Russian commando frogmen
Encyclopedia
- Scout diver ' onMouseout='HidePop("28855")' href="/topics/Romanization_of_Russian">trRomanization of RussianRomanization of the Russian alphabet is the process of transliterating the Russian language from the Cyrillic alphabet into the Latin alphabet...
: Vodolaz razvedchik) is a RussianRussian languageRussian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
term for members of a special purpose unit of the Russian or Soviet Naval SpetsnazSpetsnazSpetsnaz, Specnaz tr: Voyska specialnogo naznacheniya; ) is an umbrella term for any special forces in Russian, literally "force of special purpose"...
- SpN VMF . - Сombat swimmer ' onMouseout='HidePop("55426")' href="/topics/Romanization_of_Russian">trRomanization of RussianRomanization of the Russian alphabet is the process of transliterating the Russian language from the Cyrillic alphabet into the Latin alphabet...
: Boyevoy plovets) is a Russian term meaning members of special purpose anti-sabotage divers' units. The public media and others who do not serve in the Russian and/or Soviet Naval Spetsnaz, sometimes use this term unofficially with meaning (1). - Marine spetsnaz man ( , trRomanization of RussianRomanization of the Russian alphabet is the process of transliterating the Russian language from the Cyrillic alphabet into the Latin alphabet...
: Morskoy spetsnazovets) is an unofficial Russian term for meaning (1).
The Soviet Union started frogman operations during World War II. The first unit of combat divers (or RON team), was formed in Leningrad
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
in 1941.
Russian combat swimmers (formerly called "combat divers"), are nowadays part of the Naval Spetsnaz which is a branch of Intelligence
Intelligence (information gathering)
Intelligence assessment is the development of forecasts of behaviour or recommended courses of action to the leadership of an organization, based on a wide range of available information sources both overt and covert. Assessments are developed in response to requirements declared by the leadership...
.
Organization
SpN PDSS (Противо-Диверсионные Силы и Средства, Protivo-Diversionnye Sily i Sredstva; Anti-diversionary forces and means), are units of special purpose anti-sabotage divers, which appeared in the Soviet NavySoviet Navy
The Soviet Navy was the naval arm of the Soviet Armed Forces. Often referred to as the Red Fleet, the Soviet Navy would have played an instrumental role in a Warsaw Pact war with NATO, where it would have attempted to prevent naval convoys from bringing reinforcements across the Atlantic Ocean...
at the end of the 1960s to counter possible attacks by frogmen. Their name in full is (о) СпН ПДСС, [отряды] Специального назначения по борьбе с подводными диверсионными силами и средствами ((o) SpN PDSS, [otryady] Spetsial'nogo naznacheniya po bor'be s podvodnymi diversionnymi silami i sredstvami; Special-purpose combat [units] with underwater diversionary forces and facilities).
Before 2000/2001 they were called ОБ ПДСС, Отряды по борьбе с подводными диверсионными силами и средствами (OB PDSS, Otryady po bor'be s podvodnymi diversionnymi silami i sredstvami; Combat units with underwater diversionary forces and facilities).
Officially there are no Naval Spetsnaz units in any of the former Soviet states, except for Ukraine which inherited theirs from the Soviet Black Sea Fleet
Black Sea Fleet
The Black Sea Fleet is a large operational-strategic sub-unit of the Russian Navy, operating in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea since the late 18th century. It is based in various harbors of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov....
. In order to have Naval Spetsnaz on the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
, the Russian Navy transferred the OMRP of the Caspian Flotilla under the Russian Black Sea Fleet command. They sometimes used false names and numbers called "Legends" (cover-up
Cover-up
A cover-up is an attempt, whether successful or not, to conceal evidence of wrong-doing, error, incompetence or other embarrassing information...
). For example, the Naval Spetsnaz Unit in the Baltic Fleet
Baltic Fleet
The Twice Red Banner Baltic Fleet - is the Russian Navy's presence in the Baltic Sea. In previous historical periods, it has been part of the navy of Imperial Russia and later the Soviet Union. The Fleet gained the 'Twice Red Banner' appellation during the Soviet period, indicating two awards of...
uses the cover-name Аварийно-спасательная школа №49 (Avariyno-spasatel'naya shkola nomer 49; Diving Rescue School No. 49).
