Karp-class submarine

The Karp class were a group of submarines built by Krupp Germaniawerft for the Imperial Russian Navy. The boats were ordered in the 1904 emergency programme as a result of the Russo-Japanese War. The design was a twin hull type with 7 ballast tanks and a 16 fathom (96 feet) diving limit. The boats were delivered late for the war and transferred to the Black Sea Fleet by rail in 1908. The design served as the prototype for the first German U-boat, U-1, which was commissioned into the Imperial German Navy on 14 December 1906. The U-1 has been preserved, and is currently on display at the Deutsches Museum in Munich.

Kambala sank in 1909. The reason and location of this sinking is unclear. Some reports have the submarine sinking near Kronstadt due to an erroneously opened valve while others have her sinking in an accidental collision with Rostislav near Sevastopol. It has even been suggested that she sank twice first near Kronstadt then after being salvaged was sunk again near Sevastopol.

In 1918 Karp and Karas were transferred to the Ukrainian State Navy.