Sverdlov-class
Kruzenhstern ex Padua
Gangut-class
An item reported that in the harbour of Kronshtadt on 5 September 1954 were sighted two Sverdlov-class cruisers (1), a destroyer and 2 four masted barques [including the Padua?] in the central basis.(2) After nightfall were in the harbour basin 6 submarines and 5-6 PT boast reported/ The large floating dry dock alongside the east side of the island of Kronshtadt was despite being brightly illuminated empty. In the roads were moored with buoy an old battleship [probably the Marat (3)], one single stack cruiser, 2 Sverdlov-class cruisers and a fleet auxiliary vessel.
Notes
1. Sverdlov-class or project 68bis, preceded by the Chapayev-class and succeeded by the Kynda-class, 14 built of the 30 planned 30. Displacement 13.600 (standard)-16.640 (full load) tons and as dimensions 205 (waterline)-201 (over all) x 22 x 6,9 metres or 672.7-689.0 x 72.2 x 22,8 feet. The 2 steam turbines and 6 boilers supplied 118.100 shp allowing a speed of 32,5 knots and with a speed of 18 knots a range of 9.000 nautical miles. Their crew numbered 1.250 men. Armoured with a 10cm/3.9” thick belt. 5cm/2” deck and the gun turrets and conning tower protected by respectively 17,5cm/6.9” and 15cm/5.9”. Main armament 4x3015,2cm/6” 57 cal B-38 guns. The Mikhail Kutuzov survived her class nowadays lying at Novorossiysk.
2. Russian 4 mast training barque (ex-Padua 1926-1946) Kruzenshtern 1946. Russia-flagged, homeport Kaliningrad, IMO 6822979, MMSI 273243700 and call sign UCVK. Steel built. Nowadays operated by the by the Baltic Fishing Fleet State Academy. Laid down at the Joh. C. Tecklenborg-Werft, Germany as the Padua on 11 June 1946 for account of the Hamburger Reederei F. Laeisz). Became Russian property on 12 January 1946. Modernized between 1968 and 1972. She still holds the record for the fastest voyage sailing between Hamburg and Australia via Chile completing in 8 months and 23 days. Homeport between 1926-1946 Hamburg, Germany, between 1946-1981 Riga, Latvia, Tallinn, Estonia 1981-1991 and since then Kaliningrad, Russia.
3. Laid down as the Gangut by Admiralty Works, St. Petersburg, Russia on 16 June 1909, launched on 20 October 1911, commissioned on 11 January 1915, acquired by the Bolsheviks in November 1917, renamed Oktyabrskaya Revolutsiya on 27 June 1925, modernized 1931-1934, reclassified as training ship on 24 July 1954 and finally stricken on 17 February 1956. Of the Gangut-class, consisting of the Gangut (renamed 1925 Oktyabrskaja Revolutsiya , Petropavlovsk (renamed Marat 1921), Sevastopol (renamed Parizhskaya Kommuna in 1921) and Poltava (renamed Frunze 1926), preceded by the Andrei Pervozvanny-class and succeeded by the Imperatritsa Mariya-class.
Source
The report was published on www.archive.org, document number CIA-RDP80-00810A005700170006-8
