French Submarines Building.
On the day when war was declared nine submarines were in the early stages of construction. The two most advanced of these were the Diane and Daphne. These vessels have a submerged displacement of about 800 tons, and the anticipated speed is 18 knots and 10 knots. Their armament will consist of ten torpedoes and four 9-pdr. guns. The complement will be 30 officers and men.
The other seven vessels are of the improved Gustave Zede Class. They will have a submerged displacement of over 1,000 tons and a speed of 20 knots on the surface and 12 knots when submerged. Their armament will consist of ten torpedoes and four 9-pdr. guns. The complement will be about 35 officers and men.
CHAPTER IV
RUSSIAN SUBMARINES
The Imperial Russian Navy at the commencement of hostilities included 37 submarines in active service, and 19 in various stages of construction. The composition and distribution of the submarine flotillas was as follows:—
Baltic Flotilla: 14 Submarines with depôt ships in commission, and 12 vessels building. Bases: Kronstadt, Port Peter the Great (Reval) and Port Alexander III. (Libau) (ice free).
Black Sea Flotilla: 11 Submarines with depôt ships in commission, and several new vessels building. Bases: Sevastopol and Nikolaieff.
Siberian Flotilla: 12 Submarines with depôt ships in commission, and 6 vessels building. Base: Vladivostok.
The first Russian naval submarine was completed at Kronstadt in 1902, and named the Petr Kochka. She was built in sections to facilitate transport over the Siberian Railway, being intended for the defence of Port Arthur, and had a surface displacement of only 20 tons. Her armament consisted of two holders, or Darzewiecki launching apparatus, containing two small Whitehead torpedoes. The maximum speed was 8 knots on the surface and 4 knots when submerged. The second submarine ordered for the Russian Navy was the Delphin, which foundered off Kronstadt, but was subsequently raised and is now used as a training ship for the submarine service. These two vessels have been removed from the active flotillas, but the third vessel to be built for the Russian Navy—the Graf Cheremetieve—is still in commission.