View source for Russian submarine Kaiman

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{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=File:Submarine Kaiman.jpg
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|Ship country=[[Russian Empire]]
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Russian Empire|naval}}
|Ship name=''Kaiman''
|Ship namesake=
|Ship ordered=
|Ship builder=[[Okhta shipyard|Crichton Yard]], [[Saint Petersburg]]{{sfn|Stevenson|1990|p=78}}
|Ship laid down=29 September{{efn|O.S. 16 September}} 1905<ref name="storm">{{Cite web |last=Nikolayev |first=Andrei S. |title=Кайман |trans-title=Kaiman |language=ru |work=Deepstorm.ru |url=https://www.deepstorm.ru/DeepStorm.files/under_1917/kayman/kayman/kayman.htm |access-date=11 May 2024 }}</ref>
|Ship launched=11 December{{efn|O.S. 28 November}} 1907<ref name="storm" />
|Ship completed=24 July{{efn|O.S. 11 July}} 1911<ref name="storm" />
|Ship acquired=
|Ship commissioned= 
|Ship decommissioned=
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|Ship struck=   
|Ship homeport=
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|Ship fate=Stricken on 15 November 1916.{{sfn|Stevenson|1990|p=90}} Captured by [[German Empire|Germany]] in February 1918{{sfn|Stevenson|1990|p=90}} and scrapped.{{sfn|Budzbon|1986|p=314}}
|Ship notes=
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{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption= {{sfn|Budzbon|1986|p=314}}{{sfn|Stevenson|1990|p=78}}
|Ship displacement=*{{convert|409|LT|lk=on}} (surfaced)
*{{convert|482|LT}} (submerged)
|Ship length={{convert|132|ft|6|in|m|1|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{convert|14|ft|2|in|m|1|abbr=on}}
|Ship draft={{convert|16|ft|1|in|m|1|abbr=on}}
|Ship power=*2 × [[gasoline engine]]s ({{cvt|400|bhp|lk=on}})
*2 × [[electric motor]]s ({{convert|200|bhp|abbr=on}})
|Ship propulsion=2 × [[propeller shaft]]s
|Ship speed=*{{convert|8.4|kn|lk=in}} (surfaced)
*{{convert|7.5|kn}} (submerged)
|Ship range=*{{convert|1050|nmi|lk=in|abbr=on}} at {{convert|8|kn}} (surfaced)
*{{convert|40|nmi|abbr=on}} at {{convert|5|kn}} (submerged)
|Ship test depth={{convert|90|ft|m}}
|Ship complement=34
|Ship armament=*4 × {{cvt|18|in|0}} [[torpedo tube]]s (2 bow and 2 stern)
*2 × external [[Drzewiecki drop collar]]s
*1 × {{cvt|47|mm}} [[deck gun]]
|Ship notes=
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|}
The '''Russian submarine ''Kaiman''''' ({{lang-ru|Кайман|lit=[[caiman]]}}) was the [[lead ship]] of the {{sclass|Kaiman|submarine|4}} of submarines of the [[Imperial Russian Navy]]. It was designed by the American engineer [[Simon Lake]] and his [[Lake Torpedo Boat|Lake Torpedo Boat Company]] before being sold to [[Russian Empire|Russia]] and built in [[Saint Petersburg]] at the [[Okhta shipyard|Crichton Yard]].

''Kaiman'' was laid down in September 1905 and launched in December [O.S. November] 1907, though during its [[sea trial]]s it was found to have many design problems. The boat had to undergo modifications and was finally completed in July 1911 before entering service with the [[Baltic Fleet]]. The submarine was considered obsolete when [[World War I]] broke out. It saw action in the first two years of the war, during which ''Kaiman'' completed 18 patrols. The submarine did not sink any ships, but it did capture and bring back one German freighter of {{GRT|1127|disp=long}} in October 1915. All of the ''Kaiman'' class submarines were struck from the navy list in November 1916 and were left docked at the port of [[Tallinn|Reval]].

