he
book "Red November inside the secret U.S.-Soviet submarine war" is
written by Craig Reed, a member of our Club, with the support of the
Club and published in 2010. Several years ago Craig Reed personally
visited Saint-Petersburg and the Club.
Daylong Fire on Russian Submarine Took Hundreds of Workers to Extinguish
By ELLEN BARRY
MOSCOW — The authorities in Russia marshaled more than 400 firefighters
and 170 emergency workers to extinguish a fire on Friday that had raged
for almost a day on the hull of a nuclear submarine in dry dock near the
northern port of Murmansk. Seven sailors and two emergency workers were
treated for smoke inhalation.
On Thursday, enormous plumes of smoke and flame lighted the sky above
the submarine, the 550-foot Yekaterinburg, a Delta IV-class vessel
commissioned in 1985. Officials claimed to have brought the fire under
control within hours. But on Friday they made clear that the effort had
been enormous. Only by partly submerging the vessel were they able to
douse the flames on the hull’s rubber coating, which minimizes noise and
makes the submarine more difficult for enemies to detect.
The chief of the General Staff of the Russian armed forces, Nikolai
Makarov, flew to the snowy port with a team of military investigators,
and the story topped the Friday news on Russian television.
President Dmitri A. Medvedev ordered investigators to uncover the cause
of the fire and told military officials to ensure that the vessel could
return to service. Vice Premier Dmitri O. Rogozin told the Interfax news
agency that the fire had not affected the vessel’s seaworthiness,
though other officials said the extent of the damage was not yet clear.
Russia has been shaken by a grim series of submarine disasters in the
past. In 2000, an onboard explosion sank the Kursk submarine in the
Barents Sea, killing all 118 sailors and officers aboard. In that case,
information was slow to emerge, and the authorities initially refused
offers of rescue help from foreign navies while insisting that a
collision with a foreign submarine had caused the crash. The slow
government response provoked public fury and stained the new president
at the time, Vladimir V. Putin.
This time, new information emerged at a rapid clip. The fire seemed to
have originated on wooden scaffolding that surrounded the vessel while
it was in dry dock, possibly in the course of welding work, and spread
to an area of 1,600 square feet. There were also questions about
smoking.
“A disaster is caused by people,” Capt. Igor Kurdin, the vessel’s former
commander, told television crews. “Somebody smoked, and I am absolutely
sure that it wasn’t a submariner but the factory crew that works there.
A submariner would never do that.”
The Yekaterinburg is normally armed with 16 nuclear-tipped
intercontinental ballistic missiles, but they had been offloaded during
the repairs, and its nuclear reactor was switched off, officials have
said. Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense, said no
abnormal radiation levels had been detected on the vessel or in the
surrounding area.
A statement Friday morning by the Defense Ministry said that part of the
submarine’s crew had remained aboard to measure temperature and gas
concentrations throughout the firefighting effort. All those
measurements were in normal range, it said.
Name : Jeremy Robert MATHERS Date of birth : 12 February 1943 Last rank in the Navy : Commodore (now Rear Admiral (junior grade)) Education (military or civil) :
B Sc (Engineering) University of Stellenbosch, South Africa Naval career in brief (ships, ashore facilities etc.) : South African Navy : January 1960 to February 1998.
Submarine Engineer Officer, Daphne class submarines.
Submarine Flotilla Engineer/Logistics Officer.
Various posts in shore support organisations, Naval dockyard.
Various posts in new submarine acquisition projects. Last position in the Navy :Chief of logistics at Naval Headquarters (retired 1998) Awards for naval service : Long service medals, Southern Cross Medal (SM) Current occupation and position : Retired, working
with wife Wendy, who has three nursery schools, a group accommodation
centre and a university art materials/coffee shop Fields of interest : Golf, athletics, hiking, history, theatre
On
August 12th ex-submariner in the Australian Navy ?Philip Lees (ex
CPORSSM) and his wife Anna visited Saint-Petersburg and our Club! Here
are his impressions of the visit:?
"Hello to my fellow submariners!
My
recent trip to Russia was outstanding. Too many highlights to list. The
one that you would all be interested in would be my meeting with Igor
Kurdin, the President of the Submarine Club of St Petersburg. During
our meeting I presented Igor with the plague of Subfor which he assured
me would be hung in the bar area, right next to the plague of Ovens
(which was presented by Henry Thompson). I was offered to become a full
financial member of the club, which I accepted. So I am now a member
along with some very famous people such as Harrison Ford and Liam
Neeson. (They both became members during the filming of K19 - The Widow
Maker), which Igor was a technical advisor on, and of course another
famous person you will all know Henry Thompson (ex RE)
The club
(address Vasilevsky Ostrov (Island), 5th line 46-B) is only a short
taxi ride from the centre of St Petersburg, it is used a bit like Plats
Senior Sailors Mess I suppose without the yellow chits. They have Mess
Dinners and get togethers over a few Vodkas.
