Transport ships of USSR in 1941-1945 - any info!!

[BIGpanzer]

Hello, Marty!

MB wrote:
However, it appears to be very incomplete when it comes to the Pacific Fleet. There are lots of ships that are reported from other sources to have been operating within the structure of the Pacific Fleet toward and after WWII.

I think this is because of fact that many merchant ships mobilized to Pacific Navy during the war were in fact still belonged officially to civil transport and fishing steamship companies. By the way, I didn't see any small ship "Neva" served in Pacific Navy as you mentioned - there is a very big depot ship "Neva" (13300 tons, ex-Spanish liner "Essequibo") which was transferred from Black Sea to Pacific in 1957 only.

MB wrote:
I've had great difficulty tracking down these ships and their service in the military. DGMP does not list them as in their fleet for the years in question, and I have never found an authoritative source for auxilaries for the Pacific Fleet.

A very interesting list, thanks for the info. Besides DGMP there were many other steamship companies and organizations in Pacific, including fishing AKO and Nikolaev-na-Amur steamship company, for example.

By the way this good site mentions that "Kazan" ("Krasnaya gazeta") was built in 1932.
http://www.sea.infoflot.ru/ru/fleet/?class=1&grp=21
It is also mentioned that according to some sources only four cargo-passenger ships of "Anadyr"-type were intended for use by Far-East north route ("Anadyr", "Sever", "Suchan", "Smolensk") whereas other ships were given to different steamship companies and administrations.

Regards, BP

P.S. Do you know any additional details of loss of "Sverdlovsk" near Kuril Islands in October 1946 because of accident, was the ship raised later (some sources mention its date of scrapping as 1960)? What kind of accident it was?

Do you know any additional details of loss of "Suchan" in La Perouse strait 06.1938 because Japanese switched off the light-house on the Stone of Danger Island? Do you know the amount of victims among crewmembers/passengers of "Suchan"?

[mjbollinger]

Hello BP,

I cannot help you here. I have not found additional information on the loss of Sverdlovsk. And I have never seen an account about the loss of life on Suchan. This is significant, because I suspect the ship was carrying gulag prisoners and it is possible that hundreds died. That may be why the Soviet Union never released details on the incident, other than what was needed to criticize the Japanese actions. It might be useful some day to surface a Japanese account of this incident to see if the sources agree.

Any luck getting the photograph of Tobol from the Russian site?

Thanks

Marty

[kgvm]

Hallo Marty,
any reactions from Japan?
Another possible candidate for a Soviet prize: http://www.miramarshipindex.org.nz/ship/show/23340
And some documents relating to USS "Kenwood", which served some time as "Apsheron":
http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/46/46179.htm

Regards
Klaus Günther

[mjbollinger]

Klaus Günther,

No response yet from Japan.

Thanks. I had also found KOTSU MARU:

336. KOTSU MARU 1902 交通丸 JA 1T (9)
1,605 Oiye Shichihei, Osaka 240.0 x 34.0
Ishikawajima SB. & Eng. Co., Ltd., Uraga (2) 8363
08 - Osaka Shosen K.K., Osaka
29 - Kita Nippon Kisen K.K., Fuchu
38 - (KOTU MARU) s/o
At Odomari, Sakhalin, Aug 1945 and presumably seized by Russian occupation forces, ffu.

Here is another possible one...

417. SAPPORO MARU No. 6 JA 1T (9)
2,204 Inugami Keigoro, Nishinomiya 270.0 x 39.0
C Ono Seikichi, Osaka 19785
29 - RYUHO MARU No. 2 Tsutsumi Serichiro, Tokyo
36 - Iino Kisen K.K., Tokyo
Sunk by Russian air attack, 9 Aug 1945, off Utka, Sea of Okhotsk, more recent Japanese reports indicate she was seized while loading in a port in Kamchatka when the U.S.S.R. entered the war


MB

[BIGpanzer]

Hello, Marty!

MB wrote:
And I have never seen an account about the loss of life on Suchan. This is significant, because I suspect the ship was carrying gulag prisoners and it is possible that hundreds died. That may be why the Soviet Union never released details on the incident, other than what was needed to criticize the Japanese actions. It might be useful some day to surface a Japanese account of this incident to see if the sources agree.

