He is the most powerful ship on the battlefield. A lonely ghost of the North Sea, whose name is fear of the enemy: throughout the war years, Soviet and British pilots carried out 700 armed flights to tilpisa parking lot. German battleships bound the metropolitan fleet of the North Atlantic for three years, forcing the British to chase battleships, aircraft carriers and cruisers near the Norwegian fjord. He's looking for a submarine formation, and he's being chased by aviation and special forces. That's why they disbanded the pq-17 team. The German monster survived the attack of a small submarine and eventually in November 1944 in Tromso's parking lot a 5 ton bomb. What kind of man is this!

She was a small, semi blind shell, crawling slowly in the cold water. Splashed periscope, sailor acoustic and gyrocompass, shown in this damned underwater north, this could be all guide Nikolay lunin, go Intercept the German battleship.

"Tippis" is brilliant. Invincible 50000 ton giant, eight 15 inch weapons, 320 mm armor belt and 30 + knots speed.

However, the Soviet k-21 ship could not be called an innocent participant in these events. Stealth dive Cruiser - one of the most advanced and highly armed ships in his class, Able to quietly climb to their victims and hook them with the fangs of six bow and four stern torpedo launchers.

The meeting was held on 5 July 1942. 17: The German sub fleet of warship "tilpis", accompanied by the heavy cruisers "Admiral sheer" and "Admiral hipper", found a Soviet submarine. The next hour of events is a true naval detective story based on the minds of naval researchers and historians for more than 70 years.

Did you get lunin at tippis?

After the active maneuvering phase, the ship was not in the most favorable position - in the diverging course, at a distance of 18-20 from the German contingent of cables. Four torpedoes were fired from the stern. According to the data of the German sub fleet, the target speed is 24 nautical miles at this time. Heading 90 degrees

The k-21's acoustics recorded two separate explosions, and then when the German sub fleet had been hiding in the distance - a series of explosions, in darts. Lunin speculated that one torpedo landed on the battleship and the other on the destroyer, followed by a series of deep-water bomb blasts.

According to German documents, "tilpis" and his frigate did not find the torpedo attack, or even the trace of launching the torpedo. There were no casualties when the sub fleet returned to the base.

K-21 assault rifle

However, three hours later, the 21:30 fight was interrupted. The return course of German heavy ships - submarines and two cruise ships began to search for and destroy the abandoned pq-17 fleet. This is the basic data of this task.

There is a simple explanation for the swift end of the horse ride: the evening of July 5, 1942. The Germans have clearly confirmed that the pq-17 team no longer exists. Pursuit of single transport - the fate of submarines and aircraft. Large surface ships immediately return to course.

However, this is not so simple. At about the same time, disturbing news got on tirppisa's plane, and Germany intercepted the k-21 radio program. Nikolai lunin reported that he had met with the German sub fleet and the results of the attack. Reports from Russian submarines, the emergence of British submarines... Say it's unfair that the knees of cowardly German sailors tremble. However, the emergence of the underwater threat itself should upset the headquarters. What's more, how do we know that even if the pq-17 team continues to go to the port of destination under a strong escort, is there a risk that the Germans will continue to operate?

Northern Fleet Command met with soldiers returning from the k-21

There may be many versions and explanations

On the contrary, I would like to draw attention to a more accurate and obvious fact. For example, the destructive effects of torpedoes on ship structures.

Germans can fake all the magazines, He is very pedantic in that he rewrites the payroll and applies from Germany for materials and tools for repairing damaged ships. Obtain confidential orders from all sub fleet crew. Fake photos. Let f ü sleep well. Nothing happened to his favorite toy

Germans can forge any document. But can they hide the damaged tirppis from other people's eyes? The "tirppisa" base is monitored daily by British intelligence Airlines; Norwegian resistance personnel monitor the movement of linker. Directly relevant British intelligence.

Does RAF mosquito have the opportunity to notice the repair work and the emergence of colorful oil from damaged tanks?

There is no doubt that large-scale construction is needed to eliminate torpedo damage. During the Second World War, many warships were attacked by submarines and aircraft torpedoes. Every time the consequences are terrible - from the explosion of the cellar and the sudden death of the ship, to the broken side, the bent shaft, the stuck steering gear, The turbine and machinery removed from the frame are in the engine room. 300 kg underwater explosion is not a joke. It's impossible without a dry dock.

-The result of the torpedo attack on the Italian warship Vittorio Veneto on March 28, 1941

The torpedo exploded on the port side of the 381 mm tower aft. The explosive force of 340kg TNT penetrated the underwater structure shield: a breakdown of 13 * 6m was formed in the shell. The ship takes 2032 tons of sea water and gets a trim of 3.5 degrees on the starboard side and about 2.2 meters aft. Dozens of people were killed and nearly the same number injured. The tilt was successfully reduced to 1 degree and the trim was eliminated until it returned to the base.

-The result of vitorio Veneto's meeting with HMS urge submarines in the UK, 14 December 1941. Half year overhaul guarantee.

Maryland battleship, air dropped torpedo damage near Saipan

"North Carolina." Torpedo hit effect of Japanese i-19 submarine

Incredibly, but three months after the July 5, 1942 incident. "Tilpisa" also needs complex repairs!

October 23, 1942 Tirppis went from narwick to tronheim. This is a shipyard hauskaran. The Germans built a caisson and over the next three months... Took a preventive change of the pen linker rudder. Shouting "Eureka" appropriately, throwing the hat up. Have we found evidence of lunin's successful attack?

