TITLES, RANKS, AND PAY OF THE SOVIET MERCHANT MARINE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000600050191-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 25, 2011
• Sequence Number: 191
• Publication Date: January 20, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

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25X1
CLASSIFICATION cowunTIAL
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
25X1
25X1 THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
1. In regard to titles (zvaniya) of the Soviet merchant ma
Titles, Banks,
Marine and25X1of the Soviet Merchant NO. OF PAGES 3
DATE (OF INFO.)
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE
ACQUIRED
Upon _r'aduation from a navi-
gntion oc:col one r-aceived the title of navigation officer of ocean voters
(sturman dalnevo plavania). This in itself did not give one the right to
navigate vessels. Rovever, presentation of the graduation certificate and
indication of sea-time entitled one to a license. The license was given
by port captains of only eight principal ports: Odessa, Tuapse, Rostov,
Leningrad, Murmansk, Archasgelsk, Baku, and Vladivostok. The type of
license depended upon sea-tine and upon what position the mariner held
aboard ship at the tine. For sample, a graduation certificate and
2I- months in the deck dtpattasmt of sea-going vessels entitled one to
the license of navigation officer, coastal, voters (stur.an malovo
plavania). With this license, is pra::tiee, one could serve either as
a junior officer on an ocean-going vessel or as chief officer on a coastal
vessel. .t year after receiving This license, and if one for various
reasons did not szpeet to ser'vs on ocean raters, ome could obtain a cap-
tain's license, coastal voters (diplon kapitana malovo plavania), provided
that the individual had served as a ante during this period and had had
no collisions or mishaps. This type of captain's license also entitled
one to serve as a chief mate on an ocean-going vessel. In rare instances
this type of license was granted to an individual who had not attended a
merchant marine teehnicum.
2. When a mariner had served am year as aav_atioa officer, metal waters
and viz months as a aaviptiom officer on the ocean (in foreign waters),
one could get a license as aaviption officer, ocean.vaters (sturman
dalnovo plavania). The highest license available was that of captain,
ocean voters (dipian kapitaaa ilaevo plavania). It was obtained only
after one had bees a maviption officer, ocean waters for seas years
end than had served three years as chief ante (starshi pasoshnik) on the
ocean (hair of thi. +4 .- .--.- ---
C r- 'F'CAT'0N CTIAL
oiieieurin.
Now Zvi _ 11 1
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3. In addition to the above system of licenses granted by major porter, local
ports gave licenses for operating small craft - tugs, motor-sailing Chips,
fishing boats, usually under 200 tons. There were four such licenses;
to operate craft of 20, 50, 100, and 200 tons. Sons of the licensee indi.
cated that the holder could operate tugs. This included ocean.-going tugs.
A tug was called a "buksir" or "bukeirai kater." A launch was called a
"kater."
4. Bngineerieg officers in the Soviet merchant marine had a similar
licenses, but their licenses were divided by horsepower, of
the main difference between Soviet and US merchant marine officers was that
in the USSR all navigation officer (eturman) graduates from a merchant
marine rechnicum passed a final examination equivalent to that of a master
of an ocean-going vessel in the US. However, in the US, unless one in a
merchant marine academy graduate, one takes a far more limited examination
in order to obtain, for example, a third mate's papers.
5. In regard to ranks (dolzhnosti) on sea-going vessels of the Soviet mer-
chant marine, the highest rank was that of captain (kapitsn). He wore
four gold stripes, with a red pennant-shaped cloth patch (vimpel) above
the stripes. There was a gold hammer and sickle insignia on the patch.
Officers of the Sovi ore a similar
insignia. At patch, but with a gold star
presen Soviet merchant marine officers wear shoulder
boards rather than stripes on their sleeves. The first mate (ersrahi
pamoshnik kapitana) wore three stripes. The second mate (vtoroi pamoehnik)
had two stripes and third mate (treti pemoshnik), one stripe. On large
freight or passenger ships, fourth and fifth mates might be carried. They
e,lso wore one strips. Continuing with the dwek department, ranks under
that of officer were: boatswain (boteman), able bodied'seaman - AB (matros
pervovo klasa, or rulevoi, is helmsman), and ordinary seaman (matron
vtorovo klasa). Tankers carried "doekermea, who were in charge of the
cargo pumps. Ships also had etewardo r,_.~
cabin cleaners (a,btirsyakiE .. %buleti;hi:Ki), cc-Mw (Pcror1), and
_~
6. Large vessels, and all ships traveling in foreign waters, carried a
political officer. Is was called a "pa^polit" (pamoshnik kapitana po
politicheskol chasti). No wore three stripes. When and if he went
ashore in a foreign port, he dressed in civilian clothes and would not
be listed as a "pompolit," but as something also, such as a seaman.
