Soviet Lend Lease/War Reparation Ships: How to let Ships Rust and Sink

Embark on a riveting exploration of naval history as we delve into the often-overlooked narratives surrounding the Soviet Union's procurement of warships during and after World War II. This video seeks to unveil the intriguing stories behind the acquisition of various vessels through means such as Lend-Lease, direct purchases, and reparations from both the Western Allies and the defeated Axis Powers.
Our focal point spans a diverse array of ships, including the British battleship Royal Sovereign, the American cruiser USS Milwaukee, and the German pre-dreadnought battleship Schleswig-Holstein. Join us on a historical journey as we uncover the contextual intricacies, technical specifications, and distinctive roles played by these ships within the Soviet Navy.
Navigating through this maritime odyssey, we will also shed light on the political intricacies that accompanied these transfers. The challenges faced by these acquired vessels and their consequential impact on Soviet naval operations will be explored. From significant naval battles to unexpected encounters, each ship possesses a unique and compelling story.
While it is impractical to delve deeply into every individual vessel, this video aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the vast spectrum of ships that found their way into the Soviet naval arsenal during this tumultuous period. The historical background and the strategic considerations that prompted the Soviet Union to acquire warships from former allies and adversaries alike will be meticulously examined.
The British battleship Royal Sovereign stands as a testament to the complexities of wartime alliances. Acquired through the Lend-Lease program, the Royal Sovereign brought its formidable firepower to the Soviet Navy. We will scrutinize the circumstances surrounding its transfer, its performance in Soviet service, and the broader implications for naval collaboration between the British and Soviet forces.
Moving across the Atlantic, our exploration extends to the American cruiser USS Milwaukee. Examining the intricacies of its transfer, we aim to unravel the diplomatic nuances that governed the provision of American warships to the Soviet Union. How did the USS Milwaukee integrate into the Soviet naval structure, and what strategic advantages did it offer? These questions will be addressed to provide a comprehensive understanding of this unique maritime exchange.
The inclusion of the German pre-dreadnought battleship Schleswig-Holstein adds a layer of complexity to this historical tapestry. Transferred as part of war reparations, this vessel had once played a significant role in the early stages of World War II. We will delve into the motivations behind the Soviet decision to incorporate a former adversary's warship into its fleet, exploring the challenges and adaptations required to assimilate such diverse naval assets.
As we navigate through these historical accounts, the video will also touch upon broader themes, such as the overall impact of these acquisitions on Soviet naval capabilities and the strategic calculus of maintaining a diverse fleet. The dynamic geopolitical landscape of the post-war era played a crucial role in shaping the choices and decisions surrounding the acquisition of these warships.
In conclusion, our aim is to provide a nuanced and comprehensive understanding of the Soviet Union's maritime odyssey during and after World War II. By examining specific cases like the Royal Sovereign, USS Milwaukee, and Schleswig-Holstein, we hope to shed light on the intricacies of naval history and the geopolitical considerations that influenced the composition of the Soviet Navy.
Intro 0:00
British Ships 1:35
American Ships 8:03
German Ships 12:07
Italian Ships 19:45
End 23:22
Sources/Other Reading:
www.amazon.com/Italian-Battle...
www.amazon.com/Mussolinis-Nav...
www.usni.org/press/books/russ...
www.amazon.com/Warships-Sovie...
www.amazon.com/British-Battle...
www.amazon.com/German-Light-C...
Video Information:
Copyright fair use notice. All media used in this video is used for the purpose of education under the terms of fair use. All footage and images used belong to their copyright holders, when applicable.

[@ImportantHistory]

Thanks for watching everyone. I'd like to apologize for the lack of information on some of these ships. I didn't want to use information that I could not backup with other multiple sources. Also, it is so hard (in the English speaking world) to find Russian sources that have been translated.

[@BorisstalmN]

The Graff zeppelin was sunk as a target ship by the Soviets in the Baltic sea in 1947, close done but failed after she was scuttled in May 1945,but reflowed sometime later and decided to test how to sink carriers. they exploded with explosives and some bombs

[@ImportantHistory]

@@BorisstalmN Video coming soon! When I wrote this script I didn't have great sources and didn't want to say something I wasn't certain about.

[@BorisstalmN]

I pulled that off the top of my head

[@BorisstalmN]

And learned from TV shows

[@ImportantHistory]

@@BorisstalmN Since researching Graf Zeppelin, I've seen 1949 as another date for her demise. Although 1947 seems to be more reasonable answer. As for your comment about pulling that off the top of your head, I try not to say something if I don't have a source to back up my claim because that can get me into trouble since I don't want to present incorrect information.

