Difference between revisions of "Sverdlov"

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== Description ==
 
== Description ==
 
<!-- ''In the first part of the description, cover the history of the ship's creation and military application. In the second part, tell the reader about using this ship in the game. Add a screenshot: if a beginner player has a hard time remembering vehicles by name, a picture will help them identify the ship in question.'' -->
 
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The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Soviet light cruiser {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.97 "Viking Fury"]].
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The '''{{Specs|name}}''' was the lead ship of the [[Chapayev (Family)|Sverdlov-class]] light cruisers, the last conventional gun cruisers built for the Soviet Navy. They were modified and enlarged versions of the Project 68-K Chapayev-class light cruisers. Sverdlov was laid down on 15th October 1949 and commissioned on 15th May 1952. Unlike the Chapayev class, the Sverdlov was built with two quintuple 533 mm torpedo launchers on each side of the hull, with two spare torpedoes for each launcher. The anti-aircraft armament was also strengthened as Sverdlov gained two additional pairs of 100 mm twin turrets as well as two 37 mm twin V-11 autocannon turrets. Despite their size and displacement, the maximum speed was an impressive 32.5 kn (60.2 km/h). Sverdlov spent most of her career performing ceremonial visits to allies and non-allied ports. She also underwent several refits giving her air and surface search and track radars as well as ECM equipment that changed over the years. She was decommissioned after her first refit in 1966, then reactivated again in 1972. She was decommissioned for second time in 1977 following a refit and placed into long term storage in 1978 where she remained until 30th May 1989 when she was decommissioned. She was towed to Kronshtadt in 1990 and sold for scrap the following year, she was broken up in 1993 in India. One of her sisters, [[Mikhail Kutuzov]], is the only surviving ship of the class, preserved as a museum ship in Novorossiysk.
  
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The Sverdlov class of light cruisers were built in the USSR from the late 40s to late 50s and were the last purpose built big-gun cruisers ever created, as every other major navy was focusing on air power, submarines and missiles. They therefore represent the pinnacle of big-gun cruiser design, maintaining a great balance of speed, firepower, armour. The Sverdlov class was also fitted with an array of electronic systems, including numerous radars, which unfortunately are not yet modelled in game.
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Sverdlov was introduced in [[Update 1.97 "Viking Fury"]]. Her armour protection is a significant improvement over the previous [[Kirov (Family)|Project 26 class]], which the Project 68 and 68-K design comes from, as well as having guns with higher rate of fire, although at cost of penetration characteristic. Her anti-aircraft protection suite was expanded with thirty-two 37 mm automatic V-11 cannon barrels as well as twelve 100 mm dual purpose guns. Just like Chapayev, her magazines are close to waterline being more vulnerable to being hit, leading to fatal explosion.
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
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{{Specs-Fleet-Armour}}
 
{{Specs-Fleet-Armour}}
 
<!-- ''Talk about the vehicle's armour. Note the most well-defended and most vulnerable zones, e.g. the ammo magazine. Evaluate the composition of components and assemblies responsible for movement and manoeuvrability. Evaluate the survivability of the primary and secondary armaments separately. Don't forget to mention the size of the crew, which plays an important role in fleet mechanics. Save tips on preserving survivability for the "Usage in battles" section. If necessary, use a graphical template to show the most well-protected or most vulnerable points in the armour.'' -->
 
<!-- ''Talk about the vehicle's armour. Note the most well-defended and most vulnerable zones, e.g. the ammo magazine. Evaluate the composition of components and assemblies responsible for movement and manoeuvrability. Evaluate the survivability of the primary and secondary armaments separately. Don't forget to mention the size of the crew, which plays an important role in fleet mechanics. Save tips on preserving survivability for the "Usage in battles" section. If necessary, use a graphical template to show the most well-protected or most vulnerable points in the armour.'' -->
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While its armour is not enough to protect from high-calibre semi-armour-piercing and armour-piercing shells, it is still enough to prevent major damage from being easily inflicted by every shell that comes your way.  
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While the Sverdlov's armour is not enough to protect from high-calibre semi-armour-piercing and armour-piercing shells, it is still enough to prevent major damage from being easily inflicted by every shell that comes your way.
  
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HE from cruiser calibres or lesser should have trouble with anything below the main decks, as the main battery ammunition, engines, and transmissions are all protected by 100 mm of rolled homogeneous armour. The front and rear belt armour are only 20 mm and 30 mm thick RHA; while this isn't very useful, there is also not much in those areas that can be damaged besides the steering gear in the stern. The ammo elevators are protected by 130 mm RHA, while the turrets themselves have 175 mm on the turret face, making them some of the most heavily armoured cruiser turret faces in game. The turret sides and rear are much thinner but this isn't a major problem as long as the main batteries are kept pointed towards the enemy. Secondary batteries have 20 mm thick antifragmentation armour, which is only useful against smaller autocannons and strafing aircraft. Anti-aircraft batteries have no armour at all and are often knocked out. The conning tower has 130mm of armour surrounding it, but the roof and floor are considerably thinner, meaning the bridge can still be knocked out by rounds exploding above and below it.
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HE from cruiser-calibres or lesser will have trouble damaging anything below the main decks, as the main battery ammunition, engines, and transmissions are all protected by a main belt of 100 mm rolled homogeneous armour. The front and rear belt armour are only 20 mm and 30 mm thick RHA; while this isn't very useful, there is also not much in those areas that can be damaged besides the steering gear in the stern. The ammo elevators are protected by 130 mm RHA, while the turrets themselves have 175 mm on the turret face, making them heavily armoured. The turret sides and rear are much thinner but this isn't a major problem as long as the main batteries are kept pointed towards the enemy. Secondary batteries have 20 mm thick antifragmentation armour, which is only useful against smaller autocannons and strafing aircraft. Anti-aircraft batteries have no armour at all and are often knocked out, so avoid repairing them if at all possible while duelling an opponent. The conning tower has 130 mm of armour surrounding it, but the roof and floor are considerably thinner, meaning the bridge can still be knocked out by rounds exploding above and below it.
  
