Naval Guard of the Fatherland Chernyshev Alexander Alekseevich

Guards cruiser "Red Crimea"

Guards cruiser "Red Crimea"

On September 28, 1913, the cruiser “Svetlana” was included in the list of ships of the Guards crew, and on November 11 it was laid down at the Russian-Baltic Shipbuilding and Mechanical JSC in Revel. On November 28, 1915, the cruiser was launched. In October 1917, the unfinished ship was towed to Petrograd. Since November 1924, the cruiser was completed at the Baltic Shipyard. On February 5, 1925, “Svetlana” was renamed “Profintern”.

The cruiser had a total displacement of 7999 tons, a standard displacement of 6833 tons; length 158.4 m, width 15.36 m, draft 9.65 m, mechanical power (four turbines) 46,300 hp, maximum speed 22 knots, economic -14 knots, cruising range 1200 miles. Armament (as of 1942): 15 - 130 mm, 6 - 100 mm (three twin Minisini guns), 4 - 45 mm and 10 - 37 mm guns, 7 - 12.7 mm machine guns, 2 three-tube 533-mm torpedo tubes. The cruiser could take on deck up to 90 mines, 10 large and 20 small depth charges. Crew 852 people.

On August 6–12, 1928, the cruiser took part in the voyage of MSBM ships under the flag of the Chairman of the RVS of the USSR K.E. Voroshilov to the southwestern part of the Baltic Sea. In August 1929, Profintern, together with the cruiser Aurora and four destroyers, took part in an overseas campaign, visiting the German port of Swinemünde. In November 1929 - January 1930, the cruiser Profintern (commander A.A. Kuznetsov), together with the battleship Paris Commune, made the transition around Europe from the Baltic to the Black Sea. The swim was very difficult. On November 22, 1929, the detachment left Kronstadt. The winter Atlantic met the ships with stormy weather, and in the Bay of Biscay they found themselves in a severe, 10-point storm. The cruiser's roll reached 40°. The ships suffered heavy damage from the impacts of giant waves. They had to call twice at the French port of Brest for repairs.

On January 18, 1930, the cruiser and battleship arrived in Sevastopol. In 57 days the ships covered 6269 miles.

"Profintern" was included in the MSCM. Over the next decade, the cruiser mastered the new theater, the crew engaged in combat training, and participated in MSChM maneuvers.

In October-November 1933, Profintern with the cruiser Chervona Ukraine sailed to Istanbul, accompanying the Turkish steamship Izmir, on which the Soviet government delegation headed by K.E. was sent to Istanbul. Voroshilov to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Turkish Republic. In 1935–1938 Profintern underwent a major overhaul and modernization at Sevmorzavod. Back in 1937, Profintern, as an organization, ceased its activities. But only two years later the cruiser was renamed, receiving, by analogy with the other two cruisers of the brigade (“Red Caucasus” and “Chervona [Ukrainian - red] Ukraine”), the name “Red Crimea”.

The cruiser met the beginning of the Great Patriotic War under the command of captain 2nd rank (then captain 1st rank) A.I. Zubkova. The ship was undergoing ongoing repairs at plant No. 201 (Sevmorzavod), which was completed on August 16.

On the morning of August 21, the “Red Crimea” with the destroyers “Frunze” and “Dzerzhinsky” left the Main Base and arrived in Odessa exactly 24 hours later to provide artillery support to the city’s defenders. They delivered more than 1,000 volunteer sailors and 120 tons of cargo. The cruiser, without the help of tugs, moored at the Platonovsky Pier, and a correction post was put ashore.

On August 23 at 17.30, the cruiser left the port of Odessa and established contact with the outpost. Having received the coordinates of the target in the area of ​​the village of Sverdlovo (headquarters of the 35th Romanian regiment), and being abeam Chebanki, at 18.20 from a distance of 82 cab. opened fire. Already in the second minute, the spotters asked: “Speed ​​up the shooting. Defeat". The enemy batteries returned fire, but the shells fell short. At 19.30, “Red Crimea” stopped firing, firing 462 130 mm shells, and retreated to the Odessa roadstead. The cruiser repeatedly opened fire on planes bombing the Odessa port.

At 20.30, the destroyer "Frunze" came aboard, and employees of the Odessa Bank and 60 bags of money were taken onto the cruiser. Having finished loading, the ship went to sea. On August 24 at 7.30 "Red Crimea" arrived in Sevastopol.

On August 26–27, the cruiser moved from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk. On September 18, "Red Crimea" left Novorossiysk, accompanying the transports "Bialystok" and "Crimea", heading with troops to Odessa. The cruiser brought the transports to the edge of the minefields (Cape Tarkhankut), then the destroyer "Boikiy" came to guard them, and the cruiser turned to the main base and on the morning of September 20 entered Sevastopol Bay.

"Red Crimea" took part in the landing at Grigoryevka. On September 21, the 1st and 2nd battalions of the 3rd Marine Regiment - 1109 people - were accepted onto the ship. At 13.38 the ship weighed anchor and, entering the wake of the Red Caucasus, headed to the landing area as part of a detachment. On September 22 at 1.14 the detachment arrived in the Grigoryevka area. The cruiser took the starting point and, being held by vehicles, from a distance of 18 cabs. opened fire on the shore, on the embankment of the Adzhalik estuary. At 1.27 the fire was transferred to Grigoryevka, and seven minutes later it was stopped. At 1.40 a.m. the landing began using longboats. Supporting the landing, “Red Crimea” fired with its entire broadside at Chebanka, the Kotovsky state farm, and Meshchanka. By 3.00, the longboats had made 10 trips, landing 416 people, then the gunboat “Red Georgia” approached the cruiser and received the remaining paratroopers. At 3.43, the cruiser stopped firing on the shore, which had been carried out intermittently for three hours, firing 273 130 mm and 250 45 mm shells. At 4.05 the cruisers "Red Crimea" and "Red Caucasus" headed for Sevastopol, and at 16.52 the ship stood on its barrel in the Northern Bay. In the evening of the same day, “Red Crimea” left for Novorossiysk, and on September 26, the cruiser moved from Novorossiysk to Tuapse.

On October 1–2, “Red Crimea” delivered a machine gun battalion - 263 personnel, 36 heavy machine guns, 2 - 45 mm guns with ammunition from Batumi to Feodosia. Having unloaded the battalion, the cruiser went to Novorossiysk, where it arrived on the morning of September, and then went to Tuapse.

On October 29, “Red Crimea” came from Tuapse to Novorossiysk. Having received a battalion of marines - 600 people with weapons and ammunition, the ship delivered it to Sevastopol on October 30. On the night of October 31, enemy aircraft raided the main base, the cruiser commander ordered not to open anti-aircraft fire, so as not to unmask the ship.

"Red Crimea" was included in the artillery support detachment for the troops of the Sevastopol garrison.

On November 2, at 9.30, a fierce air raid on Sevastopol began; three Yu-88s attacked the cruiser, dropping seven bombs. All of them fell 20 m from the side, three did not explode, and from the explosions of four bombs five Red Navy men were wounded by shrapnel. By 18 o'clock the cruiser approached the pier. On November 3, by 17.00, the cruiser completed loading, having received 350 wounded, 75 military personnel, 100 evacuees, documents from the Black Sea Fleet headquarters, 30 torpedoes, torpedo spare parts - 100 boxes in total. At 18.27 "Red Crimea" left Sevastopol, on November 6 at 14.00 it arrived in Batumi and, moored at the pier, began unloading. On November 7, by 9.00, the cruiser finished unloading, took on fuel oil and at 14.00 left Batumi for Sevastopol. Having stopped at Tuapse to replenish fuel, on the morning of November 9, “Red Crimea” arrived in Sevastopol.

On November 10, “Red Crimea” received the task of destroying the enemy’s long-range battery in the Kachi area. At 6.30 he opened fire with his main caliber. The shooting was corrected by the corpost. After four sighting shots, the ship switched to firing three-gun salvoes. At 8.00 the ship finished firing, firing 81 shells. The enemy battery was destroyed. Twice more that day the cruiser opened fire on a concentration of enemy manpower - at 12.30 in the Inkerman area (31 shells) and at 20.00 in the area of ​​the village of Duvankoy (20 shells). On November 11, "Red Crimea" continued to fire at enemy infantry concentrations, firing 105 shells. During these days, German aviation carried out massive raids on Sevastopol; on November 10, the cruiser shot down an enemy plane with 45-mm gun fire.

On November 12, "Red Crimea" stood at the refrigerator. At 10.00 a strong raid on the city and ships began, the cruiser opened fire with all anti-aircraft guns and machine guns. Two groups of three Yu-88 aircraft entered the ship and dropped bombs from horizontal flight; 10 bombs fell at a distance of 50 m and further. The same planes attacked the cruiser twice more, but due to intense anti-aircraft fire, the bombs were dropped inaccurately, and the ship did not receive any damage. At 12.00, the second wave of 28 bombers attacked the city and ships, the cruiser Chervona Ukraine was seriously damaged and died, and the destroyers Besposhchadny and Sovershchenny received heavy damage. Enemy planes visited the Red Crimea several times, but bombed inaccurately, bombs fell in the city and on the embankment, and the ship did not receive damage. On November 12, 221 100 mm and 497 45 mm shells were used up when repelling air attacks. On November 13 and 14, German planes bombed the South Bay and ships, but strong anti-aircraft fire each time forced them to hastily drop bombs; the cruiser did not receive any damage.

On November 14 at 23.15, the ship, having received 350 wounded, 217 military personnel, 103 civilians, 105 tons of cargo, left Sevastopol. At dawn, he joined the guard of the Tashkent transport. On November 17, the cruiser arrived in Tuapse at 16.30.

On November 26, the cruiser moved from Tuapse to Novorossiysk. On September 2 at 3.15, having on board 1000 soldiers and commanders of replenishment for the Primorsky Army, he left, accompanied by the destroyer Zheleznyakov, from Novorossiysk to Sevastopol, where he arrived on the morning of November 28. On November 29, the cruiser fired at an enemy concentration in the Shuli area, Cherkez-Kermen, altitude 198.4. 179 shells were fired. On the night of December 1, the "Red Crimea", accompanied by two minesweepers, left Sevastopol for the Balaklava area. Having taken the starting point for firing, he stopped the vehicles and opened fire on the left side at motorized units in the Varnutka, Kuchuk-Muskomya area. Having finished firing and expended 149 shells, the ship returned to base.

On the same day, standing at the refrigerator in the South Bay, the cruiser twice opened fire on concentrations of enemy troops near the village of Shuli, at a distance of 100 cabs, then on manpower in the Mamashai area, the shooting was adjusted. Since the shooting was carried out at the maximum distance - 120 meters, an artificial roll of 3° to the left side was created. As a result, up to an infantry battalion was destroyed by the cruiser's fire.

On December 2, “Red Crimea” carried out two firings at manpower near the village of Cherkez-Kermen, expending 60 shells, and the village of Shuli - 39 shells. On December 3, the cruiser fired at an enemy battery located near the village of Kuchka, firing 28 shells.

On December 5, having received 296 wounded and 72 evacuated passengers, the Red Crimea left Sevastopol at 16.20. On the morning of December 6, he joined the guard of the transports Bialystok and Lvov. The next day the ship arrived in Tuapse, where it unloaded some of the wounded and evacuees, and on December 9 it moved from Tuapse to Poti.

On December 10, at 7.30, the cruiser left Poti, escorting the Kalinin and Dimitrov transports with troops for Sevastopol. On December 13, at 8.00, the ships turned to the Inkerman target, at this time the enemy opened fire, several shells landed 50–70 m from the cruiser, two sailors were wounded by shrapnel. On the evening of the same day, the cruiser left Sevastopol for Novorossiysk, where it arrived at 6.00 on December 14 .

