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 SS Metallurg Anosov during a cargo operation in Cuba, during the 1960s | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name |
|
| Namesake | Anosov Pavel Petrovich |
| Owner | 1962–1986: Black Sea Shipping Company, USSR |
| Operator | 1962–1986:Black Sea Shipping Company,USSR |
| Port of registry |
|
| Route |
|
| Builder | Kherson shipyard |
| Launched | July, 1962 |
| Completed | 29 September 1962 |
| Maiden voyage | Odessa-Nikolayev–Mariel, Cuba from 30 of September to 2 of November 1962 |
| Renamed | Anosov in 1988 |
| Identification |
|
| Fate | Scrapped in May, 1986 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | freighter,tweendecker |
| Tonnage |
|
| Length | 587.3 ft (179.0 m) |
| Beam | 74 ft (22.6 m) |
| Height | 52.5 ft (16.0 m) |
| Propulsion | two steamturbine engines driving a single 6.3 m (21 ft)screw propeller |
| Speed | 20 knots in ballast condition, 24 knots in cargo condition. |
| Capacity | bale: 20220 cub.m.; grain: 23763 cub.m.[1] |
TheSSMetallurg Anosov (Russian:Металлург Аносов) was amerchant ship ofBlack Sea Shipping Company (Soviet Union). the ship was one of the project 567KLeninsky Komsomol class,[2] a multi-purposetweendeckerfreighter with steam turbine engines. The ship takes its name fromscientist andmetallurgistPavel Anosov.
The SSMetallurg Anosov was one of the fourLeninsky Komsomol-class cargo ships specially equipped for troop and weapon transportation. The overall length of these transports was increased by 9.1 metres (30 ft), along with size increases to thecargo hold widths, depths and bay doors. These modifications allowed the class to be used as amissile carrier.
The main engines were made at theKirov Plant (Leningrad,USSR), and were installed in theKherson shipyard. The engines produced 13000/14300horsepower at 1000 rpm, allowing the ship to achieve aballasted speed of 20 kn (37 km/h; 23 mph). The ship was equipped with asteam turbine turbo gear unit, the "TS-1" consisting of double-case turbine and gear fed by twofuel oil boilers, with a steam capacity of 25 tons per hour, at pressure of 42 atmospheres and temperature of 470 °C. Thegearbox lowered the outputrpm to 100, and fed the power to the mainpropeller, a single four-bladed bronze propeller with a diameter of 6.3 metres (21 ft) in an automated process.
In the event of mobilisation, the ship could mount severalanti-aircraft guns on the rotary turrets where the cargo cranes were mounted.
After the completion of construction inKherson shipyard, the ship passedsea trials for three days in September 1962. The ship was commissioned byBlack Sea Shipping Company on 29 September 1962. At the time, the turbine-runnerMetallurg Anosov was the fastest merchant vessel in the Soviet Union. The ship's dimensions: length overall 179 m, width – 22.6 m, moulded depth – 16 m, speed – 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph).[3]
After the signing of the act of acceptance, the ship was moved toOdessa. Hold number 4 was converted for troop transportation by the dock workers, allowing for up to 1,600 soldiers to be bunked aboard. The vessel also took on fuel, food, fresh water, and other marine supplies before moving toNikolayev for the loading of its main cargo, a set of missiles.[3]
The maiden voyage ofMetallurg Anosov occurred during theCuban blockade, the most stressful period of theCuban Missile Crisis.
The ship was initially loaded in Nikolayev port with missiles of an unknown type and also a special containers forrocket fuel were latched onto themain deck.[3]
A large number of troops from the 51st Missile Division, 664th Missile Regiment, including the regiment headquarters, combat support, and service subdivisions were housed in hold number 4 on 3 October 1962.[4][5] At the time, only the commanding officer knew that the destination wasCuba. Before deploying, General Degtyarev, who was in charge of the Defence Ministry at the time, held a briefing. The general then handed a secret package, marked "To be opened four days after the passage of the Strait of Gibraltar" to the master of the ship Babienko. Later that day, at 02:00 on the 4th of October 1962, the ship unmoored and began its maiden voyage to theStrait of Gibraltar.[3]
Turkish warships met the ship close to theBosphorus. Afterquarantine formalities, the warships accompanied the SSMetallurg Anosov through the Bosphorus, theMarmara Sea andDardanelles to access theAegean Sea.[3]
During transit through the Bosphorus, abarge without any illumination or signal lights appeared beside theMetallurg Anosov at night. The ship took evasive action, avoiding a collision with the barge by 10 metres (33 ft). Russian officials theorized that the Turks would have used a collision as pretext to storm the vessel, exposing the secret shipment.[3]
A man aboard a similar ship taking the same route, theDivnogorsk, recounted the voyage:[relevant?]