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As an aside, like any other ship, the Sverdlov's armour is most effective when angled and in order to angle the ship as sharply as possible while keeping all main cannons on target, you'll have to point the bow of the vessel away from the enemy.  
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The Sverdlov's armour is most effective when angled and in order to angle the ship as sharply as possible while keeping all main cannons on target, you'll have to point the bow of the vessel away from the enemy. The armour is in no way capable of resisting even the smallest calibre of a battleship's main battery, avoid being targeted by them as much as possible.
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It should go without saying that any fire coming at you from capital ships can and will ruin your day , your armour is in no way capable of resisting even 283mm shells.  
 
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
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<!-- ''Write about the ship's mobility. Evaluate its power and manoeuvrability, rudder rerouting speed, stopping speed at full tilt, with its maximum forward and reverse speed.'' -->
 
<!-- ''Write about the ship's mobility. Evaluate its power and manoeuvrability, rudder rerouting speed, stopping speed at full tilt, with its maximum forward and reverse speed.'' -->
  
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The Sverdlov, like its predecessors [[Chapayev]] and [[Zheleznyakov]], is a cruiser that feels like almost like a destroyer. It is fast for a cruiser of its size, its 61km/h top speed being quite impressive for a cruiser that weighs almost as much as a dreadnought. The vessel is fairly responsive and agile, although that may be a detriment at times as the ship will keel to the side as you turn, sometimes keeling far enough to prevent you from targeting enemies on one side of the ship.  
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The Sverdlov class, despite being several thousand tons heavier than the previous [[Chapayev]]-class, performs quite similarly due to the vessels increased engine power, which enable it to match its lighter predecessor. It is fast for a cruiser of its size, its top speed being quite impressive for a vessel that weighs almost as much as a dreadnought. The ship is fairly responsive and agile when fully upgraded, although that may be a detriment at times as the ship will keel to the side as you turn, sometimes keeling far enough to prevent you from targeting enemies on one side of the ship.
  
 
{{NavalMobility}}
 
{{NavalMobility}}
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{{main|152 mm/57 B-38 (152 mm)}}
 
{{main|152 mm/57 B-38 (152 mm)}}
  
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The Sverdlov is another Soviet cruiser to be armed with the formidable 152 mm/57 B-38, which are potent and powerful fast-firing cannons. The 152mm has access to four types of ammunition: '''HE''', '''SAP''', '''AP''' and '''HE'''-'''TF'''.
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The Sverdlov is armed with the formidable 152 mm/57 B-38, which are potent and powerful fast-firing cannons. There are four types of ammunition: HE, SAPBC, APCBC, and HE-TF.
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The HE shell has good explosive filler for a 152mm shell, with 6kg in total. Effective against coastal vessels, the hitting power falls away significantly against cruisers. While it can still be useful for starting fires and destroying unarmoured modules, is otherwise rather useless against anything larger than a destroyer.
 
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The SAP shell is particularly useful as it has practically just as much explosive filler as your HE shell, but has quite decent penetration statistics as well. Due to the current meta of explosive power trumping penetrative power, this makes your SAP shell highly useful against both cruisers and destroyers.
 
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The AP shell is a more situational shell. While having considerably more penetrative power than your SAP shell, the explosive filler is much much less. Given that the War Thunder damage system uses crew members to function as a health bar and that fights often occur at much closer ranges than real life, the SAP shell will simply be able to knock out more crew with each hit against most targets compared to if you use AP. However, it can still be useful for targeting specific components or for the rare occasions you encounter a cruiser too heavily armoured for your SAP.  
 
  
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The TF shell is basically your HE shell but with slightly more explosive filler and with a timed fuse, intended for use against aircraft. It is utterly useless against surface targets, don't even try use it in this role. Due to being a timed fuse and not VT like the 100mm shells, it's not as reliable as you might want, plus the relatively slow traverse speed on the main turrets make this one of the less useful shells you have access to. I'd advise not bothering to bring any during a regular battle.
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* The HE round packs 6 kg of explosive filler. Useful for combatting coastal vessels and weaker destroyers, starting fires, and create flooding on larger ships.
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* The APCBC shell is an essential tool when fighting cruisers at long range, especially the heavily-armoured ones. While it has a significantly reduced explosive filler compared to the other rounds, it has by far the most penetration. While using APCBC, aiming at critical components is crucial. Ammunition, engine compartments, and any other critical components are to be targeted while using this round as the reduced filler will not cause as much damage. While it has a powerful penetration, the low filler won't inflict any meaningful damage to battleships.
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* The SAPBC shell is a shell which has practically the same level of filler as the HE shell, at 5.9 kg, but it also can penetrate a decent amount of armour. That being said, the penetration becomes rather puny at longer distances, with a weak 74 mm of penetration at 10 km. This round is particularly useful when facing medium-armoured vessels at short to mid range, or vessels with fragmentation protection as this round will most of the time explode inside the hull and not immediately upon contact.
  
