Leninets-class submarine


The Leninets or L class were the second class of submarines to be built for the Soviet Navy. They were minelaying submarines and were based on the British L-class submarine,, which was sunk during the British intervention in the Russian Civil War. Some experience from the previous s was also utilised. The boats were of the saddle tank type and mines were carried in two stern galleries as pioneered on the pre-war, the world's first minelaying submarine. These boats were considered successful by the Soviets and 25 were built in four groups between 1931 and 1941. Groups 3 and 4 had more powerful engines and a higher top speed.

Ships

Group 1

Six ships were built, all launched in 1931. Three were assigned to the Baltic Fleet and three to the Black Sea Fleet, including Soviet submarine L-3.
NumberNameMeaningFleetLaunchedFate
L1Leninets Follower of LeninBaltic28 February 1931Sunk by German artillery October 1941, salvaged, scrapped 1945
L2Stalinets Follower of StalinBaltic21 May 1931Sunk by mine 15 November 1941
L3Frunzenets Follower of FrunzeBaltic8 August 1931Decommissioned 15 February 1971, conning tower preserved as a memorial
L4Garibaldets Follower of GaribaldiBlack Sea31 August 1931Decommissioned 17 February 1956
L5Chartist An adherent of ChartismBlack Sea5 June 1932Decommissioned 25 December 1955
L6Carbonari CarbonariBlack Sea3 November 1932Sunk with depth charges near Sevastopol on 18 April 1944 by the German submarine chaser UJ-104

Group 2

Six ships were built and launched between 1935 and 1936. All were built for the Pacific Fleet by plant 202 "Dalzavod" Vladivostok and plant 199 Komsomolsk-na-Amure.
NumberNameMeaningFleetLaunchedFate
L7VoroshilovetsFollower of Kliment VoroshilovPacific15 May 1935Decommissioned 1956
L8DzerzhinetsFollower of DzerzhinskyPacific10 September 1935Decommissioned 1950s
L9KirovetsFollower of KirovPacific25 August 1935Decommissioned 1950s
L10MenzhinetsFollower of MenzhinskiPacific18 December 1936Decommissioned 1950s
L11SverdlovetsFollower of SverdlovPacific4 December 1936Decommissioned 1950s
L12MolotovetsFollower of MolotovPacific7 November 1936Decommissioned 1950s

Group 3

Seven ships were built and launched from 1937 to 1938. All were assigned to the Pacific Fleet. Considered a new project, the hull was based on the Srednyaya class. They carried 18 mines.
ShipFleetLaunchedFate
L13Pacific2 August 1936Decommissioned 1950s
L14Pacific20 December 1936Decommissioned 1950s
L15Pacific26 December 1936Transferred to the Northern Fleet via the Panama Canal in late 1942, decommissioned 1950s
L16Pacific9 July 1937Torpedoed by Japanese submarine on 11 October 1942, near the coast of Oregon while being transferred to the Soviet Northern Fleet
L17Pacific5 November 1937Decommissioned 1950s
L18Pacific12 May 1938Decommissioned 1950s
L19Pacific25 May 1938Sunk in 1945

Group 4

6 ships were built and launched from 1940 to 1941. 3 were assigned to the Baltic Fleet and 3 to the Black Sea Fleet. This group added stern torpedo tubes and new, more powerful diesel engines.
ShipFleetLaunchedFate
L20Baltic14 April 1940Decommissioned 1950s
L21Baltic17 July 1940Decommissioned 1950s
L22Baltic23 September 1939Transferred to Northern Fleet 1941, Decommissioned 1950s
L23Black Sea29 April 1940Sunk 17 January 1944 by German sub-chaser UJ106
L24Black Sea17 December 1940Sunk on 15 December 1942 off Cape Shabla by a mine of the Romanian flanking barrage S-15, laid by the Romanian minelayers Amiral Murgescu, Regele Carol I and Dacia
L25Black Sea26 February 1941Unfinished. Sunk while being towed from Tuapse to Sevastopol in December 1944