Soviet submarine B-39
Encyclopedia
B-39 was a Project 641 diesel-electric attack submarine
of the Soviet Navy
. The "B" (actually "Б") in her designation stands for большая (bolshaya, "large") — Foxtrots are among the largest non-nuclear submarines ever built. B-39 is now a museum ship
on display at the Maritime Museum of San Diego
, California
, United States
.
in Leningrad (now known as Saint Petersburg
). She was launched
on 15 April 1967 and commissioned
on 28 December 1967.
Transferred to the 9th Submarine Squadron of the Pacific Fleet, B-39 was homeported in Vladivostok
and conducted patrols throughout the North Pacific, along the coast of the United States
and Canada
, and ranging as far as the Indian Ocean
and the Arctic Ocean
. After the end of the Vietnam War
, she often made port visits to Danang. During the early 1970s, B-39 trailed a Canadian frigate
through Strait of Juan de Fuca
to Vancouver Island
.
B-39 more than likely spent most of her career stalking the American naval vessels that are now her neighbors on San Diego Bay
.
In 1989 in the Sea of Japan
while charging batteries on the surface, B-39 came within 500 yards (457 m) of an Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate
of the US Navy. Both crews took pictures of each other.
. She made her way from there through a series of sales to Vancouver Island
in 1996 and to Seattle, Washington
, in 2002 before arriving in San Diego, California
, on 22 April 2005 and becoming an exhibit of the Maritime Museum of San Diego
. During her sequence of owners she acquired the names "Black Widow" and "Cobra," neither of which she had during her commissioned career.
When B-39 was made a museum the shroud around her attack periscope
was cut away where it passes through her control room. As built, a Foxtrot's periscopes are only accessible from her conning tower
, which is off-limits in the museum. With the shroud cut away, tourists can look through the partially-raised periscope (which is directed toward the museum, some 500 yards (457.2 m) away). However, the unidentified and unexplained change gives the false impression that one periscope could be used from the control room.
At an undetermined future date the B-39 is slated to be sunk to create an offshore diving reef.
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
of the Soviet Navy
Soviet Navy
The Soviet Navy was the naval arm of the Soviet Armed Forces. Often referred to as the Red Fleet, the Soviet Navy would have played an instrumental role in a Warsaw Pact war with NATO, where it would have attempted to prevent naval convoys from bringing reinforcements across the Atlantic Ocean...
. The "B" (actually "Б") in her designation stands for большая (bolshaya, "large") — Foxtrots are among the largest non-nuclear submarines ever built. B-39 is now a museum ship
Museum ship
A museum ship, or sometimes memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public, for educational or memorial purposes...
on display at the Maritime Museum of San Diego
Maritime Museum of San Diego
The Maritime Museum of San Diego, established in 1948, preserves one of the largest collections of historic sea vessels in the United States. Located in the San Diego Bay, the centerpiece of the museum's collection is the Star of India, an 1863 iron bark. The museum maintains the MacMullen Library...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Service history
Her keel was laid down on 9 February 1962 at the Admiralty ShipyardAdmiralty Shipyard
The Admiralty Shipyard is one of the oldest and largest shipyards in Russia, located in Saint Petersburg. The shipyard's building ways can accommodate ships of up to , 250 meters in length and 35 meters in width...
in Leningrad (now known as Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
). She was launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
on 15 April 1967 and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
on 28 December 1967.
Transferred to the 9th Submarine Squadron of the Pacific Fleet, B-39 was homeported 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...
and conducted patrols throughout the North Pacific, along the coast of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and ranging as far as the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
and the 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...
. After the end of the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, she often made port visits to Danang. During the early 1970s, B-39 trailed a Canadian frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
through Strait of Juan de Fuca
Strait of Juan de Fuca
The Strait of Juan de Fuca is a large body of water about long that is the Salish Sea outlet to the Pacific Ocean...
to Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
.
B-39 more than likely spent most of her career stalking the American naval vessels that are now her neighbors on San Diego Bay
San Diego Bay
San Diego Bay is a natural harbor and deepwater port adjacent to San Diego, California. It is 12 mi/19 km long, 1 mi/1.6 km–3 mi/4.8 km wide...
.
In 1989 in the Sea of Japan
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...
while charging batteries on the surface, B-39 came within 500 yards (457 m) of an Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate
Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate
The Oliver Hazard Perry class is a class of frigates named after the American Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, the hero of the naval Battle of Lake Erie...
of the US Navy. Both crews took pictures of each other.
Post-USSR history
B-39 was decommissioned on 1 April 1994 and sold to FinlandFinland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. She made her way from there through a series of sales to Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
in 1996 and to Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, in 2002 before arriving in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, on 22 April 2005 and becoming an exhibit of the Maritime Museum of San Diego
Maritime Museum of San Diego
The Maritime Museum of San Diego, established in 1948, preserves one of the largest collections of historic sea vessels in the United States. Located in the San Diego Bay, the centerpiece of the museum's collection is the Star of India, an 1863 iron bark. The museum maintains the MacMullen Library...
. During her sequence of owners she acquired the names "Black Widow" and "Cobra," neither of which she had during her commissioned career.
When B-39 was made a museum the shroud around her attack periscope
Periscope
A periscope is an instrument for observation from a concealed position. In its simplest form it consists of a tube with mirrors at each end set parallel to each other at a 45-degree angle....
was cut away where it passes through her control room. As built, a Foxtrot's periscopes are only accessible from her conning tower
Conning tower
A conning tower is a raised platform on a ship or submarine, often armored, from which an officer can con the vessel; i.e., give directions to the helmsman. It is usually located as high on the ship as practical, to give the conning team good visibility....
, which is off-limits in the museum. With the shroud cut away, tourists can look through the partially-raised periscope (which is directed toward the museum, some 500 yards (457.2 m) away). However, the unidentified and unexplained change gives the false impression that one periscope could be used from the control room.
At an undetermined future date the B-39 is slated to be sunk to create an offshore diving reef.
See also
- B-427Soviet submarine B-427B-427 was a Project 641 diesel-electric attack submarine of the Soviet Navy. The "B" in her designation stands for большая . Foxtrots are among the largest non-nuclear submarines ever built. Commissioned in 1971, the submarine operated with the Russian Pacific Fleet until decommissioning in 1994...
, a Foxtrot on display in Long Beach, CaliforniaLong Beach, CaliforniaLong Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
.