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Vladivostok - Great Patriotic War

Commercially, Vladivostok was the most important port in the Soviet Far East. In 1943, the Russians officially stated that this port could accommodate 35 ships simultaneously and that depths alongside the wharves ranged from 25 ft. to 30 ft.; they added that* together with neighboring ports, 200,000 tons of freight could be handled monthly here.

During the Great Patriotic War it became a fairly well-established fact that the entire Soviet Pacific Coast was under the control of the navy; this indicated a very great departure from the usual Russian custom of placing the navy in a very subservient position to that of the army. In 1941 it was seen that the navy had its own telephone and power lines; sailors were observed doing all manner of work, such as working on the beach, on overhead power lines, in manholes on the telephone lines, etc. Due to the shortage of automobiles, the Navy used many horses and carts for transportation at Vladivostok, and sailors were seen taking care of their own horses and stables. The navy had its own dance hall, restaurants, movie houses, and swimming beach.

Because of the fact that in case of war with Japan, Vladivostok would doubtless become completely cut off, if not actually occupied by Japanese forces, the Soviet authorities developed the naval installations at Petropavlovsk with a view to making it supplant Vladivostok altogether. It is not known whether Petropavlovsk had supplanted Vladivostok as the primary Soviet naval base in the Far East, although construction started at Petropavlovsk as early as 1940. The headquarters for the Soviet Pacific Fleet were still at Vladivostok.

In October 1943, it was stated that naval headquarters were located in the extreme northwestern corner of Golden Horn Bay. There was a naval academy for the purpose of training officers for the Far iikstern Fleet; it is located near the mouth of First River (North of Vladivostok). There are also two naval training schools for specialists1 ratings; one of these was located in the northeastern corner of Golden Horn Bay, according to a report of April 1943. According a report of October 1943, the naval receiving station in the barracks were located in this same area.

Vladivostok was a heavily fortified zone. Information concerning its defenses is necessarily incomplete and of old date. Fortifications observed in 1941 had doubtless been enlarged and many others have been constructed; therefore, no attempt is made to estimate the strength and size of these fortifications. Since the beginning of the war, stone and wood fortifications, as well as other types of defenses, have been continuously under construction. These fortifications are believed to be of considerable size.

In 1941, three anti-submarine nets were observed guarding the entrances to Vladivostok Harbor. The first of these was stretched from Zhitkov Peninsula (Russki Island) to Cape Basargin (Muraviev Promontory) It ran from the shoals of Zhitkov Peninsula approximately northeastward to the shoals off the northwesterly end of Skriplev Island; from here, it ran in a northerly direction to the westerly end of Gape Basargin. The gate which was located at approximately 43°02'N and 131°57E was marked on the south side by a red buoy and on the north side by a green buoy. The second net was stretched between Cape Novosilski (Russki Island) and Cape Nazimov (Muraviev Promontory); the gate was located at Cape Ndvosilski. The third net was stretched between Cape Bezimyanrii (Russki Island) and Cape Tokarevski (Shkota Peninsula); the gate to this net Was located at the northern end. It may have been that the first and second nets mentioned never operated at the same time, but that when one was working, the other was inoperative.

The area around Vladivostok is hilly and rugged, and a great portion of it is covered by a forest. Coastal defense batteries and antiaircraft emplacements were to be found on most of the numerous hills, and smaller mobile batteries had been placed in the forests. In 1941, on the southern portion of Shkota Peninsula, coastal artillery and anti-aircraft batteries had been constructed on the slopes of the four hills, the most northerly of these being Mt. Krestovaya. Farther to the north, at Mt. Tigrovaya, large caliber long-range guns were located; in June, 1941, three heavy high-altitude guns were seen at this point. On the western shore of Shkota Peninsula, anti-aircraft batteries were . seen near Cooper Point; a minimum of eight batteries were' also seen in the immediate vicinity of Coastal Trade Harbor. North of Vladivostok city, heavy coastal artillery guns as well as anti-aircraft batteries were seen from a distance on Mt. Klichkova and on Mt. Visokaya in June, 1941. Along the southern shore of Golden Horn Bay, many anti-aircraft batteries were observed, notably to the east of Point Klet.

