Patrol ship diamond. Family book of memory and glory. Who survived

A scarlet wreath of artificial flowers swings on a raft on a sharp leaden-blue swell. In the autumn season, you can no longer find real flowers in these harsh regions... 76°09"02" north latitude, 87°47" east longitude - “coordinates of glory.” Passing this point in space, every ship flying the Russian flag is obliged to stop move, line up the crew on the quarterdeck, lay a wreath on the water and lower the flag to the middle of the topmast - in memory of the sailors who have been resting under these waves for the eighth decade...

In the fall of '44, a modest border guard with tail number 29 - "Diamond" - heroically died here in a battle with the enemy.

Photo. “Wreath of Glory” on the waters of the Arctic.

The lines of the technical form, yellowed with time, are strict and brief: “The border patrol ship SKR-29 “Brilliant”, built according to the design of a basic minesweeper, is the second ship in a series of four units built at shipyard No. 190 in Leningrad for the naval units of the border guard of the NKVD troops . Laid down on October 19, 1934, launched on November 15, 1935, accepted into active service on December 18, 1936. On June 6, 1937, as a PSKR, he became part of the 1st patrol detachment of the Border Guard of the NKVD maritime border detachment in Murmansk. The ship's commander is captain-lieutenant B. Chernyshev...

From the memoirs of retired captain 1st rank B.I. Chernyshev:
- I accepted the Diamond in January 1938. It was built by our wonderful Komsomol members, and it was listed as such - a youth ship... It was a well-armed, high-speed ship of the BTShch type for that time. An elevated forecastle, providing good seaworthiness for the modest size of the ship, a flat poop, spreading low over the water. On the forecastle there is a gun with a long barrel - a universal rapid-firing “weave”, in addition, three 37-mm machine guns and six machine guns... Not enough, it seems? But it’s quite enough for the border service; after all, we can’t fight battleships if anything happens. Navigation equipment was modern for those years: a gyrocompass, the latest radio direction finder, an electrolag. Electric steering... Wonderful ship!

Photo. SKR-29 "Diamond" at the pier in Yokanga.

The first war for the Diamond, manned by a Komsomol crew, was the Finnish one. The tasks of the patrol ship are to escort transport convoys along sea communications, anti-submarine and air defense of naval formations, patrolling territorial waters... Thanks to the shallow draft of the minesweeper, the Diamond even took part in the landing operation in Liinakhamari. He came almost close to the shore, took a position between two treacherous rocky shoals - where larger ships could not turn - and with artillery fire cleared a bridgehead from the enemy for the landing of marines...

Photo. At full speed - to the shore occupied by the enemy...

The Diamond was almost the first of the entire fleet to enter the battle with the Nazi Air Force. On May 30, 1941, the patrolman carried out routine border guard duty in the area of ​​Orloak Bay. The sea was deserted, low cumulus clouds were spreading over the horizon, a thunderstorm was gathering... At 20:25 an observer on the bridge of the Diamond noticed a winged shadow falling out of a thick thundercloud ahead of them... An airplane! The pilot did not respond to signals that his course was violating the state border, and without hesitation, he invaded the airspace of the USSR. Combat instructions order in such cases to fire a warning shot - and “Brilliant” unsheathed its anti-aircraft guns...

And the plane, carefully turning around... went into a dive. And the ringing shot of a machine gun burst splashed across the superstructures! There's no time for warnings! Having transmitted a message to the base about a provocative attack, the Diamond opened defensive anti-aircraft fire. He didn’t shoot down the German, but he forced him to turn away from the combat course.

That day, during a combat patrol, the patrolman was subjected to attempted demonstrative air attacks twice more. Fortunately, there were no casualties in the crew. The reader could probably ask the question why the malicious air gunner was not simply destroyed... But war had not yet been declared, the Non-Aggression Pact was in force between the USSR and Germany, and the maritime border guards were restrained by a strict order not to succumb to provocations. To shoot down someone else's plane, even over your own territorial waters, is obviously to run the risk of acting as the instigator of hostilities that were not previously included in the plans of the Supreme Command.

Photo. The patrol aircraft "Groza", which also patrolled the state border in May 1941.

The morning of June 22, 1941 met the Diamond in its home port. At 3:50 a.m. the combat alarm sounded: hiding behind a foggy haze, a wave of German bombers was heading towards the city...

One of them was never able to break through either to the ships stationed in the roadstead or to the residential areas of the town spread out on basalt rocks - it collapsed, howling with a crippled engine, into the sea under the fire of a 37-mm Brilliant anti-aircraft gun. For the first victory over the enemy, won 10 minutes after the sudden invasion, the anti-aircraft gunners of the patrol were presented with medals.

