RUSSIAN NAVY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 August 1938, Page 7

RUSSIAN NAVY

DEVELOPMENTS IN BALTIC. IMPORTANCE OF MURMANSK. The Red Navy recently celebrated the fifth anniversary of the founding of the Northern Fleet, which based near Murmansk, operates in Europe’s northernmost waters, writes Harold Denny from Moscow to the “New York Times.” ’ The fleet’s commander, Admiral K. I. Dushenoff, declared that this newest Soviet naval unit was now strong enough to prevent Germany from ever blockading Murmansk, to bar hostile ships, and to keep open the Soviet seaways to the west and east. There is no reason to doubt the truth of this boast, for it is no secret that Soviet Union has been busily engaged in building up naval bases and shore defences and buying and constructing warships in recent years, with special emphasis on the northern area, since Germany began her big military naval programme. Details of the number and kind of Soviet ships and coast defences are carefully guarded, but general information has been given out as regards strong fortifications on the bleak and rocky coast of Kola Peninsula. The Russians, who have made a completer study of the Arctic than any other people, have thoroughly charted these regions so little known to other countries, and count on their knowledge and training in Arctic navigation both on the sea and in the air to give them a great advantage over any enemy challenging them in this stormridden arena.

That region, especially Murmansk itself, is of great importance. Murmansk is the Soviet Union’s one all year northern seaport. Although 500 miles north of Leningrad, whose harbour is frozen over throughout the winter, Murmansk is open all year round and gives a year-round outlet to the Atlantic through Barents Sea —reputed by sailors to have drawn all the evil spirits from all seven seas —because the Gulf Stream waters flow in there. Because of those warm waters to the north, Murmansk residents have the strange experience of shivering when the wind blqws from the direction of the North Pole.

Murmansk was an important port for receiving munitions shipments during the World War, although that function was. handicapped then by primitive port facilities and by German submarine raids, which destroyed many ships and blockaded others. It is against such a blockade that the Red Navy now considers itself prepared. Besides, Murmansk since the war has grown into a large and modern city of great industrial importance and with the modern port facilities.

Soviet explorers have found much mineral and other kinds of wealth in Northern parts of the Soviet Union, and these are being rapidly developed. The minerals include nickel, which is an essential metal of which Russia hitherto had insufficient supplies; coal, petroleum, timber—and in the northern waters an abundance of fish. Under the direction of the Northern Sea Route Administration, also, the Soviet Union has developed on a commercial scale a north-east route from the east to the west of the country, which route is navigable during the summer months. Guarding this route also is one of the tasks of the northern fleet.

The day for celebrating the fifth anniversary of the founding of the northern fleet was chosen because in 1923, after completion of the Baltic-White Sea canal, a detachment of war vessels from the Soviet Baltic fleet passed through the canal en route to the White Sea. Midway they were met by a tugboat on which were Joseph Stalin, War Commissar Klementy E. Voroshilov, and Sergei Kirov, Leningrad Communist leader who was assassinated in 1934. Stalin greeted the war vessels with the declaration that he was sending Red sailors north to create a strong mailed fist for the defence of the northern shores of the Soviet Union. The Baltic-White Sea Canal is almost as important strategically as is the Panama Canal to the United States, for by means of it warships can pass easily in a few days from the Baltic to the Arctic Ocean, thus enabling the Baltic and White Sea fleets to reinforce each other as the need' may be. And thus it’is of great value in the Soviet Union’s avowed naval race with Germany for command of the Baltic Sea.