Russian Sea Wolf

At the height of the First World War - in April 1916, as part of the Baltic fleet Russia entered a new submarine type "Bars" - "Wolf". Submarine Commander, Senior Lieutenant I.K. Messer, was given the task of disrupting the communication of German transport ships delivering iron ore and metal from Sweden to Germany.

15 May 1916 from Revel (Tallinn), "Wolf" went on the hunt. For two days on the Swedish coast near Norrköping, the Wolf waited patiently for the prey, until the German transport carrier Hera was spotted on the morning of 17. The submarine surfaced and gave two shots ahead of the target. When the transport stopped, the team was ordered to leave the ship, after which two torpedoes and a Hera were released by the Wolf, standing upright, went to the bottom. The crew that remained in the boats was announced that they could be free and the delighted German sailors saluted the Russian with their caps raised upwards.

A few hours later, another ship was seen. It turned out to be the German military transport "Kolga". After a few shots, he stopped, but then returned to full speed. "Wolf" immediately fired a torpedo that hit the very center of the ship. After the explosion, the Kolga slowly lurched to its left side, and the crew began to leave the ship. Meanwhile, another transport and the Wolf appeared on the horizon, not waiting for Kolga to sink, rushing to intercept his new victim.

It was a large plow named Bianca. Realizing that the "Wolf" jokes are bad, she obediently executed all orders. In order not to waste time, the ship was sank with a torpedo. Two Swedish ships approached the site of the attack and watched the scene from a distance. Only after the "Wolf" left, they decided to save people from the boats.

A month later, "Wolf" again went on the hunt. This time to the Gulf of Bothnia. Having taken a position on the Aland Islands, the boat noticed the German transport Dorita, which was quickly following the Swedish sailboat, and surfaced in front of the steamer, which moved briskly behind the Swede. Seeing the emerged "Wolf", "Dorita" abruptly turned off course and began to flee to the shore in neutral Swedish waters. Only after receiving a few hits in the hull, the German captain stopped the ship. In order not to lose time, the steamer sank the torpedo as soon as the crew got off the boat.

Alarmed by the German naval command of its navigation in the Baltic region, and the "Wolf" no one caught. On the way back the boat was extremely lucky. Already close to its shores, the watch officer suddenly felt a strong blow to the hull of the boat. Looking back, he saw a German galvanized mine swinging on the waves and its two bent "horns". Luck did not turn away from one of the best Russian boats - the mine got out of order.

The watch officer was Alexander Nikolaevich Bakhtin, the future commander of the legendary Baltic submarine Panther, which sank the newest English destroyer Vittoria during the Civil War.

Comments

[Rodver]

Not a bad catch in two trips. "Wolf" and "Panther" are fighting predators.

[SenyaYa]

A good catch is the sinking of an aircraft carrier or a battleship .... An article of 3 with a minus

[Rodver]

There were no aircraft carriers in the First World War. The battleships of the Germans were all involved in the fight against the British. And our "Wolf" sank not only four ships with valuable cargo, but most importantly - interrupted the entire shipping line of the German cargo fleet in the Baltic. Isn't that enough?

[SenyaYa]

Gunther Prien got into the scapa flow and sunk the battleship, and then came back !! This is a feat, this is a man !!! or the sinking of the aircraft carrier "Ark Royal", Operation "Drum Battle" that's worth writing about ... And here the coolest submarine sank 3 unarmed ships! These are the heroes !! Of course, I understand that there are only patriots on the site, but you still need to be proud of really worthwhile things and actions! By the way, I'm also a patriot, but sane

[schta]

Yeah, there were times of chivalry ....

[Kyrgyz]

I also thought about it, now everything is simpler, and the more words about peace and humanism the more blood and less civil mercy and honor. probably this is western values ​​- lies and profit

[Vladimir75]

and damn it, what a pity that the concepts of honor and pride are now rarely seen in everyday life

[alebor]

The article is interesting, but it is not clear how the submarine ended up in the Gulf of Botany, as it is written in the article? The Gulf of Botany is located off the coast of Australia, and the Gulf of Bothnia in the Baltic.

[Georg Shep]

Author error. The name of the bay contains an extra letter "a". The correct name is "The Gulf of Bothnia" in the north of the Baltic Sea.

[Kamaz]

You think! Everyone is wrong!

[Kamaz]

Wow, well done! In our century, you will not find such Russians and Germans! To just let it go and get rid of caps!

[Indigo]

Here you can remember about the German raiders in WWI and WWII. Pretty interesting and informative.

[Chicot 1]

How many more little-known pages in our history! Thanks for posting! Before that, I could only name Gudim (the commander of the Akula submarine) offhand ...

[Tempest]

SenyaYa,
Regarding Prin: do not confuse the Second World War with the First. Submarines in the First World War were a new weapon, the theory and practice of which were far from perfect. For one trip, a Russian boat threatened the supply of Germany with strategic materials, and this often means more than the sinking of battleships and aircraft carriers.
In general, learn the materiel!
Threat. Prien, of course, made a steep campaign (but it hit the British more morally than their military power).

[SenyaYa]

Do not exaggerate, please, what threat did she put? having sunk 3 steamships ??? The Germans began to starve, the metal ran out, the Germans were tired of oil too .... Yes, one brave submarine is in good health .... What nonsense .... I generally doubt that the Germans noticed these losses .... and As for Pryn, he sank an obsolete battleship that no one needed, but the Goebbels press inflated this feat, he was set up as an example to all soldiers of Germany, the morale of the population was raised !! a battleship is from 1-1 thousand tons of steel ... which can float and shoot, causing damage ... I deeply doubt that 20 sunken steamers had so many useful materials ... most likely they came with Swedish steel .... And by the way what kind of mate are you talking about ??? And btsti more about real exploits and by the way of the FIRST WORLD WAR ----------> At the very beginning of the First World War, on September 35, 4, an English light cruiser was sunk by a German submarine Pathfinder. On the morning of September 5, U-1914 launched the British cruisers Cressy, Aboukir and Hog to the bottom. A few days after the death of the British cruisers, the Russian cruiser Pallada was sunk by a German submarine.
The death of the cruisers had a tremendous effect on the headquarters of the warring countries. Urgent revised views on the combat capabilities of submarines. Sorry for the mistakes and typos on foot quickly ... I think for a long time

[755962]

The sub surfaced and fired two shots ahead of the target. When the transport stopped, the order was given to the crew to leave the ship, after which two torpedoes were fired by the "Wolf"

Truly marvel at the generosity of Russian sailors!

[chistii20]

You can’t forget such people, but remember that our story is something young people can educate

[Ohrim]

Yes. Much has been written about the famous Panther. There is even a separate booklet with a description of its history. And about the Wolf and the rest of the Leopards, only the references are scarce. Maybe someone knows where to find detailed literature on the submarine fleet PMV - GV?

[Georg Shep]

Detailed literature on the submarine fleet of Russia and other countries can be found on the website of the "Moscow Club of Fleet History" or in the syornik "Submarines at War". Author - Petr Vladimirovich Bozhenko.
Success.

[Head Physician]

Interesting article