The Soviet cruiser “Red Caucasus” was laid down at the “Russud” factory in Nikolaev back in tsarist times - October 19, 1913. Then he was called "Admiral Lazarev." The ship was launched, but it was never completed due to the outbreak of the revolution. The ship was remembered only in 1927. Then he was renamed the cruiser "Red Caucasus".
Construction
The creation of the ship during the First World War was interrupted by the Ukrainian and German authorities, who temporarily established control over Nikolaev. In the Soviet era, an unfinished ship was kept mothballed. In 1926, a meeting of the Revolutionary Military Council was held, at which it was decided to resume construction. Soon, experts adopted a new project, according to which the cruiser "Red Caucasus" was to be designed. The drawings were somewhat different from those agreed at Russud. For example, the scientific and technical committee decided to use guns that were previously used on the ships of the Baltic Fleet as part of the armament.
Nobody watched the unfinished building for a long time, so it had to be cleaned of a thick layer of rust. Initially, the work was carried out slowly due to paperwork and coordination of the project in various departments. Finally, the construction was entrusted to the Nikolaev Shipbuilding Plant, and the manufacture of new tools was assigned to the Bolshevik plant. The project involved a team of engineers from a wide variety of enterprises.
Ship model
"Red Caucasus" was part of a galaxy of light cruisers such as "Svetlana." These were the first steam turbine ships in the Russian fleet. In Soviet times, in addition to the "Red Caucasus", the "Red Crimea" and "Chervona Ukraine" belonged to the Svetlana type. The sketch design of the model was developed in 1907-1913. The project appeared as a result of comprehending the experience of the Russo-Japanese War. Ships of the Svetlana type were built at the country's southern and northern shipyards. The "Red Caucasus" was created in Nikolaev, therefore its sketch was made in accordance with the peculiarities of local production.
The light cruiser was intended for reconnaissance in a squadron, fire support of destroyers, and squadron combat with dreadnoughts. Unlike armored models, the “Red Caucasus” had on-board reservation, improved seaworthiness, increased speed, updated artillery on board. The cruiser was 169 meters long and 15 meters wide. The engine system consisted of 13 boilers and 4 turbines. Their combined power was 50 thousand horsepower. According to the project, the crew of the vessel was to consist of 630 people.
Crew
In the 30s. Nikolai Kuznetsov, the future Hero of the Soviet Union, admiral, people's commissar and naval minister, served on the ship. The crew of the “Red Caucasus” found out the news of the beginning of World War II under the command of Alexei Matveevich Gushchin, captain of the 2nd rank. He left his post in November 1942, having been appointed to the Main Naval Headquarters. After Gushchin, the captain was Vasily Nikolaevich Eroshenko, who commanded the ship until Victory Day. Prior to the "Red Caucasus", he led the leader of the destroyers - "Tashkent".
Like on every ship, the cruiser’s crew was the basis of the crew. During the war years, many heroes who faithfully defended the socialist Fatherland served in the "Red Caucasus". A particularly important role was played by the sailors-gunners - commandants. For example, Pyotr Pushkarev, who participated in several operations of 1941-1942, not only regularly shot at the enemy, but also saved his comrades more than once during fires on a ship that arose after shells hit. After one of these episodes, he and his partner Pavel Pilipko were awarded orders for their courage.
Captain 1st rank V. Andreev was responsible for mooring the ship during landing operations on the ship. His orders were correctly executed by Lev Kudish (senior lieutenant), commander Vasily Tsebrenko and Red Navy Alexander Chava, Alexander Zaitsev and Andrey Maksimkin. All these sailors and dozens of their comrades, who were members of the crew of the "Red Caucasus", faithfully performed their duty to the motherland in the most difficult days of the Great Patriotic War.
Under the Soviet flag
The ship was put into operation on January 25, 1932. He joined the Black Sea Fleet. This was the last ship, the construction of which began in Tsarist Russia, and ended under Soviet rule. The cruiser began to participate in navigational campaigns. So, together with the Paris Commune and the Comintern, he went to the Kerch Strait, Anapa and Novorossiysk. In the 30s. cruiser "Red Caucasus" was the most important vessel of the Black Sea Fleet.