From the memoirs of the former commander of the patrol detachment, retired rear admiral A.I. Dianova:
- At the beginning of the war, there were few patrol ships in the Northern Fleet, and this placed great responsibility on the border ships, since they could successfully perform the functions of anti-submarine ships. Therefore, the main burden of service in combat patrol, in searching for submarines, guarding and escorting allied convoys fell on them. Suffice it to recall that in 1941 alone we destroyed seven enemy submarines and ten aircraft. And here I would especially like to mention the crew of the Diamond. On July 12, 1941, when the Diamond was guarding a transport convoy, at 19:48, observers discovered a breaker around the submarine’s periscope. The guard rushed towards him at full speed. The boat, sensing a threat, immediately sank. "Brilliant" began to jam it with depth charges - in areas. As soon as the first series of bombs was dropped, oil stains appeared on the surface of the water, some debris and debris floated... Did it really hit the first time? But German submariners sometimes cheated - they dumped the contents of a garbage can through a torpedo tube, seasoned with a certain dose of used lubricant. The enemy will see a vile spot on the water, decide that the boat is lost, and will leave it alone, and she, the infection, meanwhile lies alive at the bottom, preparing for a new breakthrough to the convoy. But “Brilliant” went for a second pass! After the second series of bombs were dropped, a strong underwater explosion occurred and several bodies of dead German sailors were thrown to the surface. Now the boat was definitely finished. The Military Council of the Northern Fleet expressed gratitude to the crew of the SKR-29.

Photo. A patrol boat fires at the submarine's dive site with a Hedgehog-type bomb launcher.

The second submarine "Brilliant" was sunk on July 14, 1941, when, together with its partner, the same border guard, "Pearl" escorted a caravan of transports in the area of ​​Savikha Bay. The German submarine tracked the convoy and tried to attack from a semi-surface position, but the patrolmen forced it to dive with artillery fire. If you don't want a 100mm shell in the wheelhouse, you'll dive in! And then - work for the acousticians... Having approximately determined the position of the hidden boat, the ships passed right over it and bombed. The depth was not great, and the explosion was so powerful that the boat, literally torn in half, was thrown piece by piece to the surface.

Photo. The German submarine of the seventh series is a threat to transport convoys.

The capture of Murmansk could provide German troops with strategic dominance in the region and guaranteed to deprive the Soviet Union of contacts with British allies. Therefore, on July 17, 1941, the fascist mountain ranger divisions began a desperate offensive along the Pechenga-Murmansk road. A day later, the border ships “Brilliant”, “Smerch” and “Iceberg” came to support our troops defending the islands of Sredny and Rybachy. They fired at the enemy for six hours, suppressed several artillery and mortar batteries, and covered a large concentration of infantry. The attacks of the fascists who tried to break through the Musta-Tunturi ridge were repulsed. Supported by naval artillery fire, units of the Red Army stopped the further advance of the enemy and thwarted plans to storm the city.

Photo. The SKR-23 Rubin is the same type as the Brilliant.

But the naval detachment, already returning to Yokanga Bay, unexpectedly came under a massive air attack. About forty German bombers attacked the flotilla. "Smerch" and "Iceberg" managed to retreat into the fog. But “Brilliant” hesitated a little - and the full power of the German attack went to him...

From the logbook of the SKR-29 “Brilliant”:
Attacked by enemy bombers. They dive three at a time, in front. They dropped several bombs. One bomb exploded at the bow, 50 meters away, the second at 40 meters, the third at the rear at the stern, 70 meters away. Due to strong nearby explosions, the deck was covered with water, fragments and dirt from the bottom... Due to a hydrodynamic shock at a close rupture, a leak opened in the drinking water lines. Wave after wave of planes attack. I am conducting hurricane fire from guns and DShK. Ammunition is running low...

Photo. Lieutenant Makhonkov - the future commander of the Diamond with a group of officers - naval border guards.

He had enough ammunition for two hours of continuous anti-aircraft fire. During this time, eight massive air attacks were repelled, and one Junkers was shot down. The nimble and maneuverable patrol ship survived the unprecedented raid even without any casualties in the crew, and after 4 days of repairs it was ready for new battles.

Standing at anchor in the Iokangsky roadstead, he somehow missed a flight of Junkers, which came from the low northern sun and suddenly fell on the patrol boat with bombs... Two bombs exploded right at the side, opened the hull, riddled the unarmored tank with a whirlwind of hot fragments ... A fire broke out on deck, which the crew put out until the last minute. Before the order to leave the sinking ship given by the commander, Lieutenant A. Kosmenyuk. Political instructor of "Brilliant" Pavel Ponomarenko, who led the fight for survivability, did not have time to carry out this order...

