Stalingrad is different from all Russian cities - a narrow ribbon of residential buildings stretches down the Volga for 60 kilometers. The river has always occupied a special place in the life of the city - the central water artery Russia, a major transport route with access to the Caspian, White, Azov and Baltic seas, a source of hydropower and a favorite vacation spot for Volgograd residents.

...if you go down the steep slope to the Volga on a warm spring evening, then on one of the piers in the central part of the city you can find a curious monument - a flat-bottomed longboat standing on a pedestal with hanging “whiskers” of anchors. On the deck of the strange ship there is something like a wheelhouse, and in the bow - oh, a miracle! – a turret from a T-34 tank was installed.

In fact, the place is quite famous - this is the armored boat BK-13, and the monument itself, bearing the name “Heroes of the Volga Military Flotilla” - component Panorama Museum "Battle of Stalingrad". From here it opens beautiful view to the bend of a giant river. Modern “pioneers” come here to “sway at anchor.” Volgograd sailors gather here on Navy Day.

There is no doubt that the armored boat is a mute witness to that Great Battle: this is clearly evidenced by a bronze plaque on the wheelhouse with a laconic inscription:

The armored boat BK-13 as part of the Air Force took part in the heroic defense of Stalingrad from July 24 to December 17, 1942

It is much less known that the BK-13 took part in the battles on the Dnieper, Pripyat and Western Bug. And then, the “river tank”, deftly crawling over shallows and obstacles, penetrated the systems of European rivers and canals all the way to Berlin. A flat-bottomed “tin”, which is difficult to even call a ship (what kind of ship is this without a compass, in whose interior you cannot stand in full height?) has a heroic design that would be the envy of any modern cruiser.

Marshal Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov, the man who directly led the defense of Stalingrad, spoke unequivocally about the importance of armored boats in the Battle of Stalingrad:

I’ll say briefly about the role of the sailors of the flotilla, about their exploits: if they had not been there, the 62nd Army would have died without ammunition and food.

The combat history of the Volga Military Flotilla began in the summer of 1942.
By mid-July, bombers with black crosses on their wings appeared in the skies of the Southern Volga region - armored boats immediately began escorting transports and tankers with Baku oil rising up the Volga. Over the next month they conducted 128 convoys, repelling 190 Luftwaffe air attacks.

And then all hell broke loose.

On August 30, the sailors went on reconnaissance to the northern outskirts of Stalingrad - there, behind the tractor factory, German units broke through to the water itself. Three armored boats moved silently in the darkness of the night, engine exhaust at low speed vented below the waterline.
They secretly went to the appointed place and were about to leave when the sailors saw the Fritz squealing with joy, scooping water from the Russian river with their helmets. Embraced by righteous anger, the crews of the armored boats opened fire from all guns. The night concert was sold out, but suddenly an unaccounted factor came into play - the tanks standing on the shore. A duel began, in which the boats had little chance: German armored vehicles were difficult to detect against the backdrop of the dark coast, at the same time, the Soviet boats were clearly visible. Finally, the “armored” side, only 8 mm thick, protected the ships from bullets and small fragments, but was powerless against the power of even the smallest artillery ammunition.

The fatal shot hit the side - an armor-piercing shell pierced the boat right through, disabling the engine. The motionless “tin can” began to be pressed by the current towards the enemy shore. When there were only a few tens of meters left to the enemy, the crews of the remaining boats managed, under fierce fire from the shore, to tow the damaged boat and take it to a safe place.

On September 15, 1942, the Germans broke into Mamayev Kurgan - height 102.0, which offers an excellent view of the entire central part of the city (in total, Mamayev Kurgan was captured and recaptured 8 times - a little less than the Railway Station - it passed from the hands of the Russians to the hands of the Germans 13 times , as a result, no stone was left unturned from him). From that moment on, the boats of the Volga Military Flotilla became one of the most important connecting threads of the 62nd Army with its rear.

Even native Volgograd residents do not know about this rare place. The pillar stands on the station square right in front of the running crowd - but rarely does anyone pay attention to the ugly scars on its surface. Top part The pillar was literally turned inside out - fragmentation ammunition exploded inside. I counted two dozen marks from bullets, shrapnel and several large holes from shells - all this on a pillar with a diameter of 30 centimeters. The density of fire in the area of ​​the station was simply terrifying.

During daylight hours, armored boats hid in numerous backwaters and tributaries of the Volga, hiding from enemy air raids and deadly artillery fire (during the day, German batteries from the mound shot through the entire water area, leaving the sailors not a single chance to land on the right bank). At night, work began - under the cover of darkness, boats delivered reinforcements to the besieged city, while simultaneously carrying out daring reconnaissance raids along sections of the coast occupied by the Germans and providing fire support Soviet troops, landed troops behind enemy lines and carried out shelling of German positions.

Fantastic figures are known about the combat service of these small, but very nimble and useful ships: during their work at the Stalingrad crossings, six armored boats of the 2nd division transported 53 thousand soldiers and commanders of the Red Army, 2000 tons of equipment and food to the right bank (to besieged Stalingrad). During the same time, 23,727 wounded soldiers and 917 civilians were evacuated from Stalingrad on the decks of armored boats.

