Soviet Naval Battles

[lupodimare89]

Hello, i'm would like to understand better all the large, and minor naval battles and skirmish fought by Soviet naval forces during the war. I'm expecially interested about the damages inflicted by Soviet units with gunfire and machinegun on Axis warships, boats and crafts.
I know that some analysts claim that the Soviet Navy never managed to sunk a target with gunfire and even damaging it. But this is surely WRONG, and built on the pre-89 book of Jurg Meinster that it's clearly filled with mistakes and errors. (and a not so nice anti-soviet feeling .... when you write a book about military you should keep apart from political feeling and focus on FACTS).

Now Here there is a list of 40 clashes i would like to discover more:

(sorry if there are grammar mistakes, i'm from Italy, and there may be some little mistakes of typing here and there

FIRST PART - BALTIC SEA

1) 30 November 1939 a Finnish motorboat was reported to be sunk by a Soviet destoryer. Which one? Also the steamer Auvo was seized by a soviet destroyer i've read Steregushcyi or Grozyastchyi, which one? There is a list of causalities on the motorboat, the name of the motrboat, the crew of the Auvo and the ultimate destiny of the Auvo?

2) 27 June 1941 I've read different reports about the fate of motor torpedo boats S-43 and S-106. Linked in some way with the attack of the Storozhevoyi (that however should have happened some days before), i've read that the destroyer Stoikyi had intercepted the two motor torpedo boats, and could have sunk them with gunfire OR have fired until the sail on mines (and were sunk by mines). There is some report of soviet destroyers on mission close the sinking location of the MTBs?

3) Who damaged/captured the soviet MTB TK-163?I've read of German MTBs

4) 6 July 1941 Battle of Kolka. Of course the Soviet didn't destroy an "auxiliary cruiser" as claimed. But i've read online that the MRS-11 could have been damaged and that the M-23 was almost surely hit (i've read she could not communicate because her equipment was damaged in battle). Apart from German books that deny it, there is some archive/source that could mention moderate or light damages on the two ships?

5)12-16 July 1941 Soviets claim to have sunk/damaged at least 37 targets. Actually the German claims it's not so different, because i've read of an admission of 1 sunk, 2 heavily damaged and 23 damaged (=26 targets.... that's not "0") there is a complete list of the units and damage? I'm interested in possible light damage by gunfire/machine gun done by soviet MTBs and destroyer Steregushchyi

6) 18 July 1941 Soviet MTB TK-123 sunk.Who sunk her?

7) 19 July 1941 Finnish admit that MTB Vinha was badly damaged in action by Soviet destroyer Skoryi and had to be towed away. There were causalities?

8) 22 July 1941 who sunk the MTB TK-71 ad a "little tug"? it was with gunfire?

9) 26 July 1941 Soviet MO-238 sunk by Finnish gunboat Uusimaa. Other units involved? (on both sides)

10) 1 August 1941 Apart for the unrealistic claim of destroyer Silnyi to have sunk an enemy "torpedo boat". She may have possibly fough some unit? I've also read about an hard clash of crafts: with TK-74 that sunk RA-55, TK-84 sunk RA-53 and the soviet TK-122 sunk by unknown RA

11) night of 12 August 1941 on Lake Peipus was fought a battle between Soviet gunboats and German patrols. No damage inflicted on both said. There are other data? (Number of units involved ecc.)

12) 21 August 1941 Soviet sources are pretty much insistent that destroyers Artem and Surovyi attacked, shelled and heavily damaged (but not sunk) two armed merchants and received also fire from them. Apart for explicit denial, there are some archive's data that mentions merchant units damaged in that date? Maybe due air attack.

13) 24 August 1941 I've read that the heavy cruiser Kirov and the leader destroyer Leningrad could have sunk on river keila what was reported to be a "riverine ferry, captured by German land forces". There are some other info? Maybe it was an abandoned unit.

15) 27 August 1941 Soviet MTBs TK-94 (at the time named TK-57) and others 4 units claim to have fought and heavily damaged "two tugs", some other data?

14) 28 August 1941 Soviet gunboats BK-213 and BK-214 report to have intercepted a little group of small coastal barges (possibly un-armed) and to have attacked them with ramming and gunfire, sinking 10 of them. IF these were very little barges (little more then platform with external engine) of small size and of ex-civilian origin, i think this accident could have happened. There were reports of Land troops about this? It should have happened close to Finnish coasts.

