Gli SSN sovietici November class, Project 627 Kit (Russo: Кит, codice NATO November)

La classe November, nome in codice NATO della classe progetto 627 Kit, fu una classe di sottomarini nucleari costruiti dall'Unione Sovietica tra il 1957 e il 1963; sono stati i primi battelli con questo tipo di propulsione costruiti dai sovietici.

Costruiti in 14 esemplari ed entrati in servizio tra il 1958 ed il 1963, sono stati vittima di numerosi incidenti. Gli 11 battelli superstiti sono stati radiati tra il 1989 ed il 1992. Molti di questi sono ancora in attesa di demolizione.

Sviluppo

Lo sviluppo del progetto 627 Kit iniziò il 25 novembre 1952, ad opera dell'SKB-143. La specifica iniziale prevedeva la realizzazione di un sottomarino in grado di effettuare un attacco atomico sulle città costiere americane. Tuttavia, in seguito ai successi della missilistica sovietica in questo periodo, si decise di riprogettare il 627 come sottomarino da attacco. La costruzione di questi battelli venne intrapresa a Severodvinsk, il cui cantiere navale Sevmash sarebbe diventato il principale centro di costruzione della flotta atomica subacquea sovietica. Il primo classe November, il K-3 Leninskij Komsomol, fu varato il 9 agosto 1957. Il reattore funzionò per la prima volta il 4 luglio 1958. A questo seguì un altro sottomarino identico al precedente, il K-14.
La terza unità della serie, il K-5, apparteneva al progetto 627A, che era sostanzialmente simile alla versione base, anche se aveva una più completa dotazione di combattimento (in particolare, imbarcavano i sistemi di combattimento dei sottomarini convenzionali classe Foxtrot). I successivi 10 battelli di questa classe appartenevano a questo tipo.
L'ultimo costruito, il K-27, apparteneva ad una versione decisamente migliorata, che da alcuni è stata considerata una sorta di November II.

Tecnica ed armamento

Lo scafo di questi battelli era in acciaio, diviso in nove compartimenti. Da un punto di vista tecnico, le prime due versioni erano molto simili. Infatti, l'unica differenza era che i progetto 627A avevano la dotazione di combattimento dei classe Foxtrot, che era più completa. I dati tecnici in tabella si riferiscono alle prime due versioni.
La profondità operativa era compresa tra i 260 ed i 400 metri.
La propulsione era assicurata da due reattori VM-A da 70 MW, che erano in grado di spingere questo mezzo alla velocità di 30,5 nodi in immersione e di 15,2 in emersione. L'autonomia era di 60 giorni. Il sistema propulsivo comunque aveva dei problemi, visto che diverse unità di questa classe ebbero incidenti al reattore.
 L'armamento comprendeva otto tubi lanciasiluri da 533 mm.

Il servizio

Il primo sottomarino atomico sovietico, il K-3 Leninskij Komsomol, fu varato il 9 agosto 1957. Il reattore funzionò per la prima volta il 4 luglio 1958, ed il 17 luglio 1962 raggiunse il Polo Nord.
La velocità di questi mezzi stupì la marina americana quando, nel 1968, un battello di questa classe riuscì a tenere il passo con i 31 nodi della task force comandata dalla portaerei Enterprise, e fu uno dei motivi che spinsero gli americani ad iniziare a lavorare alla classe Los Angeles.
Gli americani non sapevano però che il divario tecnologico era stato colmato rinunciando a schermare le radiazioni provenienti dal reattore; l'assenza delle pesanti schermature fece però della classe November una vera e propria incubatrice di tumori per l'equipaggio costretto ad operarvi a bordo per lunghi mesi. La radiazione di questi mezzi avvenne tra il 1988 ed il 1992. Molti November giacciono ancora oggi nei porti in attesa di demolizione.

Progetto 645-ŽMT

Un classe November, il K-27, venne costruito come progetto 645 ŽMT. Si trattava di una variante sviluppata dall'SKB-143 per sperimentare il sistema propulsivo che si pensava di installare sugli Alfa. Infatti, il sistema di propulsione era costituito da due reattori a metallo liquido tipo VT-1, di potenza pari a quelli della versione standard (35.000 hp totali).
Le dimensioni risultarono leggermente superiori (109,9 metri di lunghezza e 8,3 di larghezza), così come il dislocamento (3.420 tonnellate in emersione). Le prestazioni generali erano le stesse.
Decisamente diversa risultò l'organizzazione interna dello scafo, che fu diviso in sette compartimenti (contro i nove precedenti).
Il K-27 entrò in servizio il 30 ottobre 1963. Durante le prove in mare, il 24 maggio 1968, il reattore ebbe un'improvvisa ed inspiegabile perdita di potenza. I fumi radioattivi fuoriuscirono da una fessura dal compartimento reattore, e le radiazioni provocarono la morte di nove membri dell'equipaggio. Il K-27 non tornò più in servizio e venne affondato nel 1981 vicino all'arcipelago di Novaya Zemla.

Versioni successive

Oltre a quelle effettivamente realizzate, vennero elaborate tutta una serie di versioni ulteriori dei November, che rimasero però sulla carta:

Progetto P627A: versione equipaggiata con missili da crociera antinave SS-N-2C.

Progetto PT627A: versione con tubi lanciasiluri da 650mm.

Progetto 639: relativo ad un piccolo SSBN per il quale era previsto l'utilizzo dello scafo dei November.

Esemplari costruiti

I battelli classe November costruiti furono 13, tutti presso il cantiere Sevmaš di Severodvinsk. Oggi sono stati tutti radiati.

Progetto 627

K-3 Leninskij Komsomol: entrato in servizio nella Flotta del Nord il 7 gennaio 1958, fu il primo sottomarino atomico costruito in Unione Sovietica. Nel giugno del 1962 ebbe un incidente al reattore. Il 17 luglio 1962 raggiunse il Polo Nord. L'8 settembre 1967 ebbe un principio di incendio a bordo mentre navigava sotto il ghiaccio artico. Radiato nel 1989, è stato trasformato in museo nel 2005.

K-14: entrato in servizio nella Flotta del Pacifico nel 1959, è stato radiato. Demolito nel 2006.

Progetto 627A

K-5: entrato in servizio nel 1960 nella Flotta del Nord, è stato radiato.

K-8: entrato in servizio nel 1960 nella Flotta del Nord, ebbe un incidente al reattore il 13 ottobre 1960. Affondò per incidente il 4 novembre 1970.

K-115: entrato in servizio nella Flotta del Pacifico nel 1960, è stato radiato ed è in attesa di demolizione.

K-21: entrato in servizio nel 1961 nella Flotta del Nord, è stato radiato. Attualmente in attesa di demolizione.

K-11: entrato in servizio nel 1960 nella Flotta del Nord, il 12 febbraio 1965 ebbe un incidente al reattore. Oggi è stato radiato ed è in attesa di demolizione.

K-181: entrato in servizio nel 1962 nella Flotta del Nord, è stato radiato. Demolito nel 1998.

K-133: entrato in servizio nella Flotta del Pacifico nel 1962, è stato radiato entro il 1992. Demolito nel 1997.

K-159: entrato in servizio nel 1963 nella Flotta del Nord, è affondato nel Mare di Barents il 30 agosto 2003 mentre veniva rimorchiato per essere demolito. L'incidente ha provocato nove morti.

K-42 Rostovskij Komsomolec: entrato in servizio nella Flotta del Pacifico nel 1963, è stato posto in riserva nel 1990. Attualmente in attesa di demolizione.

K-50: entrato in servizio nel 1963 nella Flotta del Nord, è stato rinominato K 60. Oggi risulta radiato ed in attesa di demolizione.

K-52: entrato in servizio nel 1963 nella Flotta del Nord, è stato radiato. Demolito nel 1997.

K-27: entrato in servizio nel 1963 nella Flotta del Nord, venne costruito come progetto 645-ŽMT. In seguito ad un incidente al reattore, il 24 maggio 1968, non tornò più in servizio. Venne affondato nel 1981 vicino all'arcipelago di Novaya Zemla.

