BATTLESHIP CONSTRUCTION IN THE SOVIET UNION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R006500780007-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 22, 2012
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: April 16, 1951
• Content Type: REPORT

50X1-HUM
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/03/22 : CIA-RDP82-00457R006500780007-5
COUNTRY U'35R
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
SUBJECT Battleship Construction in the Soviet Union
PLACE-
ACQUIRED
DATE OF
INFO.
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REPO
CD NO
DATE DISTR.
16 April 1951.
NO. OF PAGES
4
NO. OF ENCLS.
(USTF_Q BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFOR #ATION
In 1935 changes in Soviet naval policy repulted in the formation of
plans to construct a battleship modeled after a modified and modernized
Royal Sovereiira, and by 1937 work had progressed so that it was possible
-to prepare to lay the keel for'puch a ship, In this year discussions
between Soviet naval authorities and the Chief of the Baltiiski Zavod
(3altic- Plant) in Leningrad resulted in issuance of an order to the
yard to construct slipways for two battleships. Two years later,, in
.-
1939, an engineer named (fnu) Samarin inspected the slipways and per
s Kraal.? guaranteed the adequacy of the Saltiiski Zavod o Samar in was
then put in charge of construction cf the battleships; he was later
parade Chief of the Ministry of Ship Construction and in 1945 was put
in charge of reconstruction of the Aikolayev Shipyard.,, Soviet ship
construction experts assume that Samarin is now directing construction
of larger naval vessels both in Nikolayev and in the Arkhangelsk
(64-341N, 4O-32E) area..
In 1939 the keels of two battleships were laid down at the I3altiiski
;a.vod and work continued until the siege of Leningrad, when one slip
and the hull of one ship were badly damaged by bombing, Work on
these battleships was largely discontinued during the war, but was
bagun anew in 1.945.
3.. At. Lolotovs.k (64?34N, 39-53E) a wharf was constructed between 1937 and
1939 and it was planned for the building of larger navql vessels.
About fifteen thousand persons were employed on this project, and two
STATES J_NAV%
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'XASSIFICA"ION 3 , iET/CONTROL US OFFI
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50X1-HUM
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/03/22 : CIA-RDP82-00457R006500780007-5
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/03/22 : CIA-RDP82-00457R006500780007-5
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CENTRAL INTEL IGENCLe AGENCY 50X1-HUM
a large naval vessel; the "elling" not only gives protection from
the weather, but conceals the work being undertaken o The Soviet
Union has organized special courses for naval architects in con-
struction of such sheds, which are very expensive to build and
difficult to plan, since they must contain a very large area of
unsupported archspan,
an "clling" is a shed which is large enough to shield, a com-
p eted hull as well as the cranes and equipment used in building
inforced concrete which is known as an "elling ",
large ways were constructed, each under a large shed built of re-
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4, At the Molotovsk Shipyard the keels of two large naval. vessels
were laid, and work continued until 1941, when it was halted by
the war; construction on these vessels was resumed in 1945. The
Mo].otovsk Shipyard and the Nikolayev Shipyard now rank as the
largest shipyards in the Soviet Union,
5., Main turbines for Soviet battlehhips are being constructed by the
Stalin Heavy Machinery Plant: No. 371 at Leningrad. Official data
on this plant at Leningrad states it can construct turbines of up
to 100,000 horsepower,
6
will be completed in the near future in the Baltic area
two additional large naval vessels are nearing completion in the
Mite Sea area
it highly probable that one Soviet at t. eshJ -
in January 1948 the completed hull of
a battleship with mounted armor was observed in Leningrad;.the
superstructure and armament were not mounted on the hull, but the
main machinery seemed to be installed in the vessel. Construction
of the ship was evidently not being rushed at the time of this re-
port , Between June and September 1949
the presence of a large naval. vessel described as a battleship in
the harbor at Kronstadt (59-59N, 29.45E)0 The armament of the
ship included a triple-firing turret in the forepart of the ship,
and a single-firing turret to the aft, Just rear of midehip was
another turret with three vertical openings on the front, No guns
were mounted on the tower, which seemed to be maneuverable,,,
8., During the summer of l950a 50X1-HUM
large naval vessel engaged in artillery practice in the innermost
part of the Gulf of Finland, In October 1950 a large, possibly
completed naval vessel with a weight said to be more than that of
a heavy cruiser, was observed in Leningrad moored north of the
Galerny Wharf? The ship was surrounded with screening which re-
sembled dry dock sections, in an attempt. at concealment. It
was possible to compare the size of this ship with cruisers which
also were moored In the area,
9" 50X1-HUM
data concerning the Soveetski S o .uz,
Treti International and Sovetskaya Ukrain :
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/03/22 : CIA-RDP82-00457R006500780007-5
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/03/22 : CIA-RDP82-00457R006500780007-5
SECRET/CONTROL US OFFICIALS ONLY
C1 NTFE.AL INTELLIGENCE AG :NCY
displacement
length
width
draft
deck armor
armor girdle
tower armor
armament,
planned armament
actual armament
planned armament
actual armament
planned armament
actual armament
planned armament
actual armament
speed
radius
35,600 tons (approximate)
240 meters
34.5 meters
11.4 meters
10 inches
16 inches
18 inches
4 firing towers with 12x406 mna guns
2 firing towers with 6x406 mm. guns
14x150 mm. guns
20x150 mr.~a guns
10x20 mm. guns
40x20 mire guns
14x45 mm. guns
24x45 mm. guns
unknown (32 or 33 knots)
8,000 sea miles at 14 knots an hour
two gun OUA-I-hUIVI
towers in the original plans were replaced by two rocket towers for
which they had at their disposal.
