The history of the USSR Navy during the Great Patriotic War contains many heroic and tragic pages. One of the most notable is associated with the submarine Shch-408. In the combat biography of this submarine there was only one combat campaign, which became its last. But after the “pike” (as the submarines of the “Shch” series were called in the navy) did not return from the voyage, the legend of the “Baltic “Varyag” began to circulate among Soviet sailors.

The Shch-408, which went on a combat mission in May 1943, was discovered by Finnish aircraft and boats. When the Shch-408 surfaced again, the enemy was confident that the crew would surrender, since the situation seemed hopeless. But the Pike commander, Lieutenant Commander Pavel Kuzmin, decided to engage the enemy on the surface using artillery guns. After a fierce battle, during which the Pike crew destroyed two Finnish boats, the Soviet submarine sank again without lowering its flag. The enemy, not having accurate information about whether the boat sank due to damage or disappeared again to the bottom, continued to bomb the dive site with depth charges.

For a long time, the location of the death of Shch-408 remained a mystery, even despite the fairly accurate description of the battle by the Finnish side. Search engines did not give up trying to find the exact location of the submarine's death. Only recently were Russian divers able to accurately locate the place where the boat was lost (away from the place where it was traditionally searched for) and, after examining it, shed light on the death of the fighting “pike”.

AiF.ru spoke with a participant in the “Bow to the Ships of the Great Victory” project, research diver, operator of the Reconnaissance Diving Team, Ivan Borovikov, about how the legendary submarine was found and what we managed to learn about the last battle of its crew.

Andrey Sidorchik, AiF.ru: - Ivan, is the submarine found, is it really the famous “Baltic “Varyag”?

Ivan Borovikov: - Yes, this is the Shch-408, which died in 1943. "Shch-408" is the only boat that entered into an open artillery battle with enemy surface forces. This is a unique case for the submarine fleet, since submarines usually used their guns to destroy small ships that were not equipped with serious weapons, primarily fishing and merchant ships. An artillery duel between a submarine and enemy warships is an exceptional situation.

— The search engines could not find the boat for a long time. How did you manage to pick up her trail?

“Shch-408” could not be found for a long time because it was not in the place indicated by Finnish and German military sources. There may be two reasons for this: either the Finns greatly missed the coordinates, although this is unlikely, or the submarine, after the last dive, was able to go a couple more miles, trying to evade pursuit.

We gave the coordinates to our friends from the Finnish Subzone team, they searched using sonar, and discovered the shadow of an object at the bottom, very similar to a submarine. We dived to the object, and it was identified as the Shch-408 submarine.

“The commander of “Shch-408” died during artillery shelling”

— Were you able to establish new data about the circumstances of the boat’s death?

Pavel Semenovich Kuzmin. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

— During the inspection of the Shch-408, numerous traces of shell hits were found, which indicates that the submarine actually waged an intense artillery battle. There are still boxes of shells near the guns, and it is clear that they were clearly not the first, the battle was fierce and they fired a lot. A PPSh assault rifle was also discovered, which was most likely a personal weapon. submarine commander Pavel Kuzmin. According to the regulations, during a surface battle he had to go to the bridge with his personal weapon. Judging by the fact that the machine gun remained outside the Shch-408, the commander of the Pike most likely died during shelling.

The Finns who took part in the battle said that they saw artillery hits on the boat, saw how the Shch-408 artillery crews died and were replaced by other people. The picture we saw at the bottom corresponds to the description of the battle given by the Finnish side.

However, we did not see any serious damage to the boat’s hull. Apparently, attacks on the Shch-408 with depth charges did not cause serious damage to it. All the hatches were closed, and the crew, apparently, fought to the last for the survivability of the boat.

— There are certain discrepancies in the materials about Shch-408. According to some sources, the damaged boat sank without lowering its flag. According to others, after an artillery battle she dived, hoping to escape from the enemy. What conclusion did you come to?

— Most likely, “Shch-408” went for a dive. Apparently, due to the damage, the “pike” lost its buoyancy and was unable to surface. The crew remained on board and died a few days later after the artillery battle.

“Another 10 submarines have not been found in the Gulf of Finland”

—Has the search work in the area where Shch-408 was discovered been completely completed?

— If possible, we would do 1-2 more dives, but in general, we have already seen everything that could be seen there. Unfortunately, in this area there is liquid silt, in which the Shch-408 is immersed approximately along the waterline, which does not allow inspecting the entire hull, in particular the torpedo tubes.

Frame youtube.com

— How true is the information that the Estonian authorities banned the installation of a memorial plaque on the Shch-408 hull?

— Estonians have a very serious attitude towards what is at the bottom. There are a lot of shipwrecks there, and they have very strict and strict rules that prohibit any activities related to underwater objects. This also applies to the installation of memorial plaques. The Finns have similar rules, but they allowed us to place plaques on boats found in their country's territorial waters. We sent a request to Estonia asking for permission to install a memorial plaque. We have not yet received an answer, the Estonians are speculating.

— What are the future plans of your group?

— Another 10 submarines have not been found in the Gulf of Finland, we will work to find them.

Exhibits of the museum dedicated to the feat of the “Baltic Varyag”. Photo: Frame youtube.com

What happened after the boat sank?

On May 24, 1943, the Finns recorded the release of a large amount of oil, bubbles and debris on the surface of the water. A day later, the Finnish command considered that the boat was destroyed. The Soviet side only knew that the Shch-408 was drawn into battle with superior enemy forces and then did not return to base. The first time we learned about what happened to the pike was after Finland left the war in 1944.

On January 19, 1944, “by the grace of God, King of Great Britain, Ireland and the British possessions outside the British Isles, defender of justice and Emperor of India,” George VI, by his edict, awarded Lieutenant Commander Kuzmin the title of honorary member of the Order of the British Empire posthumously.

Memorial plaque on the street. Submariner Kuzmin in St. Petersburg. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / Ekaterina Borisova

The sailors were not awarded Soviet awards. According to researchers, the command did not want to focus attention on an operation that ended unsuccessfully.

