P-class / Pravda

P-Class/Truth Stories

In the 1930s, on the eve of World War II (1939-1945), the Soviet Union invested in a completely new class of submarines called the Truth (or P-class). These numbered four planned ships, one of which was cancelled (P4) and three were completed between 1931 and 1936.

These were used from 1935 to 1956. These ships had a traditional diesel-electric propulsion system and were used early to train a new generation of Soviet submarines, but as the war engulfed the Soviet Union, these types were put into service as attack platforms for sea transport, mainly due to their inherently limited design .

At the time of construction, the ships had a displacement of 1,200 tons and a submerged displacement of 1,870 tons. Overall length measures 295.3 feet. Power comes from a diesel-electric unit, producing 5,400 hp for surface work and 1,400 hp for underwater work.

These drive a dual-axle arrangement at the rear. Achievable speeds are 20.5 knots surface and 11.8 knots underwater. The range is 5,700 nautical miles. The double shell design has been tested to a depth of 340 feet. There are 54 crew members on board.

The armament consisted of four torpedo tubes in the bow and two in the stern, with ten torpedo reloads in between. Bow and stern mounts allow the ship to engage forward and stern surface targets without turning the entire ship around to face the enemy.

For surface attack, the ships are equipped with 2 x 100mm deck guns and 45mm Air Defense (AA) defenses. The original specs called for 2 x 130mm deck guns, but that wasn't the case.

The boat has a long profile with a raised blunt bow and uneven deck lines. The sails are slender and low profile on the horizon. The front and rear of the hull taper in their natural direction, with the rear containing the twin propeller assemblies spanning the rudder controls.

Due to the long construction period, these ships were lagging behind their contemporaries when they were introduced, and it was soon discovered that they did not have the strength and hull strength required for heavy military work. They are also slow to dive and do not perform well in open water, especially in rough seas where the boat can be thrown around violently.

As such, these types were not successful until the pre-war period, and due to their shortcomings, were soon used in supporting roles.

The four P-class ships are Pravda (P1, the lead ship of the class), Zvezda (P2) and Iskra (P3). Both P1 and P3 were launched in 1934, followed by P2 in 1935. The P1 was the only class to be sunk off the coast of Finland in September 1941. The P3's career continued until 1952, and the P2 survived in 1956, surpassing them all.

The P2 and P3's sails were later fully revised to better reflect the subsequent K-class submarines - the Soviet Union Largest submarine produced during WWII - improvements made. Twelve of the group have been built.

Specification

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Performance

Armor

Wing