IL “K3” NAVE MUSEO 

Con un comunicato stampa dei cantieri navali Nerpa di Snežnogorsk, è stato ritenuto opportuno destinare a nave museo il Leninsky Komsomol vicino a San Pietroburgo. Il precedente piano consisteva nel musealizzare il K-3 nella città di Murmansk ormeggiandolo nel porto centrale della città accanto al Lenin, primo rompighiaccio a propulsione nucleare sovietico, dando, così, risalto alla capitale della Russia Artica esponendo entrambi quelli che furono i gioielli della tecnologia navale sovietica degli anni 50.

ENGLISH

The November class, Soviet designation Project 627 Kit (Russian: Кит, lit. 'whale', NATO reporting name November) was the Soviet Union's first class of nuclear-powered attack submarines, which were in service from 1958 through 1990. All but one have been disposed of, with the K-3, the first nuclear-powered submarine built for the Soviet Navy, being preserved as a memorial ship in Saint Petersburg.

History

More than 135 Soviet organizations (20 design bureaus, 35 research institutes, 80 works) participated in the design and construction of this completely new type of submarine in 1952–1958. The chief designer was V.N. Peregudov and the research supervisor was academician A.P. Alexandrov. The class was originally tasked with entering American naval bases and using the battery-powered T-15 torpedo with thermonuclear warhead, to destroy them once in range. (The T-15 torpedo had the following specifications: calibre 1,550 mm, length 23.5 m, range 40–50 km.) However, after expert opinions of Soviet naval specialists were considered, the role of the class changed to torpedo attacks on enemy warships and transport ships during actions along the ocean and distant sea routes. Reflecting this change of mission, the final design of Project 627 was developed with eight 533 mm torpedo tubes instead of the initial plan for one 1,550 mm and two 533 mm torpedo tubes. Project 627/627A submarines could launch torpedoes from 100 m depth. By 1963 this class was still in service but had been overtaken by later technology.

Description

The November class were double-hulled submarines with streamlined stern fins and nine compartments (I – bow torpedo, II – living and battery, III – central station, IV – diesel-generator, V – reactor, VI – turbine, VII – electromechanic, VIII – living, IX – stern). Three compartments equipped with bulkheads to withstand 10 atm pressure could be used as emergency shelters.

The November-class attack submarines were considerably noisier than diesel submarines and the early American nuclear-powered submarines, despite the streamlined torpedo-like hull, limited number of holes in the hull, special low-noise variable-pitch propellers, vibration dampening of main equipment, and antisonar coating of the hull (used for the first time on nuclear-powered submarines). Soviet reactors were superior to American ones in compactness and power-to-weight ratio, but the vibrations of Soviet reactors were much more pronounced. Novembers detected submarine targets during active service (for example, there were 42 detections in 1965 when regular cruises of Soviet nuclear-powered submarines began). The Soviet hydroacoustic equipment on the Novembers was not intended for submarine hunting, and had relatively limited capabilities.

The reliability of the first Soviet nuclear-powered submarines was relatively low because of the short service life of the steam generators in the main propulsion machinery, which caused an increase of the radioactivity level in the second loop of the reactor after several hundred hours of reactor operation. Machinery problems were the main reason why Project 627/627A submarines were not used during the Cuban Missile Crisis in autumn 1962. The reliability of the steam generators became better over the course of construction development, handling technical problems and training of crews, so Novembers began to frequently perform Arctic under-ice cruises and patrol missions to trace nuclear delivery vessels in Atlantic Ocean in the 1960s. Despite the common opinion about the dangers of radiation in the first Novembers, the background radiation levels in the compartments was usually normal because of relatively effective iron-water radiation protection of the reactor compartment and radiation monitoring.

The first submarine of the class (Project 627), K-3 Leninskiy Komsomol was first underway under nuclear power on 4 July 1958 and became also the first Soviet submarine to reach the North Pole in July 1962, four years after USS Nautilus. Project 627 had much better performance specifications (for example, submerged speed and depth) than the world's first operational nuclear-powered submarine USS Nautilus. The first commander of K-3 Leninskiy Komsomol was Captain 1st Rank L.G. Osipenko (future admiral and Hero of the Soviet Union).

All other Novembers except K-3 Leninskiy Komsomol belonged to modified project – project 627A. The main visual differences of project 627A were a bow sonar dome in the keel and a hydrophone antenna over the torpedo tubes. The Project P627A design armed with nuclear cruise missile system P-20 was developed in 1956–1957 but not finished, equipment and mechanisms were used for building the usual attack submarine of project 627A (submarine K-50).

A single vessel, submarine K-27, was built as project 645 to use a pair of liquid metal-cooled VT-1 reactors. K-27 was launched on 1 April 1962 and had some additional differences from Novembers: cone-shaped hull head, new antimagnetic strong steel alloys, somewhat different configuration of compartments, and a rapid loading mechanism for each torpedo tube. A liquid metal-cooled reactor had better efficiency than the water-cooled VM-A reactor, but technical maintenance of liquid metal cooled reactors in naval base was much more complicated.

Service history

The November class served in the Soviet Navy with the Northern Fleet (in 3rd submarine division, later in 17th submarine division). Four of the class (K-14, K-42, K-115, K-133) were transferred to the Soviet Pacific Fleet in the 1960s: K-14, K-42 and K-115 performed Arctic under-ice voyages whereas K-133 transferred to Far East on south route via Drake Strait (covering 21,000 miles during 52 days of submerged running). The surviving vessels were decommissioned between 1986 and 1990. Several of them have been scrapped already. All of the survivors remain laid-up hulks in Russian naval bases (K-14, K-42, K-115 and K-133 of the Pacific Fleet; K-11 and K-21 of the Northern Fleet). There are plans to convert the first submarine of the class (K-3) into a museum ship in St. Petersburg, but the hulk of the submarine remains in Polyarny due to economic reasons and the environmental concerns of some ecological organizations.

Units

The November class included 14 submarines: Project 627 (K-3 Leninskiy Komsomol), Project 627A (K-5, K-8, K-11, K-14, K-21, K-42 Rostovskiy Komsomolets, K-50, K-52, K-115, K-133, K-159, K-181), Project 645 (K-27). K stands for Kreyserskaya podvodnaya lodka (literally "Cruising submarine").

Project 627

K-3

Later named Leninskiy Komsomol. The only submarine of the class built to the original Project 627 design. Construction began at SEVMASH Shipyard, Severodvinsk, in June 1954. The keel was laid on 24 September 1955. Launched on 9 August 1957. First underway on nuclear power 4 June 1958. 17 January 1959 the unit was given to the Navy for experimental use.[4]

There was a serious accident on board K-3 on 8 September 1967. The submarine was performing a patrol mission in the Mediterranean Sea and a hydraulic system fire occurred in compartment one on the 56th day of the cruise at a depth of 49 m during the return home. This occurred north-east of the Faeroes and 39 sailors died due to carbon monoxide poisoning (boatswain Lunya was the only person in the central station who didn't black out. He surfaced the submarine and rescued the commander and second-in-command who organized damage control). The submarine reached base successfully. K-3 performed 14 long range cruises and passed 128,443 miles over 30 years (1958–1988).

Project 627A

K-5 Laid down 13 August 1956. Launched 1 September 1958. Commissioned 26 December 1959.

K-8 Laid down 9 September 1957. Launched 31 May 1959. Commissioned 31 December 1959. On 12 April 1970, after four days on the surface, K-8 sank returning from patrol and participation in the large scale "Okean-70" naval exercise. The accident occurred due to short circuits that took place in III and VII compartments simultaneously at a depth of 120 m and a subsequent fire in the air-conditioning system. This was the first loss of a Soviet nuclear-powered submarine. 52 sailors including the commander, Captain 2nd Rank Vsevolod Borisovich Bessonov, died due to CO2 poisoning and the flooding of the surfaced submarine during 80 hours of damage control in stormy conditions, 73 sailors were rescued. K-8 sank with four nuclear torpedoes on board at a depth of 4,680 m (Bay of Biscay). There were also three small incidents with K-8 whilst on patrol before (breakdowns of steam generators in 1960–1961).

