Operation "Hippopotamus"
8 August 1991 year PKK CH K-407 demonstrated a full submarine launch
A few minutes submarine North fleet fired 16 ballistic missiles at the Kura test site. This is still the unsurpassed record of the domestic submarine fleet.
Do not forget that the very first water launch took place on our fleet in November 1960, when the commander of the diesel missile submarine B-67, captain 2-rank Vadim Korobov launched a ballistic missile from the depths of the White Sea. This launch proved in practice the possibility of underwater missile firing.
But just like our submarines K-140 (commander - captain of 2 rank Yuri Beketov) and K-407 (commander - captain 2 rank Sergei Egorov) fired, nobody fired at the world: first 8 missiles in one volley , then 16.
***
Rear Admiral Yuri Beketov tells retired:
- At the beginning of October 1969, I was appointed commander of a strategic missile submarine K-140. It was the first serial submarine project 667A. In the future - strategic missile submarine cruiser. A submarine with a second crew on board was preparing to move to Severodvinsk for modernization, and our first crew received a submarine K-32 and began preparations for going out to sea for combat patrols. As the commander of the first crew of the K-140, the squadron commanded me:
- prepare the crew and submarine to go to sea for combat patrols;
- prepare the crew and the submarine for launching 8 missiles in one salvo.
Planned dates were different. About five months were allotted for preparation for combat service, and no more than three months for preparation and execution of shooting.
Many have a question: why was it necessary to shoot 8 with ballistic missiles, and not 12 or 16? The fact is that 8 rockets were “de-amplified” during the combat service of another crew. For this reason, the period of their guaranteed service was significantly reduced and they were subject to launch for all rocket canons within three months.
The task was simplified by the fact that the first crew of the K-140 was well prepared, and in this we must pay tribute to the first commander - the captain of the 1 rank (later - the vice-admiral) Anatoly Petrovich Matveev. The navigator, captain of 3 rank Velichko, whom I was familiar with in service on diesel missile submarines, junior navigator captain-lieutenant Topchilo, commander of the missile warhead captain 2 rank Somkin, knew their business well.
I had to, as they say, spend days and even nights on the ship, because besides the basic tasks I had to get permission to independently manage the 667A submarine of the project and confirm the linearity of the first crew of the K-140, that is, its ability to perform all tasks.
The launch of the shooting was planned somewhere in the middle of December 1969, and about a month later, representatives of science and industry began to arrive at the squadron, wishing to take part in this unique challenge. And wishing to go to sea was no less than 100 people. What to do? I could not take so many passengers on a submarine. According to the instructions, it was allowed to have no more than 10% crew in the sea, that is, 13-14 people. Neither I, nor the command of the division and squadron could decide who to take personally. All - honored people, scientists, business leaders, etc.
At one of the meetings, I suggested conducting a medical examination of these people, and, with recognized qualifications for medical reasons, conduct training in light diving training: the use of diving equipment of a submariner, exit from the torpedo tube, and others. Everyone agreed, understanding what could happen in an emergency - after all, there is no such experience in the world of launching rockets. As a result, 16 people were approved for entry into the sea, among whom Viktor Petrovich Makeev, the general designer of the missile system, was also included.
By mid-December 1969, everything was prepared for going out to sea and performing rocket firing. December 18 (on my birthday) go out to sea. The senior aboard is the commander of the 31 division of nuclear missile submarines, the captain of the 1 rank (later Vice-Admiral, Hero of the Soviet Union) Lev Matushkin, who history Our atomic missile submarine fleet entered many pages of courage and bravery.
The leader of the shooting on a surface ship is the rear admiral (later Vice-Admiral) Georgy Lukich Nevolin, commander of the 12 submarine squadron of submarines. It is difficult to overestimate his contribution to the combat readiness and combat capability of our squadron. Thanks to his perseverance and professionalism of the submariner, a galaxy of commanders of strategic missile submarines was brought up ...