All Russian military units have their own five-digit number. For instance, the Naval Spetsnaz Unit in the Baltic Fleet officially has the Number 10617.
Among Navy and Army Intelligence servicemen, all Naval Spetsnaz units are called ОМРП (OMRP, Отдельный морской разведывательный пункт (Otdel'nyy morskoy razvedyvatel'nyy punkt; Detached Naval Reconnaissance Point) and have their own numbers. For example, the Naval Spetsnaz Unit in the Baltic Fleet is officially the 561st OMRP.
Naval Spetznaz units have unofficial names, the unit in the Baltic Fleet is unofficially called by themselves and other servicemen Парусники (Parusniki; Sailing Ships), because this unit is based in a settlement called Парусное (Parusnoye), whose name means "sail place". But in the 1950s and 1960s it was unofficially called Потехинцы (Potekhintsy) after its first commander, Colonel Potekhin.
This link gives details of training and the actions of Soviet combat frogmen and says that they are in a KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
spetsnaz
Spetsnaz
Spetsnaz, Specnaz tr: Voyska specialnogo naznacheniya; ) is an umbrella term for any special forces in Russian, literally "force of special purpose"...
organization called Delfin. Other sources mention units called "Dolfin", "Omega", "Barrakuda", and others. Another source says that Naval Spetsnaz units have never used such names, but that the name Delfin arose as false information sold to a journalist, who published information about this unit in the early 1990s.
Every PDSS unit has around 50-60 combat swimmers. There are PDSS units in all major Naval Bases.
Every OMRP has about 120-200 combat divers. There are now four OMRPs in Russia, one for each fleet: Northern Fleet
Northern Fleet
The Red Banner Northern Fleet is a unit of the Russian Navy that has access to the Barents and Norwegian Seas, the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, and is responsible for the defense of northwestern Russia. It was established in 1937 as part of the Soviet Navy...
, Baltic Fleet, Black Sea Fleet, Pacific Ocean Fleet.
"Riding on Proton" by Afonchenko seems to describe in passing some Russian frogman-type operations and techniques including an infiltration into the sea off South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. (This "Proton" is a one-man submerged diver-carrier similar to a Protei-5.)
Equipment
Russian frogmen use this equipment among others:-- IDA RebreatherRebreatherA rebreather is a type of breathing set that provides a breathing gas containing oxygen and recycled exhaled gas. This recycling reduces the volume of breathing gas used, making a rebreather lighter and more compact than an open-circuit breathing set for the same duration in environments where...
s: see IDA71 for an example. - "Piranha" midget submarineMidget submarineA midget submarine is any submarine under 150 tons, typically operated by a crew of one or two but sometimes up to 6 or 8, with little or no on-board living accommodation...
, can carry six frogmen and their equipment. - 2-man torpedo of the "Siren" type that can be launched through an ordinary submarineSubmarineA submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
's torpedo tubeTorpedo tubeA torpedo tube is a device for launching torpedoes. There are two main types of torpedo tube: underwater tubes fitted to submarines and some surface ships, and deck-mounted units installed aboard surface vessels...
. It is longer than a British or Italian Chariot because it has two warheads. - "Akula" (= Shark) electric diver-tug. See http://www.therebreathersite.nl/Zuurstofrebreathers/Russian/photos_ida-71.htm (bottom of page).
- "Triton-1" midget submarine, which can carry two combat divers.
- "Triton-2" midget submarine, which can carry six combat divers.
- APS Underwater Assault RifleAPS Underwater Assault RifleThe APS Underwater Assault Rifle is an AK-47 derivative designed by the Soviet Union in the early 1970s as an underwater firearm. It was adopted in 1975. It is made by the Tula Arms Plant in Russia...
. - SPP-1 Underwater PistolSPP-1 Underwater PistolThe SPP-1 Underwater Pistol was made in the USSR for use underwater by Soviet frogmen as an underwater firearm. It was developed in the late 1960s and accepted for use in 1971. Underwater, ordinary-shaped bullets are inaccurate and very short-range...
