕЛЬ (Trout) Stricken 1922
Black Sea Fleet
Built by Nikolayev Navy Yard
Ship Service/Fate
Burvestnik БУРЕВЕСТНИК (Storm Petrel) Seized by the Germans as US-1 and transferred to the White Russian forces in 1918, interned in Bizerte with Wrangel's fleet and scrapped 1924
Gagara ГАГАРА (Loon (bird)) Seized by the Germans as US 4 and scuttled 26 April 1919
Lebed ЛЕБЕДЬ (Swan) Seized by the Germans and scuttled 26 April 1919
Orlan ОРЛАН (Sea Eagle) Seized by the Germans as US 2 and scuttled 26 April 1919
Pelikan ПЕЛИКАН (Pelican) Seized by the Germans and scuttled 26 April 1919
Utka УТКА (Duck) Seized by the Germans as US 3 and transferred to the White Russian forces in 1918, interned in Bizerte and scrapped 1924

See also

Media related to Bars class submarines at Wikimedia Commons

References