But even the most moonless night did not guarantee protection - dozens of German searchlights and flares continuously snatched from the darkness areas of black icy water with “river tanks” rushing along it. Each flight resulted in a dozen combat damage - however, during the night the armored boats made 8-12 flights to the right bank. The entire next day, the sailors pumped out the water that had entered the compartments, sealed holes, repaired damaged mechanisms - so that the next night they could set off on a dangerous voyage again. Workers from the Stalingrad Shipyard and the Krasnoarmeysk Shipyard helped repair the armored boats.

And again a stingy chronicle:

October 10, 1942. Armored boat BKA No. 53 transported 210 soldiers and 2 tons of food to the right bank, took out 50 wounded, and received holes in the left side and stern. BKA No. 63 transported 200 soldiers, 1 ton of food and 2 tons of mines, took out 32 wounded soldiers...

Winter 1942-43 It turned out to be unprecedentedly early - already in early November, autumn ice drift began on the Volga - ice floes complicated the already difficult situation at the crossings. The fragile plank hulls of the longboats were broken, ordinary ships did not have enough engine power to withstand the pressure of the ice - soon armored boats remained the only means of delivering people and cargo to the right bank of the river.
By mid-November, the freeze-up had finally taken shape - the mobilized ships of the Stalingrad River Fleet and the ships of the Volga Military Flotilla were frozen into the ice or were taken south, to the lower reaches of the Volga. From that moment on, supplies to the 62nd Army in Stalingrad were carried out only by ice crossings or by air.

During the active phase of hostilities, the guns of the “river tanks” of the Volga military flotilla destroyed 20 units of German armored vehicles, destroyed more than a hundred dugouts and bunkers, and suppressed 26 artillery batteries. From fire from the water side, the enemy lost up to three regiments of personnel killed and wounded.
And, of course, 150 thousand soldiers and commanders of the Red Army, wounded, civilians and 13,000 tons of cargo transported from one bank to the other of the Great Russian River.

The Volga Military Flotilla's own losses amounted to 18 steamships, 3 armored boats and about two dozen minesweepers and mobilized passenger boats. The intensity of the fighting in the lower reaches of the Volga was comparable to naval battles in the open ocean.
The Volga military flotilla was disbanded only in June 1944 - when the work on clearing the river waters was completed (irritated by the actions of river ships and vessels, the Germans abundantly “sown” the Volga with sea mines).

Soviet boats on the Danube

An armored boat in the capital of Austria. Photo from the collection of V. V. Burachka

But the armored boats left the Volga region in the summer of 1943 - having loaded their “river tanks” onto railway platforms, the sailors set off to the West, following the fleeing enemy. Battles raged on the Dnieper, Danube and Tisza, “river tanks” made their way through the territory of Eastern Europe through the narrow canals of King Peter I and Alexander I, landing troops on the Vistula and Oder... Ukraine flashed behind the armored boats, then Belarus, Hungary, Romania, Yugoslavia, Poland and Austria - right up to the very lair of the fascist beast.

...The armored boat BK-13 was in European waters until 1960, serving as part of the Danube military flotilla, after which it returned to the banks of the Volga and was transferred as an exhibit to the Volgograd State Defense Museum. Alas, for an unknown reason, the museum staff limited themselves to removing a few mechanisms, after which the boat disappeared without a trace. In 1981, it was found among scrap metal at one of the city's enterprises, after which, on the initiative of veterans, BK-13 was restored and placed as a monument on the territory of the Volgograd shipbuilding and ship repair plant. In 1995, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Victory, the grand opening of the monument to the “Heroes of the Volga Military Flotilla” took place on the Volga embankment, and the armored boat on the pedestal took its rightful place. Since then, the “river tank” BK-13 has been looking at the endlessly flowing water, remembering the great feat of those who, under deadly fire, brought reinforcements to besieged Stalingrad.

From the history of river tanks

Despite its curious appearance (a hull like a flat-bottomed barge, a tank turret), the armored boat BK-13 was by no means a homemade impromptu, but a well-thought-out decision made long before the start of the Great Patriotic War. Patriotic War– the urgent need for such equipment was demonstrated by the conflict on the Chinese Eastern Railway that occurred in 1929. Work on the creation of Soviet “river tanks” began in November 1931 - the boats were intended primarily for the Amur military flotilla - protecting the eastern borders became an increasingly pressing problem for the Soviet state.

BK-13 (sometimes BKA-13 is found in the literature) - one of 154 built small river armored boats of Project 1125.* " River tanks"Intended for combating enemy boats, combat support for ground forces, fire support, reconnaissance and combat operations in the waters of rivers, lakes and in the coastal sea zone.
*also, there was a project for larger double-turret boats of Project 1124 (the so-called “Amur” series, several dozen units were built)

The main features of Project 1125 were a flat bottom with a propeller tunnel, a shallow draft and modest weight and size characteristics, providing armored boats with mobility and the possibility of emergency transportation by rail. During the war, “river tanks” were actively used on the Volga, on Lakes Ladoga and Onega, on the Black Sea coast, in Europe and the Far East.
Time has completely confirmed the correctness decision taken: a certain need for such technology remains even in the 21st century. Despite the missile and high technology, a highly protected boat with heavy weapons can be useful when conducting counter-guerrilla raids and in local low-intensity conflicts.

