Iosif Stalin class passenger ship
Encyclopedia
The Iosif Stalin-class passenger ship was a two-strong class of large turbo-electric powered passenger ship
s, operated by the Soviet
Baltic State Shipping Company (BGMP). The ships were taken over by the Soviet Navy during World War II
and used as transport vessels. The class was named after Joseph Stalin
.
The two Soviet ships Iosif Stalin and Vyacheslav Molotov (after Vyacheslav Molotov
) were constructed in 1939 by the Dutch company N.V. Nederlandsche Dok & Scheepsbouw Maats., in Amsterdam
. The ships were intended for the Soviet Far East waters, but due to the outbreak of World War II, they were taken over by the BGMP. The ships were ready and left Amsterdam on 1 May 1940, only nine days prior the German occupation of the Netherlands.
Vyacheslav Molotov: Launched on 17 August 1939. Mobilized as the military transport ship VT-509 after the outbreak of the war.
Passenger ship
A passenger ship is a ship whose primary function is to carry passengers. The category does not include cargo vessels which have accommodations for limited numbers of passengers, such as the ubiquitous twelve-passenger freighters once common on the seas in which the transport of passengers is...
s, operated by the Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
Baltic State Shipping Company (BGMP). The ships were taken over by the Soviet Navy during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and used as transport vessels. The class was named after Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
.
The two Soviet ships Iosif Stalin and Vyacheslav Molotov (after Vyacheslav Molotov
Vyacheslav Molotov
Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov was a Soviet politician and diplomat, an Old Bolshevik and a leading figure in the Soviet government from the 1920s, when he rose to power as a protégé of Joseph Stalin, to 1957, when he was dismissed from the Presidium of the Central Committee by Nikita Khrushchev...
) were constructed in 1939 by the Dutch company N.V. Nederlandsche Dok & Scheepsbouw Maats., in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. The ships were intended for the Soviet Far East waters, but due to the outbreak of World War II, they were taken over by the BGMP. The ships were ready and left Amsterdam on 1 May 1940, only nine days prior the German occupation of the Netherlands.
Ships of the class
Iosif Stalin: Was used as a passenger ship before the war. Mobilized and renamed VT-521 during WWII. It participated in the evacuations of Tallinn and Hanko during the first months of the war.- The Iosif Stalin was heavily damaged and eventually scuttled in early December when she participated in the Soviet evacuation of the Hanko PeninsulaHanko PeninsulaThe Hanko Peninsula , also spelled Hango, is the southernmost point of mainland Finland. The soil is a sandy moraine, the last tip of the Salpausselkä ridge, and vegetation consists mainly of pine and low shrubs...
.
- On 3 December 1941 she departed Hanko with 5,589 men. However she ran on 3 naval mineNaval mineA naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
s, despited being escorted by several minesweepers and being equipped with paravanes. The ship was severely damaged in the stern and her propulsion system, and there were many casualties. While the crew tried to repair the ship, Finnish coastal artilleryCoastal artilleryCoastal artillery is the branch of armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications....
spotted the convoy and opened fire. Soon the Iosif Stalin took a hit aft from a 12" (305 mm) shell. The shell hit an ammunition storage, causing a large explosion. The ship began to sink. The dense mine field made it extremely dangerous to try to save the ship. Many Soviet minesweepers were damaged and one exploded during the rescue operation. Minesweepers No. 205, 211, 215, 217 and a further 5 patrol boats from the convoy defense managed to rescue 1,740 men. Panic struck the remaining passengers. The convoy continued its journey, and the Iosif Stalin, which had settled deep in the water (water reaching the main deck) drifted towards the Estonian shore and ran aground. A planned Soviet rescue attempt was aborted because one minesweeper ran onto a mine and exploded. German forces captured the survivors of the Josif Stalin. The ship was "forgotten" in Soviet history, since its commanders ordered a capitulation of the nearly 3,000 strong survivors, although they had weapons and ammunition to put up a fairly good defense. The ship was raised on 11 July 1945 and towed to Tallinn, where it was scrapped.
Vyacheslav Molotov: Launched on 17 August 1939. Mobilized as the military transport ship VT-509 after the outbreak of the war.
- The ship participated in the evacuation from Tallinn in the summer of 1941. She was damaged by a mine and aerial bombing, and was towed back to Leningrad to be repaired. The ship was later used as a stationary hospital ship during the blockade of Leningrad. It also found other uses, its radio station transmitted news and it also functioned as an ammunition factory. The Vyacheslav Molotov was damaged by German artillery fire in early 1943.
- The Vyacheslav Molotov was repaired and returned as a passenger ship after the second world war. She was later used for the Leningrad-London route, and also for trips to many European countries, Cuba and the United States. In 1957 she was renamed Baltika. She was also used to transport many international delegations, including those for the 20th Olympic Games in Munich in 1972. In September 1971, as Baltika she repatriated many of the 105 Soviet officials, including 45 diplomats, expelled from the United Kingdom for "activities incompatible with their status". She was refitted in 1984 in Denmark. She was broken up in 1987.