In the early 1960s, the story of the last battle of Shch-408 was published in the Soviet press. In Leningrad, Podvodnik Kuzmin Street appeared, named after the commander of the “pike,” and the Kuzmin Underwater Diving Museum appeared in one of the city schools.

Shch-408

Historical data

Total information

Power plant

Armament

General information

The submarine "Shch-408", like all boats of the "Shch" type, was developed in the design bureau headed by B. M. Malinin. These were diesel-electric boats belonging to the middle class. During the war, 31 Shch type boats out of 44 built were lost. Among the sunk boats there is also Shch-408.

History of creation

Predecessors

The predecessors of the Shch (Pike) X-bis series submarines were the Shch (Pike) X series submarines. The boats of the X-bis series differed very little from the previous series.

Construction and testing

Power plant and driving performance

The Shch-408 had two 38K8 four-stroke uncompressor diesel engines with 800 hp each. for movement on the surface and two main propeller electric motors PG5 of 400 hp each. for movement in a submerged position. Also, the boat was equipped with two 20 hp economic propulsion electric motors, which were connected to two propeller shafts by an elastic belt transmission. This was done to reduce noise.

Auxiliary equipment

The main ballast tanks were located in the boules running along the sides of the boat, and the bow and stern tanks were located at the ends of the light hull. Only the middle, equalization and rapid immersion tanks were located inside a durable housing. To blow through the main ballast tanks, turbochargers were installed on the boat.

Crew and habitability

Auxiliary/anti-aircraft artillery

Two 45 mm 21-K guns were installed. One was located in front of the wheelhouse on the deck, and the second was on the wheelhouse itself.

The boat also had two 7.62 mm machine guns.

Modernization and refurbishment

Due to its short service life before its destruction, the boat did not undergo modernization.

Service history

Damage to the Shch-408 cabin after a collision with the Onega net minelayer.

On September 26, 1941, at 21:32, the submarine Shch-408, while moving from Kronstadt to Leningrad, collided with the Onega net minelayer. As a result of this collision, the boat suffered the following serious damage: a hole in the pressure hull and deformation of the anti-aircraft periscope stand. Military Commissar I.T. Bazarov was found guilty of the collision, but the commander of the boat, Dyakov, was demoted in rank and transferred to S-9. And his place was taken by Lieutenant Commander P.S. Kuzmin, who was previously the commander of S-9. The boat was sent to plant No. 194 in Leningrad for repairs.

On October 12, 1941, the Navy flag was raised on the submarine Shch-408. On January 16, 1942, the acceptance act was approved.

On June 22, 1942, at 12:17 and 12:50, the boat, while in the bucket of the Admiralty Plant, received two hits from artillery shells. One of the shells hit the superstructure in the area of ​​frames 30-31, where paint was stored, and caused a fire. The second one pierced the side below the waterline in the area of ​​frames 52-54 in the 5th compartment. The BC-5 team failed to get a patch, and their commander, Lieutenant Commander Moiseev, gave the order to abandon the compartment. Soon the submarine landed on the ground with its stern, listing to starboard at 21°.

On June 23, 1942, EPRON divers managed to install a patch and pump out the water. After this, the submarine was brought into the dock, where it underwent repairs until October 1942.

On October 25, 1942, during artillery shelling, a 210-mm shell exploded near the boat on the pier. As a result of the explosion, the submarine received two holes in its pressure hull. One in the area of ​​24-35 frames, and the second in the area of ​​27-28 frames. The superstructure, the wheelhouse fence and the booms were also showered with shrapnel, but they did not receive such significant damage. For repairs, the boat was sent to the Kronstadt Marine Plant, where it remained until January 1943.

In April 1943, the installation of mine rods and the PAM-K device was completed on the boat. The body was covered with insulating mastic.

On the night of May 7-8, 1943, "Shch-408" supported five high-speed minesweepers "BTShch-210", "BTShch-211", "BTShch-215", "BTShch-217", "BTShch-218", six patrol boats and two smoke-curtain boats moved from Kronstadt to the Shepelevsky lighthouse. Here she lay down on the ground. On the night of May 9, the boat made the transition to Levensari Island.

On May 9, 1943, at 4:40 a.m., the boat landed on the ground two miles from Norre-Kappellaht Bay. And on the night of May 10-11, “Shch-408” moored in the bay itself.

On the night of May 18-19, 1943, the submarine, supporting five patrol boats and seven minesweepers, moved to the dive point on the Eastern Hogland Reach and began moving to a position in Norrköping Bay.

On May 19, 1943, when crossing the Nargen-Porkalaud barrier, the Shch-408 was discovered, fired upon and, according to some sources, damaged by a German plane, and according to others, it was not damaged.

Death

Submarine "Shch-408" in besieged Leningrad.

On May 21, 1943, the boat was discovered along an oil trail in the area of ​​Weindlo Island by German anti-aircraft submarines. Immediately, high-speed landing barges of the 1st group of the 24th landing flotilla approached the discovery site and dropped five depth charges in this place. After the bombing, they drifted and began to observe the area.

On May 22, 1943, at 2:50 a.m., the boat surfaced and entered into battle with the BDB. At 2:55 a.m. a report was received from her:

But the boat was unable to break away from the enemy. According to the German side, the BDB hit the submarine several times with 75 mm and 20 mm guns. These hits severely damaged the bow of the boat. With return fire, the boat scored several hits with 45-mm shells on the barges, but was unable to destroy them. After this, the Shch-408 sank under water without lowering the battle flag.

By this time, a Finnish minelayer had approached the collision area. Routsinsalmi and patrol boat VMV-6, who immediately dropped a series of bombs in the area of ​​the oil slick. At 4 hours 50 minutes, air bubbles, a large amount of salar and oil, as well as pieces of wood appeared on the surface.