Brief characteristics of the Project 1125 armored boat:

Total displacement within 30 tons

Length 23 m

Draft 0.6 m

Crew 10 people

Full speed 18 knots (33 km/h - quite a lot for a river area)

Engine – GAM-34-VS (based on the AM-34 aircraft engine) with a power of 800 hp*
*some of the armored boats were equipped with foreign Packard and Hall-Scott engines with a power of 900 hp.

Fuel capacity on board – 2.2 tons

The boat is designed to operate in force 3 seas (during the Second World War, there were cases of long sea passages of boats in force 6 storms)
Bulletproof armor: 7 mm side; deck 4 mm; cabin 8 mm, cabin roof 4 mm. The side reservation was carried out from frames 16 to 45. The lower edge of the “armored belt” dropped 150 mm below the waterline.

Weapons:
There was a lot of improvisation and an extraordinary variety of designs: tank turrets similar to the T-28 and T-34-76, Lander anti-aircraft guns in open turrets, large-caliber DShKs and rifle-caliber machine guns (3-4 pcs.). Parts of the “river tanks” were equipped with jet systems salvo fire of 82 mm and even 132 mm caliber. During the modernization, rails and butts appeared to secure four sea mines.

Another rarity. Fire boat "Gasitel" (1903) - in addition to its direct purpose, it was used at the Stalingrad crossings as vehicle. In October 1942, it sank from damage received. When the boat was raised, 3.5 thousand holes from shrapnel and bullets were found in its hull

Armored boats in Moscow, 1946

Crossing, crossing, rough snow, edge of ice...

Facts and details about the use of armored boats are taken from the article “River tanks go into battle” by I.M. Plekhov, S.P. Khvatov (BOATS and YACHT No. 4 (98) for 1982)

The series of naval armored boats of the "MBK" type (project 161) consisted of 20 units ("BK-501" - "BK-520"), built at plant No. 194 and commissioned in 1943-1944. During the war, 3 boats were lost, the rest were written off in 1953-1958. Performance characteristics of the boat: standard displacement – ​​151 tons; full displacement – ​​158 tons; length – 36.2 m: width – 5.5 m; draft – 1.3 m; power plant - 2 gasoline engines, power - 2.4 thousand hp; maximum speed– 13 knots; cruising range - 450 miles; fuel reserve - 9 tons of gasoline; crew - 17 people. Reservation: side – 25-50 mm; deck – 15-30 mm; cutting – 8 mm; towers - 45 mm. Armament: 2x1 – 76 mm guns; 2x1 – 45 mm guns; 1x1 – 37 mm anti-aircraft gun; 2x1 – 12.7 mm machine gun.

The armored boats “Spear” and “Pika” were built at the Putilov plant in 1908-1910. The boats were decommissioned in 1954. Performance characteristics of the boat: standard displacement - 23.5 tons, full displacement - 25 tons; length – 22.5 m: width –3.1 m; draft – 0.7 m; power plant - 2 gasoline engines, power - 200 hp; maximum speed – 10 knots; cruising range - 300 miles; crew – 12 people. Reservation: wheelhouse, side and deck - 8 mm. Armament: 1x1 – 76 mm gun; 2x1 – 7.62 mm machine gun.

From a series of “D” type boats built in the USA in 1916-1917. By the beginning of the war, 4 units remained in service. The boats were lost in 1941. Performance characteristics of the boat: total displacement - 6.5 tons; length – 9.2 m.: width – 2.4 m.; draft – 0.7 m; power plant – gasoline engine, power – 100 hp; maximum speed – 11 knots; cruising range - 500 miles; fuel reserve – 700 kg; crew – 7 people. Reservation: side – 5 mm, deckhouse – 6 mm. Armament: 1x1 - 12.7 mm and 2x1 - 7.62 mm machine guns.

The boats “Alarm” and “Partizan” were built at the Kolomensky plant and put into operation in 1932. In 1941, the boats were modernized. Decommissioned in the 50s. Performance characteristics of the boat: standard displacement – ​​45 tons, full displacement – ​​55.6 tons; length – 32 m.: width – 3.4 m.; draft – 0.9 m; power plant - 2 gasoline engines, power - 1.6 thousand hp; maximum speed – 22 knots; fuel reserve - 3.3 tons of gasoline; cruising range - 600 miles; crew - 13 people. Reservation: side and deckhouse - 5 mm. Armament: 1x1 - 76 mm gun; 2x1-7.62 mm machine guns.