Yes, it will be interesting to find something about this in Japanese sources. But as the year 1938 was a very complicated time in relations between Japan and USSR, the provocation from the Japanese side (switching off the light-house in La Perouse Strait) seems to be very possible (the Japanese stopped and arrested four Soviet merchant ships in 1937-1938). "Suchan" sank during the night time in the very dangerous for ships place because the light-house didn't work. As for the GULAG prisoners - yes, I found the mention in the article by G. Kusurgashev "Ghosts of Kolyma gold" that "Suchan" participated sometimes in the transportation of prisoners and cargos to Far-East Stalin's camps, and the ship sank in La Perouse Strait during the way to Vladivostok in May 1938 with invalid prisoners on board, probably, several hundreds were lost indeed.

You, most probably, know that several cargo-passenger ships of "Anadyr"-type belonged to Far-East State Steamship Company (DGMP) were chartered by OGPU/NKVD because the massive sea transportation of prisoners began in 1931 (NKVD-owned Dalstroy was established the same year in fact). "Sakhalin" from DGMP was the first sea-going Soviet ship used for such notorious purpose. "Sakhalin" performed winter run through Sea of Japan and Sea of Okhotsk (1400 miles) from Vladivostok to Nagaeva Bay where it arrived 04.02.1932 with the administration of Dalstroy and 200 men of first Kolyma prisoners (they were mentioned as workers of Kolyma organizations officially) on board. The ships of "Anadyr"-type ("Suchan", "Sever", "Anadyr") together with other ships ("Uritsky", "Mikoyan", "Grigory Zinov'ev", "Litke") participated in North-Earst polar expedition since June 1932 - the main aim of that quite hard expedition was to deliver heavy equipment, river barges and food supplies (around 6000 tons of cargos in holds) from Vladivostok to Kolyma gold mines; "Suchan" (belonged not to DVMP but to Joint-stock Kamchatka Society of People's Commissariat of Fishing Industry) also transported 200 prisoners in tweendecks. In 2 months the caravan reached Ambarchik close to the entry of Kolyma river (performed 3500 miles run through the ice of Sea of Japan, Sea of Okhotsk, Bering Sea, Chukchee Sea and East Siberian Sea). Those 200 prisoners transported by "Suchan" (also volunteers from native population) built barracks, berths and storehouses for cargos in Ambarchik (which became gateway for cargos to Kolyma) during the winter 1932/1933. In June 1933 (after wintering) "Suchan and "Grigory Zinov'ev" returned back to Vladivostok; "Sever", "Anadyr", "Mikoyan" and "Uritsky" returned after wintering to Ambarchik to continue unloading of cargos (as they left Ambarchik 23.09.1932 because of strong storm), "Sever" went to to the west to Tiksi then (after unloading and refueling the ship returned back to the east together with the ships of Lena-Kolyma expedition which transported cargos and eleven river ships/barges to Kolyma mines).

http://www.odin.tc/books/steam/img/145.jpg (steamer "Suchan" during wintering at Cape Heart-Stone, winter 1932/1933).

Sources (on Russian):
A. Navasardov "Transport development of north-east of Russia in 1932-1937", Magadan, 2002.
I. Batsaev, A. Kozlov "Dalstroy and Sevvostlag OGPU-NKVD USSR in facts and figures. Part 1 - 1931-1941", Magadan, 2002.

Regards, BP

[mjbollinger]

BP / Klaus Günther,

I can now confirm that Ryuho Maru was captured intact by Soviet forces off Kamchata in August 1945. It is not clear what happened to it afterwards.

Any word on the photo of Tobol from the Russian site, BP?

MB

[BIGpanzer]

Hi, Marty! About "Tobol" - still silence from Russia, may be my friend goes for vacation, I don't know :roll: I will remind him tomorrow.

Regards, BP

P.S. By the way, here is the official report from 1934 (many pages of interesting info) of the chief of North-East Polar Expedition A.P. Bochek to People's Commissar of Water Transport N.M. Janson and director of Dal'stroy comrade Berzin.
http://kpr.chukotnet.ru/Public/bochek/boolg.html
According to the report, the participated in the expedition three cargo-passenger ships of "Anadyr"-type transported the following cargos:

"Anadyr" (captain Sidnev) - 1570 tons of cargos for Dalstroy and KIURT (Kolyma-Indigirka Directorate of River Transport), 1130 tons of coal, 245 passengers, 36 crewmembers, several 15t cargo wooden boats, one 50 hp motor boat for cargo operations and one tractor on the deck; the ship towed 200 hp motor tug-boat for KIURT.

