Whiskey class submarine

Whiskey class submarines (locally known as Project 613, 644, and 665) are a class of military submarines that the Soviet Union built in the cold war period. The design was supposedlyFact|date=November 2007 a less capable version of the German Type XXI U-boat of the World War II era, although it belonged to a completely different class since it fired cruise missiles.

Between 1949 and 1958 a total of 236 submarines of this type were commissioned into the Soviet Navy. The vessels were initially designed as coastal patrol submarines. These patrol variants are known in the west as "Whiskey I, II, III, IV, and V"; and were called "Project 613" in the Soviet Union.

In the 1950s and 1960s some patrol vessels were converted to guided missile submarines. These boats had the capability to fire one to four SS-N-3 Shaddock cruise missiles. In 1956, the first prototype was ready. It was a regular Whiskey class submarine which was fitted with a launch tube aft of the sail that contained a single SS-N-3 anti-shipping missile. This vessel was known in the west as "Whiskey Single Cylinder". Between 1958 and Between 1960 and 1963, six boats received an extended sail that could contain four Shaddock missiles. These were called "Whiskey Long Bin" in the West and "Project 665" in the Soviet Union. All guided missile variants of the Whiskey class had to surface in order to fire their missiles. The boats of the single and twin cylinder class also had to raise their missile tubes, which were normally positioned horizontally.

The "Long Bin" boats did not handle well, the missile silo's caused stability problemsFact|date=November 2007 and water flow around the missile fittings was very noisy. All were soon retired from service. Four were converted to radar picket boats "Project 640" (which were called "Whiskey Canvas Bag"). Two vessels were converted to submarines for 'fishery research' and 'oceanographic research' purposes. In the Soviet navy, the patrol variants of this class were replaced by Romeo class submarines. The guided missile variants were replaced by Juliet class submarines.

The Soviet Union built a total of 236 Whiskeys, exporting patrol submarines of the Whiskey class to:
* Albania (four vessels, all retired)
* Bulgaria (two vessels)
* China (five vessels, and another 21 built locally from parts that were provided by the Soviet Union, known as Type 03, all are retired)
* Egypt (seven vessels)
* Indonesia (twelve vessels, and two as a source of spare parts)
* North Korea (four vessels)
* Poland (four vessels)

Cuba and Syria ordered used Whiskey class submarines for use as battery charging hulks. The guided missile and radar picket boats were never exported.

Incidents involving Whiskey class submarines

* On or about 15 December 1952, the Soviet Whiskey class submarine S-117 was lost due to unknown causes in the Sea of Japan. The boat was possiblyFact|date=November 2007 involved in a collision with a surface ship, or struck a mine.
* On 27 January 1961, the Soviet Whiskey class submarine S-80 was lost due to accidental flooding while the boat was submerged. The valve that should have prevented water from entering the snorkel did not work properly.
* On 21 October 1981, the Soviet Whiskey class submarine S-178 was rammed and sunk by RFS "Refrizherator-13" in Golden Horn Bay, Vladivostok.
* On 27 October 1981, the Soviet Whiskey class submarine S-363 ran aground in Swedish territorial waters near a naval base.
* On 5 February 2007, the Soviet Whiskey class submarine S-194 took on water and sunk while being towed to a naval museum off the coast of Denmark. [http://dykkerservice.dk/erhvervsdykker_u194.htm Info in danish from Dansk Dykkerservice ApS] (including pictures) the diving company that made an inspection on the sub

External links

* [http://www.russianwarrior.com/STMMain.htm?1947vehicle_Whiskeyhist.htm&1 History, Development, and Use of the Whiskey Class Submarine]
* [http://ship.bsu.by/main.asp?id=102726 Encyclopedia of Ships] ru icon