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Project 50 "Ermine" / Riga - Design

The experience of the Great Patriotic War showed that Soviet patrol ships and destroyers had lower tactical and technical characteristics than their English, German, and American counterparts. Moreover - on a wide range, starting with weapons and ending with seaworthiness. Therefore, almost immediately after the end of hostilities, a government program was adopted to bring this type of ship to the required level. First of all, it was planned to increase their seaworthiness for safe navigation and the use of all types of standard weapons with a wave of 5-7 points. Then, attention was drawn to equipping ships with universal artillery mounts of the main caliber, capable of firing at both sea and air targets. A rapid-fire anti-aircraft machine was developed and an innovation was introduced: remote automatic fire control means, for which radar systems for detecting underwater and air targets were used. The quality of torpedo weapons increased due to its larger caliber and improved fire control system. Particular attention was paid to anti-submarine weapons. The stock of depth bombs was increased, jet deep bombs using remote control firing and new sonar detection tools were created.

The hull of the ship was smooth-deck, it was electrowelded except for the connection of the shirtrack with the deck stringer and removable sheets, with a significant sheer nose in the nose with one tripod mast and two superstructures. The nasal formations of the hull along the waterline were distinguished by a considerable sharpening, and the frames were carried out with collapse at the upper deck. As the main material of the hull, high-strength low-alloy steel of the SKP-4 grade and armored grade 48PM were used. A set of the hull was made according to a longitudinal scheme, with the installation of frame frames, floras and beams through 2-3 shpats (1000-1500 mm).

Boiler and engine rooms and the two subsequent belts of the outer skin, the wheelhouse, the bodywork of the navigating bridge and the shields of artillery mounts were protected by 7–8 mm thick fragmentation armor. All combat posts and premises, with the exception of bomb cellar No. 6, the midshipman’s compartment and tiller compartment, were provided without access to the upper deck. Private and petty officers of military service (147 people) were housed in five bow and one aft cockpits. Ten officers were accommodated in 7 cabins. In the officer cabins there were 4 spare places for the placement of flagship specialists. For 10 warrant officers equipped 3 cabins and their cabin company. In the officer cabins there were 4 spare places for the placement of flagship specialists. For 10 warrant officers equipped 3 cabins and their cabin company. In the officer cabins there were 4 spare places for the placement of flagship specialists. For 10 warrant officers equipped 3 cabins and their cabin company.

The unsinkability of the ship was provided by dividing into 11 waterproof compartments:

1. Forepeak, skipper, paint and rigging pantries (0-7 frames);
2. A chain box, a cubicle No. 1 for 10 people, a locker room, a bathhouse, a latrine and a washing team, vestibule No. 1, an electromechanical pantry, a wet provisions pantry and a refcamera, a storage compartment for gas control systems (7-30 frames);
3. Cellar #1 and pantry of artillery ammunition, linen pantry, cubicle number 2 for 24 people, cubicle number 3 for 21 people, red corner, office (30-45 frames);
4. A cabin for officers, a bombing guidance station, a storeroom for consumables, a cubicle No. 4 for 34 people, a cubicle No. 5 for 20 people, a cellar No. 2 for artillery ammunition, a cellar for anti-submarine ammunition, a fresh water tank (45-59 frames);
5. Cabin of the ship’s commander, radar station, galley, bow power station, cipher room, radio room, vestibule No. 2, central artillery post, Component post, officer cabins, secret station, latrine and shower room for officers, corridor No. 1, fuel tanks, cofferdams, gyro station, lag compartment (59-80 frame);
6. Boiler room, fuel tanks, feed water tanks (80-96 frames);
7. Engine room, tanks of separated oil, waste oil tank, warm boxes, fuel tanks (96-117 frames);
8. Fodder power station, mechanical workshop and pantry, vestibule No. 3, auxiliary machinery compartment, rubber dam, lubricant oil tank, condensate tank, fuel tank (117-129 frame);
9. Comparmenet No. 6 for 38 people, cellar No. 4 and No. 5 of artillery ammunition, fuel tanks, corridors of stern tubes (129-144 frames);
10. Corridor No. 2, midshipman's cabins, infirmary, medicine pantry, latrine, midshipman's wardroom, ventilation fence, anti-submarine ammunition cellar, rubber dam, fuel tanks (144-162 frames);
11. Bomber-ejector control station, tiller compartment, fuel tanks (162-174 frames).

According to the calculations, the ship was supposed to stay afloat when any two adjacent compartments were flooded, provided that the compartments that were adjacent to the flooded ones were kept “dry”.

The electric power system of alternating current voltage of 220 V, 50 Hz was powered by two turbogenerators (TG) with a capacity of 150 kW each and had one diesel generator with a capacity of 100 kW and one parking diesel generator with a capacity of 25 kW.

The power plant is mechanical, twin-shaft, boiler-turbine with two turbo-gear units (GTZA) TV-9 with a capacity of 10,000 hp. and two water-tube boilers placed in a linear pattern. TV-9 units had the ability to start turbines from a cold state and were placed on-board in the engine room.

The main boilers - water-tube, small-sized KVG-57/28 with a blast in the furnaces, with a working pressure of superheated steam of 28 kg / cm2 and a temperature of 3700°C, were located on-board in the boiler room. The auxiliary boiler provided steam to the ship's machinery and household needs of the ship as a whole.

In sea trials, the ship at a normal displacement of 1134 tons developed an average speed of 29.5 knots at 386 rpm of propellers. Despite a decrease in the speed compared to project 42 failed to get rid of erosion on the suction sides of the blades at the hub of the screws. The ship, like its predecessor, had two rudders, but the propellers now protruded beyond the main line due to the larger diameter (lower speed). This circumstance worsened the conditions for the passage of the ship along inland waterways and made sailing on the shallows and estuaries more dangerous. As a result of the navigational tests carried out at sea state of 4.5 and 6 points, it was found that with 4 points of unrest, the speed of the ship and the use of any military and technical equipment was not limited. With greater excitement, the speed decreased to 23 knots (6 points). With a sea state of 6 points, the main artillery can only be used at speeds of up to 16 knots, the use of torpedo, anti-submarine and mine weapons is impossible. The overall assessment of the maneuverability and seaworthiness of the ship was found to be satisfactory. The seaworthiness of the ship for the use of weapons was estimated at 4 points, although artillery weapons can be used on waves up to 6 points.