... We leave, everything is fine. The weather is good: sea 2-3 points, wind within 5-6 m / sec., Visibility is full, cloudiness is no more than 3 points, polar night.
Shooting from the equipped position (in the visibility of the coastline and navigation signs). They took the starting point of maneuvering, plunged into the periscope depth, and began to check the course guidance system at slow speed. The navigator, led by V. Vladimirov, the flagship navigator of the squadron, began to determine the correction of the course indication system for the accuracy of the direction of shooting. From the work of navigators depends on the deviation of the rocket in the direction of a given target.
Finished work on the first training gals. We return to the starting point and lie down on the combat course, we bring the course guidance system back to normal for shooting. We request permission from the manager to fire. We wait. We get the go-ahead for work, keep the underwater communication with the leader, dive to the starting depth, and differentiate the boat with the trim “zero”. 3,5 node speed. All is ready.
- Combat alarm, rocket attack!
The tension is increasing and, apparently, the greatest - with me.
- Start prelaunch training!
Pre-launch preparation is underway: preliminary supercharging, the annular gaps of the rocket mines are filled with water, pre-supercharging, ready to open the covers of the first four rocket mines. I give the command:
- Open the lids of the mines!
The lids are open.
- Start!
Let the stopwatch. Starting the first, then at intervals of 7 seconds, the second, third and fourth missiles are launched. Start is felt on the pushes into a solid submarine hull. I give the command:
- Batten the lids of the first four rocket mines and open the lids of the second four’s mines!
This operation takes one and a half minutes. The operation is completed, ready to give a command to launch the second “four” missiles, but the boat begins to fall down the corridor of the starting depth. What to do? The situation is fraught with the cancellation of the launch of missiles, since going beyond the limits established by the instructions for the depths of the starting corridor leads to the automatic cancellation of the launch and the return of technical means to its original position. I understand that an emergency situation arises: the position of the instructions for controlling a submarine when launching missiles says that after the launch of the first "four" missiles the submarine tends to ascend and must be weighted, that is, take ballast. However, in practice - the opposite is true. I give the command to pump out the water from the leveling tank, but I understand that the inertia of the boat (after all, the displacement is about 10 thousand tons) is large and we will go beyond the starting depth. I order to increase the speed by smoothly adding up to 20 revolutions per turbine. At the same time, I take into account that the starting speed should not exceed the 4,25 node. The seconds go by, I look at the division commander, he gives a sign that everything is correct. The boat keeps the starting depth, reset the 10 revolutions, command: "Start!". Start the last rocket. The commander of the missile warhead reports: "The launch was normal, there are no comments." Speak to the crew. I say that for the first time in the world 8 missiles were launched in one salvo, thank you for your service. In the central post and in the compartments, “Hurray!” Is heard.
We float to the surface position, we lay down on the course to the base. We receive gratitude from the head of the shooting and the message that the combat field accepted the 8 missiles, the deviation (the center of the head units) of the first and second "fours" was within the normal range ...
... I was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.
***
Ten days before the collapse of the Soviet state, sixteen ballistic missiles suddenly escaped one after the other from the depths of the Barents Sea and flew off to the coast. This unique spectacle was observed only by a few people from the board of the patrol ship drifting in the desert sea ... Only they knew that this day - August 8 1991 - will go down in the history of the Soviet fleet and the Russian fleet as a whole as a day of great military achievement ...
Former Commander-in-Chief of the Navy of the USSR, Hero of the Soviet Union, Admiral of the Fleet Vladimir Nikolaevich Chernavin:
- Submarine-launched missiles were recognized as the most reliable component of strategic nuclear forces in both the USSR and the USA. Perhaps that is why, under the guise of negotiations on the need to limit strategic armaments, they began to approach nuclear-powered submarine cruisers. In any case, in recent years, the infamous "perestroika" in the USSR Ministry of Defense more and more voices were heard: they say, underwater missile carriers are very unreliable carriers of ballistic missiles, they say, they can do no more than two or three launches and therefore need to get rid of them first. So it became necessary to demonstrate a full-scale underwater launch. This is a very costly and difficult task, but it was necessary to defend the honor weaponsand I assigned this mission to the crew of the Novomoskovsk nuclear submarine missile carrier (then it was a number boat), commanded by the captain of the 2 rank Sergey Egorov.
