The heavy cruiser "Stalingrad" belongs to the type of ships of the USSR Navy, the construction of which was personally initiated by V. I. Stalin. Their basis was the ship "Lützow", bought in Germany shortly before the Second World War. It was it that served as the impetus for the beginning of the development, and then the construction of heavy ships in the USSR. In this article you can see a photo of the cruiser "Stalingrad" of project 82 and find out its difficult history.
Previous events
This started even before Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union. As you know, V. I. Stalin had an inexplicable passion for cruisers, so it was his increased attention to heavy ships and unlimited power that played a major role in deciding to start developing the so-called project 82.
In late August - early September 1939, negotiations were held between representatives of Germany and the USSR, which ended with the signing of agreements on non-aggression, friendship and borders between states, as well as on trade and credit cooperation. A little later, the delegations of both countries met again, now to conclude an economic agreement providing for the supply to the Soviet Union of a large amount of engineering products, includingthemselves weapons and military equipment, in exchange for raw materials.
With the start of the war unleashed by Nazi Germany in Europe, German shipbuilding campaigns were reoriented to the large-scale construction of submarines, while programs to create surface warships were temporarily suspended. That is why the Soviet government had the opportunity to acquire several unfinished war cruisers.
The Trade and Purchasing Commission, which included specialists from the Navy and the NKSP and was headed by the People's Commissar for the Shipbuilding Industry of the Soviet Union I. T. 203 mm artillery. These cruisers began to be built serially four years before the start of World War II. By that time, two of them had already been transferred to the German fleet, and three more were being completed afloat.
Such an acquisition would allow the USSR to replenish the fleet with the necessary number of combat units much faster, without reducing the number of warships already being manufactured or just planned for construction. Negotiations between the two sides ended with Germany agreeing to sell one of the unfinished ships, the Lutzow cruiser, which was 50% technically ready. In addition, the Germans undertook to ensure the supply of not only weapons, but also equipment for its further construction. Also, a group of specialists from the shipyard-builder located in Bremen was to go to the USSR for the period until all workconcerning the ship will not be completed.
Definition of a priority direction in shipbuilding
According to the economic agreement concluded with Germany, in May 1940 the Lutzow cruiser, which was renamed Petropavlovsk in September, was towed to the Leningrad Plant No. 189 and left at the outfitting wall.
Its acquisition made it possible for Soviet specialists to get acquainted with foreign samples of the latest military equipment and, taking into account foreign experience, to introduce a number of advanced technological solutions during the creation and construction of already domestic ships for their Navy. Provided that the German side fulfills all the obligations assumed, work on the cruiser was to be completed in 1942.
During the war, the design of a new domestic cruiser slowed down somewhat. However, even before its completion, at the beginning of 1945, the order of the People's Commissar of the Navy N. Kuznetsov appeared on the creation of a commission, which included leading specialists from the Naval Academy. They were supposed to analyze the experience gained in the war and prepare materials related to both the type and tactical and technical elements of the most promising ships, which over time will be included in the new fleet renewal program in the USSR.
In September of the same year, at a meeting with I. V. Stalin, where the heads of shipyards and the command of the Navy took part, he put forward a proposal to reduce the number of battleships and increase the number of heavy ships, such as the projectedcruiser Stalingrad. "Kronstadt" and a number of other similar unfinished pre-war laying ships, which by this time were morally obsolete, in March 1947, it was decided to be dismantled for metal.
Design History
In the middle of 1947, the ministers of armaments D. F. Ustinov, the Armed Forces N. A. Bulganin and the shipbuilding industry A. A. Goreglyad submitted to the government three projects of the KRT at once for consideration. One of them suggested equipping the new type of cruisers with 220mm guns, and the rest with 305mm main guns.
The use of the same weapons in two reports, officials explained by the fact that there were disagreements between the ministries about the thickness of the hull armor of the planned cruiser "Stalingrad". Bulganin supported the idea of a 200 mm ship's plating, which could provide reliable protection of the ship's vital areas from 203 mm shells at a distance of more than 60 cables. As a result, such a thickness of armor made it possible to improve combat maneuverability in the event of a collision with similar enemy cruisers, which would be one of the main tactical advantages.
Goreglyad, in turn, was of the opinion that a 150-millimeter armor belt would be expedient, which would significantly reduce the displacement of the vessel, as well as increase the full speed. The Minsudprom was sure that such improvements would provide the cruiser with the ability to carry out fire interaction with enemy heavy ships at distances of more than 80 cables. Therefore, suchthe thickness of the armor was quite sufficient to protect against 203 mm shells.