[@Dr_V]

In August 1944 the soviets seized the entire Romanian Black sea fleet, consisting (at the time) of 2 modern destroyers (Regele Ferdinand and Regina Maria, 1927 and 1930, both built in Italy with British guns & machinery), 2 older destroyers (Marasti & Marasesti, WW1 vintage Italian built), a seagoing torpedo boat (Sborul, Italian built in 1920), a modern minelayer/frigate (Amiral Murgescu, 1941 built in Romania), a large submarine (Delfinul, 1936 Italian design) and a handful of smaller craft. Most of the older ships were returned in 1945 (including the WW1 era destroyers), but the 2 modern destroyers and the submarine were retained by the Soviet navy until 1951 and the minelayer was never returned, serving as a repair ship in the Soviet navy until 1988.

[@jkull173]

Hearing Drach discuss the size and quality of the Italian navy in ww2 when compared to the German navy was very eye opening for me. I’d love some more content on them. Great work!

[@anonymusum]

You really take Drach seriously when it comes to the German navy?

[@jimtaylor294]

^ Yes. Duh. Next question 😂

[@dovetonsturdee7033]

@@anonymusum Yes.As does almost everybody with any actual interest in the subject.

[@anonymusum]

@@dovetonsturdee7033 Almost everybody? Lets say: almost everyboydy in the English speaking world.

[@dovetonsturdee7033]

@@anonymusum No. Let's say, almost everybody with any interest in the subject, as I said earlier.

[@ConradAinger]

You modestly say that you are not a historian and do not have a degree. Well, I have a degree - in Modern History - and I think your videos are of such a quality that you are a historian. In World War Two I had one great grandfather in the British Navy and another in the German Army. Happily, they never met.

[@thunderK5]

Thanks for this one. If you are deciding between battlecruisers, I'd suggest covering Dunkerque. Her being designed to counter the German panzerschiffe makes her interesting.

[@ImportantHistory]

Well, you’re in luck. A 25ish minute long video that will come out either first or second Saturday in March!

[@Philip271828]

The counter to German ships always sounds a little odd as they spent most of their time in the Mediterranean, staring at the Regia Marina. However, she's a rare case of a WW2 era ship getting shot with heavy shells and getting properly examined afterwards.

[@RussellBond-dk6dj]

You may not be formally educated as a historian but you are a historian. Some of the greatest accounts of history were from people just like you sir and I personally thank you for your hard work and diligence to detail. Please keep up your fantastic work and who knows maybe one day you will be remembered as a Homer in a different day and age.

[@ImportantHistory]

Thank you for the kind words. Here in the next year I will have a minor in general European history.

[@CliveN-yr1gv]

Mate that was another awesome piece of research and it told the story very well. I was fascinated that ROYAL SOVEREIGN was handed back with live rounds stick in the breech! Maintenance has always been an issue for sailors and soldiers. A Russian soldier softly told me that Russians know that what they make will likely break. But it's made so heavily they still have a working hammer! British guns just weren't made with at philosophy hence some of the maintenance issues I expect! Thanks for the entertaining education, as always🙏👍

[@jmrico1979]

20-25 min is the perfect duration

[@icqme8586]

Did the Soviet Union have trouble maintaining these ships due to different tool standards? I wonder if different navies uses different standards for fasteners, nuts, bolts, etc.. like thread, pitch, size, metric, imperial. Maybe ships came with their own set of mechanical tools.

[@jkull173]

I know that those items were a big challenge for soviets when trying to replicate captured western technology, some of the measurements just didn’t convert perfectly and lead to a lot of issues.

[@pickeljarsforhillary102]

@@jkull173 As an example the skin thickness difference between the B-29 and their Soviet copies Tu-4 with the Tu-4 being the thicker.

[@merafirewing6591]

​@@pickeljarsforhillary102 meaning the Tu-4 ate too many American Cheeseburgers.

[@Rom3_29]

Finland handed over its one of two coastal defense ship to Soviets, as part of the war reparations. Its sister ship was sunk by Russian mine during the war while escorting German ships near Estonian coast.

[@freebeerfordworkers]

4.00 Regarding the time she spent in the Indian Ocean. I attended a lecture at a maritime museum some years ago when a Royal Navy veteran said the men always knew when they were going to see some serious action - they left the old battleships behind.

[@VoreAxalon]

I love your content dude- be awesome to see some info on other ships of the war like the Polish destroyers or something like that- lesser known naval history

[@ImportantHistory]

One video idea that I’ve tossed around is the Polish navy’s escape in September of 1939. My problem is finding interesting or relevant pictures for the video.

[@VoreAxalon]

@ImportantHistory That's exactly the kinda thing that would be cool to see- or naval histories from less well known lore

[@lexington476]

When they said the ship was paid off and put a reserve and the crew is signed to other ships. what does paid off in the British context mean? Does that mean that the whole time a sailor is assigned to the shipping never received any pay or salary? Even in the modern age?