15) 2 September 1944 Soviet MTB TK-94 claim to have attacked two "escorts" , one later "finished" by TK-67 and TK-154. Some data?

16) 27 September 1944 Light cruiser Emden and Leipzig repulsed an attack of MTB, and TK-83 was sunk. Still soviets claim that Leipzig was hit and was later put on repair until June 1942. Despite being possibly a soviet overclaim. There is some possibilities that attack resulte in dud hit? Or in real damage? I have not to mention that during the War it was custom for the Navies to hide when a large unit was damaged (just see how many times happened in Mediterranean between British and Italians), and it could be sad if still today this claim it's quickly denied because there are few or unclear German archivial data of the time. Are avaible detailed data about the kind of repairs done by on Leipzig?

17) Battle of Someri Island
I've read different accounts of the Soviet units lost. One say that only TK-113 was directly sunk by the Uusimaa and all the others were sunk by coastal artillery, run aground or later shelled by Finnish gunboat after being run aground. Also all the Finnish-German units damaged (Hameenmaa, Turunmaa, and M-18) the damage was done only by aircraft? TK-73 vs Hamenmaa and gunboat Kama vs Hamenmaa could not have caused light or splinter damage?

18) 10 July 1942 Soviet MTB TK-123 sunk. Who sunk her and how?

19) I've no questions about the clashes of Italian Mas vs Soviet gunboat on Ladoga. The data are pretty clear, all the torpedo attacks were failure (no Soviet target sunk). Gunboat Selmdzha was damaged on 15/8/42 with one WIA and no other direct hits were inflicted by Italians. However italians admit damages on Mas-527 by Selmdzha on the same day and Mas-529 damaged by MO-201, MO-213 and MO-215. There were reports of Italian causalities? Possibly wounded i think.

20) Battle of Suho. Official Germa report list the 5 units lost: artillery ferries SF-13 and SF-21, light artillery ferries SF-12 and SF-26, infantry boat I-6. But other units were surely damaged: there is a list of them and the kind of damage inflicted? I'm not exactly sure about the German claim that "no hit was caused by soviet crafts" because it was a close range fight with good visibility and Tszcz-100 and MO-171 were reported to have fight with energy.

21) Attack on Krasnoye Znamya by Syoksy, Vinha and Vihuri. There was a list of Soviet causalities?

22) (no many question on battle of Battle of Seivasto. The clash is pretty clear and it's likely one of the most interesting Soviet actions. MO-303 and MO-207 alone, suffered 2 kia and almost all the other sailors wia, but escaped after having evaded the attack of 10 Finnish VMV and Hurja class and having damaged the flag-ship VMV-17 (with 2 kia and 1 wia), however other 2 Finnish wia were reported, on which ships? Damages on these ships?

23) 8 July 1943 on Odega lake soviet patrol n°12 , n°21 and CR-40 attacked a little tug with barge. Enemy escaped and was helped by coastal artillery. Damages?

24) 17 July 1943 soviet MO-302 and MO-207 claim to have fought 7 enemy crafts. And have damaged one of them. This clash is actually referred to the previous Battle of Seivasto?? I'm pretty sure that this Soviet source claim the ship was named "MO-302", not MO-303 and it's reported to have happened 4 months later!

25) night of 5 September 1943 soviet MTB TK-94 claim to have fought and "sunk two enemy minesweepers". However admitted to have received 3 hits of 20mm. And suffered damage with at least 2 wounded.

26) 14 September 1943 In Lake Onega. Soviet MTBs claimed to have launched rockets against a little harbour, causing damage to Finnish ground artillery (5 or 6 guns destroyed) and have sunk a little tug in the harbor.

27) 14 May 1944 Soviet MO-122 sunk by German MTBs. Other data?

28) 25 May 1944 Soviet MO-302 claim to have fought alone 5 enemy crafts. It manged to escape suffering 1 dead and 11 wounded.

29) 30 May 1944 Soviet MTB TK-94 and others claim to have attacked eney "ship" and have sunk one of them.