. - Protei-5 and similar one-man underwater diver-carriers.
Operations
- October 22 1938: During wargamingWargamingA wargame is a strategy game that deals with military operations of various types, real or fictional. Wargaming is the hobby dedicated to the play of such games, which can also be called conflict simulations, or consims for short. When used professionally to study warfare, it is generally known as...
between units of the Soviet Pacific Fleet in VladivostokVladivostokThe city is located in the southern extremity of Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula, which is about 30 km long and approximately 12 km wide.The highest point is Mount Kholodilnik, the height of which is 257 m...
, a group of Soviet military divers exited a Shch-112 submarine through a torpedo tube, entered the naval baseNaval baseA naval base is a military base, where warships and naval ships are deployed when they have no mission at sea or want to restock. Usually ships may also perform some minor repairs. Some naval bases are temporary homes to aircraft that usually stay on the ships but are undergoing maintenance while...
and completed certain acts of sabotage. These combat divers were equipped with oxygen rebreathers, dry suitDry suitA dry suit or drysuit provides thermal insulation or passive thermal protection to the wearer while immersed in water, and is worn by divers, boaters, water sports enthusiasts, and others who work or play in or near cold water. A dry suit normally protects the whole body except the head, hands, and...
s, handgunHandgunA handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from long guns such as rifles and shotguns ....
s and grenadeHand grenadeA hand grenade is any small bomb that can be thrown by hand. Hand grenades are classified into three categories, explosive grenades, chemical and gas grenades. Explosive grenades are the most commonly used in modern warfare, and are designed to detonate after impact or after a set amount of time...
s. This did not lead to a permanent combat diver unit being set up, but it was the beginning of the history of combat divers. - August 11 1941: RONRONRON may refer to:* Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth , a dualist monarchy of Poland and Lithuania* Re-open Nominations, a British ballot option similar to "none of the above"...
(рота особого назначения, Rota Osobogo Naznacheniya; Company of Special Designation), a Soviet combat frogman unit, was set up on Goloday IslandGoloday IslandDekabristov Island , known before 1926 as Goloday Island is an island in Vasileostrovsky District of Saint Petersburg, Russia, to the north of Vasilievsky Island, separated from it by Smolenka River ....
(which is now called Dekabristov Island), near Leningrad. Its commander was Ivan Vasilyevich Prokhvatilov. - August 1941: Two RON frogmen towing a sea mine, demolished a bridge over the river NarvaNarvaNarva is the third largest city in Estonia. It is located at the eastern extreme point of Estonia, by the Russian border, on the Narva River which drains Lake Peipus.-Early history:...
which German forces had reached. - September 1941: During the Finnish army's re-invasion of the area around Lake LadogaLake LadogaLake Ladoga is a freshwater lake located in the Republic of Karelia and Leningrad Oblast in northwestern Russia, not far from Saint Petersburg. It is the largest lake in Europe, and the 14th largest lake by area in the world.-Geography:...
which had been lost to the USSR, Finnish forces took an island south of VyborgVyborgVyborg is a town in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated on the Karelian Isthmus near the head of the Bay of Vyborg, to the northwest of St. Petersburg and south from Russia's border with Finland, where the Saimaa Canal enters the Gulf of Finland...
, isolating 23 Soviet units who were in Vyborg port. Two RON frogmen swam to the island, laying a guide cable as they went. 50 RON frogmen followed this cable, landed and found that the Finns had removed parts from their guns and abandoned the island, perhaps because they had seen the Soviet preparations. - See these images of RON frogmen on site http://www.vrazvedka.ru :-
- frogmen entering water
- early Russian frogman's breathing set
- early Russian frogmen standing waist deep in water
- early Russian frogman
- early Russian frogman
- In those early days RON made its own equipment, including adapting army breathing sets for underwater use; they did not use 'finsSwimfinSwimfins, swim fins, fins or flippers are worn on the foot or leg and made from finlike rubber or plastic, to aid movement through the water in water sports activities such as swimming, bodyboarding, bodysurfing, kneeboarding, riverboarding, and various types of underwater diving.Scuba divers use...