Doctors were carried on passenger ships and aieo had three stripes.
Both the radio operator (radist) 'and the electro-mechanic, although not
officers, ate with th? Chip's off
7. In the eugideering department, officers' ranks were: chief ecgin.!er, or
senior mechanic (starahi mekhanik), a three-striper,; second mechanic
(vtoroi mekhanik), two stripes; third mechanic (treti mekhanik), one
stripe; and fourth mechanic (chstverti mekhanik), also one stripe.
Below the rank of officer, there wore: first class machinists (macbinisti
pervovo klasa) on steamships (parakiodi) or first class motormen (motori?,t:.
pervovo klasa) on motor ships (taplokhodi); also second class mechinistsi
or motormen. and, on steamships, firemen first class and oeccud class
(kachegari pervovo klasa i vtorovo kisser).
8. A "proforg" (union representative) was tc be found on a shin. I.
won"
-eel>y a sailor or machinist chosen by the crew to represent the seamen's
union (soyus Aorekov), which included the officers. Actually, a "proforg"
had very few functions after 1932. The ?kensorg" was the secretary of the
Komsomol cell on the ship. 3e was chosen by Komsomol members among the
crew and had fairly little to do.
9. The duties of deck officers, in addition to navigation. were: first mate -
administration and supply; second mate - cashier, office matters, care of cargo; third mate -udingecher,
and mks, siptirroal equipseat fi ncludiag charts
/, and in charge of the signal post (flags and blinkers).
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10. In regard to pay of Soviet merchant marine personnel as of. June 1941,
there were six or v upon the tonnage of the
ship. All types of merchant marine
vessels - passenger, freight, and tanker - were included in these cate-
gories. The pay was the same for all fleets of the merchant marine.
The following table indicates typical, approximate (within 100 rubles)
monthly pay in rubles, depending upon rank and ship toauageo
Tanker of
7500 tons
Cargo Vessel of
3500 tons
Motor-Saiik (cargo)
Schooner of 200 tons
C-,stain
1100
800
600
c ..ief Mate
800
650
450
Second Mate
700
550
375
Third Mate
600
430
Fourth Hate
45o
AB
280
260
11. Zach shipping administration (parakhodstvo), such as Sovtanker or the
Black Sea Shipping Administration (UChP - Upravleniya Chernomorakovo
iamkhodstvo), gave to a ship's captain 90 rubles per month for each
member of the crew, in order to purchase food. Meals were not too good,
as 90 rubles was an inadequate sum. As a result, crew members at times
added their own money to this fund. The crew chose a food buyer (artelshik),
usually a sailor or machinist, whose duty it was to go to.a wholesale food
store in the harbor area and make purchases for the whole ship. The stores
were called water transport cooperatives (vodno transportnii kooperativi).
Their prices were not lover than elsewhere, but there was a wider choice
of food products.
12. On Soviet ships sailing foreign waters, crew members have 25% of their
wages paid in foreign currency vb_?_- in ?creign v tcr~,
300 r;:blec per month for food while ir; home waters,yinneteed~ 90. .':ia
applies as it did in 1941. Therefore, sailors on these ves-
sels are a er clothed and better fed than the average mariner. Rubles
which could be exchanged for foreign currency were net the usual paper
rubles,but were Torgsin coupons (Torgsin kuponi). Torgsin (Trade Syndicate,
USSR - Torgovi Sindikat, S80R) was an organisation which sold merchandise
and got people to turn in gold for coupons. A Torgsin coupon was worth.
50 normal rubles on the black market, which flourished quite openly around
the Torgsin stores. Therefore, a sailor returning from foreign duty with
his coupons could make a sizeable profit and was, in effect, very well
paid.
13. personnel of the Soviet merchant marine had to buy their own uniforms.
Lovever, prices were only about one-half the usual cost and one could lay
gradually. The uniforms were sold by the various shipping administra'.icna.
In 1941, sailors did not wear uniforms-except on vessels of two fleets;
the Caspian (passenger) and Sochi (resort ships). ~~ all sailors
14. In regard to leave for officers and sailors of the Soviet merchant
marine, two weeks per year was the vacation period. The longer cce was in
the service, the more leave one received, up to three or four weeks.
Sunday was considered a rest day and if a mariner worked that day, as he
would if the vessel were at sea, he would be given extra leave or extra
pay In port.
756.517 N
756?511 N
756.561 N
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