"Warships of the Soviet Fleets 1939-1945, Volume I"

Major Combatants

  • Subject: Fall 2022 Catalog | World of Warships Booklist | Summer 2024 Sale
  • Format:
    Hardcover
  • Pages:
    400
    pages
  • Illustrations:
    350 b/w photos, 145 line drawings
  • Published:
    November 15, 2022
  • ISBN-10:
    1682478777
  • ISBN-13:
    9781682478776
  • Product Dimensions:
    11.33 × 9.65 × 1 in
  • Product Weight:
    62 oz
Hardcover $100.00
Member Price $60.00 Save 40%
Book: Cover Type

Overview

Seventy-five years after the end of the World War II 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 book 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.  Divided into three volumes, this first covers major surface warships down to MTBs and armored gunboats, as well as submarines.

For every class there is a design history analyzing strategic, tactical, and technical considerations, and individual ship detail includes construction yard, key building dates, commissioning, fleet designations, relocations, and fate. Once a closely guarded secret, the wartime loss of every ship and boat (over one thousand) is described. Furthermore, the confusion caused by frequent name changes is clarified by an index that runs to sixteen thousand items.  

By following the ships through both their wartime and earlier history, the book reveals many aspects of Russian history that remain highly -sensitive: clandestine co-operation with Weimar Germany and fascist Italy, the NKVD-enforced closure of Soviet borders, the ‘Gulag Fleet’, the faked Metallist sinking that excused the military occupation of Estonia, and the ill-conceived pact with Nazi Germany. Restrictions recently imposed on historical publications in Russia mean this book could certainly not have been published there – as proven by the fact that most of the authors' Russian collaborators preferred not to disclose their identities.  

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 maritime aspects of World War II. 

About the Author

Editorial Reviews

"This book is extremely valuable, being the first in English to address the Soviet Navy in such detail. It has considerable merit because of the depth of research and analysis provided by writers who, because of their Russian language skills, contacts and access to some official papers, have been able to provide an accurate, balanced and unique view of the Soviet Navy." --Australian Naval Institute