***
Sergey Vladimirovich Egorov, captain of the 1 rank, recalls:
- It's one thing to launch a rocket from a land mine, looking at the start per kilometer from a concrete bunker. Another is to launch it as we do: from here! - Yegorov knocked himself on the neck. - With a nape.
Yes, happen that with a rocket, filled with highly toxic fuel - and the crew nesdobovat. The accident in the 6 rocket mine on the ill-fated atomarine K-219 ended with the death of several sailors and the ship itself. Less tragic, but with great damage to the environment, the attempt of the first full missile salvo in 1989 ended.
“Then,” Yegorov said cheerfully, “there were more than fifty people of all kinds of bosses on board. Only one political workers have five souls. Many have gone after the orders. But when the boat fell to the depth and crushed the rocket, some people very quickly moved to the rescue tug. It was easier for us in this regard: only two chiefs came out with me - Rear Admirals Salnikov and Makeev. Well, also the general designer of the ship Kovalev together with the deputy general for rocket weapons Velichko, which both do honor. So, in the old days, engineers proved the strength of their structures: they stood under a bridge until a train passed through it ... In general, there were no strangers on board.
Rear Admiral Salnikov warned Makeev, our divisional commander: "At least one word you say - I will drive out of the central post!" So that no one enters the chain of my teams. With us, everything was worked out to full automatism. Any superfluous word - advice or order - could bring down the pace of the already overstretched work of the entire crew. Judge for yourself: at the salvo depth, the lids of the mines open, they stand upright and the hydrodynamic resistance of the hull immediately increases, the speed decreases; turbinists must immediately increase their speed to withstand the specified parameters of the course. All 16 mines are filled with water before launch, the weight of the boat increases dramatically by many tons, it starts to sink, but it must be kept exactly in the starting corridor. This means that the bilge must in time blow the excess ballast, otherwise the boat will swing, the feed will go down, and the bow up, albeit not much, but if the ship is 150 meters long, the depth difference for the rocket will be detrimental and it will go away ". Indeed, a few seconds before the start, some of its units are included in the irreversible mode. And in case of cancellation of the start, they are subject to factory replacement, and this is a lot of money.
***
Even in the most general terms, it is clear that a rocket salvo from under the water requires super-coordinated work of the entire crew. It is more difficult than shooting in Macedonian - with two hands, offhand. Here the mistake of one of a hundred can be worth the total success. And therefore, Yegorov drove his people on simulators for more than a year, five times went to the sea to work with the crew on the main task. From scattered wills, souls, intellects, dexterity, Egorov wove, created, assembled a well-functioning human mechanism, which allowed to discharge a huge underwater rocket base as famously and reliably as to turn the line of Kalashnikovs. This was his great commanding work, this was his feat, for which he prepared himself more mercilessly than another Olympian.
And the day has come ... But first, they experienced a lot of checks and commissions, which, overlapping each other, meticulously studied the ship’s readiness to enter an unprecedented business. The last to arrive from Moscow was the head of the combat training department of the submarine forces of the Navy, Rear Admiral Yuri Fedorov. He arrived with a secret installation - "check and prevent". So he was admonished by the acting commander-in-chief, who stayed in August instead of the commander-in-chief, who went on vacation, and did not want to take responsibility for the outcome of the Behemoth operation, as Novomoskovsk was called the shooting. Too memorable was the failure of the first attempt. But Yury Petrovich Fedorov, having made sure that the crew was immaculately ready to carry out the mission, gave an honest cipher to Moscow: "I checked and allowed" He himself, so that he would not get angry telephone messages, immediately left for another garrison.
So, the way to the sea was open.
- Imagine how worried you were ...