The crew of ''Kaiman'' and the other boats of its class were reassigned to the newer and more advanced ''[[Bars-class submarine (1915)|Bars]]'' and ''[[American Holland-class submarine|AG]]'' class submarines that were entering service. ''Kaiman'' and the other three boats of its class spent the rest of the war docked at Reval, in the [[Governorate of Estonia|Estonian Governorate]], until the city was captured by the Germans in February 1918, at which point all four were taken to [[German Empire|Germany]] for scrapping.

==Design and construction==
The ''Kaiman'' class was designed by [[Simon Lake]], the head of the [[Lake Torpedo Boat|Lake Torpedo Boat Company]], who previously sold the submarine ''Protector'' to the [[Imperial Russian Navy]], which became the {{sclass|Osetr|submarine|4}}. After receiving the first submarine, Russia ordered another five boats of the ''Osetr'' class on 10 May 1904, which were completed and launched in the following year. On 1 April 1905 Lake was given a contract by the Russian Navy to develop a new class based on the ''Osetr'' design but with more powerful weaponry and a longer range. At first the Russian naval command intended for this new class to become part of its [[Pacific Fleet (Russia)|Pacific Fleet]] in case of another war with [[Empire of Japan|Japan]], expecting them to be capable of reaching the Japanese coast.{{sfn|Stevenson|1990|p=78}} But by the time they were completed and entered service in 1911, Russian foreign policy had shifted from focusing on Japan back to Europe, where the [[Bosnian crisis]] in 1908 set Russia against [[German Empire|Germany]] and [[Austria-Hungary]].{{sfn|Budzbon|1986|p=314}}{{sfn|Budzbon|1986|p=291}} Therefore, the ''Kaiman'' class boats became part of the [[Baltic Fleet]] as the 2nd Squadron of the Submarine Brigade.{{sfn|Stevenson|1990|pages=78–79}} Emperor [[Nicholas II of Russia|Nicholas II]] wanted to have submarines in the [[Baltic Sea]] that could help protect the [[Gulf of Finland]] and the maritime entrance to Saint Petersburg.{{sfn|Stevenson|1990|p=78}}

''Kaiman'' was laid down in September 1905 and became the first boat in its class to be launched in December [O.S. November] 1907.<ref name="storm" />{{sfn|Stevenson|1990|pages=78–79}} But completing it and the other three ''Kaiman'' class submarines took longer than expected because they were found to have numerous problems. These included not being able to fully submerge, taking 10 minutes to dive, and having a slower maximum speed than what was promised, {{convert|10.5|kn|lk=in}} instead of {{convert|15|kn}}. The Lake Torpedo Boat Company could not fix these issues but wanted the Russian Navy to accept them anyway, which it did, but without paying the final portion of the submarines' total cost of three million [[ruble]]s. Instead of paying the one million rubles that were still owed, the [[List of heads of the military of Imperial Russia#Ministry of the Navy|Ministry of the Navy]] used those funds to work on the design problems, and they authorized the submarine captains to make any changes to their boats that they deemed necessary. In 1910 all four ''Kaiman'' class submarines traveled from the [[Kronstadt]] naval base for testing in [[Grand Duchy of Finland|Finland]].{{sfn|Stevenson|1990|pages=78–79}}

Tests that were done by Russian engineers in Finland discovered that the boats were unstable because they were about 12 tons heavier than intended. The submarines were then sent to the shipyards in [[Tallinn|Reval]] to undergo changes, where a four-cylinder section from each of their two [[gasoline engine]]s and the {{cvt|47|mm}} [[deck gun]] on the conning tower were removed, while new ballast pumps and two external [[Drzewiecki drop collar|Drzewiecki torpedo-launching collar]]s were added. This increased the underwater speed to {{convert|7.5|kn}} and reduced the diving time to three minutes. They still continued to have problems even after the improvements and were never seen as very seaworthy. The submarines also had a weak hull that included wood and caused leaks, and the removal of a section from each engine reduced their power from {{cvt|600|bhp|lk=on}} to {{cvt|400|bhp}}, which also reduced the top surface speed from 10.5 to {{convert|8.5|kn}}.{{sfn|Stevenson|1990|pages=78–79}}