K-14 - K-14 was laid down on 2 September 1958, launched on 16 August 1959, and commissioned 30 December 1959. K-14 entered service with the Northern Fleet (given to 206th separate brigade of nuclear submarines, based in Malaya Lopatka of Zapadnaya Litsa Fjord) on 31 August 1960. The submarine performed 9 cruises in 1960 (passed 1,997 miles up-top and 11,430 miles submerged), including patrol mission in Atlantic Ocean. In view of reforming of submarine units K-14 was given to 3rd division of nuclear submarines which was a part of 1st submarine flotilla in January 1961. The submarine performed 4 cruises in 1961 (passed 1,356 miles up-top and 1,967 miles submerged). The first experimental discharging of reactor cores directly in the naval base was made on K-14 in 1961. The reactor compartment was replaced in 1962 because of a breakdown of reactor protection systems. The submarine performed under-ice cruise from the Northern Fleet to the Pacific Ocean Fleet between 30 August and 17 September 1966, K-14 resurfaced 19 times at the North Pole for searches the Soviet research drifting station SP-15 to apply medical aid to one of the expeditionists from the station. Captain of K-14 captain 1st rank D.N. Golubev and commander of the 3rd division of nuclear submarines (chief officer on board) captain 1st rank N.K. Ignatov were awarded with the Hero of the Soviet Union for that Arctic cruise. K-14 was given to 10th submarine division (based in Krasheninnikov Bay) which was a part of 15th submarine squadron of the Red Banner Pacific Fleet. The submarine performed 4 patrol missions (160 days) in 1966–1970 and it was under medium repair between December 1970 and March 1973. 10th submarine division became a part of 2nd submarine flotilla of the Red Banner Pacific Fleet in November 1973. K-14 performed 3 patrol missions (135 days) in 1973–1975, participated in training cruises in 1979–1982. On 12 February 1988 a fire took place in a hold of VII compartment during maintenance work in the naval base, the fire was brought under control using submarine chemical smothering arrangement but one man was lost. The submarine was used for training cruises since 1988 and decommissioned from the Navy's order of battle on 19 April 1990. She was laid up in Postovaya Bay (Sovetskaya Gavan) as of 2000. K-14 performed 14 long-range cruises and passed 185,831 miles (22,273 operational hours) since placed in service.

K-52 - Laid down on 15 October 1959, launched on 28 August 1960, and commissioned 10 December 1960. Decommissioned in 1987.

K-21 - K-21 was laid down on 2 April 1960 and launched on 18 June 1961. K-21 entered service with the Northern Fleet (given to 3rd division of nuclear submarines which was a part of 1st submarine flotilla, based in Malaya Lopatka of Zapadnaya Litsa Fjord) on 28 November 1961. The submarine performed an Arctic cruise that year (passed 2,382 miles up-top and 3,524 miles submerged) and launched four torpedoes to determine a size of an ice-hole after explosion and a possibility to surface there. K-21 performed long-range cruise between 24 March and 14 May 1962 (51 days, passed 10,124 miles including 8,648 miles submerged), patrol mission to the Norwegian Sea and North Atlantic according to plan "Ograda" ("Protective fence") between 23 April and 21 May 1964, patrol mission in Barents Sea in 1965, 3 patrol missions in 1967–1970 (170 days total). Three interim overhauls were made in 1965–1966, 1973–1975 (including refueling in 1975) and 1983–1985. In 1975, K-21 was given to 17th submarine division which was a part of 11th submarine flotilla based in Gremikha. The submarine performed 4 patrol missions in 1976–1980 (200 days total) and combat training cruises in 1986–1989. K-21 was decommissioned from the order of battle in 1991. She lied up in Gremikha Bay as of May 2000 waiting utilization. K-21 passed 190,831 miles (22,932 operational hours) since placed in service.

K-11 - K-11 was laid down on 31 October 1960, launched on 1 September 1961, and commissioned 30 December 1961. K-11 entered service with the Northern Fleet (given to 3rd division of nuclear submarines which was a part of 1st submarine flotilla, based in Malaya Lopatka of Zapadnaya Litsa Fjord) on 16 March 1962. In November 1964 the sail failure of fuel pins was detected during the scheduled repair in Severodvinsk and it was decided to refuel both reactors. On 7 February 1965, the ejection of radioactive steam took place during the lifting of a reactor cover. Crewmembers were evacuated from the reactor compartment, the reactor cover was lowered down and the naval staff was informed about the accident. The arriving naval specialists came to the wrong conclusion that deterioration of the radiation environment was only a result of emission of high-active reactor water and they allowed to continue refueling. On 12 February 1965, the ejection of radioactive steam took place again during the second lift of the reactor cover because of inaccurately following operational instructions, crewmembers overwatching the procedure were evacuated from the reactor compartment and the reactor cover was lowered down. The uncontrolled reactor with the unclear position of its cover remained unwatched during 4 hours when a fire occurred. The attempts to extinguish the fire in the reactor compartment with the use of fresh water and CO2 fire extinguishers were not successful so shipyard firefighting vehicles filled the reactor compartment with 250 tons of outside water. About 150 tons of that radioactive water spread over other submarine compartments through burnt-out sealings and deteriorated the radiation environment in the work area significantly, 7 men were exposed to radiation. The only possible decision was to remove the contaminated reactor compartment and to install a new one, which wasn't done until August 1968. K-11 performed five patrol missions in 1968–1970 (305 days). The submarine was modernized between November 1971 – September 1973 and given to 17th submarine division of 11th submarine flotilla based in Gremikha in 1975. K-11 performed four patrol missions in 1975–1977 (173 days) and five patrol missions in 1982–1985 (144 days). The submarine was decommissioned from the order of battle on 19 April 1990. She was laid up in Gremikha as of 2000. K-11 passed 220,179 miles (29,560 operational hours) since placed in service.

K-133 - K-133 was laid down on 3 July 1961, launched on 5 July 1962, and commissioned 29 October 1962. K-133 entered service with the Northern Fleet (given to 3rd submarine division which was a part of 1st submarine flotilla, based in Bolshaya Lopatka of Zapadnaya Litsa Fjord) on 14 November 1962. In 1963 the submarine performed a long-range cruise (51 days) to Atlantic equatorial zone for the first time for Soviet Navy. She was under current repairs between October 1964 and September 1965. K-133 together with K-116 (Project 675 submarine) for the first time in the world performed submerged voyage from the Northern Fleet to the Pacific Ocean Fleet via Drake Strait under the general command of Rear Admiral A. Sorokin from 2 Febr. to 26 March 1966. The submarines crossed the Barents Sea, the Norwegian Sea, the whole Atlantic Ocean, entered the Pacific Ocean and finished the voyage at Kamchatka. K-133 passed around 21,000 miles for 52 days of that voyage. K-133 performed 2 patrol missions (103 days total) in 1966–1968, 2 patrol missions (93 days total) in 1971–1976, 1 patrol mission (48 days) in 1977 and 1 patrol mission in 1983–1986. The submarine was decommissioned from the order of battle on 30 May 1989. She lied up in Postovaya Bay (Sovetskaya Gavan) as of August 2006. K-11 passed 168,889 miles (21,926 operational hours) since placed in service.

K-181 - Laid down 15 November 1961, launched 7 September 1962, and commissioned 27 December 1962.

K-115 - Laid down 4 April 1962, launched 22 October 1962, and commissioned 31 December 1962.

K-159 - On 30 August 2003, the submarine K-159 sank during stormy weather while being towed to the shipyard in Snezhnogorsk, Murmansk Oblast for scrapping (K-159 was decommissioned in 1987.) Nine sailors died in the accident and one was rescued. K-159 was found and investigated by Russian deep-sea vehicles the same day in the point 69°22.64'N, 33°49.51'E (Barents Sea, 2.4 miles from Kildin Island) at a depth of 248 m. K-159 performed 9 missions and passed 212,618 miles since June 1963.

K-42 - Laid down 28 November 1962, launched 17 August 1963, and commissioned 30 November 1963. Was located next to K-431 during the nuclear fuel accident during 10 August 1985. As a result of the accident, K-42 was also deemed damaged beyond repair and decommissioned.