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As a note, non of your shells are capable of dealing with battleships. Do not attract the attention of one unless necessary or at extremely close range, where you might just be able to do damage to them.
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{{:152 mm/57 B-38 (152 mm)/Ammunition|152 mm OF-35 HE, 152 mm B-35 AP, 152 mm PB-35 SAP, 152 mm ZS-35 AA}}
  
 
=== Secondary armament ===
 
=== Secondary armament ===
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{{main|100 mm/70 SM-5-1 (100 mm)}}
 
{{main|100 mm/70 SM-5-1 (100 mm)}}
  
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The Sverdlov is the second of the Soviet cruisers with access to the dual purpose 100 mm/70 SM-5-1. While these turrets are very similar to the [[130 mm/58 SM-2-1 (130 mm)|130 mm/58 SM-2-1]] of the [[Spokoinyy|Spokoinyy,]] they do have reduced performance due to the smaller calibre. However, you have 12 of them.  
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The Sverdlov is equipped with 12 dual-purpose 100 mm/70 SM-5-1. While these turrets are very similar to the [[130 mm/58 SM-2-1 (130 mm)|130 mm/58 SM-2-1]] of the [[Spokoinyy]], they do have reduced performance due to the smaller calibre.
  
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It is nothing new that this weapon system has a very high ROF for its calibre (roughly ~30 RPM considering it is a two cannon mount), though it has half of what cannons like the [[100 mm/55 MLE model 53 (100 mm)]] have (~60 RPM).
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This weapon system has a very high rate of fire for its calibre (roughly ~30 RPM considering it is a two-cannon mount), though it has half of what cannons like the [[100 mm/55 MLE model 53 (100 mm)]] have (~60 RPM).
  
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Although they are a fine patrol boat deterrent, you'll get the most use out of these turrets as heavy AA. The previous [[Chapayev]] class already had great AA capabilities with these cannons and now you have 4 more of them than the Chapayev class. Compared to the [[Chapayev]], you have a combined fire rate of ~180 RPM, which is ~60 RPM more than the Chapayev. With HE-VT shells, this puts up a formidable screen of air-bursting shells in the face of inbound aircraft.  
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Although they are a fine patrol boat deterrent, you'll get the most use out of these turrets as heavy AA. The [[Chapayev]] already had great AA capabilities with these cannons and the Sverdlov has 4 more cannons. This gives a combined fire rate of ~180 RPM, which is ~60 RPM more than the Chapayev. With HE-VT shells, this puts up a formidable screen of air-bursting shells in the face of inbound aircraft.
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{{:100 mm/70 SM-5-1 (100 mm)/Ammunition|100 mm OF-55 HE, 100 mm ZS-55 AA, 100 mm F-55 HE-F, 100 mm ZS-55R AA-VT}}
  
 
=== Anti-aircraft armament ===
 
=== Anti-aircraft armament ===
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As already seen in previous Soviet vessels, 37 mm autocannons are a must have. However, Sverdlov takes the 37 mm to the next level. Previous ships tended to have between 6-10 single mount 37 mm autocannons. This was changed with the Chapayev with making double mounts, increasing the number of 37 mm barrels to 28, which the Sverdlov further increases to 32.
 
As already seen in previous Soviet vessels, 37 mm autocannons are a must have. However, Sverdlov takes the 37 mm to the next level. Previous ships tended to have between 6-10 single mount 37 mm autocannons. This was changed with the Chapayev with making double mounts, increasing the number of 37 mm barrels to 28, which the Sverdlov further increases to 32.
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When compared to the contemporary 40 mm Bofors AA gun, the Soviet 37 mm V-11 is very similar in performance, having about the same range, accuracy, rate of fire and damage output per shot. The V-11 falls behind when you compare the traverse speed, slower compared to the Bofors, especially when not upgraded. The V-11 can fire a much longer time than the Bofors before overheating.
  
 
=== Additional armament ===
 
=== Additional armament ===
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{{main|53-39 (533 mm)}}
 
{{main|53-39 (533 mm)}}
  
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Unlike the Pr.68K cruisers, the Pr.68bis Sverdlov is the only one with access to torpedo tubes. It is armed with 2 x 5-tube torpedo launchers, one located at port and the other at starboard. It uses the 53-39 533 mm torpedo. Being torpedoes, they are highly situational, but do offer the possibility of you being able to take out much more heavily armoured opponents, like battleships, should you get one on target. They have a max range of 4 km (10 km with the torpedo mode modification) and can be used at almost point blank, the torpedo must travel 50 m at minimum to be armed. These torpedoes are one of the fastest ones seen at the battle rating (94 km/h), making it easier to aim at long ranges. However, the speed is drastically reduced if torpedo mode is active as it trades speed for range.
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Unlike the other Pr.68 cruisers, the Sverdlov is the only one with access to torpedo tubes. It is armed with 2 x 5-tube torpedo launchers, one located at port and the other at starboard. It uses the 53-39 533 mm torpedo. Being torpedoes, they are highly situational, but do offer the possibility to take out much more heavily armoured opponents, like battleships. They have a max range of 4 km (10 km with the torpedo mode modification) and can be used at almost point blank, the torpedo must travel 50 m at minimum to be armed. These torpedoes are one of the fastest ones seen at the battle rating (94 km/h without Torpedo Mode), making it easier to aim at long ranges. However, the speed is drastically reduced if torpedo mode is active as it trades speed for range.
  