"Suchan" (captain Hrenov) - 1865 tons of cargos for Dalstroy, 968 tons of coal, 219 passengers (prisoners for Dalstroy - BP), 38 crewmembers, also 18 additional men (4 men from Expedition administration, 2 ice demolition specialists, 10 polar pilots and aircraft mechanics, 2 radiomen for ship powerful radio station). The ship transported also on the deck 2 aircraft, 1 tractor, 2 50hp motor boats, 1 15t cargo wooden boat, 120 cattles for Dalstroy and hay for them; the ship towed 200 hp motor tug-boat for KIURT.

"Sever" (captain Shmidt) - 2101 tons of cargos for Dalstroy, 829 tons of coal, 401 passengers, 36 crewmembers. The ship transported on the deck 1 80hp motor boat, several 15t cargo wooden boats. "Sever" went to Japanese port Hakodate before Expedition and took there antiscorbutic vitamins for men of Dalstroy and KIURT (nevertheless, Dalstroy prisoners in Ambarchik suffered from scorbute a lot during the winter 1932/1933 - BP).

Regards, BP

P.S. Marty, see your e-mail about photo of "Tobol"

[BIGpanzer]

Some info about Soviet-built icebreaking ships of “Sevmorput”-type (project 53). Sevmorput means the Northern Sea Route. Two ships of that type were built by Leningrad shipyard named for Andre Marti in 1938-1940: “S.A. Levanevsky” (laid down as “Sevmorput II”) and “S. Dezhnev”. Those were one of the first Soviet sea-going ships with welded hulls.

Specifications: 7330 tons, 104.0 x 15.5 x 6.3 m, steam engine 2500 hp, 12.5 knots, 5600 miles.

“S.A. Levanevsky” served on Baltic since 01.1941 as cargo icebreaking ship. It was used as military transport VT-582 (captain Ya. Sergeev) since the beginning of the war and the ship was sunk by German bombers in Kronstadt harbour during the massive raids against Soviet naval base 21.09.1941. “S.A. Levanevsky” was raised 26.11.1941 and reequipped into tanker/cargo ship later. Transported coal between Leningrad-Poland just after WWII; participated very active in East-Arctic expeditions, training and transport runs till 1960s (its captain after WWII was A. Kacharava who was the captain of icebreaking ship “Alexander Sibiryakov” during the famous unequal combat with German battleship “Admiral Scheer” 25.08.1942 in Kara Sea; “A. Sibiryakov” (1384 brt) armed with 2x76.2mm + 2x45mm + 2x20mm transported food supplies and petrol to polar stations, it was sunk after 43min of heroic combat trying to reach the nearby island Belukha, 81 men were lost and 22 men including heavily wounded A. Kacharava were captured by Germans).

