Soviet merchant ships?

The Allies 1939-1945, and those fighting against Germany.

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ak74u
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Soviet merchant ships?

Post by ak74u »

Did Soviet merchant ships participate in the convoys that brought lend-lease too the Soviet-Union. Somehow I can't picture myself Stalin allowing Soviet citizens leaving the country and seeing the "capitalist-imperialist-pig-dog west"
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John W. Howard
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Russian Ships

Post by John W. Howard »

Hello AK:
I cannot answer your question regarding Soviet merchant ships, but Soviet crews were sent to Great Britain to pick-up some of the old 4-stack destroyers the US sent to Britain in exchange for bases. Great Britain no longer had a need for a few of them and transferred them to Soviet control. Soviet pilots also were allowed to travel to Alaska, then a territory, to pick-up US aircraft and fly them back to the Soviet Union across the Bering Strait. Best wishes.
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ak74u
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Post by ak74u »

Thank you for the info, does any one have any info on what happend with these individuals after the war. Stalin became pretty paranoid in the late 40s he locked up returend POWs and even had a plan to arrest all Jewish doctors (?) right before he died :shock:



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctors'_plot
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Patrick
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Post by Patrick »

I found this info on the Axis History forum, so apparently Soviet ships did appear in Atlantic convoys. No idea how/if the crews were isolated from Western influences.
1. "Azerbaijan" became famous after the dangerous navigation of PQ-17 convoy (navigation started on 27 June 1942 from Reykjavik, Iceland). There were two Soviet tankers in PQ-17: "Azerbaijan" (medium tanker, transported linseed-oil) and "Donbass" (smaller tanker). The half crew of "Azerbaijan" and "Donbass" consisted of women. On 3 July many German torpedo-bombers attacked convoy for the first time, trying to sink the tankers as the important target. "Azerbaijan" was equipped with several small AA guns and MGs, had a combat with six torpedo-bombers and was heavily damaged by several bombs and two torpedoes. Nevertheless, both tankers could reach Arhangelsk port (only 11 ships from 37 of PQ-17 convoy could reach it).

"Azerbaijan" with damaged, but repaired engines, burned-out superstructures and two large holes from torpedoes reached the port alone, despite the orders of British commander of the convoy to leave the doomed ship.
Small tanker "Donbass" could repulse 13 attacks of German bombers (brought down two He111s) and one attack of submarine, also rescued more than 50 American sailors during his way. "Donbass" (deadweight 7925 t) sank on 7 November 1942 at Barents Sea by artillery fire and torpedo during the unequal heroic combat with German destroyer Z-27. 49 men from the crew were killed, 16 including captain were captured.

2. "Moskva" served at Black Sea during WWII, equipped with several AA guns. It was attacked many times by German torpedo-bombers. In August 1941 it towed the damaged Soviet submarine S-35, in January 1942 rescued and towed to the port the damaged (5 bomb hits) cruiser "Krasny Kavkaz". On 13 March 1943 "Moskva" was torpedoed at Tuapse by two German torpedo-boats S-26 and S-47 and heavily damaged, burning nearly one week. The ship was repaired only in 1944-1945.

3. "Sakhalin" was moved in November 1941 from Black Sea to Pacific Ocean together with smaller tankers "Tuapse" and "Varlaam Avanesov", where it made navigations to USA during the whole WWII. "Tuapse" (deadweight 6320 t) was torpedoed during his way to Pacific Ocean on 4 July 1942 by German submarine U-129 near Cuba , 10 men were killed. "Varlaam Avanesov" (deadweight 6557 t) also didn't reach Far East, was torpedoed on 19 December 1941 at Aegean Sea by Italian or German (U-652?) submarine. The life-boat with its crew could reach Turkey successfully.

4. "Ural" as the last tanker of that type was built only in 1941. Served at Black Sea during WWII, was damaged by German bombers.

All four tankers of the series ("Moskva" type) survived the war.
Cheers,

Patrick

When I was single, I had three theories on raising children. Now I have three children and no theories.
ak74u
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Post by ak74u »

Thank you for the information :thumsup:
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Sam H.
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Re: Soviet merchant ships?

Post by Sam H. »

ak74u wrote:Did Soviet merchant ships participate in the convoys that brought lend-lease too the Soviet-Union. Somehow I can't picture myself Stalin allowing Soviet citizens leaving the country and seeing the "capitalist-imperialist-pig-dog west"
One of the principle points of lend lease entrance to the Soviet Union through Vladivostok (sp?) in the Pacific. After pearl harbor, only Russian vessels could make the journey - so yes, the Russian merchant ships did participate in lend-lease convoys.
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Post by Volgadon »

I watched an Israeli documentary recently, about Jewish women who served in the Red Army during WW2. One of them would pick up the planes from Alaska, after an American pilot would fly them from New-York, or some such. Most of those pilots were women, to allow the men to fly combat missions. Had a regular life afterwards.
ak74u wrote:Thank you for the info, does any one have any info on what happend with these individuals after the war. Stalin became pretty paranoid in the late 40s he locked up returend POWs and even had a plan to arrest all Jewish doctors (?) right before he died :shock:



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctors'_plot
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