Russian submarine Akula (1908)
 Russian submarine Akula, armoured cruiser Rurik in the background | |
| Career (Russian Empire) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | Akula |
| Ordered: | 1906 |
| Builder: | Baltic Yard in Saint Petersburg, Baltic Sea |
| Launched: | 4 September 1907 |
| Fate: | Sunk by mine on 28 November 1915 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 370 long tons (380 t) surfaced 475 tons (471 m³) submerged |
| Length: | 56 m |
| Beam: | 3.7 m (12 ft 2 in) |
| Draft: | 3.4 m (11 ft 2 in) |
| Propulsion: | 3 shaft Diesel electric 3 diesel engines 1,900 hp (1.4 MW) 1 electric motor 300 hp (220 kW) |
| Speed: | 10.6 knots (19.6 km/h) surfaced 4.6 knots (9 km/h) submerged |
| Range: | 1,900 nautical miles (3,500 km) surfaced, 38 nmi (70 km) submerged |
| Complement: | 34 |
| Armament: | 4 x 18-inch (457 mm) torpedo tubes (bow) and 4 drop collars |
Akula (Russian: Акула; meaning shark) was a submarine built for the Imperial Russian Navy at shipyard in Saint Petersburg and Kronstadt.[1] The boat was designed by Ivan Bubnov and was an amalgam of the previous Minoga and the Kasatka class submarine designs. The design was presented to the Marine technical committee in late 1905.
In service
Initially the boat was to use petrol engines but these were replaced by safer diesels. The boat's design was a single hull/ saddle tank type with a diving depth of 25 fathoms (45 m).
Significant initial problems were experienced and the electric motor and propellers which needed to be replaced. Akula was the first Russian submarine able to cruise long distances. In 1912 Akula made the world's first multi-torpedo volley with five torpedoes.
She subsequently served in the Baltic Fleet during World War I making 16 patrols and unsuccessfully attacked the German coastal defense ship SMS Beowulf.
She struck a mine and sank near Hiiumaa[2] in November 1915 on her 17th patrol. Akula lies about 30 meters below water. All 35 members of the crew died.[3]
References
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Akula (submarine, 1909). |
- Conway's all the World's Fighting Ships 1906 - 1922
- flot.com // page in Russian Language
- deepstorm.ru // in Russian Language.
- Shark Sub discovered beneath Baltic Sea
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