“S. Dezhnev” participated in Arctic runs in 1938-1939, was reequipped into patrol ship 12.1939 (North Navy), then disarmed 07.1940 and returned back to the North Sea Route. Mobilized and reequipped into patrol ship SKR-19 again 07.1941 (armament – 4x76.2mm + 4x45mm + 6x12.7mm, crew 122 men). Participated in AA defense of Murmansk (shot down two German bombers – 17.07. and 13.08.1941). 15.08.1941 the ship moved to Arkhangelsk and started the service in White Sea military flotilla – participated in transport operations, escorting of ships in White Sea, patrol missions near Novaya Zemlya, delivery supplies and ammunition to far island garrisons and polar stations.
The ship was famous for the combat with battleship “Admiral Scheer” 27.08.1942 near port Dikson (“Dezhnev” arrived to port in the morning 26.08.). The commander of the patrol ship was senior lieutenant A. Gidulyanov but he inspected the place for new coastal battery (not installed yet) that time so the commander during the combat with “Admiral Scheer” was the mate, senior lieutenant S. Krotov. “Admiral Scheer” opened fire against “Dezhnev” from 35 cables at 01:37, “Dezhnev” left the berth and increased the speed, trying to cover the port with smoke screen and opened fire from its 76mm guns. Germans fired accurate – already third 280mm shell hit the Soviet patrol ship, and during the next 8 min Germans achieved three 280mm hits more; but heavy armour-piercing shells penetrated the “Dezhnev” through and exploded in water already. The range-finder and two 45mm guns of “Dezhnev” were destroyed, 7 crewmembers were killed and 20 were wounded, but patrol boat continued fire (“Dezhnev” fired 35 76mm shells and 68 45mm shells during the combat); at 01:46 the patrol ship could come out from the enemy fire and ran aground because of heavy damages (4 direct hits of 280mm shells, near 250 hits of 105-280mm shell fragments). But “Dezhnev” prevented the planned German landing operation against important Arctic port Dikson. “Admiral Scheer” spent 25 280mm, 21 150mm and 32 105mm shells during the combat with “Dezhnev” and two 152mm army howitzers mod. 1910/1930 (the only coastal defense of Dikson that time), then German battleship moved away and began to fire against port and town from the large distance (spent 54 280mm, 100 150mm and 226 105mm shells) – be aground “Dezhnev” and howitzers didn’t see “Admiral Scheer” because of bad weather and large distance but opened fire against its probable position; soon “Admiral Scheer” moved away as its captain believed that port was heavily damaged and because of large expenditure of shells.
Soviet sources often mentioned that several shells of SKR-19 and three shells of howitzers hit “Admiral Scheer” and caused fire (the possible hits were visible for Soviet crewmembers indeed and they reported about it after combat but they, probably, mistook because of long distance and foggy weather, that was fire from battleship 105-150mm guns). German reports didn't mention any direct hits but there were not far away (around 500 m from the battleship) explosions of 76mm shells from “Dezhnev” and 152mm shells of howitzers (despite the fact that Soviet artillerymen had no any combat experience before and army howitzers fired without range-finder). German operation “Wunderland” was unsuccessful but not because of actions of Soviet naval HQ (which were very bad in reality as Soviet naval recon couldn’t detect the Germans and couldn’t prevent the attacks against merchant ships, port Dikson and polar stations; German recon was not very successful also there) but mainly because of actions of heroic icebreaking ships – “A. Sibiryakov” which last radio message informed nearby convoys about the great danger and “S. Dezhnev” which prevented in combat the landing operation and full destruction of Arctic port Dikson.
“Dezhnev” (SKR-19) was repaired after that famous combat during six days and continued its service as patrol ship in Kara Sea (for example, in October 1943 am 22.10. laufen die sowj. Eisbrecher Stalin und SKR-18 / Fedor Litke von Tiksi zur Rückführung ins Weiße Meer aus. Am 26.10. werden sie in der Vilkitsky-Straße von dem Minenleger Murman und dem Eisbrecher-Dampfer SKR-19 / Semen Dezhnev aufgenommen und über Dikson zur Kara- Straße gebracht und dort von einem starken Sicherungsverband (KAdm. Kutserov) mit den Zerstörern Baku, Grozny, Gromki, Kuibyshev, Razumny, Razyarenny und den neu eingetroffenen Lend-Lease-Minensuchern T-112, T-113, T-114 und T-115 aufgenommen. Auf dem Wege von der Kara-Straße (15.11.) über Kolguev-Nord (16.11.) in die Gorlo-Straße (17.11.) führen die Escorts zahlreiche Wasserbomben-Angriffe gegen vermeintliche U-Boote und melden 2 U-Boote versenkt, 3 weitere U-Boote schwer beschädigt. Tatsächlich steht jedoch kein U-Boot in der Nähe des Konvois AB.55. Als letztes Boot hat U 636 (Kptlt. Hildebrand) am 14.11. vor der Jugor-Straße Minen gelegt und ist dann schnell zurückmarschiert, die übrigen in See befindlichen U-Boote U 387, U 354, U 360, U 307 und U 277 stehen als Gruppe »Eisenbart« in der Enge Spitzbergen-Bären-Insel. Der Konvoi wird laufend vom dt. B-Dienst erfasst und von einer Ju 88 bei bewaffneter Aufklärung nördlich Kolguev gesichtet, aber nicht angegriffen – I think no any need in translation).
„Dezhnev“ returned back to civil icebreaking service in summer 1945 and was used in Arctic till 1969.


“S.A. Levanevsky” (belonged to the Central administration of North Sea Route and Murmansk Steamship Company) was scrapped in 1968, “S. Dezhnev” (belonged to to the Central administration of North Sea Route and Murmansk Steamship Company) was scrapped in 1970 (despite of protests of naval veterans to preserve the famous ship).

http://forum.rcdesign.ru/index.php?s=dd ... t&id=80219 (icebreaking steamer “S. Dezhnev”) - excellent photo.
http://navycollection.narod.ru/battles/ ... /fig10.jpg (icebreaking steamer “S. Dezhnev”)
http://www.sovnavy-ww2.narod.ru/patrolb ... ezhnev.jpg (patrol ship “Dezhnev”/SKR-19 in 1942, Dikson)
http://www.sovnavy-ww2.narod.ru/patrolb ... /dezh3.jpg (hole from 280mm shell in the side of “Dezhnev” after combat with German battleship)
http://www.sovnavy-ww2.narod.ru/patrolb ... /dezh2.jpg (“Dezhnev” after combat with German battleship, 27.08.1942 in port Dikson)
http://navycollection.narod.ru/battles/ ... /fig11.jpg (crewmembers of “Dezhnev” after combat, in the centre – senior lieutenant S. Krotov)

http://forum.rcdesign.ru/index.php?s=dd ... t&id=80220 (icebreaking steamer “S.A. Levanevsky”) - excellent photo.