In December 1941, the fleet was preparing for a major landing operation, the purpose of which was to liberate the Kerch Peninsula and provide assistance to Sevastopol. "Red Crimea", along with other ships, was supposed to participate in the landing of troops in Feodosia, but on December 17, the enemy launched a second attack on Sevastopol along the entire front. The headquarters ordered the immediate delivery of reinforcements to the defenders of the city on December 20, receiving 1,680 soldiers and commanders of the 79th Special Rifle Brigade at 17.00 with the cruiser "Red Caucasus" (flag of the Fleet Commander F.S. Oktyabrsky), the leader "Kharkov", the destroyers "Bodriy" and " Nezamozhnik”, “Red Crimea” left Novorossiysk. Because of the fog, the detachment could not cross the minefields at night and was forced to break through to Sevastopol during the day on December 21. In the area of ​​the Khersones lighthouse, the ships were attacked by German aircraft - six Me-110s, 6 bombs were dropped on the cruiser, falling 100 m astern, while the planes fired at the ships with machine guns. “Red Crimea” did not receive any damage; its anti-aircraft artillery actively repelled the attacks. At 13.00 the ships entered the main base, the cruiser moored at the refrigerator and began disembarking. At 18.00, “Red Crimea” fired at a motorized convoy in the area near the village of Alsu, expending 30 shells.

On December 22, during the day, the cruiser conducted four firings, one of them at night, against motorized mechanized columns and enemy personnel, and expended 141 shells. At 19.30, having received 87 wounded, the cruiser with the destroyer Nezamozhnik left Sevastopol for the Balaklava area with the task of destroying enemy personnel with 130-mm gun fire. Having stopped its progress and guided by the lights lit on the shore, the cruiser fired at enemy positions in the area of ​​​​Verkhnyaya Chorgun, Toropov's dacha, Kuchuk-Muskamya. Having finished firing (77 shells were fired), the ships headed to Tuapse, where they arrived at 10.50 on December 23.

"Red Crimea" took part in the Kerch-Feodosia operation. At the first stage of the operation, the cruiser was included in the naval support detachment of the landing detachment “B”, which was supposed to land at Mount Opuk.

“Red Crimea” was given the task: together with the destroyer “Shaumyan”, on the night of December 25-26, shell Feodosia, identify enemy batteries and firing points, and then, on the day of December 26, by systematically shelling the Feodosia-Kerch road, prevent the enemy from transferring their reserves to areas where the troops were to land (Kerch, Durande), and with the fire of their artillery to support the landing forces landing in Durande.

On December 25 at 20.20, the “Red Crimea” with the destroyer “Shaumyan” left Novorossiysk for the Kerch Strait area, transmitting weather data in the area of ​​​​operation. On December 26, at 5.32, the cruiser opened fire with its main gun on the starboard side at the port of Feodosia. At 5.40 he finished firing, firing 70 high-explosive shells. Then the ships headed east and at 7.50 met with the cruiser "Red Caucasus" and the destroyer "Nezamozhnik". The cruisers maneuvered aimlessly in the Gulf of Feodosia, trying to find the landing party. At sea there is fog, rain, snow, poor visibility. At 23.00 the cruiser anchored in the Chauda area. At 6.00 on December 27, the naval support detachment received a message that the landing force had returned to Anapa. The cruiser weighed anchor and left for Novorossiysk.

"Red Crimea" was included in the detachment of ships supporting landing detachment "A". On December 28, by 17.10, the cruiser received a landing party - 2000 soldiers and commanders of the 9th Rifle Corps, 2 mortars, 35 tons of ammunition, 18 tons of food. The ship housed the commander of the 9th Rifle Corps, Major General I.F. Dashichev with his staff.

At 19.00, the "Red Crimea" left the moorings and, as part of a detachment with the cruiser "Red Caucasus" and three destroyers, left Novorossiysk.

On December 29, at 3.05, the naval support detachment formed a wake column, at 3.45 lay down on a combat tack, and three minutes later, the “Red Crimea” opened fire on the left side from 130 mm and 45 mm guns. At 4.03 the fire ceased, and at 4.35 the cruiser anchored in room 2. from Shirokoy Mole and began landing troops with the help of four longboats, then six patrol boats arrived, which transported 1,100 paratroopers. Then the “Shield” BTSC came aboard the cruiser and received 300 people.

Covering the landing, the ship fired direct fire at firing points in the port and city, in the area of ​​​​Cape Ilya. The enemy fired at the motionless ship from guns, mortars and machine guns; it was under artillery and mortar fire for more than two hours. At 9.15 the landing of the paratroopers was completed (Major General I.F. Dashichev and his staff remained on the ship), and two minutes later the cruiser began shooting from anchor.

During the landing, the ship was hit by 8 shells and 3 mines. The ship received two holes in the sides and many small holes in the deckhouses, superstructures and pipes, and two fires broke out. The holes were sealed and the fires were quickly extinguished. Three 130-mm guns were disabled, 18 people from the crew and landing party were killed and 46 were wounded. Simultaneously with the landing, the ship fired single shots at enemy firing points and troop concentrations, destroying two batteries and suppressing one, destroying several machine-gun points. The cruiser expended 318 130 mm and 680 45 mm shells.

At 9.25 the anchor was pulled, at that moment the German air raids began. The ship departed south from Feodosia, maneuvering at full speed and repelling air attacks. The cruiser was attacked 11 times, but only in three cases did the bombs land 10–15 m from the ship. Bomb fragments made 50 small holes. At night, "Red Crimea" anchored. On the afternoon of December 30, the ship maneuvered in the Gulf of Feodosia, repelling air raids. During the day, up to 15 attacks were made on the ship in groups of two or three aircraft. They were repelled by powerful fire of all calibers, including the main one, which fired shrapnel at low-flying aircraft, as a result of which the aircraft turned away and dropped bombs away from the ship. In only two cases did the bombs fall 20 m from the side; there were no casualties. The ship was in contact with the outposts and was ready to open fire on the enemy. 18 dead sailors were buried at sea. At 16.00 in Dvuyakornaya Bay, Major General Dashichev and his headquarters were transferred to a minesweeper. After this, the landing commander, Captain 1st Rank N.E. Basisty ordered the cruiser with the destroyer "Shaumyan" to proceed to Novorossiysk. When approaching Novorossiysk, the cruiser received orders to proceed to Tuapse, where it arrived on the morning of December 31.

On January 1, 1942, the “Red Crimea”, having received 260 people and 40 tons of cargo, left Tuapse for Feodosia at 17.00. On January 2 at 15.00 he anchored in room 3.5. from the protective pier of the Feodosia port and began unloading personnel and cargo. At the same time, the cruiser supported the left flank of the troops on the Feodosia sector of the front with gunfire; poor visibility, fog and snowfall hampered the shooting. On January 2 and 3, the cruiser maneuvered in the Feodosia Gulf. The weather conditions continued to deteriorate: strong swell, snow, fog. By the morning of January 4, visibility improved somewhat, and the ship, completely covered in ice, returned to Novorossiysk.

On January 4, “Red Crimea” at 17.00, together with a minesweeper and four boats of the Ministry of Defense, left Novorossiysk with the aim of landing troops in the Alushta area. The cruiser carried 1,200 soldiers and commanders of the 226th Mountain Rifle Regiment and 35 tons of cargo. But due to icing of the boats, the detachment at 4.00 on January 5 turned back on course and returned to Novorossiysk. At 16.00 the ships again left Novorossiysk for Alushta, but because of the storm they were unable to land troops and on the afternoon of January 6 they returned to Novorossiysk and landed troops in the port.

“Red Crimea” on January 8 delivered 730 soldiers and commanders, 45 tons of cargo from Novorossiysk to Feodosia.

In January 1942, the Black Sea Fleet, in order to divert enemy forces advancing on Feodosia, landed three tactical landings in the Sudak area, two of which included the “Red Crimea”.

On January 15, having received the landing - 560 soldiers and commanders of the 226th mountain rifle regiment, "Red Crimea", under the flag of the commander of the landing ship detachment, captain 1st rank V.A. Andreev, at 13.00 with the destroyers Soobrazitelny and Shaumyan left Novorossiysk. At 22.10 the detachment approached Sudak, the ships occupied their initial disposition points and at 23.45 opened fire on the coastline in the landing area between Cape Alchak and the Genoese pier of Sudak. "Red Crimea" fired on the beach. As a result, the enemy's wire barriers and firing points were destroyed. At 1 o'clock on January 16, the cruiser dropped her starboard anchor and began landing troops and unloading ammunition by boats and longboats. Covering the landing, the cruiser periodically opened fire on Sudak. The cruiser was fired at from the shore with mortars, the mines fell at a distance of 4-5 meters, but there were no hits on the ship. The wounded were brought to the cruiser from the shore. At 4.15 the landing was completed, the cruiser pulled anchor and set out on a retreat course. In 1625 he arrived in Novorossiysk.

On January 20, the cruiser moved from Novorossiysk to Tuapse. On the night of January 21-22, a nor'easter (bora) hit Tuapse. On the morning of January 22, the Molotov cruiser, which was stationed at a nearby pier, was torn off its moorings by waves. His anchor-chain broke, and the wind and waves turned him 180°. The Molotov's bow struck the side of the Red Crimea, but the cruiser avoided serious damage.

On January 23, units of the 554th Mountain Rifle Regiment (1,450 Red Army soldiers and commanders, 70 tons of ammunition, 10 tons of provisions) were loaded onto the “Red Crimea” and it, with the destroyers “Impeccable” and “Shaumyan”, left Tuapse at 16.00 Pike perch. At 23.03 the cruiser dropped anchor in room 5. from Sudak beach and began landing troops. First of all, ammunition and food were delivered to the shore by longboats, and paratroopers - by SKA boats. By 6.00 on January 25, the landing was basically completed - 1,300 people, all ammunition and food were unloaded, 250 people remained on the ship. But the increased excitement and the proximity of dawn did not allow the ships to remain off the coast. At 6.05 they weighed anchor and headed for Novorossiysk. On February 14, the cruiser delivered 1075 marching companies and 3 5 tons of cargo to Sevastopol. On February 22, anchored in Sevastopol Bay, the Red Crimea fired at enemy troops in the Shuli area. On February 24 at 11.40 an air raid alarm sounded in the city. From the side of Yevpatoria, at an altitude of 3000 m, seven Ju-88s were discovered, which were heading towards the cruiser. The cruiser's anti-aircraft artillery opened fire in a timely manner. All seven aircraft took turns diving onto the ship, and each dropped two 500-kg bombs. Three fell on the port side at a distance of 20 m, 11 on the starboard side at a distance of 10 m or more. The ship was filled with mud and covered in smoke and dust. It became impossible to shoot, since nothing was visible, but the aircraft attacks also stopped. The ship was not damaged, one anti-aircraft gunner was wounded. In 1927, the cruiser with the destroyer "Shaumyan" left Sevastopol and arrived in Tuapse on February 25 at 12.30. A company of marines - 250 people and 25 tons of cargo - was loaded onto the cruiser, and on the same day it delivered it to Novorossiysk.

On February 26, the 674th Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment was accepted onto the cruiser - 500 soldiers and commanders, twenty 76 mm guns, 3 kitchens, 20 tons of ammunition. At 15.15 with the destroyer "Shaumyan" we left Novorossiysk and at 4.00 on February 27 arrived in Sevastopol. On February 28, while at anchor, the "Red Crimea" fired 60 shots to suppress two batteries 2 km west of Yukhara - Karalez. With the onset of darkness, the cruiser with the destroyers “Shaumyan” and “Zheleznyakov” left Sevastopol for the Alushta area to provide fire support for the demonstration landing. At 22.50 a message was received from the commander of the minesweeper division: due to the waves and wind, landing was impossible. Northeast wind 5 points, wave - 3 points. On February 29 at 1.34 in the Kuchuk-Uzen area, the cruiser was fired at from the shore from a distance of 10 cabs. anti-aircraft guns and rifle and machine gun fire. The ships quickly suppressed enemy firing points. Then he maneuvered near the shore at low speeds or stopped the move. At 2.47 he opened fire on the coastline and Alushta from a distance of 29 cabs. The enemy responded, but to no avail. The minesweepers and patrol boats were never able to land troops. At 4.39, the cruiser and destroyers set out on a retreat course to the daytime maneuvering area. On the afternoon of March 1, the ships maneuvered at 9 knots, in fog. At 14.20 a message came from the fleet commander: “I am waiting for instructions from the front to set a target for shelling the ship.” The cruiser maneuvered in an area from where it could arrive to shell Yalta, Alushta, Sudak, Feodosia and break away from the shore in the dark. At 18.00 the command of the fleet received an order to go to Poti. On March 2 at 13.00 the ships approached Poti, but by this time the wind had increased to 9 points, the wave to 7, so they headed to Batumi. The ship anchored in the Batumi roadstead, and on March 3 it moved to Poti.

