Type 07 Anshan-class Destroyer

In 1954 the first destroyer unit of the people's Navy was born. The Anshan-class consisted of four Gordy-class Soviet destroyers. The four destroyers imported from the Soviet Union were respectively named: "Anshan," "Fushun," "Changchun," and "Taiyuan." At that time, they were the most powerful surface fighting ships of the people's Navy. These obsolete ships were all stricken by the early 1990s.

In the late 1960s, China began testing its long-range rockets for the Chinese space program, as well as the ICBM(intercontinental ballistic missile) program. The People's Liberation Army Navy operated only four ex-Soviet Gnevny class destroyers (Anshan) class in PLAN service) at the time, which were unsuitable for long-range ocean recovery missions. The 701 institute was instructed to develop China's first indigenous guided missile destroyer, modelled after the Soviet Kotlin class. The design was approved in 1967, and construction of the first Type 051 Luda class destroyer began in 1968.

The destroyer is a medium-sized warship equipped with various weapons such as sea, air, and anti-submarine. It has multiple combat capabilities and can perform various tasks in the middle and remote seas. It is known as the "all-rounder at sea." The People’s Navy’s first destroyer, the Anshan, was originally a "Gorky" class destroyer with a torpedo as the main weapon of the Soviet Pacific Fleet, also known as the "lightning ship". Launched in 1940, it was commissioned in 1941. It had a full displacement of 2,581 tons, a maximum speed of 34 knots and a range of 2,300 nautical miles. The main weapons are two triple-mounted 533mm torpedo launchers, four 130mm guns and four double-unit guns. In the Second World War, the German plane was shot down and was awarded by the Soviet Military Command.

In October 1954, as the first destroyer purchased by China from the Soviet Union, it arrived in Qingdao. It is shaped as 07, with the number 101. It was named “Anshan” in the heavy industry city “Anshan”. In the early 1970s, the torpedo launcher was dismantled and converted into a ship-to-ship missile destroyer.

During the 38 years of service of the People's Navy, the "Anshan" ship repeatedly completed the tasks assigned by the superiors and received visits from nine heads of state, heads of government, and military delegations. He has been inspected by Zhou Enlai, Liu Shaoqi, Deng Xiaoping, Peng Dehuai, Liu Bocheng, He Long, Chen Yi, Luo Rongzhen, Ye Jianying, Nie Rongzhen, Xu Xiangqian and other party and national army leaders. On August 4, 1957, at the sea level in Jiaozhou Bay, Qingdao, Premier Zhou Enlai, on behalf of the Party Central Committee and Chairman Mao, reviewed the naval ship units and aviation units in the “Anshan” ship.

On June 4, 1962, when Zhou Enlai inspected the "Anshan" ship again, he wrote: "All the comrades of Anshan No. Gao held the triumph of the red flag of Chairman Mao's thoughts and march forward bravely." On May 19, 1980, under the escort of four hunting submarines, the "Anshan" ship held the ashes placement ceremony of the late President Liu Shaoqi in the waters of Dagong Island in Qingdao. On April 24, 1992, the "Anshan" ship retired and appeared as an important historical relic in the Naval Museum.