' until the end of the 1950s. - September 23 1941: 270 German aircraft attacked the Soviet naval base at KronstadtKronstadtKronstadt , also spelled Kronshtadt, Cronstadt |crown]]" and Stadt for "city"); is a municipal town in Kronshtadtsky District of the federal city of St. Petersburg, Russia, located on Kotlin Island, west of Saint Petersburg proper near the head of the Gulf of Finland. Population: It is also...
near Leningrad. They sank the transport vessel "Barta" opposite the Peterhof. The ship sat on the seabed but remained partly out of the water. - September 1941: Prokhvatilov decided to use the "Barta" wreck as an observation post. They saw that the Germans had built a pier at Staraya Peterhof, and stacked piles of naval mines by it. RON frogmen towed two naval mines to the pier and destroyed it. The Germans did not rebuild it.
- Early October 1941: start of frogman training in the Soviet Pacific Fleet.
- 1941–1943, winters: RON men patrol the supply road over the ice of frozen Lake Ladoga.
- September 1943: During the siege of LeningradSiege of LeningradThe Siege of Leningrad, also known as the Leningrad Blockade was a prolonged military operation resulting from the failure of the German Army Group North to capture Leningrad, now known as Saint Petersburg, in the Eastern Front theatre of World War II. It started on 8 September 1941, when the last...
, a group of combat swimmers of a RON unit entered the German naval base at Strelna and destroyed Italian combat boats of the Decima Flottiglia MASDecima Flottiglia MASThe Decima Flottiglia MAS was an Italian commando frogman unit of the Regia Marina created during the Fascist regime.The acronym MAS also refers to various light torpedo boats used by the Regia Marina during World...
. - April 1944: ROON (a unit like RON), was formed in the Soviet Black Sea fleet.
- July 1944: Combat swimmers of RON completed underwater work onboard the German submarine U-250, which had been sunk by the Soviet anti-submarine Hunter-killer MO-103. Some secret documents and a new type of acoustic torpedoAcoustic torpedoAn acoustic torpedo is a torpedo that aims itself by listening for characteristic sounds of its target or by searching for it using sonar. Acoustic torpedoes are usually designed for medium-range use, and often fired from a submarine....
were found. Some key components of this T-5 G7es torpedoG7es torpedoThe G7es or Zaunkönig T-5 was a torpedo employed by German U-boats during World War II. It was known as the GNAT to the British.- Description :...
were subsequently given to British naval specialists by the Soviet forces. German aircraft and torpedo boatTorpedo boatA torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
s tried to interrupt the diving operation. Negotiations between the Soviet and British sides over the T-5 acoustic torpedo are depicted in the book "The Way to Victory" written by Soviet admiral N.G. Kuznetsov. - October 1945: RON and ROON and all similar organizations were officially disbanded.
- July 1946 to the beginning of 1950; and May 29 1952: discussions in the USSR about the need for combat frogmen.
- January 24 1953: A conference in the USSR confirmed that combat frogmen were needed.
- 1953: The first naval combat divers' unit, the 6th OMRP, was established in the Black Sea.
- 1954: Scuba divers' or frogmen's footprints were found on a beach near a sanatoriumSanatoriumA sanatorium is a medical facility for long-term illness, most typically associated with treatment of tuberculosis before antibiotics...
used by the Soviet state party elite. This caused a security alarm, compelling the USSR to form a combat frogman unit. - October 15 1954: The naval combat divers' unit, the 561st OMRP, was established in the Baltic Sea.
- April 1956: The Lionel CrabbLionel CrabbLionel "Buster" Crabb OBE, GM was a British Royal Navy frogman and MI6 diver who vanished during a reconnaissance mission around a Soviet cruiser in 1956.-Early life:...
underwater spying incident and the Soviet warship OrdzhonikidzeOrdzhonikidzeOrdzhonikidze may refer to:People:*Grigoriy Ordzhonikidze , a Georgian Bolshevik and Soviet political leader*Sergei Ordzhonikidze, a Russian diplomat*Iosif Ordzhonikidze , a mayor of Moscow...