During one of the overseas campaigns, writers Ilf and Petrov (authors of “12 Chairs”) were on board. The "Red Caucasus" left the port of Sevastopol, arrived in Istanbul and went to the Sea of ​​Marmara. In October 1933, he embarked on a raid near the Greek city of Piraeus. This was followed by a visit to the Italian port of Naples. Then, not far from there, on the island of Capri, the famous Soviet writer Maxim Gorky lived and worked. Several sailors visited the writer. The cruiser Red Caucasus returned to Sevastopol on the night of November 7, on the eve of the next anniversary of the October Revolution.
Continuation of Service
When the Spanish Civil War broke out, the Soviet government planned to send a squadron to the Bay of Biscay. Its original structure included the cruiser "Red Caucasus". The crew was already preparing for a long voyage, but at the last moment the campaign was canceled. In 1937, the ship fell into a storm in the Black Sea. The cruiser was not injured, but the neighboring fishing vessels were not prepared for the storm. Without spending a single extra minute, the sailors of the "Red Caucasus" came to the rescue of compatriots. Fishermen from the schooners Komsomolets and Petrovsky were saved. The ships themselves sank.
In the same 1937, the light cruiser "Red Caucasus" fell on a scheduled overhaul, which lasted two years. On the eve of World War II, the updated ship took part in several exercises of the Black Sea Fleet and troops of the Odessa Military District. The landing assault cover near Evpatoria was worked out.
Summer of 1941
In June 1941, the ship was in the combat core of the Black Sea Fleet. Therefore, on the first day of the war, the sailors began to prepare to repel the attacks of the German invaders. To do this, put minefields. An important mission was assigned to the firing team. On June 23, 110 minutes were loaded onto the cruiser. All shells, except for one (derailed), were installed according to the regulations - each with an interval of six seconds. Over the next two weeks, the crew conducted several more such operations.
In July, the Red Caucasus Guards cruiser, as part of a brigade of five ships (along with the Chervona Ukraine cruiser, as well as the destroyers Capable, Sober-minded and Smyshlennyy) left for Novorossiysk. The ship stayed there for two months. On September 10, an order was received to go to Odessa to help the defenders of the front-line city. According to the decision of the fleet management, the ship was banned from entering the port harbor. The guards cruiser "Red Caucasus" was supposed to stay in the area of ​​Arcadia - the Big Fountain. Arriving in this area, the ship was under the guise of fighters.
Meanwhile, the cruiser was attacked by enemy aircraft. Several shells fired from bombers fell a few tens of meters from the ship. The "Red Caucasus", despite the obstacles, launched shelling of the village of Ilyinki, where the enemy units were located. In response, the ship came under fire from a German battery. Aware of the danger of the situation, the captain led the ship out of the affected area. Similar skirmishes were repeated several more times.
Help Odessa
As early as August 25, the front was in the vicinity of Odessa. The Germans began shelling the port and residential areas with powerful long-range artillery. On September 9, the leadership of the Black Sea Fleet ordered the preparation of an assault landing near Odessa. It was assumed that during the operation, enemy batteries threatening the city would be captured or destroyed. Especially for the implementation of this plan, the 3rd Marine Regiment was created in Sevastopol. But for the implementation of the landing landing, his fighters and commanders lacked experience. Therefore, it was decided that the cruiser “Red Caucasus” would join the operation. The ship’s photo was featured in a multitude of classified secret documents - it was counted on and hoped for.
Preliminary exercises involving the cruiser took place in mid-September. This landing was scheduled for the 21st. The ship took the landing in Cossack Bay. After that, the ship went to Grigoryevka, where the landing took place. At the same time, the Red Caucasus and destroyers opened fire along the coast. The operation was not without incidents. By mistake of one of the Red Army aft Kubrick shook from a grenade explosion. 16 people were injured. Nevertheless, the landing nevertheless occurred, which was the undoubted success of the Soviet fleet.
Defender of Sevastopol
In October 1941, the evacuation of part of the army from the Crimea, which was surrounded by German troops, began. Ships were used to transport people, including the cruiser Red Caucasus. The crew loaded on board anti-aircraft guns, cars, machine guns, shells, etc. Transportation was carried out in a hurry due to the impending threat of the occupation of Sevastopol. So, for example, on October 23, the 73rd Anti-Aircraft Regiment, which landed the next day in Tuapse, turned up entirely on the ship. In total, more than a dozen such evacuations were carried out.