30) 11 June 1944 on Peipus Lake, German sources list the patrol KM-08 as "damaged by coastal artillery" stranded and with 9 kia (or wia??) of the 11 crew and then captured. The Soviet gunboat BK-213 claim to have met (sailing together BK-322) a group of small enemy ships, and attacked one of them with ramming and gunfire until sinking an enemy target. 6 Germans were reported to have been captured. It's possible that the German ship was actually hit by the BK-213 fire and then run aground? This accident seems to be much interesting and the number of captured Germans put a total of 3 KIA/MIA and 6 POW as german causalities. This is also the best accident in Baltic Sea that could have been resulted into a Soviet boat that scored hits on an enemy defeating it.

31) 17 June 1944 further details about VMV-13 and VMV-16 that damaged and captured TK-51?

32) 20 June 1944 losses of torpedo boat TK-31? who scorded the torpedo hit, TK-37 or TK-60?

32) 30 June 1944. Details about the sinking of TK-43, TK-63 and TK-161 vs German forces. Who sunk them? Total causalities? Possible light damages on German crafts?

33) 8 July 1944 Soviet Mtb TK-31 sunk by Finnish gunboat Uusimaa. Further details?

34) 15 July 1944. German torpedo boats T-8, T-10, T-30 claimed to have sunk a Soviet minesweeper. Actually Tszcz-218 was damaged but no sunk. Details about human losses? Possible light/splinter damage on Germans?

35) 17 August 1944 while German torpedo boats T-30 and T-32 were sunk by mines, i've read of T-22 that COULD have been torpedoed by Soviet MTBs. (i've read that German sailors reported to have heard fast crafts moving close and torpedoes launches) i've read some denials, that there were TK close on sea. But i've also read that some German sailors were captured by soviet MO crafts and also TK boats. Further details/data?

36) 18 November 1944 Germans reported an hard fight of their MTBs vs soviet gunboats and MTB, with S-68 and S-116 damaged and no soviet crafts sunk or damaged. Damages on German MTBs could beinflicted by aircraft, but also by soviet crafts considering it was probably a close engagement. Further details?

37) Battle of Saremaa.
On 21 November 1944 there was a clash of Soviet and German medium size ships. Soviet minesweeper Tszcz-207 had been claimed sunk by German minesweeper M-328 but at real it was damaged and didn't sunk. Also gunboat Volga was hit and damaged while i've read that the patrol V-1713 could have been damaged by Soviet fire (reported heavy damages)
There is a full account of the engagement? expecially about possible German light or splinter damages...

38) 18 March 1945 Soviet MTBs TK-66 sunk and TK-195 damaged by German MTBs. details?

39) 27 March 1945 Soviet MTBs TK-166, TK-181 and TK-199 sunk by German MTBs. details?
Other source say only the first two MTBs were sunk of the group of 6 (TK-16, TK-60, TK-136, TK-166, TK-196 and TK-200) while TK-199 was damaged, captured and then sunk because could not be towed. There were 14 POW (11 according another source) . How many MTBs were sunk? details about causalities?
I've also read that TK-16, TK-60, TK-136 and TK-200 were alla damaged.

40) Raid in the Danzic Bay
15 April 1945 TK-131 and TK-141 hit the German destroyer Z-34 in Danzic Bay. There were causalities?

[Martti]

26th July 1941 / sinking of MO-238: this was part of the Battle of Bengtskär, a landing action on Bengtskär island and lighthouse near Hanko which the Soviet Union had rented as a result of Winter War:

http://www.hangonrintama.fi/ENGLISH/BengtskarENG.html
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 9&t=166196

[lupodimare89]

Thank you !
So about the point 9) we can call it "Battle of Bengtskar" (the naval one) too ^^ being an operation with specific targets and not a accidental skirmish.
If i've read well the articles the units inolved were PK- (MO) 238, 312 and 311 (but the text mention possibly more other vessels, i think that only a russian source could list all the ones involved in the battle) versus gunboat Hameenmaa, Uusimaa and (i think VMV-)13 while the Hameenmaa suffered (i think) light damage with 1kia by air attack.
Uusimaa scored the hit on another patrol before sinking the -238. and 16 pow were took (4 of them wia)
I've found also very interesting the related movememts of Väinämöinen and Ilmarinen in prevision for Soviet DDs action! Also that the Ilmarinen got possibly minimal damages from a Tupolev SB-2 attack.

