Soviet submarine S-117

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Shch-117 at an unknown date
History
Soviet Union
NameShch-117, S-117, Makerel
Builderplant 189 / plant 202
Laid down9 October 1932
Launched15 April 1934
Commissioned18 December 1934
Decommissioned25 April 1953
FateLost due to unknown causes on 15 December 1952
General characteristics
Class and typeShchuka-class submarine
Displacement
  • 577 tons surfaced
  • 704 tons submerged
Length57 m (187 ft 0 in)
Beam6.2 m (20 ft 4 in)
Draught3.78 m (12 ft 5 in)
Propulsion2 shaft diesel electric, 1,020 kW (1,370 hp) diesel, 600 kW (800 hp) electric
Speed
  • surface - 12.5 kn (23.2 km/h; 14.4 mph)
  • submerged - 6.3 kn (11.7 km/h; 7.2 mph)
Range6,000 nmi (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 8 kn (15 km/h; 9.2 mph)
Test depth91 m (300 ft)
Complement38
Armament
  • 4 × bow torpedo tubes
  • 2 × stern torpedo tubes
  • (10 torpedoes)
  • 2 × 45 mm (1.8 in) semi-automatic guns

S-117 (formerly Shch-117) was a Soviet Shchuka-class submarine (V-bis series).

The submarine's career was spent with the Soviet Pacific Fleet. It was lost on or about 15 December 1952, due to unknown causes in the Strait of Tartary in the Sea of Japan. The boat may have collided with a surface ship or struck a mine. All 47 crew died in the incident.

Service history[edit]

Shch-117 was laid down on 9 October 1932 as Yard No. 189 at the Baltic Shipyard.[1] She was delivered unassembled by rail to Dalzavod Ship Repair Center in Vladivostok for assembly and was launched on 15 April 1934 and commissioned on 18 December. Shch-117 became part of the Pacific Fleet on 28 January 1935, commanded by Nikolai Yegipko.[2] From 11 January to 20 February 1936, Shch-117 conducted a long-endurance under-ice cruise, for which the crew received the Order of the Badge of Honour. Yegipko and Commissar Sergey Pastukhov both were awarded the Order of the Red Star[3] in April 1936. The cruise was advertised in the Soviet press as part of the Stakhanovite movement.[2]

On 19 April 1945, Shch-117 was transferred to a new naval base at Sovetskiy Gavan as a component of the 8th Division.[4] After the Soviet declaration of war on Japan on 9 August, Shch-117, under the command of Captain lieutenant Pyotr Sinetsky patrolled off western Sakhalin.[5] It did not meet Japanese opposition and was recalled to base on 20 August.[2]

On 10 June 1949 the submarine was renamed S-117.[2]

S-117 was lost on 15 December 1952 due to unknown circumstances. Its crew of 47 perished.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "ShCh-117". uboat.net. Archived from the original on 12 January 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d ""Щ-117" ("Макрель")". The Great Patriotic War underwater (in Russian). Retrieved 4 April 2015.
  3. ^ Polmar, Norman (1991). Submarines of the Russian and Soviet Navies, 1718-1990. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. p. 93. ISBN 9780870215704.
  4. ^ Rohwehr, Jurgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea, 1939-1945: The Naval History of World War II. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. p. 20. ISBN 9781591141198.
  5. ^ Rowehr, Jurgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea, 1939-1945: The Naval History of World War II. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. p. 426. ISBN 9781591141198.