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Class overview | |
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Name | Pravda or P class |
Operators | Soviet Navy |
In service | 1935–1956 |
In commission | - 1956 |
Planned | 4 |
Completed | 3 |
Cancelled | 1 |
Lost | 1 |
Retired | 2 |
General characteristics | |
Type | Submarine |
Displacement |
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Length | 90.0 m (295.3 ft) |
Propulsion | 2-shaft diesel electric, 5,400 hp (4,027 kW) diesel, 1,400 hp (1,044 kW) electric |
Speed |
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Range | 5,700 nmi (10,600 km) at 10 kn (19 km/h) |
Test depth | 340 ft (100 m) |
Complement | 54 |
Armament |
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The Pravda class or P-class submarines were built for the Soviet Navy in the mid-1930s. They originally served as training ships, then later served in World War II for transport duties. They were intended to operate with the surface fleet but failed to meet specifications, particularly for surface speed. The initial design envisaged 130 mm (5.1 in) guns for surface action. These boats had a long building time, being laid down in 1931 and completed in 1936.
They were double hull boats with eight compartments. Their main shortcomings were underpowered machinery, a long diving time and poor seakeeping. Weakness in hull strength had to be remedied by stiffening and weight cutting. Yakubov and Worth state that these were the least successful Soviet submarines of this era and were relegated to secondary duties upon completion. The two surviving boats had their conning towers re-built to resemble the later K class.
Three boats were built by Ordzhinikidze Yard Leningrad. All served with the Baltic Fleet.
A fourth boat was planned but not laid down.
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The Dekabrist class, also known as Series I, were the first class of submarines built for the Soviet Navy after the October Revolution of 1917. They were authorized in the Soviet Naval Shipbuilding Program of 1926, marking the revival of submarine design in Russia, and began their sea trials in 1930.
The Leninets or L class were the second class of submarines to be built for the Soviet Navy. Twenty-five were built in four groups between 1931 and 1941. They were minelaying submarines and were based on the British L-class submarine, HMS L55, which was sunk during the British intervention in the Russian Civil War. Some experience from the previous Dekabrist-class submarines was also utilised. The boats were of the saddle tank type and mines were carried in two stern galleries as pioneered on the pre-war Russian submarine Krab (1912). These boats were considered successful by the Soviets. Groups 3 and 4 had more powerful engines and a higher top speed.
The K class or Kreiserskaya-class were a class of cruiser submarines and were the largest submarines built for the Soviet Navy during World War II. Eleven boats of the class were made, one was cancelled and scrapped. The K class submarines served in the Northern Fleet and the Baltic Fleet, and saw the most combat along the coast of Norway. They were also nicknamed the Katyusha-class.
The Ronis-class submarines were built for the Latvian Navy in France in 1925. They were acquired by the Soviets in 1940 following the annexation of Latvia by the Soviet Union. They were scuttled in Liepāja in June 1941 as the Germans were about to capture the port. The hulls were raised in 1942 and scrapped.
S-2 was the second S-class submarine of the Soviet Navy. In early 1940, it entered Swedish territorial waters in the Sea of Åland where it hit a Swedish naval mine, and sank on January 2, 1940, with the loss of all 50 crew members.
S-56 was an S-class submarine of the Soviet Navy during and after World War II. She was laid down by shipyard #194 in Leningrad on 24 November 1936, shipped in sections by rail to Vladivostok where it was reassembled by Dalzavod. She was launched on 25 December 1939 and commissioned on 20 October 1941 in the Pacific Fleet. During World War II, the submarine was under the command of Captain Grigori Shchedrin and was moved from the Pacific Fleet to the Northern fleet across the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans via the Panama Canal. After decommissioning, the submarine was turned into a museum ship.
S-7 was an S-class submarine of the Soviet Navy. Her keel was laid down by Krasnoye Sormovo in Gorkiy on 14 December 1936. She was launched on 5 April 1937 and commissioned on 30 June 1940 in the Baltic Fleet. During World War II, the submarine was under the command of Captain Sergei Prokofievich Lisin and took part in the Soviet submarine Baltic Sea campaign in 1942. S-7 scored victories, but was sunk in action.
