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Soviet WWII Cruisers


Heavy cruisers of USSR
Name Type Displacement Engines power, hp Speed, knots Main Artillery Crew Note
Kirov project 26 9436 113500 35 3x3 180mm 872 Baltic Sea. Bombing operation in Winter War. Partecipated in Tallinn evacuation (flagship). Defense of Leningrad (damaged in 1942). Bombing operation during Vyborg offensive.
Voroshilov project 26 9436 122500 35 3x3 180mm 872 Black Sea. Raid of Costanta (1941). Bombing operation at Odessa (1941), Fedosiya and Kerch (1942). Damaged by mine in November 1942, back to service in January 1943. Bombing operation at Malaya Zemlya (1943).
Maxim Gorkyi project 26-bis 9728 129750 35 3x3 180mm 963 Baltic Sea. Damaged by mine in 1941. Defense of Leningrad. Bombing operation during Vyborg offensive.
Molotov project 26-bis 9728 129750 35 3x3 180mm 963 Black Sea. Bombing operation at Fedosyia (1941 and 1942). Transport and evacuation missions to Sevastopol. Action of 2 August 1942 (damaged). Repaired on 1943 but no other actions.
Kaganovich project 26-bis 10040 126900 35 3x3 180mm 812 Pacific Fleet. Uncomplete in 1941. Commissioned on 6 December 1944. Inactive in 1945.
Kalinin project 26-bis 10040 126900 35 3x3 180mm 823 Pacific Fleet. Uncomplete in 1941. Commissioned on 31 December 1942. Planned transfer to Northern Fleet but then canceled. Inactive in 1945.
Kirov class cruisers had armor 50-150mm.

Heavy Cruisers successes against warplanes (confirmed by Luftwaffe archives):
23/Aug/1941 Unidentified German reconnaissance plane shot down by Kirov, over Tallinn. Crew POW.
19/Sept/1941 He-111 bomber damaged most likely by Kirov, during air raid on Kronstadt.
23/Sept/41 Ju-87 “Stuka” shot down by Kirov during air raid on Kronstadt. Plane hit while making the bombing dive on Kirov and crashed on water at the side of the cruiser. Crew KIA, including the pilot (Ernst-Siegfried Steen) who was the group’s commander and an experienced airmen.
4/April/42 He-111 bomber damaged during air raid on Kronstadt, probably by Kirov but maybe also by ground flak.
27/April/42 Ju-87 “Stuka” shot down during air raid on Kronstadt by Maxim Gorky or by ground flak (crew KIA) in Leningrad.
13/Jun/42 He-111 torpedo bomber shot down by Molotov during a convoy escort to Sevastopol (crew MIA).
2/Aug/42 He-111 torpedo bomber shot down by Molotov during an air-sea naval action (crew MIA). Cruiser Molotov received a torpedo hit with heavy damages, likely by the very same torpedo bomber, but Italian MAS motor torpedo boats also claim the hit.

Light cruisers of USSR
Name Type Displacement Engines power, hp Speed, knots Main Artillery Crew Note
Krasnyy Krym (Red Crimea) Svetlana-class 8041 46300 29 15x1 130mm 850 Black Sea. Bombing and evacuation at Odessa (1941) and Sevastopol (1941, in addition to transport). Bombing and transport at Fedosiya and Sevastopol (1942, in addition to evacuation). Evacuation at Novorossisk (1942) and transported troops to Tuapse (1942). Transport and bombing at Novorossisk (1943)
Chervona Ukraina (Red Ukraine) Admiral Nakhimov class 8268 55000 29 15x1 130mm 852 Black Sea. Laid defensive mines (1941 – no victories known), bombing at Odessa (1941). Bombing and evacuation at Sevastopol: on 12 November 1941 hit by Ju-87 and sunk the following day. Only soviet cruiser lost in action (and major soviet warship lost).
Krasnyi Kavkaz (Red Caucasus) Modified Admiral Nakhimov class 8888 55000 29 4x1 180mm 878 Black Sea. Laid defensive mines (1941 – no victories known), bombing, transport and evacuation at Odessa (1941), Sevastopol (1941) and Kerch(1941 – damaged by aircraft and repaired until October 1942), transported troops to Tuapse(1942), bombing at Novorossiysk (1943).

Light Cruisers successes against warplanes (confirmed by Luftwaffe archives):
22/Aug/41 Ju-88 bomber crash landed after combat damage, probably after AA fire from Krasnyi Krym in Odessa.
22/Sept/41 Ju-88 bomber crash landed (total loss) after combat damage, probably after AA fire from Krasnyi Krym and Krasnyi Kavkaz in Odessa. 3 crewmembers WIA.


Foreign-built cruisers of USSR
Name Type Displacement Engines power, hp Speed, knots Main Artillery Crew Note
Petropavlovsk (renamed Tallin from 1 September 1944) ex- German heavy cruiser Lutzow. Sold incomplete in 1940. 20100 100000 32 2x2 203mm (originally intended 4x2) 1382 Sold by Germany before the war. Never completed but active service. Shelled enemy during Leningrad defense (with German shells!). Damaged by ground artillery in November 1941 and grounded. Further damaged by air attack in April 1942, but raised in September 1942 and back to service in 1944 (still uncomplete) with new name. Shelling operation during the relief stage of Leningrad siege.
Murmansk ex-American USS Milwaukee, Omaha-class light cruiser 7050 90000 35 2x2 and 8x1 152mm 458 Loaned on 20 April 1944. Took part at some convoy's escort, but no contact with enemies.


WWII light cruiser of type 26bis Maksim Gorky, foto
Soviet cruiser of project 26-bis Maxim Gorkiy, Baltic sea
Russian warship 26 type. szovjet cirkalo, photo RKKF
Soviet cruiser "Kirov" of 26 type, WW2 photo.

RKKF sovietsky kriznik Sowjet-Kreuzer foto.
Soviet cruiser "Molotov" of 26-bis type

Kruiser Risteilija Krydser Krstarica Kruvazor, Kriznik Crucisator Tau tuan duong
Soviet cruiser "Molotov" with nine 180-mm B-1-P guns in three MK-3-180 turrets, Black sea.

Blacksea navy cruiser with nine 180mm B1P guns in three MK3/180 turrets
Russian "Voroshilov" cruiser of project 26. Black sea fleet of Red navy.

USSR ww2 Sowjet Kreuzer image.
Main turrets of Kirov cruiser

info
Light cruiser "Chervona Ukraina" (Red Ukraine)

in combat
Light cruiser "Krasny Krym" (Red Crimea)

second world war
Light cruiser "Krasny Kavkaz"

Black sea fleet cruiser the turret with 100mm/47 OTO universal guns. Krasny Krym wartime picture
Russian "Red Crimea" cruiser. The turret with 100mm/47 OTO universal guns. Soviet Black sea fleet.
Cannone da 100/47 Minisini.



Soviet WWII fleet

War is over


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