The series of large armored boats of the Project 1124 type consisted of 97 units and was commissioned in 1936-1945. The boats were built at factories No. 264, No. 340 and No. 363. During the war, 12 boats were lost. Performance characteristics of the boat: standard displacement - 37 - 44 tons, full displacement - 41 - 52 tons; length – 25.3 m: width – 4 m; draft – 0.8 m; power plant - 2 gasoline engines, power - 1.5 thousand hp; maximum speed – 21 knots; fuel reserve - 4.2 tons of gasoline; cruising range - 280 miles; crew - 17 people. Reservations: side - 7 mm, deck - 4 mm, deckhouse - 8 mm, turrets - 30 - 45 mm. Armament: 2x1 - 76 mm gun; 1x2 - 12.7 mm and 2x1 - 7.62 mm machine guns.

The series of small armored boats of the Project 1125 type consisted of 151 units and was commissioned in 1936-1945. The boats were built at plant No. 340. During the war, 39 boats were lost, the rest were written off in the 50s. Performance characteristics of the boat: standard displacement - 37 - 44 tons, full displacement - 41 - 52 tons; length – 25.3 m: width – 4 m; draft – 0.8 m; power plant - 2 gasoline engines, power - 1.5 thousand hp; maximum speed – 21 knots; fuel reserve - 4.2 tons of gasoline; cruising range - 280 miles; crew - 17 people. Reservations: side - 7 mm, deck - 4 mm, deckhouse - 8 mm, turrets - 30 - 45 mm. Armament: 2x1 - 76 mm guns; 1x2 - 12.7 mm and 2x1 - 7.62 mm machine guns.

Performance characteristics of the boat: standard displacement – ​​26 tons, full displacement – ​​30 tons; length – 22.7 m: width – 3.5 m; draft – 0.6 m; power plant - gasoline engine, power - 750 - 1,200 hp; maximum speed – 20 knots; fuel reserve - 1.3 tons of gasoline; cruising range - 250 miles; crew - 13 people. Reservations: side – 4 mm, deck – 7 mm, turret – 45 mm. Armament: 1x1 - 76 mm gun; 2x2 - 12.7 mm and 1x1 - 7.62 mm machine gun; 4 mines.

The series of small armored boats of the S-40 project consisted of 7 units (“BKA-21”, “BKA-23”, “BKA-26”, “BKA-31”, “BKA-33”, “BKA-34”, "BKA-81") and was built at the Zelenodolsk shipyard named after Gorky No. 340. The boats were intended for the NKVD troops to guard the state border on the Amu Darya. They entered service in 1942. The boat was developed on the basis of the Project 1125U boat. During the war, 3 boats were lost, the rest were written off in the 50s. Performance characteristics of the boat: standard displacement – ​​32 tons, full displacement – ​​36.5 tons; length – 24.7 m: width – 3.9 m; draft – 0.6 m; power plant - 2 diesel tank engines, power - 800 hp; maximum speed – 19 knots; fuel reserve - 2.3 tons of diesel fuel; cruising range - 280 miles; crew - 13 people. Reservations: side – 4 mm, deck – 7 mm, turret – 45 mm. Armament: 1x1 - 76 mm gun; 3x1-7.62 mm machine gun.

The series of naval armored boats of the MKL type (project No. 186) built before the end of the war amounted to 8 units. The boats were built at Leningrad Plant No. 194 and put into operation in 1945. Performance characteristics of the boat: standard displacement - 156 tons, full displacement - 165.5 tons; length – 36.2 m: width – 5.2 m; draft – 1.5 m; power plant – 2 diesel engines, power – 1 thousand hp; maximum speed – 14 knots; cruising range - 600 miles; crew - 42 people. Reservations: side – 30 mm, deck – 8 – 20 mm, turret – 45 mm. Armament: 2x1 - 85 mm guns; 1x1 – 37 mm anti-aircraft gun; 2x2 - 12.7 mm machine gun; 2x1 – 82 mm mortar.

From a series of boats of the "Sh-4" type, built at plant No. 194 in 1929-1932. By the beginning of the war, 26 units remained in service. During the war, 7 boats were lost, the rest were decommissioned in 1946. Performance characteristics of the boat: total displacement - 10 tons; length – 16.8 m: width – 3.3 m; draft – 0.8 m; power plant - 2 gasoline engines, power - 1.2 thousand hp; maximum speed – 45 knots; fuel reserve – 1 ton of gasoline; cruising range - 300 miles; crew – 5 people. Armament: 1x1 – 12.7 mm machine gun; 2x1 – 450 mm torpedo tubes; 2 mines.

The series of boats of the G-5 type (project 213) consisted of 329 units and was a modernized version of the Sh-4 type. The boats were built at factories No. 194, No. 532 and No. 639 in 1934 - 1944. nine series and differed in skin thickness, engines, speed and weapons. During the war, 84 boats were lost and 10 were written off. Performance characteristics of the boat: standard displacement – ​​15 tons, full displacement – ​​18 tons; length – 9 m.: width – 3.3 m.; draft – 1.2 m; power plant - 2 gasoline engines, power - 1.7 - 2.3 thousand hp; maximum speed – 50 – 55 knots; cruising range - 200 miles; crew – 6 people. Armament: 1x2 – 7.62 mm or 1-2x1 – 12.7 mm machine gun; 2x1 – 533 mm torpedo tubes or 1x4 – 82 mm rocket launcher; 2-8 min.

