sovjet Gunboats on the Dnjepr

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Gastolli
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sovjet Gunboats on the Dnjepr

#1

Post by Gastolli » 17 Jun 2010, 23:06

Hello,

a german tank veteran (from Pz.Rgt. 15, 11. Pz.Div.) I have interview recently recalled, that in 1941 they are ordered to attack some sovjet River-Gunboats on Dnjepr-River. They had some Pz IV (7,5 kurz) and 1 or 2 assault guns available.

They were able to find the gunboats hiding behind an Island in the river and shot them until they were aflame, he thinks it were 5 (?) Gunboats, one of them was an ammunition-ship which blew up.

Some days later while on the eastern bank of the Dnjepr, they saw these vessels still there, partly foundered and burnt.

Searching the Internet I think that that should have happened at the End of August 1941 near Gornostaipol, after the gunboats were able to destroy the big bridge over the Dnjepr.

Anyone of you know this incident from russian books?

Thanks for your help.

Oliver

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Dr. Fritzsche
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Re: sovjet Gunboats on the Dnjepr

#2

Post by Dr. Fritzsche » 18 Jun 2010, 00:48

Sorry for the quality of translation.
Translated from the dictionary.


Dnieper Flotilla

That describes the defense of Kiev in 1941, Alexander Bald Ph.D. in History, Associate Professor of History of the Military Humanitarian Institute of the National Academy of Defense of Russia, the captain 1 rank in retirement:

"Immortal fame in the defense of Kiev in July - August in 1941, has covered itself with sailors Dnieper (Pinsk, admin) Flotilla. In the early days of the war a sizable force of German troops, using their advantage in the directions of the main attacks, exploded in Kiev. Rivers Dnieper basin, as water barriers have become the scene of fierce fighting. substantial role Dneprovskoy (Pinsk, admin) Flotilla in defense operations of the Southwestern Front, which was quickly subordinated.
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Flotilla (Commander - Rear-Admiral DD Rogachev, Chief of Staff - the captain II rank GI Brahman, the commander of the Kiev military port, the deputy of the Supreme Council of Russia, - the captain II rank SS Stepanov) from the first days of the war together with the ground forces entered into combat with the enemy on the Pripyat and the Dnieper. Meanwhile in Kiev, Dnepropetrovsk, Chernigov and Gomel were encouraged to mobilize the transport ships, which rearmed at Dnipro plants, turning over an unprecedented short time in warships. When there was a threat to break the enemy's Dnieper flotilla consisted of more than 100 warships and support vessels, which were to protect the borders of the Dnieper. The structure of the fleet consisted of: 9 Monitor, 8 gunboats, 9 patrol ships, 16 armored, 10 patrol boats, 14 boats, 20 minesweepers, gliders, 6 self-propelled mobile offshore bases, antiaircraft artillery battalion, a company of marines, and other parts.
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Flotilla (Commander - Rear-Admiral DD Rogachev, Chief of Staff - the captain II rank GI Brahman, the commander of the Kiev military port, the deputy of the Supreme Council of Russia, - the captain II rank SS Stepanov) from the first days of the war together with the ground forces entered into combat with the enemy on the Pripyat and the Dnieper. Meanwhile in Kiev, Dnepropetrovsk, Chernigov and Gomel were encouraged to mobilize the transport ships, which rearmed at Dnipro plants, turning over an unprecedented short time in warships. When there was a threat to break the enemy's Dnieper flotilla consisted of more than 100 warships and support vessels, which were to protect the borders of the Dnieper. The structure of the fleet consisted of: 9 Monitor, 8 gunboats, 9 patrol ships, 16 armored, 10 patrol boats, 14 boats, 20 minesweepers, gliders, 6 self-propelled mobile offshore bases, antiaircraft artillery battalion, a company of marines, and other parts.
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Fire ships headed to the native. s.Mezhdurechye Kanev District (area) Lt. AV Videnko. His adjustment post was placed in combat formations front edge of the defense of our parts. Barrage the concentrated fire of the ships emptied battle formations of hostile forces who attacked, tommy cut off from the tanks and armored vehicles destroyed, and our soldiers. Throughout the day was repulsed by more than twenty enemy attacks. The Nazis took two days to resume the offensive on Tripillya.
Focusing tanks and armored vehicles, 2 August the Germans again launched an offensive against Tripillya. At a critical moment in the battle, when the Nazis avoided correcting the post, Andrew Videnko, causing fire to himself, continued to give instructions on the radio ships and organized a perimeter defense. His group, which consisted of 7 men, destroyed dozens of enemy machine gunners, not stopping the correction of fire, until the attacks. At the end of the battle came down transmitter, stopped communication with ships. Everyone thought that Andrew Videnko died, but he managed to return with his team on board with the prisoners by the Nazis.
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Armored Dnieper (Pinsk) fleet BKA31 ... ...

The courage displayed sailor gunboat "Faithful". Aug. 12 near Cherkassy they clashed with dozens of German tanks, which came to the right bank of the Dnieper on Tarasovna - Mudrivka. Lieutenant O. Terekhin, skillfully maneuvering the ship, led accurate fire on the enemy with cannon of all calibers. During this intense four-hour battle was twice shot down the flag ship, but every time he climbed to a new location, the crew of "True" courageously continued boy.Matros Zadorozhnyi Jacob was left alone near the antiaircraft guns, three of them acted without sacrificing rate of fire on Nazi tanks . From a strong overheating denied automatic ejection shells. Jacob Zadorozhnyi continued removing their hands, ignoring the pain in the burned, blisters, hands. Brave sailor remained at his post, without stopping the fire, to the end of the battle. With no less courageous fighting and other sailors of the Faithful ", the Germans lost more than ten tanks. Sailors - dniprovtsy emerged from this battle victorious.

While this is all we could find.
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Re: sovjet Gunboats on the Dnjepr

#3

Post by Gastolli » 18 Jun 2010, 09:55

Thank you Dr. Fritzsche!

I will ask him again on my next visit tomorrow, so I'm off a few days!

Oliver

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Re: sovjet Gunboats on the Dnjepr

#4

Post by Dr. Fritzsche » 18 Jun 2010, 12:10

Glad to help!
I'll try to give more information.
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Re: sovjet Gunboats on the Dnjepr

#5

Post by Gastolli » 26 Jun 2010, 23:27

I can only add, that my veteran thinks this fight took place near the meeting point of the rivers Pripjet and Dnjepr, in the book of Pz.Rgt. 15 on a very small chart (page 168) you can see 2 islands in this area.

From google earth it seems to me that there are much more small islands around there, so I'm not sure were to place this fight, maybe it was in the Chernobyl area. I also have no detailed chart available :(

He said that the 5 gunboats were laying behind the second island while the ammunition ship was a little bit up river.

He also recalled an PK-man was involved with the Sturmgeschütze and an radio broadcast was aired later (this was told to him, he didn't hear this broadcast himself).

That's all I can add from his memory, after nearly 69 years...

Oliver

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TISO
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Re: sovjet Gunboats on the Dnjepr

#6

Post by TISO » 01 Jul 2010, 00:53

Does anyone have the drawings/plans for this little BKA's or link to them?
They look rather interesting

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Re: sovjet Gunboats on the Dnjepr

#7

Post by AVV » 01 Jul 2010, 21:29

Good evening, Tiso!
There will be an issue of Russian naval history magazine Морская Коллекция dedicated to these gunboats in July. Here are previews of several pages.
Best regards, Aleks
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Re: sovjet Gunboats on the Dnjepr

#8

Post by igorr » 02 Jul 2010, 05:53

Two BKA (Nrs. 301 and 304) was sunk by German artillery near Antonowka, while moving in Kachovka area to strike against river crossing. It was on 3/9/41.
Four more BKA's were destroyed by crews to avoiding capture near Blagoweschenskoe on 18/9/41.
This is all soviet warships losses in Dnjepr. There was some barges/tugs additionally.

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Re: sovjet Gunboats on the Dnjepr

#9

Post by TISO » 02 Jul 2010, 10:42

Thanks for the tip on this issue AVV.
I did a bit of searching on BK-2 type and got an old Modelist-Konstruktor article from 1984 (No.4) with drawings:
http://hobbyport.ru/ships/bk_2.htm

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Re: sovjet Gunboats on the Dnjepr

#10

Post by Dr. Fritzsche » 10 Jul 2010, 01:20

There were six monitors - "river cruiser, named after the lost sailors - the heroes of the Civil War. Defending the motherland, monitors "Pearl", "Martynov," "Rostovtsev", "Flyagin" and "Levachev" perished heroically on the Dnieper River and its tributaries in brutal battles with the enemy in the first months of WWII. Destiny "Zheljeznyakova was a ...
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On the day of Germany's attack on our country "Zheleznyakov" was in high alert in the Danube Flotilla. In 4 hours 15 minutes 22 June, he made the first salvo by the Nazis who fired on the ship. In the first fierce battle that lasted almost all day, was destroyed by artillery monitor one of the batteries and shot down enemy aircraft.

Dozens of heated battles with enemy tanks, aircraft and artillery passed the ship, acting on the Danube, and from all came out the winner. When the enemy occupied the left bank of the river and entered an order flotilla to fight break out in Odessa, "Zheleznyakov" along with other ships left Ishmael and through the curtain of fire went into the Black Sea, destroying clusters of enemy forces.

Built specifically for action in shallow rivers, the monitor was often deep raids into the rear of the enemy and powerful artillery strikes destroyed the ferry, pillboxes, and accumulations of troops and combat materiel. Elusive called "Zheljeznyakova." And this is true. In what would be hot battles nor had involved the ship, he always came back with a victory.

After fighting in the Dnieper-Bug estuary, the spacecraft entered the Sea of Azov, where he was included in a separate unit of the Don Azov Flotilla. In the summer of 1942 in the lower reaches of the Don and Kuban again resounded military glory "Zheljeznyakova."

In the southern portion of the estuary "Zheleznyakov under the command of Senior Lieutenant AE Kharchenko heroically fought against the Nazi artillery and mortar batteries, tanks, infantry and aviation, defense, one of the most important bases of the Azov Flotilla Temryuk. After fierce fighting, the latest from the Kuban region of the Kerch Strait broke Monitor Zheleznyakov and minesweeping boats № 581. Neither the fire of enemy guns, no raids, no sand shoals and sandbanks, the storms were unable to prevent the entry of seamen in the open sea.

When the storm tossed ship on the shore, its crew for three days and close up the holes, removed the damage and continued the march.

Prior to September 1944 stood at the monitor repairs in Poti. He then headed towards the mouth of the Danube, where he waited for new battles. Prior to victory in May 1945 "Zheleznyakov" participated in the fighting in the restored Danube Flotilla, providing fire support to the Red Army in their great international mission of liberating the peoples Danube countries.

More than forty thousand miles walked monitor along the banks of the Danube, the Dnieper, Southern Bug, Don, Kuban, the Black and Azov Seas during the war. Thirteen of artillery and mortar batteries, two warehouses with ammunition, four battalions of infantry of the enemy were destroyed his artillery.

At present, Zheleznyakov ", mounted on a pedestal near the Dnieper, is honorable service as a ship-monuments and museums. On the glorious traditions of this ship is brought up our youth.

Full displacement 263 tons, normal - 230 m, length 51,2 m, width 8,2 m, draft 0,9 m, capacity 140 liters of diesel engines. pp.; speed of 8.3 knots, cruising range of 3700 miles. Armament: 2102 mm, 3 45 mm and 2 37-mm guns and 3 12.7-mm machine gun. Crew 72.
---------------------------------------------------
Here is information on this ship.
Image
Biography of the legendary ship is not least the man whose name he bore. It was in 1936. On the eve of the 19 th anniversary of the October Kiev shipyard "Lenin's smithy" for water was hauled down river armored artillery vehicle. In a word - Monitor. He was given the name of the Baltic sailors, members of the Great October Socialist Revolution, Civil War hero Anatolia Zheljeznyakova. 6 November, the ship was hoisted the flag of the Navy. From that day, and began his military life.
In 1940 created the Danube Flotilla. Its objective is to protect the state border patrols along the river banks. In the same year she participated in the liberation of Bessarabia. From the first days of the fleet in its composition and entered "Zheleznyakov. He regularly and unfailingly carried service.

On that June day on the ship who thought little about the war. The monitor was standing near the city of Rennes. Night was falling. From the shore came the songs, dull noise. Quiet lapping at the side of the Danube wave. Different cases were busy crew. Imperceptibly crept night. Abated songs, not one could hear the street noise. Over the last lights went out portholes ...
And in four hours and fifteen minutes in the morning the monitor was startled by gunfire. Batteries from the opposite bank beat the emphasis on "Zheljeznyakova." Thus began for him the war. The ship returned fire on the coastal artillery. Batteries began subside. Then they attacked the fire with new vigor. Maneuvering the ship all the time away from his direct hits enemy shells. His return fire, he defeated one of the batteries, shot down a bombed scout.

Border Guards on this line for a long time could not resist. Under pressure from the enemy, they slowly retreated. During the battles happened that "Zheleznyakov" with multiple monitors and the cutter fleet was in the rear of the enemy. Both banks of the river were already occupied. Ammunition ended, and stay on the Danube, made no sense. Therefore, breaking through with a curtain of fire fighting, ships flotilla came to the fortress of Izmail.

Then there was Odessa. The news of the heroic deeds "Zheljeznyakova" in the early days of the war came here earlier than he did. Docked in the port navy respectfully greeted this small but sturdy boat.

In August, the monitor has plied the waters of the Southern Bug, defended Nikolaev, defended Ochakov, Kherson. Well-armed river armored vehicle repeatedly appeared in the rear of the enemy, smashing the German crossing, batteries, infantry, tanks, tore the enemy operations. He himself always coming back to base, while the Nazis let him down after dozens of bombers, pursued him for "heels.
Once under Ochakov over the monitor during the six hours hanging enemy dive bombers. On his throwing dozens of incendiary bombs, with a deafening roar diving planes and sirens wailed. More and more new wave of Junkers to hit the ship. Down left rangefinder, portable radio, turret. "Zheleznyakov" the whole was enveloped in heavy smoke and flames. But the men continued to reflect the hijackers of the anti-aircraft guns and guns of the main fire. Fighting off all the way from the pursuing aircraft, monitor went into the Black Sea. There was raging storm that threatened loss of certain river craft. But, breaking and poems, he arrived safely to his.
October 18, 1911-I the German Army and the Romanian Alpine Corps resumed the offensive on Perekops'kyi isthmus. They were opposed by a weak in battle 51-Army. After five days on the run clashed evacuated from

Odessa in the Crimea of the Independent Coastal Army. But the forces were still far from equal. And under the pressure of superior enemy forces, the 51 Army retreated to the area of the Kerch Peninsula, a part of the Independent Black Sea - to Sevastopol.
At this time, November 20, 1941, Order of the Deputy Commissar of the Navy Isakov Danube flotilla was disbanded, and its ships transferred to the Azov Flotilla. Of the six monitors survived only one "Zheleznyakov. Along with other ships, he became a member of the Don separate unit of the fleet.
Hot battles endured by the crew of "Zheljeznyakova the summer of 1942. He strikes fear in the enemy at the mouth of the Don, Kuban, on the southern portion of the estuary, on the coast of the Azov Sea, the defense of Taganrog and Temryuk.
Unfading page in the history of the Great Patriotic War became defense Temryukskii naval base. Defending Temryuk Azovtsev distract themselves with the direction of Novorossiysk large enemy forces, who carried this huge loss. Yet Temryuk was abandoned.

The latest from here in the Black Sea broke through "Zheleznyakov" accompanied by a trawler TIH-581. The ships were, leading the continuous battles with aircraft and coastal artillery of the enemy, overcoming a strong storm. After capturing Siltings, the Nazis closed the only monitor passage through the narrow channels, connecting the southern portion of estuary from the Sea of Azov. It was decided to break with the battle. The ship was close to the shore, firing guns and machine guns firing points of the enemy, who tried to shoot at point-blank monitor.

Protoka left behind. But the Sea of Azov met keel "Zheleznyakov" storm. Soon trawler TIH-581 was thrown a wave on the coastal shelf. The efforts of the team to withdraw from the shallows under enemy fire, nor to no avail. Blown trawler, its crew went ashore and joined the ranks of the Marine Corps.
Monitor "Zheleznyakov", who during the shelling and the storm had severely damaged both the rudder and hull, and run aground in the area Kuchugura. Two days waist-deep in water Kolodne people fought to save the ship. On the third day the monitor was removed from the shallows. Craning holes, pumped water and sheds wooden steering wheel, zheleznyakovtsy went into the last break. Ahead of the Kerch Strait was occupied by the Germans. Here's how he wrote about this breakthrough in 1943, Igor Vsevolozhsky:

"... The monitor was part of the Kerch Strait. The narrow fairway, is sighted by the enemy, mine fields and sunken ships. Nearer and nearer the monitor to the narrowest place of the strait. Suddenly a blinding light filled the boat. Several enemy searchlights had discovered "Zheljeznyakova.

