Soviet MTB

[Tiornu]

Did the Soviet torpedo boats succeed in torpedoing anything? Is there any source that tabulates Soviet MTB successes?

[Victor]

There were few Soviet MTB attacks (of the 2nd Brigade at Savadosk) on the convoys to and from Sevastopol in 1944, but none succeeded, they were driven away by German Lursen MTBs before they even reached the convoys.
The ChF relied more on its air power and submarines for attacks in that period, as none of its major surface ships were allowed to sail without authorization from the high command.

[Marek T]

According to J. Meister's "Soviet Warships of the 2nd WW" (p.216):
Up to 1944 the Soviet MTBs sank only a few and almost exclusively small Axis war or merchant ships ... the most notable ... were Finnish minelayer RILAHTI near Tiskeri Island on 23 August 1943, four German M-class minesweepers (M37 off Narva on 4 June 1944, M303 off Kyberg on 11 October 1944, M31 off Havningsberg on 21 October 1944 and M346 off the Tanafjord on 17 July 1943), the large German torpedo boat T31 in the Viipuri Bay on 20 June 1944 and about half a dozen auxilliary minesweepers and patrol craft. They sank also about six large and ten very small merchant ships, fishing boats and other small craft. The total amounted to no more than 30 war and merchant ships, including two Japanese vessels in 1945.

To the above one must add the Z34, heavily damaged in torpedo attack on 16.04.1945.

[Dénes]

An interesting incident happened on March 26, 1945. VVS airplanes sunk a small German tanker and three motor minesweepers on their way from Pillau to Libau.
Several German MTBs rushed to the scene to save survivors. Three of them encountered nine Soviet MTBs, also operating in the area looking for surviors, documents, etc. In a fight lasting two hours, at least two Soviet MTBs were sunk, another one boarded, where 5 officers were taken POW, including the senior officer of the 2nd Soviet MTB Squadron, and nine sailors. The Germans' loss was only one soldier slightly injured.

[Tiornu]

Thanks for the answers, guys.

[Kirill]

Hello!

Successes of Soviet torpedo cutters (mine successes not included)

Northern Fleet:

6.10.1941 - D/S "Bjørnungen" (165 grt) torpedoed and sunk by TKA No.12 near Sture-Ekkerøy.
24.04.1942 - submarine U-454 seriously damaged by depth-charges of TKA No. 13 and No. 14 near Vardø.
21.06.1943 - M/S "Foula" (109 grt) (previously damaged by german aircraft) sunk by TKA No. 13 (by machine-gun) off Rybachij peninsula.
21.09.1943 - D/S "Antje Fritzen" (4330 grt) (previously damaged on 2 mines) torpedoed (2 hits) and sunk by TKA No. 15 near Nurmensetty Cape (69.43,5 N 31.25 E).
22.12.1943 - D/S "Marie" (200 grt) torpedoed (2 hits) and sunk by TKA No. 13 in Varangerfjord.
7.05.1944 - M/K "Moder II" (124 grt) captured by TK-215, TK-218 and TK-219; set on fire and sunk in Varangerfjord.
28.06.1944 - D/S "Nerissa" (992 grt) torpedoed and sunk by TK-239 and TK-241 off Petsamo.
15.07.1944 - D/S "Hugin" (124 grt) attacked by TK-239; shelled by MG, blown up by depth-charge and set ablaze. The following day she was towed to Vadsø, where she stayed afloat until September when she sank by lack of attendance.
19.08.1944 - patrol ship V-6102 / "Köln" (472 grt) and D/S "Colmar" (3992 grt) torpedoed and sunk by the soviet torpedo cutters Kibergness Cape.
14.09.1944 - minesweeper M-252 damaged by blind torpedo N of Vardø. In the attack participated TK-211, TK-213, TK-242, TK-243.
25.09.1944 - patrol ship V-6101 / "Gauleiter Bohle" (505 grt) torpedoed and sunk by the soviet torpedo cutters in Varangerfjord.
12.10.1944 - minesweeper M-303 (775 t) torpedoed and sunk by the soviet torpedo cutters near Kibergness Cape (TK-230, TK-238, TK-241 participated in attack).
21.10.1944 - minesweeper R-311 attacked by TK-205 and TK-230 south of Bussesund; damaged by blind torpedo.
21.10.1944 - minesweeper M-31 (874 t) torpedoed and sunk by TK-237 and TK-244 in Persfjord (70.31,8 N 30.55 E).

Baltic Fleet:

14.09.1941 - minesweeper M-1707 (473 grt) (previously damaged by mine and hit by 130mm shell from soviet shore battery; abandoned by crew) torpedoed and sunk near Arensburg.
23.09.1941 - patrol ship V-308 (312 grt) sunk near Gogland Island.
26.08.1942 - submarine hunter UJ-1216 (299 grt) sunk near Bol'shoj Tuters Island.
23.08.1943 - finnish minelayer "Riilahti" (311 t) sunk near Tiiskeri Island.
4.06.1944 - minesweeper "M-37" (717 grt) sunk near Gogland Island.
20.06.1944 - torpedo boat T-31 (1754 t) sunk near Nerva Island.
15.04.1945 - destroyer Z-34 (3691 t) damaged in Danzig Bay.
26.04.1945 - MFP F-248 A (220 t) sunk near Hela.


