Russian Navy - Ballistic Missile Cruiser Petropavlovsk, June 1975

[nönöbär]

Ballistic Missile Cruiser Petropavlovsk

In 1940, the incomplete Heavy Cruiser Lützow (a modified Prinz Eugen design) was sold to the Sovet Union. At this time, the hull and some parts of the superstructure were completed. It was planed that the ship was to be completed at Leningrad under the supervision of German Engineers. The required material (engines, weapons) were produces and Germany and delivered to the constuction site. Then the ship arrived in Leningrad, it was renamed to Petropavlovsk.

By June 1941 - just before the German attack on the Soviet Uniion - the Petropavlovsk was completed about 70%. Machinery and subsidiary installations were incomplete, the funnel and only basic elements of superstructures were erected plus ian mprovised main-mast mounted. Only "A" and "D" (1st and 4th) 20,3 cm (8") turrets were mounted and equipped plus bases and barbettes for the other two. AA guns consisted of two 3,7 cm and eight 20 mm guns (most likely German models).

Between June and August 1941, he cruiser was re-equipped to floating battery with its four 20,3 cm guns (German ammunition) and towed to the Call Harbor (Leningrad Trade Port's area).

When Gemran troops atttacked Leningrad in September 1941, Petropavlovsk opened fire on Wehrmacht units. After 21st volley the barrel of the left 20, cm gun of the "A" turret broke down because of internal shell/defect which was thoroughly sealed in Germany. The motionless ship fired about 700 shells on German ground units. German heavy artillery fired at the cruiser. Petropavlovsk received 53 hits of 210 mm shells. She sunk and set  upon the bottom on shallow waters. It was raised one year later.

In January 1944, she fireed on German units retreating. Over 1036 shells were fired in 10 days.

After the war, it was considred to complete the ship as a light cruiser, but this project was cancelled due to the costs. In the mid 1950s, it was used as a floating barrack and finally scrapped in the late 1950s.

More about the Petropavlovsk can be found at https://www.german-navy.de/kriegsmarine/ships/heavycruiser/lutzow/index.html

So such about the real ship, now lets see the what-if....

Ballisitc Missile Cruiser Petropavlovsk, June 1975

With the advance of sea-launched ballisitc missles, a platform to launch those weapons was required. While the USA and the Soviet Union both planned to used submarines for this task, the Soviet Union decided to constct a surface vessel as an alternative, justin case a ballistic missile submarine would run into too many problems.
Therefore the Petropavlovsk, anchoring in Leningrad for over 10 years was choosen to be modifed for this duty.

The biggest modification was to remove both stern 20,3 cm gun mounts and put a large missile hangar structure on the backward part of the ship. Included in this structure was a helicopter hangar with a landing pad behind it. Gun turret "D" was moded into the posion of gun turret "B" which gave the the ship four 20,3 cm guns at the front and the missile hangar with 12 ballisic missle on the stern.

Modiification on the ship proceeded rapidly, and in September 1957, the Petropavlovsk was commissioned and attached to the Baltic Fleet. The first test launch of a R-11 missle took place 7 monthes later.

It the following monthes and years, it got clear that ballisitc missile submarines worked, therefore a surface ship carrying those kind of weapons was too vulnerable.
As a result, the Petropavlovsk was then mainly used as a testbed for new weapon and/or sensor systems. In this process, the main guns were removed and replaced by AK-726 and later by AK-100. Various smaller AA guns like the AK-630 were equipped as well. The ship also tested various SAM missile systems and more modern types of balisstic missile.

Due to its age, the ship was finally decomissions in early 1976 and demilitarized. In the mid 1990s, the ship was towed to Murmansk where it still remains today.

The model shows the ship in its final state in June 1975.


Pictures:

The ship:







Some details:





The model:

The model is based on the Revell 1/720 Blücher kit. Whis is a pretty simple and not-so-detailed one. The hangar structure was made from plastic sheets. The Russian/Soviet weapons and sensors were taken from a 1/700 Trumpeter Slava and a Dragon Sovremenny. The modell is airbrushed with Revel Aqua colors. Some Eduard PE Crew members were added.

[NARSES2]

That has come out really well 

[zenrat]

Wow, what tiny little people.
Good job not losing them all to the carpet monster.
Good job on the whole thing in fact.

[Captain Canada]

Great stuff. It would be cool to pop a launch tube or two open and have a missile inside.

[nönöbär]

Wow, what tiny little people.
Good job not losing them all to the carpet monster.
Good job on the whole thing in fact.

Never underestimate the carpet monster. Or its friends. A lot brave crew memebers got lost to it....

[JoeP]

Good work, sir. A believable product, too.