K-50 - K-50 was laid down on 14 February 1963 (using some mechanisms and equipment from unfinished submarine of project P627A), launched on 16 December 1963, and commissioned 17 July 1964. K-60 entered service with the Northern Fleet (given to 3rd division of nuclear submarines which was a part of 1st submarine flotilla, based in Malaya Lopatka of Zapadnaya Litsa Fjord) on 6 August 1964. The submarine was given to 17th submarine division based in Gremikha in 1969 (17th submarine division became a part of 11th submarine flotilla in 1974). The submarine performed a number of cruises including participation in naval exercise "Ograda" (Protective fence) during 4 March 1965 – 4 April 1965, patrol mission in North Atlantic in July 1965, two patrol missions (161 days) in 1969–1973, one patrol mission in 1978 (51 days), one patrol mission in December 1983 – January 1984. Besides combat duties K-50 took place in training cruises and tests of new equipment also. Refueling was made in September 1975 during a medium repair. K-50 was renamed as K-60 in 1982. She was decommissioned from the operational order of battle on 19 April 1990 and stored at Gremikha Bay. Between 3 and 6 September 2006 the submarine was transported by heavy lift ship Transshelf (belonged to Dutch Dockwise Shipping B.V. company) to Dockyard No. 10 (SRZ-10) in Polyarny for further scrapping. K-50 covered 171,456 miles (24,760 operational hours) since placed in service.

Project 645

K-27 - K-27 was laid down on 15 June 1958 and launched on 1 April 1962. The submarine was commissioned on 30 October 1963 after full-scale builders sea trials and official tests. Design task was assigned to OKB-16, one of the two predecessors (the other being SKB-143) of the famous Malachite Central Design Bureau, which would eventually become one of the three Soviet/Russian submarine design centers, along with Rubin Design Bureau and Lazurit Central Design Bureau ("Lazurit" is the Russian word for lazurite). The first patrol mission of the experimental submarine to Central Atlantic was performed between 21 April – 12 June 1964 (52 days). Captain of K-27, captain 1st rank I.I. Gulyaev was awarded with the Hero of the Soviet Union for mission success and record of submarine continuous underwater stay. The second patrol mission to the Mediterranean Sea took place between 29 June – 30 August 1965 (60 days), K-27 detected and performed training attack with a nuclear torpedo against US Randolph aircraft carrier during NATO naval maneuvers off Sardinia. US carrier force could only detect K-27 when she obtained range to the training target after the "torpedo attack" but Soviet captain P.F. Leonov skillfully disengaged. K-27 passed 12,425 miles (including 12,278 miles undersea) during the first cruise and 15,000 miles during the second one. K-27 entered service with the Red Banner Northern Fleet (given to 17th submarine division, based in Gremikha) on 7 September 1965 as the test submarine. An emergency in the port-side reactor took place on 24 May 1968 in the Barents Sea during trials of submerged K-27 at full speed (AR-1 automatic control rod raised up spontaneously and the reactor power decreased from 83% to 7% during 60–90 sec). The responsible officers informed the command before trials that port-side reactor was not tested yet after small failure took place on 13 October 1967 but their warnings were not taken into consideration. The emergency was accompanied by gamma activity excursion in the reactor compartment (up to 150 R/hour and higher) and spread of radioactive gas along the other compartments. All crewmembers (124 men) were irradiated, and the main reason according to some crewmembers' memoirs was the fact that the submarine captain, Captain 1st Rank P.F. Leonov, believed in the reliability of a new type of the reactor too much, so he didn't give the order to resurface immediately, didn't inform crew members in other compartments about radiation hazards on board and even allowed the crew to have a usual dinner. A radiation alarm was transmitted only after a chemical officer and a doctor requested it. K-27 resurfaced and returned from training area to its home base using the starboard reactor. The submarine was placed at pier in Severomorsk and a depot ship continuously piped steam to the submarine to avoid cooling of heat-transfer metal in the reactor. The most heavily irradiated ten men (holders from the reactor compartment) were transported by aircraft to Leningrad 1st naval hospital next day but four of them (V. Voevoda, V. Gritsenko, V. Kulikov and A. Petrov) died within a month. Electrician I. Ponomarenko died on watch in the emergency reactor compartment on 29 May. More than 30 sailors participated in accident elimination died between 1968 and 2003 because of over exposure to radiation and the Soviet government held back the truth about the tragic consequences of that reactor emergency for many years. K-27 was tied up in Gremikha Bay from 20 June 1968, with cooling reactors and different experimental works done on board, until 1973, when rebuilding or replacement of the port-side reactor was judged to be too expensive. The submarine was decommissioned on 1 February 1979 and her reactor compartment was filled with special solidifying mixture of furfurol and bitumen in summer 1981 (the work was performed by Severodvinsk shipyard No. 893 "Zvezdochka"). K-27 was towed to a special training area in the Kara Sea and scuttled there on 6 September 1982 in the point 72°31'N 55°30'E (north-east coast of Novaya Zemlya, Stepovoy Bay) at a depth of only 33 m (in contravention of an IAEA requirement that the submarine be scuttled in water at least 3,000–4,000 m deep).

THE "K3" MUSEUM SHIP 

With a press release from the Nerpa shipyards in Snežnogorsk, it was considered appropriate to use the Leninsky Komsomol near St. Petersburg as a museum ship. The previous plan was to museum the K-3 in the city of Murmansk by mooring it in the city's central port next to the Lenin, the first Soviet nuclear-powered icebreaker, thus giving prominence to the capital of Arctic Russia by exhibiting both of them, which were the jewels of Soviet naval technology in the 1950s.

(Web, Google, Wikipedia, Difesaonline, You Tube)

 

La Beretta PMX è una pistola mitragliatrice calibro 9 x 19 mm parabellum

La Beretta PMX è una pistola mitragliatrice calibro 9 x 19 mm parabellum, progettata e fabbricata dall'azienda italiana Beretta. La PMX è stata presenta nel 2017 ed è destinata a sostituire la Beretta PM12 come arma di ordinanza di alcune forze di polizia italiane.

Storia

La Beretta PMX è stata sviluppata a partire dallo storico modello PM12, già in dotazione a molte forze di polizia e forze armate di tutto il mondo; a partire dal 2015/2016 vi furono molte voci sull'uscita del nuovo modello di pistola mitragliatrice che venne presentata da Beretta durante l'esposizione Milipol a Parigi nel 2017. L'Arma dei Carabinieri ha ordinato, a partire dal 2018 dopo una sperimentazione in alcuni reparti operativi, più di 5 mila pezzi con l'intenzione futura di ammodernare l'intero arsenale di armi individuali.

Come già evidenziato, la Beretta PMX che, da poco tempo, è stata consegnata ai Carabinieri in un primo lotto di mille pezzi e sostituirà gradualmente uno dei più grandi successi dell’industria italiana, la Beretta PM 12 che tutti noi conosciamo per averla vista mille volte a tracolla di Carabinieri, Finanzieri e Poliziotti.

La PM 12 fu progettata nel 1959 dall’ingegnere Domenico Salsa e, all’inizio degli Anni 60, venne adottata da oltre 20 paesi: USA, Francia, Venezuela, Tunisia, Costa Rica, Vaticano. Venne altresì prodotta su licenza, in migliaia di esemplari, in Belgio e Brasile. Era dotata di un otturatore telescopico che, avvolgendo la canna per 2/3 della sua lunghezza rendeva la PM12 compatta e stabile nel tiro a raffica e colpo singolo. Fu una delle più ingegnose realizzazioni della tecnologia del ‘900 ed è considerata unanimemente una delle migliori armi della sua categoria.