caused a security alarm and pushed the USSR towards forming a combat frogman unit. - According to Jan Willem Bech's site, Soviet oxygen rebreathers, whose manufacturing codes end in two digits, of-which the lowest such number is 51, (the IDA-51). The characteristic metal backpack-box (like the one the IDA-71 has), seems to be first definitely known is the LVI-57. The LVI-57 shown on Jan Willem Bech's site was made in 1964. Sometimes with Soviet products (as with the AK-47AK-47The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
rifle) these numbers indicate when that make came into production, e.g. the IDA-71 in 1971. - June 1967: When the Six-Day WarSix-Day WarThe Six-Day War , also known as the June War, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt , Jordan, and Syria...
between Israel and Arab nations took place, some Soviet ships were in Port SaidPort SaidPort Said is a city that lies in north east Egypt extending about 30 km along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Suez Canal, with an approximate population of 603,787...
. This showed naval commanders that their ships in the Eastern Mediterranean were well protected from air attack, but were not properly protected from frogman attacks. As a result, Soviet naval commanders decided to form the PDSS. - 1967: PDSS (Противо-Диверсионные Силы и Средства, Protivo-Diversionnyye Sily i Sredstva = Anti-diversionary forces and means), began development in the Soviet Black Sea Fleet. PDSS is a complex of special measures developed by the Soviet Navy to counter possible attacks by frogmen. PDSS includes specially trained units (teams) of the Soviet Navy, frogman and anti-frogmanAnti-frogman techniquesAnti-frogman techniques are security methods developed to protect watercraft, ports and installations, and other sensitive resources both in or nearby vulnerable waterways from potential threats or intrusions by frogmen or other divers....
training and special weapons and tactics. According to some historians, Soviet Naval Commanders decided to form PDSS after the Lionel Crabb incident. - 1968: The 6th OMRP was transformed into the 17th Отдельная бригада специального назначения, OBrSpN, Otdel'naja brigada spetsial'nogo naznacheniya = Detached Brigade for Special Purposes).
- 1969: PDSS units were formed in the Soviet Pacific, Baltic and Northern fleets.
- 1970 and after: frogmen from the OB PDSS operated in AngolaAngolaAngola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
, VietnamVietnamVietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, MozambiqueMozambiqueMozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
, NicaraguaNicaraguaNicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
, EthiopiaEthiopiaEthiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
and other places, often at the request of the nation that they operated in. They went to Angola and Nicaragua to protect Soviet ships and to consult local armed forces. - (date unknown): Soviet frogmen protected a USSR trade commission who were visiting a place on the coast of Africa. They saw, fought against and drove off a group of six or eight South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n combat frogmen in an underwater battle. There were no deaths. - (date unknown): See Anti-frogman techniques#Trained animals for an incident when Soviet frogmen killed some trained anti-frogman dolphins in an incident off NicaraguaNicaraguaNicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
. - 1989: Mikhail GorbachevMikhail GorbachevMikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
and George H. W. BushGeorge H. W. BushGeorge Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
met onboard the Soviet ship Maksim Gorkiy near the coast of Malta. For three days, frogmen from the Baltic Fleet, including spetsnazmen from the 561 OMRP and Osnaz, protected the ship. - 1990: The 17th OBrSpN was transformed into the 1464th OMRP.
- January–May 1995: Several seamen, midshipmen, warrant officers and officers from different OMRPs took part in the First Chechen WarFirst Chechen WarThe First Chechen War, also known as the War in Chechnya, was a conflict between the Russian Federation and the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, fought from December 1994 to August 1996...
as volunteers. They were included in naval infantry units and operated as convential marines in reconnaissance units, not as a separate Spetsnaz unit. - 2004: The Russian state-controlled Channel OneChannel One (Russia)Channel One is the first television channel to broadcast in the Soviet Union. The channel was renamed Ostankino Channel 1 in 1991, after the Soviet Union broke up and the Russian SFSR became the Russian Federation. According to a recent government publication, the Russian government controls 51%...
showed a documentary film dedicated to some Spetsnaz operations which were not known to the general public. The film is called Spetsnaz: the Operations. Among other stories, the film depicted an episode about the tactics of Russian combat swimmers from a PDSS unit. The episode was based on a real incident that occurred a few years earlier in a Russian naval base. Agents of a Russian PDSS team had detected activity of foreign frogmen. According to the film's narrator, these frogmen were well-trained professionals who planned to accomplish a terroristTerrorismTerrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
act inside the base as a Russian battleshipBattleshipA battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
was arriving in harbour. The intruders had recruited a local man as a source of information. They planned to destroy a pierPierA pier is a raised structure, including bridge and building supports and walkways, over water, typically supported by widely spread piles or pillars...
