Soviet_cruiser_Ordzhonikidze

Indonesian cruiser <i>Irian</i>

Indonesian cruiser Irian

Sverdlov class cruiser

RI Irian (201), previously named Ordzhonikidze (Russian: Орджоникидзе) was a Sverdlov-class cruiser, Soviet designation "Project 68bis", of the Soviet Navy that was acquired by Indonesian Navy in 1962.

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Development and design

Main article: Sverdlov-class cruiser

The Sverdlov-class cruisers, Soviet designation Project 68bis, were the last conventional gun cruisers built for the Soviet Navy. They were built in the 1950s and were based on Soviet, German, and Italian designs and concepts developed prior to the Second World War. They were modified to improve their sea keeping capabilities, allowing them to run at high speed in the rough waters of the North Atlantic. The basic hull was more modern and had better armor protection than the vast majority of the post Second World War gun cruiser designs built and deployed by peer nations. They also carried an extensive suite of modern radar equipment and anti-aircraft artillery. The Soviets originally planned to build 40 ships in the class, which would be supported by the Stalingrad-class battlecruisers and aircraft carriers.

The Sverdlov class displaced 13,600 tons standard and 16,640 tons at full load. They were 210 metres (689 ft 0 in) long overall and 205 metres (672 ft 7 in) long at the waterline. They had a beam of 22 metres (72 ft 2 in) and draught of 6.9 metres (22 ft 8 in) and typically had a complement of 1,250. The hull was a completely welded new design and the ships had a double bottom for over 75% of their length. The ship also had twenty-three watertight bulkheads. The Sverdlovs had six boilers providing steam to two shaft geared steam turbines generating 118,100 shaft horsepower (88,100 kW). This gave the ships a maximum speed of 32.5 knots (60.2 km/h; 37.4 mph). The cruisers had a range of 9,000 nautical miles (17,000 km; 10,000 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph).[1]

Sverdlov-class cruisers main armament included twelve 152 mm (6 in)/57 cal B-38 guns mounted in four triple Mk5-bis turrets. They also had twelve 100 mm (3.9 in)/56 cal Model 1934 guns in six twin SM-5-1 mounts. For anti-aircraft weaponry, the cruisers had thirty-two 37 mm (1.5 in) anti-aircraft guns in sixteen twin mounts and were also equipped with ten 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes in two mountings of five each.[1]

The Sverdlovs had 100 mm (3.9 in) belt armor and had a 50 mm (2.0 in) armored deck. The turrets were shielded by 175 mm (6.9 in) armor and the conning tower, by 150 mm (5.9 in) armor.[1]

The cruisers' ultimate radar suite included one 'Big Net' or 'Top Trough' air search radar, one 'High Sieve' or 'Low Sieve' air search radar, one 'Knife Rest' air search radar and one 'Slim Net' air search radar. For navigational radar they had one 'Don-2' or 'Neptune' model. For fire control purposes the ships were equipped with two 'Sun Visor' radars, two 'Top Bow' 152 mm gun radars and eight 'Egg Cup' gun radars. For electronic countermeasures the ships were equipped with two 'Watch Dog' ECM systems.[1]

Operational history

Ordzhonikidze

In April 1956 the ship docked at Portsmouth; aboard were Nikita Khrushchev[2] and Nikolai Bulganin.[3] Former Royal Navy diver Lionel Crabb was recruited to observe the Ordzhonikidze but went missing.[4]

After a deal with the PRC fell through due to the Sino-Soviet Split, Ordzhonikidze was sold to Indonesia in 1962.[5]

Irian

RI Irian arrived in Surabaya in October 1962 and later it was declared decommissioned from service by the Soviet Navy on 24 January 1963.[6]

In the mid-1960s, following the abortive coup by the 30 September Movement and the subsequent transition from President Sukarno to President Suharto, ties between Eastern Bloc countries and Suharto's New Order regime promptly deteriorated, leading to the flow of spare parts for the ship being cut.[7]

Accounts differ regarding the fate of Irian. One account states that in 1970, the ship's condition had deteriorated due to lack of maintenance that she began to flood with water. Eventually, when Admiral Sudomo became Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Navy, the ship was sent to Taiwan for dismantling in 1972. Another account from Hendro Subroto, an Indonesian war journalist, states that the ship was sold to Japan after being stripped of its weapons, despite the presence of two remaining spare parts warehouses in Tanjung Priok.

Pennant numbers

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References

  1. [1]
    Gardiner and Chumbley, p. 378
  2. [2]
    Day, Peter (8 March 2006). "How Buster Crabb's fatal spy mission angered Eden". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  3. [3]
    "Frogman files show blunders surrounding Cdr 'Buster' Crabb's death". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. 23 October 2015. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  4. [4]
    "FROGMAN MISSING NEAR SOVIET SHIP; British Diver Reported Seen During Russian Leaders' Visit- Feared Dead". The New York Times. May 5, 1956. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  5. [5]
    Gardiner & Chumbley 1995, p. 178
  6. [6]
    Ramadhan, Bagus (2015). "KRI Irian Kapal Perang terbesar di Asia yang pernah dimiliki Indonesia". GNFI Opini. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  7. [7]
    indomiliter (2009). "KRI Irian : Monster Laut Kebanggaan Indonesia". Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  8. [8]
    "Light Cruisers - Project 68bis". russianships.info. Retrieved 2021-08-14.

Bibliography

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