E’ ancora valida al giorno d’oggi, ma la PM 12 è un’arma che ha pur sempre più di mezzo secolo di vita e dovrà obbligatoriamente lasciare il campo a un nuovo modello. La PMX non si allontana molto dal precedente modello quanto all’estetica, ma se ne distingue per importanti caratteristiche tecniche:

Il peso: rispetto ai circa 3,4 kg della PM 12, il nuovo modello è più leggero di circa un chilo che si deve al largo uso di polimeri i quali però rivestono solamente l’affusto dell’arma che è ancora realizzato in acciaio speciale. La leggerezza dell’arma non riduce la stabilità e la precisione del tiro, che rimane eccezionalmente controllabile, nonostante il rateo di fuoco quasi raddoppiato: a 25 m, è possibile raggruppare cinque colpi singoli con una distanza fra loro minima. La maggiore precisione si deve anche allo sparo con otturatore chiuso rispetto a quello con otturatore aperto della PM 12. Se la vecchia pistola mitragliatrice poteva sparare circa 550 colpi al minuto, la nuova arma arriva ai 900-1000. Il calibro è rimasto invariato: si tratta del classico 9 mm Parabellum.

La leva di selezione, per passare dalla posizione di sicura al tiro a raffica deve compiere una ampia rotazione di ben 110°. Ciò evita il rischio di inserimento involontario del tiro a raffica: un’accortezza voluta dai Carabinieri, che hanno collaborato attivamente allo sviluppo dell’arma. Le Forze dell’Ordine sono abituate a operare in contesti urbani e necessitano di un’arma che non riservi sorprese o imprecisioni di sorta. La sicura è manovrabile su entrambi i lati; la manetta di armamento è reversibile per gli operatori mancini. Tutti questi dispositivi, così come il ponticello del grilletto piuttosto ampio, sono stati concepiti per essere azionati anche da una mano munita di guanti. 

L’arma è rifinita in modo da poter affrontare climi ostili. Le mire sono ribaltabili per non interferire con eventuali ottiche a riflessione ed è possibile montare lateralmente puntatori laser e torce ad alta intensità.

Lo smontaggio ed il rimontaggio sono facili e non richiedono l’uso di attrezzi specifici.  La lunghezza complessiva con calcio ribaltato è identica a quella della PM 12. Negli spazi ristretti la compattezza della PMX risulta preziosa, soprattutto per gli equipaggi dei carri armati o per i piloti degli elicotteri.

Caratteristiche tecniche

La Beretta PMX è una pistola mitragliatrice in tecno-polimeri, alluminio ed acciaio macchinato lunga 640 mm con calcio richiudibile esteso (418 mm con calcio ribaltato) che possiede un otturatore chiuso con sistema a massa battente ed un peso totale a vuoto di 2,4 Kg; il calibro adottato è il 9 x 19 parabellum NATO. Con caricatore pieno inserito, 30 colpi, raggiunge un peso di circa 2,5 Kg ed ha una cadenza di tiro di 900 colpi al minuto (può variare in base al munizionamento impiegato). Possiede una sicura manuale a tre posizioni ambidestra con selettore di fuoco (colpo singolo e full-auto), delle mire regolabili e delle slitte picatinny MIL-STD 1913 che permettono di utilizzare varii accessori come dispositivi di puntamento di qualsiasi tipologia.

PORTAFOGLIO D’ORDINI

La Fabbrica d’armi Pietro Beretta di Gardone Valtrompia si è aggiudicata finora due importanti forniture per un valore complessivo pari a circa 11 milioni di euro. Entrambe provengono dalle forze dell’ordine italiane, dopo i carabinieri anche la Guardia di Finanza, per la sostituzione di armi ormai datate con nuovi equipaggiamenti da distribuire ai reparti. 

Il più sostanzioso dei due ordini è stato deliberato il 7 dicembre dal Comando generale della Guardia di Finanza, che ha aggiudicato all’azienda bresciana un appalto del valore di 7 milioni di euro, per la precisione 6 milioni 999 mila 995 euro e 30 centesimi Iva inclusa. Si tratta dell’acquisto di 15.465 nuove pistole Px 4 Storm, modello full size, aggiudicate al prezzo unitario di 380 euro al pezzo più caricatore aggiuntivo, fino a totalizzare 7 milioni di euro. Le nuove pistole sostituiranno 10 mila vecchie pistole modello 84Bb, non più utilizzabili, che verranno rispedite alla Beretta per una sorta di rottamazione. Stessa situazione, aggiudicazione fatta e contratto sul tavolo, per l’altro significativo appalto: quello per i carabinieri per la fornitura di un secondo lotto di nuove mitragliette Pmx, destinate a sostituire gradualmente la vetusta Pm12, in servizio ormai dal 1961. Dopo un primo lotto quasi sperimentale acquistato dai carabinieri lo scorso anno, mille esemplari per un contratto da 816 mila euro più Iva, questo secondo lotto è ben più sostanzioso per numeri e importi: 5.000 armi per un valore di circa 4 milioni e 100 euro più Iva.

ENGLISH

The Beretta PMX is a 9 x 19 mm parabellum machine gun designed and manufactured by the Italian company Beretta. The PMX was presented in 2017 and is intended to replace the Beretta PM12 as an official weapon of some Italian police forces.

History

The Beretta PMX was developed starting from the historic PM12 model, already fitted to many police and armed forces around the world; from 2015/2016 there were many rumours about the release of the new machine gun model which was presented by Beretta during the Milipol exhibition in Paris in 2017. The Carabinieri Corps ordered, starting in 2018 after experimentation in some operational departments, more than 5,000 pieces with the future intention of modernising the entire arsenal of individual weapons.

As already highlighted, the Beretta PMX, which has recently been delivered to the Carabinieri in a first batch of a thousand pieces and will gradually replace one of the greatest successes of Italian industry, the Beretta PM 12, which we all know for having seen a thousand times on the shoulder of the Carabinieri, Finanzieri and Policemen.

The PM 12 was designed in 1959 by engineer Domenico Salsa and, in the early 1960s, it was adopted by over 20 countries: USA, France, Venezuela, Tunisia, Costa Rica and the Vatican. It was also produced under licence, in thousands of copies, in Belgium and Brazil. It was equipped with a telescopic shutter which, by winding the barrel 2/3 of its length, made the PM12 compact and stable in burst and single shot shooting. It was one of the most ingenious achievements of 20th century technology and is unanimously considered one of the best weapons in its category.

It is still valid today, but the PM 12 is a weapon that is still more than half a century old and will have to leave the field to a new model. The PMX is not far from the previous model as far as aesthetics are concerned, but it stands out for its important technical characteristics:

The weight: compared to the approximately 3.4 kg of the PM 12, the new model is about one kilo lighter, due to the extensive use of polymers which, however, only cover the barrel of the weapon, which is still made of special steel. The lightness of the weapon does not reduce the stability and precision of the shot, which remains exceptionally controllable despite the almost doubled rate of fire: at 25 m, it is possible to group five single shots with a minimum distance between them. The higher accuracy is also due to the closed-closed-shoot range compared to the open-closed-shoot range of the PM 12. If the old machine gun could fire around 550 rounds per minute, the new gun can fire 900-1000 rounds per minute. The calibre has remained unchanged: it is the classic 9 mm Parabellum.

The selection lever, in order to pass from the safe position to the burst shooting, must make a wide rotation of a good 110°. This avoids the risk of accidental insertion of the burst shot: a shrewdness desired by the Carabinieri, who actively collaborated in the development of the weapon. The Police are used to operating in urban contexts and need a weapon that does not reserve surprises or inaccuracies of any kind. The safety is manoeuvrable on both sides; the cocking handle is reversible for left-handed operators. All these devices, as well as the rather wide trigger bridge, are designed to be operated by a gloved hand. 

The weapon is finished so that it can cope with hostile climates. The sights are tiltable so as not to interfere with any reflection optics and it is possible to mount laser pointers and high intensity torches on the side.

Disassembly and reassembly are easy and do not require the use of specific tools.  The overall length with tilted stock is identical to that of the PM 12. In tight spaces the compactness of the PMX is valuable, especially for tank crews or helicopter pilots.

Technical features

The Beretta PMX is a machine gun made of techno-polymers, aluminium and machined steel, 640 mm long with extended reclosable stock (418 mm with tilted stock) that has a closed shutter with hinged mass system and a total empty weight of 2.4 Kg; the calibre adopted is the 9 x 19 NATO parabellum. With full magazine inserted, 30 rounds, it reaches a weight of about 2.5 Kg and has a firing rate of 900 rounds per minute (may vary according to the ammunition used). It has an ambidextrous three-position manual safety with fire selector (single and full-auto), adjustable sights and MIL-STD 1913 picatinny sleds that allow the use of various accessories as aiming devices of any type.