When I
advised Igor that I was coming over and would like to meet, he invited
myself and Anna to attend the Kursk Memorial day on the 12th August,
and of course I accepted. After consulting with SAA Pres (Thommo) it
was decided that I would lay a wreath on behalf of the Association.
This is
a very big day for the Russian Navy. The day commences with a church
service (including guard) held at the St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral.
This Cathedral has memorial plagues for all Russian Submariners that
have been lost in peace time operations/accidents. The number now
stands at 1000. This is a very moving service and attracts a large
amount of media attention. As I was the first Australian Submariner to
attend the service I was interviewed by Russian TV
(http://www.ntv.ru/novosti/236077/) This was arranged by Igor, and he
did pre warn me and provided a translator. After the church service we
went to St. Seraphim Cemetery where 28 of the Kursk's crew are buried
including the Captain.
The
service at the cemetery is a full military affair, Naval band, guard of
honour and March past. This is where the wreath was laid. The wreath is
laid by two Russian Submariners in a special drill, which was very
impressive. On completion of the official duties, families and guests
are free to walk around the memorial. Family and friends gather at the
grave sites with cold meats, salads, bread and various nibbles and
toast with a glass or two of Vodka, they refer to this as a Recall.
This is there way of remembering those that have passed. Not only is it
the Kursk Memorial, it is also the burial place of alot of Submariners,
some of the headstones make for interesting reading, however, you will
need a translator.
Overall
I cannot thank Igor enough for his hospitality and time in looking
after us, he had a very busy schedule as he is one of the main
organisers for the day and had an enormous amount on his plate. I would
also like to thank Igor's daughter, Christina, for being our translator
during the memorial service.
For
those that are interested here is the link for Submarine Club in St
Petersburg (http://submarinersclub.ru), there are two versions, one is
in English the other in Russian.
If
anyone is contemplating going to Russia for a holiday, I would
recommend contacting Igor, via the website, as they can arrange
everything for you including tours of the city etc.
The rest
of our holiday in Russia was on a river cruise with Uniworld, from St
Petersburg to Moscow for 12 days, now that is another story but I would
highly recommend that as a way to see alot of Russia in a small amount
of time. The people, the country, the history makes this a great
destination for a holiday.
This email is going out to the known families of the crew of HM Submarine E18 and the many others who
have expressed an interest in the boat and her crew over the last couple of years.
The distribution list for this is now just under one hundred names – thank you all for helping to ensure
that E18 and her crew are not forgotten. Please feel free to forward this email to anyone you know who might also be
interested, and if they get in touch with newsletter@hmse18.org I will add them to the list. Equally, if you no longer
wish to receive these emails, just let me know and I will remove your name.
Best wishes,
Robert Davenport.
95 Years Ago
Today, June 2nd 2011, is the 95th anniversary of the loss of E18. This year, today is also Ascension
Day and Reverend Gustav Piir will be leading the service at 18:00 (15:00 GMT) in Puhavaimu Kirik, the Church of the Holy
Spirit in Tallinn, home of the E18 Memorial.
Gustav will be including the crew in his prayers and I hope you will also be able to pause for a minute
at that time.
Edwin Bagg, William Bass, Frederick Clack, Douglas Colson, Percy Duffield, Clement Edwards,
Ernest Fox, Maurice Fuller, George Gaby, James Galloway,
Cyril Godward, Thomas Guest,
Robert Halahan, Albert Hall, Herbert Harris,
Charles Holland, Charles Hunt, Walter Landale, Frank Maddox, Fyodor Markovsky, Percy Nye,
IvanPantyukhov, James Percy,
Arthur Phillips, Vasiliy Polykarpov, William Powell, Horace Pritchett, Ernest Ruaux, Samuel Sheppard, William Spencer, Charles Turall, Sydney Welsh, Frederick White
We will remember them.
E18 – a Maritime Military Grave
As previously noted, the discovery of the wreck in 2009 has been recorded by the Ministry of Defence,
Navy Command Heritage. The good news is that E18 is definitely on the list for inclusion in the next Amendment to the
Protection of Military Remains Act (PMRA) 1986.
Unfortunately the Amendment has not yet gone before Parliament. The current projection is that it
should do so later this year and then be in force in early 2012.
Regardless of the PMRA, there is still some concern that E18 is an easy target for looting and she still
needs whatever protection can be offered by the British and Estonian authorities. I am sure that they will continue to do
all they can to deter any unauthorised diving on the wreck.
Finding the Families
In the last few months, descendants of two more of the crew have found the E18 group through research
into their family history and got in touch. This means we now have contact with the families of 9 out of 33 – Bagg, Bass,
Clack, Colson, Guest, Halahan, Landale, Powell, and Ruaux; and 2 others who were not aboard when E18 was lost – Phillips AC,
and Robinson. I am sure others will come forward in due course.