Experienced experts and investigators in particularly important cases have asked to remain calm and not rush to conclusions - finding the link between torpedo attacks July 5, 1942. Maintenance work in autumn and winter of 1942-43 It's not that simple If torpedoes damage the rudder, how can tirppis avoid repeating the fate of his compatriots? Although the UK's 457mm aviation torpedo MK XII is just an interesting firecracker shot against the background of the Soviet Union's gas vapor 53-38, the k-21 ship weighs 1615kg and 702kg, Bb-300kg and MK XII 176kg. This thing is to put the whole feed, not only damage the steering wheel, but also damage the propeller.

After tippis returned to the base, the pq-17 team was intercepted.

However, it is well known that the journey to Trondheim was completed by itself after the return of the "tilpis" expedition. There was no obvious repair work while linker was moored in Bogen Bay. There was no difference between oil and feed. What is the connection between lunin's repairs and torpedo attacks? Or is the repair the result of another event?

The claim of a navigation accident can be considered untenable. Just look at the position of the linker rudder and you can be sure that damage can only be caused when the hull has initially drawn a cliff along its entire length. However, there is still a version of the rudder that is damaged when moving backward during tethering - which can happen if all the super battleship crew drinks like untermanshi.

Is there any war damage? As an option, the rudder's feathers may have been damaged during multiple bombings of the linker parking lot, March 30-31, 1941: -The attack on 33 "Halifax" Trondheim) was unsuccessful and six people were shot down from 27 to 28 April 1941. -The attacks on 29 "Halifax" and 11 "Lancaster" were unsuccessful and five were shot down, 28-29 April 1941. -23 "Halifax" and 11 "Lancaster"

The explosion of nearly dozens of bombs will not damage the armored monster, but the underwater dynamic impact may damage the steering wheel drive and damage its feathers. Finally, the metal tension, resulting in cracks and dents, completes the work begun - the ship takes six months of complex repairs. There may be many versions. But there is no such thing as a torpedo that the damage has to be more serious than the repairs that led to the battleship's three months in Trondheim.

But what happened to the second torpedo?

Four launched torpedoes, submarine heard two explosions... Who launched the second torpedo?

Official Soviet historians linked the second explosion to the encounter of one of the destroyers. But who got the gift from Nikolai lunin? Is there any evidence of injury to deportees?

Can you imagine?

If you look closely at the battle path of each destroyer participating in operation cavalry, you can see that only 10 days later, July 15-17, 1942 The z-24 destroyer and Friedrich in were transferred from Norway to Germany. What is connected to the vessel transfer, no report. Is it really to eliminate the war damage?!

But there are also some problems. Prior to departure, the destroyers z-24 and Friedrich in set sail from 8 to 10 July. With the support of the torpedoes T7 and T15, an operation was carried out to transfer the damaged TKR "lutsov" from Narvik to tronheim, reducing the damage of lutsov company a little. In this case, the "squad" did not calm down and another operation was carried out to set up mine barriers in the North Sea (14-15 July 1942) The ship was loaded and hit by 533 mm torpedoes at a little over 3000 tons, and then calmly "walked" in the North Sea, buring, I took my car around Scandinavia to Germany.

Even the huge, very protected battleships have been cruelly hit by torpedoes. In this case, what is the expectation of small destroyers? Even if it doesn't break half of it, its damage will be so strong that it can't go out to sea in a month. Damaged skin plates can be piled up quickly, but how to deal with bent spiral shafts and broken turbines?

In fact, the Germans have good reason to repair their destroyer Kiel. The "horse riding" operation did not stop from the beginning. In the process of maneuvering in the narrow Fjord, the technical revolution committee "lutsov" and the destroyers "Hans Lodi", "Karl tie" and "Theodore Riedel" together raided the cliff. The underwater part of the hull is damaged. Alas, none of these ships is on the list of "sent to Germany for repair".

Epilogue

Two explosions were heard at k-21. Suspicious quick return linker. The October translation of tilpisa is in Trondheim. Three months of repair. caisson Replace the steering wheel. An emergency transfer from the Narvik destroyer to Germany. Are there too many coincidences?

There are other matches:

Nikolai lunin has made a successful torpedo attack in his career - transport "consul shurt" February 5, 1942 In the divergent course, how can a 2-meter-deep torpedo find the steering wheel below the waterline at a depth of 5-8 meters. Propeller turbulence? Let's say

Despite all the speculation and coincidence, a k-21 submarine still has a good chance of shooting at the target. Further developments in linkor's autumn and winter repairs are also not fully adapted to torpedo attacks. In this case, who is the second torpedo?

There is no doubt that the crew of the k-21 showed extraordinary courage in attacking such complex and protected targets in the Soviet fleet for the first time. After receiving the radio program intercepted by k-21, the officers of the largest kriggs Marina ship must have experienced an unpleasant commotion, knowing that the Soviet submarine was attacked and the submarine was also attacked. No ships were found from Germany.

Damaged tirppis "post-operative tungsten." The ship was hit by 14 medium and large bombs that exploded to break through the old wounds of an earlier Xe small submarine by animals. Divorce can be seen clearly from the oil scattered in the water. Repair work is at a climax, July 1944.

K-21 submarine in permanent apron of North Murmansk