A series of boats of Project 123-bis (Komsomolets) was built on the basis of the Project 123 boat, developed and built by Leningrad Plant No. 194 and commissioned in 1940 under the designation TK-351. The boat differed from the serial ones by its torpedo tubes, lack of armor, lighter weight and higher speed. The series consisted of 30 boats built in 1944-1945 (“TK-7”, “TK-100”, “TK-110” - “TK-112”, “TK-120”, “TK-122”, “ TK-123", "TK-130", "TK-131" - "TK-134", "TK-140", "TK-142", "TK-143", "TK-146", "TK- 148", "TK-472" - "TK-481", "TK-607", "TK-608"). All of them were built at Tyumen plant No. 639. The boats had duralumin hulls with 5 waterproof compartments, tube torpedo tubes and 7-mm armor for the wheelhouse and machine gun mounts. Performance characteristics of the boat: standard displacement – ​​19.5 tons; full displacement – ​​20.5 tons; length – 18.7 m: width – 3.4 m; draft – 1.2 m; power plant - 2 gasoline engines, power - 2.4 thousand hp; maximum speed – 48 knots; cruising range - 240 miles; crew – 7 people. Armament: 2x1 – 12.7 mm machine gun; 2x1 – 457 mm torpedo tubes; release gear; 6 depth charges.

Large torpedo boats of the D-3 type (Project 19) were produced in two series. The first was built at Leningrad Plant No. 5 in 1940-1942. (26 units built). The second was built at plant No. 640 in 1943-1945. (47 units). During the war, 25 boats were lost, and 2 were written off. The boats had a wooden two-layer hull and torpedo tubes. The series differed from each other in weight, engines and weapons. Performance characteristics of series 1 boats: standard displacement – ​​30.8 tons, full displacement – ​​32.1 tons; length – 21 m.: width – 3.9 m.; draft – 0.8 m; power plant - 3 gasoline engines, power - 2.3 thousand hp; maximum speed – 32 knots; cruising range - 320 miles; crew – 9 people. Armament: 2x1 – 12.7 mm machine gun; 2x1 – 533 mm torpedo tubes; release gear; 8 depth charges. Performance characteristics of series 2 boats: standard displacement – ​​32 tons, full displacement – ​​37 tons; length – 21 m.: width – 3.9 m.; draft – 0.9 m; power plant - 3 gasoline engines, power - 3.6 thousand hp; maximum speed – 45 knots; cruising range - 500 miles; crew - 11 people. Armament: 1x1 – 20 mm anti-aircraft gun; 2x2 – 12.7 mm machine gun; 2x1 - 533 mm torpedo tubes or 2x4 - 82 mm rocket launcher; release gear; 8 depth charges.

The boat was built at Leningrad Plant No. 194 and put into operation in 1941. It was a variant of the D-3 type boat with a steel hull. The boat was decommissioned in 1950. Performance characteristics of the boat: standard displacement - 21 tons, full displacement - 34 tons; length – 20.8 m: width – 3.9 m; draft – 1.5 m; power plant - 3 gasoline engines, power - 3.6 thousand hp; maximum speed – 30 knots; cruising range - 380 miles; crew – 8 people. Armament: 2x2 – 12.7 mm machine gun; 2x1 – 533 mm torpedo tubes.

A series of boats of the "Yunga" type was developed on the basis of the "OD-200" type hunter, consisted of 5 units ("TK-450" - "TK-454") and was built at plant No. 341 in 1944-1945. The boats were decommissioned in the late 50s. Performance characteristics of the boat: total displacement – ​​47 tons; length – 23.4 m.: width – 4.4 m.; draft – 1.7 m; power plant - 3 gasoline engines, power - 3.6 thousand hp; maximum speed – 31 knots; cruising range - 490 miles; crew - 11 people. Armament: 3x2 – 12.7 mm machine gun; 2x1 – 533 mm torpedo tubes.

The series of boats of the "ZK" type consisted of 15 units ("K-193" - "K-196", "K-206" - "K-208", "K-220", "K-325" - "K- 331"), built in the Leningrad workshop of the OGPU Marine Border Guard (plant No. 5) and commissioned in 1941. During the war, 5 boats were lost. Performance characteristics of the boat: total displacement – ​​19 tons; length – 19.8 m: width – 3.3 m; draft – 1.2 m; power plant - 2 gasoline engines, power - 600 hp; maximum speed – 16 knots; cruising range - 350 miles; crew – 12 people. Armament: 1x1 - 45 mm gun or 1x1 - 12.7 mm machine gun; 1x1 – 7.62 mm machine gun.

A series of boats with a wooden hull of the “KM-2” type were built as border guard, patrol and service boats. In 1935-1942. 91 boats were built at the Marine Border Guard Shipyard. During the war, 67 units were converted into patrol boats, and 24 into minesweepers. During the war, 27 boats were lost. Performance characteristics of the boat: total displacement – ​​7 tons; length – 13.8 m: width – 3.1 m; draft – 0.8 m; power plant – gasoline engine, power – 63 hp; maximum speed – 9 knots; crew – 10 people. Armament: 1x1 – 7.62 mm machine gun.

