Soviet Project 658 "Hotel"-Class Nuclear Powered Ballistic Missile Submarine

It’s 1961 and the Soviets are desperate to match the US’ nuclear capabilties at sea. In a scramble to have their own nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines in service, they put the first Project 658-Class Submarine to sea, K-19.

SHIP STATS:

Length: 45m

Surfaced Top Speed: 9.5 Knots

Submerged Top Speed: 11.5 Knots

Crew: 4

Armamemt: 2 Torpedos & 2 R-13 SLBMs

Functional Periscope

Functional Nuclear Reactor

Functional Autopilot and Autodepth (Thanks to Tajin: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1584578096)

Functional Rescue Buoy

Functional Sonar

INTERIOR SPACES(Forward to Aft):

Compartment 1:
-Torpedo Room

Compartment 2:
-Central Command Post(CCP)

Compartment 3:
-Crew Mess
-Galley
-Crew Bunks

Compartment 4:
-Nuclear Reactor
-Reactor Control

Compartment 5:
-Boiler Room

Compartment 6:
-Turbine Room

STARTING THE VESSEL
Once you’ve entered the vessel via the forward access hatch in the Torpedo Room, close the access hatch with the button located on the ceiling and proceed aft through the CCP and crew areas to the Reactor Compartment. Just aft of the reactor you will find the reactor controls.

Once at the reactor controls, press the button labeled "Reactor Coolant Pumps" and the button labeled "Start Reactor". This will begin the process of starting the nuclear reactor. Once the buttons are pressed, head forward to the CCP.

After a few minutes the reactor will be fully started and the boiler pressure gauge on the wall in the CCP will start to climb. At this point simply advance the lever labeled "Clutch" and the sub should start to move.

DIVING THE VESSEL
From the CCP, press the button labeled "Toggle Bow Plane Position". This will extend the vessel’s bow planes. Then enter the target depth into the keypad labeled "AutoDepth Target" in positive numbers. Then press the buttons labeled "Fill Forward Ballast" and "Fill Aft Ballast". Once both ballast tanks are full, press the "Toggle AutoDepth" button to dive the sub.

SURFACING THE VESSEL
Press the 2 buttons labeled "Empty Forward Ballast Tanks" & "Empty Aft Ballast Tanks", then set the autodepth target for 0 and the sub should surface.

FIRING THE TORPEDOES
From the torpedo room, Turn the key labeled "Fill Torpedo Tube". Once the tube has been filled with water, Turn the key labeled "Tube Hatch". With the hatch open and the tube flooded, press the button labeled "Fire Torpedo". After the Torpedo has been fired, turn the key labeled "Tube Hatch" to close the outer doors & turn the key labeled "Empty Torpedo Tube".

LAUNCHING THE BALLISTIC MISSILES
NOTE: SURFACE THE SUB PRIOR TO FIRING
Once on the surface input the missile code found in the safe labeled "Missile Code Safe"(which can be unlocked using the key button labeled "Unlock Code Safe") into the keypad labeled "Missile Code". Once the code is input, turn the key labeled "Missile Tube 1 Raise Missile" or "Missile Tube 2 Raise Missile". This will open the silo doors and raise the missile into its firing position. The process of raising the missile will take about 75 seconds.

Once the missile is raised the cover on the "Missile Tube (1 or 2) Launch" button will open. Press this button to start the 15 second countdown. The missile will launch automatically when the timer reaches 0.

Turn the Key Labeled "Raise Missile" back to the off position to close the missile hatches. Make sure these are closed before diving the submarine.

SHIP HISTORY
Built as a quick response to the US’ George Washington-Class Ballistic Missile Submarines, the Project 658-Class Submarines were designed by combining the reactor, engine room and hull of a Project 627(November)-Class Attack Submarine with the missile compartment of the Project 629(Golf)-Class Diesel-Electric Ballistic Missile Submarine. The Soviets armed the Project 658-Class subs with R-13 missiles based off of the land based R-11M Scud. NATO gave these subs the codename "Hotel-Class".

The first boat of the Project 658-Class was K-19, which gained infamy after its reactor failed in its first year of operation. During the incident a coolant pipe burst in one of the reactors and several crew members were sent into the reactor compartment to attempt to repair the damaged reactor. Most of the crew received a very high dose of radiation and many of the crew members sent into the reactor to conduct repairs would perish. Following this incident, K-19 received her nickname, "Hiroshima".

In spite of the issues aboard K-19, the Soviets would build 8 Project 658-Class Submarines between 1960 and 1962. In 1967, the more efficient Project 667(Yankee)-Class Ballistic Missile Submarines would enter service and begin replacing the older and less effective Project 658-Class boats, however the class would remain in service until the end of the Cold War, with the last Hotel-Class sub being retired in 1991.

For more images of my Project 658-Class Submarine, here’s an Imgur gallery: https://imgur.com/a/958LstQ