Admiral Nakhimov-class cruiser

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Not to be confused with Kirov-class cruiser, Kirov-class battlecruiser, Russian battlecruiser Admiral Nakhimov, or Russian cruiser Admiral Nakhimov (1885).
Chervona Ukraina in 1935
Class overview
Builders
Russud Shipyard, Nikolayev
Operators Soviet Navy
Preceded bySvetlana class
Succeeded byKirov class
Built1913–1932
In commission1927–1952
Planned4
Completed2
Lost1
Scrapped3
General characteristics (as designed)
TypeLight cruiser
Displacement7,600 long tons (7,700 t)
Length535 ft 6 in (163.2 m)
Beam51 ft 6 in (15.7 m)
Draft18 ft 3 in (5.6 m)
Installed power
Propulsion4 shafts; 4 geared steam turbines
Speed29.5 knots (54.6 km/h; 33.9 mph)
Range1,200 nmi (2,200 km; 1,400 mi) at a speed of 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph)
Complement630
Armament
Armor
Aircraft carried1 seaplane

The Admiral Nakhimov-class cruisers were a group of four

hulked
. She became a target ship in 1950.

Description

The ships were essentially enlarged versions of the Svetlana-class cruisers, modified after consultations with the Scottish firm of John Brown & Company.[1]

As designed, the ships displaced 7,600

kW) and gave a maximum speed of 29.5 knots (54.6 km/h; 33.9 mph). The engines were powered by 14 Yarrow water-tube boilers. Four were coal-fired while the rest were mixed-firing. The ship carried a maximum of 540 long tons (550 t) of coal and an additional 690 long tons (700 t) of fuel oil that was sprayed on the coal to increase its burn rate in the mixed-firing boilers. At full capacity, she could steam for 1,200 nautical miles (2,200 km; 1,400 mi) at a speed of 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph). The ships' crew numbered 630 officers and men.[2]

The ships' main armament consisted of fifteen 55-caliber 130 mm/55 B7 Pattern 1913 guns in single mounts. Six of these were mounted in casemates. Her anti-aircraft (AA) armament consisted of four 63-millimeter (2.5 in) guns. They also mounted two submerged 457-millimeter (18 in) torpedo tubes.[2] The ships were intended to carry one seaplane.[3]

The cruisers' waterline

Krupp cemented armor and above it was an upper belt 1 inch (25 mm) thick. The gun shields were protected by 1 inch (25 mm) of armour. Each of the armored decks was .75 inches (19 mm) thick. The armor of the conning tower was 3 inches (76 mm) thick.[2]

In 1917, the

75-millimeter (3 in) weapons and the other ships of the class would receive 4-inch (102 mm) AA guns. Neither decision was implemented before construction was suspended.[1]

Ships

Construction data
Original name In Soviet service
Laid down
 Launched Percent complete in 1917 Commissioned Fate
Admiral Nakhimov, (Адмирал Нахимов) Chervona Ukraina, (Червона Украина) 31 October 1913[3] 6 November 1915[3] 85%[4] 27 February 1927[3] Sunk by German air raid, 12 November 1941. Salvaged, 3 November 1947,[5] training hulk until 30 October 1950 then a target ship[6]
Admiral Kornilov, (Адмирал Корнилов) 24 November 1914[4] 11 November 1922[4] 45%[4] Cancelled, launched to clear the slipway, scrapped, 1922–1923[4]
Admiral Istomin, (Адмирал Истомин) 24 November 1914[4] 40%[4] Cancelled, scrapped on the slipway, 1922[4]
Admiral Lazarev, (Адмирал Лазарев)
Krasny Kavkaz
, (Красный Кавказ) 		31 October 1913[3] 21 June 1916[3] 60%[7] 25 January 1932[3] Training ship, 13 May 1947,[2] sunk as target, 21 November 1956[8]

Construction and modifications

The first pair of ships was ordered in March 1914 and the second in October. The hulls of all four ships were to be built by the

Bolsheviks. Neither Admiral Istomin nor Admiral Kornilov were in shape to be completed after years of neglect and they were scrapped in 1922–23.[4]