The third version, using 220mm guns, was significantly inferior to the first two projects both in terms of survivability and firepower. However, it had the advantage of reducing the ship's displacement by 25%, as well as increased speed by another 1.5 knots.
In 1948, I. V. Stalin finally approved one of the options for further development. It was the project proposed by Bulganin, namely a ship with a displacement of 40 thousand tons with 200 mm armor, with a speed equal to 32 knots, and 305 mm guns. Stalin ordered to maximize the pace of construction of such military vessels and later personally supervised the progress of its implementation. It is worth recalling that the heavy cruiser Stalingrad, which was being created in the USSR, was also positioned as the main opponent of similar American ships of the Alaska type.
Establishment and construction
By a special government decree, several teams of design bureaus, research institutes, shipbuilding enterprises and related industries were involved in the creation of the first heavy cruiser of the "Stalingrad" type, which included the Stalin Metal, Izhorsky, Novokramatorsky, Kirovsky, Kaluga Turbine Plant, Bolshevik, Barricades, Electrosila and Kharkov Turbine Generator Plant.
The ceremonial laying of the battlecruiser "Stalingrad" was made on December 31, 1951 in Nikolaev, at plant number 444, despite the fact that severalbottom sections were installed on the slipway a month earlier. It is known that the workers of this enterprise promised to launch the ship ahead of schedule, namely on November 7, 1953, coinciding it with the 36th anniversary of the October Revolution. However, this was not the only Stalingrad-class cruiser that began to be built in the USSR after World War II.
In the autumn of 1952, another cruiser, the Moskva, was laid down at plant No. 189 in Leningrad on slipway A. Around the same time, in Molotovsk, they began to build the third of the same warship, which did not receive its own name. It was called hull No. 3. This vessel was laid down in the slipway workshop at shipyard No. 402.
The construction of the cruiser "Stalingrad" project 82 was the fastest. At the end of 1952, about 120 samples of various components were delivered for this ship, including weapons, heat exchangers, diesel and electric generators, boiler turbines, cable devices, instrumentation and automation systems, and other auxiliary mechanisms.
Tests
During the design of a new type of cruisers, its creators carried out a number of development and research work. Tests were carried out to determine the degree of resistance of deck and side armor by undermining and shelling homogeneous and cemented protective plates. Prototyping of the main premises of the power plant, magazines of ammunition, energy compartments and combat posts was carried out.
Beenthe optimal version of the theoretical contours of the ship's hull was found in the course of testing the seaworthiness and running properties of the ship on scale models in experimental pools located on the territory of TsAGI named after N. E. Zhukovsky and the Central Research Institute of Academician A. N. Krylov. In addition, numerous theoretical studies of various issues related to the use of the latest technology were carried out.
Cruiser "Stalingrad": design description
Basically, the ship's hull had a longitudinal framing system with existing gaps between the frames in the citadel area within 1.7 m, and at the ends - about 2.4 m. In addition, it was divided from the lower deck to the bottom by transverse bulkheads, having a thickness of not more than 20 mm, into 23 waterproof compartments.
The methods of sectional assembly of the hull provided by the project, where both flat and volumetric segments were used, connected by welding, significantly reduced the time allocated for the construction of the vessel.
Booking
The thickness of the walls of the side cabin of the cruiser "Stalingrad" reached 260 mm, the traverse bulkheads of the citadel - 125 mm (aft) and up to 140 mm (bow), the roof - about 100 mm. The decks had armor: the lower one - 20 mm, the middle one - 75 mm and the upper one - 50 mm. The thickness of the walls of the towers of the main caliber was: frontal - 240 mm, side - 225 mm, roofs - 125 mm. As for the back, it also served as a counterweight, as it was composed of three plates, the total thickness of which could vary from 400 to 760 mm.
The most important compartments of the ship,such as ammunition cellars, power plant rooms and main posts had mine protection (PMZ), which consisted of 3-4 longitudinal bulkheads. The first and fourth of them were flat and had a thickness of 8 to 30 mm, while the second (up to 25 mm) and the third (50 mm) were cylindrical. For more reliable protection, additional plates up to 100 mm thick were put on the third bulkhead.
For the first time in the practice of shipbuilding in the USSR, the heavy cruiser Stalingrad was equipped with triple bottom protection. For this, a longitudinal-transverse system was used throughout the entire citadel. Outside, the skin was made of 20 mm armor, the second and third bottoms were up to 18 mm thick.