Marking the Centenary
It may seem a way off, but if the next five years go past as swiftly as the last one, 2016 will soon be
here. Please keep Thursday 2nd June 2016 in mind and I hope we will be able to mark the event with a return visit to
Tallinn.
E18 Website
If anyone reading this would like to help produce some pages for the E18 website –
http://www.hmse18.org -please get in touch. I can provide space on a secure server to host it and publish it to the
internet, but I could do with some help from someone else to run it.
The volunteer Editor (or Editors – many hands etc...) will need the time and aptitude to produce some
well-finished pages, keep them updated with historical fact and news, and deal with any enquiries that come in. If you
have an eye for good page layout and you are a confident user of Microsoft Word or Publisher (or prepared to learn) - it
could be you!
Please send an email to info@hmse18.org if you are interested in helping with this.
We have received recently a wonderful present from our member from USA and a permanent visitor of our
Club Captain Ken Lee (#807) - a wonderful informative book about the history of American Submarine Force.
This book also included a greeting from all his fellow submarine "colleagues" with their signatures attached,
which was not less pleasant than the book itself!
October, 21
Presentation of memorial "Tear Drop"
We
maintain permanent links with our American friends and are always glad
to receive some news from them. Several days ago one of the best
friends of our Club Roger Dunham sent us an impressive presentation of
memorial "Tear Drop" gifted to American nation by eminent Russian
sculptor Zurab Tesereteli in memory of people lost in the terroristic
attack on 11.09. Here in Russia we remember the victims and would like
to post it here in sigh of our friendship and solidarity.
Visit of the chiefs of the shipbuilding company CSBC in
Saint-Petersburg
13 October 2010 in the companion cabin of Submariners Club
took place a gala dinner of chiefs of the shipbuilding
company CSBC
During the meeting delegation from Taiwan
discussed different topics and problems with Russian
colleagues and also had an opportunity to communicate with
submarine forces veterans of Russian Navy.
2 more foreign members, representatives of big
shipbuilding company CSBC joined us - #2730 Lee Yin
Sheng, agent of the company and #2731 Ying Tze-Shiang,
assistant chief of sale department. Worth mentioning is
that they represented country, which is not often met
among our friends from abroad - Taiwan. We are glad to
know that interest to our Club reaches such faraway
places and wish to establish permanent links
August, 14
"You all are in our hearts and prayers..."
St.Petersburg
submariners and naval veterans Club received many letters dedicated to
the 10th Anniversary of the tragic loss of submarine "Kursk" from our
foreign friends. In particular, Geoff McCready, who was in August 2000
the naval attache of Great Britain in Moscow, wrote us:
Dear Igor and Friends at the St Petersburg Submariners Club,
"Sheena and I would like to send our most sincere best wishes on this
the 10th anniversary of the tragic loss of the KURSK. All of you are in
our hearts and prayers at this difficult time of remembrance. Our
sadness is also tinged with the very good memories we have of all our
friends we left behind in Russia - we think of you often.
I am particularly sad that I could not be with you today but as I say we are thinking of you.
With very warm regards, Geoff and Sheena McCready"
"Dear Igor Kirillovich,
I am very sorry indeed not to be able to join you for the commemoration
tomorrow of the 10th anniversary of the loss of the submarine Kursk, as
the British Ambassador has asked me to take responsibility for some
important work which does not allow me to leave Moscow.
As you know, I was myself a member of the Royal Navy rescue team which
sailed to the Barents Sea in August 2000, in the hope that we could
render some assistance to our fellow sailors of the Russian Navy. I
felt an enormous empathy at the time with the families who lost their
loved ones in the tragedy. 10 years later, that has not diminished and
I should like to express my own solidarity and that of the Royal Navy
with those families who have suffered so much and with our Russian Navy
colleagues who lost many good friends and shipmates on that tragic day.
Simon Lister and Geoff McCready are also unable to come to Russia for
the occasion, but they have asked me to convey to you their thanks for
your invitation and their own feelings of solidarity and friendship on
this solemn occasion.
Please bear in mind that the thoughts of the Royal Navy will also be with you tomorrow.
With very best wishes, Simon"
July, 22
Official confirmation from administration of Aland islands in occasion of S-2
July, 17
Regarding the 47th Convention in Israel. Letter from James Blakely, President of ISA
June, 2
47th International Submariners Convention 2010. 23-27 of May. Photo report
In
the end of May in Israel took place the annual International
Submariners Convention, the 47th in succession. Members of St.Peterburg
submariners Club also participated in this event.
After
a decade of painstaking underwater searching, the wreck of a Soviet
World War II submarine has been found in the Baltic Sea.
The vessel went down with its fifty-man crew in 1940 after being sunk by a mine laid by Finland.
The relatives of those who died say it is a matter of honor to establish what really happened all those years ago.