When the Luftwaffe aircraft carried out a massive bombing of residential areas of Sevastopol and its strategically important port on November 2, the Krasny Kavkaz cruiser was also attacked. The list of the crew of this ship is rightfully included in the pantheon of heroes of World War II. Even in the most critical situation, the sailors did not lose heart and tried to do everything to inflict as much damage as possible on the enemy. Anchoring at the port, the ship opened fire on enemy aircraft that bombed the city. Sevastopol was able to survive in the siege for several more months precisely thanks to the help of the fleet.
On the same day, two bombs hit the nearby Voroshilov cruiser, which received serious damage and needed repair. The crew of the "Red Caucasus", according to the order of the leadership of the fleet, went to the rescue of the injured ship and their comrades. The damaged Voroshilov was towed, which was torn several times on the road. Nevertheless, the movement continued. Cruisers often fell under the attack of bombers. With each approach of the enemy, the anti-aircraft guns of the "Red Caucasus" worked together. On November 4 at Voroshilov after repair work they were able to regain control, and the tug was removed. That same evening, in the port of Tuapse, we met the returning cruiser Red Caucasus. The model of a steam turbine ship, despite a significant period of operation, was intact and could still serve. After refueling, the ship returned to Sevastopol.
Landing operation in Feodosia
At the end of December, the Kerch-Feodosia landing operation of the Red Army began. The Soviet leadership decided to help the besieged Sevastopol by disembarking a large contingent of troops in the east of Crimea. The operation was attended by the courts of the Azov-Black Sea Flotilla and the Black Sea Fleet, including the cruiser "Red Caucasus". From the paper drawn up at the Headquarters, it became clear that it was precisely the coordinated actions of the ships that would become the most important factor in the success or failure of the initial stage of the operation.
The cruiser went to sea on December 25. He and the destroyer Nazamozhnozhnik were supposed to suppress enemy firing points and batteries with artillery fire, thus supporting the landing. The soldiers, in turn, on patrol boats and gunboats landed on the pier near Mount Opuk. Soon, according to the plan, the cruiser "Red Caucasus" arrived in the area of ​​operation. The crew, whose names are rightfully included in the lists of war heroes, did not find anyone nearby. For several hours the ship stood still, waiting for directions. Finally, the order came to shell the coast near Mount Opuk. Although the weather that night was favorable for landing, the landing party did not appear (it turned out that he had not left Anapa at all), and the cruiser returned to Novorossiysk.
On December 28, fighters of the Red Army (about one and a half thousand people), as well as equipment, including vehicles, were taken aboard. On the 29th, the “Red Caucasus” as part of a group of ships approached Feodosia and opened fire on the city occupied by the enemy. Under this cover, the landing party began its breakthrough to the seaport.
Disembarkation
Several attempts by the cruiser’s crew to moor him to the pier failed. Affected by the lack of experience of young sailors in conducting such operations in difficult night conditions. The mooring was only possible with the help of tugboats. Before this, Captain Gushchin had to resort to several maneuvers. The cruiser attracted the attention of the enemy, who opened mortar and artillery fire on the ship. The first shells hit the movie booth, where a fire started due to flammable paint. The fragments riddled the chimney. The foremast was damaged.
Another shell hit the second tower, where the explosion occurred, and many of the sailors who were there were killed. Here and there fires occurred due to damaged wiring and ignition of the paint. The worst was the threat of fire entering the cellar, where ammunition was stored. If this happened, the ship would explode from the inside. Therefore, sailors fought with fire with maximum dedication, risking their lives. Many received terrible burns or smoke poisoning.
An example of such a feat was the act of Red Navy Vasily Pokutny. He was the gunner of the tower and found a burning charge in the elevator tray. Because of him, the entire “Red Caucasus” (cruiser) was threatened. Pokutny did not fear the danger and rushed to the burning shell. Pulling it out of the elevator, the Red Navy moved toward the tower door, however, having received serious burns, he collapsed directly onto his burden. Comrades who were nearby noticed a fire and rushed to the rescue. One of the Red Navy men penetrated the tower through the turret hole and opened the locked door from the inside. The shell was thrown overboard. Nine minutes later, the fire was finally eliminated.
By eight in the morning, the last paratrooper left the ship. For several hours the cruiser was under enemy fire, but the crew managed to complete the task (helping the Red Army). The captain gave the order to unfasten the anchor chain as soon as possible and chop off the mooring lines. After that, the ship rushed at full speed into the open sea. Enemy artillery on the peninsula lost sight of the Red Caucasus. The cruiser, whose length was 169 meters, was an easy target for aimed fire, but now it has left its reach.
