213 OKRĘT PODWODNY KRAB 1912-15

The Krab was a Russian submarine, the keel of which was laid in 1912, probably launched the same year, and entered service in 1915. The vessel was about 52.8 meters long and 4.3 meters wide. The underwater displacement did not exceed 750 tons, and the maximum underwater speed was around 7 knots. The armament consisted of: a single 75 mm cannon, 2 machine guns, 2 457 mm torpedo tubes and up to 60 min. The Krab was the world's first submarine designed specifically for mine laying. Mikhail Naletov was responsible for its design, and the unit was constructed in the shipyard in Mikołajewo on the Black Sea in today's Ukraine. The vessel was relatively large at that time, with ballast tanks at the bow, stern and amidships. The crab took part in the activities of the First World War, operating in the Black Sea basin and carrying out tasks related to the laying of minefields. The vessel was intercepted by the Germans in the spring or summer of 1918, and after the ceasefire in November of the same year, it was transferred to the British, who probably sunk the ship in or near Sevastopol.