Seventy-five years after the end of the Second World War the details of
Soviet ships, their activities and fates remain an enigma to the West.
In wartime such information was classified and after a brief period of
glasnost ("openness") the Russian state has again restricted access to
historical archives. Therefore, the value - and originality - of this
work is difficult to exaggerate. It sees the first publication of
reliable data on both the seagoing fleets and riverine flotillas of the
Soviet Navy, listing over 6,200 vessels from battleships to river
gunboats, and mercantile conversions as well as purpose-built warships.
This third and final part of the series includes all the ships in naval
service that were not frontline fighting vessels. Despite auxiliary
status, these were not insignificant ships -indeed the icebreakers were
the largest vessels built by the USSR before the war and carried so much
prestige that every leading member of the Soviet regime wanted their
name on one. Apart from the obvious fleet support types - oilers, tugs,
and depot ships -this volume also covers unsung heroes like the salvage
fleet, highly significant in the 1930s for generating much-needed
foreign currency and later essential to the war effort, allowing so many
sunken Soviet warships to be returned to service. Another major feature
of this volume is the first clear and comprehensive listing of
ex-mercantile transport ships, their periods of service and ultimate
fates. Even harbor service craft are included, right down to the humble
"heaters" that supplied warmth to icebound warships in the depth of the
Russian winters.
This volume concludes with a number of important appendices on subjects
like weaponry and a massive, cross-referenced index that will allow
readers to differentiate between ships of the same name and to track
every name change.
This is undoubtedly one of the most important naval reference works of
recent years and will be welcomed by anyone with an interest in
warships, the Soviet Navy or wider maritime aspects of the Second World
War. Furthermore, as recent Russian actions appear to revive Soviet-era
aspirations, this book offers both new insights and valuable background
of contemporary relevance.