Eight I-153 and I-16 fighters sent from Levansari Island did not find the boat and, having lost two aircraft, returned to base. After 8 hours, ten more LA-5s were sent to the area of ​​Vaindlo Island, but this time too two aircraft were lost, and they were unable to damage or destroy the PLO forces.

The German PLO forces that remained to observe the area for another two or three days heard knocking on the metal hull coming from the seabed, Soviet sailors tried to repair the holes. The Baltic submariners fought to the last opportunity and accepted a heroic death, but did not lower the Soviet Naval flag to the enemy.

The fate of the boat's remains

Memorial plaque installed at the site of the sinking of the boat.

For the first time, members of the expedition “Bow to the Ships of the Great Victory” tried to find “Shch-408” in July 2015. They took coordinates from Finnish archives as the starting point for the search. But this attempt was unsuccessful.

On April 22, 2016, the remains of the Shch-408 submarine were discovered at the bottom approximately 1.5 miles from the point that the Finns were taking bearings from coastal objects. And already on May 1-2, it was examined by divers of the “Bow to the Ships of the Great Victory” expedition. According to their data, the submarine has virtually no damage that could be associated with the effects of depth charges. However, the hull of the submarine is immersed along the waterline in the ground and all damage discovered by divers relates only to artillery combat. All the hatches on the boat are closed, which indicates that none of the crew even tried to escape.

At the site where the boat died at sea, divers installed a memorial plaque.

Commanders

Awards

The boat itself had no awards. But the submarine commander P.S. Kuzmin. was posthumously awarded the Order of the British Empire, 5th class, about a year after the sinking of the submarine.

see also

Image gallery

Video

submarine X-bis series.

    Laid down on April 23, 1939 at plant No. 194 (named after Marty) in Leningrad and launched on June 4, 1940. The submarine met the beginning of the Great Patriotic War as part of the Red Ban Baltic Fleet submarine training brigade in Kronstadt. Installation work on the ship was nearing completion. The degree of technical readiness of the submarine was 80 - 82.7%. On September 10, 1941, the Shch-408 entered service without testing and on September 22 became part of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet.

    On September 26, 1941, during the transition from Kronstadt to Leningrad, a submarine under the command of a senior lieutenant N.V.Dyakova collided with the Onega network minelayer in the Sea Channel. As a result of the accident, the submarine's durable hull was punctured and the periscope stand was bent. The submarine was forced to return to the factory and undergo repairs, and its commander became a lieutenant commander Kuzmin Pavel Semenovich .

    On June 22, 1942, when the boat was standing at the wall of plant No. 194, it was again damaged as a result of being hit by two shells. Through the holes that formed, water entered the ship. Section V was flooded. The second shell caused damage to the superstructure. The ship needed repairs again.

    On October 16, "Shch-408" moved to Kronstadt. On October 25, a 210-mm shell exploded near the side of the boat. The submarine again received 2 fragmentation holes in its durable hull. 5 crew members of the submarine were injured.

Shch-408 navigator, senior lieutenant I.M. Orlov (left) with an unknown lieutenant commander. Photo from the archive of A.A. Kupina.

    The boat left for its first combat campaign only on May 7, 1943. On May 18 she left Lavensari. When crossing the Nargen-Porkalaud barrier on May 19, "Shch-408" was discovered, fired at and damaged by a German plane, and on May 22 it was discovered along an oil trail and was pursued by enemy anti-aircraft defense forces in the charging area near Vaindlo Island. By this time, the pursuers had exhausted their depth charge ammunition, almost entirely spent on bombing "Shch-303", therefore, the landing barges from the 1st group of the 24th landing flotilla limited themselves to dumping 5 depths and began to drift. The Germans' patience was soon rewarded; the submarine surfaced. The submarine failed to break away from the enemy on the surface. In the ensuing artillery battle, several 45-mm shells from the Shch-408 hit the F-188 barge; in response, the Germans scored several hits from 75-mm and 22-mm guns on the bow of the submarine. During those 10 minutes while the battle with Shch-408 was going on, they managed to convey a request for help: “I was attacked by anti-aircraft forces, I have damage. The enemy does not allow you to charge. Please send an air force. My place is Vaindlaw.” Eight I-16s and I-153s that took off from Lavensari to help the submarine were intercepted by enemy fighters and, having lost two vehicles, returned to the airfield without completing the mission. Since these were the last planes on the island, the base commander did not want to risk them. Only 8 hours later, the Red Banner Baltic Fleet Air Force command sent ten La-5s to help the boat, but they too, having lost two vehicles, were unsuccessful.

    Soon the Finnish minzag "Ruotsinsalmi" and the patrol boat "VMV-6" approached the battlefield and put an end to the drama "Shch-408". After dropping depth charges, oil stains and pieces of wood appeared on the surface of the water. The enemy monitored the area until May 25, after which the submarine was considered destroyed and the hunt was stopped.

Virtual museum of the submarine "Shch-408"

Submarine "Shch-408" at the bottom. Photo by Ivan Borovikov, 2016

    On April 22, 2016, the skeleton of the Shch-408 was discovered at the bottom approximately 1.5 miles from the point that the Finns were taking bearings from coastal objects, and on May 1-2, the submarine’s hull was examined by members of the “Bow to the Ships of the Great Victory” expedition. . According to preliminary data, the submarine has virtually no damage that could be associated with the effects of depth charges. The submarine's hull sank into the ground along the waterline and all visible damage was attributed to an artillery battle, the intensity of which is evidenced by the PPSh left on the bridge. All hatches were closed; none of the crew made any attempt to escape.

    Together with Shch-408, 40 people died. In the name of the submarine commander P.S. Kuzmina is the name of a street in St. Petersburg.

Many residents of Leningrad-St. Petersburg know or have been to Podvodnik Kuzmin Street. It is named after the commander of the submarine Shch-408.

