Concept in Definition ABC

From Jules Verne's literary Nautilus to today's powerful nuclear submarines and the legendary U-Boat, The submarines have awakened our imagination and, who else, who less, we have all ever dreamed of being able to travel in one.

A submarine is a maritime ship (ship) thought and designed to preferably navigate under water.

This implies that the submarine must have special characteristics that differentiate it from a surface ship, such as its shape; while the surface vessel must cut through the water and must have only a watertight part, the submarine must have the proper shape (like an elongated drop of water) to navigate underwater, and must be totally watertight.

This also leads to the need to take into account aspects such as the supply of oxygen to the crew.

Despite the fact that since ancient times immersion bells have been used to descend for prolonged periods of time to depths in the water, having air and other supplies and tools, these vehicles lack their own propulsion, something that submarines and submersibles do.

We must differentiate submarine, which is a marine ship thought and designed to move mainly below the water, from a submersible, which is a surface ship with the ability to navigate underwater in certain moments.

The difference is subtle, and we often call what is actually a submersible a submarine. Currently, the difference has become more evident, since submersibles are used essentially in civil applications, whereas submarines belong almost exclusively to the military field.

The main difference between the two is the fact that submersibles work smoothly. static in one place, for example in salvage operations under the sea, while submarines travel long distances.

Modern submarines begin their journey with the Confederate ship CSS Hunley, the first submarine vessel capable of making a successful attack on an enemy ship by sinking it.

It was during the war Civil American, in 1864, when the Hunley sank the ship yankee USS Housatonic, albeit with fatal results, since Hunley himself was sunk in action.

The witness at the forefront of the submarine investigation then went to Spain.

The Catalan Narcís Monturiol successfully carried out the Ictíneo II tests in the port of Barcelona in the same year 1864, with a less combative objective than the Hunley, such as the collection of coral (although the ship was also offered to the navy of that country).

In 1888 it was the engineer Isaac Peral who launched his ship, baptized with his own surname,

The lack of vision of the high command and the government Despite the possibilities of the new ship, the Spaniards prevented Spain from taking the lead in the world in the use of submarine ships.

In fact, some scholars claim that, having invested in submersibles (at that time we cannot yet speak with submarine ownership, as seen before, despite the fact that its foundations were being laid), the result of the Cuban War could have been slightly different, and that despite losing the Suburb, the Spanish Navy could have given a major scare to the US Navy, otherwise, far superior when it comes to surface units.

Submersible research continued, and the next turning point was found in the First World War.

If the German U-Boat became famous during World War II, its genesis can be found in the conflict immediately preceding.

Despite the efforts of the Kayserlische Marine (the Imperial German Navy) to catch up with the British naval power, never came to be at the same height and to have the same capabilities, except for the underwater weapon.

This is due on the one hand to the lack of British interest in this matter (despite the fact that the Royal Navy had its submarines, fewer than the Germans and less quality), and that the German military commanders did see possibilities for them.

In the interwar period, Germany continued to develop its submarine weapon, the development of which accelerated after the rise to power of the Nazis in 1933.

Persuaded by his naval commanders, mainly Erich Raeder, Hitler decided to bet on the U-Boats, a bet that grew as the war progressed.

The German navy was fewer in number of surface units than its main enemy, Great Britain (and later, also the United States). The British also hunted down the main enemy ships, such as the Graf Spee, the Bismarck and the Tirpitz, until they could sink them.

This led to orders to protect large surface units and instead use submarines as attack units.

The successes of the U-Boats, which came close to collapsing the merchant traffic supplying Great Britain with food, reaffirmed Hitler's commitment to this branch of the naval weapon.

Nevertheless, the allies learned to wage war on the fearsome wolf packs that awaited them in the Atlantic, and this led to the German submarine weapon being the one that registered the highest percentage of casualties at the end of the war in comparison with the other weapons of the army.

Until this time, we are talking eminently about submersibles, that is, both the U-Boats and the ships of the other navies in contention, sailed eminently on the surface, sinking to attack or to protect itself from enemy attacks at specific times, although each time for longer periods prolonged.

It was the Germans who managed to manufacture the first submarines as we know them today, the XXI and XXIII classes, operational at the end of the conflict.

After the global conflagration, and with the knowledge and the same scientists who had driven technological growth Germanic in times of war, both the Americans and the Soviets were the main drivers of the advance in submarine matters.

In this period a proper name stands out, which has little or nothing to do with Jules Verne's literary submarine: the Nautilus.

The North American Nautilus was the world's first operational nuclear submarine.

From the postwar period to the present day, submarines grow in size, in benefits, and the ability to navigate underwater.

If the Germans reached a point of development in battery technology during the Second World War, after this conflict, achievements would be achieved. unheard of in terms of oxygen renewal, water recycling, and supply, allowing submarines to navigate underwater for months uninterruptedly.

Although not as large and capable as the Americans, Russians and British, today, many countries have operational submarines in their navies, as well as submersibles in their rescue fleets and even for tourist purposes (with glass parts that allow you to enjoy a privileged view of the world below from sea).

Even drug traffickers have built artisan submarines and used them in drug and money exchanges.

A technology has impacted to such an extent that, despite the passage of time, it continues to be very exclusive.

Photos: Fotolia - Kovalenko / Maurizio

Themes in Submarine