Black Sea Fleet:

13.06.1942 - Italian submarine SB-5 sunk at Yalta.
1.08.1942 - MFP F-334 (220 t) sunk at Ivan-Baba Bay.
15.08.1942 - MFP F-138A sunk near Kazantip Cape.
6.10.1942 - MFP F-131A sunk near Anapa.
28.10.1942 - MFP F-470C, trying to avoid TKA attack, beached near Anapa (later salvaged).
27.06.1943 - MFP F-325A damaged by blind torpedo near Chauda Cape.
21.11.1943 - MFP F-472 sunk near Eltigen.
27.04.1944 - subhunter UJ-104 (834 grt) torpedoed by TKA near Sevastopol. The ship broke in two parts, the bow sank, the stern was towed to Sevastopol where it was finally destroyed by soviet aircraft.
8.05.1944 - lighter "Elbe-5" (1188 t), patrol boats G-3102 and "Cornelis Anni" sunk near Sevastopol.

Best regards,
Kirill

[Kirill]

QUOTE

According to J. Meister's \"Soviet Warships of the 2nd WW\" (p.216):   M346 off the Tanafjord on 17 July 1943

The minesweeper M-346 (551 t) was sunk 17.07.43 at 02.38 by the submarine S-56 (Scedrin) near Sletnes Cape (71.07,2 N 28.19,2 E).

[Kirill]

QUOTE

An interesting incident happened on March 26, 1945. VVS airplanes sunk a small German tanker and three motor minesweepers on their way from Pillau to Libau.   Several German MTBs rushed to the scene to save survivors. Three of them encountered nine Soviet MTBs, also operating in the area looking for surviors, documents, etc. In a fight lasting two hours, at least two Soviet MTBs were sunk, another one boarded, where 5 officers were taken POW, including the senior officer of the 2nd Soviet MTB Squadron, and nine sailors. The Germans' loss was only one soldier slightly injured.

In that fight (it happened in the night on 27th March) participated 3 German S-boote of 3rd flotilla (S-64, S-69 and S-81) and from the other side - 6 soviet D-3 type MTB's (TK-16, TK-60, TK-136, TK-166, TK-196 and TK-200). TK-166 and TK-196 were sunk, 4 others damaged. 9 sailors and 5 officers (including commander of the 2nd TKA Squadron captain of 3rd class M.G.Chebykin) were captured.

[Marek T]

Kirill - thanks for your post.
I know Meister is not as reliable as we would like. Well, the book was published back in late 1970s, without any help from Soviet archives.
On the other hand - are the sinkings you list checked against German sources?

[Kirill]

QUOTE

Kirill - thanks for your post. I know Meister is not as reliable as we would like. Well, the book was published back in late 1970s, without any help from Soviet archives. On the other hand - are the sinkings you list checked against German sources?

Hello Marek!

Yes, they are.

Best regards,
Kirill

[Tiornu]

This is great stuff, Kirill. What sources did you consult?

[Miroslav Morozov]

Hello, friends!

Kirill, I had to add the alaze wreck of ROMANIA, which was sunk by TK-301, 353 11/12.5.44 off Chersones to your wonderful answer.

Miroslav

[Victor]

QUOTE

27.04.1944 - subhunter UJ-104 (834 grt) torpedoed by TKA near Sevastopol. The ship broke in two parts, the bow sank, the stern was towed to Sevastopol where it was finally destroyed by soviet aircraft.

Interstingly, the official report made by the undersecretary of the Navy, maj. gen. Nicoale Sova, stated that the ship was attacked as it exited Sevastopol by Soviet MTBs. It managed to dodge 3 torpedoes, but was hit by a fourth and severely damaged. However, it remained floatable. It was towed to Sevastopol, where it received enough repairs to resist the trip to Constanta. It was sunk on 9 May by an artillery bombardment.

The Operations Diary of the Sea Naval Force states that UJ 104 was hit by bombs and ran aground. I also found a mention in Marina Romana in al doilea razboi mondial by N. Koslinski and R. Stanescu that the ship was damaged by Soviet MTBs on 27 April and sunk at Sevastopol in the morning of 9 May by VVS bombers.

According to Romanian sources, during the torpedo attack on 27 April a Soviet MTB was sunk. Do you know anything about this?

QUOTE

8.05.1944 - lighter \"Elbe-5\" (1188 t), patrol boats G-3102 and \"Cornelis Anni\" sunk near Sevastopol.

According to the same source (Koslinski&Stanescu), the coaster Elbe-5 was sunk by Sch-202.

QUOTE

Kirill, I had to add the alaze wreck of ROMANIA, which was sunk by TK-301, 353 11/12.5.44 off Chersones to your wonderful answer.

Interesting. According to Romanian sources, Romania was attacked by VVS bombers at 0752 on 11 May. One bomb hit the ammunition depot and the ship caught fire and sunk. I didn't know the wreck was later torpedoed.

[Miroslav Morozov]

Hello, Victor!

TK-332 was sunk in the engagement with UJ-104.

The info about the “Romania” fate based on TKAs’ report and Groener’s state that the ship blew up on the early hours of 12th – about a day latter then she was damaged by bombers.

Regards,
Miroslav