For seventy years, it was a mystery how, where and even when the S-2 submarine perished.
During the war between the Soviet Union and Finland, the sea around the
Aland Islands became a focal point for the naval conflict, much of it
underwater.
The S-2 - which set sail on January 1, 1940 - was sent by the Soviet High Command to roam and disrupt Finland's supply lines.
Retired submarine captain Igor Kurdin told RT that "surviving on a
submarine like this was very difficult. There was no air purification
system. The heat was stifling. Besides, the commanders had little
information about this area."
Three days later - just as the S-2 was entering the conflict zone - all communication was lost.
A lighthouse officer described seeing the submarine surface on January 3, then hearing a shattering explosion.
That officer's grandson, professional diver Ingvald Eckerman, dedicated ten years to finding it.
"My father told me the story of the submarine since I was a child. But
there were no specific coordinates. We searched everywhere. The moment
we found it - it was amazing!" he recalled.
However, not everyone believes the S-2 was lost without a fight.
Aleksandr Tutyshkin was only a toddler when his father, the most senior
officer on the S-2, died. To honor him, he became a navy man himself.
"I turn 73 soon. I have only one dream left. That is to visit the place
of my father's death, and to find out how he really died," he said.
Aleksandr Tutyshkin claims the S-2 was engaged in action, battling bravely before sustaining serious damage.
Leaking oil, with a failing radio system, it tried to communicate with another Soviet ship - but could not make itself clear.
Knowing they were doomed, the crew tried to return home, before being bombed by Swedish boats which were helping Finland.
Tutyshkin claims Sweden's war neutrality meant that the incident was hushed-up.
Now the S-2's final resting place has been found, researchers may at
last discover how it sank. Yet unless it is declared an official war
grave, underwater treasure hunters may get there first.
April 25
Submarine E18
This
newsletter is going out to the known families of the crewof HM
Submarine E18 and the many others who have expressed an interest,
orhelped to arrange the visit to Tallinn at the end of May.
I hope it will keep you informed about what is going on and helpto make
this a memorable trip, the main purpose of which is to pay our
respectsto all those lost on June 2nd 1916 and ensure that they are
notforgotten.
Wishing you a very Happy Easter,
Robert Davenport.
Tallinn 28-31 May 2010
There are some definite events shown below, and some that arestill
being worked on. However this is very much a “make your ownway” trip
and it up to you to decide where you want to join in, or fillthe gaps -
Tallinn isan interesting city to explore, or just relax.
15 of us are definitely travelling out from the UK – SeanCarter, Guy
Davenport, Marian and Keith Hoffmeister, Richard and Linda Joyce,Jeremy
and Wendy Mathers, Vic Powell and his son, Jill and Fred Rees, Derek
andSusanne White, and myself.
A number of others have previously expressed an interest invisiting
Tallinn, and I hope you will have already received the informationabout
travel and accommodation options. If not, let me know and I will send
itagain.
At the moment it seems likely that about 50 people will gatherat the
Service of Remembrance on Sunday. Important: severalitems below have
YES/NO - NUMBER written against them and if you are going tobe in
Tallinn, please reply to me with those lines updated so that we can
planaccurately for the number of people attending these events.
Friday 28 May
Arrival according to personalarrangements. There are no scheduled events on Friday.
Saturday 29 May
10:00. Maritime Museum. Avisit to this very interesting museum which
includes the Vickers-builtsubmarine Lembit. You will need to buy a
ticket.
12:00. TallinnOld Town. A guided walk around the medieval city.
16:00. Meeting. Location tobe confirmed. To discuss the E18 Memorial
Fund and the status of E18 as aMaritime Military Grave (see below).
19:30. Dinner. Location tobe confirmed. A chance to relax in good
company and raise a glass to ourancestors. Cost will be about 25EUR per
head, depending on numbers.
Sunday 30 May
12:00. PühaVaimu - Church of the Holy Spirit. Service of Remembrance anddedication of E18 Memorial Plaque.
13:00. Refreshments. Location to be confirmed.
15:00. PühaVaimu - Church of the Holy Spirit. English-language Sunday serviceand Holy Communion.
Morning. To be confirmed– possible visit the Estonian Navy at their
base in Tallinn. Obviouslythis will depend on their operational
priorities at that time, and numbers maybe restricted - but more news
later.
Afternoon. Departureaccording to personal arrangements.
Poppy Wreaths
I have been asked about laying wreaths at the RemembranceService, or
possibly at the New GarrisonCemetery. You can order wreaths if you wish
from the Royal BritishLegion but before you do, please let me know and
depending on numbers,it may be possible to arrange a single delivery to
Tallinn for collection onthe day.
Memorial Fund
Unfortunately nothing in this life is free, and so I need tostart
asking for contributions towards the cost of the Memorial Plaque and
toensure that it is maintained and retained for generations to come.
But pleasedo not send any money now as I have not yet had the bill.