On May 3, 2016, in the Gulf of Finland, 30 kilometers from the Estonian city of Verg, Russian search engines launched wreaths at the site of the sinking of the Soviet submarine Shch-408 in 1943.
About a week ago, after a long search, she was found by the expedition “Bow to the Ships of the Great Victory”; she rests in the territorial waters of Estonia. Project manager Konstantin Bogdanov told reporters that Russian divers want to install a memorial plaque on the submarine’s hull, but have not yet been able to obtain permission to do so from the Estonian authorities.
According to the laws of Estonia, Bogdanov explained, it is forbidden not only to lift dead objects, but even to touch them. It is forbidden to even lift soil from the bottom, so it was decided to dive, collect sea water near the submarine, fill flasks with it and give it to the relatives of the dead submariners.

The last mission of the Shch-408, or “Pike” as it was affectionately nicknamed, was to find a way out into the Baltic Sea through the minefields. She set off on the campaign on May 18, 1943. The enemy soon tracked her down and pursued her for about two days. First, she was shot at by an enemy plane, then she was attacked with depth charges, as a result of which the Pike received serious damage.
Captain-Lieutenant Pavel Kuzmin, who commanded the submarine, decided to surface - to give battle. When the submarine's hull appeared above the water surface, the artillery guns on it were turned towards the enemy.
The battle was unequal, the riddled “Pike” sank to the bottom, but never lowered the flag. For another two days, acoustics noted impacts on it: the crew was trying to repair the submarine and surface. However, this failed; all the submariners died.

The search for “Pike” was carried out by Russian and Finnish search engines. The Russians handed over archival documents to the Finns and determined the search area, they went out to sea, established the coordinates of the submarine, and then a series of joint research dives were carried out.
According to Konstantin Bogdanov, the submarine is located two miles from the coordinates indicated in archival documents. On the deck, the divers were able to see traces of the battle, the guns were turned towards the enemy, all the hatches were battened down, the crew, according to the searchers, was inside. The boat is corroded by rust and riddled with enemy shells, but the hull is well preserved, even the wooden mine lining has survived, and the antennas have been preserved.

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Link to publication with video on the TV Star website

The heroic fate of the crew of the submarine Shch-408, who repeated the feat of the crews of the Varyag and the SKR Tuman, is described in the books of L.A. Kurnikov and S.A. Gurov

L.A. Kurnikov
BALTIC SUBMARINES

The feat and tragedy of Shch-408

The fleet command sought to bring submarines to the enemy’s Baltic communications as quickly as possible. This was dictated by the interests of the front. But each boat still had to look for the “hole” in the Nargen-Porkkalaud barrier on its own. The place where one could pass was almost impossible to accurately mark for others. There was no hope that somewhere there would be a wide “gate” free of nets and mines. And if breaking through this line was at all possible, then searching for passages not with one boat, but with two or three at the same time, probably could have led to success faster. That's how they looked at it back then, anyway.
The second submarine, Shch-408, which had been on Lavensari since May 11, was ordered by the fleet commander to be sent on a combat mission on May 19.
Having dived in the same place where Shch-303 began its independent movement eight days ago, Lieutenant Commander Kuzmin went further not through the Narva Bay, like Travkin, but along the northern route. And it proved its maneuverability: this submarine successfully crossed the Gogland line. And to charge the batteries, Shch-408 surfaced where Shch-303 was charging - in the area of ​​Vaindlo Island.
However, Kuzmin was unlucky here: the Pike was discovered and attacked by an anti-submarine aircraft. She managed to dive without receiving serious damage, but the explosions of the bombs dropped by the plane apparently broke the seal of one of the fuel tanks. It is very likely that it was the oily trace of diesel fuel that allowed the quickly appearing boats to cling to the “Pike”, and they could not be pulled away from them.
Thus began the feat and tragedy of the Shch-408 crew. about which her commander was able to radio very little. The reports of the pilots who flew there and were involved in the naval battle helped to better imagine what happened.

The pursuit of the boat by boats following its trail lasted more than two days. Even with the most economical maneuvering under water, during this time she should have used up almost the entire battery charge. There was probably some damage from the bombing. At about three o'clock in the morning on May 22, a short radiogram was received from Kuzmin, to transmit which it was necessary to rise to the surface for at least a minute. It said that the enemy was continuously bombing the boat and not allowing it to surface for charging.
“Please help with aviation,” the Shch-408 commander radioed.
By order of the fleet commander, fighters were sent to the area of ​​Vaindlo Island. In terms of range, this place was at the very limit of their flight capabilities. Then another group of planes took off. They had to engage in battle with enemy fighters, but they also attacked enemy boats, and, as far as I know, with no result.

However, the naval pilots could not destroy or disperse the forces that the Nazis had gathered in this area, close to their bases. They were unable to reliably cover the submarine at such a distance from their airfields, although they tried to help it until the very end of the unequal battle. The pilots saw how the Shch-408, which probably could no longer remain under water due to damage to the hull or simply because there was no longer room to breathe in the compartments, surfaced, how the crews of two 45-mm guns jumped up and opened fire on boats.
Our submariners (I think this can be said about every crew) were always internally prepared for the fact that surfacing in the face of a stronger enemy and a fire fight with extremely low chances of victory would be the only alternative to inevitable death in the depths of the sea. I told how during such ascents not only gun crews, but also sailors armed with machine guns and grenades came onto the deck.

And no matter how small the probability of a favorable outcome for the submariners of such actions, which do not fit into the usual concepts of submarine tactics, it happened that the audacity and courage of the commander saved a seemingly doomed ship. Let us remember how the S-4 escaped from the clutches of the enemy, which the Nazis considered so much their prey that they had already marked its place on the ground with floating markers.
But Lieutenant Commander Kuzmin, his military commander Lieutenant Commander Kruglov and the entire Shch-408 crew could hardly count on being able to somehow deceive the enemy. The circumstances were not the same, the situation was not the same. And it is almost impossible to defeat at least five patrol boats with a total of at least ten rapid-firing guns in a short-range artillery fire battle. The submariners went into their last battle with the only real goal - to inflict some damage on the enemy before dying.
The Shch-408 crew achieved this goal. The pilots saw how one boat, which the submarine was firing at, began to sink, and how another was engulfed in flames. After Finland left the war, the sinking of two anti-submarine boats by Kuzmin’s boat was confirmed in Finnish official documents.