The offensive of the Crimean Front troops ended unsuccessfully, and German troops went on the offensive. During this period, the fleet command increased military transportation to Sevastopol. "Red Crimea" constantly traveled in convoys.

At 1.30 on March 11, the Red Crimea, guarded by the destroyer Svobodny, delivered 180 tons of shells and mines from Poti to Sevastopol. Having unloaded ammunition, the cruiser, escorted by the destroyer Shaumyan, left Sevastopol at 20.00, having on board 246 wounded and four bodies of 305-mm guns for the battleship Paris Commune (total weight 208 tons). On the evening of March 12, the ships arrived in Poti, and the next day the trunks were unloaded.

On March 16, 165 tons of ammunition, 20 tons of food, 150 barrage balloons, and 293 soldiers and commanders were loaded onto the ship. At 17.40, the cruiser with the destroyer Nezamozhnik left Poti for Sevastopol, escorting the tankers Sergo and Peredovik. On March 18, the convoy was attacked 11 times by bombers and 1 time by torpedo bombers. The ships fired intense anti-aircraft fire. A total of 50 bombs were dropped on ships and transports, but not a single one hit the target. Four bombs fell 20 m from the starboard side of the cruiser, but caused no damage. On March 19 at 1.30 the ship arrived in Sevastopol, where four barrels of 305 mm guns were loaded onto it. At 20.30, the cruiser left Sevastopol for Poti with the destroyer Nezamozhnik. On March 24, the cruiser, accompanied by the destroyer Nezamozhnik, moved from Poti to Batumi, where on the 25th it stood for repairs.

On April 24, “Red Crimea” delivered 105 tons of ammunition from Poti to Novorossiysk. During the day, three raids were carried out on the base in groups of two Ju-88 aircraft. Each time heavy fire opened up, the planes dropped bombs outside the city and left. On the same day, having received 1,750 marching companies, the "Red Crimea", accompanied by the destroyers "Boikiy" and "Bditelny", set out for Sevastopol at 19.15. On April 26, at the entrance to Sevastopol Bay, it was fired upon by enemy artillery; the shells landed 40–60 m from the side. The ship moored at Sukharnaya Balka and disembarked the soldiers. Having loaded the cavalry unit, 45 wounded, at 20.42 the cruiser with the destroyers “Boikiy”, “Bditelny” and “Soobrazitelny” left Sevastopol. The next day, having arrived in Novorossiysk, it moored at the Elevatornaya pier, unloaded the cavalrymen and wounded and began accepting cargo and marching replenishment - 1200 people. At 23.20, with the destroyers “Bditelny” and “Soobrazitelny”, he left for Sevastopol. On April 29 at 3.40 the ships arrived in Sevastopol, delivering 1,780 marching reinforcements, 25 tons of ammunition, 16 torpedoes and 265 depth charges. The cruiser moored at Sukharnaya Balka, unloaded cargo and replenishment and received 44 wounded, 67 command personnel and 35 family members of command personnel. At 21.25, the "Red Crimea" with the leader "Tashkent", the destroyers "Bditelny" and "Soobrazitelny" left Sevastopol and arrived in Batumi exactly 24 hours later.

In total, during the period from June 22, 1941 to May 1, 1942, “Red Crimea” used 1336 100-mm and 2288 45-mm shells when repelling air attacks.

On May 8, the enemy launched an attack on Sevastopol. The commander-in-chief of the North Caucasus direction ordered the fleet commander: “...The cruiser “Red Crimea”, after loading with two destroyers, no later than May 10, leave Novorossiysk for Sevastopol...” On May 11, in the afternoon, the cruiser with the destroyers “Dzerzhinsky” and “Nezamozhnik” left Poti, and on the morning of May 12, the ships arrived in Novorossiysk. Having accepted reinforcements for the Primorsky Army, they left for Sevastopol at 20.00. On May 13, the ships followed the Anatolian coast in fog, and then turned north and approached the entrance point of the fairway. At 24.00 they stopped the cars until visibility improved. On May 14 at 19.50, “Red Crimea” and “Nezamozhnik” entered the Main Base, delivering 2126 soldiers and commanders and 80 tons of ammunition (“Dzerzhinsky” at 11.32 was sent to search for a minesweeper that was meeting the detachment, but due to an error in the reckoning, he ended up on defensive minefield, hit a mine and died). Because of the fog, the cruiser, like other ships that arrived in Sevastopol, could not leave the bay until May 19. On May 19–20, the cruiser, having received 473 wounded from the destroyer Nezamozhnik, moved from Sevastopol to Tuapse, and then to Poti.

On June 1, the “Red Crimea” with the destroyers “Soobrazitelny” and “Svobodny” arrived in Novorossiysk. On June 2, having received marching companies, weapons, ammunition and food, the ships left Novorossiysk at 19.18 and broke through to Sevastopol on the night of June 3. F.S. Oktyabrsky wrote in his diary: “Wonderful: the cruiser “Red Crimea” arrived in GB at about 00 o’clock...” On June 4, having received 275 wounded and 1998 evacuees, at 2.00 the ships left Sevastopol and at 625 on June 5 they arrived in Tuapse, and then moved to Poti.

In 1942, “Red Crimea” was more often than other ships of the squadron involved in transporting military reinforcements and cargo to blockaded Sevastopol - from February to May it broke through to the Main Base seven times.

On June 18, 1942, by order of the People's Commissar of the Navy No. 137, the cruiser "Red Crimea" was awarded the rank of guards.

On June 22, “Red Crimea” moved from Poti to Tuapse for another trip to Sevastopol. However, it had already become clear to the fleet command that the cruisers would not be able to break into the besieged city.

July 26, Navy Day, Rear Admiral N.E. Basisty handed the guards flag to the ship. The flag was accepted by the ship's commander, Captain 1st Rank A.I. Zubkov.

At the end of July 1942, German troops went on the offensive in the North Caucasus. There was a threat of a breakthrough of the 17th German Army to the Black Sea in the Novorossiysk area. The evacuation of the city began. On August 5–7, “Red Crimea” evacuated 2,600 families of command personnel, party and Soviet workers and valuables from Novorossiysk to Batumi. From August 8 to 17, the cruiser with the destroyer Nezamozhnik made three voyages, delivering evacuees and valuable cargo from Novorossiysk to Batumi, and to Tuapse - units of the 32nd Guards Rifle Division.

On August 25, the Red Crimea, guarded by the destroyer Soobrazitelny, crossed Batumi - Poti. Between August 28 and October 6, 1942, the cruiser underwent ongoing repairs.

In mid-October 1942, enemy troops went on the offensive in the Tuapse area. On October 21, the Red Crimea with the destroyers Besposhchadny and Soobrazitelny delivered 3,350 soldiers, 11 guns and 47 mortars from Poti to Tuapse. On December 2, “Red Crimea,” accompanied by the destroyer “Nezamozhnik,” delivered units of the 9th Mountain Rifle Division from Batumi to Tuapse.

"Red Crimea" participated in the landing operation in the area of ​​​​South Ozereyka as part of a covering detachment (the cruiser "Red Caucasus" (the flag of the squadron commander L.A. Vladimirsky), "Red Crimea", the leader "Kharkov", the destroyers "Besposhchadny" and "Soobrazitelny" "). On February 3, 1943, the detachment left Batumi at 6.10 and moved west to disorient the enemy, and at 18.05 it turned to the area of ​​operation. However, the shooting was postponed for 1.5 hours due to the delay of the landing detachment. The cruisers and destroyers turned south and maneuvered. On February 4 at 2.16 the detachment approached the landing area. The ships set on a combat course, and at 2.35 "Red Crimea" opened fire on Ozereyka. Having expended 598 130 mm and 200 100 mm shells, the ship ceased fire at 3.05. Having finished shelling the shore, the cruisers and the leader set out on a retreat course. On February 5 at 10.50 "Red Crimea" arrived in Batumi and moored to the pier.

In April 1944 A.I. Zubkov was appointed commander of the cruiser Murmansk, transferred to the United States as reparations. Captain 1st Rank P.A. becomes the commander of “Red Crimea”. Melnikov, who previously commanded a destroyer division.

On May 9, 1944, “Red Crimea” moved from Batumi to Poti, guarded by the destroyers “Zheleznyakov”, “Nezamozhnik”, TFR “Storm”, BTSH “Shchit”, 14 SKA, 4 aircraft “MBR-2”. From May 15 to August 17, 1944, the cruiser underwent scheduled repairs in Poti. In this case, the method of incomplete docking in a 5000-ton dock was used. The length of the ship's bow console was 33.6 m, the trim angle of the floating dock was 3°. The cruiser, which was in dock, was visited by the People's Commissar of the Navy, Admiral N.G. Kuznetsov.

In November 1944, the Black Sea Fleet squadron relocated to Sevastopol. On November 4 at 9.00, the cruiser left Poti along with the battleship “Sevastopol” guarded by the destroyers “Nezamozhnik”, “Zheleznyakov”, “Letuchy”, “Legky”, “Lovky” and 8 boats of “big hunters”. On November 5 at 8.00 the ships joined the second detachment - two cruisers and three destroyers. At 8.50 the signal was raised on the flagship: “Red Crimea should be the lead.” The cruiser went around the battleship at full speed and became the head of the squadron. At 12.50, the cruiser's bow 100-mm mount fired the first salute shot; she was the first of the squadron ships to enter the base and at 13.07 stood on her barrel.

During the Great Patriotic War, "Red Crimea" participated in almost all operations of the Black Sea Fleet and made more cruises than other cruisers. However, during all this time she did not receive a single heavy damage comparable to the damage to other cruisers of both the Black Sea and Baltic fleets. Perhaps this was the result of military luck, but, most likely, the skill of the commander and the excellent training of the entire crew of the ship.

The ship completed 58 combat missions, carried out 52 artillery fire on enemy positions, suppressed 4 artillery and mortar batteries and destroyed 3 ammunition depots and up to 3 infantry battalions, repelled 205 attacks by enemy aircraft (one plane was shot down), transported over 20 thousand military personnel, wounded and evacuated citizens.

On May 31, 1949, “Red Crimea” was transferred to the detachment of training ships of the Black Sea Fleet. On April 8, 1953, she was withdrawn from combat service and reclassified as a training cruiser. From June 1956 to June 1957, the cruiser housed the personnel of the special mission expedition (SPE) to raise the battleship Novorossiysk. The cruiser was stationed in Sevastopol Bay near the shore, opposite the Ushakovskaya beam on the Korabelnaya side. It was connected to the shore by a floating pier.

Cruiser "Pobeda" Nikolai IVANOV 1 On the upper deck of the cruiser "Crimea", which in the evening of March 16 moored to the native Russian world, the entire crew lined up in parade formation. In the line, not only the overwhelming percentage of personnel who voted for returning to their families

Guards cruiser "Red Caucasus" Laid down on October 19, 1913 in Nikolaev at the Russud plant under the name "Admiral Lazarev". The ship was launched on June 8, 1916, but at the end of 1917, construction of the Admiral Lazarev ceased due to the devastation that swept the country. December 14, 1926

1st Guards Division of Armored Boats of the 1st Brigade of River Ships of the Volga Military Flotilla (in 1945 - 1st Guards Belgrade Division of Armored Boats of the Danube Flotilla) The division was formed in November 1941 as part of the 1st Brigade of River Ships of the Volga Military Flotilla

2nd Guards Division of Armored Boats of the 2nd Brigade of River Ships of the Volga Military Flotilla (in 1945 - 2nd Separate Guards Bobruisk Red Banner Division of Armored Boats of the 1st Bobruisk-Berlin Red Banner Brigade of River Ships of the Dnieper

Guards missile cruiser "Varyag" pr. 58 At the end of the 1950s. Project 58 was developed - a fundamentally new ship with powerful missile weapons. The ships had a standard displacement of 4300 tons, therefore they were initially classified as destroyers and received

Guards heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser "Varyag" On December 6, 1985, the heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser "Riga" (same type with the TAKR "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov") was laid down on the slipway of the Black Sea plant in Nikolaev and launched on November 25, 1988 by order of the Commander-in-Chief of the USSR Navy

Guards missile cruiser "Varyag" pr. 1164 July 31, 1979 on the slipway of the plant named after. 61 Communards in Nikolaev, the missile cruiser Project 1164 "Chervona Ukraine" was laid down, launched on August 28, 1983, entered service on December 25, 1989 and was included in the Pacific Fleet on February 28, 1990. The cruiser had full

Guards missile cruiser "Moskva" pr. 1164 Head in the series of missile cruisers pr. 1164 "Slava" was laid down on November 5, 1976 on the slipway of the plant named after. 61 communards in Nikolaev, launched on July 27, 1979, entered service on December 30, 1982 and was included in the Black Sea Fleet on February 7, 1983. In September 1983

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Andrey Pustovarov

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The former name was “Zante” (from 06/12/1923 - “Nezamozhny”, from 04/29/1926 - “Nezamozhnik”).
Laid down in May 1916, launched on April 3, 1917. On November 7, 1923, it became part of the Black Sea Naval Forces. Underwent major renovations in 1928–1929. and in 1935–1936. From January 11, 1935 it was part of the Black Sea Fleet.
During the Great Patriotic War, he participated in the defense of Odessa, Sevastopol and the Caucasus (in 1941–1942), landed troops in Feodosia (12/29/1941) and covered the landing in South Ozereyka (02/04/1943), carried out military transportation to Sevastopol and ports of the Caucasus.
07/08/1945 awarded the Order of the Red Banner.
01/12/1949 expelled from the Navy, disarmed and converted into a target ship.

