U-434 - Russian submarine - Tango class - built in 1976 - 28,000 tons (surface) - Diesel/electric (one of the largest Diesel subs in the world) - speed 13 knots surface, 16 knots submerged - 24 torpedoes - 84 crew - 3 days maximum submergence - maximum dive depth 400 meters (1200 ft) - stationed in Cuba - became a museum in Hamburg Harbor 2002.
Gary and Andrew and Fred: Okay... I'm a sub buff, as much as a civilian can be. I've been in lots of them to the degree that the Navy will allow, but mainly attack class (Los Angeles) based in places like San Diego. So I know a bit about the history and development of the boats and how they work. I'm more interested in the older ones, simply because I like the history.

I was working in Hamburg Germany last week and had a day off. So I toured the harbor and found this museum. I paid my ticket and was instantly immersed in history... not the kind I expected. Considering that the USS Nautilus was launched in 1954 (more than 20 years before this boat was built), I fully expected something a little more technically advanced from the Russians. I know that diesel/electric boats are still being built (electric boats are still very quiet) but I wasn't ready to descend into a hull that was right out of the movie "Das Boot."

Take a look at the technology (or lack of it). This is vintage 1940's stuff... with a few updates (like radar for instance, and better torpedoes, and a better targeting computer). But in general there didn't seem to be any differences from what I've read in WWII stories! How could these guys exist in these conditions (120 degrees F in the engine room!) when the world's technology was becoming so advanced? Escape (if you call it that) was only possible down to 180 ft! I didn't get the feeling that there was much design (although there had to be). It looked more like they just packed a suitcase and fit stuff in as they could. Remember, this boat was built in 1976 and served through the 80's!

There are stories of Russian subs in those cold war days, and how astonished the Navy was at how low-tech and dangerous these boats were. Now I see a little of what they meant. The Russians didn't catch up to us until they gleaned enough of our technology through espionage... then they took our ideas, threw away the safety protocol, and doubled the sizes of their hulls (mainly since Russians do that... big is better). They also had a few good ideas of their own, but this boat was before all that.

Enjoy the picts. I know pretty much what everything does that I photographed. Mainly because I read about it in WWII novels!

For a full Panorama of the inside, check this out! http://mitglied.lycos.de/pano360/u-434_vrqt.htm
Okay... (left) see the funnel-looking thing right in the middle of the picture? That's not even a sound-powered phone. That's a voice tube! Yell loud enough and the guy at the other end of the pipe might hear you. Am I wrong here? Do they still have voice tubes on today's ships? (sigh)
I don't speak German, so I couldn't ask questions, but these are not petrified Russian sailers in these photos. They are mannequins for the tourists. But it shows the maximum height limit of the submariners (I'm way too tall). It's uncertain if they would really carry around a spare prop (left). I think this was removed and put into the sub for the tourists. (right) The torpedo room is really tight. They had six tubes, and 4 were storage. Twenty more were on racks.
All political stuff aside, God bless these guys for doing what they do. It's a tough job, and like us, it's a volunteer deal for this naval service. So they actually asked to do it! Hopefully the food was good, and they got to see the world. I doubt that they shot any torpedoes other than practice, and that they enjoyed the Cuban culture!