The submarine Shch-408 is engaged in an unequal battle with five enemy combat boats. Painting by artist I. Rodionov

The pilots saw the Pike disappear under the water with the naval flag fluttering above the wheelhouse. It is difficult to say with absolute certainty whether she died from the holes she received (there were undoubtedly some) or whether the commander decided to dive again. The first is more likely. Be that as it may, some compartments of the boat, which sank to the ground, remained unflooded, and the sailors in them continued to fight for the survivability of the ship. I myself later heard from Finnish officers who were then in the area that for many hours the acoustics of their boats picked up the sounds of impacts on metal coming from the bottom: the submariners, who retained their fortitude to the end, tried to seal the holes and repair the damage.

Commander of the submarine Shch-408 Pavel Semenovich Kuzmin

The valor of the Shch-408 sailors placed this Baltic submarine in Russian maritime history on a par with the legendary Varyag, the North Sea patrol ship Tuman and other ships whose crews repeated their exploits. Such ships are truly immortal.
In Leningrad, from the embankment of which this submarine left on its last voyage, there is now in the Kirovsky district, behind the Narva outpost, Podvodnik Kuzmina Street with a memorial plaque on the corner house, reminiscent of what the young commander and his heroic crew did for the glory of the Motherland , in the name of the coming Victory.

Submariner Kuzmin Street

On May 22, 1943, the Shch-408 submarine, which had crossed the Gogland anti-submarine line, was discovered and attacked by an enemy aircraft. The crew's attempt to repair the damage underwater failed, and the boat was unmasked by an oil slick on the surface. Unable to break away from the enemy, the commander decided to surface and take on five enemy boats. Due to severe damage received in the battle, the boat sank. The crew died along with the ship, accepting a heroic death, but did not lower the naval flag in front of the enemy.

New "Pike"

Shch-408 in besieged Leningrad

The Shch-408 submarine met the beginning of the Great Patriotic War as part of the training brigade of submarines of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet in Kronstadt. Its technical readiness level was 80%. By the end of September 1941, the boat was quickly accepted into the Baltic Fleet and began preparations for the transition from Kronstadt to Leningrad to practice combat training tasks. On September 26, in the Sea Channel, the submarine Shch-408 collided with the network minelayer Onega. As a result of the accident, the boat's robust hull was punctured and the periscope stand was bent. The submarine was forced to return to the factory and undergo repairs, which were completed only by the spring of next year. On June 22, 1942, “Shch-408” was at the wall of plant No. 194 (named after Marty) in Leningrad, eliminating comments identified during the development of course tasks. Here it was again damaged as a result of being hit by two enemy artillery shells shelling the city.

Through the holes formed, water began to flow into the boat. The fifth compartment was completely flooded. The second shell caused severe damage to the superstructure. The ship needed repairs again. On October 16, the long-suffering “Pike” moved to Kronstadt, but even here it was haunted by sad events. On October 25, 1942, a 210-mm German shell exploded near the side of the boat. The submarine again received two fragmentation holes in its durable hull. Five crew members were injured and sent to hospital. It seemed that the streak of failures would not end, but the personnel managed to turn the situation around and the Shch-408 was ready to carry out a combat mission by May 1943. A difficult, very difficult task fell to the lot of Pavel Semenovich Kuzmin in that harsh year forty-three for the Baltic submariners. No one in the navy could imagine the degree of its complexity and the difficulty of overcoming it.

Shch-408 - In the afternoon of June 22, 1942. the boat was hit by two shells, the 5th compartment was flooded, the superstructure was damaged

Steel pliers

By 1943, the enemy had significantly strengthened minefields on anti-submarine lines in the Baltic Sea. In addition, in the narrowest place of the Gulf of Finland - on the line of the Nargen-Porkkalaud position - two rows of anti-submarine nets were installed, which completely blocked the bay to its entire depth. In the area between the Hogland and Porkkalaud borders, five enemy search and strike groups, each consisting of two or three ships, operated, and patrols were carried out by aircraft. Artillery batteries were installed on the islands and coast. These forces and means formed a single anti-submarine zone more than 150 miles deep. Nowhere before and during the Second World War were such strong anti-submarine lines created as in the Gulf of Finland.

Submarine "Shch-408"

Medium submarine of the Shch type (serial number 513), X-bis series. Laid down on 04/23/39 at plant No. 194 in Leningrad, launched on 06/04/40 and included in the Red Banner Baltic Fleet on 09/22/41.
Displacement: surface 590 tons, underwater 708.3 tons; length: 58.75 m; width: 6.4 m; draft: 3.95 m; power: diesel 2x800 l. s., electric motor 2x400 hp; maximum speed: surface 14.25 knots, underwater 8.92 knots; cruising range on an economical vessel: over water (8.5 knots) 4,000 miles, under water (2.5 knots) 100 miles; immersion depth: up to 90 m; autonomy: 20 (45) days; armament: 4 bow and 2 stern 533 mm torpedo tubes (10 torpedoes), 2x45 mm guns (1000 guns),
2x7.62 mm machine guns; crew: 40 people, including 7 officers.

In this situation, by May 1943, the command of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet prepared the first group of three submarines for a breakthrough into the Baltic Sea. The first to leave Lavensari Island on May 11 was the guards submarine "Shch-303" under the command of Captain 3rd Rank I.V. Travkin. She successfully crossed the Hogland anti-submarine position. But then she suffered a setback - in the area of ​​the Nargen-Porkkalaud position she fell into anti-submarine nets three times and was pursued by enemy ships. And only thanks to the endurance and resourcefulness of the commander, the boat was saved. With great difficulty, Shch-303 managed to break away from pursuit and return to base.