ORDER BACKLOG

The Pietro Beretta arms factory in Gardone Valtrompia has so far been awarded two important supplies for a total value of about 11 million euros. Both come from the Italian police forces, after the Carabinieri also from the Guardia di Finanza, for the replacement of outdated weapons with new equipment to be distributed to the departments. 

The most substantial of the two orders was approved on 7 December by the General Command of the Guardia di Finanza, which awarded the Brescia company a contract worth 7 million euros, to be precise 6 million 999 thousand 995 euros and 30 cents VAT included. This is the purchase of 15,465 new Px 4 Storm pistols, full size model, awarded at a unit price of 380 euros per piece plus additional magazine, up to a total of 7 million euros. The new guns will replace 10 thousand old model 84Bb pistols, no longer usable, which will be sent back to Beretta for a sort of scrapping. Same situation, award made and contract on the table, for the other significant contract: that for the Carabinieri for the supply of a second batch of new Pmx machine guns, destined to gradually replace the old Pm12, in service since 1961. After a first, almost experimental lot purchased by the Carabinieri last year, one thousand units for a contract worth 816 thousand euros plus VAT, this second lot is much more substantial in terms of numbers and amounts: 5,000 guns worth about 4 million and 100 euros plus VAT.

(Web, Google, Wikipedia, You Tube, La Stampa - Claudio Bigatti, Bresciaoggi)

 

Il Messerschmitt Me 323 "Gigant"

Il Messerschmitt Me 323 "Gigant" era un aereo da trasporto pesante esamotore e monoplano ad ala alta prodotto dall'azienda tedesca Messerschmitt AG negli anni quaranta ed impiegato dalla Luftwaffe, l'aeronautica militare della Germania nazista, nel corso della seconda guerra mondiale.

Sviluppo dell'aliante Me 321, era caratterizzato dall'adozione di sei motori radiali montati sul bordo d'attacco alare e da un diverso carrello d'atterraggio multiruota. Venne prodotto in circa 200 esemplari e risulta detenere il primato dell'aereo terrestre dalle maggiori dimensioni utilizzato durante il conflitto.

Storia del progetto

Lo sviluppo del Me 323 Gigant iniziò dalla necessità tedesca di avere nel 1940 un grande aliante. L'aliante leggero DFS 230 aveva già dimostrato il suo valore nel famoso attacco al forte Eben-Emael in Belgio (il primo assalto di sempre da parte di truppe aviotrasportate su alianti), e fu in seguito usato con successo nella battaglia di Creta nel 1941.

La prospettiva di invadere la Gran Bretagna evidenziò la necessità di disporre di veicoli e altro materiale pesante mediante un ponte aereo sin dalla prima ondata d'assalto. Sebbene l'operazione "Leone marino" fosse stata cancellata, le necessità di aerei da trasporto era ancora avvertita in vista della prossima invasione dell'URSS.

Il 18 ottobre 1940, la Junkers Flugzeug- und Motorenwerke e la Messerschmitt ricevettero la richiesta di sottoporre, entro appena 14 giorni, un progetto per un aliante da trasporto di grandi dimensioni. L'enfasi era ancora sul ruolo di assalto: i requisiti, piuttosto ambiziosi, imponevano la capacità di carico sia di un cannone da 88 mm e di un trattore semi cingolato, o di un carro armato medio del tipo Panzer IV.

Lo Junkers Ju 322 "Mammut" venne sviluppato sino allo stadio di prototipo, ma essendo del tutto insoddisfacente venne scartato. Il progetto della Messerschmitt, originariamente designato come Me 261W, superò la fase iniziale prendendo il nome di Me 263 (ed in seguito divenne il Me 321). Sebbene il Me 321 prestò un rimarchevole servizio in guerra, non venne mai usato per gli scopi originari di attacco a causa della perdita d'iniziativa delle forze dell'Asse.

All'inizio del 1941 venne presa la decisione di produrre una variante a motori del Me 321, in quanto venne alla luce la necessità di disporre di un cargo pesante al di fuori del ruolo specifico di assalto. Inoltre venne compreso che un aliante poneva problemi relativamente all'aereo rimorchio, ai razzi e all'attrezzatura varia ad esso relativa. Dopo molto studio, venne deciso di adottare sei motori (di provenienza francese) del tipo Gnome et Rhône GR14N. Essi erano già in produzione ed erano velocemente disponibili; inoltre potevano essere facilmente imbullonati sulle ali, che però andavano rinforzate.

Su ciascuna ala, inoltre, venne aggiunta una cabina per ospitare un ingegnere di volo, anche se il pilota poteva scavalcare le decisioni degli ingegneri gestendo direttamente la potenza e il carburante. Un nuovo tipo di carrello d'atterraggio permanente venne imbullonato su ciascun lato della fusoliera, consentendo al Me 323 un atterraggio in tutta sicurezza anche sui campi di atterraggio più difficili. Il prezzo pagato alla motorizzazione fu una riduzione del carico trasportabile di circa 10-12 tonnellate. Anche con i motori era frequente che il decollo fosse facilitato dall'uso di appositi razzi (RATO, Rocket Assisted Take Off).

Tecnica

Il Messerschmitt Me 323 fu un aereo non comune e rivoluzionario sotto diversi aspetti. Innanzitutto venne sviluppato a partire da un aliante (il Me 321), fu il più grande aereo della seconda guerra mondiale, era in grado di caricare elementi ingombranti grazie ai portelli alti 11 piedi, era motorizzato con motori francesi ed infine era in grado di usare appositi razzi (RATO, Rocket Assisted Take Off).

L'aereo venne progettato con una configurazione alare monoplana ad ala alta controventata al fine di sollevare il peso desiderato. Dato che la tecnologia aeronautica non era sufficientemente sviluppata per sostenere l'intero carico alare necessario, l'ala era rinforzata da robuste aste di controvento che la collegavano alla fusoliera. Per ridurre il peso e risparmiare sull'alluminio, buona parte delle ali era realizzata in compensato e tela. La fusoliera era un composito di metallo, legno e tela e il pavimento era rinforzato per sostenere il peso del carico. I sei motori francesi Gnome-Rhône furono scelti in quanto il loro sviluppo era stato completato e la loro produzione poteva essere realizzata nella Francia occupata senza interferire con la produzione tedesca.

Il carrello d'atterraggio era composto da 10 ruote semi-rientrate, progettate per flettersi come il battistrada di un cingolato al fine di poter atterrare su terreni irregolari e per poter distribuire meglio il peso su una superficie maggiore. Tirando le somme, anche se ha una forte somiglianza con i grandi aerei da trasporto di oggi, il Me 323 fu il primo di questa categoria di aerei. Il vano di carico era lungo 11 m, largo 3 m e alto 3,35 m. Il carico tipico era di due camion da 4 tonnellate, o 8 700 pagnotte, o un cannone contraerei 8,8 cm FlaK, inclusi equipaggiamento, munizioni e serventi, o 52 barili di carburante da 250 L, o 130 uomini, o 60 barelle. Era, per quei tempi, un aereo rimarchevole.

L'equipaggio del Me 323 era composto da due piloti, due ingegneri di volo e un operatore radio, oltre a due cannonieri che si potevano aggiungere. La cabina di pilotaggio era situata al di sopra del vano di carico adiacente al bordo delle ali ed era blindata.

I sei motori Gnome-Rhône 14N 48/49, radiali a 14 cilindri, erano raffreddati ad aria ed erogavano ciascuno una potenza pari a 990 PS (728 kW). Era possibile collocare quattro razzi (Walter HWK 109-500 Starthilfe) per ala vicino al motore più esterno per aumentare la spinta al decollo. I tre motori di destra controrotavano rispetto a quelli di sinistra, in modo da evitare la rotazione intorno all'asse che si avrebbe avuto se i sei motori avessero ruotato nella stessa direzione.