From the order for the fleet:
“On September 23, 1943, the assistant commander for political affairs of the patrol ship SKR-29 “Brilliant”, senior political instructor Pavel Vasilievich Ponomarenko, who heroically died along with the ship during an enemy air raid on the Yokanga naval base on May 12, 1942, was forever included in the list of personnel of the Yokanga naval base. "

For bravery and courage in this battle, government awards were awarded to the crew members of the Diamond: senior lieutenant Dobrik, lieutenant Gavrilov, foreman 1st class Volkov, Red Navy men Galtsov, Kochnev and many others...

Photo. The SKR-29 “Diamond” lifebuoy is now on display at the Museum of Arctic Exploration and the Northern Sea Route in St. Petersburg.

It would seem that this is the end of the biography of the brave “Diamond”. But the shallow depths at the site of the sinking and the acute shortage of small escort ships in the theater of operations forced the Northern Fleet command to think about trying to raise the ship. The fleet's diving expedition spent four months sealing the Diamond's hull at the bottom. In addition to two major bomb damages in the skin of the SKR-29, divers counted ... more than 800 fragmentation holes.

And yet it was raised, towed with water drains to the Arkhangelsk shipyard and restored for new battles with the enemy. In the fall of 1944, the patrol ship, revived to life, came to the Laptev Sea to participate in the protection of transport convoys on this section of the Northern Sea Route.

It’s a long way through the northern waters from the Vilkitsky Strait to the icy Dikson. On September 22, 1944, a transport convoy with a load of ammunition and food for the front left the Laptev Sea along this route. There were seven guards guarding the convoy. Ahead of the caravan, four minesweepers were combing the waves from mines. The Diamond was commanded by Senior Lieutenant M. Makhonkov, who took delivery of the ship recently - still under repair.

It was September 23rd, deep northern midnight. At 1 hour 13 minutes in the morning, the Diamond's observation watch noticed a thin steel periscope rod in the black water, framed by an elongated ring of white foam. And above the teeth of the cold swell, the reflection of a lens dimly sparkled in the light of a powerful spotlight... A boat! Diamond raised the alarm.

At the first sounds of a howler, breaking the sensitive silence, the boat dived. Security ships surrounded the transports in a tight ring, uncovering artillery barrels and preparing sets of depth charges for dropping. Searchlight beams flickered across the waves...

Suddenly, to the left along the course of the Diamond, under a layer of lead-black water, a silver path appeared - the trace of a torpedo. The deadly German "cigar" was heading straight for the transport "Revolutionary" - one of the largest ships in the convoy, on board which was the headquarters of the caravan. Another moment - and the steel "fish" would break into the high black side, a deafening explosion would crush the bulkheads, letting in cold the sea inside the dying ship, and the gigantic - compared to the tiny patrol ship - ship will collapse in a list...

Photo. Transport ships awaiting unloading.

Full speed ahead! - Senior Lieutenant Makhonkov briefly threw into the ear cushion of the speaking pipe and jerked the handle of the machine telegraph...

The torpedo explosion seemed to split the low night sky in two. An orange glow blazed above the masts. A huge column of water stood at the side of the "Revolutionary" and fell, showering the deck with icy splashes...

When silence reigned over the sea again, the Diamond was no longer on the surface.

Photo. Document about the death of Senior Lieutenant Makhonkov.

From the memoirs of retired captain 1st rank B. Valinsky, commander of the SKR-23 “Rubin”, participant in the convoy operation:
- When we approached the site of the death of SKR-29, we saw a large solar stain on the water, two boats torn from the rostrum and flooded with water, several cork mattresses and wooden fragments. There were no people... Apparently, the torpedo hit the patrol ship in the area where the diesel engines were located, and its death was instantaneous; none of the crew had time to escape. At the final debriefing of the campaign regarding the death of the Diamond, all officers expressed a unanimous opinion: Makhonkov, noticing the trail of a torpedo aimed at the transport, blocked its path with the side of his ship. Possessing good maneuverability and a large reserve of speed compared to that of the transport column itself, the Diamond could easily evade the torpedo, but then it would hit the transport with cargo for the front... And the communist Makhonkov made the only decision...

Later it turned out that one sailor from the Diamond still survived this battle. Signalman Alexey Stakhanov, the namesake of the famous miner originally from Kursk, was wounded during the explosion and thrown overboard by the blast wave. In the darkness, other patrolmen did not find him, and holding onto a piece of a deck board, the Red Navy sailor Stakhanov swam more than 100 kilometers - to the deserted shore of Taimyr Island. Here the sailor’s strength left him, and he was no longer able to reach the island’s weather station - he died from loss of blood and fatigue on a narrow path lost between the cold rocks. His remains were found by a hydrograph expedition only in 1961.

Photo. Lists of casualties of the SKR-29 “Brilliant” crew personnel.

In 1985, at the Mosfilm film studio, director Rudolf Fruntov, based on a script by Alexei German, shot the film “Once Upon a Brave Captain,” one of the main “heroes” of which was the border patrol ship SKR-29 “Memory of Ruslan,” in which the minesweeper BT-820 starred. . The fate of “The Diamond” served as material for the “biography” of the film character.