I would also like to discuss starting a more formal fund, ifthere is
sufficient interest and people prepared to stand in as
Secretary,Treasurer and so on. This could then go forward as an
organisation to maintainthe memorial, and act as a forum and voice for
the families and otherinterested parties if and when there is any
further activity related to thewreck. There will be an opportunity to
discuss further when we meet inTallinn.
As a first step, please let me know if you wish to contribute.
18 – a Maritime Military Grave
The discovery of the wreck has been recorded by the Ministry ofDefence,
Navy Command Heritage department. They operate a rollingprogramme of
assessment/designation of wrecks under the Protection of
MilitaryRemains Act (PMRA) 1986, and have just finished the process for
the latest (4th)batch of nine vessels, whose designations as Maritime
Military Graves came intoforce on 1st Feb 2010. They are beginning the
process ofresearching the candidates for the 5th batch, and E18 is
beingconsidered as part of that exercise. Once the assessment is
complete, the nextbatch of wrecks will be designated in 2011.
When E18 is designated under the PMRA, she will have someprotection in
law against unauthorised diving and interference. In themeantime, a
number of people have expressed concern that E18 is an easy targetfor
looting. There is no evidence that this has taken place, but as the
wreckis in relatively shallow water – 50 or 60 metres – and has been
thesubject of considerable media interest, it is a real possibility.
Thewreck is well preserved and will be seen as an extremely attractive
target; thechances of being able to remove high-value items are very
good. As thewinter is now over and diving conditions are improving, the
need to gainofficial protection for the wreck is becoming more urgent.
The role E18 played in the Baltic campaign and the key eventshappening
in British, Russian and Estonian history at that time mean that E18is
of great historical significance; she is also unique as a surviving
exampleof early submarine technology. There is also considerable
public,government and international interest in these discoveries, as
has been shown(albeit on a larger scale) by recent events at Fromelles.
I have no doubt that for all these reasons, E18 will bedesignated as a
Maritime Military Grave as soon as possible. In the meantime,she needs
whatever protection can be offered by the British and
Estonianauthorities. I am sure that now and in the future, they will do
all they canto keep an eye on the site and deter any unauthorised
diving.
Finding the Families
The search is still on for other families related to the crewand thanks
to NavyNews, PlymouthHerald, PortsmouthNews, and rusnavy.com,there has
been some publicity about this. As a result of the piece in
thePortsmouth News, Derek White has been in touch. Derek’s grandmother
wasThomas Guest’s widow, before she married Derek’s grandfather.
Interestingly, Derek worked on the refurbishment of three Royal
NavySandown-class minesweepers before they joined the Estonian Navy in
Tallinn in2007 - it is a small world.
So far we know the families of 6 out of 33 - Colson, Guest,Halahan,
Landale, Powell, and Ruaux; and 2 others who were not aboard when
E18was lost – Phillips AC, and Robinson. It would would be very good
tofind others – even if not in time for this trip, then at least to
letthem know about the memorial and where we are now. Please let me
know if youwould like to help and “adopt” a crew member to make him
your personalfamily search project; I will then let you have the
information I have so far. The full crew list is as follows:
Chief Petty Officer EdwinAlbert Taylor Bagg
Leading Seaman WilliamGeorge Bass
Petty Officer FrederickClack
Sub-Lieutenant DouglasNowell Colson DSC RNR
Stoker 1st Class PercyDuffield
Leading Telegraphist ClementHarry Edwards
Stoker 1st Class ErnestAlfred Fox
Engine Room Artificer 2ndClass Maurice Harold Fuller
Telegraphist GeorgeGaby
Engine Room Artificer RNRJames Kerr Galloway
Able Seaman CyrilFrancis Godward
Leading Stoker ThomasEdwin Guest
Lieutenant-Commander RobertCrosby Halahan RN
Stoker 1st Class AlbertGeorge Hall
Leading Stoker HerbertThomas Harris
Engine Room Artificer 3rdClass Charles William Holland
Stoker 1st Class CharlesHunt
Lieutenant WalterLuke Landale RN
Able Seaman FrankLadbrooke Maddox
Chief Telegraphist FyodorNikolaevich Markovsky
Stoker 1st Class PercyJames Peter Nye
Signalman IvanYefimovich Pantyukhov
Leading Stoker JamesReuben Percy
Leading Stoker ArthurPercy Phillips
Lieutenant VasiliyMikhailovich Polykarpov
Able Seaman WilliamGeorge Powell
Able Seaman HoraceEdward Pritchett
Leading Seaman ErnestWilliam Ruaux
Chief Stoker SamuelArthur Sheppard
Engine Room Artificer 1stClass William Chadwick Spencer
Petty Officer CharlesWilliam Turall
Able Seaman SydneyAugustus Welsh
Leading Seaman Frederick White
Rest In Peace.
