SS Stalingrad
Encyclopedia
The SS Stalingrad was a steamship of the Soviet Union
, named after the Soviet city of Stalingrad, itself named after Joseph Stalin
. She was built at Zavod No 189 (Ordzhonikidze) in Leningrad
and operated by Glavnoe Upravlenie Severnogo Morskogo Puti (GUSMP), who homeported her in Vladivostok
. She had entered service in 1933.
During the Second World War Stalingrad was used in the Atlantic
and Arctic Ocean
s to transport supplies from the United Kingdom to Russia
. In September 1942, she was part of Convoy PQ-18
, which left the Tyne
on 2 September bound for North Russia via Reykjavík
. The Stalingrad was one of six Soviet merchants, and was carrying a cargo of munitions.
The convoy came under attack from the Luftwaffe
and U-boats. At 09.52 hours on 13 September, with the convoy 100 miles south west of Spitsbergen
, it was sighted by U-408, which fired a spread of three torpedo
es at it. The Stalingrad was hit by one torpedo and then suffered a boiler explosion. The other two torpedoes missed, but one of them hit another ship of the convoy, the Oliver Ellsworth
, which had to steer hard left to avoid the torpedoed Stalingrad.
The Stalingrad had been hit amidships on her starboard side on one of her coal bunkers. She sank in just three minutes and 48 seconds. The crew members and passengers had to abandon ship in the port lifeboats because the starboard ones had been destroyed by the explosion. Further losses occurred when one of the boats capsized when it reached the water. Out of a complement of 87, 21 were killed, with 66 survivors being picked up by other ships of the convoy.
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, named after the Soviet city of Stalingrad, itself named after Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
. She was built at Zavod No 189 (Ordzhonikidze) in Leningrad
Leningrad
Leningrad is the former name of Saint Petersburg, Russia.Leningrad may also refer to:- Places :* Leningrad Oblast, a federal subject of Russia, around Saint Petersburg* Leningrad, Tajikistan, capital of Muminobod district in Khatlon Province...
and operated by Glavnoe Upravlenie Severnogo Morskogo Puti (GUSMP), who homeported her in Vladivostok
Vladivostok
The city is located in the southern extremity of Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula, which is about 30 km long and approximately 12 km wide.The highest point is Mount Kholodilnik, the height of which is 257 m...
. She had entered service in 1933.
Career and sinking
Stalingrad was one of ten Anadyr-class cargo-passenger ships built for ice navigation in the Far East, around the port of Vladivostok. They had the unofficial name of "far-easterners". They were initially designed to be powered by diesel but were redesigned as coal powered steamers for economic reasons. Vladivostok did not have large oil stores and had to import most of its supplies, but coal was cheap and widely available in the region.During the Second World War Stalingrad was used in the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
and Arctic Ocean
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions...
s to transport supplies from the United Kingdom to Russia
Arctic convoys of World War II
The Arctic convoys of World War II travelled from the United Kingdom and North America to the northern ports of the Soviet Union—Arkhangelsk and Murmansk. There were 78 convoys between August 1941 and May 1945...
. In September 1942, she was part of Convoy PQ-18
Convoy PQ-18
Convoy PQ-18 was one of the Arctic convoys sent from Britain to aid the Soviet Union in the war against Nazi Germany. The convoy departed Loch Ewe, Scotland on 2 September 1942 and arrived in Arkhangelsk on 21 September 1942....
, which left the Tyne
River Tyne
The River Tyne is a river in North East England in Great Britain. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the North Tyne and the South Tyne. These two rivers converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Waters'.The North Tyne rises on the...
on 2 September bound for North Russia via Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
. The Stalingrad was one of six Soviet merchants, and was carrying a cargo of munitions.
The convoy came under attack from the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
and U-boats. At 09.52 hours on 13 September, with the convoy 100 miles south west of Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in Norway. Constituting the western-most bulk of the archipelago, it borders the Arctic Ocean, the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea...
, it was sighted by U-408, which fired a spread of three torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
es at it. The Stalingrad was hit by one torpedo and then suffered a boiler explosion. The other two torpedoes missed, but one of them hit another ship of the convoy, the Oliver Ellsworth
SS Oliver Ellsworth
The SS Oliver Ellsworth was a 7,191 ton American liberty ship in World War II. She was built by Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyards Inc, of Baltimore, Maryland in 1942 and operated by Agwilines Inc, New York...
, which had to steer hard left to avoid the torpedoed Stalingrad.
The Stalingrad had been hit amidships on her starboard side on one of her coal bunkers. She sank in just three minutes and 48 seconds. The crew members and passengers had to abandon ship in the port lifeboats because the starboard ones had been destroyed by the explosion. Further losses occurred when one of the boats capsized when it reached the water. Out of a complement of 87, 21 were killed, with 66 survivors being picked up by other ships of the convoy.