... the bunk beds were equipped for the personnel. They were allowed to let out on the open deck at night only and not more than four persons on the open deck... We were escorted byNATO ships, planes and helicopters ... Once day the captain of ship together with the commander of echelon climb down into the hold to us and said that NATO troops tried to stop the previous ship, it is why we need to be ready for anything. He said: "You are like the agricultural specialists and carrying farm machinery, but do not forget who you are." Then orders were given to petty officers to hand tommy-guns with a clear mission to prevent entering the hold for everybody. The tommy-guns were stored under the bed mattress ...[6]
Combined with the difficulties of transporting a large number of people on a vessel not designed for such, several difficulties were encountered with the ship's cargo. Primarily, the refueling tracks, tanks, and containers produced toxic fumes, and the containers themselves werevolatile at high temperatures. The fuel could become toxic to people in the surrounding area, and there was a risk of explosion during the hot weather. Over these fuel tanks and containers, seawater was poured almost 24 hours per day to avoid an explosion from overheating. Living conditions of the people who accompanied the cargo were difficult. They breathed toxic substances, were irradiated, and accordingly became sick.[7]
The rocket fuel"heptyl" was carried in special containers which were not present in the holds of the most common commercial vessels.
Four days after passing through the Gibraltar Strait the captain opened the secret package in the presence of thepompolit and the commander, Colonel Sergei Verenik. The package contained only a single line: "Turbine-runner 'Metallurg Anosov' has to sail to the Cuban portCabañas."[3] After it was read, the orders were burned.
Soldiers and officers came out at night only to breathe the ocean air, and to be away from the fumes below. Lessons on Cuban culture were taught during the voyage.[3]
As the ship approached Cuba, it had several encounters withNATO forces. U.S.submarines were spotted floating in front of the ship, in an attempt to provoke a collision, or to send the ship off course. Additionally, several U.S. Navy airplanes repeatedly flew close over the ship, sometimes coming close to crashing into the ship's superstructure.[3]
On 22 October,Metallurg Anosov arrived at the port of Cabañas. The first rank captain and two colonels met the ship at the pier. There the ship received a new order: to proceed toMariel Bay and receive a new order from the Soviet ambassador to Cuba,Alexander Alexeyev. One general and several colonels ofGeneral Staff met the ship at the specified bay.[3]
_and_Metallurg_Anosov_during_Cuban_Missile_Crisis_1962.jpg)
On 25 October, the Soviet government issued a statement of protest following the United States' blockade of Cuba as an illegal action undermaritime law. Captains of Soviet vessels received an order to not obey commands from US ships forbidding them from entering Cuban waters.
On 29 October 1962 theUSSR decided to take the missiles and other offensive weapons out of Cuba. Nine vessels, including theMetallurg Anosov, were allocated to the task.
The ship was quickly unloaded, and as soon as the last cargo was ashore, the captain of the ship Babienko, received an order for the ship to return to Soviet Union. However, right before ship's departure a general came aboard for inspection. He immediately halted ship's departure. It would later be revealed that the FirstVice Chairman of theCouncil of Ministers of theUSSRMikoyan had flown to Cuba on 2 November 1962, prompting the move.[3]
TheMetallurg Anosov was one of the nine Soviet freighters involved in returning Soviet missiles and their launchers to the USSR from Cuba. The loading of the missiles and their launchers was carried out in Mariel Bay, from 2 November through 7 November 1962. During the loading, NATO aircraft flew over the port and took photos. TheMetallurg Anosov sailed from Mariel on 7 November 1962.
USSBarry was ordered to investigate a Soviet merchant ship, and proceeded to her station on 9 November, sighting the merchant ship that evening. TheBarry closed to within 400 yards (370 m) of theMetallurg Anosov'sstarboard quarter, illuminated the ship's quarter and bow, and identified her. Trailing astern, theBarry followed the merchant ship, heading east away from the blockade zone, until morning. After dawn, the destroyer closed on the merchant, in order to "obtain photographs of deck cargo", until late morning when she changed course for the aircraft carrierUSSEssex for refueling and to transfer the photographs.
USSBarry and a Patrol Squadron ofVP-44 escorted this ship on the 10 of November, 1962. TheVP-44 patrol squadron achieved international recognition of sorts when an aircraft photographed the deck while flying close surveillance over theMetallurg Anasov. TheMetallurg Anasov was the only Russian vessel refusing to uncover all of the missiles lashed to the deck. The squadron verified that eight large oblong objects, which appeared to be missiles, were located on its deck and the ship was allowed to proceed. The UticaObserver-Dispatch newspaper reported on 11 November 1962:
When the destroyer Barry inspected the freighter Anosov at dawn yesterday the Soviet skipper refused repeated requests to completely uncover missiles lashed to the deck. But there seemed no doubt that they were rockets and the Pentagon said the count was carried out "without incident".[8]
TheMetallurg Anosov arrived at its destination port in the Black Sea after 20 November and was likely unloaded before 1 December 1962.