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Guards cruiser "Red Crimea"
On November 11, 1913, the new cruiser Svetlana was laid down in Reval. Launched on November 8, 1915. In October 1917, it was towed to Petrograd. On February 5, 1925, the ship was given a new name - "Profintern", and on July 1, 1928 it was transferred to the Naval Forces of the Baltic Sea. At the beginning of 1930, the ship moved to Sevastopol. On November 5, 1939 it was renamed "Red Crimea".

Cruiser "Red Crimea"
On August 21, 1941, having received fuel and ammunition, the Red Crimea, guarded by the destroyers Frunze and Dzerzhinsky, headed for the front line in Odessa. 462 shells of the ship's main caliber were fired at the enemy. The command of the Separate Primorsky Army highly appreciated the live firing of the "Red Crimea", expressing gratitude to the entire crew of the cruiser. There, near Odessa, the ship took part in the landing of the first landing force on the Black Sea. In this landing, great courage was shown by the sailors of the cruiser, the foreman of the longboat I. I. Dibrov, the hookman A. M. Prokhorenko, the mechanic D. F. Garkusha, the machine gunners V. S. Ignatov and I. P. Shcherbina.
In the fierce battles for Sevastopol, "Red Crimea" in November-December 1941 conducted 18 artillery fires.
The fleet command highly appreciated the actions of the Red Crimea artillerymen. High government awards were awarded to senior lieutenant V. F. Litvinchuk, lieutenants N. I. Guzyar (posthumously) and B. V. Filosofov, midshipman S. I. Bakalov, foremen V. G. Kravchenko, D. F. Trofimenko, F 3. Kozyur, P. M. Levchenko, Red Navy man I. I. Chaplin.
“Red Crimea” completed 58 combat missions during the war years under the command of Captain 1st Rank A.I. Zubkov. Naval political workers F.P. Vershinin, F.G. Vozny, T.T. But, G.I. Fomin took an active part in the combat activities of the ship. The cruiser carried out 52 artillery fires on the positions and fortifications of the Nazi troops, destroying 4 artillery and mortar batteries, 3 ammunition depots and up to an infantry regiment, transported more than 20 thousand personnel, wounded and evacuated citizens of Sevastopol, and landed them on the shore occupied by the enemy , about 10 thousand soldiers and commanders in the landing force, repelled over two hundred attacks by Nazi aircraft.
For courageous and decisive actions during the landing of troops in Grigoryevka, Feodosia, Sudak and Alushta, for the courage and heroism of the personnel shown in the fight against the Nazi invaders, the cruiser "Red Crimea" by order of the People's Commissar of the Navy. No. 137 dated 18 June 1942 awarded the Guards title.
After the end of hostilities in the Black Sea, the ship was transferred to a detachment of training ships.
The name of the famous cruiser was given to the new large anti-submarine ship of the Red Banner Black Sea Fleet, on which on December 5, 1970, the Guards Naval flag was solemnly raised.
Full displacement 7999 tons, normal displacement 7190 tons, standard displacement 6839 tons; length 158.4 m, beam 15.4 m, draft 5.7 m; mechanism power 46,300 hp. With.; maximum speed 29 knots, economic speed - 14 knots; cruising range 1200 miles (economical speed). Armament: 15130 mm, 4100 mm, 4 45 mm and 10 37 mm guns, 712.7 mm machine guns, 2 three-tube torpedo tubes and 2 sets of paravan trawls. It took on board up to 100 anchor mines and 30 depth charges. Crew 852 people.

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Small anti-submarine ship of the Black Sea Fleet (referred to in various sources as a patrol boat, small hunter, sea hunter) SK 065

Commander of SK 065 senior lieutenant Pavel Sivenko

TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL DATA OF THE SERIAL “SMALL HUNTER” TYPE MO-4
Maximum length, m - 26.9
Maximum width, m - 4.0
Side height at midship, m - 2.7
Displacement full/normal, t - 56.0/53.5
Speed, knots - 25-27
Cruising range at full speed / 10 knots, miles - 340/800
Power, l. s - 3X850
Crew, people - 24
Armament: two 45-mm semi-automatic cannons, two 12.7-mm DShK machine guns, two bomb releasers, 8 large and 28 small depth charges, 6 smoke bombs (MBDS), Poseidon noise direction finder.

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1 Kerch-Vienna Red Banner Brigade of River Ships of the Danube Flotilla
commander of the 1st Kerch-Vienna Red Banner brigade of river ships of the Danube military flotilla at the end of the war, hero of the Soviet Union Pavel Ivanovich Derzhavin, awarded the “southern bow” medals

Monumental memorial monuments of the city of Yeisk.
Armored boat "Yeisky Patriot".
In 1944, when Yeisk enterprises began to restore their production in difficult conditions after the occupation, the team of the Zapchast plant (now a machine tool plant) took the initiative to raise funds for the construction of a warship. Residents of Yeisk responded to this call. A total of 452,650 rubles were collected in money and government bonds.
By the end of 1944, the B-162 armored boat was built at the X Let of October plant in Astrakhan. A total of 4 boats of the same series were built. The team was selected from officers and sailors of the Caspian military flotilla who were being treated in the city hospitals.
The boat entered the combat formation of the ships of the Danube Military River Flotilla (formerly the Azov Military Flotilla), where it operated as part of the Belgrade Guards Division of Armored Boats of the Kerch-Vienna Red Banner Brigade of river ships, and went through the combat route from Izmail to Vienna, starting it on December 20, 1944.
The boat provided landing forces, transported troops and equipment, and supported the advances of Soviet troops in the battles for the cities of Gainburg, Bratislava, and Vienna with fire from its 2 guns.
In the battles for Gainburg, he repelled 7 enemy air raids. In two days, he transported 4 tanks, 17 self-propelled guns, 38 vehicles, and 2,188 soldiers with weapons and ammunition to the combat area. For these actions, he was the first from the detachment to be awarded the title "Guards", and successfully completed the transition along the mined fairway from Budapest to Vienna, where he ended his combat journey.
The first commander of the boat was Lieutenant Boris Fedorovich Balev (1921-2000), transferred along with the boat from the Caspian Flotilla. Balev B.F. at the front from the first days of the Great Patriotic War. As part of the Marine Corps units and on ships of the Baltic and Black Sea Fleets, he took part in the defense of Leningrad, Sevastopol, and in the battles for the Caucasus. He began the war as a sergeant major of the second class, and ended as a guard lieutenant. In 1944, he took command of the armored boat Yeisk Patriot.
For his courage and bravery, B.F. Balev was awarded many government awards.

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Andrey Pustovarov

Destroyer ZHELEZNYAKOV (until 02/5/1925 "Corfu", until 06/23/1939 "Petrovsky", from 12/30/1954 - "PKZ-62")
in 1941, the commander of the ship was captain 3rd rank V. A. Krinov (in 1942, chief of staff of the 2nd brigade of river ships of the Volga flotilla, in 1946 commander of the Danube flotilla)
Laid down 07/06/1916, launched 10/23/1917, erected. entered service on June 10, 1925 and on the same day became part of the Black Sea Naval Forces. Completed major overhaul from 09/05/1930 to 06/07/1932. From 01/11/1935 it was part of the Black Sea Fleet
During the Great Patriotic War, he participated in the defense of Odessa, Sevastopol and the Caucasus, landed troops in Feodosia (December 29, 1941), Evpatoria (February 1942) and covered the landing in South Ozereyka (February 4, 1943), carried out military transport to Sevastopol and ports of the Caucasus, performed escort duty. On July 8, 1945 he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.
From 12/18/1947 to 09/15/1949, under the same name, it was part of the Bulgarian Navy. On April 8, 1953, it was withdrawn from the fleet, disarmed and reorganized into a floating barracks, and on July 27, 1956, it was excluded from the lists of the Navy and in 1957, at the Glavvtorchermet base in Poti, it was dismantled for metal.

They were supposed to become the strongest ships in their class. However, they entered service fifteen years late, already in a different state and under new names. The story in this article will be about one of these cruisers, which faithfully served its native country for almost three decades, passed through the Great Patriotic War with honor and earned the rank of guards.

"Svetlana": history of creation

After the defeat of the Russian Empire in the Russo-Japanese War, the state of the Russian fleet was deplorable - it lost almost all of its main classes of warships. Of the numerous cruising forces in the Baltic and Pacific Oceans, only nine combat-ready ships remained (there were two more cruisers on the Black Sea). The new naval forces had to be built virtually from scratch, but the necessary shipbuilding program and a clear concept for the use of the fleet were missing. Only in 1912 did the Minister of Maritime manage to secure an allocation of 500 million rubles necessary to build a full-fledged fleet. In addition to other ships, the program provided for the construction of four light cruisers for the Baltic Sea and two for the Black Sea (later the number of light cruisers for the Black Sea Fleet was also increased to four).

The main tasks of the light cruiser were reconnaissance, patrol service, support of its own destroyers and the destruction of enemy ones, mine laying in enemy waters. Light cruisers had to carry protection and weapons that would allow them to engage in battle with enemy ships of a similar class. The initial assignment for the light cruiser project included armament with one 203 mm gun and four to six 120 mm guns mounted in turrets, but over time this armament was abandoned, preferring to switch to a single caliber. They also abandoned the turret arrangement of artillery due to the lower rate of fire of such installations compared to casemate and deck ones. After the final approval of the technical characteristics of the future cruiser, a competition was held in April 1912, at which the project of the Putilov plant was recognized as the best. In September 1912, at a meeting of the Technical Council of the Main Directorate of Shipbuilding, it was decided to instruct the Putilov and Revel factories to develop the final design of the cruiser and submit it for approval to the Navy Ministry. The tactical and technical characteristics of the cruiser are indicated in the table given at the end of the article.

The main distinguishing features of the new cruisers were the armor protection of the hull, which consisted of two belts (covering most of the freeboard) with a maximum thickness of 75 mm, which provided protection from the guns of destroyers and German cruisers until they were re-equipped with 150 mm artillery. Fifteen new 130-mm guns from the Obukhov plant were distinguished by a high rate of fire (up to 15 rounds per minute) and a long firing range. Each gun had its own individual armor-protected shell lift, so the declared rate of fire could well be achievable not only on paper. The free layout of components and assemblies, as well as the high displacement, ensured the ship excellent survivability under artillery fire. The steam turbine power plant made it possible to reach high speeds (up to 30 knots), most of the steam boilers had oil heating, the rest had mixed heating (coal-oil). In general, the project was very successful for its time, and if the cruiser had entered service as planned (in 1915–1916), it would have become one of the strongest in its class.

Two cruisers - "Svetlana" (named after the armored cruiser that heroically died in the Battle of Tsushima) and "Admiral Greig" - were built at the Russo-Baltic plant in Revel, two more - "Admiral Spiridov" and "Admiral Butakov" - at Putilovsky plant in St. Petersburg. The cost of each cruiser without armor and weapons was 8.3 million rubles.