- I do not remember. All emotions have gone somewhere in the subcortex. In my head I only scrolled the shooting scheme. It can be said was on the machine. Although, of course, in my fate a lot depended on the outcome of Operation Behemoth. I even held the next title slightly. They say, by the result ... And the Academy of the luminary only by the results of the shooting. Yes, and all life was at stake. Map of the Barents Sea ...
Half an hour before the start - a snag. Suddenly, the underwater communication with the surface ship, which recorded the results of our shooting, disappeared. We hear them, but they do not. An old watchman, on it, the receiving path was junk. The instruction forbade shooting without two-way communication. But so many were preparing! And Rear Admiral Salnikov, the senior aboard, took full responsibility: “Shoot, commander!”.
I believed in my ship, I received him at the factory, taught him to swim, introduced him to the line. He believed in his people, especially in the first mate, rocketman and mechanic. He believed in the experience of his predecessor - the captain of 1 rank Yuri Beketov. True, he shot only eight rockets, but all came out without a hitch. They told me that even if we release thirteen, this is also a success. And we all shied away at sixteen. Without a single failure. As the turn of the machine released. But the bullet is a fool. And what about multi-ton ballistic missiles? "Capricious fool"? No, the rocket is very clever, with it you only need an intelligent one.
Epaulettes with three big stars Salnikov handed me right in the central post. In our home base we were met with an orchestra. They brought traditionally fried pigs. But they didn’t have enough time to fry. We then brought them up to standard condition in our own galley and cut them into one hundred and thirty pieces so that each crew member could get it. Presented us to the awards: me - to the Hero of the Soviet Union, the foreman - to the Order of Lenin, the mechanic - to the Red Banner ...
But a week later - the Emergency Committee, the Soviet Union was abolished, the Soviet orders, too ...
***
The author has seen this historical video. On the chronometer 21 hour 9 minutes 6 August 1991 year. So, having swum out of the water, leaving a cloud of steam on the surface of the sea, the first rocket flew up and disappeared into the polar sky, a few seconds later the second, third ... fifth ... eighth ... twelfth ... sixteenth ! A cloud of steam dragged along the course of the submarine cruiser. Rolling menacing hum stood over the cloudy sea of solitude. Suddenly it was thought: the world would have looked like this a few minutes before the end of the world. Someone called this shooting "the final rehearsal of a nuclear apocalypse." But no, it was a farewell salute, which gave the great underwater armada of his doomed great power. The USSR has already plunged into the abyss of time, like a Titanic wounded by an iceberg ...
ROCKET UNDERWATER CRUISER STRATEGIC PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT 667BDRM
The PKK SN of the 667BDRM project, the “Dolphin” class, is the last Soviet submarine of the 2 generation, which actually began to belong to the 3 generation. It was created in the TsBB MT "Rubin" under the direction of the general designer Academician S.N. Kovalev on the basis of a government decree of September 10 of 1975. It is a further development of submarines project 667BDR. It is a two-part submarine with missile shafts in a strong cylindrical body with external frames, which is divided into 11 compartments.
The outer lightweight hull of the cruiser has anti-acoustical coating. Nasal horizontal rudders are placed on the wheelhouse and, when ascending among the ice, turn to a vertical position.
The rated power of the main power plant RPK CH - 60 thousand liters. with. This is a two-shaft nuclear power plant of two echelons in the composition of the VM-4SG water-cooled nuclear reactor (90 mW), the OK-700А steam turbine, the TG-3000 turbogenerator and the DG-460 diesel generator each. For centralized control, the submarine is equipped with the Omnibus-BDRM-type ASU, which collects and processes information, and solves the tasks of tactical maneuvering and combat use of torpedo and missile-torpedo weapons.
The D-9РМ missile complex (development of the D-9Р complex) has 16 three-stage liquid ICBM PCM-54 (Р-29РМ, 3М37). The missiles have a range of more than 8300 km, carry detachable head units of individual guidance (4-10 warheads) with increased shooting accuracy and increased breeding radius.
