Soviet Merchant Shipbuilding before WW2

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Work in progress - Entry started May 2010 by Andrey Nelogov

Register of Ships built in Soviet Union before WW2

A shipbuilding program for Soviet Merchant Marine was commenced in 1924. Most of ships were built in period until 1934, when shipyards received priority orders for Soviet Navy. The Register of Ships built in Soviet Union contains information about ships 1000 BRT and over.

Soviet Timber Carriers

To support foreign trade Soviet Government decided to start a Program of new building for Merchant Fleet in 1924.

Timber Carrier Tovarishch Stalin was a first Merchant ship built in Soviet Union.

Photo of Baltic Shipyard, 1925. A meeting of Baltic Shipyard workers on 24.01.1925 when the Project was commenced.

A slogan said: On board Soviet Ships with Red Banner we will deliver a Red Hope to our Foreign Brothers

First serie of the Timber Carriers were built by Baltic Shipyard. First Soviet vessel - Tovarishch Stalin (Товарищ Сталин), i.e. Comrade Stalin, Leader of Soviet Union. Her sister-ships in Mk I serie were Tovarishch Krasin (Товарищ Красин, 1945 Altay - Алтай), Mikhail Tomskiy (Михаил Томский, 1936 Mironych - Мироныч) and Grigory Zinoviev (Григорий Зиновьев, Krasny Partizan - Красный партизан). Soon Comrade Tomskiy and Comrade Zinoviev were closed done as Enemies of the Soviet Union and the ships were re-named. One of the last vessels in the long serie of 24 Timber Carriers was built 10 years later and delivered to Soviet Fleet as Khruschev (Хрущев). Comrade Khruschev, a good fellow of Stalin's team, claimed Stalin when Master died. A story of Tovarisch Stalin and Khruschev at sea was quite short. Both wrecked before WW2.

Technical Drawings from a special issue First Soviet Ship Tovarisch Stalin of Leningrad State Shipbuilding Company, Leningrad, 1927

Radio-Room and Furnace-Room

Maiden voyage from Leningrad to Hull on 31.08.1927.

Timber Carriers built by Baltic Shipyard: Tovarisch Stalin (1927) and her sister-ships Mikhail Tomskiy (1927), Grigoriy Zinoviev (1927), Tovarisch Krasin (1927), Rabochiy (1928), Iskra (1928), Pravda (1928), Krestianin (1928), Sakko (1928), Vancetti (1928), Tovarisch Urickiy (1929), Volodarskiy (1929), Mikoyan (1929), Kuibyshev (1929), Molotov (1929), Bukharin (1930), Kingisepp (1933), Khruschev (1934), Sukhona, Kotelschick Talankin (1938), Belorussia, Kara 1936)

Small General Cargo Ship

In middle of 1925 Central Bureau of Marine Shipbuilding (CBMS), Leningrad, USSR received an order of Sovtorgflot to make a design for series of small general cargo ships for carriage of grain from river port to Rostov-on-Don and Taganrog roads (both at Azov Sea).

The ships were built by two Soviet Ukrainian Shipyards as per project of E.S.Tolocky, CBMS, since 1928 till 1933:

Andre Marti Shipyard, Odessa built 8 ships - Molot (Молот), Serp (Серп), Raykomvod (Райкомвод), Delegat (Делегат), Ayan (Аян), Gidzhiga (Гижига), Spartakovets (Спартаковец), Rot Front (Рот Фронт);

967 BRT, 1165 DWT, LOA 73,80 m, B 10,40 m, D 3,24 m, Speed 9,50 knots, Crew: 22

Sevmorzavod in Sevastopol built 6 ships - Pioner (Пионер), Zemlyak (Земляк), Rabotnik (Работник), Batrak (Батрак, re-named Tractorist (Тракторист), Mestkom (Местком), Sudkom (Судком);

967 BRT, 1165 DWT, LOA 70,00 m, B 10,37 m, D 3,24 m, Speed 9,50 knots, Crew: 22

London Reefers

These ships were built in period since 1925 till 1930 in Leningrad under control of UK Engineers and classification society for service between St.Petersburg and London with optional calls in Hull and Hamburg and so named “London Reefers”. Total 6 ships.

Advertising Card issued by INTOURIST Ltd., Bush House, Aldwych, London, W.C.2 and ALL THE MAIN TRAVEL AGENTS "are arranging cheap inclusive tours to the U.S.S.R. (Soviet Russia)".

Jan Rudzutak before sailing from Port of Leningrad to London. Photo by courtesy of Mr Yuri A.Masher, St.Petersburg, Russia. Later ms Rudzutak re-named to Maria Ulianova due to political reasons.

1. Smolny

Cargo (Reefer) Passenger Ship

LOA 104,0 m / B 14,65 m / Draft 5,7 m

Engine Diesel 2400 HP / Speed 11,2 kn

Passengers: 1-st class – 28 / 2-nd class - 32 / tourist - 240 / Crew 42

Shipyard: Severnaya Werft (Northern Shipyard), St.Petersburg / Type II, BLT 1929;

Owners: Baltic State Shipping Company 1929-1939, delivered to Far East State Shipping Company in 1939, in service until 1975, after that she was used as Floating Hotel “Morskaya-3” in Port of Nakhodka. She is still alive (?)