Exterior view of the cruiser "Svetlana"
Source: navy.su

The cruiser "Svetlana" (later the entire series was named after it) was laid down at the Revel plant in November 1913, and the planned completion date was set for the autumn of 1915. Alas, the construction of the plant itself was not yet completed, so actual construction began only in April 1914. The cruiser's steam turbine installation was created with the help of the German company Vulcan. With the beginning of the war, cooperation with the Germans ceased, which affected the timing of the commissioning of the cruiser. By the end of 1914, the Svetlana's readiness was 31.9%, the rest of the ships in the series - on average, about 10%. On November 28, 1915, the cruiser “Svetlana” was launched, and a year later boilers and turbines were installed on it. At the end of 1916, the degree of readiness of Svetlana was 81% for the hull and 75% for the mechanisms.

"Svetlana" being completed in Revel, February 1916. In the foreground is the hull of the destroyer "Gabriel"

At the end of 1916, the commander and part of the crew arrived on the Svetlana, and the development of technology began. Commissioning was planned for the fall of 1917, but these deadlines were missed. The German offensive on Riga and the Moonsund Islands threatened to capture Revel. To avoid the capture of unfinished ships by the Germans, it was decided to transfer them to Petrograd. By November 13, the parts manufactured for them, as well as the most valuable equipment of the factory workshops, were loaded onto the Svetlana and Admiral Greig, after which the ships were towed to the Petrograd Admiralty Plant. At this point, the Svetlana’s hull readiness was 85%. After the October Revolution, work on completing the cruiser continued for some time, but stopped in March 1918 (by that time the ship's overall readiness was 80%).

Completion of the cruiser

For seven long years the cruiser stood in the pool of the Admiralty plant. Finally, in 1924, funds were allocated for its completion. Initially, it was planned to re-equip the ship with new 180–203 mm caliber guns located in the turrets, but completion in this form would have required serious intervention in the design of the already completed hull. Therefore, it was decided to complete the Svetlana according to the original design, but replace the 63-mm anti-aircraft guns with 75-mm Meller system guns, increasing their number to nine, and install three built-in 450-mm torpedo tubes on the upper deck. In addition, the cruiser was adapted to receive two seaplanes taking off from the water. To lift them on board, two cargo booms with a lifting capacity of 1.5 tons were installed between the second and third chimneys.

On February 5, 1925, “Svetlana” changed its name to “Profintern”. In October 1926, the cruiser was transferred to Kronstadt for docking and inspection of the underwater part. On April 26, 1927, acceptance tests began, during which the ship reached a speed of over 29 knots. On July 1, 1928, the cruiser Profintern was enlisted in the Baltic Sea Naval Forces (MSBM) and raised the naval flag.

"Profintern" shortly after entering service, 1929
Source: kreiser.unoforum.pro

Campaigns, exercises, modernizations

Already in August, Profintern, together with other ships, took part in a voyage to the southwestern part of the Baltic Sea. A year later (in August 1929) he set off on his first overseas campaign, arriving together with the cruiser Aurora and destroyers in the German port of Swinemünde.

Profintern during a visit to Swinemünde
Source: tsushima.su

In order to extend the period of practical navigation (at the end of November the Gulf of Finland was already covered with ice), it was decided to send some of the ships from the Baltic on a long overseas voyage to Naples without calling at other foreign ports. For this purpose, in November 1929, Profintern, together with the battleship Paris Commune, became part of the MSBM Practical Detachment, whose commander was L. M. Galler. Several transports were allocated to escort the ships and refuel them.

During the voyage, which began on November 22, the sailors encountered unforeseen difficulties. After the ships entered the North Sea, due to an error by the mechanics who did not take into account the difference in the salinity level of water in the Baltic and the North Sea, the boilers on the ships boiled. Difficulties also arose with bunkering on the open sea - due to strong winds and waves, this operation took two days. In the Bay of Biscay, the ships encountered a strong storm. The seams of the hull split apart from the shock of the waves on the Profintern, and water began to flow into the boiler room. Realizing that it would not be possible to cope with such damage on his own, L. M. Galler decided to enter the French port of Brest. On December 4, Soviet ships stopped at the outer roadstead of Brest, where they began repairs on their own. Having completed the repairs, the ships went to sea again on December 7. However, unable to withstand another battle with the elements (the wind reached 12 points, the wave height was 10 m), on December 10 they returned to Brest. This time, the battleship Paris Commune required repairs - its bow, unable to withstand the shock of the waves, collapsed. The repairs took two weeks, but due to the ongoing storm, the detachment went to sea only on December 26, heading for Gibraltar.

Following wave behind the stern of the cruiser Profintern, Bay of Biscay
Source: tsushima.su

Soviet sailors celebrated New Year 1930 in the city of Cagliari (island of Sardinia). On January 6, permission was received to go ashore, and for the first time in a month and a half, the sailors felt solid ground under their feet. On January 8, the ships arrived in Naples, the final goal of the campaign. However, the command of the detachment feared that the storm-battered ships would not withstand another storm test in the Atlantic, and they requested permission to move to Sevastopol to wait out the winter there and undergo repairs. Such permission was received, and on January 18 the ships arrived in Sevastopol, having covered 6,269 miles in 57 days. Later, it was decided not to return the battleship and cruiser to the Baltic, but to include them in the Black Sea Naval Forces (MSFM). In March 1930, Profintern, together with the cruisers Chervona Ukraine and Krasny Kavkaz, became part of the cruiser division (since 1932, a brigade) of the MSChM. The next decade passed for the cruiser in voyages, exercises and exploration of the Black Sea theater of operations.

"Profintern" in the early 30s
Source: kreiser.unoforum.pro

In 1935–1938, Profintern underwent a major overhaul and modernization at Sevmorzavod, during which its boilers were completely converted to oil heating, and coal pits were eliminated. The outdated 75-mm guns were dismantled, and instead of them, three twin installations of 100-mm Minisini anti-aircraft guns manufactured by the Italian company OTO were installed on the cruiser. One installation stood on the forecastle (in front of the bow 130-mm gun), two - on the poop, replacing the removed torpedo tubes. In addition, the cruiser was equipped with six 45-mm 21-K cannons and seven 12.7-mm DK-32 machine guns (later replaced by DShK). The torpedo armament was moved to the middle part of the ship, installing two three-tube 533-mm torpedo tubes on board (at the same time, the underwater traverse tubes were dismantled). Before the start of the Great Patriotic War, the cruiser lost the ability to carry a seaplane - the aircraft cranes were removed from it. It should be noted that the anti-aircraft armament of the cruiser was constantly strengthened during the war - by 1944, it had (in addition to 100-mm and 45-mm anti-aircraft guns) ten 37-mm machine guns and two four-barreled Vickers heavy machine guns. For some time (from the winter of 1941 to 1942), the cruiser carried four 20-mm Oerlikon machine guns.

In 1939, "Profintern" received a new name - "Red Crimea" - and became part of the brigade of Black Sea cruisers along with the cruisers "Chervona Ukraine" and "Red Caucasus".

"Red Crimea" in 1939
Source: forums.airbase.ru

"Sevastopol Express"

On June 22, 1941, the cruiser arrived in Sevastopol while undergoing ongoing repairs, which ended only in August. On August 21, "Red Crimea", together with the destroyers "Frunze" and "Zheleznyakov", left Sevastopol and arrived in Odessa a day later - its task was to shell enemy positions on the shore. On August 23, “Red Crimea” fired 462 shells at targets, after which, having taken on board workers of the Odessa branch of the State Bank and 60 bags of money, it returned to Sevastopol.

On September 18–19, “Red Crimea” took part in guarding transports with troops landing at Grigoryevka near Odessa. On September 21, the cruiser took on board over 1,100 landing troops, who were also delivered to Grigoryevka. The landing from the Red Crimea took place on September 22, while the cruiser's guns fired along the shore. Having landed troops, “Red Crimea” returned to Novorossiysk, from where it left for Tuapse. On October 2, the cruiser landed troops in Feodosia - 263 soldiers, 36 machine guns and two 45-mm guns.

On October 28, the cruiser brigade was disbanded, and its ships came under the direct subordination of the commander of the Black Sea Fleet squadron.

On October 30, the cruiser landed another landing force in Sevastopol - 600 people with weapons and ammunition. Having landed people on the approaching tugs, the "Red Crimea" remained in Sevastopol for artillery support of its garrison. On November 2, the cruiser was attacked by three Ju-88 bombers - the bombs did not hit the target, but five people were wounded by shrapnel from nearby explosions on the cruiser. On November 3, the cruiser left the city along with other ships of the Black Sea Fleet, evacuating 350 wounded, 100 civilians, documents from the Black Sea Fleet headquarters, spare torpedoes, as well as valuable equipment and mechanisms.

On November 9, “Red Crimea” returned to Sevastopol, receiving the task of destroying the enemy’s long-range battery in the Kachi area. On November 10, 81 shells were fired at the battery. On November 11, the cruiser's guns fired at a concentration of German infantry. On November 12, the ship survived a strong German air raid, during which the cruiser Chervona Ukraine was sunk and the destroyers Sovershenny and Besposhchadny were damaged (due to intense anti-aircraft fire, German planes were unable to accurately drop bombs on the Red Crimea). On November 13 and 14, the raids were repeated, but the cruiser again did not receive any damage.

"Red Crimea" in Sevastopol. Smoke from exploding aerial bombs is visible on the left.
Source: tsushima.su

On November 14, having taken on board cadets of the Black Sea Fleet training detachment, personnel of the Navy People's Commissariat, the Black Sea Fleet prosecutor's office, border troops teams, the NKVD team with the prosecutor's office and the Crimean tribunal, the Black Sea Fleet intelligence department, as well as military families, the "Red Crimea" left Sevastopol. On November 17 he arrived in Tuapse.

On November 28, the cruiser landed 1,000 reinforcements for the Sevastopol garrison. From November 29 to December 3, he took part in the shelling of enemy troops, and on December 5, he left Sevastopol with wounded Red Army soldiers and evacuated civilians on board.

On December 10–14, the ship took part in convoying transports with troops from Novorossiysk to Sevastopol. On December 20, having taken on board 1,680 soldiers, together with the cruiser "Red Caucasus", the leader "Kharkov", the destroyers "Bodriy" and "Nezamozhnik", he again set out for Sevastopol. Having landed troops, the cruiser fired at German positions for three days, and on December 23rd she arrived in Tuapse.

Participation in the Kerch-Feodosia operation

At the end of 1941, the Soviet command decided to land large troops in Kerch and Feodosia with the goal of capturing the Kerch Peninsula, then releasing the besieged Sevastopol and completely clearing the Crimea of ​​the Germans. “Red Crimea” also took part in the landing in Feodosia. Initially, he was tasked with shelling the city, identifying German firing points, and then keeping the Kerch-Feodosia road under fire in order to prevent the Germans from transferring reinforcements to Kerch.

On December 26, “Red Crimea” shelled Feodosia, but was unable to identify enemy batteries. On December 27, he returned to Novorossiysk. The next day, having received a landing party (2,000 soldiers and officers of the 9th Rifle Corps), “Red Crimea” went to Feodosia. Arriving at its destination on December 29, the cruiser stood close to the shore and opened fire on German positions in the port, while boats and longboats were transporting troops. German guns and mortars returned fire, and the cruiser was under fire for over two hours. During this time, 8 shells and 3 mines hit the ship - 18 people from the crew and landing party were killed and 45 wounded, three 130-mm guns and a 45-mm cannon were out of action. A fire broke out on the cruiser several times, but the competent actions of the emergency crews prevented the flames from spreading. The cruiser's return fire destroyed two batteries and destroyed several machine-gun nests on the shore (Red Crimea's gunners spent 318 130-mm and 680 45-mm shells).

After the landing, the cruiser weighed anchor and began to move south, deep into the Gulf of Feodosia. At that moment he was attacked by German aircraft. Due to skillful maneuvering and massive anti-aircraft fire, direct hits from air bombs were avoided, but close explosions damaged the seal of the hull. Water began to flow into the stern ballast tanks - however, the damage turned out to be harmless. On December 30, “Red Crimea” maneuvered in the Feodosia Gulf, repelling attacks by German aircraft. In total, that day 15 air raids were carried out on the cruiser in groups of 2–3 aircraft. The attacks were repelled using all possible means, including firing shrapnel shells from main caliber guns. Intense anti-aircraft fire and active maneuvering made it possible to avoid hits (only a few bombs fell near the cruiser). On December 31, “Red Crimea” returned to Tuapse.