The combat service of the missile carriers of the 667BDRM project can continue until the 2020 year.
A few minutes submarine North fleet fired 16 ballistic missiles at the Kura test site. This is still the unsurpassed record of the domestic submarine fleet.
Do not forget that the very first water launch took place on our fleet in November 1960, when the commander of the diesel missile submarine B-67, captain 2-rank Vadim Korobov launched a ballistic missile from the depths of the White Sea. This launch proved in practice the possibility of underwater missile firing.
But just like our submarines K-140 (commander - captain of 2 rank Yuri Beketov) and K-407 (commander - captain 2 rank Sergei Egorov) fired, nobody fired at the world: first 8 missiles in one volley , then 16.
***
Rear Admiral Yuri Beketov tells retired:
- At the beginning of October 1969, I was appointed commander of a strategic missile submarine K-140. It was the first serial submarine project 667A. In the future - strategic missile submarine cruiser. A submarine with a second crew on board was preparing to move to Severodvinsk for modernization, and our first crew received a submarine K-32 and began preparations for going out to sea for combat patrols. As the commander of the first crew of the K-140, the squadron commanded me:
- prepare the crew and submarine to go to sea for combat patrols;
- prepare the crew and the submarine for launching 8 missiles in one salvo.
Planned dates were different. About five months were allotted for preparation for combat service, and no more than three months for preparation and execution of shooting.
Many have a question: why was it necessary to shoot 8 with ballistic missiles, and not 12 or 16? The fact is that 8 rockets were “de-amplified” during the combat service of another crew. For this reason, the period of their guaranteed service was significantly reduced and they were subject to launch for all rocket canons within three months.
The task was simplified by the fact that the first crew of the K-140 was well prepared, and in this we must pay tribute to the first commander - the captain of the 1 rank (later - the vice-admiral) Anatoly Petrovich Matveev. The navigator, captain of 3 rank Velichko, whom I was familiar with in service on diesel missile submarines, junior navigator captain-lieutenant Topchilo, commander of the missile warhead captain 2 rank Somkin, knew their business well.
I had to, as they say, spend days and even nights on the ship, because besides the basic tasks I had to get permission to independently manage the 667A submarine of the project and confirm the linearity of the first crew of the K-140, that is, its ability to perform all tasks.
The launch of the shooting was planned somewhere in the middle of December 1969, and about a month later, representatives of science and industry began to arrive at the squadron, wishing to take part in this unique challenge. And wishing to go to sea was no less than 100 people. What to do? I could not take so many passengers on a submarine. According to the instructions, it was allowed to have no more than 10% crew in the sea, that is, 13-14 people. Neither I, nor the command of the division and squadron could decide who to take personally. All - honored people, scientists, business leaders, etc.
At one of the meetings, I suggested conducting a medical examination of these people, and, with recognized qualifications for medical reasons, conduct training in light diving training: the use of diving equipment of a submariner, exit from the torpedo tube, and others. Everyone agreed, understanding what could happen in an emergency - after all, there is no such experience in the world of launching rockets. As a result, 16 people were approved for entry into the sea, among whom Viktor Petrovich Makeev, the general designer of the missile system, was also included.
By mid-December 1969, everything was prepared for going out to sea and performing rocket firing. December 18 (on my birthday) go out to sea. The senior aboard is the commander of the 31 division of nuclear missile submarines, the captain of the 1 rank (later Vice-Admiral, Hero of the Soviet Union) Lev Matushkin, who history Our atomic missile submarine fleet entered many pages of courage and bravery.
The leader of the shooting on a surface ship is the rear admiral (later Vice-Admiral) Georgy Lukich Nevolin, commander of the 12 submarine squadron of submarines. It is difficult to overestimate his contribution to the combat readiness and combat capability of our squadron. Thanks to his perseverance and professionalism of the submariner, a galaxy of commanders of strategic missile submarines was brought up ...
... We leave, everything is fine. The weather is good: sea 2-3 points, wind within 5-6 m / sec., Visibility is full, cloudiness is no more than 3 points, polar night.
