Kola-class frigate
The Kola class was the NATO reporting name for a group of frigates built for the Soviet Navy in the 1950s. The Soviet designation was Storozhevoi Korabl (escort ship) Project 42. These ships were analogous to World War II era destroyer escorts or German Elbing-class torpedo boats. The programme consisted of only 8 ships as these vessels were considered to be too expensive for series production and the smaller and cheaper Riga-class frigate was built instead. Radars and sonars were fitted.
Class overview | |
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Name: | Kola class (Project 42) |
Builders: | Yantar Yard, Kaliningrad |
Operators: |
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Succeeded by: | Riga class |
Completed: | 8 |
Lost: | 1 |
Retired: | 7 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type: | Frigate |
Displacement: | 1,900 tons standard |
Length: | 96 m (315 ft) |
Beam: | 10.8 m (35 ft) |
Draught: | 3.2 m (10 ft) |
Propulsion: | 2 shaft geared steam turbines, 2 boilers 27,800 hp (20,700 kW) |
Speed: | 30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph) |
Range: | 3,300 nmi (6,100 km; 3,800 mi) at 13.7 kn (25.4 km/h; 15.8 mph) |
Complement: | 175 |
Armament: |
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Design
The ships were designed for patrolling Soviet waters and escorting convoys. The design process involved a specification issued in 1946 and two design bureau submitted competing designs with both diesel and steam turbine machinery. The hull was welded and longitudinally framed. The machinery suite consisted of alternating boiler rooms and turbine rooms in a unit machinery arrangement. Armament consisted of four single 100 millimetres (3.9 in) dual purpose guns and torpedo tubes.
Ships
All ships were built by Yantar Yard, Kaliningrad. They were the first major ships built there after the transfer of the area to Soviet rule following World War II.
Name | Russian | Commissioned | Fate |
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Sokol | СОКОЛ (Falcon) | 1951 | transferred to the Caspian Sea, scrapped 1970s |
Berkut | БЕРКУТ (Golden Eagle) | 1952 | Scrapped 1970s |
Kondor | КОНДОР (Condor) | 1952 | Lost in grounding accident near Murmansk 1962 |
Grif | ГРИФ (Vulture) | 1952 | Transferred to the Caspian, scrapped 1970s |
Krechet | КРЕЧЕТ (Gyrfalcon) | 1952 | Scrapped 1970s |
Orlan | ОРЛАН (Sea Eagle) | 1953 | Transferred to the Caspian, scrapped 1970s |
Lev | ЛЕВ (Lion) | 1953 | Scrapped 1970s |
Tigr | ТИГР (Tiger) | 1953 | Scrapped 1970s |
References
- Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen & Budzbon, Przemysław (1995). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-85177-605-1
- Site in Russian Language
- Site in Russian Language
- Russian Kola Class Frigates - Complete Ship List