"Red Crimea" - light cruiser of the USSR Navy. When laid down, the cruiser was given the name "Svetlana", in honor of the cruiser of the same name, who died heroically on May 28, 1905 in the Battle of Tsushima. She was the lead ship in a series of light cruisers

Russian Imperial Navy.

He took part in battles as part of the Black Sea Fleet during the Great Patriotic War, and was awarded the title of Guards Ship.

The decision to build a new series of light cruisers for the Russian Navy was made on the basis of the enhanced shipbuilding program for 1912 - 1916, adopted at a meeting of the State Defense Commission in June 1912.
Naval Minister I.K. Grigorovich and the outstanding Russian and Soviet shipbuilder A.N. Krylov, who then held the position of chief inspector of shipbuilding and chairman of the Marine Technical Committee, took an active part in promoting the program and its allocations.

Orders for the construction of a series of four light cruisers for the Baltic Fleet were placed at the production facilities of the Russian-Baltic Shipbuilding and Mechanical Joint Stock Company (light cruisers Svetlana and Admiral Greig) and the Putilov shipyard (light cruisers Admiral Spiridov and Admiral Butakov").
One of the main requirements of the Main Directorate of Shipbuilding was the complete unification of all ships of the project intended for the Baltic Fleet.
As a result of numerous changes and corrections to the projects of the Putilov and Revel shipyards, it was finally possible to achieve almost complete identity of these projects.

On November 25, 1912, the Revel plant of the Russian-Baltic Shipbuilding and Mechanical Joint Stock Company submitted a project for a light cruiser with a displacement of 6,650 tons and a speed of 29.5 knots to the Maritime Ministry. The project was reviewed and approved by the Minister of the Navy on December 18, 1912.
Until the end of 1912, the plant submitted to the Naval Ministry diagrams of armor and artillery placement, a diagram of firing angles, drawings of artillery cellars, cost calculations and delivery times for armor by the Izhora plant, as well as other documents necessary for concluding a contract.

On February 14, 1913, a contract was signed between the Naval Ministry and the Revel plant. The contract provided for the construction of two light cruisers for the needs of the Baltic Fleet.
On behalf of the customer, the head of the general affairs department, Major General N.M. Sergeev, put his signature on the contract, and on behalf of the contractor, a member of the board of the Russian Society for the manufacture of shells and ammunition, industrial engineer K.M. Sokolovsky.

Revel period of ship construction

On November 24, 1913, in the presence of the Minister of Navy, the laying of the light cruiser "Svetlana" took place, however, due to the unpreparedness of the shipyard and delays in the supply of materials, the actual assembly of the ship on the slipway began only on April 1, 1914.

The construction of the cruiser "Svetlana" was further complicated by Russia's entry into the First World War. A severe blow to the ship's construction time was the cessation of supplies by the German company Vulcan, under whose contract the Svetlana was to be equipped with water-tube boilers and steam turbines.
The shipyard management was forced to reorder equipment; some of the orders for mechanisms were placed in England, and some were placed in already overloaded Russian factories.

Despite the difficulties of wartime, by the beginning of 1915, work on the construction of the cruiser “Svetlana” was intensified. As of October 1915, the readiness of the cruiser "Svetlana" for the hull was 64%, and for the mechanisms - 73%.

By November 1916, boilers and turbines were loaded onto the Svetlana, and their installation began. Testing of almost all water- and oil-tight compartments was also completed.
The overall readiness of the cruiser "Svetlana" at the moment was: hull - 81%, mechanisms - 75%. Basically, pipelines and some auxiliary mechanisms were missing, which were reordered from other factories at the beginning of the war.

By the autumn of 1917, the situation in the Baltic theater of military operations was developing extremely unsuccessfully for the Russian army. The capture of Riga and the islands of the Moonsund archipelago by German troops created real preconditions for the capture of Revel. In connection with the current situation, the Maritime Ministry decided to evacuate unfinished ships and factory equipment from Revel.

By November 13, 1917, all finished and semi-finished products and materials available at that time at the plant and necessary for completing the ship were loaded onto the cruiser “Svetlana”.
In addition, it was decided to load workshop equipment (shipbuilding, foundry, turbine, model and others) onto the cruiser. In total, in accordance with the load sheet, “Svetlana” took on board about 640 tons of various equipment and materials. In the second half of November 1917, the cruiser "Svetlana" was towed to Petrograd for completion at the Admiralty plant.

Completion of the light cruiser "Svetlana" (Profintern)

In the first time after the October Revolution, work was carried out on the cruiser standing at the outfitting wall of the Admiralty Plant. Through the efforts of the management of the Russian-Baltic Shipbuilding and Mechanical Joint Stock Company, the missing equipment was purchased and its installation was carried out.
But at the end of March 1918, in accordance with the resolution of the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR on the demobilization of the military industry, the Naval Ministry decided to stop completing construction of the cruiser Svetlana. For seven years, the cruiser was located near the wall of the Admiralty plant in a mothballed state.
In 1924, the ship was transferred to the Baltic Shipyard for completion.

In November 1924, at the Baltic Shipyard, which at that time was part of the Lengossudotrest structure, a complex of work began on the completion of the light cruiser Svetlana.
During forced long-term storage, the mothballed hull, superstructures, equipment and mechanisms of the cruiser became covered with dirt and rust, and some of the materials, equipment and weapons loaded on board before the evacuation from Revel were lost for various reasons.
Simultaneously with the cleaning of the cruiser from dirt and rust, the development of drawings for a partial modernization of the ship began according to assignments issued by the Directorate of the Red Army Navy.

Considering the shortage of funds allocated by the Supreme Council of National Economy for the completion of the cruiser, the STO decided to complete the ship according to the original design with minor modernization. The modernization mainly concerned the replacement of four 63-mm anti-aircraft guns with nine 75-mm Meller system guns with an elevation angle of 70°, as well as the installation, in addition to two underwater torpedo tubes, of three more three-tube surface torpedo tubes of 450 mm caliber.

As a result of the fact that in the process of partial modernization additional weapons were installed, the number of the cruiser's crew was slightly increased, as well as the weight of some reserves (mine, artillery and skippers, drinking water and provisions), the total displacement of the ship increased to 8170 tons.
With the change in displacement, other basic design shipbuilding characteristics of the cruiser (length along the waterline, draft and some others) also changed.

On February 5, 1925, in accordance with the order of the Naval Forces of the Red Army, the cruiser changed its name to Profintern.

In October 1926, the virtually finished cruiser Profintern moved to Kronstadt to carry out docking and complete outfitting work.
On April 26, 1927, Profintern was presented for surrender. Despite the significant overload, during acceptance tests the ship reached a speed of more than 29 knots with a turbine power of 59,200 horsepower.

Frame

The cruiser had the following main dimensions: maximum length 158.4 meters (at the waterline - 154.8 meters), width with armor and plating 15.35 meters (without plating and armor - 15.1 meters), draft on an even keel 5.58 meters. the height of the ship's freeboard was: at the bow - 7.6 meters, at the midships - 3.4 meters and at the stern - 3.7 meters.

The cruiser's hull was divided into compartments using water- and oil-tight longitudinal and transverse bulkheads. Also, to ensure the unsinkability of the ship, provision was made for the construction of a second bottom throughout the entire hull and a third bottom in its individual sections (mainly in the area of ​​boiler rooms and engine rooms), as well as the placement of a power plant in seven boiler rooms and four turbine waterproof compartments.

Booking

The cruiser's armor protection formed two circuits, based on the principle of invulnerability from damaging factors (shells and fragments) of the artillery of its main opponents - destroyers and light cruisers. The first contour of armor protection limited the space between the sides of the ship and its decks (upper and lower), and the second - between the sides and the lower deck.
The platform that closed the last contour from below was not armored, since it was located below the waterline. The side armor of the secondary circuit of increased thickness protected the vital centers of the ship - boiler rooms and engine rooms. The 25-mm armor belt of the first contour, included in the calculation of the longitudinal strength of the ship's hull and made of sheets of uncemented Krupp steel, had a height of 2.25 meters and ran along the entire length of the ship, covering the side from the upper to the lower deck.
The main armor belt, 75 mm thick, was located lower and also extended almost the entire length of the ship. This belt consisted of cemented slabs of Krupp steel 2.1 meters high.
In the area of ​​the 125th frame, the belt ended with an armored traverse 50 mm thick. The lower part of the main armor belt dropped 1.2 meters below the waterline and rested on the side edges of the platform, and the upper part closed the contour of the lower deck flooring. The flooring of the lower and upper decks had a thickness of 20 mm. The stern valance, starting from the armored beam, was protected by 25 mm armor.

The casings (protective elements) of the cruiser's chimneys from the upper to the lower deck (the first pipe to the forecastle deck) were protected by 20 mm armor.
Above the upper deck, all elevators for supplying ammunition to guns had armor casings made of uncemented Krupp steel 25 mm thick. The conning tower consisted of two tiers and had vertical walls made of 75 mm uncemented Krupp armor, an armored roof and lining 50 mm thick.
Also, the base of the conning tower from the lower part to the upper deck was made from 20 mm uncemented steel. To protect the numerous wires and cables coming from the ship's control devices and artillery fire, as well as telephones installed in the conning tower, a special pipe made of forged gun steel with a wall thickness of 75 mm was provided.

A significant drawback of the reservation, according to the shipbuilding committee of the Ministry of the Navy, was the lack of armor protection for chimneys and boiler casings.

In accordance with the order of July 1, 1928, the light cruiser Profintern was enrolled in the Baltic Sea Naval Forces and raised the naval flag of the USSR.

Power plant

As a power plant, steam turbines of the Curtis - AEG - Vulcan system were installed on the cruiser in accordance with the specification. Serial turbines of this type, produced by the Vulkan plant, had a design forward power of 10,700 horsepower, and an actual power of about 14,000 horsepower in forced speed.
The design rotation speed of the turbines was 650 rpm, and the initial steam pressure in front of the nozzles was 14 kg/cm² (CGS). The reverse turbine, located in a housing separate from the forward turbine, directly adjacent to the forward turbine housing and attached to its rear bottom, developed a power of about 35% of the power of the forward turbine.
All four turbines installed on the cruiser were completely autonomous, representing separate units that acted on their propeller shafts.
Two bow turbines drove the right and left outer shafts, and two aft turbines drove the left and right middle shafts.
This arrangement of turbines ensured high survivability of the ship and power plant, giving the ship good maneuverability, as well as approximately the same length of propeller shafts.
According to the project, the cruiser's turbine installation, with a forward power of 50,000 horsepower, provided a speed of 29.5 knots. In reverse, the turbine power was about 20,000 horsepower.

As a source of steam for the turbines, the cruiser was equipped with four universal and nine oil boilers of the Yarrow-Vulcan type with a working steam pressure of 17.0 kg/cm².
The boilers were installed in seven boiler rooms; in the first boiler room there was one boiler, and in the rest there were two. The total mass of the power plant was 1950 tons.
A normal fuel supply of about 370 - 500 tons of oil and 130 tons of coal provided the cruiser with a sixteen-hour run at a speed of 29.5 knots (470 nautical miles) and a twenty-four-hour run at a speed of 24.0 knots (575 nautical miles).

Electrical equipment

The cruiser's electrical power equipment was represented by a bow power plant, which was located on the platform in the area of ​​frames 25 - 31 and was equipped with two DC diesel generators (diesel dynamo) with a power of 75 kW each and a distribution board that allowed for switching with electricity consumers and control various operating modes of generators.
In the aft part of the ship there was an aft power plant, located on the platform in the area of ​​frames 103 - 108, but it was equipped not with diesel generators, like the bow power plant, but with two DC turbogenerators (turbo dynamo) of higher power - 125 kW each, Here and in the stern, the main switchboard of the stern power plant was located, which performed the same functions as the switchboard of the bow power plant.
The turbines were supplied with fresh steam from the steam line of the auxiliary mechanisms; the exhaust steam was also discharged into the refrigerator of the auxiliary mechanisms. The on-board voltage was 225 volts.

Armament (data as of November 1943)

Artillery

The main caliber consisted of fifteen 130-mm 55-caliber guns (B-7) of the 1913 model. The vertical pointing angle of the guns ranged from −5° to +30°, and horizontal - 360°. Total ammunition - 2625 rounds.

