Kreml’
Soviet Motor tanker
Photo courtesy of Dmitriy A. Sidorov
| Name | Kreml’ | ||
| Type: | Motor tanker | ||
| Tonnage | 7,661 tons | ||
| Completed | 1932 - Zavod No 198 (Andre Marti), Nikolaev | ||
| Owner | Sovtorgflot, Moscow | ||
| Homeport | Tuapse | ||
| Date of attack | 31 Mar 1943 | Nationality:  Soviet | |
| Fate | Damaged by U-24 (Clemens Schöler) | ||
| Position | 43° 15'N, 40° 10'E - Grid CL 9447 | ||
| Complement | ? men (? dead and ? survivors). | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | |||
| Cargo | |||
| History | Completed as Soyuz Vodnikov and renamed Kreml’ in 1938. At 08.44 hours on 5 Nov 1941, the Romanian submarine Delfinul (Costachescu) torpedoed and damaged the Kreml’ four miles south of Yalta. At 14.41 hours on 5 May 1943, U-9 (Schmidt-Weichert) fired three torpedoes at the Kreml’, escorted by four minesweepers, two gunboats and two aircraft about 22 miles south of Cape Pizunda and heard a detonation after 10 minutes, probably at the end of its run. Post-war: In 1969 taken out of service and used as storage hulk Bunkernaya Baza. Broken up at Cartagena in August 1973. | ||
| Notes on event | At 12.30 hours on 31 March 1943, U-24 fired a spread of two torpedoes at a tanker, escorted by two destroyers and one coastal minesweeper off Gagra and observed one hit in the stern of the tanker, which caught fire. The sinking of the Soviet motor tanker Sovetskaja Neft (8228 tons) was claimed, but this is not confirmed by Soviet reports, the actual target was the Kreml’ which was damaged. | ||
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