Shooting from the equipped position (in the visibility of the coastline and navigation signs). They took the starting point of maneuvering, plunged into the periscope depth, and began to check the course guidance system at slow speed. The navigator, led by V. Vladimirov, the flagship navigator of the squadron, began to determine the correction of the course indication system for the accuracy of the direction of shooting. From the work of navigators depends on the deviation of the rocket in the direction of a given target.
Finished work on the first training gals. We return to the starting point and lie down on the combat course, we bring the course guidance system back to normal for shooting. We request permission from the manager to fire. We wait. We get the go-ahead for work, keep the underwater communication with the leader, dive to the starting depth, and differentiate the boat with the trim “zero”. 3,5 node speed. All is ready.
- Combat alarm, rocket attack!
The tension is increasing and, apparently, the greatest - with me.
- Start prelaunch training!
Pre-launch preparation is underway: preliminary supercharging, the annular gaps of the rocket mines are filled with water, pre-supercharging, ready to open the covers of the first four rocket mines. I give the command:
- Open the lids of the mines!
The lids are open.
- Start!
Let the stopwatch. Starting the first, then at intervals of 7 seconds, the second, third and fourth missiles are launched. Start is felt on the pushes into a solid submarine hull. I give the command:
- Batten the lids of the first four rocket mines and open the lids of the second four’s mines!
This operation takes one and a half minutes. The operation is completed, ready to give a command to launch the second “four” missiles, but the boat begins to fall down the corridor of the starting depth. What to do? The situation is fraught with the cancellation of the launch of missiles, since going beyond the limits established by the instructions for the depths of the starting corridor leads to the automatic cancellation of the launch and the return of technical means to its original position. I understand that an emergency situation arises: the position of the instructions for controlling a submarine when launching missiles says that after the launch of the first "four" missiles the submarine tends to ascend and must be weighted, that is, take ballast. However, in practice - the opposite is true. I give the command to pump out the water from the leveling tank, but I understand that the inertia of the boat (after all, the displacement is about 10 thousand tons) is large and we will go beyond the starting depth. I order to increase the speed by smoothly adding up to 20 revolutions per turbine. At the same time, I take into account that the starting speed should not exceed the 4,25 node. The seconds go by, I look at the division commander, he gives a sign that everything is correct. The boat keeps the starting depth, reset the 10 revolutions, command: "Start!". Start the last rocket. The commander of the missile warhead reports: "The launch was normal, there are no comments." Speak to the crew. I say that for the first time in the world 8 missiles were launched in one salvo, thank you for your service. In the central post and in the compartments, “Hurray!” Is heard.
We float to the surface position, we lay down on the course to the base. We receive gratitude from the head of the shooting and the message that the combat field accepted the 8 missiles, the deviation (the center of the head units) of the first and second "fours" was within the normal range ...
... I was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.
***
Ten days before the collapse of the Soviet state, sixteen ballistic missiles suddenly escaped one after the other from the depths of the Barents Sea and flew off to the coast. This unique spectacle was observed only by a few people from the board of the patrol ship drifting in the desert sea ... Only they knew that this day - August 8 1991 - will go down in the history of the Soviet fleet and the Russian fleet as a whole as a day of great military achievement ...
Former Commander-in-Chief of the Navy of the USSR, Hero of the Soviet Union, Admiral of the Fleet Vladimir Nikolaevich Chernavin:
- Submarine-launched missiles were recognized as the most reliable component of strategic nuclear forces in both the USSR and the USA. Perhaps that is why, under the guise of negotiations on the need to limit strategic armaments, they began to approach nuclear-powered submarine cruisers. In any case, in recent years, the infamous "perestroika" in the USSR Ministry of Defense more and more voices were heard: they say, underwater missile carriers are very unreliable carriers of ballistic missiles, they say, they can do no more than two or three launches and therefore need to get rid of them first. So it became necessary to demonstrate a full-scale underwater launch. This is a very costly and difficult task, but it was necessary to defend the honor weaponsand I assigned this mission to the crew of the Novomoskovsk nuclear submarine missile carrier (then it was a number boat), commanded by the captain of the 2 rank Sergey Egorov.