==Service history==
[[File:North and Baltic Seas, 1911.png|thumb|upright=1.4|Map of the North and Baltic Seas in 1911]]
''Kaiman'' was completed and entered service with the Imperial Baltic Fleet on 24 July [O.S. 11 July] 1911. Between then and the outbreak of [[World War I]], the submarine carried out training dives and exercises.  When the war started ''Kaiman'' went on its first patrol in July 1914 from Reval,<ref name="storm" /> and Lieutenant [[Ivan Messer]] was its commanding officer.{{sfn|Stevenson|1990|pages=78–79}} In the fall of 1914, ''Kaiman'' and the rest of the 2nd Squadron of the Baltic Fleet Submarine Brigade were transferred from Reval in [[Governorate of Estonia|Estonia]] to the Finnish island of [[Utö (Finland)|Utö]].<ref name="storm" /> The island was part of the [[Archipelago Sea|Turku archipelago]] in southwest Finland.{{sfn|Stevenson|1990|pages=81}} During the first year of the war, the main role of submarines in the Baltic Sea was to defend the entrance to the Gulf of Finland (between [[Hanko, Finland|Hanko]] and [[Hiiumaa|Dagö]]) by patrolling for German ships in predetermined positions and protecting Russian vessels laying minefields.{{sfn|Stevenson|1990|pages=81}}{{sfn|Breemer|1989|p=31}} Their operations were made more difficult by the cold climate causing much of the northern Baltic to freeze in the winter months, leading to a pause from about January to April.{{sfn|Halpern|1994|p=179}}

The first time ''Kaiman'' encountered German warships was in the middle of December 1914, when a German squadron led by the cruiser {{SMS|Lübeck||2}} was sent to see if a Russian submarine base had been established in the Turku archipelago. ''Kaiman'' and two other boats, {{ship|Russian submarine|Alligator||2}} and {{ship|Russian submarine|Drakon||2}}, were sent out against them when the squadron was spotted, though the Germans left right away after confirming the presence of submarines. Although they were considered obsolete by then, ''Kaiman'' and the others were still able to fire four torpedoes.{{sfn|Stevenson|1990|pages=82–83}} During the winter of 1914–15, its deck gun was also reinstalled.<ref name="storm" />

===1915===
The next campaign season for submarines began in April 1915,{{sfn|Stevenson|1990|pages=82–83}} and the unit ''Kaiman'' was part of was re-designated as the 3rd Squadron of the Baltic Fleet Submarine Division.<ref name="storm" />

The most significant action involving ''Kaiman'' occurred when the submarines were used to stop German ships from entering the [[Gulf of Riga]] as the [[Imperial German Army|German Army]] advanced into [[Courland Governorate|Latvia]] in the summer of 1915. On 10 August, a German force of three cruisers ({{SMS|Seydlitz||2}}, {{SMS|Von der Tann||2}}, and {{SMS|Moltke||2}}) along with some destroyers arrived off Utö and started firing their guns at the island. ''Kaiman'' and {{ship|Russian submarine|Krokodil||2}} were sent to attack the German vessels, and their commander, Vice Admiral [[Franz von Hipper]], chose to withdraw the cruisers after spotting the submarines, and sent German destroyers to attack them. Several days later on 25 August, the German submarine {{ship|SM|U-9||2}} tried to enter the Utö base to destroy the Russian submarines there. But the Russians had advance warning of the U-boat's mission, and the only submarine left at the base, ''Kaiman'', was leaving the docks to go on patrol when ''U-9'' was approaching the channel that led to the base. The Russian captain, Ivan Messer, spotted the periscope of the U-boat near the channel entrance and prepared to attack, firing two torpedoes at it. ''U-9''{{'}}s captain also noticed the Russian submarine and began turning to go back out to the sea. The U-boat hit some rocks while in the channel but did not take any significant damage. Both torpedoes from ''Kaiman'' narrowly missed and ''U-9'' was able to escape.{{sfn|Stevenson|1990|pages=84–88}}