Journey to immortality

Without waiting for a radiogram from Shch-303 about crossing the second mine-artillery position, the command ordered Kuzmin to go to sea. On the night of May 19, 1943, the submarine "Shch-408" under the command of Lieutenant Commander P.S. Kuzmin left the Lavensari Island roadstead for a position in the Baltic Sea. She was accompanied to the dive point on the eastern Gotland Reach by five “sea hunters” patrol boats and seven minesweeper boats. Then the boat continued to move independently and safely crossed the Gotlandic anti-submarine line. Three days later, the submariners reported that the boat had received minor damage due to the fact that the enemy did not allow the battery to be charged. The fleet headquarters took urgent measures - they sent attack aircraft and fighters to the location of the Shch-408. With a sudden blow, they dispersed the concentration of enemy ships, sank one patrol ship and two anti-submarine defense boats of the Nazis. The Germans sent their fighter aircraft to this area. Hot air battles broke out in the sky. Our pilots lost four fighters, two La-5s and one I-16 and one I-153 each.

Kuzmin Pavel Semenovich, lieutenant captain, commander of the submarine "Shch-408"

Born January 2, 1914. Russian. Member of the CPSU(b) since 1937. In RKKF since 1933. In 1938 he graduated with honors from the VMU named after. M.V. Frunze and was appointed commander of the warhead-1 submarine "Shch-303". In October 1940, he completed special courses for command staff at the Submarine Training Unit named after. S. M. Kirov and was appointed assistant commander on the submarine "S-9", where he received a baptism of fire, entering the Great Patriotic War. On October 6, 1941, submariner Kuzmin was awarded the military rank of captain-lieutenant, and on October 24 he already took command of the Shch-408 submarine under construction.
By the spring of 1943, the submarine under the command of Lieutenant Commander P. Kuzmin entered service. Hardworking, demanding and capable, Pavel Kuzmin well prepared the crew for the first combat campaign, but this was his first time undertaking such a difficult and dangerous mission on his own.
Pavel Semenovich Kuzmin died along with his ship in the first military campaign. A street in the city of St. Petersburg is named after the commander of the submarine "Shch-408". The submarine officer was posthumously awarded the Order of the British Empire “For Merit”, 5th class.

On the night of May 22, near Vaindlo Island, Shch-408 was discovered along an oil trail and attacked by Finnish anti-submarine defense ships: six UMU patrol boats and the Riilahti minelayer, which pursued it for three days. In the last report, received at 2 hours 58 minutes on May 22, the commander reported that the submarine had damage to its fuel tanks from the explosions of depth charges, and asked to send aircraft against the ships pursuing it. Underwater there was an inhuman struggle for the survivability of the submarine. It was headed by an experienced mechanical engineer of the Baltic submarine, a professional in his field and an officer respected by everyone in the crew - the commander of the BC-5, engineer-captain-lieutenant Kurbatov Petr Pavlovich. Enemy ships pursued the submarine for three days. The fuel tank was damaged, and the trace of diesel fuel on the surface was a sure guide to the location of the boat. Shch-408 has completely used up its electricity supply, and the concentration of carbon dioxide on the boat has become alarming. Our aircraft, having used up their ammunition, flew away, and the enemy again had a death grip on the ring. More and more explosions rumbled closer and more clearly. The critical moment came, and the commander gave the last order: “Surface! Let's accept the fight!

Kurbatov Petr Pavlovich, engineer-lieutenant-captain, commander of the warhead-5 submarine "Shch-408"

Born in 1914 in the city of Novorossiysk. In 1938 he graduated from the diesel department of the VMIU. F.E. Dzerzhinsky and was appointed head of the special department of his native school, then - head of the course, engineer of the internal combustion engine laboratory, and teacher.
With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, engineer-senior lieutenant Kurbatov was assigned to the military council of the Siberian Military District. Since 1943, he has been the commander of the warhead-5 submarine "Shch-408" of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet.
On May 25, 1943, Pyotr Pavlovich died as a hero in an unequal battle with the Nazi invaders, along with the crew of the submarine.
In June 1943, engineer-captain-lieutenant Kurbatov was excluded from the lists of naval command personnel as killed in battles for the Motherland.

I accept the fight

The enemy did not immediately understand the maneuver. The boat surfaced. There was some confusion on the enemy ships, perhaps joyful relief: “They surrender! Stop shooting!" But the illusion of anticipated victory was short-lived. A naval ensign fluttered on the boat's flagpole, and two 45mm cannons opened fire. The submariners entered into an artillery battle with five boats. The unequal battle lasted two hours. The gunners sank two boats with well-aimed shots. Having received damage and started smoking, the third one failed, but the boat also had several hits in the durable hull. Some of the gun's servants were killed, but the wounded and survivors did not leave their combat posts. Water entered the strong hull, and the trim aft increased. The bridge was riddled with shrapnel, and there was no one left there. The bow gun fired all the ammunition, and only one stern gun responded to the enemy. When the last shot rang out, water ran along the deck, and the waves of the gray Baltic closed over the boat with the remaining heroic crew. Enemy ships remained in the area where the Pike sank for a long time, hoping that someone would surface. There were survivors on the boat. The sound direction finders of enemy ships picked up the sounds of heavy impacts on metal. The submariners apparently tried to seal the holes, but soon everything calmed down... By the morning of May 23, the group of Finnish ships was reinforced by the Ruotsinsalmi minelayer and aircraft. On May 24, after repeated bombing, a large amount of oil and bubbles appeared on the surface of the water. On May 25, the enemy believed that the submarine was destroyed.

Minelayer Ruotsinsalmi

Mousetrap for swimming

Of the five submarines tasked with crossing the Gulf of Finland, not one managed to overcome the anti-submarine networks of the Nargen-Porkkalaud line, and four boats were lost. The Red Banner Baltic Fleet command temporarily abandoned the use of submarines on enemy communications. The task of disrupting enemy maritime communications was assigned to the naval air forces. Since June 1943, this task was solved mainly by torpedo-carrying aircraft. Submarine operations were resumed only in the second half of 1944, after Finland left the war (09/04/1944) and some of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet submarines were relocated to the Hanko Peninsula and Turku.

