Krasnyi Kavkaz

a light cruiser of the USSR’s Black Sea Fleet.

The ship was launched in 1916 under the name Admiral Lazarev. After additional building and modernization, in 1932 it was renamed the Krasnyi Kavkaz. It had a displacement of 9,000 tons. Its engines were 50,000-hp steam turbines (36.78 megawatts), and it had a cruising speed of up to 29.5 knots (54.5 km/hr). Its armament included four 180-mm single-gun turrets, 12 100-mm guns, two 76-mm antiaircraft guns, 14 37-mm automatic antiaircraft guns, eight Erlikon and Bofors automatic antiaircraft guns, four tripletube 533-mm torpedo launchers, and one catapult for a light hydroplane.

During the Great Patriotic War of 1941–45 the ship took part in the fighting to defend Odessa, Sevastopol’, and the Caucasus. It especially distinguished itself during the Kerch’-Feodosiia landing operation of 1941–42 in the battle to land a marine party in the port of Feodosiia. The ship fired about 2,000 shells and destroyed a significant amount of enemy manpower and combat equipment. In April 1942 the ship was awarded the title of “guards” for its heroic actions. After the war it became a training ship and was later decommissioned. Its name and guards title have been given to an antisubmarine ship of the USSR Navy.