***
Sergey Vladimirovich Egorov, captain of the 1 rank, recalls:
- It's one thing to launch a rocket from a land mine, looking at the start per kilometer from a concrete bunker. Another is to launch it as we do: from here! - Yegorov knocked himself on the neck. - With a nape.
Yes, happen that with a rocket, filled with highly toxic fuel - and the crew nesdobovat. The accident in the 6 rocket mine on the ill-fated atomarine K-219 ended with the death of several sailors and the ship itself. Less tragic, but with great damage to the environment, the attempt of the first full missile salvo in 1989 ended.
“Then,” Yegorov said cheerfully, “there were more than fifty people of all kinds of bosses on board. Only one political workers have five souls. Many have gone after the orders. But when the boat fell to the depth and crushed the rocket, some people very quickly moved to the rescue tug. It was easier for us in this regard: only two chiefs came out with me - Rear Admirals Salnikov and Makeev. Well, also the general designer of the ship Kovalev together with the deputy general for rocket weapons Velichko, which both do honor. So, in the old days, engineers proved the strength of their structures: they stood under a bridge until a train passed through it ... In general, there were no strangers on board.
Rear Admiral Salnikov warned Makeev, our divisional commander: "At least one word you say - I will drive out of the central post!" So that no one enters the chain of my teams. With us, everything was worked out to full automatism. Any superfluous word - advice or order - could bring down the pace of the already overstretched work of the entire crew. Judge for yourself: at the salvo depth, the lids of the mines open, they stand upright and the hydrodynamic resistance of the hull immediately increases, the speed decreases; turbinists must immediately increase their speed to withstand the specified parameters of the course. All 16 mines are filled with water before launch, the weight of the boat increases dramatically by many tons, it starts to sink, but it must be kept exactly in the starting corridor. This means that the bilge must in time blow the excess ballast, otherwise the boat will swing, the feed will go down, and the bow up, albeit not much, but if the ship is 150 meters long, the depth difference for the rocket will be detrimental and it will go away ". Indeed, a few seconds before the start, some of its units are included in the irreversible mode. And in case of cancellation of the start, they are subject to factory replacement, and this is a lot of money.
***
Even in the most general terms, it is clear that a rocket salvo from under the water requires super-coordinated work of the entire crew. It is more difficult than shooting in Macedonian - with two hands, offhand. Here the mistake of one of a hundred can be worth the total success. And therefore, Yegorov drove his people on simulators for more than a year, five times went to the sea to work with the crew on the main task. From scattered wills, souls, intellects, dexterity, Egorov wove, created, assembled a well-functioning human mechanism, which allowed to discharge a huge underwater rocket base as famously and reliably as to turn the line of Kalashnikovs. This was his great commanding work, this was his feat, for which he prepared himself more mercilessly than another Olympian.
And the day has come ... But first, they experienced a lot of checks and commissions, which, overlapping each other, meticulously studied the ship’s readiness to enter an unprecedented business. The last to arrive from Moscow was the head of the combat training department of the submarine forces of the Navy, Rear Admiral Yuri Fedorov. He arrived with a secret installation - "check and prevent". So he was admonished by the acting commander-in-chief, who stayed in August instead of the commander-in-chief, who went on vacation, and did not want to take responsibility for the outcome of the Behemoth operation, as Novomoskovsk was called the shooting. Too memorable was the failure of the first attempt. But Yury Petrovich Fedorov, having made sure that the crew was immaculately ready to carry out the mission, gave an honest cipher to Moscow: "I checked and allowed" He himself, so that he would not get angry telephone messages, immediately left for another garrison.
So, the way to the sea was open.
- Imagine how worried you were ...