Return from oblivion

After sorting through Finnish archives and reports after the war at one of the headquarters of the anti-submarine forces of the former ally of Germany, the command of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet received information about what the last hour of the Shch-408 submarine was. As it became known from these documents, “Shch-408” was unable to break away from the pursuit. Enemy planes and a detachment of ships, reinforced by the minelayer Ruotsinsalmi, pursued her until May 25. According to the Finnish historian P. O. Ekman, Shch-408 died on May 25, 1943, south of Keri Island from depth charges dropped on it by the Ruotsinsalmi minelayer. German authors believe that Shch-408 was sunk on May 26, 1943 by ships of the 31st minesweeper flotilla.

Everything is left to the people

In memory of the courageous submariner, communist, commander of the heroic crew of the submarine "Shch-408" Pavel Semenovich Kuzmin, by decision of the Leningrad City Executive Committee in 1964, the former Oboronnaya Street in the Dachny district of the city of Leningrad was renamed Podvodnik Kuzmin Street. In the Central Naval Museum, at the stand for breaking the siege of Leningrad, a portrait of the submariner hero Pavel Kuzmin, his personalized watch, received for excellent completion of the Naval School named after. M.V. Frunze, diploma of completion of the Higher Special Courses for Command Staff of Underwater Diving named after. S.M.Kirova.
Heroes don't die. They are immortal!

Full list of crew members of the submarine Shch-408
1. Kuzmin Pavel Semenovich, born 1913, lieutenant captain, submarine commander. Born in Grozny.
2. Kruglov Alexander Fedorovich, born in 1911, lieutenant captain, deputy commander for political affairs. Born in the village. Svintsovo, Moscow region.
3. Orlov Igor Mikhailovich, born 1917, senior lieutenant, commander of warhead-1-4. Born in Kazan.
4. Dolgolenko Petr Kondratievich, born 1914, senior lieutenant, assistant submarine commander. Born in Novorossiysk.
5. Belokopytov Gennady Ivanovich, born 1917, senior lieutenant, commander of warhead-2-3. Born in Nerchinsk, Chita region.
6. Kurbatov Petr Pavlovich, born in 1914, engineer-captain 3rd rank, commander of warhead-5. Born in Novorossiysk.
7. Borzenko Nikolay Ivanovich, born 1922, lieutenant of medical service, senior paramedic. Born in Krasnodar
8. Muranov Mefodiy Ivanovich, born in 1912, captain-lieutenant, divisional signalman. Born in Starobelsk, Voroshilovgrad region.
9. Kolpakov Nikolay Andreevich, born 1912, midshipman, boatswain. Born in the village. Myachevo, Yaroslavl region.
10. Britvin Vasily Nikolaevich, born in 1916, petty officer 2nd class, commander of the helmsman squad. Born in the village. Verkhniy Bystrov, Nyuksen district, Vologda region.
11. Bragin Nikolay Dmitrievich, born 1920, senior Red Navy man, senior helmsman. Born in the village. Malaya Bragina Kozhevensky district, Novosibirsk region.
12. Pokrovsky Nikita Ivanovich, born 1921, Red Navy man, helmsman. Born in the village. Stucco molding in Fatezhsky district, Kursk region.
13. Puteshev Nikolay Sergeevich, born 1920, Red Navy man, helmsman. Born in the village. Andreev-Navolok, Kondopozhsky district, Karelo-Finnish SSR
14. Volkodamov Pavel Stepanovich, born in 1919, sergeant major 2nd class, commander of the navigational electricians squad. Born in Cherkessk, Karachay-Cherkess Autonomous Okrug.
15. Rakitsky Alexey Karpovich, born in 1920, sergeant major 2nd class, commander of the gunner squad. Born in the village. Yatseno Kamyshevsky district, Kursk region.
16. Dryakhlov Nikolay Grigorievich, born in 1912, chief petty officer, senior torpedo group. Born in Tambov
17. Evstigneev Vasily Petrovich, born in 1916, sergeant major 2nd class, commander of a torpedo squad. Born in the village. Nesterovo Novozavidovsky district, Kalinin region.
18. Pilipenko Grigory Zakharovich, born 1921, senior Red Navy man, senior torpedoist. Born in the village. Manotintsy Peryatyn district, Poltava region.
19. Smirnov Mikhail Nikolaevich, born 1920, Red Navy man, torpedo operator. Born in the village. Sandyrevka Fekrmansky district, Ivanovo region.
20. Finogenov Nikolay Ivanovich, born in 1912, chief foreman, group foreman (commander of the radio operator squad). Born in the village. Babino Lukovnikovsky district, Kalinin region.
21. Moskalevsky Vladimir Grigorievich, born 1921, Red Navy man, radio operator. Born in the village. Marinka, Maryinsky district, Donetsk region.
22. Sapunov Nikolay Grigorievich, born 1923, Red Navy man, sonar student. Born in Penza
23. Starostin Mikhail Afanasyevich, born 1912, midshipman, foreman of a group of electricians. Born in Moscow.
24. Glazachev Pavel Vasilievich, born in 1913, sergeant major 2nd class, commander of the electricians squad. Born in Shenkursk, Arkhangelsk region.
25. Voevodin Boris Mikhailovich, born 1919, senior Red Navy man, senior electrician. Born in the village. Boltino Ladsky district of the Mordovian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic
26. Alexandrov Anatoly Dmitrievich, born 1919, Red Navy man, electrician. Born in the village. Sakharovka station Valovo, Tula region.
27. Ivanov Ivan Petrovich, born 1920, Red Navy man, electrician. Born in the village. Parshino, Voldaysky district, Leningrad region.
28. Romanin Georgy Andreevich, born 1913, chief foreman, foreman of motorists. Born in Leningrad.
29. Zorin Mikhail Petrovich, born in 1920, sergeant-major 2nd class, commander of the motorists squad. Born in the village. Lychna, Ustyuzhensky district, Vologda region.
30. Rodionov Petr Artemovich, born in 1920, sergeant major 1st article, commander of a squad of motorists (motorman?). Born in Ufa
31. Shkatulov Vasily Gerasimovich, born 1916, senior Red Navy man, senior engine mechanic. Born in Moscow
32. Gumenyuk Vasily Afanasyevich, born in 1916, senior Red Navy man, engine mechanic. Born in Kyiv
33. Kirillov Nikolay Vasilievich, born 1921, Red Navy man, mechanic. Born in Novy Oskol, Kursk region.
34. Artamonov Anatoly Mikhailovich, born 1913, chief foreman, foreman of the bilge group. Born in the village. Maryino, Ustyug district, Vologda region.
35. Linkov Nikolay Romanovich, born in 1920, sergeant major 2nd class, commander of the bilge squad. Born in the village. Volokovo Sebersky district, Pskov region.
36. Onishchenko Alexey Dmitrievich, born 1920, Red Navy man, bilge. Born at mine 2/7 "Lidievka", Donbass
37. Ryabov Nikolay Alekseevich, born 1921, Red Navy man, bilge. Born in the village. Staraya Russa, Novgorod region.
38. Ostashev Vasily Vasilievich, born 1921, Red Navy man, cook. Born in the village. Osievshchina, Podporozhsky district, Leningrad region.
39. Fomin Petr Efimovich, born 1920, Red Navy man, combatant. Born in the village. Kamenpodolnoye, Dolzhansky district, Oryol region.
40. Samoilenko Konstantin Maksimovich, born in 1918, foreman 1st article, commander of the SCS squad. Born at Dolzhanka station, Krasnodar Territory
41. Krolichenko Ivan Korneevich, born 1920, senior Red Navy man, commander of the hydroacoustics department. Born in the village. Berezovka, Belolutsk district, Voroshilovgrad region.