 
== Usage in battles ==
 
== Usage in battles ==
 
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<!-- ''Describe the technique of using this ship, the characteristics of her use in a team and tips on strategy. Abstain from writing an entire guide – don't try to provide a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought. Talk about the most dangerous opponents for this vehicle and provide recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of playing with this vehicle in various modes (AB, RB, SB).'' -->
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The Sverdlov is simply a Chapayev, but better. The potent firepower is enough to destroy a wide variety of targets but to also provide a very devastating and powerful AA coverage to allied ships, especially at long range. The Sverdlov can be used as a brawler when in CQC maps, although not recommended, it is very capable of doing so. The armour and firepower it carries is enough to match practically any cruiser you can meet in a duel.
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The Sverdlov is simply a Chapayev, but better. The potent firepower is enough to destroy a wide variety of targets but to also provide a very devastating and powerful AA coverage to allied ships, especially at long range. The Sverdlov can be used as a brawler when in CQC maps, although not recommended, it is very capable of doing so. The armour and firepower it carries is enough to match practically any cruiser you can meet in a duel.
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
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'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
  
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* 12 x 152 mm cannons with highly effective ammunition
 
* Very effective AA suite with 100 mm VT shells and 37 mm automatic guns
 
* Very effective AA suite with 100 mm VT shells and 37 mm automatic guns
 
* Effective armour
 
* Effective armour
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* 12 x 152 mm cannons with highly effective ammunition
 
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
  
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* Lots of AA mounts which can be destroyed by HE splash.
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* Lots of AA mounts which can be destroyed by HE splash
 
* After exhausting the first-stage storage of the main guns, the reload speed is significantly reduced
 
* After exhausting the first-stage storage of the main guns, the reload speed is significantly reduced
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* If the torpedoes are loaded they can cause an explosion if they are hit, disabling or even sinking the ship
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* Torpedoes can cause an explosion if they are hit, disabling or even sinking the ship
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
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After the construction of the Chapayev class (Project 68), the Soviet Union began the development of an improved iteration of the ship, to be known as the Sverdlov class or Project 68bis. A total of 40 ships were intended to be built, along with the larger Stalingrad-class battlecruisers and Soviet aircraft carriers. As well, the ships were intended to be capable of commerce raiding, as shown by the conspicuous success of the German commerce raiders during World War II. As a result, the ships were the largest cruisers ever built by the Soviet navy up to that time (and largest until the introduction of the Kirov-class battlecruisers), displacing 16 640 tons. Because the Soviet Leader Stalin had been a supporter of the program, his death in 1953 saw the total number of ships cut to 14. The lead ship, Sverdlov, was laid down in October of 1949 and completed by May of 1952.
 
After the construction of the Chapayev class (Project 68), the Soviet Union began the development of an improved iteration of the ship, to be known as the Sverdlov class or Project 68bis. A total of 40 ships were intended to be built, along with the larger Stalingrad-class battlecruisers and Soviet aircraft carriers. As well, the ships were intended to be capable of commerce raiding, as shown by the conspicuous success of the German commerce raiders during World War II. As a result, the ships were the largest cruisers ever built by the Soviet navy up to that time (and largest until the introduction of the Kirov-class battlecruisers), displacing 16 640 tons. Because the Soviet Leader Stalin had been a supporter of the program, his death in 1953 saw the total number of ships cut to 14. The lead ship, Sverdlov, was laid down in October of 1949 and completed by May of 1952.
  
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Sverdlov displaced 16 640 tons full and had a crew complement of 1250 officers and men. Her main armament consisted of twelve 6-inch (152 mm) guns in four triple turrets, similar to the British Crown Colony-class and American Cleveland-class. Despite this, the Sverdlovs were still inferior in armament to the American Baltimore-class and Des Moines-class cruisers that were then in service. The ships had a heavy anti-aircraft battery of twelve 100 mm guns in twin turrets, and 32 37 mm anti-aircraft guns in twin turrets. The ships also carried two quintuple torpedo tubes on their beam. Powered by steam turbines developing 118 000 shaft horsepower, the Sverdlov could make 32.5 knots (60 km/h) and had a range of 9000 nautical miles.
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Sverdlov displaced 16 640 tons full and had a crew complement of 1,250 sailors. Her main armament consisted of twelve 6-inch (152 mm) guns in four triple turrets, similar to the British Crown Colony-class and American Cleveland-class. Despite this, the Sverdlovs were still inferior in armament to the American Baltimore-class and Des Moines-class cruisers that were then in service. The ships had a heavy anti-aircraft battery of twelve 100 mm guns in twin turrets, and 32 x 37 mm anti-aircraft guns in twin turrets. The ships also carried two quintuple torpedo tubes on their beam. Powered by steam turbines developing 118,000 shaft horsepower, the Sverdlov could make 32.5 knots (60 km/h) and had a range of 9,000 nautical miles.
  
 
'''Operational history'''
 
'''Operational history'''
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=== [[wt:en/news/6610-development-sverdlov-class-the-tzar-of-the-seas-en|Devblog]] ===
 
=== [[wt:en/news/6610-development-sverdlov-class-the-tzar-of-the-seas-en|Devblog]] ===
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The Project 68bis light cruisers were a serious modernisation of the Project 68K ships (one of which, the Chapaev light cruiser, you know well). The essence of all planned improvements was simple: to apply all the accumulated military experience and technical achievements as soon as possible to make the light cruisers better in every way. In the course of the modernisation process, the anti-air weaponry was significantly improved, torpedo armament was added, and the armour and stability of the ships were upgraded. The engineers paid special attention to the protection for the crew, which was increased, by the way. All uncovered battle stations received armour or some other kind of protection, and it became possible to move from bow to rear without going out onto the open sections of the deck.
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The Project 68bis light cruisers were a serious modernisation of the Project 68K ships (one of which, the Chapayev light cruiser, you know well). The essence of all planned improvements was simple: to apply all the accumulated military experience and technical achievements as soon as possible to make the light cruisers better in every way. In the course of the modernisation process, the anti-air weaponry was significantly improved, torpedo armament was added, and the armour and stability of the ships were upgraded. The engineers paid special attention to the protection for the crew, which was increased, by the way. All uncovered battle stations received armour or some other kind of protection, and it became possible to move from bow to rear without going out onto the open sections of the deck.
  