Thank You
Everyone receiving this has played a part in making the memorialweekend
possible through their interest, support and participation.
Particularthanks must go to Darren Brown for setting us off on this
journey in the firstplace, and to Mart Murusalu at the British Embassy
in Tallinn; but you have alldone your bit, so many thanks all:
Dene Angland, Eeva Beres, Mrs M Biskup, Darren Brown, Evgeny
Bulavintsev, Peter Carter, Sean Carter, Robin Colson, Debbie Corner,
Dudley Davenport, Guy Davenport, Mary Davenport, Tom Davenport, Carl
Douglas, Urmas Dresen, Barbara Finch, James Francis, Imogen Gosling,
Maxwell Halahan, David Hamid, Matt Hayes, Keith Hoffmeister, Marian
Hoffmeister, Robert Howell, Matthew Hyde, Sergey Ignatenko, Matt
Jackson, David Joyce, Linda Joyce, Richard Joyce, Igor Kozir, Roman
Kuraksa, Igor Kurdin, Taavi Laanepere, James Langdale, Lionel
MacDonald, George Malcolmson, Janet Mason, Vello Mäss, Jeremy Mathers,
Amanda McKelvie, Jim McMaster, Mart Murasulu, Trevor Muston, Kadri
Napritson, Tristan Nichols, Audrey Page, Norah Page, Gustav Piir, Vic
Powell, Jill Rees, Lennely Saar, Crispin Sadler, Igor Schvede, Tony
Scott, Jeff Tall, Katrin Tammar, Roddy Urquart, Ian Walkden, Ian Watts,
Derek White
April 21
Crew of Submarine K-182 met in the wardroom of St. Petersburg Submariners' Club
On
April 3, in the wardroom of the St. Petersburg Submariners' Club a crew
of submarine K-182 (Delta-2) held a meeting. Commander - Rear-Admiral
Vladimir Naumov.
40 years ago the Soviet submarine K-8 sank in the Bay of Biscay
Today
marks 40 years since the death of the Soviet submarine K-8. A fire
broke out aboard a nuclear submarine, crew fought the fire for 4 days,
but efforts to extinguish the flame were unsuccessful. The submarine
sank in the Bay of Biscay on April 12, 1960.
April, 12
Russian specialists will repair a British cruiser Belfast
During the Great Patriotic War ship escorted convoys to Murmansk and Archangelsk.
Repair work will be carried out in London. The main purpose of repair -
to restore two heavily corroded masts, for which Russian companies
raised somewhat $400,000. British and Russian Veterans meet at cruiser
Belfast every year to celebrate Victory.
April, 7
In St. Petersburg and the Northern Fleet commemorate submariners, who died at submarine "Komsomolets"
A
commemoration ceremony for submariners, who died in 1989 at the nuclear
submarine "Komsomolets", will be held on Wednesday in St. Petersburg
and all the navies of Russia.
Surviving sailors, their relatives and friends, veterans of the
submarine will gather in St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral of northern
capital, where a memorial plague with the names of submariners
established,- told Interfax at St. Petersburg Submariners' Club.
After the memorial service for Seraphim Memorial Cemetery at the grave
of the commander, Captain First Rank Eugeny Vanin and crew, the captain
of the second rank Oleg Avanesov and Senior Lieutenant Sergey Markov,
memorial meeting will be held and flowers will be placed on the graves.
Ceremonies to honor the dead will be held in the garrisons of the Northern Fleet.
At 17:08 - the official time of death of a submarine - all the flags of
the fleet will be lowered to half-mast on ships and submarines. A
minute's silence will be observed to remember the crew.
The disaster occurred on April 7, 1989 during exercises in the neutral
waters of Norwegian Sea. A fire broke out in one of compartments, crew
fought the fire for 6 hours, but efforts to extinguish the flame were
unsuccessful.
Submarine "Komsomolets" sank in the south-west of Bear Island at a
depth of 1500 meters. The death toll in the crash is 42. All crew
members were awarded the Order of the Red Banner for courage and
heroism.
33 dead submarines lie at the bottom of the Norwegian Sea in the place
of death of "Komsomolets" and only nine of them were buried on the
shore.
Memorial Day on April 7 was officially proclaimed in 1996 by Commander of Russian Navy.
Submarine "Komsomolets" was a part of RF Navy in 1983. Built at
Severodvinsk Sevmash, the boat with heavy-duty titanium case was an
experienced ship, able to fight at a depth of more than two times
greater than normal depth of immersion of submarines. Thus, 5 August
1985 "Komsomolets" sank to a depth of 1,020 meters, setting an
unsurpassed record so far.
March, 22
Submariners Day
After successfully completing the shooting submariners met in the
evening in one of the city halls. Veterans of Great Patriotic War and
young officers who only learn science in the Naval Academy participated
in celebration. Commanders of the naval base, as well as representatives
of city authorities were invited for a holyday table.