Photo. The minesweeper is a participant in the filming.

Nowadays the name “Diamond” is borne by the newest coast guard ship - already the fourth in this glorious family...

Photo. Heir to a glorious name.

TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL DATA PSKR-29 “DIAMOND”
- Maximum length, m. . 67.5
- Width, m...... 7.3
- Draft, m...... 2.2
- Displacement, i.e. . 600/1000
- Speed, knots...... 16.8
- Diesel power, l. With. . 2Х1100
- Crew, people. ....... 68
- Weapons:
-- artillery - 1 102 mm gun, 3 37 mm anti-aircraft naval guns, 2 12.7 mm machine guns on turrets;
-- mine: rails and stern ramp;
-- bomb: 2 tray bomb releasers, 2 bomb throwers;
-- chemical: 6 marine large smoke bombs (MBDS) in baskets.

Photo. Bench model of SKR-29 "Diamond".

A scarlet wreath of artificial flowers swings on a raft on a sharp leaden-blue swell. In the autumn season, you can no longer find real flowers in these harsh regions... 76°09’02 "north latitude,...

A scarlet wreath of artificial flowers swings on a raft on a sharp leaden-blue swell. In the autumn season, you can no longer find real flowers in these harsh regions... 76°09’02″ north latitude, 87°47′ east longitude – “glory coordinates”. Passing this point in space, each ship flying the Russian flag is obliged to stop its progress, line up the crew on the quarterdeck, lay a wreath on the water and lower the flag to the middle of the topmast - in memory of the sailors who have been resting under these waves for the eighth decade...

In the fall of '44, a modest border guard with tail number 29, "Diamond", heroically died here in a battle with the enemy.

“Wreath of Glory” on the waters of the Arctic.

The lines of the technical form, yellowed with time, are strict and brief: “The border patrol ship SKR-29 “Brilliant”, built according to the design of a basic minesweeper, is the second ship in a series of four units built at shipyard No. 190 in Leningrad for the naval units of the border guard of the NKVD troops . Laid down on October 19, 1934, launched on November 15, 1935, accepted into active service on December 18, 1936. On June 6, 1937, as a PSKR, he became part of the 1st patrol detachment of the Border Guard of the NKVD maritime border detachment in Murmansk. The ship's commander is Lieutenant Commander B. Chernyshev...

From the memoirs of retired captain 1st rank B.I. Chernyshev:

I took Diamond in January 1938. It was built by our wonderful Komsomol members, and it was listed as a youth ship... It was a well-armed, high-speed ship of the BTShch type for that time. An elevated forecastle, providing good seaworthiness for the modest size of the ship, a flat poop, spreading low over the water. On the forecastle there is a gun with a long barrel - a universal rapid-fire “weaving”, in addition, three 37-mm machine guns and six machine guns... Not enough, it seems? But it’s quite enough for the border service; after all, we can’t fight battleships if anything happens. Navigation equipment was modern for those years: a gyrocompass, the latest radio direction finder, an electrolag. Electric steering... Wonderful ship!

SKR-29 "Diamond" at the pier in Yokanga.

The first war for the Diamond, manned by a Komsomol crew, was the Finnish one. The tasks of the patrol ship are to escort transport convoys along sea communications, anti-submarine and air defense of naval formations, patrolling territorial waters... Thanks to the shallow draft of the minesweeper, the Diamond even took part in the landing operation in Liinakhamari. He came almost close to the shore, took a position between two treacherous rocky shoals - where larger ships could not turn - and with artillery fire cleared a bridgehead from the enemy for the landing of marines...

At full speed - to the shore occupied by the enemy...

The Diamond was almost the first of the entire fleet to enter the battle with the Nazi Air Force. On May 30, 1941, the patrolman carried out routine border guard duty in the area of ​​Orloak Bay. The sea was deserted, low cumulus clouds were spreading over the horizon, a thunderstorm was gathering... At 20:25, an observer on the bridge of the Diamond noticed a winged shadow falling out of a thick thundercloud ahead of them... An airplane! The pilot did not respond to signals that his course was violating the state border, and without hesitation, he invaded the airspace of the USSR. Combat instructions order in such cases to fire a warning shot - and “Brilliant” unsheathed its anti-aircraft guns...

And the plane, carefully turning around... went into a dive. And the ringing shot of a machine gun burst splashed across the superstructures! There's no time for warnings! Having transmitted a message to the base about a provocative attack, the Diamond opened defensive anti-aircraft fire. He didn’t shoot down the German, but he forced him to turn away from the combat course.