The KM-4 type boat series was a modernized version of the KM-2 and was equipped with two engines. In 1938-1944. 222 boats were built for the Navy. During the war, 45 boats were converted into patrol boats, and 165 into minesweepers. During the war, 13 boats were lost. Performance characteristics of the boat: total displacement – ​​12 tons; length – 19.3 m: width – 3.4 m; draft – 0.8 m; power plant - 2 gasoline engines, power - 126 hp; maximum speed – 10 knots; cruising range - 220 miles; crew – 10 people. Armament: 1x1 – 7.62 mm machine gun.

A series of boats with a steel hull of type “A” was built at plant No. 341 in 1940-1943. in two versions - mortar boats and minesweepers. The series consisted of 22 boats. Performance characteristics of the boat: total displacement – ​​8 tons; length – 15.6 m.: width – 3 m.; draft – 0.6 m; power plant – gasoline engine, power – 63 hp; maximum speed – 8 knots; crew – 6 people. Armament: 1x24 – 82 mm rocket launcher; 1x1 - 12.7 mm and 1x1 - 7.62 mm machine guns.

Boats with a steel hull of the "Rybinets" type were built at plant No. 341 in 1930-1932. as work and crew boats. During the war, 37 boats were converted into patrol boats, and 44 into minesweeper boats. During the war, 27 boats were lost. Performance characteristics of the boat: standard displacement – ​​26 tons, full displacement – ​​30.1 tons; length – 20.8 m: width – 3.3 m; draft – 1.1 m; power plant – diesel engine, power – 136 hp; maximum speed – 9.3 knots; cruising range - 800 miles; crew – 12 people. Armament: 1-2x1 – 7.62 mm machine gun.

The series of boats of the "MKM" type consisted of 6 units ("K-192", "K-210", "K-234", "K-273", "K-274", "K-335") built in 1939 -1940 The boat "K-234" was lost in 1943. Performance characteristics of the boat: total displacement - 18.3 tons; length – 16.2 m: width – 3.6 m; draft – 1.2 m; power plant – gasoline engine, power – 850 hp; maximum speed – 21 knots; cruising range - 370 miles; crew – 10 people. Armament: 1x1 – 7.62 mm machine gun.

Boats with a steel hull of the Yaroslavets type were built at plant No. 345 in 1942-1945. in two versions: mortar boats (35 units) and minesweepers (33 units). Performance characteristics of the boat: total displacement – ​​23.4 tons; length – 18.7 m: width – 3.6 m; draft – 1 m; power plant - diesel or gasoline engine, power - 65 - 93 hp; maximum speed – 10 knots; crew – 10 people. Armament: 1x24 – 82 mm rocket launcher; 2x1 - 12.7 mm or 1x1 - 7.62 mm machine gun.

Boats with a wooden hull of the Yaroslavets type were built at plant No. 345 in 1942-1945. in two versions: mortar boats (8 units) and minesweepers (8 units). Performance characteristics of the boat: standard displacement - 19 tons, full displacement - 22.6 tons; length – 19.8 m: width – 3.4 m; draft – 1 m; power plant - diesel or gasoline engine, power - 93 - 100 hp; maximum speed – 10 knots; crew – 10 people. Armament: 1x24 – 82 mm rocket launcher; 2x1 - 12.7 mm or 1x1 - 7.62 mm machine gun.

19 crew and service boats, built at plant No. 5 in the late 30s in 1942-1944. was rebuilt into minesweepers under the designation "D-2" and "D-4". Performance characteristics of the boat: total displacement – ​​20.3 tons; length – 16.9 m: width – 3.6 m; draft – 1 m; power plant – diesel engine, power – 75 hp; maximum speed – 7.5 knots; cruising range - 1.8 thousand miles; crew - 11 people. Armament: 1x1 - 12.7 mm and 1x1 - 7.62 mm machine guns.

The series of boats of the "BKM-2" type consisted of 5 units and was built on the basis of towing boats in 1943-1944 at plant No. 341. Performance characteristics of the boat: total displacement – ​​58 tons; length – 23 m.: width – 3.5 m.; draft – 1.2 m; power plant – 2 diesel engines, power – 500 hp; maximum speed – 12 knots; crew - 16 people. Armament: 1x16 - 132 mm rocket launcher or 1x1 - 37 mm anti-aircraft gun; 1x2 – 12.7 mm machine gun.

The series of patrol boats of the "PK" type consisted of 7 units ("K-105", "K-108", "K-164", "K-165", "K-197", "K-239", "K -240") built in 1927-1928. Performance characteristics of the boat: total displacement - 16 - 29 tons; length - 17 - 22.6 m: width -3.4 - 3.8 m; draft - 0.8 - 1.5 m; power plant - diesel engine, power - 300 - 720 hp; maximum speed – 12 – 13 knots; cruising range -200 - 470 miles; crew – 7 – 13 people. Armament: 1x1 – 45 mm gun; 1 - 2x1 - 7.62 mm machine gun.

