Nice ship that really never saw action...
Served in not only the USSR but also Indoanesia where it at times was "poised" to fight western imperlists...
Issue 30. November - December 1998
CRUISER FOR INDONESIA
Alexander Pavlov, historian
On August 5, 1962, the Ordzhonikidze arrived in Surabaya, after which it was transferred to Indonesia in a ceremony and renamed Irian. On January 24, 1963, the cruiser was decommissioned from the Soviet Navy.
In August 17, 1945, the Dutch East Indies were proclaimed an independent state Indonesia. Ahmed Sukarno, who led the armed struggle for his country's independence, became its president. The West Irian province, which remained under Dutch control, came as a stumbling block for Sukarno. The poor and weak country of "three thousand islands" was unable to build armed forces of its own. The world's leading naval powers did not support Indonesia's drive for independence.
The late 1950s saw the beginning of rapprochement, especially in the field of military cooperation, between the USSR and Indonesia, countries different in all respects. For the Soviet Union that was the first experience of this kind. So, fearing a possible negative reaction to Soviet military supplies from Western countries and from the opposition inside Indonesia, the USSR at first sent armaments via Poland. In 1959 four destroyers and two submarines from the Soviet Union's Black Sea and Pacific Fleets came to Surabaya. The reaction of the West was restrained. So in 1960 the USSR decided to supply armaments to Indonesia without taking roundabout routes.
In February 1960, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev paid a visit to Sukarno. The two signed an agreement on Soviet supplies of ships, planes, helicopters, tanks, and other armaments. The most expensive part of the deal was a cruiser of Project 68-bis. Never before and never since has the Soviet Union or Russia supplied ships of such a displacement to foreign fleets.
The ship that was to be turned over to Indonesia (Object 055) was the Ordzhonikidze light cruiser of the Baltic Fleet. On January 11, 1961, the Soviet government issued a special resolution which instructed Central Design Bureau #17 to begin work on the ship's tropicalization. The large-scale modernization was to make the cruiser operational under the following climatic conditions: air temperature, +40o C; humidity, 95 percent; water temperature, +30o C. However, representatives of the Indonesian Navy, who soon visited the Soviet town of Baltiisk, hinted that they could not afford such a large project. As a result, the modernization was confined to the installation of more powerful diesel generators to power additional, mostly private, ventilators.
The Ordzhonikidze was built in Leningrad. The ship was laid down on October 19, 1949, launched on September 17, 1950, and commissioned on June 30, 1952. The cruiser had sailed a lot, visited Portsmouth, Copenhagen and twice Helsinki, and took part in naval exercises. Understandably, the ship needed medium level repairs. It was decided to do them at the Sevastopol Marine Works.
On February 14, 1961, the Ordzhonikidze came to Sevastopol and on April 5, 1962, it began to run sea trials. By that time the ship's Indonesian crew of naval officers had already been formed and were on board the cruiser. The ship's mechanic, Yatidzhan, later worked his way up to chief of the Indonesian Navy's Technical Department. Most of the sailors, too, later were given high-ranking posts.
On August 5, 1962, the Ordzhonikidze arrived in Surabaya, after which it was transferred to Indonesia in a ceremony and renamed Irian. On January 24, 1963, the cruiser was decommissioned from the Soviet Navy.
Indonesians, who had never had a fleet of their own, learned how to operate the expensive ships and sophisticated equipment by trial and error. In November 1962, a submarine's diesels failed because of a hydraulic impact during surfacing; a destroyer severely damaged its stern; and three out of six boilers on the cruiser broke down. High air temperature and humidity, as well as aggressive outside water had a negative effect on the state of the fleet. In addition, the equipment was not serviced properly.
Nevertheless, the mere presence of such ships in the Indonesian Navy made the Dutch Navy drastically reduce its activity near West Irian, which in the long run led to the liberation of the province.
By 1964 the cruiser had actually lost its operating efficiency, and it was decided to send the Irian to Vladivostok for repairs.
In March 1964, the cruiser came to the Dalzavod Plant. Soviet sailors and repairmen were shocked to see the state of neglect on the ship and the large amount of minor repairs, which are usually carried out by the crew, undone. Nevertheless, the Soviet Union fulfilled all the points of the repair contract. Interestingly, the ship's wardroom had been made into a sort of chapel. In August 1964, the Irian, escorted by a Soviet destroyer, left for Surabaya.
In 1965, Sukarno was replaced at the helm by Suharto. His attitude to the Navy differed from that of Sukarno. The cruiser remained moored at Surabaya, and some time later it was made into a prison for opponents of the new regime.
In 1970, the abandoned Irian was washed onto a sandbank, and its hull soon became filled with water. No one cared to save the cruiser. According to Western sources, in 1972 the flagship of the Indonesian Navy began to be scrapped.
Today, there are no Soviet-made warships in Indonesia. However, the high skills of Indonesian naval officers and sailors and the fact that the Indonesian Navy now includes submarines, frigates and auxiliary ships are largely due to Soviet sailors who helped build the Navy of independent Indonesia in its most difficult years.
Technical Characteristics of Cruiser 68-bis
Displacement, tons 14,290/17,970
Principal dimensions, m 210.1 x 22.1 x 7.8
Power, hp 2 steam turbines, 6 water-tube boilers 110,000
Speed, knots 33.7
Cruising range, miles/knots 5,220/18 or 2,080/32
Endurance, days 30
Artillery
4x3-152mm (overall ammunition 1,980 rounds),
6x2-100mm (3,600 rounds),
16x2-37mm (44,250 rounds),
2x5-533mm torpedo launchers, up to 68 mines
Armor, mm:
main armor belt 100
ends 32
deck 50
deck house 130
primary gun turrets 175
Crew 1,270 (60 officers, 75 warrant officers, 154 petty officers)
Served in not only the USSR but also Indoanesia where it at times was "poised" to fight western imperlists...
