Russian [submarine] depot ship Varonis (1908) around 1944

Drawing Ron van Maanen

Former Latvian ice breaker Varonis taken over by the Soviet Union  in August 1940 which sunk in 1941 but was later salvaged serving in Soviet service until the 50‘s. The details dealing with her in the litearure are confusing.

Warships International, vol. 8 1971, calls her the Latvian icebreaker/icebreaking tug Varonis built in 1908 as the German Passat, in 1926 added to the Latvian navy, in 1940 handed over to the Soviet Union and renamed Pyarnu broken up after the Second World War.

Jane’s Fighting Ships 1944-1945 described her as the Russian depot ship Varonis with a displacement of 200 and as dimensions 95½ x 21½ x 12 feet. The horsepower of 425 ihp allowed a speed of 10 knots.

Valdis O. Lumans, Latvia in World War II. Described her as a sub tender built in 1908 and acquired in France in 1926.

Conway’s All the world’s Fighting Ships 1902-1921. Described her as the icebreaker Varonis purchased in 1919 being the former German Passat built in 1908 with a displacement of 250 tons.

Brasley’s Annual for 1941 called her a former icebreaker with a speed of 10 knots used as a submarine depot ship.

R. Kafka&R.L. Pepperburg, 1946. Warships of the World called her a submarine tender being a former ice breaker, built in 1908, with a displacement of 250 ton and as dimensions 95’6” x 21’6” x 12’0”, a horsepower of 425 ihp and a speed of 10 knots.

D. Stoker. Britain, France and the Naval Arms Trade in the Baltic 1919-1939 described her a as icebreaker being a former Russian vessel acquired in 1919.