During the Great Patriotic War, the Perm Shipyard produced “floating tanks” - armored boats - according to mobilization orders. Few people know or remember about this now. However, if you drive into a remote corner of the industrial zone in Zakamsk, you can see an AK-454 armored boat (according to another version, BK-454) on a pedestal in front of the entrance to the Kama plant. In 1974, on the initiative of the plant director Ivan Pavlovich Timofeev, boat No. 181, which took part in hostilities on the Volga, Dnieper, Danube, and Amur rivers, was delivered to the plant, repaired and installed on a pedestal on May 9, 1974.

On January 31, 1984, by decision of the Perm Regional Executive Committee No. 58-r, the monument was accepted under state protection, and on December 5, 2000, by order of the governor of the Perm region No. 713-r, it was included in the state list of historical monuments of the Perm region of local (regional) significance. At present, out of 154 (?) built boats, 12 units have been preserved in the form of monuments.

In November 1942, by order State Committee defense shipyard switched from manufacturing river tugs to producing armored boats of the AK-454 series according to project 1125 by general designer Benoit Yu Yu.
By 1948, 132 armored boats were produced. Among the paratroopers they were called “sea tanks.”
The Perm armored boats were armed with the turrets of the T-34-76 tank with a 76-mm F-34 cannon and a DT 7.62 machine gun, as well as two anti-aircraft installations twin DShK pudeguns. In addition to the main armament, the boats could carry and install 4 sea mines using semi-makeshift equipment.


Photo by Dmitry Shelekhov

When designing, the armored boats were intended for operations on the border Amur River, but the war made its own adjustments. The boats were used both on rivers and lakes and in naval theaters of war, especially during landing operations.


Photo by Dmitry Shelekhov

One of the requirements when designing the boat was its dimensions, allowing it to be moved on railway platforms to any theater of military operations.

From this angle it is clear that part of the side has undergone serious repairs

On the northern side of the pedestal of the armored boat there are 16 marble slabs on which are carved the names of 192 workers and employees of the plant who died in the Great Patriotic War, and in the center there is a metal plate with the inscription: “Letter to 2045”, an old capsule with the inscription: “Laid here May 9, 1975 capsule with the Appeal of Great Patriotic War veterans, labor veterans and shock workers of the IX Five-Year Plan to Komsomol members and youth of the year 2000. Open May 9, 2000." I guess it's already been opened.

The photo shows that the armored boat was equipped with only one bow anchor.
On Ladoga, boats were additionally equipped with wooden lining of the sides and bottom and received an advantage over Finnish boats when operating in ice conditions

And this is the view just to the left of the boat.
At the feet of the imperturbable leader of all nations, two young mothers sat comfortably with beer

Material used in the text

Project 1125 armored boat

Greetings to all lovers military equipment and the history of our native land! Vyacheslav is with you.

My next story will be dedicated to an unusual piece of military equipment. Its unusual feature is that it is not a model of ground weapons, or even air weapons, but of sea weapons. To be more precise - river! It's about about the Project 1125 armored boat.

An object. Project 1125 armored boat.

Location: Perm city, st. Tugirnaya, 4, at the entrance of the Kama shipyard

Coordinates: N 58°02’02.34 E 56°02’17.19.

Availability: satisfactory. You can drive very close to the monument, there is also a parking space, but climbing it is very problematic. The boat is mounted on a three-meter high concrete pedestal with sloping side walls. You can't climb without special tools. Maybe it's for the better?

History of the type

The history of the creation of Soviet river armored boats dates back to November 1931, when the command of the Red Army approved the technical specifications for their development. In June 1932, the Lenrechsudoproekt organization began designing boats. The chief designer was Benoit Yuliy Yulievich.

It was proposed to use artillery pieces mounted in standard tank turrets as the main armament. Special requirements were also placed on the dimensions of the boat. They had to meet USSR railway standards when transported by rail on a platform.

By the end of 1932, two boat projects were ready. Small (project 1125) - with the installation of one tank turret, and large (project 1124) with two tank turrets.

Since 1934, serial construction of new ships began at the Zelenodolsk plant named after A. M. Gorky in Tatarstan.

During production, the design of the boats was changed several times, and, unfortunately, it was difficult to find two absolutely identical copies. For example, the gun turret was originally used from the T-28 tank with a short-barreled KT-28 cannon, then the gun was replaced with a more powerful L-10, and after the completion of production of the T-28 tank, turrets from the “thirty-four” began to be installed on armored boats, as welded ones from rolled armor plates and cast hexagonal “nuts”.

Anti-aircraft weapons were also different. DT machine guns on turrets, DShK heavy machine guns in various combinations, and even Lander guns were placed on the decks of boats. During the war, some armored boats were equipped with multiple launch rocket systems, turning into river Katyushas.

In just 10 years of production, 154 units of Project 1125 armored boats were produced. In November 1942, in accordance with the order of the State Defense Committee, Perm Shipyard No. 344 also switched from manufacturing river tugs to producing armored boats. Therefore, the monument to the armored boat in front of the factory entrance has the most compelling reasons for its existence. From 1942 to 1948, the Perm enterprise produced boats with serial numbers from No. 136 to No. 248.

Small armored boats, nicknamed “river tanks,” took an active part in the Battle of Stalingrad, and then the liberation of not a single large city standing on the river bank could be done without them.