 
The height of the freeboard increased, which provided ships of this class with better weather resistance and greater range. In keeping with the changes to the naval warfare doctrine, the Project 68bis light cruiser benefited from significant self-sustainment of up to 30 days, and also its sailing range was increased to 9,000 miles. The need for these improvements was so great that the building of the first Project 68bis light cruisers had begun even before the complete project documentation was agreed upon. The leading ship of the series, the Sverdlov, was launched in the summer of 1950, and a short while later, she was put into service as a part of the Baltic Fleet. The Sverdlov light cruiser carried out combat duties in the waters of the Baltic Sea and Atlantic Ocean until her lay-up in 1978. In 1989, the ship was removed from storage, disarmed, and sold to India for scrap metal.
 
The height of the freeboard increased, which provided ships of this class with better weather resistance and greater range. In keeping with the changes to the naval warfare doctrine, the Project 68bis light cruiser benefited from significant self-sustainment of up to 30 days, and also its sailing range was increased to 9,000 miles. The need for these improvements was so great that the building of the first Project 68bis light cruisers had begun even before the complete project documentation was agreed upon. The leading ship of the series, the Sverdlov, was launched in the summer of 1950, and a short while later, she was put into service as a part of the Baltic Fleet. The Sverdlov light cruiser carried out combat duties in the waters of the Baltic Sea and Atlantic Ocean until her lay-up in 1978. In 1989, the ship was removed from storage, disarmed, and sold to India for scrap metal.
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== Media ==
 
== Media ==
 
<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->
 
<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->
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;Skins
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* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=ussr_cruiser_sverdlov Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
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;Images
 
<gallery mode="packed" heights="150">
 
<gallery mode="packed" heights="150">
 
File:Sverdlov WTWallpaper 01.jpg|
 
File:Sverdlov WTWallpaper 01.jpg|
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== See also ==
 
== See also ==
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''Links to articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
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<!-- ''Links to articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
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* ''reference to the series of the ship;''
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* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' -->
  
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* ''reference to the series of the ship;''
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;Related development
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* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
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* [[Chapayev (Family)]]
  
 
== External links ==
 
== External links ==
 
<!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 
<!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
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* ''encyclopedia page on the ship;''
 
 
* ''other literature.'' -->
 
* ''other literature.'' -->
  

Latest revision as of 10:19, 8 November 2023

Rank VI USA | Premium | Golden Eagles
A-10A Thunderbolt (Early)
Sverdlov
ussr_cruiser_sverdlov.png
GarageImage Sverdlov.jpg
Sverdlov
USSR flag.png USSR
V Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
6.0 6.0 6.0
Class:
Research:125 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:360 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

The Pr.68-bis, Sverdlov, 1952 was the lead ship of the Sverdlov-class light cruisers, the last conventional gun cruisers built for the Soviet Navy. They were modified and enlarged versions of the Project 68-K Chapayev-class light cruisers. Sverdlov was laid down on 15th October 1949 and commissioned on 15th May 1952. Unlike the Chapayev class, the Sverdlov was built with two quintuple 533 mm torpedo launchers on each side of the hull, with two spare torpedoes for each launcher. The anti-aircraft armament was also strengthened as Sverdlov gained two additional pairs of 100 mm twin turrets as well as two 37 mm twin V-11 autocannon turrets. Despite their size and displacement, the maximum speed was an impressive 32.5 kn (60.2 km/h). Sverdlov spent most of her career performing ceremonial visits to allies and non-allied ports. She also underwent several refits giving her air and surface search and track radars as well as ECM equipment that changed over the years. She was decommissioned after her first refit in 1966, then reactivated again in 1972. She was decommissioned for second time in 1977 following a refit and placed into long term storage in 1978 where she remained until 30th May 1989 when she was decommissioned. She was towed to Kronshtadt in 1990 and sold for scrap the following year, she was broken up in 1993 in India. One of her sisters, Mikhail Kutuzov, is the only surviving ship of the class, preserved as a museum ship in Novorossiysk.

Sverdlov was introduced in Update 1.97 "Viking Fury". Her armour protection is a significant improvement over the previous Project 26 class, which the Project 68 and 68-K design comes from, as well as having guns with higher rate of fire, although at cost of penetration characteristic. Her anti-aircraft protection suite was expanded with thirty-two 37 mm automatic V-11 cannon barrels as well as twelve 100 mm dual purpose guns. Just like Chapayev, her magazines are close to waterline being more vulnerable to being hit, leading to fatal explosion.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back
Citadel120 / 100 / 50 mm
Main fire tower175 / 65 / 60 mm
Hull25 mm (steel)
Superstructure8 mm (steel)
Number of section8
Displacement19 200 t
Crew1 270 people

While the Sverdlov's armour is not enough to protect from high-calibre semi-armour-piercing and armour-piercing shells, it is still enough to prevent major damage from being easily inflicted by every shell that comes your way.

HE from cruiser-calibres or lesser will have trouble damaging anything below the main decks, as the main battery ammunition, engines, and transmissions are all protected by a main belt of 100 mm rolled homogeneous armour. The front and rear belt armour are only 20 mm and 30 mm thick RHA; while this isn't very useful, there is also not much in those areas that can be damaged besides the steering gear in the stern. The ammo elevators are protected by 130 mm RHA, while the turrets themselves have 175 mm on the turret face, making them heavily armoured. The turret sides and rear are much thinner but this isn't a major problem as long as the main batteries are kept pointed towards the enemy. Secondary batteries have 20 mm thick antifragmentation armour, which is only useful against smaller autocannons and strafing aircraft. Anti-aircraft batteries have no armour at all and are often knocked out, so avoid repairing them if at all possible while duelling an opponent. The conning tower has 130 mm of armour surrounding it, but the roof and floor are considerably thinner, meaning the bridge can still be knocked out by rounds exploding above and below it.