That day, during a combat patrol, the patrolman was subjected to attempted demonstrative air attacks twice more. Fortunately, there were no casualties in the crew. The reader could probably ask the question why the malicious air gunner was not simply destroyed... But war had not yet been declared, the Non-Aggression Pact was in force between the USSR and Germany, and the maritime border guards were restrained by a strict order not to succumb to provocations. To shoot down someone else's plane, even over your own territorial waters, is obviously to run the risk of acting as the instigator of hostilities that were not previously included in the plans of the Supreme Command.

The patrol aircraft "Groza", which also patrolled the state border in May 1941.

The morning of June 22, 1941 met the Diamond in its home port. At 3:50 a.m. the combat alarm sounded: hiding behind a foggy haze, a wave of German bombers was heading towards the city...

During the war with Finland, the detachment’s personnel not only vigilantly guarded the border, but also, together with the ships of the Northern Fleet, carried out patrol duty, escorted transports with troops, military cargo and food, and participated in air defense. The sailors of the border boats "Rubin" and "Brilliant" were involved in the naval operation - the capture of the port of Liinakhamari. It was December 2, 1939, when the Red Army was advancing on Pechenga. For military distinction, a large group of Red Navy men were awarded orders and medals. Among the recipients are the commander of the PSK-28 “Rubin”, senior lieutenant A. D. Shevardnadze, the commander of the PSK-29 “Brilliant”, captain-lieutenant B. I. Chernyshev and others.
The “precious stones” division did not escort the transport fleet, but carried out targeted reinforced anti-submarine patrol.
The distance from Murmansk to Arkhangelsk is more than four hundred and fifty miles, so it could be assumed in advance that the enemy would try to block at least one section of the busy caravan road. And, indeed, the patrol ship "Rubin", which received the task of going on combat patrol to the line Cape Svyatoy Nos - Cape Kanin Nos, on June 27 took note of a radiogram sent from the base, which reported that an enemy submarine had been spotted in the Lumbovsky Islands area. Of course, it had to be found and destroyed.
SKR-28 headed at full speed towards the coordinates indicated in the radiogram. Signalmen, artillerymen and miners peered intently at the water surface, waiting every minute for the appearance of a periscope or a torpedo trail. Finally, when approaching the Lumbovsky Islands, observer Chegodar discovered a submarine periscope directly along the bow of the ship on the left.
The commander of SKR-28, Senior Lieutenant Shevardnadze, ordered the helmsman to turn to the periscope and give the vehicles full speed ahead. The miners, foreman of the second article Bidnik and the Red Navy man Tsilenko, began dropping depth charges at the site of the fascist submarine’s dive. A few moments pass, and suddenly, after the explosion of the fourth bomb, a large column of water shot up behind the stern: almost the ninth wave of water covered the entire aft deck of the Rubin - the German boat, without any doubt, was destroyed. As for the caravan of ships, their movement interval was not violated and, in the end, all transports safely reached Arkhangelsk.
...It was the fourth week of the war.
The ship "Rubin" under the command of the permanent captain of the third rank A.D. Shevardnadze was on patrol on a well-studied route: Cape Svyatoy Nos - Cape Kanin Nos. The sea patrol, it seemed, did not foretell imminent serious troubles, but then the same vigilant posts of the coastal SNiS spotted some kind of submarine lying in the area of ​​the Lumbovsky Islands, drifting. It was again an enemy submarine - our submarines that day were far from the White Sea. The combat mission of the Rubin was formulated quite unambiguously: to search for and, having discovered an enemy submarine, destroy it.
The patrolman rushed to the indicated area. The ship's engines were working at maximum load: it seemed as if the water was parting with a roar in front of its stem. Arriving at the site of the fascist sea rookery, after a short search, the SKR-28 on the left side found the submarine in a cruising position. Turning around, "Rubin" boldly went to ram, although the enemy could have stopped it with accurate artillery fire. But the duel did not work out: the German submarine, having fired only two salvos from its guns, sank into the abyss at the signal of the howler's urgent dive. However, the depth in the area of ​​the Lumbov Islands was insufficient for complex underwater maneuvers, and the submarine was unable to escape from the search ship. After the patrolman dropped depth charges, a lot of debris and objects surfaced, indicating that the Rubin had fully complied with the order, adding another German submarine to the combat account of the “gem” division.

The information is unreliable!
According to official information, none of the border ships took part in battles with enemy submarines and did not sink them. During the entire war in the North in 1943 and 1944, only 2 German boats were sunk and border ships had nothing to do with this.

