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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| Codenamed K-3 |
| 2023-12-15 |
| Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. Article Linked To Is Available Only Via VPN [RedStar] December 17 can be considered the birthday of the Russian nuclear submarine fleet. by Julia Kozak It was on this day 65 years ago that the acceptance certificate for the first Soviet nuclear submarine of Project 627 was signed. Its development was kept in total secrecy. Not only the townspeople, but also the plant workers did not know what was being built on the stocks. On the eve of the anniversary, we collected memories of eyewitnesses involved in such a significant event in the history of the country. On September 24, 1955, in the assembly and slipway shop No. 42 of the shipyard of the city, which was then called Molotovsk, the first submarine in the USSR with a nuclear power plant, the K-3 Leninsky Komsomol, was laid down. It inherited its name from the diesel submarine M-106 of the Northern Fleet of the same name, which died in one of the military campaigns in 1943. This is how the designer of the Malachite SPMBM B.K. remembers it. Razletov: “Construction was planned at a specially organized autonomous shipyard. For this purpose, work was urgently carried out on the construction of a workshop - a slipway, areas for assembling hull structures, a launching complex and auxiliary production facilities on the basis of the previously begun and mothballed construction of a workshop for the assembly of turret installations for battleships and cruisers - workshop No. 42 in the 1940s. This is what the designer of the SPMBM recalled “ Malachite" V.A. Ostapenko: “It required the utmost concentration of knowledge, intelligence, experience, intuition and, finally, civic courage to take these first steps, to take them in the right direction, because they determined not only the appearance of the submarine, but also the future of the Navy, and perhaps and the fate of the country. "The development was kept in total secrecy. The circle of engineering and technical workers involved in the construction of the order was strictly limited, and literally 10 people supervised the construction of the submarine. At the same time, the team had not worked together before - the best factory specialists were gathered from the plant especially for the new project.– For the first time, high-strength steel AK-25 was used for the durable hull and structures. Certain conditions during the design of individual components imposed special requirements on its welding,” shared his memories of Sevmash shipbuilding engineer, participant in the construction of the 1st nuclear submarine L.G. Shmigelsky. Especially for the construction of K-3, the Institute of Metallurgy and Welding of the industry developed high-strength steel of a new grade. The K-3 Leninsky Komsomol submarine was on the Navy lists until 1988—for three whole decades. During this time she made five trips to military service By the way, not only the townspeople, but even the plant workers did not know what was being built on the stocks. – During the construction of the first nuclear submarine, unprecedented secrecy measures were taken. All working drawings of the hull were classified as “secret”. Technological operations related to the ship’s hull were encrypted, said Sevmash shipbuilding engineer and participant in the construction of the 1st nuclear submarine L.G. Shmigelsky. Even the factory workers themselves had no idea what the submarine would look like in the end - each group was engaged in a separate task. From the memoirs of a specialist of the 4th department of Sevmash, participant in the construction of the 1st nuclear submarine R.A. Anufrieva: “We didn’t know what project we were working on. And you couldn’t even ask anyone, much less take notes. Many types of documentation were developed for the first time. And according to the drawings, this ship was unusual. The highlight of Lenin Komsomol was in the energy sector. Only two people worked on the technology of the steam generating plant: Robert Krylov and me. Due to extreme secrecy, no other people were allowed into this area. Director Evgeniy Egorov was reported every day on how things were going on the construction of the nuclear submarine.” – We built the first nuclear submarine with all responsibility. As a foreman, I knew: if I gave a task, then it must be completed. Under any circumstances, at any time. The production culture at the plant is the highest,” said the foreman of fitters at Sevmash workshop 42, a participant in the construction of the 1st nuclear submarine L.A., about the events of those days. Panov. Those few who were involved in the removal of the ship from the workshop in 1957 recall that it was “quietly”, but solemnly. The event also took place in the strictest secrecy. They tried to camouflage