After December 1962, theMetallurg Anosov performed voyages to Cuba and Angola under the command of Captain Babienko.[3]
The firstcircumnavigation of the world for theMetallurg Anosov occurred from 4 August to 16 December 1963.
Ports of call, main straits and canals during the circumnavigation:
Ships of Black Sea Shipping Company rarely made call inAustralian. This time theMetallurg Anosov made port in Australia, hence on this voyage the crew called it the "Australian voyage". The captain during this voyage was Nikolay Babienko.
TheMetallurg Anosov sailed from the Black Sea through the Bosphorus,Dardanelles,Suez Canal entered theRed Sea and then to the final destination in theFar East.
The ship arrived atNakhodka port in Russia early in 1964 to take in bunker and supply.
In March 1964 the ship sailed from Japan, crossed theequator at longitude 154° 00' E on 14 March 1964, before proceeding to their destination port ofSydney, Australia.
TheMetallurg Anosov proceeded to the berth for mooring inSydney on 4 April 1964. The cargo for loading was grain. The ship briefly appears in 12th episode ofNFSA "Life in Australia" series, "Life in Sydney".[9]
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The ship sailed from the Black Sea to Japan through theSuez Canal in August 1964. From Japan, theMetallurg Anosov passed to Cuba through thePanama Canal. From Cuba, the ship went back to Japan through the Panama Camal to unload a cargo of sugar in Japan. Then the vessel ran to Singapore to loadrubber. After Singapore, the ship returned to the Black Sea and discharged cargo inIllichivsk port in January 1965.
For its next voyages, ofMetallurg Anosov went between the Black Sea and Cuba.
The ship also visitedAlexandria andAlgeria between 1965 and 1967.
During its voyages to Algeria, the ship carried military cargo.
During theSix-Day War in June 1967 Israel occupied theSinai Peninsula, and as such theSuez Canal was closed for shipping between 1967 and 1975.
Therefore, theMetallurg Anosov was forced to go aroundCape Horn from 1967 to 1975, visiting South African ports for bunkering for voyages from the Black Sea to Asian ports in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. During its trip, the ship crossed the equator at longitude 009° 30' W on 24 of July 1967 and the crew received Equator Line Crossing Certificates.
According to another certificate of equatorial crossing, theMetallurg Anosov again circumnavigated the globe when she sailed from Odessa to Cuba. After leaving port in Cuba in late 1969 or early January 1970, the ship passed through the Panama Canal and steamed to Japan. The equator was crossed in theAtlantic Ocean in March 1970. The ship then passed around Africa and received bunker and other ship's supply in aSouth African port.
The ship was in a Black Sea Soviet port in February 1971, for a change of crew.
TheMetallurg Anosov skirted theepicenter of acyclone with a strength of 8 points on theBeaufort scale, when she came back from Cuba in 1971.[10]
The ship visited Qatar once, sometime between 15 April 1971 and February 1973.
The ship visitedCeylon in the second part of January 1973.
The ship was in Cuba at the end of March and in May 1973. After Cuba the ship was loaded in the United States and proceeded toBeirut for discharge. After Beirut the ship went back to the USSR.
During the next voyage from the USSR, the ship arrived at Cuba in the second part of September, and sailed fromHavana on 7 October 1973 to Canada. During voyage, ship was repeatedly buzzed by American planes. The ship was loaded with grain in Canada, before sailing to Odessa in the second part of November 1973, and finally on toNovorossiysk port.
The ship was docked in Cuba at the end of March and in April 1975.
The ship docked inHaiphong port, Vietnam, in the second half of June, and in the first half of August 1975.[11]
In October 1975 the ship visited Japan.
Metallurg Anosov visitedAngola once, in 1976. The ship brought in military cargo toLuanda.
The ship was under repair in Ilyichevsk Shipyard in the summer of 1976.
Metallurg Anosov arrived in Odessa fromRijeka on 19 of February, 1977.
The ship was on Cuba in the first part of May 1979, again to deliver missiles and other military cargo.
Metallurg Anosov was sold for scrap on 21 March 1986 and renamedAnosov.[1] The ship's home port and flag were changed toGeorge Town, Cayman Islands. The ship arrived in China in May 1986.Anosov proceeded toQinhuangdao and scrapped on 22 May 1986.[12]
TheSS Metallurg Anosov was featured on apostage stamp issued in 2008,[13] and another issued in 2013.[14]
This was the only Soviet ship mentioned in Cuban Missile Crisis andCold War stamps, as it was involved in both the Cuban Missile Crisis and other Cold War operations.