[@CliveN-yr1gv]

The usual practise was to draft (aka transfer) the sailor to another ship. And ship could mean a floating thing or a 'concretr battleship' (being a shore base). In a couple of photos on this video you will see the long pennant flying from the mast head. This is either the commissioning pennant or, judging by the extreme length, the paying off pennant.. The length of which being determined by the ship's length of service. I don't know if it was a rule but I know at least one former captain who was in possession of his last paying off pennant. I think back in Nelsons era paying off was literally that.... Thanks for your service, here's your pay and sayonara.. Officers went onto reduced pay as they remained in the books until reactivated.

[@lyedavide]

Thanks for another interesting and informative video on Soviet ships!

[@liamc9998]

If memory serves, metal from Schleswig Holstein was recovered and used to make a memorial on Westerplatte in Danzig. Though, this kinda begs the question of how they got it? Until watching this video I - like yourself - just assumed the ship was scrapped where it was scuttled by the Germans and that’s how they got the metal. Maybe I’m just misunderstanding think and there’s a simple answer I’ve just overlooked?

[@josephlongbone4255]

Mistreatment of valuable naval technology seems to be a Russian tradition. I mean, just look at the woeful state of "Old Smokey."

[@edwardvincentbriones5062]

i would like to see a video on the Soviet ships transferred to other Communist nations (mostly China). that would be more interesting.

[@nemosis9449]

My dad served on Royal sovereign for the first two years of the war then was transferred to Warspite.

[@jmrico1979]

i always learn something, i didnt know that the SchleswigHolsmpfWhatever had ended up afloat and in soviet hands

[@BobSmith-dk8nw]

The Americans actually gave the Soviets some amphibious ships that they used to land troops in Japan with. They were supposed to "invade" Japan with them but even we were not ready for that. I don't remember if the Soviets gave those ships back or not. Someone has a video on KZbin about them but I don't remember any more about this. .

[@BHuang92]

After the invasion plan was canceled, the U.S requested the ships back and in typical Russian fashion, they were in worst condition than they were originally so all of those ships were scrapped afterwards!

[@robertoroberto9798]

@@BHuang92I expected the Russians to just say no and keep them. Good thing the US was planning to scrap the landing ships, no use when WW2’s already over!

[@jedimasterdraco6950]

Just a note, but the structural weakness of the German light cruisers were not due to the Washington Naval Treaty as that allowed for a tonnage of up to 10k tons for cruisers and even Nurnberg only reach a tonnage of c.9k tons. Rather it was because of the specifically designated roles and designs to fill those roles that the Kriegsmarine envisioned for its ships. Which was one of the numerous failings of the "Plan Z" building program.

[@univrzsal]

Hey i have a question. at 16:25 where is that bridge located. i've seen it with many famous ships. i'd love to know where that is or what it is called

[@ImportantHistory]

If I’m not mistaken that’s somewhere along the Kiel canal. Sorry, I don’t know specifics.

[@SvenMl78]

That should be the Grünentaler Hochbrücke (1892)

[@gianurwiler5098]

Thanks you too good

[@AndreasGlad-rq7vx]

The only "compensation" soviet should have had after ww2 is Operation Unthinkable.

[@trevortwyman6247]

dont forget,,, uss ROBIN,,, PS, YOU GOT TWO LIKES,, great vids,, keep it up,, one from me and rusty girl,

[@Aobtodd]

Commenting for the algorithm

[@RayyMusik]

6:40 Biber: like beaver, just with b in the middle and non-rhotic r. Plural = singular, no s.

[@bigsarge2085]

✌️

[@mattblom3990]

"This one was a tough one to research." - just look up 1942-1945 where lubricants were NOT sold, and you'll find the exact geolocation of these ships.

[@diannegooding8733]

How did film of a KGV sneak in early on.?

[@ImportantHistory]

Do you mean in the intro? If so, I spliced those clips together for the intro a long time ago.

[@timandellenmoran1213]

USS Washington BB-56

[@stuew6]

What about Free French, Poland, Norway , Dutch, Greek. Naval

[@user-ht1dh7uu7f]

It's a shame of all the ships the US wasted too

[@user-hx2wx7mk8n]

From a global strategy perspective, any Soviet or Russian naval spending, except for submarines and coastal sub-hunters seems to me like a huge waste of money and manpower....spend it on the army and air force. Like Churchill (or some British naval authority) said before WWI...without so much as a dinghy, Germany is still the most powerful nation in Europe.

[@Schlipperschlopper]

Russia rules the world and has the best and largest fleet!!!

[@Rom3_29]

Fueled by high octane vodka.