La velocità massima al livello del mare era di soli 218 km/h e diminuiva con l'aumentare dell'altitudine. Il raggio operativo non è noto ma gli aerei furono impiegati per trasportare velocemente le truppe dall'Italia al Nord Africa. L'aereo era armato con cinque mitragliatrici MG 131 calibro 13 mm che sparavano da una posizione dorsale all'interno delle ali e dalla carlinga. Erano maneggiate dagli ingegneri, dal radio operatore e dai mitraglieri aggiuntivi.

Per adattare il Me 323 alla produzione su vasta scala e risparmiare quindi sui costi di produzione, venne progettato con un telaio di tubi di acciaio ricoperti di stoffa piuttosto che con una convenzionale monoscocca di alluminio. Inizialmente si era pensato di utilizzare solamente quattro motori, ma i prototipi dimostrarono che ne erano necessari sei per raggiungere la capacità di trasporto richiesta. I motori Gnome-Rhône erano stati progettati da Gabriel Voisin.

Impiego operativo

In grado di trasportare 130 uomini in assetto di combattimento o carichi simili fino a circa 15t, il Me 323 fu usato nel 1943 per trasportare rifornimenti e truppe di riserva dall'Italia e Sicilia all'Afrikakorps in Tunisia e nell'area del Nord Africa. Comunque, dalle informazioni ottenute con Ultra, gli alleati sapevano in anticipo i piani di volo e quindi spedivano i caccia per intercettare i convogli aerei e abbattere i trasporti.

Ad esempio, il 22 aprile 1943 vicino a Capo Bon, diversi squadroni di Spitfire e di P-40 Kittyhawk attaccarono 14 Me 323 mentre trasportavano carburante e la loro scorta. Tutti i 14 cargo vennero abbattuti con una perdita di 120 uomini di equipaggio e di 700 barili di benzina.

In tutto vennero costruiti circa 200 Me 323 prima che, nell'aprile del 1944, la loro produzione cessasse. Le diverse versioni iniziavano con la D-1 (il soggetto di questa voce) e continuavano fino alla E. Le versioni successive alla prima (tra D-* e E-*) differivano in funzione della potenza dei motori, dell'armamento difensivo e della capacità di carico al seguito dei miglioramenti strutturali. Ciò nonostante il Me 323 rimase significativamente sottopotenziato. Venne anche proposto di installare sei motori radiali BMW 801, tuttavia non venne mai avviata una sperimentazione in tal senso.

Il Me 323 era perciò un aereo a corto raggio: a pieno carico aveva un'autonomia di 1 000 - 1 200 km. Ciononostante, il numero pur limitato di Me 323 in servizio diede un prezioso contributo allo sforzo bellico tedesco e venne intensamente utilizzato. Il Me 323 era a volte un facile bersaglio, essendo così lento e grande. Nelle ultime settimane della campagna del Nord Africa, nell'aprile/maggio del 1943, 43 Gigant furono abbattuti, assieme ad un numero ancora più grande di Ju 52.

In termini di disegno aeronautico, il Me 323 era molto robusto e poteva assorbire un grande quantitativo di colpi - guadagnandosi l'appellativo da parte dell'Afrikakorps di Leukoplastbomber (bombardiere di gomma). Comunque nessun aereo da trasporto avrebbe mai potuto sopravvivere senza una superiorità aerea, o almeno senza una copertura locale adeguata; per questo motivo si ritiene che nessun Me 323 rimase in servizio oltre l'estate del 1944.

Utilizzatori:

• Germania Luftwaffe.

Esemplari attualmente esistenti

Dal 2012 si è a conoscenza dell'ubicazione dell'unico esemplare conosciuto: grazie alla ricerca della scrittrice e appassionata di storia militare milanese Cristina Freghieri, è stato ritrovato il relitto di un Me 323 posato sul fondo del Mar Tirreno alla profondità di 64 m, al largo delle acque dell'isola di Caprera, arcipelago della Maddalena, Sardegna.

Individuato il 28 maggio 2012 si tratta di uno dei due Me 323 appartenenti alla 3. Staffel (squadriglia) del I./TG 5 (I gruppo del 5º stormo da trasporto) basati all'aeroporto di Olbia-Venafiorita, partiti in direzione Pistoia ed abbattuti il 26 luglio 1943 da uno Squadron da caccia RAF. Benché dopo oltre mezzo secolo alcune parti siano coperte da gorgonie ed altre concrezioni, la struttura del velivolo appare sostanzialmente integra, perché conservata dal fondo sabbioso.

Il canale televisivo tematico History Channel, ha dedicato un documentario relativo al ritrovamento a Caprera, andato in onda il 31 agosto 2015.

ENGLISH

The Messerschmitt Me 323 Gigant ("Giant") was a German military transport aircraft of World War II. It was a powered variant of the Me 321 military glider and was the largest land-based transport aircraft of the war. A total of 213 are recorded as having been made, 15 being converted from the Me 321.

Development

The Me 323 was the result of a 1940 German requirement for a large assault glider in preparation for Operation Sea Lion, the projected invasion of Great Britain. The DFS 230 light glider had already proven its worth in the Battle of Fort Eben-Emael in Belgium (the first ever assault by gliderborne troops), and would later be used successfully in the invasion of Crete in 1941.

However, in order to mount an invasion across the English Channel, the Germans would need to be able to airlift vehicles and other heavy equipment as part of an initial assault wave. Although Operation Sea Lion was cancelled, the requirement for a heavy air transport capability still existed, with the focus now on the forthcoming Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union.

On 18 October 1940, Junkers and Messerschmitt were given just 14 days to submit a proposal for a large transport glider. The emphasis was still very much on the assault role: the ambitious requirement was to be able to carry either an 88 mm gun and its half-track tractor, or a Panzer IV medium tank. The Junkers Ju 322 Mammut reached prototype form but was eventually scrapped due to difficulties in procuring the necessary high-grade timber for its all-wood construction and, as was discovered during the Mammut's only test flight, an unacceptably high degree of instability inherent in the design. The proposed Messerschmitt aircraft was originally designated Me 261w — partly borrowing the designation of the long-range Messerschmitt Me 261, then changed to Me 263 (later re-used for Messerschmitt's improved rocket fighter design) and eventually became the Me 321. Although the Me 321 saw considerable service in Russia as a transport, it was never used for its intended role as an assault glider.

Me 323

Early in 1941, as a result of feedback from Transport Command pilots in Russia, the decision was taken to produce a motorized variant of the Me 321, to be designated Me 323. It was decided to use French Gnome et Rhône GR14N radial engines rated at 1,180 PS (1,164 hp, 868 kW) for take-off as used in the Bloch MB.175 aircraft; using French engines was thought to place no burden on Germany's overstrained industry.

Initial tests were conducted using four Gnome engines attached to a strengthened Me 321 wing, which gave a modest speed of 210 km/h (130 mph) – 80 km/h (50 mph) slower than the Ju 52 transport aircraft. A fixed undercarriage was fitted, which comprised four small wheels in a bogie at the front of the aircraft with six larger wheels in two lines of three at each side of the fuselage, partly covered by an aerodynamic fairing. The rear wheels were fitted with pneumatic brakes, and could stop the aircraft within 200 m (660 ft).

The four-engined Me 323C was considered merely a stepping stone to the six-engined D series; it still required the five-engined Heinkel He 111Z Zwilling or the highly dangerous, "vic-style" Troika-Schlepp formation of three Messerschmitt Bf 110 heavy fighters and underwing-mounted Walter HWK 109-500 Starthilfe rocket assisted takeoff units to get airborne when fully loaded, but it could return to base under its own power when empty. This was clearly not much better than the Me 321, so the V2 prototype became the first to have six engines and flew for the first time in early 1942, becoming the prototype for the D series aircraft.

The selection of the six engines, and their specific placement on the wing's leading edge, were fitted to reduce torque – a trio of counterclockwise rotation engines mounted on the port wing, and a trio of clockwise rotation engines on the starboard wing as seen forward from behind each engine, resulting in the props rotating "away" from each other at the tops of their arcs.