Chairman of the Saint Petersburg submariners' club- Igor Kurdin:
Today Club gathers its members and guests. Here are submariners and ship
builders, designers, well and, most importantly, our wives and widows of
comrades who are no longer with us."
The concert was attended by: Honored Artist of Russia Sergei Rogozhin,
Honored Artists of Russia, St. Petersburg Soloists of "Rock Opera"
Theatre- Elena Ulyanova and Rough Kashapov, singer of "Golden Age"
Natalia Fetisova, winner of international competitions, the ensemble of
the Russian song "Harmony", the singer, composer, leader of the "August"
-Pavel Kolesnik.
Russia's first private submarine museum opens in St. Petersburg
Russia's
first private submarine museum will open in St. Petersburg on March 18,
2010, in the run-up to Submariner Day, told RIA Novosti Igor Kurdin-
chairman of the Saint Petersburg submariners club.
"This is Russia's the only preserved rarity from the famous 613 project
- the most massive series (215 units) of the Soviet submarine fleet," -
said Kurdin.
The Gala -evening dedicated to Submariner Day, organized by the St.
Petersburg Submariners Club and Navy Veterans will be held in St.
Petersburg on March 19.
The boat is now docked at the Lieutenant Schmidt Embankment.
Diesel-electric boat with a hull number C-189 was built at the Baltic
Shipyard in 1955 and became part of the Kronstadt base submarines.
Until 1988 it was a diving school for thousands of sailors, sergeants
and officers.
In 1990, the boat was withdrawn from the Navy and was soon sunk in the
port of Kronstadt. Leningrad Naval Base could not afford to raise the
submarine. Its' fate boat waited for six years, before submarine
veterans had got the idea to turn it into a museum. In late 2005, with
the charity of former sailor Andrew Artiushin submarine was lifted up
and placed in the dock at Kanonersky plant.
It took more than two years to restore internal equipment. In August
2007 the submarine was installed at the Lieutenant Schmidt Embankment,
and work on the creation of on-board museum began.
"The organizers have decided to make ship of C-189 class the most
interactive. You can try everything and touch anything you want here ",
- say the organizers of the museum.
February, 24
St Petersburg Submariners celebrated the Day of Defender of Fatherland in the theater
Submariners
of St. Petersburg used to celebrate the Day of Defender of Fatherland
in the most special way. However, they celebrate the holiday for over
ten years. Every year, on February 23 they go to ….theater. Igor
Vladimirov - former leader of Lensovet Theater has helped to establish
this tradition. He is one of the lads for submariners - graduated from
the shipbuilding department, the first film role - a diver in "The
Secret of Two Oceans. Today, veterans and members of the Submariners
Club watched the musical "Umbrellas of Sherburg".
Chairman of the Saint Petersburg submariners' club- Igor Kurdin:
"Submariners - people who live not only under the water. They go not
only in military museums. Previously, it was decided to go to the
theater in the form. Now this tradition is lost, but hopefully will be
restored".
The fact that the romantic musical has nothing to do with the military
theme in general, nor to the submariners in particular, is not
confusing for veterans. For a few hours Lensovet Theater virtually
turned into a branch of the Submariners Club. In the foyer it was a
sell of sailor's vests and souvenirs with symbols of the sea, and in
the buffet sounded triple "Hurray".
The Petersburg Submariners congratulated the best American director Kathryn Bigelow
Renowned
film director Kathryn Bigelow has received congratulations for the best
film of 2009 from the Northern capital- told "BaltInfo" the chairman of
the St. Petersburg Submariners Club Igor Kurdin.
Five years ago, Kathryn Bigelow along with the St. Petersburg
Submariners club prepared a film called "K 19 - The Widowmaker." Long
time director worked in St. Petersburg and studied the history of the
nuclear submarine. However, U.S. critics have recognized that this is
not the best film. They marked out the tape, entitled "Lord of the
Storm" - low-budget picture, taken in Jordan. It focuses on the work of
American engineers during Operation Desert Storm.
In
late January of this year Kathryn Bigelow was recognized as best
director -2009 by Directors Guild of America. Moreover, she became the
first female winner in the history of the Guild.
"We have sent congratulations to Katherine, as a long time worked with
this wonderful director. We hope that in March she will get an Oscar,
as practice shows that the victory in the Directors Guild is a half the
battle for such a prestigious award as the "Oscar", - said Igor Kurdin.
Kathryn Bigelow and Liam Neeson on the first perfomance of the film "K 19" in the Mariinsky Theatre
He suggested that the film "K 19" was ignored for the reason that "Russians were shown too patriotic in this picture."
We add that for the top prize fought five films: "Avatar", " Up in the Air ", "Inglorious Bastards" and " Precious".
2009
November 25
Noon gunshot - in honor of the 15th anniversary
November
25, noon gunshot from Naryshkin bastion of the Peter and Paul fortress
announced the 15th anniversary of Saint-Petersburg Submariners Club.