In the fall of 1915, ''Kaiman'' and the other submarines were sent to [[Mariehamn]] in the [[Aland Islands]] to undergo repairs. Around this time the Russian Naval General Staff decided to change their strategy and ordered their submarines to target the shipping of [[iron ore]] from [[Sweden]] to Germany.{{sfn|Stevenson|1990|pages=84–88}} ''Kaiman'' and ''Drakon'' left the port of Mariehamn on 20 October 1915 to begin the new mission. While on patrol in the [[Sea of Åland]], during which it also entered Sweden's territorial waters, ''Kaiman'' captured the 1,127-ton merchant ship ''Stahleck'' on 29 October. Submarine operations ended for the year not long after that as the winter months began. During that time, Lieutenant Messer was reassigned from ''Kaiman'' to the newer [[Bars-class submarine (1915)|''Bars''-class submarine]] {{ship|Russian submarine|Volk|1915|2}}.{{sfn|Stevenson|1990|pages=89–90}} Despite having gone on several patrols during the 1915 sailing season, by the end of it ''Kaiman'' had not sunk any ships and neither did any other Russian submarine in the Baltic Sea.{{sfn|Stevenson|1990|pages=82–83}}

===1916–18===
When the 1916 sailing season started the Russian Navy was in the process of replacing the ''Kaiman'' class with the newer ''Bars'' class submarines.{{sfn|Stevenson|1990|pages=89–90}} In March 1916 ''Kaiman'' was reassigned to the 5th Squadron of the Baltic Sea Submarine Division.<ref name="storm" /> That year's naval campaign was uneventful for ''Kaiman'', which did not sink any ships at this time either, but it did carry out the last known attack by any submarine of its class on 24 August 1916, when one of its torpedoes narrowly missed a German merchant ship. The government of Sweden  protested this because the attack took place in Swedish waters.{{sfn|Stevenson|1990|pages=89–90}} In total since 1914, ''Kaiman'' completed 18 war patrols up to this point.<ref name="storm" />

When the 1916 campaign ended in November, the ''Kaiman'' class boats were all struck from the navy list on the 15th of that month. That was because several new ''Bars'' and ''[[American Holland-class submarine|AG]]'' class submarines had entered service with the Baltic Fleet Submarine Division. ''Kaiman'' and its sister ships remained docked at the port of Reval for over a year, where they were also partially dismantled, while their crews were sent to serve on the new submarines. ''Kaiman'' was still in Reval when the German Army took control of the city in February 1918,{{sfn|Stevenson|1990|pages=89–90}} and all four boats were taken to Germany to be turned into scrap metal.{{sfn|Budzbon|1986|p=314}}

===Summary===
{| class=wikitable
|-
|+ Ships taken by ''Kaiman''{{sfn|Stevenson|1990|pages=89–90}}
|-
! Date
! Ship
! Flag
! Tonnage
! Notes
|-
| 29 October 1915
| ''Stahleck''
| {{flag|German Empire|name=Germany}}
| {{GRT|1127}}
| Captured     
|-
| colspan="3" style="text-align:right;"|'''Total:'''|| 1,127 GRT||
|}

==References==
===Notes===
{{notelist}}

===Citations===
{{reflist}}

===Works===
* {{Cite book |last=Breemer |first=Jan S. |title=Soviet Submarines: Design, Development, and Tactics |year=1989 |publisher=Jane's Information Group |isbn=978-0-7106-0526-9 }}
* {{cite book |last=Halpern |first=Paul G. |title=A Naval History of World War I |year=1994 |location=Annapolis |publisher=Naval Institute Press |isbn=978-1-61251-172-6 }}
* {{cite book |chapter=Russia |last=Budzbon |first=Prezemyslav |editor-last=Gardiner |editor-first=Robert |editor-last2=Gray |editor-first2=Randal |name-list-style=amp |year=1986 |title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921 |publisher=Conway Maritime Press |location=London |isbn=0-85177-245-5 |pages=295–321}}
* {{cite book|title=Warship 1990|editor=Gardiner, Robert|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=1990|isbn=1-55750-903-4|last=Stevenson|first=Gene C.|chapter=Russian 'Lake' Type Submarines and the Baltic War 1914–1916 |pages=76–90}}

{{Kaiman-class submarines}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kaiman}}
[[Category:1907 ships]]
[[Category:Ships built in Saint Petersburg]]
[[Category:Submarines of the Imperial Russian Navy]]
[[Category:World War I submarines of Russia]]