Regards, BP

The photo and picture (combat with German battleship) of icebreaking steamer "S. Dezhnev"/patrol ship SKR-19 are from http://www.msco.ru and http://hobby.nikolaev.com.ua , correspondingly

[mjbollinger]

BP,

Thank you for the photo of Tobol, ex Hokkai Maru. The question is raises is where can I find information on these kinds of ships. As mentioned, Soviet Navy auxiliary ships in the 1935-1955 period are not covered in any of my Russian directories of naval ships. You mention that these ships were in fact managed by Sovtorgflot -- yet they do not appear in the directories of Soviet merchant shipping companies. They seem to fall through the cracks.

Any suggestions?

MB

[BIGpanzer]

Hi, Marty, as I try to focus on Soviet-built merchant ships here, I don't have a lot of info according to your request. There are several good reference books by Berezhnoi where some auxiliary vessels could be mentioned, also try to find and dig the monthly journal "Sudostroenie"/"Shipbuilding". http://www.crist.ru/issues/sudostroenie

But IIRC ex-Japanese "Hokkai Maru" became the training ship of Soviet Pacific Navy "Tobol" (on the photo I sent to you) after the WWII (received in 1947?).
Its sistership "Manju maru" became Soviet "Enisei" (floating barrack PKZ-155 since 09.1959).
As for another ex-Japanese ships after WWII - for example, there is an info that "Enpo Maru" became Soviet military transport VTR-1, "Erimo Maru" - military transport VTR-2 and "Edamitsu Maru" was rebuilt for sure in Vladivostok in 1949-1955 as floating workshop PM-96 (floating ship-repair yard PRZ-1 "Gornyak" since 1965).

Regards, BP

P.S. By the way, I bought last year the "must have" book (in 2 volumes). "Admiralty shipyard. Men, ships, years. 1704-1925" and "...1926-1996", IIRC around 400 pages each volume, with many rear photos and pictures of all ships built there.

[kgvm]

As always, I find a hair (or two) in the soup :
You call the ship "S. Dezhnev", but the pictures show only "Dezhnev"!
The second picture http://navycollection.narod.ru/battles/ ... /fig10.jpg
is showing another ship, may be a newer "Dezhnev", having an inverted V-mast!

And a link to a ship Marty is not interested in because of its size:
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/d ... kerck-.jpg
A Dutch tug of 515 GRT sold to Russia in 1935 and renamed "Taifun". The caption states it was bombed and sunk 19.08.43.
Regards
Klaus Günther

[BIGpanzer]

Hi, Klaus!

kgvm wrote:
I find a hair (or two) in the soup.
You call the ship "S. Dezhnev", but the pictures show only "Dezhnev"!
The second picture http://navycollection.narod.ru/battles/ ... /fig10.jpg
is showing another ship, may be a newer "Dezhnev", having an inverted V-mast!

No any hairs in my soup
There are no differences in the info between "S. Dezhnev" and "Dezhnev" here in my post, but many sources call that icebreaking ship/patrol ship shortly - just "Dezhnev" (and they are right as that name was written on its board!). But "S. Dezhnev" was the official name after the ship was launching.

As for the second photo - hmm...but the source of the photo (the best on Russian about operation "Wunderland" written by Miroslav Morozov, in full correspondence with the German reports) mentions this as icebreaking ship "Dezhnev"/patrol ship SKR-19 participated in combat with German battleship at Dikson, and are you sure that "Dezhnev" wasn't modernized after the war as happened with many icebreakers/icebreaking ships? Indeed, there are at least three ships "Semen Dezhnev" after the war - trawler (1964), research vessel (1966) and icebreaker (1971). I will try to find the photos of them to compare. But note the name on board (second photo in question) - not "Semen Dezhnev" but "Dezhnev" Also note the strong ice around but postWWII icebreaker "Semen Dezhnev" was a much smaller port icebreaker, used in Tallinn port not in Arctic. Also superstructure and hull shape looks quite similar to preWWII "Dezhnev".

kgvm wrote:
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/d ... kerck-.jpg
A Dutch tug of 515 GRT sold to Russia in 1935 and renamed "Taifun". The caption states it was bombed and sunk 19.08.43.