Design

As per the Me 321, the Me 323 had massive, semi-cantilever, high-mounted wings which were braced from the fuselage out to the middle of the wing. To reduce weight and to save on aluminum, much of the wing was made of plywood and fabric, while the fuselage was of metal tube construction with wooden spars and covered with doped fabric, with heavy bracing in the floor to support the payload.

The "D" series had a crew of five: two pilots, two flight engineers and a radio operator. Two gunners could also be carried. The flight engineers occupied two small cabins, one in each wing between the inboard and center engines. The engineers were intended to monitor engine synchronisation and allow the pilot to fly without worrying about engine status, although the pilot could override the engineers' decisions on engine and propeller control.

Maximum payload was around 12 tonnes, although at that weight the Hellmuth Walter Werke-designed Walter HWK 109-500 Starthilfe RATO (rocket assisted takeoff) units used on the Me 321 were required for take off. The RATOs were mounted beneath the wings outboard of the engines, with the wings having underside fittings to take up to a total of four RATO units. The cargo hold was 11 m (36 ft) long, 3 m (10 ft) wide and 3.4 m (11 ft) high. The typical loads it carried were: One 15 cm FH18 field artillery piece (5.5 ton) accompanied by its Sd.Kfz.7 halftrack transport vehicle (11 ton), two 3.6 tonne (4 ton) trucks, 8,700 loaves of bread, an 88 mm Flak gun and accessories, 52 drums of fuel (252 L/45 US gal), 130 men, or 60 stretchers.

Some Me 321s were converted to Me 323s, but the majority were built as six-engine aircraft from the beginning; early models were fitted with wooden two-blade propellers, which were later replaced by metal, three-blade variable-pitch versions.

The Me 323 had a maximum speed of only 219 km/h (136 mph) at sea level and speed dropped with altitude. For defensive armament, it was armed with five 13 mm (.51 in) MG 131 machine guns firing from a dorsal position behind the wings and from the fuselage. They were manned by the extra gunners, radio operator and engineers.

Operational history

By September 1942, Me 323s were being delivered for use in the Tunisian campaign, and entered service in the Mediterranean theater in November 1942. The high rate of loss among Axis shipping had made necessary a huge airlift of equipment across the Mediterranean to keep Rommel's Afrika Korps supplied.

On 22 April 1943, a formation of 27 fully loaded Me 323s was being escorted across the Sicilian Straits by Bf 109s of JG 27 when it was intercepted by seven squadrons of Spitfires and P-40s. Of the 27 transports, only six reached their destination; the remaining 21 of the Me 323s were lost while three of the P-40s were shot down by the escorts.

A total of 198 Me 323s were built before production ceased in April 1944. There were several production versions, beginning with the D-1. Later D- and E- versions differed in the choice of power plant and in defensive armament, with improvements in structural strength, total cargo load and fuel capacity also being implemented. Nonetheless, the Me 323 remained significantly underpowered. There was a proposal to install six BMW 801 radials, but this never came to pass. The Me 323 was also a short-range aircraft, with a typical range (loaded) of 1,000–1,200 km (620–750 mi). Despite this, the limited numbers of Me 323s in service were an asset to the Germans, and saw extensive use.

Variants:

• Me 323 V1 First Prototype, powered by four Gnome-Rhône 14N-48/49 engines
• Me 323C Interim production version based on the V1 prototype with four engines
• Me 323 V2 Prototype, powered by six Gnome-Rhône 14N engines, became the standard for D production series
• Me 323D-1 First production series, powered by six Gnome-Rhône 14N engines originally intended for use in the Bloch 175, two 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 15 machine guns in cockpit fittings provided, field modifications increased defensive armament, variable-pitch Ratier propellers with three blades
• Me 323D-2 as D-1 but with engine installation originally intended for use in the LeO 451, fixed-pitch wooden Heine propellers with two blades
• Me 323D-6 as D-2, variable-pitch Ratier propellers with three blades
• Me 323 V13 Prototype, powered by six Gnome-Rhône 14N engines, served as a master for the Me 323E production series
• Me 323 V14 Prototype, powered by six 1,340 PS unitized Junkers Jumo 211F engines, not proceeded with
• Me 323E-1 Second production series, two gun turrets incorporated in the wings
• Me 323E-2 Proposed version with heavier armament
• Me 323E-2 WT Proposed 'escort' gunship version, based on the E-1. Classified as a Waffenträger (weapons carrier) by the RLM, which the WT suffix denoted, in a similar role to that of the American YB-40 Flying Fortress "gunship" heavy defensive fighter conversion for the USAAF. Primary mission was to provide normal 323 cargo formations with heavy defensive protection. No cargo carrying ability. "Solid" nose with 20mm cannon turret, two additional wing turrets plus up to ten other machine guns/cannon of varying calibres firing from standard and new waist/beam positions. 1.3 tonnes of armour plating was added across the entire airframe. Crew increased to twenty-one, the extra crew-members operating the plane's guns. Two prototypes built and tested, but series was cancelled after it was judged that normal single-engined fighters were more effective in the transport escort role. One of the prototypes was briefly assigned to KG 200 for operational evaluation, where it flew armed escort for the small number of captured B-17 Flying Fortresses operated by the Geschwader.
• Me 323 V16 Prototype, powered by six unitized 1,340 PS Jumo 211R engines, intended to serve as a master for the Me 323F production series
• Me 323F Projected production version of the V16 prototype, instead produced by Luftschiffbau Zeppelin as the ZMe 323F
• Me 323 V17 Prototype (unfinished), powered by six 1,600 PS (1,578 hp, 1,177 kW) Gnome-Rhône 14R engines, intended to serve as a master for the Me 323G
• Me 323G Projected production version of the V17 prototype
• ZMe 323H Projected version with a load capacity of 18 tons and a range of about 600 miles
• Me 323Z Zwilling (Twin) variant with two fuselages joined at the wing, one built but lost in an accident
• ZMe 423 Proposed six-engined heavy transport aircraft based on the Me 323.

Surviving aircraft

No complete aircraft survives, but the Luftwaffenmuseum der Bundeswehr (Air Force Museum of the German Federal Armed Forces) near Berlin has a Me 323 main wing spar in its collection.

A ruined but complete wreck was found in 2012, in the sea near La Maddalena, an island near Sardinia, Italy. The aircraft lies in around 60 m (200 ft) of water, around 8 nautical miles (15 km) from the coast. It was shot down by a British Bristol Beaufighter long–range fighter on 26 July 1943, while en route from Sardinia to Pistoia in Italy.

Specifications (Me 323D-6)

General characteristics:

• Crew: 5
• Capacity: 130 troops or 10,000–12,000 kg (22,046–26,455 lb) payload
• Length: 28.2 m (92 ft 6 in)
• Wingspan: 55.2 m (181 ft 1 in)
• Height: 10.15 m (33 ft 4 in)
• Wing area: 300 m2 (3,200 sq ft)
• Airfoil: root: NACA 2R1 19; tip: NACA 2R1 10
• Empty weight: 27,330 kg (60,252 lb)
• Gross weight: 29,500 kg (65,036 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 43,000 kg (94,799 lb)
• Powerplant: 3 × Gnome-Rhône 14N-48 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines 1,180 PS (1,164 hp; 868 kW) for take-off RH rotation fitted to starboard
• 1,049 PS (1,035 hp; 772 kW) at 4,795 m (15,730 ft)
• Powerplant: 3 × Gnome-Rhône 14N-49 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines 1,180 PS (1,164 hp; 868 kW) for take-off LH rotation fitted to port
• 1,049 PS (1,035 hp; 772 kW) at 4,795 m (15,730 ft)
• Propellers: 3-bladed Chauvière variable-pitch propellers LH and RH rotation.

Performance:

• Maximum speed: 285 km/h (177 mph, 154 kn)
• Cruise speed: 218 km/h (135 mph, 118 kn)
• Range: 800 km (500 mi, 430 nmi)
• Ferry range: 1,100 km (680 mi, 590 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 4,000 m (13,000 ft)
• Rate of climb: 3.6 m/s (710 ft/min).

Armament:

• Guns: multiple 7.92 mm MG 15, MG 81 or 13 mm MG 131 machine guns.

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