the nuclear submarine as much as possible: they stretched canvas over the deckhouse, and covered all protruding parts with plywood. The number of those present at the ceremony was extremely limited: few could see the triumph of Soviet military shipbuilding. On July 3, 1958, the boat was presented for sea trials. – Our first nuclear-powered ship the power plant demonstrated excellent qualities in all respects; it was designed, as they say now, at the level of world standards,” noted the designer of the Malachite SPMBM V.Ya. Babivsky. In the acceptance certificate, the government commission noted that the first domestic nuclear submarine “is the largest scientific and engineering achievement in the field of underwater shipbuilding.” They named the nuclear-powered icebreaker K-3, and later a proper name arose - “Leninsky Komsomol.” From the memoirs of the foreman of fitters of workshop 42 of Sevmash L.A. Panova: “One of the main characteristics of the first nuclear submarine is its increased diving depth compared to diesel-electric submarines. The ship's testing program included diving to a depth unattainable for that time—300 meters. This was a serious test of strength.” Leninsky Komsomol was transferred to the fleet on December 17, 1958. And very soon the first nuclear submarine in the Soviet Union showed what it was capable of. Already in 1959, she began regular navigation under the ice - first under the edge, and then under serious pack ice, eventually reaching the North Pole. In 178 hours, she covered 1,294 miles underwater and three times - on July 15, 18 and 19 - it surfaced almost exactly at the pole. This was not just an achievement, so Soviet submariners confirmed that Arctic ice would not become an obstacle for Soviet submarines: a retaliatory nuclear strike on If necessary, the territory of a potential enemy can be attacked even from the top of the Earth. The means for this already existed: the first underwater launch of the first Soviet sea-based ballistic missile was carried out a little less than two years before the K-3 surfaced at the North Pole - on September 10, 1960. Upon returning from the trip, the crew of the submarine was personally greeted on the shore by Nikita Khrushchev. And for the NATO countries, the news that K-3 reached the Pole came as an unpleasant surprise: the parity that was broken in March 1959 was restored, when the world's first ascent to the pole was made by the American boat Skate, confirming a new threat to the USSR.The first domestic nuclear submarine occupied, and even today occupies a special place in history Russian fleet. She became the founder of the nuclear missile submarine fleet in the country. This is the force that became the guarantor of preventing the use of nuclear weapons, because it provided an inevitable response to any aggressor.The K-3 Leninsky Komsomol submarine was on the Navy lists until 1988 - for three whole decades. During this time, she made five trips to military service. While at sea for a total of 14,115 running hours, the submarine traveled 128,443 miles, that is, it circled the Earth along the equator almost six times! The historical event occurred during the third long-distance voyage of K-3, which took place on July 11–21, 1962. The main goal of the crew was to confirm that the submarine and similar ships are capable of long voyages under the ice. In addition, Soviet sailors had to pass the North Pole point underwater and rise from under the ice to the surface. All tasks were completed successfully. On December 23, the first nuclear submarine will begin a new life as the main exhibit of the Museum of Naval Glory "Isles of Forts" “The creation of K-3 was a national task - 35 institutes, more than 20 design bureaus, about 100 industrial enterprises of the Soviet Union worked on its solution,” said Mikhail Budnichenko, general director of Sevmash Production Association. – “Sevmash” had the honor of becoming the birthplace of the first nuclear-powered ship. For our young enterprise, as well as for the entire industry as a whole, this was a revolution. In an incredibly short period of time, the first submarine powered by atomic energy was built. Thus, a huge leap was made in increasing defense capability and protecting sea borders. Since that day, the creation of nuclear submarines has become a priority task of our plant. During its history, Sevmash has transferred 140 nuclear submarines to the country's Navy. The plant gave birth to ships that set records for underwater speed, diving depth, and underwater displacement. Nuclear-powered missile carriers, created by the shipyard's shipbuilders, have become the basis of the naval component of Russia's nuclear forces. As for the legendary K-3, with which the country's nuclear submarine fleet began 65 years ago, on December 23 it will begin a new one life as the main exhibit of the Island of Forts Museum of Naval Glory |
| Posted by:badanov |