Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Today marks the 140th anniversary of the birth of Alexei Nikolaevich Asafov, the designer of the first Soviet submarines. He was a 1911 graduate of the St. Petersburg Polytechnic Institute and a talented engineer who made a significant contribution to the development of shipbuilding in the USSR.
Alexey Asafov was born on March 18, 1886, in Kronstadt, the son of a steamship factory worker. His childhood among ships shaped his dream of becoming a marine engineer. To this end, he enrolled in the St. Petersburg Polytechnic Institute, which provided fundamental engineering training.
After graduating from the Polytechnic Institute in 1911, Asafov began his career at the Admiralty Shipyard, where he participated in the construction of the battleship Gangut. There, fate introduced him to the distinguished shipbuilder Ivan Grigoryevich Bubnov. In 1912, Alexey Nikolaevich transferred to the Baltic Shipyard in the submarine department, and then went to Revel (Tallinn), where he spent five years building Bars-class submarines—the best submarines in the Russian Navy at the time.
After the revolution, the engineer returned to Petrograd. Amid devastation and famine, he took charge of submarine repairs at the Admiralty and Baltic Shipyards. Thanks to his efforts, the submarines Panther, Okun, Minoga, and others were returned to service.
In the 1920s, Asafov became the head of Sevzapvoenprom, and then the chief engineer of the Sestroretsk arms factory.
In 1928, Alexey Asafov was arrested in the Industrial Party case. But his engineering talent proved in demand even in prison. He was assigned to the Special Technical Bureau (OTB) of the OGPU, organized on the premises of the Baltic Shipyard.
It was here, as a prisoner, that he proposed the revolutionary idea of a high-speed squadron submarine for joint operations with surface ships. The project was approved at a meeting of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR, where the engineer, who had not yet been released, was admitted. In 1931, construction began on three submarines of Series IV, the Pravda class, named after the newspaper of the same name. The series was considered less than successful, but it became an important experimental testing ground and the prototype for the famous K-class.
Released in 1932, Asafov was appointed chief engineer of OKTB-2 and began work on his main project. His task was to create a small submarine capable of being transported by rail to strengthen the Pacific Fleet.
Thus, the VI series—the M-type (or "Baby") submarines—was born. These were the world's first submarines with a welded hull, which increased strength and reduced weight. The boats were easily transported in sections and assembled on site.
However, during testing of the lead boat, due to unprepared production, according to shipbuilders, the "Malyutka" was built with a riveted hull. This resulted in unsatisfactory results. Asafov was arrested again on charges of sabotage.
Alexei Nikolaevich Asafov did not complete the work he had begun. He died on February 21, 1933, of a severe illness while returning from Germany. He is buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Leningrad.
After his death, the engineer's previously rejected proposals were implemented, and the M-type boats went into mass production. A total of 30 boats were built to his design, and subsequent modifications (Series XII) became even more widespread. These "Malutkas" served faithfully during the Great Patriotic War.
It was only on September 24, 1990, that Alexey Nikolaevich Asafov was posthumously rehabilitated. Today, we remember him as one of the founders of Soviet submarine construction, whose engineering genius and tragic fate are inextricably linked with the history of the country and our university.
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