In the eastern half of Golden Horn Bay, which area was then reserved exclusively for naval use, there were a minimum of three graving docks and one and possibly more floating drydocks. The two graving:docks known as Eastern Drydocks,. located in the northeastern comer of the bay, had a length overall of 635 1/2 ft., a length of blocks of 618 1/2 ft., and a breadth of entrance of sill at water level of 90 ft,, and a depth of sill at H.M.W.S. of 34. 1/2 ft. Farther to the west, it was reported in October, 1943, that Old Drydock had been restored to use and was in good working order. This dock had a length overall of 573 feet, a length of blocks of 512 feet, a breadth of entrance of sill at water level of 90 feet, and a depth of sill at H.M.W.S. of 30 feet. There may be two additional graving docks, one in the commercial port and the other near Old Drydocks, but there was no confirmation of this fact.

The chief floating drydock was reliably reported in 1940 as being able to accommodate a 10,000-ton cruiser; it is possible, however, that this dock has been transferred to Petropavlovsk.

In October, 1943, it was reported that there was a military post on the northcentral shore of Golden Horn Bay. Within this post are an arsenal and Old Drydock. East of this post and extending to and including Eastern Diydocks are the Vbroshilov Shipbuilding Yards. Within this enclosure are located four submarine ways, as well as ways capable of constructing destroyer leaders of the Leningrad Class (2900 tons); in March 1941 two such units were observed under construction. In September, 1941, it was observed that,on the southeastern shore of Golden Horn Bay, a large community with many new installations had sprung up5 it was believed to be purely naval. It was reported in April, 1943, that submarines are shipped to Vladivostok in parts and are assembled there.

In October, 194-3, it was reported that at Point Egersheld, there was a fuel oil bunkering depot for both naval and commercial craft, equipped with oil tanks; oil is loaded on board by means of lines which are extended from the shore on partly submerged barges. A large naval fueling station was located on the southwestern shore of Transit Harbor. In the nameless bay between Point Klet and Cape Goldobin there was a fueling station to which many submarines had been observed approaching the shore; many pipes were seen here. There were twelve large oil tanks located at the mouth of First River (North of Vladivostok).

In addition, the Assistant Naval Attache at Vladivostok stated in July 1943, that there were five regiments of NKVD (secret police) troops stationed here. Two of these, the 70th and 117th, are railway troops. Two more, the 189th and 198th, are communications or signal corps troops. The fifth regiment, the 241st, serves as guards for political prisoners. He added that there were one coast guard unit, one salvage unit of the EPRON, and a munitions works (number 92) for the manufacture of army field pieces.

In October 1943, it was reported that a railroad has been constructed from the center of Vladivostok, extending along the entire coast as teas Patroclus Bay, serving Diomedes Bay, Ulysses Bay, and Patroclus Bay. Diomedes Bay was formerly a fishing port, but it had been converted for naval and military use and the trawlers and seiners stationed here were taken over by the navy. In 1941, guns were visible on the immediate banks of Cape Goldobin and Abrosimov Point which command the entrance to Diomedes Bay.

Ulysses Bay was always used as a naval operating base for submarines and, to a lesser degree, for small surface craft. In 1941, it was observed that a new naval base was under construction, and that there were oil tanks on the southern and eastern shores; several destroyers and eleven submarines were seen in the bay at that time. In 1941, permanent anti-aircraft batteries were seen at Ostri Point, and many mobile batteries were observed among the trees farther inland.

Patroclus Bay is a former fishing port and was converted for military and naval use in 1941 according to a report of September, 1943, and trawlers, and seiners stationed here were taken over by the navy. In 1941, a modern seaplane base was observed here with anchors on the neck of land at the western end of the bay.

Kozakevich (Rasski) Island is located due south of Vladivostok and was a restricted zone; no unauthorized persons are allowed to go there. In October, 1943, it was reported that extensive fortifications had recently been built here and that twelve small masts, presumably radio antenna, were visible. The same informant stated that a submarine and torpedo boat base was located in Novik Bay and that the entire bay is used for the shelter of naval units. In April, 1943 it was reported that a torpedo station and training base was located at Doronin Point in Novik Bay. The old fortress on Russki Mountain had been abandoned and that it was being used as a decoy.

In March, 1941, anti-aircraft batteries were seen on the hill due east of the Torpedo Boat Canal, north of Novik Bay. In November, 1940, other anti-aircraft emplacements were observed from Babkin Hill on the northwestern corner of the island.

It was estimated in August, 1943, that the following fixed coastal defenses were in existence in the area between Posiette Bay and America 'Bay: 15 heavy artillery 2-gun batteries, 30 152 mm. 4-gun batteries, and 30 76 and 85 mm. 4-gun anti-aircraft batteries; this would indicate that a total of 11,250 officers and men ware employed on fixed coast defenses of this area.