- Full speed ahead!

Immediately hit a few guns. No, not a few guns - to monitor and hitting several batteries. The ship shook again, twice, thrice. One shell hit a tower of the main fire, the other two - in the bow. Hurt people ...

The enemy was beating furiously, fiercely, for a few minutes he let the ship about three hundred shells.
The only one solution - to turn off the fairway to the enemy coast, coming under the most battery power. After this maneuver helped once the ships on the Danube! True, there were no minefields. Well! The ship sits fine, he may be, will be held over the mine without touching them. This was the only chance for salvation.
And the steering on the orders of the commander Kharchenko turned off the fairway into a minefield. Two sailors felt the bottom of the poles. They were wounded. Instead, they immediately confronted. The monitor has already reached almost to the shore. Floodlights and a dash suddenly went black. They lost the ship. Then he began to feel feverish fairway. Stumbling on a sunken ship, they are brightly lit it, and suddenly burst out the fire, intended to "Zheljeznyakova."

A "Zheleznyakov" meanwhile made his way forward, risking to explode mines. And the people stood at their posts - in cars, have guns, have guns, in the radio room, firmly believing that the ship and this time will break ... "
And he broke through. Especially for tacky, polurazbity monitor docked after some time in Poti. There he healed his many wounds. And in September 1944, arrived on the Danube to cover up the troops, crossed a river. "Zheleznyakov" participated in the liberation of Bulgaria, Romania and Yugoslavia.
That's all the combat path of the legendary ship and its crew. About him told me a former chief of staff of Azov, and then the Danube Flotilla, now captain of the first rank in the stock Arkady V. Sverdlov.
After the war, "Zheleznyakov" for some time was in service with the fleet. He, like the first pre-war years, protected the peaceful labor of the country. And then his "discharged". Arms ship complemented the Central Naval Museum in Leningrad. The armor tower with a gun was installed at the entrance to the museum Suvorov in Izmail. A building became a haven for river vessels and speedboats.

Flew years. But the glory of the heroic ship lived in the memory of the people. Word of mouth passed on Legends, written books, composed songs about the exploits of zheleznyakovtsev. About him remembered. They remembered the factory workers' Lenin's smithy ", remembered by survivors of former members of the crew. Remembered because it is not forgotten. 40 000 km through the fire and storms (see map) have passed many of them on the monitor along the Dnieper, I think, the Southern Butu, the Kuban, the Azov and Black seas. At the battle account of seamen killed 13 enemy artillery and mortar batteries, 4 infantry battalions, 2 ammunition depot and much more.

In 1965, at the request of public housing organizations and military equipment "Zheljeznyakova Donate plant. The monitor was completely restored in the form in which he performed his feats. It again raised the flag of the Navy. On this day, "Zheleznyakov" experienced a rebirth. Now he has a ship-monument.

Like cutting a tight wave, full of dynamics, stood at the entrance to the shipyard "Lenin's smithy" on a pedestal ship invincible - a symbol of valiant work Kiev Shipbuilding and heroism of the sailors.
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TISO
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Re: sovjet Gunboats on the Dnjepr

#11

Post by TISO » 10 Jul 2010, 03:44

Modelist-Konstruktor article on Zheleznyakov (in Russian with drawings):
http://hobbyport.ru/ships/zheleznyakov.htm

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Re: sovjet Gunboats on the Dnjepr

#12

Post by Spichakov » 13 Jul 2010, 15:00

The event is described veteran tanker occurred on 26 August in the area Domantovo above Okuninovskiy bridge. Details in the book "Pinsk Flotilla in the documents and memoirs" http://www.pinsk-flot.narod.ru/
Questions about the Pinsk Flotilla author responded to personal correspondence ([email protected]).
By the way, July 17, 2010 - 70 years of Pinsk Flotilla.
Regards, V.A.Spichakov

Gastolli
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Re: sovjet Gunboats on the Dnjepr

#13

Post by Gastolli » 13 Jul 2010, 19:13

Hello Valeriy,

I have send you an e-mail !

Thank you
Oliver

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