In the Baltic there was a “bad weather division”, in the North there was a division of “gem” border guards. PSK-27 "Pearl", PSK-28 "Ruby", PSK-29 "Diamond" and PSK-30 "Sapphire".
Built in the early 30s, they became a threat to trespassers and poachers.
June 23, 1941 1st northern detachment of border vessels of the NKVD of the USSR, consisting of PSK “Zhemchug”, “Rubin”, “Brilliant”, “Sapphire”, “Iceberg”, “Neptune”, “Breeze”, a division of patrol boats and small hunters became part of the White Sea Flotilla of the Northern Fleet.
On the morning of July 18, the ships “Brilliant”, “Iceberg” and “Smerch” came out to support our ground forces defending the Sredniy and Rybachy peninsulas from German mountain rangers attacking from the Petsamo area. The logs on the combat “floating batteries” counted down the miles on the way to Motovsky Bay.
Already the first shells covered one of the large groups of the 19th German Mountain Rifle Corps. The commander of the Diamond, Kosmenyuk, reported to the base: “We are firing artillery from all the ship’s guns at enemy positions, a distance of twenty cables. We are seeing good sighting and coverage of the enemy’s trenches and dugouts.”
For six hours, the naval guns intensively harassed the enemy's position and suppressed several of his artillery and mortar batteries. The attacks of the German mountain rangers, who tried to break through the Musta-Tunturi ridge of the Sredny Peninsula, were repelled. Units of the Red Army, supported by a landing of sailors, finally stopped the massive offensive of fascist German troops in the Murmansk direction.
Having completed the task, the ships began to depart. At this time, from behind the clouds, an ominous swarm of fascist bombers fell on the “Brilliant”, “Iceberg” and “Smerch”. More than forty Junkers.
"Smerch" and "Iceberg" managed to escape into a thick strip of fog. “Diamond” was not lucky enough to hide in the whitish haze...
Despite the hellish roar of the battle, the navigator of the SKR-29 does not forget to dispassionately record its progress in the logbook: “Attacked by enemy bombers. They dive three at a time at the front. They dropped several bombs. One bomb exploded at the bow 50 meters away, the second at 40 meters, the third at the stern at 70 meters, (...) due to the strong shaking, a leak formed in the drinking water lines. We are conducting hurricane fire from the DShK.”
In two hours, the Diamond successfully repelled eight attacks.
On July 12, when the Diamond, which was on patrol at Cape Svyatoy Nos, entered Iokanga to replenish food and ammunition, the base headquarters received a message: “SNiS coastal posts in the area of ​​Savikhin Bay detected an enemy submarine.” The ship was immediately given the command to go to the declassified lair of the enemy submarine.
As a result of a mine attack, the submarine was destroyed. The Navy Military Council expressed gratitude to the PSK-29 crew.
On July 14, the patrol ships “Pearl” and “Brilliant” escorted our transports going from Arkhangelsk to the ports of the Kola Peninsula. And again the attack of the submarine, the "Pearl" came out to it, the boat was sunk, the transport workers were delivered.

On May 12, 1942, German aircraft attacked Iokang Bay. After an unequal battle, the surviving members of the Diamond's crew left the corbal. The Diamond itself sank.
It seemed that everything - the biography of "Diamond" was over, but 4 months later, divers of the Emergency Rescue Service raised it. "Brilliant" was towed to Arkhangelsk, "Brilliant" left the dock on its own and continued its service.
Piloting convoys, hunting for submarines, repelling air attacks - such was the service of border ships. "Brilliant" also performed this service.
On September 23, 1944, the SKR-29 "Brilliant" was part of the combat escort of a caravan, which consisted of the transports "Revolutionary" (flagship), "Komsomolsk", "Budeny", "Kingisepp" and the icebreaker "Northern Wind". What happened is unknown. According to the report of the commander of the SKR-23 "Rubin" B. Valinsky, the "Brilliant" sharply increased its speed, and then there was an explosion.
Based on this report, the fleet command decided that the commander of the Diamond, senior lieutenant M.S. Makhonkov, noticed the attack of the submarine and covered the Revolutionary with his ship. Whether this was true or not is unknown; none of the Diamond’s crew escaped.

This day in history:

V. KOMMUNAROV, captain 1st rank

Soviet sailors have many glorious traditions. One of them is that the name of a heroically lost ship or an illustrious veteran who has served her time is given to a new ship taking a watch to protect the maritime borders of our Motherland.

Today we are talking about the fate of the ship called “Diamond”...

“...To give military honors to the heroism, courage and dedication of border guard sailors at the sites of their heroic battles, establish the coordinates of places of military glory:

a) latitude 68°45"C, longitude 42°55"E - the place where the border patrol ship “Zhemchug” died on August 11, 1941 while on combat patrol;

b) latitude 76°09"02N, longitude 87°47"E - the place of the death of the border patrol ship "Brilliant" on September 23, 1944 while escorting Soviet transports.

The border guard sailors fulfilled their military duty to the end. The ships died, but did not lower the naval flag to the enemy.”

(From the order of the commander of the Red Banner Northern Fleet)

WHERE DOES A SHIP START?

The patrol ship was leaving on an unusual voyage - a voyage to the coordinates of military glory. Beautiful modern “Diamond”. Handsome and menacing. His entire appearance is characterized by the solidity of a military fortress and at the same time swiftness and lightness.