I've not found a very detailed account of the Finnish causalities on the boats (there is a mention of multiples at the end, but no further explains), however the standard crew of a MO-4type Soviet craft was 21 crew, that means that 5 were possibly kia/mia or recovered by Soviets during the battle. (i read that in the article the Soviet causalities are 36 kia on the land, up to "60" if included the ones on boats... but i don't think there were so many causalities, after all reading the articles 2 Soviet crafts were hit: one sunk (the PK-238) that could not have suffered more then 5 kia, and another damaged)

If you know further details of the list of the engagements i've done, every contribution is welcome!

[Martti]

For Finnish navy operations http://kotisivut.fonet.fi/~aromaa/Navygallery/ is a fairly good site. From the Continuation War section it is possible to get more information on naval operations, though mostly from a Finnish point of view. The Finnish navy losses page includes crew casualties and damaged ships.

[lupodimare89]

A little correction/revision. I've found new info about the Battle close Saremaa (the point 37) )
First of all it could be Renamed "Battle of Sorve Peninsula"
And i've read a full report of Morozov about the clash!

Here there are the details: battle in two times (morning and afternoon of 22 November, i think the main engagement was the last one)
German Forces: minesweeper M-328, patrol ships V-5713 and V-302 later joined by M-423.
Soviet Forces: gunboats Volga and Zeya, motor torpedo boats TK-96, TK-136, TK-195, TK-197 and TK-198.
Actually i'm unsure because the same Morozov write in the reply belowe that there was also the gunboat Moskwa.

And this is also against the official german claim to have faced 4 minesweepers (possibly of Fugas class) and that M-328 sunk one of them with 105mm (sometimes reported Tszcz-208, but this ship wasn't sunk at all. If there was an engagement she was only damaged).
According Morozov the gunboats managed to hit the V-5713. And i've read (from the German source that mention the sinking of a minesweeper) that the damage was quiet heavy, an hole on the hull and lots of water coming inside, so that the ship had to be towed away by Ventspils by V-302.

Morozov claim however that the only damage inflicted on Soviet were light one on TK-96 and TK-198 (no damage on Volga and no damage on the minesweepers that were never involved in battle according Morozov) And despite the mutual retreat the whole engagement seems a Soviet victory..

Also i would really know which gunboat hit this ship, the V-5713, and the ultimate fate of the ship. I've read she was returned to Norway after the war, but i'm curious to know if she was put on repair by Germans during the war, or she remained out-of-service until the end because the damage inflicted in this battle.

(PS: For your curiosity.... that kind of Soviet gunboats were actually have been built inGermany as civilian ships before the war ^^ And i've read that they proved to be strong also on Ladoga Lake against the MAS of my countrymen)

[LWD]

... I know that some analysts claim that the Soviet Navy never managed to sunk a target with gunfire and even damaging it....

Do they actually say "target" or do they say "ship"? Indeed it might be useful to have a reference for such comments.

Do note that in naval circles there is a difference between a "boat" and a "ship".

[lupodimare89]

Do they actually say "target" or do they say "ship"? Indeed it might be useful to have a reference for such comments.
Do note that in naval circles there is a difference between a "boat" and a "ship".

I know it of course, still i've not seen much materials about this point. A clear list of all the ships-crafts-boats- "everythingthatsail" that has been sunk/destroyed/damaged/lightlydamaged in direct artillery/machinegun battle with Soviet Navy. Or (better) a list of all the naval engagement involving major AND minor units...

This is why i did this first part-list searching for further info, opinions, details ecc..

I admit that i can have been a bit deluded after reading the book of Meister...
He wrote things such "In so far as Soviet naval forces showed any real offensive spirit, it was shown by their submarines, MTBs and naval aircrafts, all of which were more active during the war then other operational Soviet naval forces. " Apart lots of other personal comments, that's something contrasting with a small number of unlucky (even not well planned maybe) but surely offensive operations with cruiser and destroyers.
He also keep on saying
"It is a fact that only submarines, MTBs, naval aircrafts and mines sown by these weapons - and in a few cases also laid by other Surface vessels - achieved some sinking of warships and merchant vessels. "
Speaking of "vessels" ... well..

Apart for speaking of sinking or not sinking, i hope that people will can help to fill with details and reports of the different sources the list i've wrote above.

[lupodimare89]

And thank you martti !

