Revoljucija
Encyclopedia
Revoljucija (Revolution) was a Soviet
steam merchant
that was sunk by the German submarine U-1163
during World War II
.
from 1909 to 1918 when she was sold to the then unrecognized Soviet Russia
. Upon acquiring her, the Soviets re-named her the Revoljucija (Russian for Revolution). Her new operators were Severnoje Gosudarstvennoe Morskoe Parokhodstvo (SGMP) and her new home port was Archangelsk.
along with the other member of the KB-35 convoy, the Soviet steam merchant Kama. The two steam merchants were under the escort of the patrol ship SKR-20 and the minesweeper T-884 (No 38). Upon reaching the Litskie Islands the Revoljucijas engines broke down and the ship was forced to stop, leaving the other steamer to continue on to Archangelsk along with the patrol ship while T-884 (No 38) was to remain with the Revoljucija in order to protect her from any German submarines. In the early morning hours of 3 December, the German submarine U-1163
encountered the stranded Revoljucija and the minesweeper. The U-boat fired a torpedo at the group, thinking that they were patrol vessels. The initial torpedo missed its target. A few minutes after the first torpedo missed, U-1163 fired another torpedo at the two ships, hitting the hull of the Revoljucija and causing her to sink in 20 seconds with the loss of all 23 of her crew.
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....
steam merchant
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
that was sunk by the German submarine U-1163
German submarine U-1163
German submarine U-1163 was a Type VIIC/41 U-boat of the German Kriegsmarine during World War II.She was ordered on 14 October 1941, and was laid down on 5 December 1942 at Danziger Werft AG, Danzig, as 'werk 135'...
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...
.
As the Activ
The Revoljucija was originally a Norwegian-owned vessel named the Activ. She was completed in 1909 and belonged to the A/S Alliance (A.C. Hein & Son). Her home port was ArendalArendal
is a town and municipality in the county of Aust-Agder, Norway. Arendal belongs to the traditional region of Sørlandet.The town of Arendal is the administrative center the municipality and also of Aust-Agder county...
from 1909 to 1918 when she was sold to the then unrecognized Soviet Russia
Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic , commonly referred to as Soviet Russia, Bolshevik Russia, or simply Russia, was the largest, most populous and economically developed republic in the former Soviet Union....
. Upon acquiring her, the Soviets re-named her the Revoljucija (Russian for Revolution). Her new operators were Severnoje Gosudarstvennoe Morskoe Parokhodstvo (SGMP) and her new home port was Archangelsk.
As the Revoljucija
During World War II, the Revoljucija served as a member of convoy KB-35 that transferred supplies from the United States to the Russian port of Archangelsk and Murmansk. On 2 December, 1944, the Revoljucija left Kola BayKola Bay
Kola Bay or Murmansk Fjord is a 57-km-long fjord of the Barents Sea that cuts into the northern part of the Kola Peninsula. It is up to 7 km wide and has a depth of 200 to 300 metres. The Tuloma and Kola Rivers discharge into the bay....
along with the other member of the KB-35 convoy, the Soviet steam merchant Kama. The two steam merchants were under the escort of the patrol ship SKR-20 and the minesweeper T-884 (No 38). Upon reaching the Litskie Islands the Revoljucijas engines broke down and the ship was forced to stop, leaving the other steamer to continue on to Archangelsk along with the patrol ship while T-884 (No 38) was to remain with the Revoljucija in order to protect her from any German submarines. In the early morning hours of 3 December, the German submarine U-1163
German submarine U-1163
German submarine U-1163 was a Type VIIC/41 U-boat of the German Kriegsmarine during World War II.She was ordered on 14 October 1941, and was laid down on 5 December 1942 at Danziger Werft AG, Danzig, as 'werk 135'...
encountered the stranded Revoljucija and the minesweeper. The U-boat fired a torpedo at the group, thinking that they were patrol vessels. The initial torpedo missed its target. A few minutes after the first torpedo missed, U-1163 fired another torpedo at the two ships, hitting the hull of the Revoljucija and causing her to sink in 20 seconds with the loss of all 23 of her crew.