Gremyashchy was one of 29 Gnevny-class destroyers built for the Soviet Navy during the late 1930s. Completed in 1939, she was assigned to the Baltic Fleet and was later transferred to the Northern Fleet in 1941.
Gordy was one of 29 Gnevny-class destroyers built for the Soviet Navy during the late 1930s. Completed in 1938, she was assigned to the Baltic Fleet. The ship was covering a minelaying operation after the start of the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941 when she entered a German minefield. One of her sister ships had her bow blown off and Gordy rescued the survivors. The ship provided naval gunfire support for Soviet ground forces over the next several months, although she was badly damaged by a mine during the evacuation of Tallinn, Estonia, in August. After repairs, Gordy was assigned to evacuate Soviet troops from their enclave in Hanko, Finland, in November, but struck several mines en route and sank with heavy loss of life.
Smetlivy was one of 29 Gnevny-class destroyers built for the Soviet Navy during the late 1930s. Completed in 1938, she was assigned to the Baltic Fleet and played a minor role in the 1939–1940 Winter War against Finland. After the start of the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, the ship participated in the Gulf of Riga Campaign before withdrawing to Tallinn, Estonia. Smetlivy supported Soviet forces during the defense of Tallinn in August and covered the subsequent evacuation to Leningrad. The ship provided naval gunfire support to the defenders of Leningrad over the next several months before she was assigned to evacuate Soviet troops from their enclave in Hanko, Finland, in November. Smetlivy struck several mines returning from Hanko and sank with heavy loss of life.
Bezuprechny was one of 29 Gnevny-class destroyers built for the Soviet Navy during the late 1930s. Completed in 1939, she was assigned to the Black Sea Fleet. After the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, the ship laid minefields and participated in the Siege of Odessa, ferrying men and supplies to the beleaguered city and providing naval gunfire support. Bezuprechny was damaged by German aircraft in September and was under repair for most of the rest of the year. During the Siege of Sevastopol, the ship resumed her duties in late December, only with a different destination. She was sunk by German aircraft while transporting supplies and troops on 26 June 1942 with the loss of approximately 300 crewmen and 320 passengers.
Rekordny was one of 29 Gnevny-class destroyers built for the Soviet Navy during the late 1930s. Completed in 1941, she was assigned to the Pacific Fleet.
Retivy was one of 29 Gnevny-class destroyers built for the Soviet Navy during the late 1930s. Completed in 1941, she was assigned to the Pacific Fleet.
Redky was one of 29 Gnevny-class destroyers built for the Soviet Navy during the late 1930s. Originally named Pylky, she was renamed Redky before completion in 1942, and was assigned to the Pacific Fleet.
Razyaryonny was one of 29 Gnevny-class destroyers built for the Soviet Navy during the late 1930s. Originally named Peredovoy, she was renamed Razyaryonny before completion in late 1941, and was assigned to the Pacific Fleet.
Razumny was one of 29 Gnevny-class destroyers built for the Soviet Navy during the late 1930s. Originally named Prochny, she was renamed Razumny before completion in 1941, and was assigned to the Pacific Fleet. About a year after the German invasion of Russia in June 1941, she was ordered to join the Northern Fleet, sailing through the Arctic Ocean. Together with several other destroyers, Razumny left the Soviet Far East in July 1942 and arrived in Murmansk three months later where she began escorting convoys, both Allied ones from Britain and the United States and local ones in the White and Barents Seas. The ship was badly damaged by German bombs while she was refitting in 1943 and was under repairs for five months. Razumny spent most of the rest of the war on convoy escort duties, although she did bombard a German-occupied town during the Petsamo–Kirkenes Offensive of October 1944.
Smely was one of 18 Storozhevoy-class destroyers built for the Soviet Navy during the late 1930s. Although she began construction as a Project 7 Gnevny-class destroyer, Smely was completed in 1941 to the modified Project 7U design.
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S-1 was the lead ship of the S-class submarines of the Soviet Navy. It participated in the Winter War and the Soviet annexation of the Baltic states in 1940 before undergoing repairs and being scuttled by its crew in a shipyard at the start of Operation Barbarossa.