I had already seen that site but now i will make new checking.
I don't think it's bad even if it's only the finnish point of view. I think it's quiet good even if there may be still some overclaim.
I think at the engagement of 22 May 1943... no Soviet craft was sunk, as i wrote above.
Still it lacks some details that should be found : / the other two Finnish VMV possibly damaged during the action (there is a mention to causalities, but not to the boats)

And i found nothing more of the Vinha clash (and other units) with soviet destroyers. (kind of damage, causalities ecc..)

[Mangrove]

7) 19 July 1941 Finnish admit that MTB Vinha was badly damaged in action by Soviet destroyer Skoryi and had to be towed away. There were causalities?

Vinha lost her propeller shaft and steering wheel due to a near-miss from the destroyer. There were no casualties.

26) 14 September 1943 In Lake Onega. Soviet MTBs claimed to have launched rockets against a little harbour, causing damage to Finnish ground artillery (5 or 6 guns destroyed) and have sunk a little tug in the harbor.

According to the war diary of the Finnish 406th Light [Coastal] Battery, the battery engaged three Soviet MGBs from the distance of around 4.5 kilometers at 6.27 a.m. Finnish time. The boats fired c. 80-90 rounds with their 45 mm guns but did not cause any damage to the Finnish battery, which fired total of 41 rounds towards the boats. Finnish 44th Heavy [Coastal] Battery also fired three rounds.

[Art]

lupodimare89, you may try a Russian forum down the link:
http://tsushima.su/forums/viewforum.php?id=39
In particular there is a thread on MTB operations:
http://tsushima.su/forums/viewtopic.php?id=5050&p=7

[lupodimare89]

Thank you Art !
I've some difficulties with russian : ( and it will take me some time, expecially it's hard about names...
If you've time to extract some data from the text it's great, if not, you've really helped anyhow x3 (expecially, i've seen, there is a bit about a clash of MTBs and German convoys that was actually with gunfire)

Also thank you Marrti for this ^^
the 26) had a bit of smell of overclaim,
But the 7) data add something of interesting!

I will write later for the other Fleets, but with this one now we can have at least 3 engagements with Soviet destroyers that managed to repell enemy MTBs inflicting some kind of damage at one of the attackers.
(Skoryi on Vinha, and then Kharkov on MAS-568 and Besposhchadnyi on S-45 in Black Sea)

If you will discover more ( what happened in November 1939 involving Soviet DDs against motorboat and steamer Auvo) or if some of the Soviet claims of MO and TK to have fought unreported enemy crafts (maybe short engagements with VMV... or maybe fishing boats) it will be great ^^

However i've managed to make a bit of clear on 37 )
I've found that actually there were TWO engagement, often they're mixed together because ships that took part at both of them
18 November 1944 First clash: minesweeper M-328 and 4 R-boats vs Tszcz-207 and other 3 Fugas class. Gunboats Volga, Zeya and Bureya. Damages on Tszcz-207 and possibly Volga
21 November 1944 Second clas: minesweeper M-328, M-423, patrol ships V-5713 Sudetenland and V-302 Bremen. vs MTBs TK-96, TK-136, TK-195, TK-197, TK-198, gunboats Volga and Zeya.
Light damages on TK-96 and TK-198. Heavy damages on V-5713 Sudetenland (direct hit on hull with inner flooding, had to be towed away by V-302.
Still interested about possible casualities on both sides and the real amount of damages on the units. Expecially on V-5713, i read she was given to Norway after the war (her class was ordered before the war but never sent and was kept by Kriegsmarine). It will be intereting to know if the Germans managed to repair the damage and return her in service before the end of the war (i think it's not much likely, considering the date of the clash and the Soviet advance on Baltic harbors)

[Juha Tompuri]

Hi lupodimare89,

Welcome to AHF!
Here some links and answers to some of your questions:

1) 30 November 1939 a Finnish motorboat was reported to be sunk by a Soviet destoryer. Which one? Also the steamer Auvo was seized by a soviet destroyer i've read Steregushcyi or Grozyastchyi, which one? There is a list of causalities on the motorboat, the name of the motrboat, the crew of the Auvo and the ultimate destiny of the Auvo?

The motorboat was a Coast Guard boat AV 45
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 1689&hilit


Auvo:

Destroyer Steregushtshij captures Finnish steamer Auvo on way from Tallinn.

http://kotisivut.fonet.fi/~aromaa/Navyg ... meline.htm
Crew got interned, but were released after the War. About the fate of Auvo... might be that not returned to Finland?