I know that tug steamer "Taifun" from Black Sea State Steamship Company was sunk by German bomber off Tendra (46.20N, 31.30E) 22.09.1941, 2 men were lost.

Regards, BP

[BIGpanzer]

Soviet civil ships which met the German battleship "Admiral Scheer" during its operation Wunderland in August 1942.
http://www.wlb-stuttgart.de/seekrieg/42 ... erland.jpg

1. Cargo diesel ship "Friedrich Engels" [Soviet-built cargo ship of "Max Hoelz"-type, 3972 brt] - performed test run Reykjavik-Dikson as single ship (after destruction of PQ-17 convoy transport operations were stopped that time) since 8 August, was detected by Germans on 18 August just several tens cables from the battleship. "Admiral Scheer" tried to stay unobserved as operation Wunderland just started. "Friedrich Engels" disappeared in fog soon and reached Dikson successfully (Soviet crew didn't notice German battleship). If Germans sank "Friedrich Engels" that caused the long stop of even single runs to USSR but "Admiral Scheer" decided not to attack.
http://ntic.msun.ru/ntic/exhibition/fes ... f758_1.jpg

There is another possibility (less probable) - that "Admiral Scheer" met not "Friedrich Engels" but timber carrier "Belomorkanal" (2920 brt, built in UK in 1936) which performed run along the same route indeed but three days before. "Belomorkanal" detected U-255 (which participated in meteorological recon for "Admiral Scheer") to the south of Spitsbergen on 19 August and attacked it by artillery fire and depth charges (steamer "Belomorkanal" was armed with one 4' gun and six MGs during the war). U-255 dived and successfully escaped, in 5 days (25.08, 05:35 am - 06:20 am) that submarine shelled Soviet meteostation at Zhelaniya Cape and burnt four buildings there, but radiostation survived.
http://ntic.msun.ru/ntic/exhibition/fes ... f110_1.jpg

2. Ships of so called "3rd Arctic" convoy [8 cargo ships and 2 tankers which started the run from Arkhangelsk to Far-East and USA on 8 August]. The ships were near Dikson 16-18 August, and they continued run to the east along the North Sea Route guided by icebreaker "Krasin" (later icebreaker "Lenin" and British tanker ''Hopemount" joint the caravan). That convoy was detected by Ar-196 from the battleship on 21 August - pilot reported about 9 transports and two-funnelled icebreaker just 60 miles from "Admiral Scheer" off Is. Mona, and their course was towards the battleship (south-west). In reality German pilots mistaked because he flew too far away from the caravan in order not to be detected - Soviet ships had the course to the east. This mistake was very helpful for the unprotected ships - "Admiral Scheer" stopped and began to wait them instead of their pursuit. Only the next day Germans intercepted radiomessages from the ships (course 43, speed 5 knots), detected their possible location near Vilkitski Strait and realized that they, probably, lost caravan which moved through the ice too far away to the east already. Nevertheless, "Admiral Scheer" tried to pursuit the ships despite of strong ice, and on 23 August Ar-196 detected the caravan again (ships anchored in Vilkitski Strait close to the Is. Helland-Hansen). The whole day, 24 August, "Admiral Scheer" tried to reach the Vilkitski Strait but strong ice prevented to do this, also "Arado" was damaged on 25 August during landing and was sunk. "Admiral Scheer" moved back, to the west. It should be noted, that researchers from Soviet polar station at Nordensheld Archipelago saw the "Arado" from "Admiral Scheer", could even identify the type of plane and immediately informed naval HQ about that, but HQ didn't pay attention to that very important info.
http://navycollection.narod.ru/battles/ ... d/fig7.jpg (Soviet caravan in Kara Sea).