As you know, when a ship is laid down, a small strip of silver is left in its keel with its name and the date of laying. This is the custom. The ship begins with the keel plank. And the crew?

Our ship is commanded by captain II rank Boris Nikolaevich Dobryakov. Its crew took upon their shoulders not only the good name and glorious deeds of their predecessors, but also the responsibility for continuing their military traditions.

How much hard everyday work, traces of which can no longer be found in any official documents, is put in by the friendly crew to breathe life into the most complex instruments and mechanisms, so that the heart of the ship beats in time with the hearts of those who stand on the navigation bridge, at the reverse controls, and control panels and generators. And the soul of all endeavors are communists and Komsomol members.

Having stood on an honor watch in honor of the 65th anniversary of the Border Troops, the crew of the third “Diamond” took on new obligations to improve combat and political training,

And this will be in the traditions of the first patrol boat with the same name, which took its last battle a few days before the complete liberation of the Soviet Arctic...

COMBAT CHRONICLE OF “DIAMOND”

“I accepted the Diamond in January 1938,” recalls retired captain 1st rank B.I. Chernyshev. - It was built by our wonderful Komsomol members, and it was listed as a youth ship... It was a well-armed, high-speed ship of the BTShch type for that time. An elevated forecastle with a poop hanging low over the water. On the forecastle there is a long-barreled “weaving” gun, in addition, three 37-mm machine guns and six machine guns. We were also pleased with the navigational equipment: a gyrocompass, a new product of those years - a radio direction finder, an electrolag and electric steering,”

The ship received its first truly baptism of fire during the Finnish campaign, participating in escorting transports with troops and equipment, supporting the landing in Liinahamari with fire.

1941, the first battle with the Nazis. The crew of the “Diamond” had to join it long before the day that we consider the date of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. Documents testify: “...On May 30, 1941, “Brilliant” served as border guard in the Orloaka Bay area. At 20:25, the ship's observer, heading 76° at a distance of 2-3 km, discovered an unknown aircraft. The ship sounded a combat alarm and opened fire...” The plane tried to attack the patrol boat, but heavy anti-aircraft gunner fire forced it to leave. Twice more that day the border guards had to repel attacks by fascist vultures.

June 22, 1941. The combat alert raised everyone to their feet at 3:50 a.m., and when an enemy bomber emerged from behind the hills, it was met with heavy anti-aircraft fire. The plane tried to break through to the ships, but began to smoke and fell into the sea.

This was the first victory of the Diamond crew over the enemy.

At the beginning of the war, there were few patrol ships in the Northern Fleet, and this placed great responsibility on the border ships, since they could successfully perform the functions of anti-submarine ships, says the former detachment commander, retired rear admiral A.I. Dianov. “That’s why the main burden of serving in combat patrol, searching for submarines, guarding and escorting allied convoys fell on them. Suffice it to recall that in 1941 alone we destroyed seven enemy submarines and ten aircraft. And here I would especially like to mention the crew of the Diamond.

On July 12, 1941, at 19:48, observers discovered a submarine breaking water. The patrol boat rushed at full speed to the place of its dive and began bombing. The first salvo of depth charges caused oil stains to appear on the surface of the water. After the second, there was a strong underwater explosion. The boat was finished.

The Military Council of the Northern Fleet expressed gratitude to the crew of the Diamond.

On July 14, 1941, the border ships “Brilliant” and “Pearl,” which were escorting a caravan of our transports in the area of ​​Savikha Bay, discovered another German submarine. The ships passed over it and dropped several depth charges. They exploded right above and next to the boat. The submarine broke apart and some of its parts were thrown to the surface.

At dawn on July 17, 1941, the fascist mountain ranger divisions began a desperate offensive along the Pecheneg-Murmansk road. Fierce fighting ensued. The Nazis sought at all costs to capture the Sredniy and Rybachy peninsulas and reach the Kola Bay: their ultimate goal was Murmansk

A day later, the destroyer “Smerch” and the border ships “Brilliant” and “Iceberg” came to support our troops defending Sredny and Rybachy. They fired at the enemy for six hours, suppressed several artillery and mortar batteries, and covered a large concentration of infantry. The attacks of the fascists who tried to break through the Musta-Tunturi ridge were repulsed. Supported by naval artillery fire, units of the Red Army stopped the further advance of the enemy and thwarted his plans.

Having completed the task, our ships began to depart. At this time, more than forty fascist dive bombers appeared. “Smerch” and “Iceberg” managed to go into the fog. “Brilliant” didn’t have time, and the whole blow fell on him...

There was a hasty entry in the logbook: “Attacked by enemy bombers. They dive three at a time, in front. They dropped several bombs. One bomb exploded at the bow, 50 meters away, the second at 40 meters, the third at the rear at the stern, 70 meters... Due to strong explosions, the entire ship was covered with water, mud, and fragments... Due to the shaking, a leak opened in the drinking water lines... .