14) 28 August 1941 Soviet gunboats BK-213 and BK-214 report to have intercepted a little group of small coastal barges (possibly un-armed) and to have attacked them with ramming and gunfire, sinking 10 of them. IF these were very little barges (little more then platform with external engine) of small size and of ex-civilian origin, i think this accident could have happened. There were reports of Land troops about this? It should have happened close to Finnish coasts.

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 9&t=120295

17) Battle of Someri Island
I've read different accounts of the Soviet units lost. One say that only TK-113 was directly sunk by the Uusimaa and all the others were sunk by coastal artillery, run aground or later shelled by Finnish gunboat after being run aground. Also all the Finnish-German units damaged (Hameenmaa, Turunmaa, and M-18) the damage was done only by aircraft? TK-73 vs Hamenmaa and gunboat Kama vs Hamenmaa could not have caused light or splinter damage?

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 9&t=163389

20) Battle of Suho. Official Germa report list the 5 units lost: artillery ferries SF-13 and SF-21, light artillery ferries SF-12 and SF-26, infantry boat I-6. But other units were surely damaged: there is a list of them and the kind of damage inflicted? I'm not exactly sure about the German claim that "no hit was caused by soviet crafts" because it was a close range fight with good visibility and Tszcz-100 and MO-171 were reported to have fight with energy.

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=91943

22) (no many question on battle of Battle of Seivasto. The clash is pretty clear and it's likely one of the most interesting Soviet actions. MO-303 and MO-207 alone, suffered 2 kia and almost all the other sailors wia, but escaped after having evaded the attack of 10 Finnish VMV and Hurja class and having damaged the flag-ship VMV-17 (with 2 kia and 1 wia), however other 2 Finnish wia were reported, on which ships? Damages on these ships?

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 9&t=121096

31) 17 June 1944 further details about VMV-13 and VMV-16 that damaged and captured TK-51?

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 0#p1662952


Regards, Juha

[lupodimare89]

Great help Juha !

Expecially for the 14) i did not expect to find a so clear confirmation ^^ The total amount was 2 pontoon ferries sunk, 2 heavily damaged (not to be repaired) and 4 "syöksyvene" (=assault/motorboat) sunk. That's not far from the amount claimd by Soviets

Tomorrow i will study well the links of mtb, vmv and someri and suho battles...

However about the Auvo i will try to hunt on internet for the GTR of the ship, the exact nature (cargo or civilian ferry or civilian ferry used by military?) and as for the AV-45 it have to be found the identity for the Soviet Destroyers (i THINK that these two events could be the only confirmed times that Soviet DDs sunk a craft/boat and seized a vessel)

About the Auvo fate there are two possibilities: or sunk by the same destroyer (done by many warships in war, but i doubt that happened this time) or towed to Leningrad and there was or destroyed during the war (possibly by German bombings) or kept for some kind of use. If she was used by the Navy there is some possibilities to find info in lists of auxiliary units.

[Mangrove]

However about the Auvo i will try to hunt on internet for the GTR of the ship, the exact nature (cargo or civilian ferry or civilian ferry used by military?) and as for the AV-45 it have to be found the identity for the Soviet Destroyers (i THINK that these two events could be the only confirmed times that Soviet DDs sunk a craft/boat and seized a vessel)

Finnish Mercantile Marine Database - Ship Card #4627

[Juha Tompuri]

However about the Auvo i will try to hunt on internet for the GTR of the ship, the exact nature (cargo or civilian ferry or civilian ferry used by military?)

Auvo was a civilian vessel with as far as I know carrying civilian cargo with a crew of seven civilians.

About the Auvo fate there are two possibilities: or sunk by the same destroyer (done by many warships in war, but i doubt that happened this time) or towed to Leningrad and there was or destroyed during the war (possibly by German bombings) or kept for some kind of use. If she was used by the Navy there is some possibilities to find info in lists of auxiliary units.

At this one it is mentioned (although my estonian language skills are a bit rusty) that the Destroyer being Grozjastshij, and Auvo (there mentioned as a sailing steam ship) was taken to Paldiski and crew as POW's

http://www.osta.ee/en/punalipuline-balt ... 36163.html

Regards, Juha

P.S. slightly off-topic: http://www.namedaycalendar.com/march/9