, together with the relatives of naval officers and sailors, by the remote detonation of a special mine. During fast and bloody combat, all the foreign frogmen were killed; their weaponry, explosive devices and diving equipment were captured by a PDSS team. - 2008, August 12 : during the 2008 South Ossetia war2008 South Ossetia warThe 2008 South Ossetia War or Russo-Georgian War was an armed conflict in August 2008 between Georgia on one side, and Russia and separatist governments of South Ossetia and Abkhazia on the other....
, combat swimmers from the Russian Black Sea Fleet successfully demolished GeorgiaGeorgia (country)Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
n torpedo boatTorpedo boatA torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
s and missile boatMissile boatA Missile Boat is a small craft armed with anti-ship missiles. Being a small craft, missile boats are popular with nations interested in forming an inexpensive navy...
s inside PotiPotiPoti is a port city in Georgia, located on the eastern Black Sea coast in the region of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti in the west of the country. Built near the site of the ancient Greek colony of Phasis, the city has become a major port city and industrial center since the early 20th century. It is also...
harbour.
- In those early days RON made its own equipment, including adapting army breathing sets for underwater use; they did not use 'fins
Links to images
- http://dss.army.lv/divers.jpg Training a combat diver in the 561st OMRP, with IDA-type rebreatherRebreatherA rebreather is a type of breathing set that provides a breathing gas containing oxygen and recycled exhaled gas. This recycling reduces the volume of breathing gas used, making a rebreather lighter and more compact than an open-circuit breathing set for the same duration in environments where...
. A safety diver with aqua-lungAqua-lungAqua-Lung was the original name of the first open-circuit free-swimming underwater breathing set in reaching worldwide popularity and commercial success...
is to the left, (mid 1970s). - http://dss.army.lv/malta.jpg Combat divers of the 561st OMRP, who took part in guarding Mikhail Gorbachev and George W. Bush in MaltaMaltaMalta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
in 1989. MidshipmanMidshipmanA midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
Ivan Alexeyevich Avdot'in (surname is changed for understandable reasons), is to the right. - http://dss.army.lv/oath.jpg Russian combat diver takes the oath. 561st OMRP, 1990s.
- http://dss.army.lv/diver.jpg Diving training. 561st OMRP, (mid 1970s).
- http://dss.army.lv/parachute.jpg ParachuteParachuteA parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
training. 561st OMRP, (mid 1970s). - http://dss.army.lv/liepaja.jpg Military exerciseMilitary exerciseA military exercise is the employment of military resources in training for military operations, either exploring the effects of warfare or testing strategies without actual combat...
near LiepājaLiepajaLiepāja ; ), is a republican city in western Latvia, located on the Baltic Sea directly at 21°E. It is the largest city in the Kurzeme Region of Latvia, the third largest city in Latvia after Riga and Daugavpils and an important ice-free port...
in LatviaLatviaLatvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, winter 1976. - http://dss.army.lv/parusnoe.jpg Parusnoye castle. Due to this place name, combat divers of the 561st OMRP are unofficially called Parusniki, (mid 1970s).
- http://dss.army.lv/three.jpg Parusniki before parachute jump, 1976.
- http://dss.army.lv/tree.jpg Three combat divers, not in diving gear, (mid 1970s).
These pictures are from the archives of A.Rzhavin.
External links
Divers of Special Purpose The Foundation of Underwater Spetsnaz: Strelna operation- About Russian frogmen (uses the name Delfin) Extracts from a book about Soviet and Russian combat divers by Alexander Rzhavin Senior who served in the Soviet Naval Spetsnaz in from 1973 to 1976. With photographs. English and Russian language versions.