Length 170 m Draft 9.73 m | Construction started 25 March 1958 | |
Class and type Leninsky Komsomol-class cargo ship Name Metallurg Baykov
(Russian Металлург Байков)
Call Sign UQIM
IMO number 5233468 Owner 24 July 1960 – 1985 Black Sea Shipping Company, USSR Operator 24 July 1960 – 1985 Black Sea Shipping Company Port of registry 1960 – 1985 Odessa, USSR Builder Soviet Union Kherson shipyard | ||
Metallurg Baykov (Russian: Металлург Байков) was a tweendecker type freighter with steam turbine engines, the second ship built in the Leninsky Komsomol class (Project 567). The merchant ship belonged to the Black Sea Shipping Company (Soviet Union) and was named in honor of Alexandr Baykov, the saintist-chemist in metallurgy .
Contents
Ship's Data
Project 567 was developed at the Central Design Bureau Chernomorsudoproekt (CDB ChSP) in Nikolayev.
Major designers:
All other specifications of this ship are similar to the first ship of Leninsky Komsomol class.
Construction
In 1959, despite the fact that the Kherson shipyard delivered ships such as four tanker-ships and the Leninsky Komsomol the output of the shipyard was 82 percent for the year 1959. The inability to fulfill production targets was due to a delay in the construction of cargo ship Metallurg Baykov. Instead of signing the agreement to initiate building of the ship in 1959, Black Sea Shipping Company only agreed to the terms of construction on 24 July 1960. The delay in reaching an agreement was due to errors committed in the design of the project, which were subjected to numerous changes in 1959. Furthermore, the Soviet Ministry of the Merchant Fleet group which oversaw the construction of ships only filed claims after after the construction of the lead ship of the Leninsky Komsomol class. Logistical issues also arose from the change of construction plans since existing Soviet systems prevented hasty acquisitions of equipment from manufacturers.
Maiden Voyage
The Singapore Free Press on 2 November 1960, Page 2, mentioned that the ship Metallurg Baykov was alongside at the berth number 15/16 on 2 November 1960.
Great Labor Victory
The Soviet newspaper "Одесский портовик" (English: "Odessa port workers") wrote in the article "Great Labour Victory" on the 14 of March, 1962:
"The telegram of the Deputy Minister of the USSR Navy was succinct:"Celebrate the good work of the Odessa port workers who have saved in February, more than 121 hours of operational time when processing of the courts Physicist Lebedev and Urgench"...We should consolidate the achievements. To increase it.
Turbohod "metallurg Baykov" unloaded early at 100 hours."
During the Cuban blokade
The first voyage to Cuba during the Cuban blokade commenced in the first part of August from Novorossiysk and completed (or vessel arrived) at Cuba on the 25 of August, 1962. The Casablanca (Morocco) was announced as a port of arrival. Announced 1,400 tons of cargo including trucks and cranes on the open deck.
The second voyage to Cuba during the Cuban blokade commenced on the 14 of September from Sevastopol and completed (or vessel arrived) in Casilda on the 30 of September, 1962. The technics and personnel of the mobile missile-technical base (Russian: пртб (a shortage)) under command of the Lieutenant-Colonel I.V. Shishchenko, of the 50th missile army, were carried out on the ship Metallurg Baykov.
14 of October, 1962. US intelligence concludes regarding the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba according to the aerial photographic survey. Since 18 of September American warships began to repeatedly ask about the nature of cargo on the Soviet transport ships.
Ivan Shishchenko, who was a Captain (another sourse mentioned that he was a Lieutenant-Colonel) of the subdivision of escort, remembered:
"... At three o'clock in the morning on the 14 of September, Metallurg Baykov casted off from the pier and took the course to the Bosphorus. When the ship was approaching Istanbul the pilot boarded the ship. I was worried, a stranger on board, but it turned out: these are the rules for the ships which passing through the straits...On the 18 of September, two American warships with numbers on the sides 858 and 931 met us on the line between the island of Sardinia and the peninsula Tunisia. One of them was with uncovered guns (the team was stand by at the fighting positions) and came close to our vessel - at distance of 80–100 meters. Americans commenced a dialogue using flag signals:
- Where is the ship destination?
