EAS_Intrepid
MSFC Staff Paramedic
- Joined
- 23 Apr 2006
- Messages
- 2,615
- Age
- 35
Behind Tom Clancy's famous book (and John McTiernan's movie adaptation) is a true story! The parallels between "Red October" and this true story are quite obvious.
The "Storozhevoy" Mutiny
In 1975 a Soviet Missile Cruiser of the Krivak Class partially defects to start a revolution against the Soviet governmental establishment.
The "Storozhevoy", Russian for 'vigilant' or 'watch', was one of the most advanced Soviet Missile Cruisers of the 1970's. It was the pride of the Russian Baltic fleet and a prestige ship for the Soviet President and the Department of the Navy.
On the 10th November of 1975, the Soviet Navy planned a larger fleet
parade in honour of the "glorious November Revolution of 1917" in Riga. What the Baltic Fleet Command did not know: They had the Revolution right aboard one of their ships!
Political Officer Kapitan Leitenant Valerij Sablin was convinced that the government of the Soviet Union betrayed the old morals and standards of the classic Marxism/Leninism and was too much infected with Stalinism. Thus, he planned to take over the "Storozhevoy", steer it to Leningrad and hold a speech on the Revolution Anniversary in Leningrad (St. Petersburg).
He lured the Commanding Officer of the ship, Kapitan Anatoly Potornij, into one of the lower decks and took command of the missile cruiser.
Then, he ordered all staff officers of the ship into the mess hall, where he announced his actions and what he plans to do. The officers voted on it and most agree to Sablin, knowing of the bad condition of the communist standards of the Soviet Union.
Afterwards the crew is briefed and Sablin shows the Sergej Eisenstein movie "Potemkin" about the defected battle cruiser from 1905. The crew also agreed to Sablin ideas and ideals.
Sablin, entering the Soviet Naval Academy (one of the best in the world) with 16 years of age and promotes outstanding. Described as a disciplined young man, he was fascinated by the Communist ideals and later denounced the causality of humanity in the Communist system of the Soviet Union.
He takes course to Leningrad to declare his goals and to find supporters to his plans. He thinks that the unhappy population of the Soviet Union would support him.
Storozhevoy being underway to Leningrad, the GRU briefed Breschnew, who ordered Storozhevoy sunk! The Baltic fleet, fitted for a parade, was made combat ready and scrambled to fight the mutiny aboard Storozhevoy.
Later on, he acknowledged, that the Navy was probably not trustworthy enough, so the Soviet Air Force was given command to sink the cruiser.
The Air Force managed to disable the Storozhevoy and Soviet Marine Infantry boarded the ship.
In the end, Sablin was arrested and later executed by a firing squad. His comrades were sent to prison (and Gulag) for ten to twenty years.
The Storozhevoy served until 1990 as missile cruiser (with a completely changed crew) and was then sold to India.
That is in a brief form the real story of "Hunt for Red October". If you ask me, it is even more interesting!
(1) The Storozhevoy, Krivak Class Missile Cruiser
(2) Valerij Sablin
(3) A crew photo
(1)
(2)
(3)
The "Storozhevoy" Mutiny
In 1975 a Soviet Missile Cruiser of the Krivak Class partially defects to start a revolution against the Soviet governmental establishment.
The "Storozhevoy", Russian for 'vigilant' or 'watch', was one of the most advanced Soviet Missile Cruisers of the 1970's. It was the pride of the Russian Baltic fleet and a prestige ship for the Soviet President and the Department of the Navy.
On the 10th November of 1975, the Soviet Navy planned a larger fleet
parade in honour of the "glorious November Revolution of 1917" in Riga. What the Baltic Fleet Command did not know: They had the Revolution right aboard one of their ships!
Political Officer Kapitan Leitenant Valerij Sablin was convinced that the government of the Soviet Union betrayed the old morals and standards of the classic Marxism/Leninism and was too much infected with Stalinism. Thus, he planned to take over the "Storozhevoy", steer it to Leningrad and hold a speech on the Revolution Anniversary in Leningrad (St. Petersburg).
He lured the Commanding Officer of the ship, Kapitan Anatoly Potornij, into one of the lower decks and took command of the missile cruiser.
Then, he ordered all staff officers of the ship into the mess hall, where he announced his actions and what he plans to do. The officers voted on it and most agree to Sablin, knowing of the bad condition of the communist standards of the Soviet Union.
Afterwards the crew is briefed and Sablin shows the Sergej Eisenstein movie "Potemkin" about the defected battle cruiser from 1905. The crew also agreed to Sablin ideas and ideals.
Sablin, entering the Soviet Naval Academy (one of the best in the world) with 16 years of age and promotes outstanding. Described as a disciplined young man, he was fascinated by the Communist ideals and later denounced the causality of humanity in the Communist system of the Soviet Union.
He takes course to Leningrad to declare his goals and to find supporters to his plans. He thinks that the unhappy population of the Soviet Union would support him.
Storozhevoy being underway to Leningrad, the GRU briefed Breschnew, who ordered Storozhevoy sunk! The Baltic fleet, fitted for a parade, was made combat ready and scrambled to fight the mutiny aboard Storozhevoy.
Later on, he acknowledged, that the Navy was probably not trustworthy enough, so the Soviet Air Force was given command to sink the cruiser.
The Air Force managed to disable the Storozhevoy and Soviet Marine Infantry boarded the ship.
In the end, Sablin was arrested and later executed by a firing squad. His comrades were sent to prison (and Gulag) for ten to twenty years.
The Storozhevoy served until 1990 as missile cruiser (with a completely changed crew) and was then sold to India.
That is in a brief form the real story of "Hunt for Red October". If you ask me, it is even more interesting!
(1) The Storozhevoy, Krivak Class Missile Cruiser
(2) Valerij Sablin
(3) A crew photo
(1)
Last edited:
. very interestin , i know there would have been more defectors ( history is full of em ) , but this is very interestin , Lenin voted to make Russia strong and end poverty , Stalin was a little nuts and ordered ppl who he thougt would betray him killed . makes sence a crew would do this . unlucky for them tho , u dont try to take out a whole country with 1 missile boat , he should have waitin til he got a sub 
. harder to kill , harder to find 