The Club created on November, 25th, 1994 at the initiative of Northern
Navy marines, for already 15 years has been keeping the non-stop watch
on social support of veterans submariners and their families, revival
and support of fleet traditions, bringing up the younger generation
with patriotic thinking, reinstating historic justice and international
collaboration on behalf of Russian Navy. It was club location that
could change, it were the tasks that could be adjusted, but the slogan
always remains unaltered - Submarine fleet is neither job nor service,
it is Fortune and Religion.
There is no sense to number all deeds of the Club- they are quite
well-known, what is worth mentioning here is the Club's role in first
aid to families of officers tragically died in submarine Kursk, when
Club performed its main mission on providing social support. Moreover,
we always honored the memory of officers died in other submarines and
never forgot their relatives.
Due to actions of members and friends of the Club and charitable help
of our sponsors we are able to implement quite big and important
projects in a stable environment. The exhibition "15 years in Service"
is open in the Club mess room since November 19 (Vassiljevskiy Ostrov,
5 th line, 46 b). This exhibition narrates the history of the Club,
books and films created with Club participation are also presented here.
Our club has positive interactions with state and municipal
authorities, Navy Command, it enjoys the confidence of the military
personnel and veterans of Navy. Being the independent and qualified
expert center, Club constantly provides its help in investigating
problems and historical issues of submarine fleet.
Exhibition devoted to 15-th Anniversary of Submariners Club
"15
years in Service!" - it is the slogan of the exhibition opened in
Saint-Petersburg Submariners Club. This exhibition offers a rich
photo-collection presenting wide sphere of club activities, visitors
can also find numerous video and audio materials highlighting the past
and present of the Russian Navy.
We are glad to mention that even very young visitors took part in the
welcome ceremony - the first graders from the special class "Fregat".
Coming guests could enjoy them singing famous sea songs such as "Good
bye, Rocky Mountains" ("Proshchaite, Skalistye Gory") and others .
Senior Priest of the Chesme Church, Father Alexiy (Krylov) visited the
welcome ceremony and stated that slogan "Navy is neither a military
service, nor work or activity, it is fortune and religion" is not just
mere words. Archpriest compared submariners with monks of medieval
Knight Orders who, according to him, have similar devotion to their
ideas, strong beliefs and firmness.
Among honored guests was Irina Kolesnikova, mother of Dmitry
Kolesnikov, lieutenant -commander tragically died in the Kursk Atomic
submarine in August 2000. " That days, when we were in total despair
only Submariners Club helped and supported us. Thank you very much"
said Irina Kolesnikova.
Igor Kurdin, Captain 1st rank, Chairman of the Club told the guests
many interesting facts during excursion; among the stories, for
example, were facts about Club membership of Erich Topp, Commander of
the German submarines U-57, U-552, U-2513, unfairly forgotten hero
Alexander Bahtin and the monument erection in submariner's honor.
On April 7, 1989
nuclear fast attack submarine K-278 "Komsomolets" sank
in result of devastating fire. Lives 42 submariners
had been taken away by
fire and supercooling. May they rest in peace.
19thof March - Submariner's Day
Our
congratulations to all submariners and their
families!
HAPPY
AND PROSPEROUS 2009!
The
formal funeral of Captain Peter A. Huchthausen, U.S.
Navy (ret.) took place at Arlington on December3rd.
Captain
Huchthausen was the 1st international member of the
Saint-Petersburg Submariners' Club and also was
co-author of the novel "Hostile waters"
(with Igor Kurdin).
November 4, 2008 is the 80th
birthday of Lev Chernavin, Chairman of the Submariners
Veterans Joint Council, Rear Admiral. Now Lev
Chernavin is Honorary President of the
Saint-Petersburg Submariners' Club
With
greatest sorrow we have to inform of passing of President of
the St.Petersburg Submariners Club, Admiral of the
Fleet (ret.), Hero of Soviet Union and the last of Soviet
Navy submarine commander of WWII era Georgiy M. EGOROV.
May he
rest in Peace
New submarine
museum in St.Petersburg
On August 2 a
Whisky-class Cold War era submarine has been placed alongside
Neva embankment. S-189 is the only one of 215
Whisky-class submarines which has been saved as museum in
ex-USSR countries.
On May 9 Russia celebrates the Great
Patriotic War Victory Day!
We congratulate all Russians abroad and
also congratulate all our foreign friends on the Victory Day
in Europe! Let's make all our best such war never comes
true again!
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The International Submariners Association/USA is aligned with countries
that have associations representing their submarine veterans. Our purpose is to promote
brotherhood among submarine veterans of all nations and to remember all lost
submariners.
48th International Submariners Congress 2011 is taking place in Istanbul on 23-27 of May.
Submarines Club is forming the delegation now. Our Club participates in Congresses since 1999!
