Project 1833 "Berezina" - Operations
The "Berezina" generally, when necessary, could supply several ships simultaneously with the abreast and bow-to-stern methods. Imagine a gigantic and universal supply dump which has everything necessary for ships and vessels at sea. For carrying the supplies there are 48 storerooms and 27 storage areas where for each type of supplies and reserves the necessary conditions had been provided. The diverse functions and tasks of the "Berezina" and its presence at sea increase the capabilities of the squadron and facilitate the rather labor-intensive process of ship supply. It is worthy of note that the "Berezina" is not an auxiliary vessel but a ship. For this reason, in addition to its other functions, its crew, in having weapons on board, can also carry out combat tasks. Such universality places increased demands on the crew and imposes special responsibility on the sailors.
The "Berezina" was a ship which itself having the tonnage of a battleship is charged with resupplying the carrier cruiser "Baku" while underway. This is something to see as the giant ships cautiously come closer together, equaling one another in speed, while cutting the waves of the Mediterranean with two bow stems. When they were about 80 m apart and traveling on parallel courses, a thin snake of a throwing line flashed from the "Berezina" and this line became the first connecting link between the ships. A delivery system with just one cableway included nine positions. These are the most important, key operations. The sailors had their hands full when they set all the necessary lines. A crew of six men operates each "strain."
But the main difficulties lie not in the amount of work but rather in the strictest synchronization of actions. And this demand is equally valid for those controlling the ships. One has merely to point out that the course is maintained with an accuracy of 1/10 of a degree and speed down to one or two engine revolutions. In order to reduce the possibility of breaking the cable for monitoring the abreast distance between the ships and the amount of their displacement relative to one another the "Berezina" is equipped with a special radar device which can pick up any, even the most insignificant shift in the ships.
The tactical quality of the supply ship "Berezina" was checked in the actual provision of the ships of the 5th operational squadron in the Mediterranean and on special logistical exercises in the Black Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and the Barents Sea. In the period from 26 May to 28 September 1978 in the Black Sea supply ship "Berezina" together with the aircraft carrier " Minsk "conducted comprehensive testing devices transmit cargo and helicopter complex, where the devices were tested for the transfer of goods.
In 1979, the supply ship "Berezina" was released on active duty for training, in practice, the transfer of cargo ships and vessels of the Navy. Since March 8, 1979 in the Mediterranean Sea from the supply vessel to the BOD "Tashkent" and on the aircraft carrier "Minsk" was transferred 4.2 and 8 tons of food, respectively. The next day ??delivery was madeof 50 tons of water and 440 tons of fuel to the aircraft carrier "Kiev" and the "Tashkent".
In 1980-81 supply ship went on active duty in the Indian Ocean, calling at the port of Aden. In 1982, the CCF "Berezina" took part in complex exercises of the Northern Fleet, during which the ship ensured the transfer of cargo and ammunition on aircraft carrier" Kiev" and "Kirov", the large anti-submarine ship "Daring" and TFR "Hot". In the period from December 16, 1982 on January 19, 1983 the supply ship ensuresd the implementation in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic of the sea-going trials of rescue boat project 537 "Elbrus".
In 1985, the CCF "Berezina" was held at the Plant immeni 61 Communards for repair and partial modernization, after which the ship departed in Sevastopol. May 14, 1986 while following the Bosphorus supply ship, bound for combat service, and having on board a large amount of fuel and ammunition, collided in fog with steam-ship " Captain Magpie "Black Sea Shipping Company has received as a result of above-water hole from the left side. In this connection, a supply ship was forced to return to Sevastopol, where all the ammunition was unloaded, and from 1986 to 1987 to stand on the repairs to the plant named after 61 Communards.
February 18, 1991 the supply ship "Berezina" came out in the last voyage to the Mediterranean Sea, in which on the move using a shipborne helicopters Ka-25 in 10 minutes by aircraft carrying cruiser" Kalinin" was transferred to 700 kg of food. After a successful exercise Aug. 30, 1991 supply ship returned to Sevastopol and did not come out to sea.
During the entire period of service, supply ship "Berezina" was nine times out on active service, having about 95,000 nautical miles in the Black, Marmara, Aegean, Mediterranean, North, Baltic, Barents, Norwegian, Ionian and Red seas, and in the Indian, Atlantic and North Arctic oceans.
Command of the Navy on the results of trial operation implied the construction of a series of supply ships of the project, but due to the high cost, partly unsuitability for joint operations with various warships, excessive complexity and, in the opinion, several military experts - a low speed, only one Project 1833 ship code "Pegasus" was built.
Shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the "Berezina" supply had no role. This circumstance determined the fate of a unique ship. On December 1, 1996 the ship was re-formed in the maritime transport of weapons. After that he was unarmed and was used as plavsklad. In March 2002, the former supply ship "Berezina" was sold for scrap in China. Thus ended the life of a unique naval ship, going on the last voyage to where were previously sold the Soviet Navy aircraft carriers "Minsk" and "Kiev".
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