Photographer: Feilden, Blundellsands, Liverpool (?) / Postcard was issued by Baltic Office of Sovtorgflot (the same for other sister-ships)

Sister ships: 5 (see below)

Image details: 1 - Afterpeak; 2 - Hold Nr.4; 3 - Hold and Tweendeck Nr.3; 4 - Engine room; 5 - Hold and Tweendeck Nr.2; 6 - Hold and Tweendeck Nr.1; 7 - Forepeak; 8 - Verandah; 9 - Smoking Saloon; 10 - Crew accommodation; 11 - Restaurant 1-st and 2-nd classes; 12 - 1-st class cabins; 13 - Music Saloon; 14 - Hospital; 15 - Galley; 16 - 2-nd class cabins; 17 - 3-rd class cabins; 18 - Restaurant 3-rd class.

2. Jan Rudzutak (Ян Рудзутак) re-named Maria Ulianova (Мария Ульянова – sister of Lenin), Type I, Blt 1928; She was torpedoed by German submarine U-571 on 26 August 1941 in Barents Sea. The heavy damaged ship was used for temporary oil storage and was scrapped just after WW2. http://uboat.net/allies/merchants/1073.html

3. Alexey Rykov (Алексей Рыков) re-named Andrey Zhdanov (Андрей Жданов – Leader of Leningrad Communist Organization in 1930-1940-th), Type I, Blt 1928; Owner: Baltic State Shipping Company / Capt.P.P.Elezariev. On 12 November 1941 She was lost on mines in Gulf of Finland during an evacuation of Soviet troops from Khanko Naval Base (Khanko peninsula, Finland). 7 crew were lost and 66 crew were rescued.

4. Felix Dzerzhinsky (Феликс Дзержинский – First Chief of KGB abbr. for Commission of State Safety), Type II, Blt 1929; Since 01.11.1939 in Soviet Navy, re-named URAL (Урал – one of biggest Region in Russia, also mountains system) and equipped as minelayer and submarine base (completed on 22.10.1940). Armoured: Guns 4 x 100 mm; 4 x 45 mm; 2 x 12,7 mm; 18 depth charges, 328 mines mod. 1926 or 543 mines mod. 1912; Complement 220 crew.

5. Kooperatsiya (Кооперация – Co-operation), Type II, Blt 1929 Since 1939 till 1941 in Soviet Navy. In June 1941 was delivered to Navy and used as Base for Anti-submarine ships and torpedo boats of Soviet Northern Fleet under name VETER (Ветер - wind). Armoured: Guns 4 х 76.2 mm, 4 х 45 mm, 2 х 12.7 mm. Complement: 81 crew. After WW2 she was returned to Merchant Marine.

6. Sibir (Сибирь – Siberia, another big region in Russia), Type III, Blt 1930; Owners: Baltic State Shipping Company Since June 1941 Hospital Ship. Capt.Chugunov. On 20 August 1941 she was attacked and heavily damaged by German aircrafts on a way from Tallinn to Leningrad. 200 passengers and 9 crew were lost. About 900 passengers were rescued. The ship was towed to Kronstand and the same day was sunk by German aircrafts (23:40).

Volgoles Type Of Andre Marti Shipyard

Volgoles Type Timber Carriers were built by Andre Marti Shipyard, Leningrad (Admiralty Shipyard, founded 1704) in period since 1931 till 1934. Total 8 ships.

1. Volgoles (Волголес) / Shipyard No.92, Launched August 1931, Completed 1932 3946 BRT / LPP: 111.5 / Beam: 15.7 / 11 knots

On 22.06.1941 was captured by Germans in Port of Stettin. Renamed “Colmar”. On 19.08.1944 she was torpedoed and sunk in Kirkenes.

Sister-ships:

2. Dvinoles (Двинолес) / Shipyard No.93, Launched August 1931, Completed 1932; On 04.02.1942 She was lost in North Atlantic.

3. Komiles (Комилес) / Shipyard No.94, Launched 16.12.1931, Completed 1933; Wrecked 1948 in Soviet Far East

4. Sevzaples (Севзаплес) / Shipyard No.95, Launched 16.12.1931, Completed 1933; BU 10.01.1972

5. Kuznets Lesov (Кузнец Лесов) / Shipyard No.122, Launched 02.10.1932, Completed 1933; On 23.11.1942 She was lost in North Atlantic.

6. Maxim Gorky (Максим Горький) / Shipyard No.123, Launched 02.10.1932, Completed 1933; BU 23.12.1971

7. Clara Zetkin (Клара Цеткин) / Shipyard No.124, Launched 25.06.1933, Completed 19.12.1934; BU 1975

8. Vtoraya Pyatiletka (Вторая Пятилетка) / Shipyard No.125, Launched 25.06.1933, Completed 1934; On 30.08.1941 She was lost in Finnish Gulf on the way from Tallinn to Leningrad.

SHIPBUILDERS

A.Levitin and U.Tulin. Latest issue of Shop's Newspaper. Soviet propaganda painting.

Below are several photos of Andre Marti Shipyard workers and engineers (1930-s)

Shipyard Engineers and Shipyard school for boys.

Shipyard School for Girls

Everyday Life of Shipyard Workers: Hall of Residence for Men (left); and for Women (right).

Everyday Life of Shipyard Workers: Washing Room for Men and Hall of Residence for Women.

Additional information about Admiralty Shipyard is available at http://www.admship.ru Photo from book Admiralty Shipyard 1926-1996, Gangut Publishing, 1996 ISBN 5-85875-110-5

Passenger Ships for Crimean-Caucasus Line

Information about Adzharia type vessels built for Crimean-Caucasus Passenger Line is available at Soviet Merchant Marine Losses in WW2 (Black Sea)