Issue 30. November - December 1998
CRUISER FOR INDONESIA
Alexander Pavlov, historian
On August 5, 1962, the Ordzhonikidze arrived in Surabaya, after which it was transferred to Indonesia in a ceremony and renamed Irian. On January 24, 1963, the cruiser was decommissioned from the Soviet Navy.
In August 17, 1945, the Dutch East Indies were proclaimed an independent state Indonesia. Ahmed Sukarno, who led the armed struggle for his country's independence, became its president. The West Irian province, which remained under Dutch control, came as a stumbling block for Sukarno. The poor and weak country of "three thousand islands" was unable to build armed forces of its own. The world's leading naval powers did not support Indonesia's drive for independence.
The late 1950s saw the beginning of rapprochement, especially in the field of military cooperation, between the USSR and Indonesia, countries different in all respects. For the Soviet Union that was the first experience of this kind. So, fearing a possible negative reaction to Soviet military supplies from Western countries and from the opposition inside Indonesia, the USSR at first sent armaments via Poland. In 1959 four destroyers and two submarines from the Soviet Union's Black Sea and Pacific Fleets came to Surabaya. The reaction of the West was restrained. So in 1960 the USSR decided to supply armaments to Indonesia without taking roundabout routes.
In February 1960, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev paid a visit to Sukarno. The two signed an agreement on Soviet supplies of ships, planes, helicopters, tanks, and other armaments. The most expensive part of the deal was a cruiser of Project 68-bis. Never before and never since has the Soviet Union or Russia supplied ships of such a displacement to foreign fleets.
The ship that was to be turned over to Indonesia (Object 055) was the Ordzhonikidze light cruiser of the Baltic Fleet. On January 11, 1961, the Soviet government issued a special resolution which instructed Central Design Bureau #17 to begin work on the ship's tropicalization. The large-scale modernization was to make the cruiser operational under the following climatic conditions: air temperature, +40o C; humidity, 95 percent; water temperature, +30o C. However, representatives of the Indonesian Navy, who soon visited the Soviet town of Baltiisk, hinted that they could not afford such a large project. As a result, the modernization was confined to the installation of more powerful diesel generators to power additional, mostly private, ventilators.
The Ordzhonikidze was built in Leningrad. The ship was laid down on October 19, 1949, launched on September 17, 1950, and commissioned on June 30, 1952. The cruiser had sailed a lot, visited Portsmouth, Copenhagen and twice Helsinki, and took part in naval exercises. Understandably, the ship needed medium level repairs. It was decided to do them at the Sevastopol Marine Works.
On February 14, 1961, the Ordzhonikidze came to Sevastopol and on April 5, 1962, it began to run sea trials. By that time the ship's Indonesian crew of naval officers had already been formed and were on board the cruiser. The ship's mechanic, Yatidzhan, later worked his way up to chief of the Indonesian Navy's Technical Department. Most of the sailors, too, later were given high-ranking posts.
On August 5, 1962, the Ordzhonikidze arrived in Surabaya, after which it was transferred to Indonesia in a ceremony and renamed Irian. On January 24, 1963, the cruiser was decommissioned from the Soviet Navy.
Indonesians, who had never had a fleet of their own, learned how to operate the expensive ships and sophisticated equipment by trial and error. In November 1962, a submarine's diesels failed because of a hydraulic impact during surfacing; a destroyer severely damaged its stern; and three out of six boilers on the cruiser broke down. High air temperature and humidity, as well as aggressive outside water had a negative effect on the state of the fleet. In addition, the equipment was not serviced properly.
Nevertheless, the mere presence of such ships in the Indonesian Navy made the Dutch Navy drastically reduce its activity near West Irian, which in the long run led to the liberation of the province.
By 1964 the cruiser had actually lost its operating efficiency, and it was decided to send the Irian to Vladivostok for repairs.
In March 1964, the cruiser came to the Dalzavod Plant. Soviet sailors and repairmen were shocked to see the state of neglect on the ship and the large amount of minor repairs, which are usually carried out by the crew, undone. Nevertheless, the Soviet Union fulfilled all the points of the repair contract. Interestingly, the ship's wardroom had been made into a sort of chapel. In August 1964, the Irian, escorted by a Soviet destroyer, left for Surabaya.
In 1965, Sukarno was replaced at the helm by Suharto. His attitude to the Navy differed from that of Sukarno. The cruiser remained moored at Surabaya, and some time later it was made into a prison for opponents of the new regime.
In 1970, the abandoned Irian was washed onto a sandbank, and its hull soon became filled with water. No one cared to save the cruiser. According to Western sources, in 1972 the flagship of the Indonesian Navy began to be scrapped.
Today, there are no Soviet-made warships in Indonesia. However, the high skills of Indonesian naval officers and sailors and the fact that the Indonesian Navy now includes submarines, frigates and auxiliary ships are largely due to Soviet sailors who helped build the Navy of independent Indonesia in its most difficult years.
Technical Characteristics of Cruiser 68-bis
Displacement, tons 14,290/17,970
Principal dimensions, m 210.1 x 22.1 x 7.8
Power, hp 2 steam turbines, 6 water-tube boilers 110,000
Speed, knots 33.7
Cruising range, miles/knots 5,220/18 or 2,080/32
Endurance, days 30
Artillery
4x3-152mm (overall ammunition 1,980 rounds),
6x2-100mm (3,600 rounds),
16x2-37mm (44,250 rounds),
2x5-533mm torpedo launchers, up to 68 mines
Armor, mm:
main armor belt 100
ends 32
deck 50
deck house 130
primary gun turrets 175
Crew 1,270 (60 officers, 75 warrant officers, 154 petty officers)