P.S. The ships of "3rd Arctic" convoy didn't reach Far-East because of very strong ice in Laptev Sea and returned back to Kara Sea, later the ships performed the run to Novaya Zemlya. During that run steamer "Shchors" (3770 brt, built in Netherlands in 1921) exploded on mine (14.10.1942) installed by U-592 and sank in the point 69°36'N, 60°00'E, all men were rescued by another ships. Large tanker "Donbass" (Soviet-built of "Embaneft"-type, 7925 brt) met forces of Vice-Admiral O. Kummetz (heavy cruiser "Admiral Hipper" and four destroyers) 07.11.1942 when the convoy (as independent ships already) made run from Novaya Zemlya to Iceland, and fought to the death until it was sunk by Z-27, 49 men were lost and 16 captured.
http://ntic.msun.ru/ntic/exhibition/fes ... f234_1.jpg (tanker "Donbass")

3. Icebreaking steamer "Alexander Sibiryakov" (1132 brt, built in UK in 1909).
"Admiral Scheer" passed Nordensheld Archipelago on 25 August and reached Is. Belukha at 11 am. Here the smoke of unknown Soviet ship was detected, that was armed icebreaking ship "A. Sibiryakov", belonged to the Central Administration of the North Sea Route (GUSMP), which transported fuel and supplies to polar stations on the North Land and materials to build a new polar station on Molotov Cape. The ship left Dikson on 23 August with 349 tons of cargos on board (fuel in barrels, food supplies, reindeers, two dismantled wooden houses for polar station), there were the following men on board: 47 crewmembers, 11 polar researchers, 12 workers, 2 naval officers from the White Sea flotilla and 32 men of armed guard (104 men total). "Alexander Sibiryakov" was armed with two old 76mm guns of Lender-type, two 45mm guns and two 20mm Oerlikons.

At 13:17 signalman from Soviet icebreaking steamer detected huge unknown warship and reported about this to captain - senior lieutenant A. Kacharava (mate of the steamer during pre-war peaceful times). It should be noted that despite the info from postWWII memoires of admiral Golovko, nobody informed Soviet ships about the possible presence of German battleship in Soviet polar waters, the Golovko lied that corresponding radiomessages were sent to GUSMP on 22 August already, he had such info from polar stations and British intelligence service but didn't pay attention to it and didn't inform ships about danger).

"Admiral Scheer" rised the US flag and began the search-light communication with "A. Sibiryakov" in 10 min, trying to get the info about convoys, ice fields and weather conditions in the area, the communication continued around 20 min. But senior lieutenant Kacharava kept his ears open - unknown warship very insistently asked about ice and weather, murdered the Russian words in the messages and answered strange to his reply (at 13:38) about the name of the warship. Kacharava ordered to increase the speed and tried to reach the Is. Belukha (10 miles from the ship), also he sent the uncoded radiomessage: "See the unknown auxiliary cruiser which is asking about ice situation". Germans immediately began radio countermeasures (and this message were not received by "Belomorkanal" which was quite close to this place as well as by Soviet coastal radiostations), "Admiral Scheer" signaled - "Stop to send radio messages, stop engine", at 13:45 battleship raised the German flag and main calibre of "Admiral Scheer" started to shell old icebreaking ship at 13:47, trying to destroy radiocabin at first.

"A. Sibiryakov" laid a smoke screen and opened fire from its two 76mm guns of WWI period despite the large distance (64 cables), the commander of artillerymen was 2nd lieutenant S. Nikiforenko. "Admiral Scheer" fired six main calibre salvos during 43 min (three of them from the nose turret). At 13:45 Kacharava sent the radio message "Shelling began, pursueing us, wait...", and after that: "We are under fire.". At 13:49 the same message was repeated and it was received by Soviet radio stations finally. That was the last received news from "A. Sibiryakov" as German battleship performed effectice radio countermeasures, and its second 280mm salvo hit the ship. The steam engine (left boiler) of "A. Sibiryakov" was destroyed, stern guns and all artillerymen were lost, radiostation and mast were damaged (radioman began to use reserve transmitter), there were several underwater holes in the nose part, barrels with fuel for polar stations on the deck burnt and transported reindeers as well as men on the deck were killed. Radioman A. Shershavin sent the last radiomessage at 14:05 (not received on the shore but received by Germans): "Political instructor ordered to leave the ship, we are burning, good bye...14:05". That time Kacharava was heavily wounded already and there were no any chance to save the burning ship under enemy shelling. "Admiral Scheer" ceased fire at 14:28, from used 27 280mm shells 4 hit the Soviet ship directly, the distance of combat was 64-22 cables. "A. Sibiryakov" sinking but continued fire from the single survived gun! German motor boat from the battleship tried to rescue Soviet sailors but they resisted in water or prefered to stay on burning ship and to sink with it (chief mechanic N. Bochurko opened flood holes and stayed there, in destroyed engine compartment), from 104 men only 22 men including wounded Kacharava were rescued. Fireman P. Vavilov was not detected by Germans, he could climb into the life-boat and reached uninhabited Is. Belukha where he lived 36 days(!) until he was found by Soviet MBR-2. At 15:00 the heroic steamer sank.