These figures are held to be generally correct, though the former
officers assert that deck armor was originally to be eight inches thick
but it is not improbable that ten-inch plate was used as an additional
precaution against air attack, Planned armament figures agree with data
launching guided projectiles. The armor on such towers is lighter than
armor on ordinary firing towers, and this probably would add to the speed
of the battleship.
M The tendency toward an increased number of smaller caliber weapons agrees
with recent thinking concerning battleship armament; but 50X1-HUM
the above figures are not since constant revision is 50X1-HUM
ships are eouipped with 130 muo guns rather than 150 mm, guns, since 50X1-HUM
being made on ships of this type. the batt 50X1-HUM
110
of the battleships could not be available prior to shakedown tests
lighter and faster,-and-has better elevation than the 150 mm, gun, and can 50X1-HUM
be used as a long-range anti-aircraft weapon Figures concerning the speed
the Sovetski Soyuz is launched an u n d e r w e n t
practice runs during the summer of 1950. The vessel is not yet listed by
the Soviet Navy, indicating that it is still being tested and probably is
not completely ar.medu he vessel is in
Lepaya (56-32N, 21?0OE for final equipping and installation of signal
systems, wiring, etc., and it is asserted that the vessel will join the
Baltic Fleet sometime in 1.951,
12, Estimates concerning the Treti International are more difficult to make;
the vessel is no longer at the Baltiiski
was anchored at Leningrad in the spring of 1950, but was still uncompleted-,
avo aipya , but tney nave obtained no information indicating that the
ship is finished and afloat. Some information indicated that the vesse'
1952,
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/03/22 : CIA-RDP82-00457R006500780007-5
the ship will be completed late in 1951 or early in
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/03/22 : CIA-RDP82-00457R006500780007-5
RLT CONTROL US OFFICIALS ONLY
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
i3 The Sovetskaya Ukraina was only completed to the waterline when the
Germans entered Nikolayev, and for unknown reasons the hull of the
vessel was not destroyed when the Nikolayev Shipyard was destroyed
by the Germans, In the absence of data, it is assumed that the vessel
is still under construction at Nikolayev, and that the reconstruction
of the shipyard, the secondary role of the Black Sea Fleet in Soviet
thinking, and lack of material concerning the ship in Soviet technical
journals all confirm that work on her is'progressing slowly.
14,
va&- u"w
aircraft carriers and two battleships are under construction. They
assume that these rumors are unfounded, but point out that the shipyard
is able to handle ships of this size. less will eventually be
used in their construction, two aircraft carriers
may be under construction in Molotovsk, but that work on them will be
slow since the thirteen-;rear history of the construction of the three
battleships indicates that the Soviet Union has not yet mastered the
difficulties of constructing larpe naval vessels. If such ships are
being constructedQ every effort will be made to
conceal the -work, and the personnel of the Baltliski
Zavod were told that the yard was working on large icebreakers when
construction on the two battleships commenced.
the chief Soviet naval yard in the
Comments:
On the basis of mathematical computations, using the figures given
for length, width, and draft, the figure given for displacement appears
to be incorrect,.
In addition to the battleship reported under construction in this report,
the battleships Strana Sovetov and Sovetskaya Belorussia were reported
to have been laid down in Arkhangelsk iin 194?_, and may possibly have
been commissioned by this date n
.=CW1,,-T/CONTROL US OFFICIALS ONLY
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/03/22 : CIA-RDP82-00457R006500780007-5