The Som class were a series of submarines built for the Imperial Russian Navy in 1904–1907. They were designed by the Electric Boat Company and ordered in the 1904 emergency programme at the time of the Russo-Japanese War. The boats were built in St. Petersburg and were designed to be transportable by train. The first boat, Som, was originally Fulton, an experimental submarine that was the prototype for USS Plunger and subsequent Plunger-class submarines. The vessel was sold and delivered to Russia in sections and re-assembled in St. Petersburg.[1]
 Russian submarine Beluga.
| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Som class |
| Builders | Nevski Yard, St. Petersburg |
| Operators |  Imperial Russian Navy |
| In commission | 1905–1913 |
| Completed | 7 |
| Lost | 7 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Submarine |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 20 m (66 ft) |
| Beam | 3.5 m (11 ft) |
| Draught | 2.9 m (9 ft 6 in) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Complement | 24 |
| Armament |
|
Ships
edit| Ship | namesake | Launched | Service / Fate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Som – Сом | Catfish | 1904 | ex Fulton – Delivered to Vladivostok 1904; to Black Sea Fleet then to Baltic Fleet 1915; sunk in collision 10 May 1916. The wreck was found in 2015 in Swedish territorial waters. |
| Beluga – Белуга | Beluga | 1905 | Baltic Fleet – Scuttled 25 February 1918 in Tallinn |
| Losos – Лосось | Salmon | 1905 | Black Sea Fleet – Scuttled 1919 in Sevastopol |
| Peskar – Пескарь | Gudgeon | 1905 | Baltic Fleet – Scuttled 25 February 1918 in Tallinn |
| Schuka – Щука | Pike | April 1905 | Baltic Fleet – Scuttled 25 February 1918 in Tallinn |
| Sterlyad – Стерлядь | Sterlet | 1905 | Baltic Fleet – Scuttled 25 February 1918 in Tallinn |
| Sudak – Судак | Sander | 1907 | Black Sea Fleet – Scuttled 1919 in Sevastopol |
Wreck found
editIn July 2015 it was reported that the wreck of Som (Сом) had been located in Swedish waters.[2][3]
References
edit- ^ Gardiner, Robert (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Conway Maritime Press. pp. 312–313. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.
- ^ Sohl Stjernberg, Max; Ronge, Johan; Nilsson, Mimmi (27 July 2015). "Främmande ubåt hittad i svenskt vatten" [Foreign submarine found in Swedish waters]. Expressen (in Swedish). Retrieved 27 July 2015.
- ^ "Sweden investigating underwater wreckage as possible Russian submarine". The Guardian. Reuters. 27 July 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
External links
edit
Media related to Som class submarine at Wikimedia Commons