- I do not remember. All emotions have gone somewhere in the subcortex. In my head I only scrolled the shooting scheme. It can be said was on the machine. Although, of course, in my fate a lot depended on the outcome of Operation Behemoth. I even held the next title slightly. They say, by the result ... And the Academy of the luminary only by the results of the shooting. Yes, and all life was at stake. Map of the Barents Sea ...
Half an hour before the start - a snag. Suddenly, the underwater communication with the surface ship, which recorded the results of our shooting, disappeared. We hear them, but they do not. An old watchman, on it, the receiving path was junk. The instruction forbade shooting without two-way communication. But so many were preparing! And Rear Admiral Salnikov, the senior aboard, took full responsibility: “Shoot, commander!”.
I believed in my ship, I received him at the factory, taught him to swim, introduced him to the line. He believed in his people, especially in the first mate, rocketman and mechanic. He believed in the experience of his predecessor - the captain of 1 rank Yuri Beketov. True, he shot only eight rockets, but all came out without a hitch. They told me that even if we release thirteen, this is also a success. And we all shied away at sixteen. Without a single failure. As the turn of the machine released. But the bullet is a fool. And what about multi-ton ballistic missiles? "Capricious fool"? No, the rocket is very clever, with it you only need an intelligent one.
Epaulettes with three big stars Salnikov handed me right in the central post. In our home base we were met with an orchestra. They brought traditionally fried pigs. But they didn’t have enough time to fry. We then brought them up to standard condition in our own galley and cut them into one hundred and thirty pieces so that each crew member could get it. Presented us to the awards: me - to the Hero of the Soviet Union, the foreman - to the Order of Lenin, the mechanic - to the Red Banner ...
But a week later - the Emergency Committee, the Soviet Union was abolished, the Soviet orders, too ...
***
The author has seen this historical video. On the chronometer 21 hour 9 minutes 6 August 1991 year. So, having swum out of the water, leaving a cloud of steam on the surface of the sea, the first rocket flew up and disappeared into the polar sky, a few seconds later the second, third ... fifth ... eighth ... twelfth ... sixteenth ! A cloud of steam dragged along the course of the submarine cruiser. Rolling menacing hum stood over the cloudy sea of solitude. Suddenly it was thought: the world would have looked like this a few minutes before the end of the world. Someone called this shooting "the final rehearsal of a nuclear apocalypse." But no, it was a farewell salute, which gave the great underwater armada of his doomed great power. The USSR has already plunged into the abyss of time, like a Titanic wounded by an iceberg ...
ROCKET UNDERWATER CRUISER STRATEGIC PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT 667BDRM
The PKK SN of the 667BDRM project, the “Dolphin” class, is the last Soviet submarine of the 2 generation, which actually began to belong to the 3 generation. It was created in the TsBB MT "Rubin" under the direction of the general designer Academician S.N. Kovalev on the basis of a government decree of September 10 of 1975. It is a further development of submarines project 667BDR. It is a two-part submarine with missile shafts in a strong cylindrical body with external frames, which is divided into 11 compartments.
The outer lightweight hull of the cruiser has anti-acoustical coating. Nasal horizontal rudders are placed on the wheelhouse and, when ascending among the ice, turn to a vertical position.
The rated power of the main power plant RPK CH - 60 thousand liters. with. This is a two-shaft nuclear power plant of two echelons in the composition of the VM-4SG water-cooled nuclear reactor (90 mW), the OK-700А steam turbine, the TG-3000 turbogenerator and the DG-460 diesel generator each. For centralized control, the submarine is equipped with the Omnibus-BDRM-type ASU, which collects and processes information, and solves the tasks of tactical maneuvering and combat use of torpedo and missile-torpedo weapons.
The D-9РМ missile complex (development of the D-9Р complex) has 16 three-stage liquid ICBM PCM-54 (Р-29РМ, 3М37). The missiles have a range of more than 8300 km, carry detachable head units of individual guidance (4-10 warheads) with increased shooting accuracy and increased breeding radius.
The combat service of the missile carriers of the 667BDRM project can continue until the 2020 year.
Information