Anti-aircraft artillery included:

three twin 100-mm 47-caliber Minizini guns, Italian-made. One gun was mounted on the forecastle, two on the stern side. The vertical guidance angle of the guns ranged from −5° to +78°, horizontal - 360°. Total ammunition - 1621 rounds.

four semi-automatic 45-mm 46-caliber anti-aircraft guns (21-K), mounted two per side in the rear part of the forecastle between the first and second chimneys. The vertical pointing angle of the guns ranged from −10° to +85°, and horizontal - 360°. Total ammunition - 3050 rounds.

ten automatic 37-mm 62.5-caliber anti-aircraft guns (70-K). The vertical pointing angle of the guns ranged from −10° to +85°, and horizontal - 360°. Total ammunition - 10440 rounds.

two quadruple 12.7-mm Vickers anti-aircraft machine gun mounts, mounted sideways on the aft superstructure. Total ammunition - 24,000 rounds.

four 12.7-mm anti-aircraft machine guns DShK model 1938. Total ammunition - 11930 rounds.

Mine-torpedo and anti-submarine

The cruiser's torpedo armament consisted of two three-tube 533-mm torpedo tubes of the 39-Yu first series. The ammunition consisted of six torpedoes of type 53-38, located in the apparatus.

Anti-submarine weapons were represented by six depth charge scoops of the M-1 type and two depth charge carts of the B-1 type. The stock of bombs was: ten B-1 depth charges and twenty M-1.

As mine armament, the ship could carry up to 90 KB-3 mines or up to 100 sea mines of the 1926 model on the upper deck.

Chemical and anti-chemical

To set up camouflage smoke screens, the cruiser was equipped with DA-2B smoke equipment with a continuous operation time of up to 30 minutes and 30 MDSh-type naval smoke bombs. The supply of smoke substances in the barrels was 860 kilograms.

Anti-chemical protection was provided by three FPK-300 filters; the supply of degassing substances on board was: 2.5 tons of solid chemicals and 300 kilograms of liquid ones. To protect personnel, 582 sets of special protective clothing were provided.

Navigation equipment and communications (data as of November 1943)

The ship's navigational equipment included: five 127-mm magnetic compasses, a Kurs-II gyrocompass of mark X, an MS-2 echo sounder and a Thomson mechanical lot, as well as a log of the GO M-3 type.

The communications equipment consisted of: two Raid transceivers and one RB-38; Radio transmitters “Shkval-M”, “Breeze”, “Uragan” and two transmitters “Bukhta”; Radio receivers KUB-4 (1 set), 45-PK-1 (3 sets) and “Dozor” (3 sets). Crew

As of November 1943, the crew of the light cruiser "Red Crimea" consisted of 48 officers, 148 foremen and 656 ordinary Red Navy men - a total of 852 people.

Cruiser upgrades

In 1929, as a result of a minor modernization, the cruiser Profintern was equipped to receive and transport seaplanes.
The launching and lifting of the aircraft was carried out by a specially installed crane beam, which was located on the waist between the second and third pipes above the aircraft platform. In addition, the ship's stern torpedo tube, located on the poop, was dismantled.

In 1930, shortly after arriving in Sevastopol, the cruiser Profintern was equipped with another pair of three-tube 450 mm torpedo tubes, installed on the upper deck side by side on special sponsons.

1935 - 1938 - major repairs and modernization. As a result of the work carried out, the cruiser's anti-aircraft weapons underwent the greatest changes. In particular, 100-mm anti-aircraft guns of the Minizini system were installed on the cruiser, replacing the partially dismantled 75-mm anti-aircraft guns of the 1928 model, semi-automatic 45-mm anti-aircraft guns 21-K, and DShK anti-aircraft machine guns.
The cruiser's torpedo armament was also completely modernized: instead of four three-tube 450 mm torpedo tubes, two new three-tube 533 mm torpedo tubes were installed and the underwater traverse torpedo tubes were dismantled. The main boilers of the power plant were also modernized - all switched to liquid fuel.

During repairs that took place in the summer of 1941, the ship was equipped with demagnetizing windings of the LFTI system.

At the end of 1941, instead of the rear pair of 21-K guns, 12.7-mm Vickers anti-aircraft machine gun mounts were installed.

During repairs in 1943 - 1944, the anti-aircraft weapons of the cruiser "Red Crimea" underwent minor modernization. The remaining 45 mm 21-K guns were removed and two 37 mm 70-K machine guns were installed.

In addition to all of the above facts of modernization on the ship, during the process of repairs and operation, the location and number of combat artillery and mine posts, rangefinders, searchlights, as well as the appearance and height of the masts changed.

Service history

Ship's service from 1928 to 1941

In August 1929, warships of the Soviet Baltic Fleet visited Germany for the first time. Two cruisers, Profintern and Aurora, visited the port of Swinemünde.

This action, being then the first for warships of the USSR, which was getting out of the impasse of foreign political isolation and therefore gave it political significance, was successful.

At the end of 1929, in order to provide the crews with good seamanship and extend the training period, the Navy command decided to send a detachment of ships on a long voyage in winter storms.
The Practical Detachment of the Baltic Sea Naval Forces, consisting of the battleship Paris Commune and the cruiser Profintern, went on a long voyage.
The detachment had to go from Kronstadt through the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea to Naples and back. The commander of the brigade of battleships of the Baltic Sea, L. M. Galler, was appointed commander of the detachment.

Having left the Great Kronstadt roadstead on November 22, 1929, the ships of the detachment passed through the autumn Baltic and the Danish Straits without incident.
In the North Sea, due to an error in the calculations of mechanics who did not take into account the difference in salinity of water in the North and Baltic seas, boilers on ships boiled. Having eliminated the malfunctions and received fuel in the area of ​​​​Cape Barfleur, the detachment headed to the Bay of Biscay.
Having found itself in a severe 10-11 point storm in the Bay of Biscay, the cruiser Profintern received severe damage to the hull, as a result of which the detachment commander decided to go to the nearest port of Brest for repairs. Having carried out repair work on the Profintern in Brest and replenished supplies on December 4 - 7, 1929, a detachment of ships went to sea, where they again found themselves in a severe 11-point storm.
Under the blows of the waves, the bow section of the battleship Paris Commune collapsed and the detachment commander decided to return to Brest. From December 10 to 26, the ships were in Brest due to an incessant storm.

Leaving Brest, rounding Cape San Vincent and passing Gibraltar, the detachment of ships headed for Sardinia. From January 6 to 8, 1930, the cruiser Profintern and the battleship Paris Commune were on a business visit to Cagliari, and from January 9 to 14 in Naples, where the ships were visited by A. M. Gorky.

After the detachment left Naples, taking into account the damage to the ships, which had not been fully repaired, and the fatigue of the crews, the Navy command decided to send them to Sevastopol for thorough repairs.
On January 18, 1930, having covered 6,269 nautical miles in 57 days, the cruiser Profintern and the battleship Paris Commune dropped anchor in the Sevastopol roadstead. It was decided not to return the cruiser and battleship that had completed their long voyage to the Baltic, but to include them in the Black Sea Naval Forces in order to strengthen them.

In October 1933, the cruiser Profintern paid a visit to Turkey.

From 1935 to 1938, the cruiser underwent major repairs and modernization at the Sevastopol Marine Plant named after S. Ordzhonikidze.

Combat path during the Great Patriotic War

On the eve of the Great Patriotic War, a tactical reorganization of the USSR Black Sea Fleet was carried out. As a result of the reorganization, large surface ships were united into a squadron based in Sevastopol and including the battleship Paris Commune, a detachment of light forces and a brigade of cruisers. The cruiser "Red Crimea" was included in the brigade of cruisers. Together with the Red Crimea, the brigade included the light cruisers Red Caucasus and Chervona Ukraine, as well as the 1st division of Novik-class destroyers and the 2nd division of Gnevny-class destroyers.

On June 22, 1941, the cruiser “Red Crimea” met at the Sevastopol Marine Plant named after S. Ordzhonikidze, where it had been under repair since May. In connection with the outbreak of hostilities, repair work on the cruiser was accelerated and by the second half of August the ship entered service.

After leaving repairs, “Red Crimea” almost immediately began to carry out its combat missions. On August 22, 1941, a detachment of ships consisting of the cruiser Krasny Krym and the destroyers Frunze and Dzerzhinsky arrived to help besieged Odessa.
The ships delivered reinforcements to Odessa, consisting of the 1st detachment of volunteer sailors in the amount of 600 people and the 2nd detachment of volunteer sailors in the amount of 700 people. After unloading the troops, a detachment of ships shelled the advancing units of the 15th Romanian Infantry Division in the areas of settlements named after. Sverdlov and Chabanka.

In mid-September 1941, the command of the Odessa defensive region, with the participation of senior officers of the Black Sea Fleet, developed a plan for a counterattack in the Odessa area.
As one of the components of the operation, it was planned to land a tactical landing force of up to one regiment in the area of ​​​​the village of Grigoryevka, located 16 kilometers from the front line. Transportation and fire support for the landing force, consisting of the 3rd Black Sea Marine Regiment, was carried out by a detachment of ships consisting of the cruisers “Red Crimea”, “Red Caucasus”, destroyers “Boikiy”, “Impeccable” and “Besposhchadny”.
On September 21, 1941, at 13:30, the cruiser "Red Crimea", with more than a thousand paratroopers on board, as part of a detachment of landing ships, left Sevastopol in the direction of Odessa. On the night of September 23, while simultaneously carrying out artillery shelling of the bridgehead, the ships carried out a landing.
At 4 o'clock in the morning, having completed the landing, the cruisers left for Sevastopol. The landing forces of the troops carrying out the counterattack successfully completed their combat mission.
On September 23, 1941, all personnel who participated in the operation were thanked by the Military Council of the Odessa Defense Region.

Unable to withstand the attacks of the German army in the Perekop-Ishun positions, Soviet troops at the end of October 1941 were forced to retreat to Sevastopol and the Kerch Peninsula. On October 30, 1941, the advanced units of the 11th German Army under Colonel General Manstein reached the near approaches to Sevastopol. Considering the danger of sinking large ships of the Black Sea Fleet based in Sevastopol, the fleet command decided to relocate the squadron to Novorossiysk and Poti.
On the night of November 1, 1941, the main detachment of ships left Sevastopol. To solve operational problems and provide artillery support to the troops of the first and second defense sectors located in the south of the Sevastopol defensive region, the cruisers "Red Crimea", "Chervona Ukraine" and several destroyers were abandoned and dispersed throughout the bays of Sevastopol.

On December 21, 1941, during the second offensive of German troops on Sevastopol, the cruiser "Red Crimea", among a detachment of ships of the squadron, delivered to the city an important reinforcement for the defending Soviet military units - soldiers of the 79th Marine Rifle Brigade.

In November - December 1941, in the battles for Sevastopol, the cruiser "Red Crimea" conducted 18 artillery firing.

On December 28 - 30, "Red Crimea" took an active part in the Kerch-Feodosia landing operation. Having landed a detachment of paratroopers loaded on it with the help of longboats, the ship provided fire support for the landing troops. In total, during the landing operation, the cruiser "Red Crimea" was subjected to eleven air attacks, and as a result of artillery shelling, eleven shells and mines hit the ship.

On January 15-25, 1942, as part of a detachment of landing ships, the cruiser "Red Crimea" transported and landed troops that were part of the second and third landings in the Sudak area.

From January to June 1942, the cruiser "Red Crimea" delivered military supplies and reinforcements to Sevastopol, making a total of 98 voyages together with other ships of the Black Sea Fleet.
During the same period of time, the cruiser, along with other ships [approx. 3] The Black Sea Fleet provided fire support for the Sevastopol defensive region. In total, artillery strikes were carried out for a total of 64 days, and on some days fire was opened several times.

For the courage shown in the battles for the Fatherland with the German invaders, for perseverance, courage, discipline and organization, for the heroism of the personnel, the crew of the cruiser "Red Crimea" is awarded the title "Guards".

After the capture of Sevastopol by the Wehrmacht and the defeat of the group of Soviet troops on the Kerch Peninsula, the main focus of military operations in the Black Sea moved to the area of ​​the Caucasian coast of the USSR. The military confrontation that took place in the summer of 1942 and the winter of 1942 - 1943 in the area of ​​the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus and the basins of the Don and Kuban rivers was called the Battle of the Caucasus.