The story of the last voyage and the death of the submarine Shch-408 became one of the most dramatic and heroic in the history of Baltic Fleet operations during the Great Patriotic War. She died in May 1943 during an attempt to break into operational space after a battle with German high-speed barges. Moreover, the fate of the submarine became known in detail only in May 2016, after it was discovered by a search expedition of the Reconnaissance and Diving Team. Until this moment, the exact reason for the death of the boat was unclear, and it was also established why it was not at the bottom in the coordinates indicated by the Finns after its sinking.

When the 1943 navigation began, it became clear that the Germans were not wasting any time. The Gulf of Finland was blocked by an anti-submarine network with a cell diameter of 1 meter. In addition, many minefields were laid. As a result, entering the operational space in the Baltic became almost impossible for Soviet submarines. But cutting off Germany's supply of iron ore from Scandinavia was very important, so the decision was made to try to break through the barrier lines with five submarines.

First, Shch-303 went on a campaign, but she encountered powerful opposition from the Germans and, having used up all her supplies, her commander decided to return. Since, due to the constant struggle with the anti-submarine forces of the Germans, he did not get in touch, the boat was considered lost and the Shch-408, commanded by Pavel Kuzmin, went on a campaign.

Shch-408 was able to pass the first line of anti-submarine barriers, but then, due to an oil or fuel leak, it was noticed from a Finnish plane, and in addition it turned out that the courses of the returning Shch-303 and the forward Shch-408 almost crossed near Vaindlo Island. German anti-submarine ships were sitting on the tail of the Shch-303. As a result, three high-speed barges began to pursue the Shch-408.

The pursuit led to the boat running low on batteries and air. At 2:50 a.m. on May 22, 1943, the Pike surfaced in the direct line of sight of the German ships and began an artillery battle with them. According to German reports, they hit the bow of the boat and near the stern gun, and after it hit the area of ​​the stern gun and its servants were hit, other sailors took the place of the dead and continued the battle, achieving hits on the German ships.

The commander of Shch-408 Kuzmin, after rising to the surface, transmitted a radiogram to headquarters:

“Attacked by anti-aircraft defense forces, I have damage. The enemy does not allow you to charge. I ask for aviation help. My place is Vaindlaw."

But aviation did not come to the rescue; according to reports, it was unable to break through. And the submarine, after a ten-minute fierce battle, according to the Germans, sank with its stern down.

Then German high-speed barges replaced two Finnish anti-submarine ships, which treated the dive site with a large number of depth charges. At 04:50 a large air bubble and debris appeared on the surface of the water. Shch-408 was lost; the Soviet command was unable to save the boat, which was dying almost in direct line of sight.

Then three more breakthrough attempts were made by the submarines S-9, S-12 and Shch-406. All substrates perished with their crews and were found in 2013 and 2017. After this, attempts to break through the barrier in the Gulf of Finland during the navigation of 1943 were stopped.

In 2016, Shch-408 was found at a depth of 72 meters. The boat lies on the bottom almost on an even keel, with a raised stern, both guns are in a firing position, turned to the left side, where the German ships were located. The commander's periscope remained raised, the control room and emergency hatches were closed, and the PPSh lay in the control room. There was little damage from the shelling; there were hits in the control room, in the place where the commander should have been. Damage from depth charges is also noticeable.

Judging by what was discovered by divers, the submarine commander died during a night battle, as evidenced by the shell hole and the abandoned PPSh.

In addition, apparently the submarine did not receive critical damage from shelling or depth charges. Moreover, the crew, apparently, tried to surface, since the stern tanks were purged and the stern was raised, although according to the Germans’ description, the submarine began to dive stern down. But the bow tanks were most likely damaged during the battle, so the reserves of compressed air and buoyancy were not enough to rise to the surface. And those bubbles that the Finns saw were most likely an attempt to blow out the nasal tanks and float to the surface. But there was not enough air.