Chapayev-class cruiser

Komsomolets
Class overview
Name	Chapayev class
Builders	Baltic Shipyard, Leningrad Nikolayev Shipyard, Mykolaiv Admiralty Shipyard, Leningrad
Operators	Soviet Navy
Preceded by	Kirov class
Succeeded by	Sverdlov class
In commission	1950–1981
Planned	7
Completed	5
Cancelled	2
Retired	5
General characteristics
Type	Light cruiser
Displacement	11,130 long tons (11,310 t) (standard) 14,100 long tons (14,300 t) (full load)
Length	201 m (659 ft)
Beam	19.7 m (65 ft)
Draught	6.4 m (21 ft)
Installed power	6 boilers 124,000 shp (92,000 kW)
Propulsion	2 shafts; 2 geared steam turbines
Speed	33.5 knots (62.0 km/h; 38.6 mph)
Range	7,000 nmi (13,000 km; 8,100 mi) at 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph)
Complement	840
Armament	4 × triple 152 mm (6 in)/57 cal B-38 guns 4 × twin 100 mm (3.9 in)/70 cal Model 1947 guns 28 × 37 mm (1.5 in) AA guns 6 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes (later removed)
Armour	Belt: 100 mm (3.9 in) Conning tower: 150 mm (5.9 in) Deck: 50 mm (2.0 in) Turrets: 75 mm (3.0 in)
Aircraft carried	2 seaplanes planned (later removed)
Aviation facilities	1 catapult (later removed)

The Chapayev class (Project 68 Чапаев) were a group of cruisers built for the Soviet Navy during and after World War II. Seventeen ships were planned but only seven were actually started before the German invasion. Two incomplete ships were destroyed when their building yard in Nikolaev was captured by Nazi Germany and the remaining five cruisers were completed only in 1950.

Design

According to the needs of Stalin's "Big Fleet Programme" of 26 June 1936, number of light cruisers had to be built over the next 10 years. At first, more ships of Project 26 Kirov-class cruiser were planned but their armor and AA artillery was considered inadequate. To solve this problem, in August 1936 requirements were made for new Project 28 cruiser design. Similar to Kirov-class cruiser they were to form backbone of light forces flotillas but additional duties were added to its tasks as offensive minelaying, operations against enemy shipping and defence of own battleships against enemy light forces. The design and propulsion machinery was based on the Kirov-class cruiser, but with significant changes in armament: 4 triple 152 mm (6.0 in) gun turrets replacing 3 triple 180 mm (7.1 in) gun turrets(This was done to increase the rate of fire). Requirements were changed by the navy on 29 October 1937 for a ship armed with 3 triple 152mm (6.0 in) guns and designation of the class changed to Project 68 at the same time. But in March 1938, number of main guns were increased to 4 triple 152mm (6.0 in) again.

The 152 mm B38 guns fired a 55 kg (121 lb) shell to 24,000 m (26,000 yd). The rate of fire was 6 to 7 rounds per minute. The guns were mounted in individual cradles with separate elevation.

The secondary armament consisted of 100 mm (3.9 in) CM-5 guns in twin enclosed powered turrets with a rate of fire of 15-18 rounds per minute. The light anti-aircraft guns consisted of 37 mm (1.5 in) weapons.

The hull was enlarged, and protection was improved compared to the Kirov class. The machinery was based on a unit system with alternating boiler rooms and engine rooms.

The five ships were completed after the war to a modified design (Project 69K). The aircraft facilities and torpedo tubes were removed and radar and improved anti-aircraft artillery added (37 mm guns in twin powered and water cooled mountings).

Ships

Luftwaffe aerial reconnaissance photo of the Ordzhinikidze Yard (Shipyard 189), Leningrad, showing the battleship Sovetsky Soyuz (top) and Chkalov under construction, 26 June

A large programme was envisaged and seventeen ships were authorised in 1939 and eleven ordered. Six ships were to be built for the Baltic Fleet, four for the Black Sea Fleet and one for the Pacific Fleet. Seven ships were actually laid down before the German invasion in 1941.

• Chapayev (Чапаев)

Named after Vasily Chapayev,

Built by Ordzhinikidze Yard (Shipyard 189) Leningrad,

Laid down 8 October 1939,

Launched 28 April 1941,

Completed 16 May 1950,

Decommissioned 29 October 1960

• Zheleznyakov (Железняков)

Named after Anatoly Zheleznyakov (1895-1919) a Bolshevik,

Built by Admiralty Shipyard (Shipyard 194) Leningrad,

Laid down 31 October 1939,

Launched 25 June 1941,

Completed 19 April 1950,

Decommissioned 1976

• Kuybyshev (Куйбышев)

Named after Valerian Kuybyshev,

Built by Marti Yard (Shipyard 200) Nikolayev,

Laid down 31 August 1939,

Launched 31 January 1941, evacuated to Poti, Georgia

Completed 22 December 1950,

Decommissioned 1965

• Chkalov (Чкалов) - later renamed Komsomolets,

Originally named after Valery Chkalov,

Built by Ordzhinikidze Yard Leningrad,

Laid down 31 August 1939,

Launched 25 October 1947,

Completed 1 November 1950,

Decommissioned 1981

• Frunze (Фрунзе) -

Named after Mikhail Frunze,

Built by Marti Yard Nikolayev,

Laid down 29 August 1939,

Launched 31 December 1940, evacuated to Poti, Georgia; stern used to repair damaged cruiser Molotov,

Completed 15 December 1950,

Decommissioned 1960

Two more ships, Ordzhinikidze and Sverdlov, were scrapped on the slipway after being captured by the Germans in Nikolayev during World War II.

Four other ships planned to be laid down in 1941 had planned names as Lenin, Dzerzhinsky, Avrora, Lazo but they weren't laid down because of the World War II.

Four other ships planned to be laid down during 1942-1943 had planned names as Parkhomenko, Kotovsky, Shchors, Shcherbakov but all were canceled in 1941

Bibliography

• Budzbon, Przemysław (1980). "Soviet Union". In Chesneau, Roger (ed.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. pp. 318–346. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
• Budzbon, Przemysław; Radziemski, Jan & Twardowski, Marek (2022). Warships of the Soviet Fleets 1939–1945. Vol. I: Major Combatants. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-68247-877-6.
• Jarovoj, V. V.; Greger, René (1994). "The Soviet Cruisers of the Chapayev and Sverdlov classes". In Roberts, John (ed.). Warship 1994. London: Conway Maritime Press. pp. 147–158. ISBN 0-85177-630-2.
• Friedman, Norman (1995). "Soviet Union 1947–1991: Russian Federation and Successor States 1991–". In Chumbley, Stephen (ed.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. pp. 337–426. ISBN 978-1-55750-132-5.
• Whitley, M. J. (1995). Cruisers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia. London: Cassell. ISBN 1-86019-874-0.

External links

• Cruiser "Frunze" from Black Sea Fleet (in Russian, with photos)
• Cruiser "Kuybishev" from Black Sea Fleet (in Russian, with photos)
• Article in Russian language - http://ship.bsu.by/main.asp?id=102259
• (in English) All Russian Chapayev Class Cruisers - Complete Ship List