It should be mentioned that captain Kacharava and his sailors performed the real most glorious feat of arms (also they organized resistance in German concentration camps after), but there was no place for them among more than 11.000 Heroes of USSR (some of them made almost nothing but propaganda did everything for them or their heroic actions were not confirmed after the war), Kacharava was awarded with the lowest order (Red Star) only after the war and it was decided to be completelly enough for him. "A. Sibiryakov" (by the way, the first world's ship which performed the run along the whole North Sea Route during single navigation in 1932) continued to send radio messages despite of orders from German battleship and alarmed many ships in the area also naval HQ finally began to think about the danger in Kara Sea, the icebreaking ship fought to the death and sank with the Soviet and GUSMP flags on its masts. Captured engineer and meteorologist from the ship said nothing important about the convoys and weather in the area.

Photos of icebreaking ship "Alexander Sibiryakov" (icebreaker LD-6 in 09.1941-05.1942)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/e ... riakov.PNG
http://www.graptolite.net/Facta_Nautica ... 41x334.jpg
http://www.sovnavy-ww2.narod.ru/icebrea ... /sibir.jpg
http://www.sea-writer.ru/image/ts5.jpg

http://www.sovnavy-ww2.narod.ru/icebrea ... sibir1.jpg
http://www.sovnavy-ww2.narod.ru/icebrea ... sibir2.jpg (the last seconds of "Alexander Sibiryakov", photos from "Admiral Scheer")

4. About icebreaking ship "Dezhnev" (patrol ship SKR-19) which arrived to port Dikson on 26 August to take(!) coastal guns (two 45mm, two disassembled naval 130mm on barge and two 152mm army howitzers) and to transport them to Novaya Zemlya see above. The order about the relocation of all guns from Dikson was canceled when the news about German warship and submarines in Kara Sea arrived (finally) to Soviet HQ so "Dezhnev" and two howitzers played the major role in the defense of Dikson on 27 August and prevented German landing operation and full destruction of the important north port.

But there were two more cargo ships in Dikson that time. Steamer of GUSMP "Revolyutsioner" arrived to the port on 26 August also (that was timber ship, sistership of mentioned above "Belomorkanal", 2920 brt, built in UK in 1936) - "Revolyutsioner" was armed with one 76mm, one 45mm, three 20mm guns and seven MGs, it participated in combat with "Admiral Scheer" also, together with patrol ship "Dezhnev" and two coastal howitzers. "Revolyutsioner" got three hits during 3-5 min which destroyed navigational and rudder houses as well as cabins of crewmembers, also steam winch was damaged and the ship couldn't raise its anchor under enemy fire. But soon the damage control party could repair the winch and "Revolyutsioner" finally left the port via Vega strait, moving to south. The ship was repaired in two days.

Also transport ship "Kara" (Soviet-built medium timber ship of V-bis series, 2325 brt) stayed in port, it was unarmed (according to another sources - one 3' gun and ten MGs) and had several tonns of explosives on board. Fortunatelly, "Admiral Scheer" didn't detect this ship at the berth, and "Kara" could left the port undamaged during shelling of Dikson ("Admiral Scheer" could destroy two radio towers and fuel storage in the port, four wooden buildings and radiostation powerplant burnt, there were no men losses; radiostation was repaired in two days).
http://ntic.msun.ru/ntic/exhibition/fes ... f337_1.jpg

Regards, BP

P.S.
The heroes of "Alexander Sibiryakov":
Captain, senior lieutenant A. Kacharava (1910-1982)
http://www.victory.mil.ru/lib/books/pro ... nin/04.jpg
Chief mechanik N. Bochurko (opened flood holes in the end of tragedy and sank with his ship) and political instructor, battalion commissar Z. Elimelah (commander after Kacharava was heavily wounded)
http://www.sea-writer.ru/image/ts6.jpg

The combat of icebreaking steamer "A. Sibiryakov" and German "pocket battleship" "Admiral Scheer" ( from wikipedia )

[mjbollinger]

BP,

Thanks. I have all of the Berezhnoi books as well as the two Admiraly shipyard volumes you mention. None of these describe the auxiliary ships of the Soviet fleet after 1945.

Marty

[kgvm]

Of course, a rebuilding is a possibiklity. If so, ithe picture can show the "Dezhnev" of WW II.