Armaments
According to the approved project, the ship was supposed to be equipped with 305-mm SM-31 guns, the total ammunition of which consisted of 720 volleys, as well as 130-mm BL-109A turrets, designed for 2,400 rounds. The artillery fire control system provided for the presence of both radar and optical means.
In addition, on the cruiser "Stalingrad" it was planned to place 45-mm SM-20-ZiF and 25-mm BL-120 anti-aircraft guns, designed for 19,200 and 48,000 rounds, respectively. The SM-31 turret guns were supposed to be equipped with the More-82 PUS with the Grotto radio rangefinder, while the Sirius-B was intended for the BL-109A.
Auxiliary equipment, communication and detection equipment
As mentioned above, the cruiser had a launcher of the main caliber"Sea-82", which gave the KDP SM-28, which has a rangefinder base of 8 and 10 meters, and two radars of the Zalp station. The second and third GK towers were equipped with Grotto radio rangefinders. Supported by three SPN-500s, the PUS had the standard Zenit-82 caliber. In three towers of the Criminal Code, radio rangefinders "Stag-B" were installed. Three Fut-B radar systems fired from SM-20-ZIF anti-aircraft guns.
The armament of radio equipment consisted of radar stations for detecting surface objects "Reef", airborne "Guys-2" and target designation "Fut-N". As for the means of electronic defense, it consisted of the Mast search radar, as well as the Coral used to create interference. In addition, it was planned to install the Hercules-2 hydroacoustic station and a pair of Solntse-1p heat direction finders on the cruiser.
Stop construction
The assembly of ships progressed rapidly. However, after the death of V. I. Stalin, only a month passed, when on April 18, 1953, an order was issued by the Minister of Heavy and Transport Engineering I. I. Nosenko to stop the construction of three ships of project 82. The cruiser "Stalingrad" was almost half ready. Work not only on the manufacture, but also on the partial installation of weapons on the lead ship was in full swing. In addition, various ship devices and equipment were installed on it, including diesel and turbo-generator units, power plants, heat exchangers, an automation system and a number of other auxiliary mechanisms.
In June of the same year, the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, together with the Minister of Heavy and Transportmechanical engineering decided to use part of the hull of the cruiser "Stalingrad", including its citadel, at the training ground as an experimental full-scale compartment. It was planned that the latest models of naval weapons would be tested on it. The purpose of the exercises was to test the stability of the mine and armor protection of the ship.
To develop documentation for the equipment and the formation of the compartment, as well as for its descent from the slipway and further towing to the test site, it was entrusted to branch No. 1 of the bureau, based at that time in Nikolaev. The head of this project was K. I. Troshkov, and the chief engineer was L. V. Dikovich, who was the lead designer of the project 82.
In 1954, the compartment of the heavy cruiser "Stalingrad" was launched. During 1956 and 1957, it tested the power of cruise missiles, torpedoes, aerial bombs and armor-piercing artillery shells. However, despite this, the compartment still remained afloat even in the absence of any special forces and means responsible for its survivability. This state of affairs only once again confirmed the extremely high protection efficiency of this ship.
As for the other two cruisers, their unfinished hulls were cut up for scrap. These works were carried out on the territory of factories No. 402 and No. 189. In mid-January 1955, according to a decree of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union, on the basis of the SM-31 tower installations left over from the cruisers of the unrealized project 82, it was planned to manufacture four 305-mm railway batteries for the needscoastal defense of the USSR.
"Stalingrad" and other ships developed by TsKB-16 were highly appreciated by the Soviet government. Despite the unfinished project 82, it was quite interesting and very significant, given the fact that the ships were created in an exceptionally short time. Their design and further construction demonstrated the highest technical and scientific potential of the country to the whole world.
It is noteworthy that Project 82 and its facilities were the only heavy artillery ships in the world laid down after the end of World War II. On the example of the model of the cruiser "Stalingrad", made in 1954, which is stored in the Central Naval Museum in St. Petersburg, we can now easily imagine the full power of this ship.
Computer games
The cruiser "Stalingrad" in World of Warships is the revived history of the Russian fleet. Despite the fact that in reality the ship was never completed, it will be possible to see it with your own eyes on the screen of your monitor. In mid-October 2017, the developers of World of Warships announced that only the best players would be able to receive the Tier X cruiser Stalingrad as a gift. Already, there are a lot of people who want to take part in a virtual battle and become the captain of this ship.
