Chapayev-class cruiser

As part of Stalin's 1936 "Big Fleet Programme", many light cruisers were to be built over the next ten years. Project 26 Kirov-class cruisers were planned to be constructed, but their armour and AA were considered inadequate. In August 1936, a new cruiser design similar to Kirov-class cruisers named Project 28 resolved these issues. They were to form the backbone of light forces flotillas with additional tasks including offensive minelaying, commerce raiding, and battleship screening against enemy light forces. The 3 triple 180 mm (7.1 in) gun turrets on the Kirovs were changed to 4 triple 152 mm (6.0 in) gun turrets, offering a higher rate of fire. On 29 October 1937, the navy changed its requirements to 3 triple 152 mm (6.0 in) guns and redesignated it as Project 68 before being reverted in March 1938.^[1]

The final design was approved in July 1939 and five ships were ordered. Seven ships were under construction by June 1941. Weapons and systems development lagged behind its construction, leading to a planned redesign of the first two ships with German weaponry in September 1940 designated Project 68I. The plan was cancelled since German guns were in development too, but German secondary guns were added to Chkalov, the second ship designated Project 68S.^[1]

The 152 mm B-38 guns could fire six to seven 55 kg (121 lb) shells 24,000 m (26,000 yd) in a minute. The guns were mounted in individual cradles with separate elevation.

The original secondary armament consisted of 4 twin 100 mm (3.9 in) B-54 guns in enclosed turrets. The anti-aircraft guns consisted of 6 twin 37 mm (1.5 in) Model 1939 guns and 4 twin 12.7 mm (0.50 in) DShK machine guns.

The design featured a larger hull and improved protection compared to the Kirov class. The machinery was based on a unit system with alternating boiler rooms and engine rooms.

The five surviving ships were completed after the war with the modified Project 68K design. The K in Project 68K stands for Korrektirovanniy (Russian: Корректированный, corrected). The modified design removed the aircraft facilities and torpedo tubes. It improved anti-aircraft artillery with twin 100 mm (3.9 in) SM-5 guns in powered turrets with a high fire rate and twin 37 mm (1.5 in) Model 1939 in a new powered and water cooled mounting.

Seventeen ships were authorised in 1939 and eleven were ordered. Six ships were for the Baltic Fleet, four for the Black Sea Fleet and one for the Pacific Fleet. Seven ships were laid down before the German invasion in 1941.

• Chapayev (Чапаев)

Named after Vasily Chapayev,

Built by Ordzhinikidze Yard (Shipyard 189), Leningrad,^[2]

Laid down 8 October 1939,^[2]

Launched 28 April 1941,^[2]

Completed 16 May 1950,^[2]

Decommissioned 29 October 1960

• Zheleznyakov (Железняков)

Named after Anatoli Zheleznyakov (1895-1919),

Built by Admiralty Shipyard (Shipyard 194), Leningrad,^[2]

Laid down 31 October 1939,^[2]

Launched 25 June 1941,^[2]

Completed 19 April 1950,^[2]

Decommissioned 1976^[2]

• Kuybyshev (Куйбышев)

Named after Valerian Kuybyshev,

Built by Marti Yard (Shipyard 200), Nikolayev,^[2]

Laid down 31 August 1939,^[2]

Launched 31 January 1941,^[2] evacuated to Poti, Georgia

Completed 22 December 1950,^[2]

Decommissioned 1965

• Chkalov (Чкалов) – later renamed Komsomolets,

Originally named after Valery Chkalov,

Built by Ordzhinikidze Yard, Leningrad,

Laid down 31 August 1939,

Launched 25 October 1947,

Completed 1 November 1950,

Decommissioned 1981

• Frunze (Фрунзе)

Named after Mikhail Frunze,

Built by Marti Yard, Nikolayev,

Laid down 29 August 1939,

Launched 31 December 1940, evacuated to Poti, Georgia; stern used to repair damaged cruiser Molotov,

Completed 15 December 1950,

Decommissioned 1960

Two ships, Ordzhinikidze and Sverdlov, were scrapped on the slipway after being captured by Germans in Nikolaev during World War II.

Ten more ships were planned to be laid down: Lenin, Dzerzhinsky, Avrora, Lazo, and an unnamed fifth in 1941, and Zhdanov, Parkhomenko, Kotovsky, Shchors, and Shcherbakov in 1942–1943. However, the German invasion led to their cancellation in July 1941.^[1]

• Budzbon, Przemysław (1980). "Soviet Union". In Chesneau, Roger (ed.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. pp. 318–346. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
• Budzbon, Przemysław; Radziemski, Jan & Twardowski, Marek (2022). Warships of the Soviet Fleets 1939–1945. Vol. I: Major Combatants. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-68247-877-6.
• Jarovoj, V. V.; Greger, René (1994). "The Soviet Cruisers of the Chapayev and Sverdlov classes". In Roberts, John (ed.). Warship 1994. London: Conway Maritime Press. pp. 147–158. ISBN 0-85177-630-2.
• Friedman, Norman (1995). "Soviet Union 1947–1991: Russian Federation and Successor States 1991–". In Chumbley, Stephen (ed.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. pp. 337–426. ISBN 978-1-55750-132-5.
• Whitley, M. J. (1995). Cruisers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia. London: Cassell. ISBN 1-86019-874-0.

• Cruiser "Frunze" from Black Sea Fleet (in Russian, with photos)
• Cruiser "Kuybishev" from Black Sea Fleet (in Russian, with photos)
• Article in Russian language – ⁣http://ship.bsu.by/main.asp?id=102259
• (in English) All Russian Chapayev Class Cruisers – Complete Ship List