At the beginning of August 1942, there was a threat of a breakthrough by German troops in the Novorossiysk direction. In this regard, the ships of the Black Sea Fleet began the evacuation of Novorossiysk. Over the course of a month, the cruiser Krasny Krym and the destroyer Nezamozhnik transported more than 10,000 people and over 1,000 tons of cargo to Tuapse.

In the second half of October 1942, as part of a detachment of ships of the fleet, the cruiser "Red Crimea" participated in the transfer of the 8th and 9th Guards Rifle Brigades from Poti to Tuapse. The transfer of these units made it possible to stop the advance of Wehrmacht troops in the Tuapse area and stabilize the front line.

During the period of defense of the Caucasus from July to December 1942, the ships of the squadron, which included the “Red Crimea,” transported 47,848 soldiers and commanders of the Soviet Army with weapons and about 1 thousand tons of military cargo. On November 5, 1944, “Red Crimea” fires an artillery salute at the entrance to the Sevastopol roadstead.

On February 3 - 4, 1943, the cruiser "Red Crimea" was part of a group of ships covering the amphibious assault in the Stanichka-Yuzhnaya Ozereyka operational area.

In October 1943, the cruiser was sent for repairs in Batumi, which continued until the end of the summer of 1944.

On November 5, 1944, the cruiser "Red Crimea" was given the high honor of leading a squadron of warships of the Black Sea Fleet returning to Sevastopol. At the entrance to the Northern Bay, the cruiser's artillery fired the first salute shot. A flag signal was raised on the masts of the ships of the formation: “Greetings from the winners to the undefeated Sevastopol.”

In total, during the war years, the cruiser "Red Crimea" completed 58 combat missions. The cruiser's crew carried out 52 artillery fires on the positions of German troops, which probably destroyed 4 batteries, 3 ammunition depots and up to an infantry regiment. The ship transported more than 20 thousand personnel, wounded and evacuated citizens of Sevastopol.
During the landing operations, about 10 thousand people were landed on the shore as part of the landing forces. The cruiser's anti-aircraft artillery repelled over two hundred attacks by enemy aircraft.

In the post-war years

On May 31, 1949, the cruiser "Red Crimea" was reorganized into a training cruiser, on May 7, 1957 - into an experimental vessel and renamed "OS-20", on March 18, 1958 it was turned into a floating barracks "PKZ-144".

In July 1959, the ship was removed from the lists of Navy vessels and handed over to the OFI for dismantling for metal. According to some reports, the ship was sunk in the late 50s while testing new types of weapons.

Memory of the cruiser "Red Crimea"

On July 30, 1983, on the day of the celebration of the bicentenary of the Black Sea Fleet, a memorial sign was erected in the center of the Feodosia Gulf, dedicated to the sailors of the cruisers “Red Crimea” and “Red Caucasus” who died during the landing in Feodosia and were buried at sea. The memorial sign is made in the form of a buoy with a plate containing information about this event.

The name “Red Crimea” was assigned to the Project 61 BOD, which was part of the Black Sea Fleet from 1970 to 1993.

Cruiser "Red Crimea" TTD: Displacement: 7999 tons. Dimensions: length - 158.4 m, width - 15.4 m, draft - 5.7 m. Maximum speed: 29 knots. Cruising range: 1200 miles at 14 knots. Powerplant: 46,300 hp Reservation: side - 76 mm, deckhouse - 76/50 mm, deck 25 mm. Armament: 15x1 130 mm (9 deck, 6 casemate), 3x2 100 mm guns, 10x1 37 mm anti-aircraft guns, 7x12.7 mm machine guns; 2x3 533 mm torpedo tubes, 2 bomb launchers, 30 depth charges, 100 anchor mines. Crew: 852 people. History of the ship: On November 11, 1913, the new cruiser “Svetlana” was laid down in Reval. Launched on November 8, 1915. But the outbreak of the First World War disrupted the construction of the ship, and it was not possible to complete it before the end of hostilities. Due to the threat of the capture of Revel (Tallinn) by the German army, the Svetlana had to be towed to Petrograd at the end of 1917, where it was planned to commission it in 1919. However, the increasingly deteriorating economic situation and the collapse of industry made these plans unfeasible. After the end of the civil war, when the question of reviving the navy arose, the fate of the unfinished ship was determined. According to the outlines of the naval program, it took several months to commission this ship, but this is in the case of favorable conditions associated with successes in the restoration of shipbuilding and related enterprises. In November 1924, “Svetlana” was transferred to the wall of the Baltic Shipyard. On February 5, 1925, by order of the Naval Forces of the Red Army, the cruiser was given a new name “Profintern”. The ship was completed according to the original design with partial modernization. The obsolete 63-mm guns were replaced with nine 75-mm anti-aircraft guns with a high elevation angle and their ammunition was increased. Three 3-tube rotating 450-mm torpedo tubes were installed on the poop. The cruiser was assigned a reconnaissance seaplane. To place it, a special platform was equipped between the 2nd and 3rd pipes. A crane was installed to lift the aircraft and lower it into the water. As a result, the ship's displacement increased slightly. But, despite this, during testing the cruiser reached a speed of over 29 knots. On July 1, 1928, Profintern was enlisted in the Baltic Sea Naval Forces and raised the naval flag. The busy school days began. In those years, Baltic Fleet ships “opened the sailing season” in May. Alone and as part of squads, they walked around the Gulf of Finland, performing various evolutions, artillery and torpedo firing, repelling “attacks” of submarines, etc. The training ended with general naval autumn maneuvers. From December to April, ice bound the Marquis Puddle. The ships spent the winter in Kronstadt harbors or at the berths of Leningrad factories. In 1929, in order to extend the training period and give the crews good seamanship practice, it was decided to make a long voyage in winter storms. The MSBM Practical Detachment, consisting of the battleship Paris Commune and the cruiser Profmntern, was on the campaign. Experienced sailor L.M. Galler was appointed commander of the detachment. The cruiser was commanded by A. A. Kuznetsov. The detachment had to go from Kronstadt through the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea to Naples and back. The call was planned only to Naples, and the ships had to refuel several times from transports at sea. Considering that returning to the Baltic could be difficult due to ice conditions, the possibility of returning the detachment to Murmansk was envisaged. On November 22, the ships left the Great Kronstadt Roadstead. Having safely passed the autumn Baltic, the detachment anchored in the Nile Bay late in the evening of November 24. Having taken fuel from the transports, we continued our hike a day later. Most sailors saw the shores of Langeland, Belt, and Kattegat for the first time. We passed the infamous Skagen and entered the North Sea. This is where the first troubles began. The mechanics did not take into account the difference in salinity of the Baltic and ocean waters, and the boilers on the ships boiled. I had to anchor. Having fixed the problem, we continued our hike. Having passed the English Channel, the ships on November 30 at the Barfleur lighthouse met with the transports that had gone ahead. The ocean wave rocked ships and transports, which significantly complicated the reception of fuel. To avoid denting the sides and breaking the hoses, the ships were constantly working with machines. Several times, when the wind got stronger, loading was stopped. This operation lasted two days. Exhausted crews awaited new challenges. The Bay of Biscay met the ships with a fierce storm. When the detachment was sailing against the wind, the Profintern, which had a high forecastle, easily entered the wave. But, unfortunately, the general course forced the ships to go lagging towards the wave. The cruiser's roll reached 34°. Reducing the stroke didn't help either. The riveted seams of the hull were torn apart by the impacts of giant waves on the “Profitern”. Water began to flow into the boiler rooms. Trouble does not come alone - the sump pump has failed. The detachment commander was forced to make a decision to enter the nearest port. On December 4, having made a salute of nations, the ships entered the outer roadstead of Brest. The cruiser's crew began repairs on their own. And the storm kept getting worse. Even on the roadstead the wind reached 10 points. Standing on two anchors, Profintern continuously worked with “small forward” turbines. Two days later the repairs were completed. French tugs brought an oil barge alongside. But it was not possible to completely replenish the fuel supply - the hoses tore in the excitement. The ships again sailed into the Bay of Biscay. The storm reached hurricane force - winds up to 12 points, waves 10 meters high and 100 meters long. The cruiser's roll reached 40°. All boats were destroyed. When the bow of the battleship collapsed under the blows of the waves, the detachment commander decided to return to Brest. On December 10, the detachment again came to the Brest roadstead. The battleship moved to an internal roadstead for repairs. Anchoring in an open roadstead provided only a short rest for the exhausted sailors. The fact is that local authorities did not allow the teams to be sent ashore. Commanders could only go to the city on business visits. Two weeks later, the repair of the battleship was completed and the ships were ready for the voyage, but due to the incessant storm, the departure was postponed. Only on December 26 the detachment left Brest, now for good. The Bay of Biscay was finally left astern; Having rounded Cape San Vincent, the ships headed for Gibraltar. Having met the year 1930 at sea, the detachment arrived at Kaljarn Bay in Sardinia on January 1. Transports with fuel and water were already waiting here. On January 6, permission was received to enter the harbor of Cagliari and dismiss the teams ashore. For the first time in a month and a half, the sailors could feel solid ground under their feet. The next day, a football match between the city team and the Profinterna team was organized. On January 8, the ships left hospitable Cagliari, and the next day they arrived in Naples - the final goal of the campaign. A delegation of sailors traveled to Sorrento, where M. Gorky lived at that time, and on January 13, the writer visited the ships and spoke to the crew. The detachment's command understood that it would not be easy for damaged ships with tired crews to make their way back across the stormy Atlantic to the Kola Peninsula. Haller sent a telegram to Moscow asking for permission to go to the Black Sea, where he would make major repairs and return to Kronstadt in the spring. But there was no answer. At 10 o'clock on January 14, the ships left the harbor of Naples and headed for Gibraltar, and at that time the long-awaited response from Moscow was received. The go-ahead to enter Sevastopol was received. The Mediterranean and Aegean seas were passed, the ships entered the Dardanelles. On the morning of January 17, the minarets of Constantinople appeared ahead of us. The crews of the ships froze along the sides. Residents of the Turkish capital greet them from the shore. At noon the detachment entered the Black Sea. Met by Black Sea destroyers, the Paris Commune and Profintern entered Sevastopol on January 18, 1930. The campaign, which demonstrated the good seamanship of the sailors of the young Soviet fleet, has ended. In 57 days the ships covered 6269 miles. It was decided not to return the cruiser (like the battleship) to the Baltic, but to include it in the Black Sea Naval Forces. In the 30s, Profintern underwent modernization, during which anti-aircraft artillery was strengthened. Instead of 75 mm guns, three twin 100 mm guns and six 45 mm guns were installed. Both torpedo tubes were moved to the waist. On August 21, 1941, having received fuel and ammunition, the Red Crimea, guarded by the destroyers Frunze and Dzerzhinsky, headed for the front line in Odessa. 462 main caliber shells were fired at the enemy. There, near Odessa, the ship took part in the landing of the first landing force on the Black Sea. In the fierce battles for Sevastopol, "Red Crimea" in November - December 1941 conducted 18 artillery fires. The fleet command highly appreciated the actions of the Red Crimea artillerymen; many of them were awarded high state awards. During the war years, the cruiser "Red Crimea" under the command of Captain 1st Rank A.I. Zubkov completed 58 combat missions. The cruiser conducted 52 artillery fire on the positions of German troops, destroying 4 batteries, 3 ammunition depots and up to an infantry regiment, transported more than 20 thousand personnel, wounded and evacuated citizens of Sevastopol, landed about 10 thousand people ashore as part of landing forces, repelled over two hundred aircraft attacks. On June 18, 1942, the cruiser was awarded the Guards rank. When the Black Sea Fleet squadron returned to Sevastopol in November 1944, the "Red Crimea" was given the honor of being the first to enter the main base of the fleet. In November 1954, the ship was reorganized into a training cruiser, on May 7, 1957 - into an experimental vessel and renamed "OS- 20", on March 18, 1958, turned into a floating barracks "PKZ-144". In July 1959, the cruiser "Red Crimea" was excluded from the lists of ships of the Navy. This ship was commanded at different times by: - ​​captain 2nd rank / captain 1st rank Zubkov A.I. (06/22/1941 - 04/16/1944); - captain 1st rank P.A. Melnikov (04/16/1944 - 05/09/1945).