Small armored boat. Chronicle

A flotilla of boats on Lake Ladoga was also noted in history, which guarded transportation along the “Road of Life”, driving away German, Finnish and Italian ships. To extend the navigation period of boats during the freeze-up period, savvy Soviet sailors “dressed” the ship’s hull in a wooden “fur coat.” Boards 40-50 mm thick protected the bottom and sides (100-150 mm above the waterline) of the ship. This so-called “fur coat” almost did not change the ship’s draft due to the buoyancy of the wood, but reliably protected its hull from floating ice, turning the boats into mini-icebreakers.

Another significant example of the actions of armored boats is associated with the landing and capture of the Imperial Bridge over the Danube in Vienna. On April 11, 1945, a detachment of boats broke through to the only surviving bridge of the Austrian capital, landed assault groups on both banks, and then supported them with direct fire. The decisive actions of Soviet soldiers and boatmen made it possible to prevent the explosion of the bridge, and then to hold it and break the interaction of German units on different banks of the Danube, which became one of the decisive reasons for their quick surrender and liberation of the city.

Surprisingly, Project 1125 boats can often be found today on pedestals in the cities of Russia and Ukraine. I know of 12 such monuments. Considering their total number produced, we can say that every twelfth boat became a monument.

Performance characteristics (TTX)

Total displacement, t – 32.2.

Length, m – 22.87.

Width, m – 3.54.

Draft, m – 0.56.

Power plant - Packard gasoline engine 1x900 hp.

Travel speed, knots – 20 (37 km/h).

Armament: 1x1 - 76.2mm F-34 cannon in the turret, 2x2 - 12.7mm turrets.

Crew, people - 12.

Instance history

And now, perhaps, about the most interesting thing.

To date, it has not been possible to reliably determine which boat is installed on the pedestal in Perm. On Wikipedia it is called AK-454 (artillery boat). The reclassification from BC (armored boat) to AK actually took place in the 1950s. But BK-454 boats as part of fleets and river flotillas Soviet Union didn't appear. There was an AK-454 boat, but of a completely different design (Project 191M built by the Izhora plant).

Armored boat. Gun turret

The number “181” printed on board also does not add clarity. Perhaps this is the construction number of the boat, which corresponds to the tactical BK-140. Then we can say that it was laid down on 04/09/1944, and entered service on 03/13/1945. Included in the Dnieper flotilla and delivered to the river. Spee 06/12/1945, i.e. after the end of hostilities. In the 1950s it was transferred to the Amur Flotilla.

Armored boat. Machine gun

Unfortunately, these are just assumptions. Before the start of the reconstruction of the boat and its installation on the pedestal, a defect inspection of the vessel was carried out, but no embedded boards or nameplates indicating what kind of boat it was, where and when it was built were found. The only thing we were able to find were the marks on the boat’s main caliber gun, but they didn’t make the task any easier. The thoroughness of the search is evidenced by the fact that the documents recorded an electrical switch found on board the ship, manufactured in 1943.

Armored boat. Nose
Armored boat. Stern

History of the monument

With the history of the monument itself, the situation is somewhat clearer.

All sources agree that the monument was created on the initiative of the director of the Kama shipyard, Ivan Pavlovich Timofeev, who managed to bring a surviving copy from Far East from the Amur Flotilla. And on May 9, 1974, the boat took its place in front of the factory entrance.

The boat, oriented to the west, is installed on a concrete base lined with gray marble. On the northern side of the pedestal there are 16 marble slabs on which are carved the names of 192 workers and employees of the plant who died in the Great Patriotic War, and in the center there is a metal plate with the inscription: “Here was laid on May 9, 1975 a capsule with an Appeal from veterans of the Great Patriotic War, labor veterans and shock workers of the IX Five-Year Plan to Komsomol members and youth of the year 2000. Open May 9, 2000."

In 2014, the monument underwent a major reconstruction. So thorough that even the concrete pedestal was completely dismantled, and a new one was erected in its place. The boat itself also passed major renovation, as a result of which the following work was performed.

1. Replacing the bottom (where it meets the pedestal). If this work had not been carried out, the ship would have sunk onto the pedestal.
2. The internal frames were replaced with new ones (welded into a channel box), which will enable the vessel to stand for a long time.
3. The previous paint was removed. In places where corrosion had eaten away the metal, there was a spot replacement with a new material.
4. Anti-corrosion treatment of the entire vessel was carried out, after which painting work was carried out.
5. Work was also carried out to replace handrails, bump stops, etc.
6. The vessel has been equipped: bell, lifebuoys, etc.

Armored boat. General form

The Perm public was seriously excited by the scale of the work being carried out, fearing, not without reason, that the boat might “disappear” from the lists of monuments and “surface” in one of the private collections. Fortunately, everything ended well, and by the 70th anniversary of the Victory the boat returned to its rightful place.

This is interesting. Where did that very letter go, placed in a capsule for “Komsomol members and youth of the year 2000”? There is information that during the restoration period the capsule was stored in a safe municipal institution culture "City Center for the Protection of Monuments". Where is she now?