The Sverdlov's armour is most effective when angled and in order to angle the ship as sharply as possible while keeping all main cannons on target, you'll have to point the bow of the vessel away from the enemy. The armour is in no way capable of resisting even the smallest calibre of a battleship's main battery, avoid being targeted by them as much as possible.

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB72 / 38 km/h
RB61 / 32 km/h

The Sverdlov class, despite being several thousand tons heavier than the previous Chapayev-class, performs quite similarly due to the vessels increased engine power, which enable it to match its lighter predecessor. It is fast for a cruiser of its size, its top speed being quite impressive for a vessel that weighs almost as much as a dreadnought. The ship is fairly responsive and agile when fully upgraded, although that may be a detriment at times as the ship will keel to the side as you turn, sometimes keeling far enough to prevent you from targeting enemies on one side of the ship.

Mobility Characteristics
Game Mode Upgrade Status Maximum Speed (km/h) Turn Time (s) Turn Radius (m)
Forward Reverse
AB Stock ___ ___
Upgraded 72 38
RB/SB Stock ___ ___
Upgraded 61 32

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB12 628 → 16 416 Sl icon.png
RB12 398 → 16 117 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications131 900 Rp icon.png
212 100 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost1 900 Ge icon.png
Crew training105 000 Sl icon.png
Experts360 000 Sl icon.png
Aces1 400 Ge icon.png
Research Aces620 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
450 / 600 / 100 % Sl icon.png
184 / 184 / 184 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Seakeeping Unsinkability Firepower
Mods new ship hull.png
Dry-Docking
Research:
5 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
8 500 Sl icon.png
260 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship rudder.png
Rudder Replacement
Research:
4 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
7 800 Sl icon.png
240 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship screw.png
Propeller Replacement
Research:
5 500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
8 800 Sl icon.png
270 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship engine.png
Engine Maintenance
Research:
8 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
14 000 Sl icon.png
420 Ge icon.png
Mods ship damage control crew.png
Damage Control Division
Research:
5 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
8 500 Sl icon.png
260 Ge icon.png
Mods ship fire control crew.png
Fire Division
Research:
4 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
7 800 Sl icon.png
240 Ge icon.png
Mods engine smoke screen system.png
Smokescreen
Research:
4 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
7 800 Sl icon.png
240 Ge icon.png
Mods ship anti fragmentation protection.png
Shrapnel Protection
Research:
5 500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
8 800 Sl icon.png
270 Ge icon.png
Mods ship venting.png
Ventilation
Research:
5 500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
8 800 Sl icon.png
270 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship pumps.png
New Pumps
Research:
8 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
14 000 Sl icon.png
420 Ge icon.png
Mods ship ammo wetting.png
Ammo Wetting
Research:
8 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
14 000 Sl icon.png
420 Ge icon.png
Mods new aa caliber turrets.png
Anti-Air Armament Targeting
Research:
5 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
8 500 Sl icon.png
260 Ge icon.png
Mods he frag dist fuse ship.png
100mm_ussr_sm5_1_navy_dist_he_ammo_pack
Research:
5 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
8 500 Sl icon.png
260 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
152mm_ussr_b38_navy_ap_ammo_pack
Research:
5 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
8 500 Sl icon.png
260 Ge icon.png
Mods new aux caliber turrets.png
Auxiliary Armament Targeting
Research:
4 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
7 800 Sl icon.png
240 Ge icon.png
Mods he frag base fuse tank.png
100mm_ussr_sm5_1_navy_base_fuse_he_ammo_pack
Research:
4 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
7 800 Sl icon.png
240 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
152mm_ussr_b38_navy_sap_ammo_pack
Research:
4 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
7 800 Sl icon.png
240 Ge icon.png
Mods new main caliber turrets.png
Primary Armament Targeting
Research:
5 500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
8 800 Sl icon.png
270 Ge icon.png
Mods ship rangefinder.png
Improved Rangefinder
Research:
5 500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
8 800 Sl icon.png
270 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
152mm_ussr_b38_navy_zs_ammo_pack
Research:
5 500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
8 800 Sl icon.png
270 Ge icon.png
Mods torpedo.png
Torpedo Mode
Research:
8 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
14 000 Sl icon.png
420 Ge icon.png
Mods he frag proxi fuze ship.png
100mm_ussr_sm5_1_navy_radio_aa_ammo_pack
Research:
8 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
14 000 Sl icon.png
420 Ge icon.png

Armament

Primary armament

4 х Turret3 x 152 mm/57 B-38 cannon
Ammunition540 rounds
Vertical guidance-5° / 45°
Main article: 152 mm/57 B-38 (152 mm)

The Sverdlov is armed with the formidable 152 mm/57 B-38, which are potent and powerful fast-firing cannons. There are four types of ammunition: HE, SAPBC, APCBC, and HE-TF.

  • The HE round packs 6 kg of explosive filler. Useful for combatting coastal vessels and weaker destroyers, starting fires, and create flooding on larger ships.
  • The APCBC shell is an essential tool when fighting cruisers at long range, especially the heavily-armoured ones. While it has a significantly reduced explosive filler compared to the other rounds, it has by far the most penetration. While using APCBC, aiming at critical components is crucial. Ammunition, engine compartments, and any other critical components are to be targeted while using this round as the reduced filler will not cause as much damage. While it has a powerful penetration, the low filler won't inflict any meaningful damage to battleships.
  • The SAPBC shell is a shell which has practically the same level of filler as the HE shell, at 5.9 kg, but it also can penetrate a decent amount of armour. That being said, the penetration becomes rather puny at longer distances, with a weak 74 mm of penetration at 10 km. This round is particularly useful when facing medium-armoured vessels at short to mid range, or vessels with fragmentation protection as this round will most of the time explode inside the hull and not immediately upon contact.

Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
1,000 m 2,500 m 5,000 m 7,500 m 10,000 m 15,000 m
OF-35 HE HE 50 50 50 50 50 50
B-35 AP APCBC 333 287 226 178 143 100
PB-35 SAP SAPBC 172 148 117 92 74 52
ZS-35 AA HE-TF 62 62 62 62 62 62
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Velocity
(m/s) 		Projectile
mass (kg) 		Fuse delay
(s) 		Fuse sensitivity
(mm) 		Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (kg) 		Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
OF-35 HE HE 950 55 0 0.1 6 79° 80° 81°
B-35 AP APCBC 950 55 0.03 7 1.69 48° 63° 71°
PB-35 SAP SAPBC 950 55 0.03 7 5.9 48° 63° 71°
ZS-35 AA HE-TF 950 54.23 0 0.1 10.1 79° 80° 81°

Secondary armament

6 х Turret2 x 100 mm/70 SM-5-1 cannon
Ammunition600 rounds
Main article: 100 mm/70 SM-5-1 (100 mm)

The Sverdlov is equipped with 12 dual-purpose 100 mm/70 SM-5-1. While these turrets are very similar to the 130 mm/58 SM-2-1 of the Spokoinyy, they do have reduced performance due to the smaller calibre.

This weapon system has a very high rate of fire for its calibre (roughly ~30 RPM considering it is a two-cannon mount), though it has half of what cannons like the 100 mm/55 MLE model 53 (100 mm) have (~60 RPM).

Although they are a fine patrol boat deterrent, you'll get the most use out of these turrets as heavy AA. The Chapayev already had great AA capabilities with these cannons and the Sverdlov has 4 more cannons. This gives a combined fire rate of ~180 RPM, which is ~60 RPM more than the Chapayev. With HE-VT shells, this puts up a formidable screen of air-bursting shells in the face of inbound aircraft.

Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
100 m 1,000 m 2,000 m 3,000 m 4,000 m 5,000 m
OF-55 HE HE 24 24 24 24 24 24
ZS-55 AA HE-TF 26 26 26 26 26 26
F-55 HE-F HE 73 63 54 46 40 34
ZS-55R AA-VT HE-VT 17 17 17 17 17 17
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Velocity
(m/s) 		Projectile
mass (kg) 		Fuse delay
(s) 		Fuse sensitivity
(mm) 		Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (kg) 		Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
OF-55 HE HE 1,000 15.6 0 0.1 1.94 79° 80° 81°
ZS-55 AA HE-TF 1,000 15.6 0 0.1 2.07 79° 80° 81°
F-55 HE-F HE 1,000 15.6 0.035 5 1.77 79° 80° 81°
Proximity-fused shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Velocity
(m/s) 		Projectile
mass (kg) 		Fuse delay
(m) 		Fuse sensitivity
(mm) 		Arming
distance (m) 		Trigger
radius (m) 		Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (kg) 		Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
ZS-55R AA-VT HE-VT 995 15.9 0 0.1 270 15 1.26 79° 80° 81°

Anti-aircraft armament

16 х Turret2 x 37 mm/67 twin automatic V-11 cannon
Ammunition4000 rounds
Belt capacity5 rounds
Fire rate180 shots/min
Main article: V-11 (37 mm)

As already seen in previous Soviet vessels, 37 mm autocannons are a must have. However, Sverdlov takes the 37 mm to the next level. Previous ships tended to have between 6-10 single mount 37 mm autocannons. This was changed with the Chapayev with making double mounts, increasing the number of 37 mm barrels to 28, which the Sverdlov further increases to 32.

When compared to the contemporary 40 mm Bofors AA gun, the Soviet 37 mm V-11 is very similar in performance, having about the same range, accuracy, rate of fire and damage output per shot. The V-11 falls behind when you compare the traverse speed, slower compared to the Bofors, especially when not upgraded. The V-11 can fire a much longer time than the Bofors before overheating.

Additional armament

Setup 114 x 533 mm 53-39 torpedo
Main article: 53-39 (533 mm)

Unlike the other Pr.68 cruisers, the Sverdlov is the only one with access to torpedo tubes. It is armed with 2 x 5-tube torpedo launchers, one located at port and the other at starboard. It uses the 53-39 533 mm torpedo. Being torpedoes, they are highly situational, but do offer the possibility to take out much more heavily armoured opponents, like battleships. They have a max range of 4 km (10 km with the torpedo mode modification) and can be used at almost point blank, the torpedo must travel 50 m at minimum to be armed. These torpedoes are one of the fastest ones seen at the battle rating (94 km/h without Torpedo Mode), making it easier to aim at long ranges. However, the speed is drastically reduced if torpedo mode is active as it trades speed for range.

Usage in battles

The Sverdlov is simply a Chapayev, but better. The potent firepower is enough to destroy a wide variety of targets but to also provide a very devastating and powerful AA coverage to allied ships, especially at long range. The Sverdlov can be used as a brawler when in CQC maps, although not recommended, it is very capable of doing so. The armour and firepower it carries is enough to match practically any cruiser you can meet in a duel.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • 12 x 152 mm cannons with highly effective ammunition
  • Very effective AA suite with 100 mm VT shells and 37 mm automatic guns
  • Effective armour

Cons:

  • Lots of AA mounts which can be destroyed by HE splash
  • After exhausting the first-stage storage of the main guns, the reload speed is significantly reduced
  • Torpedoes can cause an explosion if they are hit, disabling or even sinking the ship

History

The Soviet Cruiser Sverdlov underway in 1974.

