Ukrainians in Soviet Navy 1930- 45

    With most of Ukraine being overrun by the Bolsheviks, the Soviet Republic of Ukraine  was proclaimed and with  "peoples" vote, the Ukrainian Republic joined the Union of the Soviet Socialist  Republics.  Independent Ukrainian Navy had siesed to exist and the remains of it became the part of the navy of the Soviet Union, which caused Ukrainian sailors to serve in other Soviet navies, such as Baltic, Northern and Pacific fleets and hold a variety of ranks all the way up to the admiral.  Therefor one will focus on the ships under command of Ukrainians and some of the outstanding personalities or deeds. 

Finno-Soviet War
    In 1939 the Soviet Union had invaded Finland in order to push the border further away from Leningrad.  The Redflag Navy was used to attack the Finnish convoys and deploy the troops.  Already in this conflict Ukrainian marines had participated.

On 10th of December submarine TS - 322 under the command of V. Polistchyk had sunk three Finnish transports.

Soviet flagship, cruiser 'Oktiaberskaya Revolutsia

On 18th of December, one of the flagships of the Soviet Navy commanded by N. Nesvytsky, "Oktiaberskaja Revolutsia" under the command of commander (kapitan II rangy) D. Vdovychenko bombarded the island of Saarenpia which led to the capture of this strategically important point. 

Even in the Supreme Naval Council of the Soviet Union by 1938, one of the kommisars was H. Levchenko who along with the  divisional kommisar of the Baltic Fleet, M. Jakovenko and General-Major N. Denysevych were also Ukrainians. 

German-Soviet War 1941-45
     Already by 1941 the White Sea flottilla was commaded by captain F. Zozylia and commader of the Headqarters of the Arctic Defence was F. Kravchenko. 

On 25 of August, German battlecruiser "Admiral Sheer"  had attacked a Soviet icebraker "Sibiriakov" of the coast of Norway - when the Icebreaker sunk, the camptain and mechanik N. Bochyrko had refuzed to transfer to the German ship and preferred to  go down with their ship. 

Many Ukrainians also served on submarines and commded them.  Submarine M-176 under the commad of I. Bondarevych

had sunk two german ships, two transports and three torpedoboats. 

In spring 1943 sumbarines of the Pacific Naval Fleet performed a heroic trip: they traveled 17.000 miles from Pacific to  Panama canal and into the Atlantic, trough the areas inhabited by German and Japanese forces.    Two of these submarines were commaded by  I. Kucherenko and A . Trypolsky. 

The most famous of Ukrainian submariners was kommader of S-13, captain Marinesko.  On 30th of January, near Danzig, he sunk a German lainer "Wilhelm Gustov" (24,484 tons) and the next day  transport "Stoiben" (14,660 tons), in total singing 10,000 people with 1,300 officers on board of "Gustov". 

For the great number of kils in the Baltic Sea, submarine commaders I. Vyshnevky, P. Hryschenko, P.Malanchenko were awarded with the orden of Lenin and other awards. 

Kaptain of S-211 A. Deviatko had sunk a transport and a tanker which was carrying oil for Rummanian Navy. 

Kommander of a torpedo boat H. Palamarchuk, although wounded in both legs, did not leave his poast and still managed to sink a transport and a guard ship.  Another torpedo boat kommander Pylypenko received the Hero of the Soviet Union title

Admiral Levchenko greets submariners upon theri succesfull arrival from a patrol

Submarine recruitment poster

In the Black Sea, D. Vdovychenko commanded the cruiser "Komintern" and the flotilla which was supposed to liberate Odessa from the German forces.

One of the ships in the Danube Flotila was commanded by Barbotko. 

P. Bondarenko kommanded the Volga river Flotila and courageously defended the river communications. 

S class submarine

Ukrainians in Pacific Fleet
Many Ukrainians also served in the Soviet Pacific Navy.  Thus I. Kucherenko commanded S-51 submarine and N. Bratyshko kommanded the S-54.  The first one, for  sinking so mach tonnage was awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union title.

A. Nykytenko commanded the monitor "Krasnyi Vostok" and took part in defence of Futzyn' from the Japanese. 

General-Major Gnechko kommaded the coastal battery in defence of Kamchatka.   Out of 49 people who were awarded the Hero of Soviet Union award (the highest award in Soviet Union) five were Ukrainians; M. Barabol'ko, L. Myronenko, M. Janko, V. Moisejenko, G. Ternovsky. 

Admiral Levchenko