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fighting ships of the world

SOVIET NAVY (USSR)

MINE WARFARE SHIPS

FUGAS, VZRYVATEL', PARAVAN and GAFEL minesweepers (projects 3, 53, 58 and 53u) (1936-1946)

T-207 Shpil' 1940

T-1 Strela 1943

T-407 Mina 1944

Project history: Fast coastal minesweepers. Requirements for the design was made in 1925, technical requirements on their basis were given out in 1930. Initial purpose was minesweeping, ASW service and fast escort. At a choice of displacement, armament and machinery structure as starting point French Diligente class aviso was used. The design was approved 27.3.1932. During building of first ships of project 3 the insufficient stability was discovered, therefore subsequent ships of this class were built under modified projects (project 53 provided solid ballast, project 53u hull broadening, project 58 change of gears arrangement).
    Fugas class minesweepers appeared one of the most successful ships of Soviet Navy. Possessed high seaworthiness and damage tolerance. The deep draught, weak antiaircraft armament, absence of a sonar and sweeps against mines of new types (with acoustic and magnetic fuses) concerned to lacks, the latter problem was partly indemnified during modernizations.

Modernizations: early 1941, T-204 Fugas: + magnetic minesweeping gear

winter 1941/42, T-204 Fugas, T-205 Gafel', T-207 Shpil, T-210 Gak, T-211 Rym, T-215, T-217 Kontr-admiral Yurkovskiy, T-218: + 2 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV

1942, T-401 Tral, T-403 Gruz, T-404 Shchit, T-406 Iskatel', T-409 Garpun, T-410 Vzryv, T-411 Zashchitnik, T-412; 1943, T-407 Mina, T-408 Yakor': + 3 x 1 - 37/63 70K

1942 - 1943, T-1 Strela, T-2 Tros, T-3 Podsekatel', T-4 Provodnik, T-5 Paravan, T-6 Kapsiul, T-7 Vekha, T-8 Cheka: - 1 x 1 - 45/43; + 3 x 1 - 37/63 70K, 2 x 1 - 12.7/79

1/1943, T-406 Iskatel', T-409 Garpun: + 2 x 1 - 533 TT

1943, T-205 Gafel': - 1 x 1 - 45/43, 2 x 1 - 12.7/79; + 2 x 1 - 37/63 70K, 4 x 2 - 12.7/79

late 1943, T-406 Iskatel', T-409 Garpun: - 2 x 1 - 533 TT

early 1944, T-401 Tral, T-407 Mina: + LL magnetic minesweeping gear

late 1940s, T-205 Gafel', T-207 Shpil', T-210 Gak, T-211 Rym, T-215, T-217 Kontr-admiral Yurkovskiy, T-218, T-219 Kontr-admiral Khoroshkhin, T-220, T-221 Dmitriy Lysov: - 1 x 1 - 37/63; + LL magnetic minesweeping gear

early 1950s, all survived: had mine countermeasure equipment consisted of MT-1 or MT-2, MKT-3 mechanical, TEM-U or TEM-U1 magnetic, GAT, BAT-2 acoustic minesweeping gear, + nav. radar

Naval service: All losses on Baltic fall to mines: as a result of mining were lost: T-208 Shkiv 24.6.1941 in Hari-Kurk Strait; T-216 6.7.1941 at Cape Tahkuna; T-212 Shtag 3.8.1941 in Soela-Vjajn Strait; T-201 Zariad 4.8.1941 at Ristna beacon; T-213 Krambol 11.8.1941 and T-202 Buy 15.8.1941 off Cape Yuminda; T-209 Knekht and T-214 Bugel' 24.8.1941, T-203 Patron 25.10.1941, T-206 Verp 14.11.1941 at Keri Island; T-204 Fugas 24.8.1942 E off Gotland. T-210 Gak 2.7.1944 was mined and has sunk off Koivisto, but soon salvaged and in 1944 commissioned again.
   T-402 Minrep 12.9.1941 was lost on a mine at Feodosia. T-405 Vzryvatel' 5.1.1942 was damaged by German aircraft and ran aground at Feodosia where in the morning 6.1.1942 destroyed by German field artillery. T-413 13.6.1942 was sunk by German aircraft at Cape Fiolent. T-403 Gruz 27.2.1943 was sunk by German MTBs S28, 51, 72, 102 at Myskhako. T-411 Zashchitnik 15.6.1943 was sunk by German submarine U24  off Sukhumi. T-410 Vzryv 2.9.1944 was sunk by German submarine U19 at Constanza.

T-404 Shchit

T-3 Podsekatel'

T-206 Verp

© Ivan Gogin, 2009-15