The Soviet cruiser Sverdlov was the lead ship of the Sverdlov class of light cruisers built for the Soviet navy in the 1950s. Being conventional cruisers, they were designed to function as bluewater ships with the ability to perform commerce raiding duties if required, similar to the German pocket battleships and battlecruisers. The ships inherited the hulls of the previous Chapayev class, but carried an improved armament and new sensor systems. Sverdlov was commissioned in 1952, and spent most of her operational career making visits to various foreign ports and countries. She was eventually retired in the late 1970s and scrapped shortly before the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Design and development

After the construction of the Chapayev class (Project 68), the Soviet Union began the development of an improved iteration of the ship, to be known as the Sverdlov class or Project 68bis. A total of 40 ships were intended to be built, along with the larger Stalingrad-class battlecruisers and Soviet aircraft carriers. As well, the ships were intended to be capable of commerce raiding, as shown by the conspicuous success of the German commerce raiders during World War II. As a result, the ships were the largest cruisers ever built by the Soviet navy up to that time (and largest until the introduction of the Kirov-class battlecruisers), displacing 16 640 tons. Because the Soviet Leader Stalin had been a supporter of the program, his death in 1953 saw the total number of ships cut to 14. The lead ship, Sverdlov, was laid down in October of 1949 and completed by May of 1952.

Sverdlov displaced 16 640 tons full and had a crew complement of 1,250 sailors. Her main armament consisted of twelve 6-inch (152 mm) guns in four triple turrets, similar to the British Crown Colony-class and American Cleveland-class. Despite this, the Sverdlovs were still inferior in armament to the American Baltimore-class and Des Moines-class cruisers that were then in service. The ships had a heavy anti-aircraft battery of twelve 100 mm guns in twin turrets, and 32 x 37 mm anti-aircraft guns in twin turrets. The ships also carried two quintuple torpedo tubes on their beam. Powered by steam turbines developing 118,000 shaft horsepower, the Sverdlov could make 32.5 knots (60 km/h) and had a range of 9,000 nautical miles.

Operational history

The Sverdlov joined the Soviet 4th Fleet in 1952 after her commissioning, and soon after attended the coronation review of Queen Elizabeth II at Portsmouth. Soon after, she visited Portsmouth again as well as the Dutch port of Rotterdam. She received a major overhaul in 1960 before being laid up and decommissioned. In 1972, she was reactivated again, and visited several European ports before being retired one final time in 1978. By this time, the gun-cruiser nature of the Sverdlovs had made them highly obsolete. As a result, she was sold to an Indian ship-breaker company in 1991, and scrapped by 1993. Out of all the Sverdlov-class cruisers, only Mikhail Kutuzov survives to this day as a museum ship.

Devblog

The Project 68bis light cruisers were a serious modernisation of the Project 68K ships (one of which, the Chapayev light cruiser, you know well). The essence of all planned improvements was simple: to apply all the accumulated military experience and technical achievements as soon as possible to make the light cruisers better in every way. In the course of the modernisation process, the anti-air weaponry was significantly improved, torpedo armament was added, and the armour and stability of the ships were upgraded. The engineers paid special attention to the protection for the crew, which was increased, by the way. All uncovered battle stations received armour or some other kind of protection, and it became possible to move from bow to rear without going out onto the open sections of the deck.

The height of the freeboard increased, which provided ships of this class with better weather resistance and greater range. In keeping with the changes to the naval warfare doctrine, the Project 68bis light cruiser benefited from significant self-sustainment of up to 30 days, and also its sailing range was increased to 9,000 miles. The need for these improvements was so great that the building of the first Project 68bis light cruisers had begun even before the complete project documentation was agreed upon. The leading ship of the series, the Sverdlov, was launched in the summer of 1950, and a short while later, she was put into service as a part of the Baltic Fleet. The Sverdlov light cruiser carried out combat duties in the waters of the Baltic Sea and Atlantic Ocean until her lay-up in 1978. In 1989, the ship was removed from storage, disarmed, and sold to India for scrap metal.

Media

Skins
Images
  • Sverdlov WTWallpaper 01.jpg
  • Sverdlov WTWallpaper 02.jpg
  • Sverdlov WTWallpaper 03.jpg
  • Sverdlov WTWallpaper 04.jpg
  • Sverdlov WTWallpaper 05.jpg
  • Sverdlov WTWallpaper 06.jpg

See also

Related development

External links

References

  • Clarke, A. (2018, June 01). Sverdlov Class Cruisers, and the Royal Navy's Response. Retrieved January 20, 2021, from http://globalmaritimehistory.com/sverdlov_class_rn_response/


Baltic Shipyard (Балтийский завод)
Light Cruisers 
Svetlana-class  Krasny Krym*
Project 26/26bis  Kirov · Maxim Gorky
Project 68  Chapayev
Project 68bis  Sverdlov
Battlecruisers 
Izmail-class  Izmail
Battleships 
Sevastopol-class  Marat · Parizhskaya Kommuna
  *Laid down at the Russian-Baltic shipyard in Tallinn

USSR light cruisers
  Imperial Russia
Svetlana-class  Krasny Krym* · Krasny Kavkaz*
  * Laid down by Imperial Russian Navy; Finished and renamed by the USSR
Project  Soviet Union
Pr.26  Kirov · Voroshilov · Maxim Gorky
Pr.68  Chapayev · Zheleznyakov
Pr.68-bis  Sverdlov · Mikhail Kutuzov
Pr.68-bis-ZiF  Shcherbakov
Lend-Lease  USA
Omaha-class  Murmansk
Trophies  Italy
Condottieri-class  Kerch

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