Chapter 1423 Deck Guns of Nuclear Submarines

In previous eras, submarines did not stay underwater all year round, they spent most of their time sailing on the water, and only after finding their target would they conduct a dive attack.

Therefore, submarines are not structured to adapt to the elongated water droplets underwater. Most of them have the same structure as surface ships and are suitable for sailing on the water.

They are also naturally armed with powerful deck guns.

After all, torpedoes are too precious, and many captains don't want to waste them, leaving precious torpedoes for use at critical times.

In the early days of the Atlantic battlefield, German submarines would warn ships, wait for the crew to leave the ship, and then surface to attack with deck guns. If the opponent is armed, the submarine will damage it with torpedoes, and then use artillery to clean up the mess.

During this period, their deck guns were all large-caliber, mostly 88mm and 105mm.

The German Navy has achieved many victories by using deck guns. In addition to sinking various merchant ships of millions of tons, there are other military exploits.

For example, the "U-242" even shot down a Soviet aircraft with its 88mm deck gun, and the "U-134" shot down a U.S. Coast Guard airship with its 88mm deck gun.

"U-130" in the Caribbean with 105mm deck shells destroyed the oil refinery and warehouse at Crousseau. "U-711" destroyed the Soviet "Plavoch" and "Prague Ponzga" radar stations with 88 mm deck shells.

However, with the continuous increase of Allied anti-submarine forces, the German submarine force is often threatened. For them, as long as it is discovered, it means being destroyed, so in the later period, the German submarine force almost lost the operation of deck guns. opportunity, and accordingly, they also canceled the deck gun, which is no longer used.

Now, Germany has not faced such a threat. From the point of view of later generations, it would be quite funny and exaggerated to install deck guns on submarines, but when you think about it, it is an inevitable choice for the German Navy.

You must know that only nuclear submarines can attack the Arctic route. When the number of nuclear submarines is only one, it is impossible for it to repeatedly cross the North Pole and return to its own port for supplies. The precious torpedoes are consumed with one. one.

Then, using torpedoes to attack key targets and using deck guns to attack secondary targets is a good choice.

On the other hand, the mission of the deck gun has changed, it is mainly used for air defense.

Letting submarines and planes fight is absolutely self-defeating. The advantage of submarines is concealment. However, in case of an accident, such as a problem with the reactor of a nuclear submarine, or a failure of the oxygen production system, when it has to surface, there must be air defense. means?

Therefore, its deck gun is not a large 88mm or 105mm deck gun. It is not easy for such a large gun to hide under the silencer tile of the submarine.

It is equipped with a rapid-fire 20mm Bofors gun, which can be used against both the air and the sea. In the German military equipment, it belongs to the role of panacea. For example, in addition to its own anti-aircraft gun, it is also used by Widely improved for chariot guns, aircraft guns and more.

Now, on submarines, it is also cleverly hidden in front of the conning tower.

Another reason for this is that almost all submarines of this era have a double-hulled layout.

Inside is the pressure shell, which is used to withstand the huge pressure of seawater. The interior of the pressure shell is the working environment of the personnel. If it is a single-shell structure, the pressure shell is also the outer shell.

The structure of the double shell is different. Outside the pressure shell, there is a non-pressure shell with a distance of more than one meter in the middle, which is filled with seawater. At the same time, various external equipment can also be deployed inside. The advantage is that it greatly increases the submarine's anti-strike capability.

For example, in later typhoons, there is more than two meters of seawater between the two shells. When the opponent's torpedo comes over and explodes outside, it can only damage the non-pressure shell outside, and it is almost ineffective for the pressure shell inside. .

At the same time, it is also convenient for activities in areas such as the Arctic. In case of encountering floating ice or something, you can carry it down hard. When it is critical, you can even break the ice directly out of the Arctic Ocean.

Following Otto's order, the three sailors led by the second officer of the submarine stepped on the wet deck and came to the front of the deck gun.

Two people quickly turned up the deck gun, and the other two were responsible for dismantling the watertight cannonball box on the other side to complete the task of loading the ammunition. Otto looked at them from above and shouted loudly: "Remove the protective cover! "

In World War II, when German submariners used deck guns, some serious accidents occurred, that is, bombing, which was completely caused by negligence.

The deck gun has to sail underwater with the submarine. Even if it is sealed again, it will enter the water, and the seawater is corrosive. Therefore, the muzzle of the deck gun is usually covered with a protective cover, which plays a sealing role. Open it again when it is in use, but when the sailors operate it, they will always forget!

With Otto's reminder, the second officer on duty discovered the serious mistake he had made, and hurried forward to take off the cover on the muzzle. Then, all preparations were made.

Fire it up!

"Tom tom!" The 20mm deck gun is definitely not powerful enough to deal with a freighter of tens of thousands of tons, just like using a pistol to deal with a tank.

If it was a warship, it would have taken a lot of artillery to sink it, but now there are only cargo ships in front of it.

"Boom!" The armor-piercing incendiary bomb drilled into the belly of the cargo ship, and immediately exploded a big hole. The hull of the cargo ship couldn't withstand such an impact at all, and immediately broke a hole, and seawater gurgled into it.

Alright, on to the next one!

Almost every cargo ship received only three shells, and the cargo ship was opened with a big hole and slowly sank.

"Two cars, full back!" Suddenly, Otto shouted loudly.

The two propellers at the tail immediately rotated at a high speed, dragging the 6,000-ton hull back. Just as they had just retreated a hundred meters, the cargo ship in front of them that had just been beaten exploded violently.

"Boom!" The weapon carried in it exploded violently. On the sea, with it as the center, within a radius of several hundred meters, all were terrifying firelight!

If the submarine hadn't retreated just now, it would have been damaged by the fragments that fell from the explosion at this time, and everyone was relieved.

Captain Otto's reaction was really too quick.

"Look, what is that?" shouted a lookout.

In the explosion, the cargo ship was all torn apart. The cargo it transported was scattered on the sea, and a large cylindrical thing was floating in the distance. It looked very much like the equipment of an oil refinery?