The planes are attacking wave after wave... We are conducting hurricane fire from guns and DShK. Ammunition is running low...”

The unequal battle lasted two hours, during which the Diamond repelled eight massive air attacks, shooting down a Yu-87. There were no personnel losses; the ship returned to base under its own power.

The experience of the first battles hardened the sailors. Forgetting about rest, in rare moments of calm they repaired the equipment, patched holes in the hull, and prepared for new tests.

This happened on May 12, 1942, when the Diamond was anchored in the Iokani roadstead. Three Junkers, having gone deeper into the tundra, came from the direction of the sun and suddenly appeared above the patrol ship. Bombs flew at the ship.

The crew heroically repelled the attacks. The fragments left lacerations on the ship's hull. The sailors desperately fought the fire, but it was impossible to save the ship. Water entered the hold through holes at the waterline. There was nothing to pump it out... “Diamond” inexorably plunged into the icy abyss. The crew was forced to abandon the ship.

For bravery and courage in this battle, senior lieutenant Dobrik, lieutenant Gavrilov, foreman 1st class Volkov, Red Navy men Galtsov, Kochnev and many others were awarded government awards.

Four months later, divers recovered the Diamond from the seabed. More than 800 holes were counted on its left side alone. The wounded patrol ship was towed to Arkhangelsk and put in for repairs. “Diamond” was being prepared for new battles with the enemy.

AT THE PRICE OF LIFE

Let’s turn the most heroic and at the same time the most tragic page in the biography of the first “Diamond”.

The last entries of the logbook will not tell about this, only in the memory of eyewitnesses the last minutes of life, the last feat of the crew.

On September 22-24, 1944, a convoy consisting of four minesweepers, seven escort ships and transports loaded with ammunition and food for the front went from the Laptev Sea through the Vilkitsky Strait to Dikson.

On September 23 at 1 hour 13 minutes, the commander of the Diamond, senior lieutenant M. S. Makhonkov, reported on the radio that he had discovered an enemy submarine. The guard ships surrounded the transports in a tight ring, preventing them from being hit. Meanwhile, the submarine was looking for at least some kind of gap in order to launch a swift attack on the protected ships.

Torpedo! The luminous trail from it was first discovered by the signalman from the Diamond. The deadly spindle was moving sideways - it was aimed at the Revolutionary transport, where the convoy headquarters was located.

Makhonkov did not hesitate, “Brilliant” increased its speed and...

When silence reigned over the sea again, six ships were guarding the order. The crew of the seventh accepted death in order to go into immortality... Retired captain 1st rank B. Valinsky, former commander of the SKR-23 “Rubin”, talks about those unforgettable moments:

When we approached the place where the ship was lost, we saw a large solar stain on the water, two boats flooded with water, several cork mattresses and wooden debris. There were no people. At the final debriefing of the campaign regarding the death of the Diamond, all officers expressed a unanimous opinion: “Makhonkov, noticing the trail of a torpedo aimed at the transport, blocked its path with the side of his ship. Possessing good maneuverability and a large reserve of speed compared to that of the convoy, the Diamond could easily evade the torpedo, but then it would have hit the transport with cargo for the front. And the communist Makhonkov made a decision.”

The third “Diamond” arrived at the coordinates of military glory at dawn. The large gathering signal sounds. A minute before approaching the sacred place, the siren turns on and the flag is lowered. The ship begins to drift, a meeting dedicated to the roll call of generations of border guard sailors of the Arctic begins.

BORDER GUARD SHIPS “DIAMOND”

And now comes the exciting moment. The commander of the Diamond and his Komsomol organizer fill the bottles with sea water: from now on they will become expensive relics in the Museum of Military Glory of the brigade and in the Lenin cabin of the ship, a reminder of those who did not live to see the Victory, who gave their lives for the life and happiness of others. And after B. Dobrov, who on behalf of the crew pronounces the words of the oath of allegiance to the party and the people, a triple echo echoes over the sea:

We swear!

The third “Diamond” takes off from the drift, makes a farewell circle and sets course for its native shores...

TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL DATA PSK-29 “DIAMOND”

Maximum length, m. . 67.5
Width, m...... 7.3
Draft, m...... 2.2
Displacement, i.e. . 600/1000
Speed, knots...... 16.8
Diesel power, l. With. . 2Х1100
Crew, people ....... 68

WEAPONS

artillery: 1 102 mm gun, 3 37 mm anti-aircraft naval guns, 2 12.7 mm machine guns on turrets;
mine: rails and stern ramp;
bomb: 2 - tray bomb releasers, 2 bomb throwers;
chemical: 6 marine large smoke bombs (MBDSH) in baskets.