- We are running to Casablanca - it was answer as per order of the captain of Metallurg Baykov Vasily Gurzhiy.
- What's on board?
- There are agricultural machinery on board.
- Have a good trip…
The American warship 858 turned away and went to the convergencet with another warship 931 which was in distance of one kilometer. On the same day the American reconnaissance aircraft circled over the our ship at altitudes of 2–3 km and then left in the direction of its base in Tunisia.
The ship passed Gibraltar. We get a signal to open the envelope. There was a form with the name of the destination port inside the envelope - Matanzas, and also referential information regarding the political and state system of Cuba, the climatic conditions on the island.
In 15 minutes the officers collected and the contents of the package brought to their attention... The reconnaissance aircraft of the US Air Force again came in sight in the region of the Azores.
On the 28 of September 28, it was is already at the approach to Cuba, an American cargo ship in violation of the rules of navigation went on the direct collision course with our ship. The watch officer reported to Gurzhiy about the threat of the collision. Immediately - the order "Circulation", and an abrupt turn of the ship ... the collision was avoided ..."
Seems, it was the first toughest checkup of the Soviet ships by the US Navy during the Cuban blokade. Why some sources mentioned the port of arrival Casilda and another one is Matanzas? - Or mistake has place in one of the sources or sometimes the port of arrival was changed twice during the voyage.
Metallurg Baykov moored in the port of Casilda. On the 30 of September the command of the troops arrived on the ship with the mandate of the Soviet Ambassador in Cuba Alexander Alexeev for holding the unloading. The same night the first convoy was sent to the location — it was in Las Villas province. The technique is shrouded, but went with the escort, accompanied by Cuban motorcyclists that attracted the attention of local residents.
Odessa city newspaper Вечерняя Одесса (Evening Odessa) wrote on the 16 of August, 2012:
"Only during the Cuban missile crisis in 1962, US aircraft and other NATO countries have made 1300 provocative overflights of our (Soviet) ships. Their ships, maneuvering in close proximity to our ships, provoked collisions and 75 times made attempts to stop our ships for their inspection in the open seas."Celebration of the Day of Sea and River Fleet Workers with the competition in pneumatic rifle shooting in 1981.
The Day of Sea and River Fleet Workers of the USSR was founded by the Decree of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union № 3018-X «Regarding public holidays and commemorative days» dated the 1 of October, 1980, as amended by the Decree of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union № 9724-XI «Regarding Amendments to the legislation of the USSR regarding holidays and commemorative days» dated 1 of November, 1988. It became a professional holiday of sea and river fleet workers in the USSR, which was celebrated annually on the first Sunday of each July.
The first celebration of this holiday Day fell on 5 July 1981, first Sunday in July of this year, and it was celebrated on some ships of the Black Sea Shipping Company by the competitions in pneumatic rifle shooting and it was also a part of the DOSAAF program due to Cold war period.
Periodically the competitions in rifle shooting were carried on the Soviet Union Merchant Fleet ships and this competitions was a part of DOSAAF program in the USSR as a part of the military training for civil seamen due to Cold War period. So, the competition in pneumatic rifle shooting was carried out on the ship Metallurg Baykov during the voyage in Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea from 5 to 12 of July 1981 and it was carried out in honor of the Sea and River Fleet Worker's Day celebration in the USSR - the attached photo of Diploma for the second place in the competitions on the Metallurg Baykov confirm it. This Diploma signed and stamped (ship's stamp) by the captain of Metallurg Baykov I. Shalamay and signed by the head of DOSAAF of this ship V. Marushevskiy.
Celebration of Equator Line crossing in 1984.
The ship crossed Equator Line on the 6 of July 1984. It is marked in the Equator Line Crocsing Certificate.
Fate.
The ship Metallurg Baykov was decommissioned and scrapped at Valencia in 1985. She was the third decommissioned and scrapped ship of Leninsky Komsomol class cargo ships, - the first two ships were Fizik Vavilov and Bratstvo