On the brink of doom
On January 2, 1942, the ship returned to Novorossiysk, where it received the 224th separate anti-aircraft division (1,200 people), guns, shells, machine guns and tractors. The next day, the ship went to Feodosia. The cruiser "Red Caucasus" during the war years conducted several dozen operations, but this one was special. The ship left Novorossiysk with many injuries sustained during the first raid in Feodosia. In total, eight holes were discovered in the frame. They were repaired with improvised means, although the cruiser still needed a full repair. But he had neither time nor resources. The Kerch-Feodosia operation required the participation of all available ships, so the "Red Caucasus" again went to sea, even with damage. In addition to the holes, a problem arose with tachometers not working in the conning tower. In addition, the ship had only one anchor, since the second remained on the ground after an emergency survey on December 29.
The fleet headquarters made several unacceptable mistakes. The command detained the "Red Caucasus" in the port of Feodosia for several hours. It was also wrong that the ship went on an expedition that was not guarded by anyone. During the unloading of the ship in port, it was attacked by anti-aircraft guns and enemy aircraft. About 50 bombs were dropped, one of which exploded at a depth of 6 meters. A rising wave tossed the ship and caused serious damage. A few fresh holes appeared in the casing, the deck warped, which caused several guns to fail. Cellars, pantries and several other rooms flooded with water. The light went out on the ship and the turbo-generator failed, damaged the central radio room.
Although the unloading had not yet been completed, and some ammunition and two anti-aircraft guns remained on board, the captain decided to leave the port. The ship was most afraid that the cruiser would run aground. Although the aft turbines did not work, the steering still functioned, and the crew managed to send the Red Caucasus to the sea. 8 boilers and 2 nasal cars remained operational. The ship could not go at high speed, since during acceleration it began to vibrate strongly. There were more than 1,700 tons of water in the feed rooms. During the retreat, the cruiser was attacked by aircraft, but thanks to maneuvers and return fire, these shellings did not lead to serious consequences. A few hours later, the ship met with the destroyer "Capable", which came to its defense.
Back to sea
The "Red Caucasus" arrived in Tuapse, after which experts began to study damage to the ship. The analysis showed that the ship urgently needs repair. For this, it was decided to send him to Poti. Special machines were loaded onto the decks and about 200 workers were accepted. On January 28, the cruiser left the port. He got to Poti in tow of the tanker "Moscow". All this time, in some rooms, non-pumped water continued to remain, preserving a dangerous roll.
Direct repairs in Poti began only at the end of March. It lasted four months. In April 1942, the cruiser received the status of a guards, on board adopted the guards flag. The ceremony was held in the presence of the highest ranks of the fleet. In August, the ship went to the first tests after repair, which showed a good result. That same summer, after the reorganization in the Black Sea Fleet, the ship became part of the new cruiser brigade.
By this time, the Germans had already captured Sevastopol, and the Wehrmacht began to attack Tuapse. The hardest days of the war came. In the following months, the ship regularly participated in transporting the Red Army from Poti to Tuapse. Many units were transported by the Red Caucasus (cruiser). 408 division, 145 marine regiment, 10 rifle brigade and other units visited the ship.
End of service
The last operation of the "Red Caucasus" during the Great Patriotic War took place in February 1943. The cruiser landed troops near the village of South Ozereyka. The detachment entrenched on the coast, seized a bridgehead and went to the outskirts of Novorossiysk. After this episode, the famous ship remained parked in ports and did not participate in hostilities.
For 1941-1943 64 campaigns were conducted, in which the cruiser "Red Caucasus" participated. Photos of the ship regularly appeared in newspapers, and the whole country knew about the exploits of the crew. During the war, the ship transported 25 thousand people and repelled 200 air attacks. In 1944, the "Red Caucasus" went to Poti, where it remained for autumn repairs, after which he returned to the liberated Sevastopol. The cruiser made a significant contribution to the defeat of the Nazi invaders. His merits were appreciated. At the Victory Parade in the summer of 1945, the flag of the "Red Caucasus" was flown past the Lenin Mausoleum on Red Square.
By the end of the war, the ship was already extremely obsolete. Use it in battle no longer made sense. As a result of the audit in 1947, many non-operational ships were withdrawn from the Black Sea Fleet, including the light cruiser Red Caucasus. The model lost its combat status and became a training one. In the fall of 1952, it was decided to disarm the ship and sink it near Feodosia when testing new missiles.