Admiral Nakhimov was renamed Chervona Ukraina, (Червона Украина – Red

foremast was converted from a pole to a tripod and the submerged torpedo tubes were removed and replaced by four triple 533-millimetre (21.0 in) torpedo mounts carried on her deck, two on each broadside. Chervona Ukraina was given a lengthy refit in 1939–41 where her aircraft and their handling equipment was removed and fire-control equipment was modernized. Her anti-aircraft armament was replaced by three twin Italian Minizini 100 mm (4 in) / 47 caliber gun mounts, ten single 37-millimeter (1.5 in) guns and seven 12.7-millimeter (0.50 in) anti-aircraft machine guns. One pair of her torpedo tubes was also removed.[9]

Admiral Lazarev was renamed Krasnyi Kavkaz (Красный Кавказ – Red

mines.[11]

She was refitted before Operation Barbarossa, probably about 1940, her catapult was removed, and her anti-aircraft armament was greatly increased. Her four Lender guns were exchanged for four twin 50-caliber 100 mm AA mounts and she received four single mounts for the semi-automatic

superfiring main gun turrets and she may have been using Oerlikon 20 mm cannon.[12]

Service

The light cruiser Komintern collided with Krasnyi Kavkaz in May 1932, shortly after she was commissioned, and badly damaged her bow.[13] It was extensively rebuilt and increased her overall length by over 11 meters (36 ft 1 in). Both ships made port visits to Turkey, Greece and Italy before World War II.[14][15]

Chervona Ukraina, in company with Krasnyi Kavkaz, Komintern and a number of destroyers, laid down a defensive

dive-bombers on 12 November 1941, but didn't sink until the next day after her crew was ordered to abandon her.[6] Her guns were salvaged and most of the guns and crew were incorporated into the port's defenses,[20]

Krasnyi Kavkaz continued to ferry reinforcements into Sevastopol.

Feodosiya on 29 December 1941, landed reinforcements, and provided gunfire support for Soviet troops already ashore. In early January 1942, she was severely damaged by German dive bombers.[22] She made it to Novorossiysk, escorted by the destroyer Sposobnyi, where she was patched up enough to make to Poti where more permanent repairs could be made. These took until October 1942 and the opportunity was taken to reinforce her anti-aircraft armament.[23]

She was awarded the

Guards title on 3 April in recognition of her performance.[14] Between 20 and 23 October, she helped to transport 12,600 men from Poti to Tuapse to reinforce the defenses there. On the night of 4 February 1943 the Soviets made a series of amphibious landings to the west of Novorossiysk, behind German lines. Krasnyi Kavkaz provided fire support for the main landing, but the Soviet troops there were wiped out by 6 February.[24] The loss of three destroyers attempting to interdict the German evacuation of the Taman Bridgehead on 6 October 1943 caused Stalin to forbid the deployment of large naval units without his express permission and this meant the end of the ship's active participation in the war.[25]

Post-war activities

Chervona Ukraina was raised on 3 November 1947, repaired, and used as a training

SS-N-1 missiles on 21 November 1952.[8]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c Budzbon, p. 306
  2. ^ a b c d e Breyer, p. 118
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Watts, p. 103
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Breyer, p. 117
  5. ^ Breyer, p. 164
  6. ^ a b c "Light cruiser Chervona Ukraine" (in Russian). Retrieved 20 July 2009.
  7. ^ Breyer, p. 168
  8. ^ a b "Krasnyi Kavkaz" (in Russian). Retrieved 31 July 2009.
  9. ^ Breyer, pp. 164–65
  10. ^ Whitley, pp. 204–205
  11. ^ Breyer, pp. 168, 171
  12. ^ Whitley, p. 205
  13. ^ Breyer, pp. 168–169
  14. ^ a b "Cruiser Krasnyi Kavkaz" (in Russian). Retrieved 30 July 2009.
  15. ^ "Chervona Ukraina" (in Russian). Retrieved 20 July 2009.
  16. ^ Rohwer, pp. 80–81
  17. ^ Rohwer, pp. 94, 97, 99, 100, 102
  18. ^ Rohwer, pp. 105, 108
  19. ^ Rohwer, pp. 111–112, 115, 119–120
  20. ^ Rohwer, pp. 111–112, 114
  21. ^ Rohwer, pp. 122, 128
  22. ^ Rohwer, pp. 129, 131
  23. ^ Rohwer, p. 131
  24. ^ Rohwer, p. 229
  25. ^ Rohwer, p. 280

References

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