The Russian Kirov-class cruiser

[LouiseChauchat1335]

The Kirov class vessels reminded me of the KV tanks except they were not tanks at all. They were ships built for long range artillery fire used by the Soviets against the axis power of the Germans. Six of this Kirov class vessels were made during the war, namely Kirov, Voroshilov, Maxim Gorky, Molotov, Kalinin and Kaganovich. This ships were also up-armored and up-engined together with the help of the Italians.

 

Kirov

Kirov (Russian: Киров) was a Project 26 Kirov-class cruiser of the Soviet Navy that served during the Winter War, World War II and into the Cold War. She attempted to bombard Finnish coast defense guns during action in the Winter War, but was driven off by a number of near misses that damaged her. She led the Evacuation of Tallinn at the end of August 1941, before being blockaded in Leningrad where she could only provide gunfire support during the Siege of Leningrad. She bombarded Finnish positions during the Vyborg–Petrozavodsk Offensive in mid-1944, but played no further part in the war. Kirov was reclassified as a training cruiser on 2 August 1961 and sold for scrap on 22 February 1974.

http://en.wikipedia....t_cruiser_Kirov

 

Voroshilov

Voroshilov (Russian: Ворошилов) was a Project 26 Kirov-class cruiser of the Soviet Navy that served during World War II and into the Cold War. She bombarded German troops during the Siege of Odessa before being badly damaged in November 1941 by German bombers. Upon her return from repairs in March 1942 she supported Soviet troops during the Siege of Sevastopol, the Kerch-Feodosiya Operation and the amphibious landings at Novorossiysk at the end of January 1943. Her active participation in the war ended in October 1943 when three destroyers were lost to air attack and Joseph Stalin forbid missions using large ships without his permission. Postwar she was converted to a missile test ship before being sold for scrap in 1973.

http://en.wikipedia....iser_Voroshilov

 

Maxim Gorky

Maxim Gorky (Russian: Максим Горький) was a Project 26bis Kirov-class cruiser of the Soviet Navy that saw action during World War II and continued in service into the Cold War. The ship’s bow was blown-off by a mine in the Gulf of Riga during the opening stages of Operation Barbarossa, but she made it to Kronstadt for repairs. However, after being repaired, the ship was trapped in harbour for most of the war, by Axis minefields at Leningrad and Kronstadt. Despite being trapped, Maxim Gorky was active in two engagements: the ship provided gunfire in support for the defenders during the Siege of Leningrad, and she later bombarded Finnish positions during the Vyborg–Petrozavodsk Offensive in mid-1944. She saw no further action in World War II. A major modernization was begun in 1953, but the navy reconsidered the cost-effectiveness of the refit and work was cancelled in 1955. Maxim Gorky was sold for scrap in 1959.

http://en.wikipedia....ser_Maxim_Gorky

 

Molotov

Molotov (Russian: Молотов) was a Project 26bis Kirov-class cruiser of the Soviet Navy that served during World War II and into the Cold War. She supported Soviet troops during the Siege of Sevastopol, the Kerch-Feodosiya Operation and the amphibious landings at Novorossiysk at the end of January 1943.

The ship was extensively modernized between 1952 and 1955. She was renamed Slava (Russian: Слава, Glory) in 1957 after Vyacheslav Molotov fell out of favour. Slava was reclassified as a training ship in 1961 before being sold for scrap in 1972.

http://en.wikipedia....cruiser_Molotov

 

Kalinin

Kalinin (Russian: Калинин) was a Project 26bis2 Kirov-class cruiser of the Soviet Navy that was built during World War II. She was built in Siberia from components shipped from European Russia. She saw no action during the war and served into the Cold War. Her post-war career was uneventful until she was disarmed and converted into a floating barracks in 1960. She was sold for scrap in 1963.

http://en.wikipedia....cruiser_Kalinin

 

Kaganovich

Kaganovich (Russian: Каганович) was a Project 26bis2 Kirov-class cruiser of the Soviet Navy that was built during World War II. She was built in Siberia from components shipped from European Russia. She saw no action during the war and served into the Cold War. She was renamed Lazar Kaganovich in 1945 to distinguish her from Lazar's disgraced brother Mikhail Kaganovich. Her post-war career was generally uneventful, although her superstructure was badly damaged by a Force 12 typhoon in 1957. She was renamed Petropavlovsk (Russian: Петропавловск) in 1957. Sources disagree on her fate; some say that she was converted into a floating barracks in 1960 and later sold for scrap while another says that she was simply sold for scrap in 1960.

http://en.wikipedia....iser_Kaganovich

[_Darkstar_]

I definately wouldn't mind standing at the helm of one of these. Beautiful ships. I hope they the Kirov class in the tech tree, though I can't imagine why not  :Smile_glasses:

[nixxxie]

I wouldn't find them similar to KVs. Well, maybe, if you think of KV's ability to stay afloat...  :Smile_glasses: