The Vladivostok Fortress Museum is located on the grounds of the Nameless Artillery Battery No. 319.
The most easily accessible for visitors and the best restored artillery The most important coastal battery in the vicinity of Vladivostok is Coastal Battery No. 319, also known as "Nameless." It is located near the embankment at 4A Batareynaya Street. The Vladivostok Fortress Museum, located on the battery's grounds, is located almost in the center of the capital of Primorsky Krai. It houses a large collection of various artifacts. weapons and military equipment.
The first smoothbore gun position appeared on this hill in 1862, shortly after the founding of Vladivostok. In 1881, a coastal battery with wood and earth fortifications was erected here. As of 1883, the sea area from Bezymyannaya Hill was controlled by several 229-mm mortars of the 1877 model and 229-mm coastal guns of the 1867 model. In 1892, the battery was reinforced with two 280-mm coastal guns of the 1887 model.
The barrel of a 229mm gun was discovered during the restoration of the Nameless Battery.
In 1901, construction of the permanent fortifications was completed. They consisted of a concrete mass with nine gun barbettes and two separate gun banks located below. The battery was armed with nine 229-mm coastal guns of the 1867 model and four 57-mm Nordenfeld quick-firing guns.
9-inch (229 mm) coastal guns of the 1867 model at the Nameless Battery position
Part of the concrete fortifications built in the early 20th century still survives. This includes the main gun position with seven gun yards and powder magazines, as well as one twin-gun block, which originally housed 57mm cannons. During the Soviet era, the rangefinder pavilion, one block for quick-firing cannons, and two gun barbettes with casemated traverses were lost.
After the end of the civil war, the hopelessly outdated 9-inch coastal guns were scrapped. In the 1930s, the Bezymyannaya Battery's fortifications were partially destroyed, and the remaining ones were used for commercial purposes. During the war, an anti-aircraft battery was located here. In the 1980s, the site was considered for housing construction, but ultimately, the decision was made to carry out restoration work and convert the remaining portion of the battery into a museum. Restoration work began in 1988, and the Vladivostok Fortress Museum opened in 1996.
Currently, the upper portion of the artillery casemates is covered with roofing felt to protect against moisture. This partially protects the 125-year-old concrete structure from adverse weather conditions, but at the same time distorts the appearance. historical appearance of fortifications.
The museum's exhibits include materials on the history of the Far Eastern region, the Vladivostok fortress, and the coastal defense of Primorye during the Soviet era. Mine and torpedo weapons are on display outdoors. missiles, artillery pieces, and military equipment from various historical periods. Since the museum has a very extensive exhibit, I'll try to briefly describe the most interesting examples.
Currently, the entrance to the museum is from the embankment.
To the right of the entrance on the left flank, where 57-mm rapid-fire guns were once located, Soviet universal 85-mm naval artillery mounts 90-K are now installed, although there were never any actual firing positions for them here.
Mass production of the 90-K universal 85mm gun began in 1942 at Kalinin Plant No. 8, which was located in Podlipki, Moscow Oblast, until the winter of 1941–1942, when it was evacuated to Sverdlovsk. By 1954, the customer had accepted over 600 units.
Initially, during the design process, the 85mm mount was supposed to be equipped with electric remote guidance drives, which would have ensured more effective firing based on data from the central fire control station. However, due to wartime difficulties, electric motors were not installed on production artillery mounts, and all drives were manual. No significant modernization was carried out in the post-war period.
Aside from the inability to remotely target, the 90-K universal mount was fully suitable for its intended purpose, capable of delivering fairly effective fire against surface, land, and air targets. Mounts of this type were widely used in the Soviet Navy. They were part of the universal artillery of light cruisers, destroyers, patrol ships, and anti-submarine ships, and were also deployed on shore.
The projectile was fired using unitary ammunition originally developed for 85mm anti-aircraft guns. The O-365 fragmentation projectile, with a remote fuse and weighing 9,54 kg, exited the 4435mm (52-caliber) barrel at a muzzle velocity of 795 m/s and could hit aerial targets at altitudes exceeding 9 km. The maximum firing range was 15,500 m.
The 85mm universal gun mount was protected at the front and sides by a streamlined anti-splinter shield, 8-12mm thick. An eight-man crew ensured a rate of fire of up to 15 rounds per minute. Elevation angles ranged from -5° to +85°.
As early as the late 1950s, due to the dramatic increase in the combat capabilities of enemy air attack weapons, naval gun mounts with manual loading and the inability to centralized aiming were deemed obsolete and were placed into reserve. The 85mm "universal" guns, stored in warehouses, were recalled in the early 1970s, when guns were needed for the construction of new batteries in the Vladivostok defensive region. These guns remained in use in coastal fortifications until the early 1990s, after which they were finally decommissioned.
Opposite the stairs leading to the main platform of the battery, a 76-mm AK-176 naval artillery mount is installed, and next to it, a wide-field binocular mounted on a tripod, through which one can survey the coastal waters.
The AK-176 universal naval automatic gun mount, designed to arm small-displacement ships and boats, is still in service with the Russian Navy. Production of the AK-176 began in 1979 at the Nizhny Novgorod Machine-Building Plant. It weighs 13,100 kg with 152 rounds of ammunition. Thanks to its dual-sided, unloaded feed and liquid-cooled barrel, the rate of fire can reach 120 rounds per minute. A 5,9 kg projectile accelerates to 980 m/s in a 59-caliber barrel. Elevation angles range from -12 to +85°. The ceiling when firing at air targets (at the self-destructor) is up to 11,000 m. The firing range at sea and land targets is 12,000 m. The crew is 2 people.
Not far from the AK-176 is a twin 57-mm anti-aircraft mount SM-24-ZIF, originally intended for arming submarines.
A twin 57-mm SM-24-ZIF anti-aircraft gun on display at the Vladivostok Fortress Museum.
With a 57mm twin-barrel gun weighing 7900 kg, it had a rate of fire of 115 rounds per minute. In terms of ballistic performance, the naval SM-24-ZIF was roughly equivalent to the land-based 57mm AZP-57 (S-60) anti-aircraft gun. The 2,8 kg projectile had a muzzle velocity of 1020 m/s and an altitude reach of 7400 m. The maximum firing range was over 12,000 m. The system was operated by five personnel.
This twin-barreled naval anti-aircraft gun entered service in 1955. Production took place at Plant No. 7 in Leningrad. However, production volume was small, amounting to only 123 units, including prototypes. By the late 1950s, all 57mm twin-barreled SM-24-ZIF guns were removed from Project 611 and 613 diesel-electric submarines. Their effectiveness against the new generation of anti-submarine aircraft was questionable, but deck-mounted anti-aircraft guns increased displacement, reduced stability on the surface, and reduced submerged speed. However, the twin-barreled naval guns were not scrapped but sent to storage, where they remained until the early 1970s.
Subsequently, several dozen SM-24-ZIFs were recovered from storage and permanently installed in coastal batteries of the Vladivostok defensive region. In addition to their anti-aircraft role, the 57mm twin rapid-fire mounts were considered effective against enemy personnel, light armored vehicles, and fast-moving naval targets.
Not far from the battery entrance, against the front concrete wall of the casemate, stands a 122-mm M-30 howitzer, model 1938. The gun is equipped with new wheels with non-original treaded tires and boasts a fresh coat of paint.
M-30 howitzers were produced until 1955 and, in addition to the Great Patriotic War, saw action in numerous local conflicts. Almost 20,000 were produced, and these guns were actively used by the Soviet Army until the late 1980s, after which they remained in significant quantities in storage for approximately 20 years.
The M-30 is one of the most successful Soviet artillery systems developed before the war. Weighing approximately 2500 kg in its firing position, the howitzer could engage targets at ranges of up to 11800 m. Its horizontal firing arc was 49°, and its vertical arc ranged from -3 to +63°. The coordinated work of an eight-man crew ensured a rate of fire of up to 6 rounds per minute. The 21,76 kg high-explosive fragmentation shell contained 3,67 kg of TNT, effectively destroying wood and earth fortifications and killing enemy personnel.
In the first gun yard, a 130-mm B-13-3s gun is installed (there are three such installations on display), which was described in detail in the previous publication of this cycle, and below it a 450 mm is exposed aviation Acoustic anti-submarine torpedo AT-1.
At 3,93 meters long, the torpedo weighed 550 kg. The warhead weighed 70 kg. The torpedo's power plant included a DC electric motor and a silver-zinc battery. Its range at 27 knots was up to 5000 m.
Near the second rebuilt gun yard, next to the flagpole, stand two 45mm M-42 anti-tank guns, model 1942. Weighing 625 kg in firing position, these compact guns were rolled on the battlefield by a five-man crew. Their rate of fire reached 25 rounds per minute.
The M-42 anti-tank gun was designed on the basis of the 45mm gun model 1937 by the Design Bureau of Plant No. 172 in Motovilikha. The modernization consisted of lengthening the barrel from 46 calibers to 68,6 and increasing the propellant charge. A number of technological measures were also taken to simplify mass production. As a result of the modernization, the muzzle velocity of the projectile increased from 760 to 870 m/s, and the armor penetration of a 1,4 kg projectile at a distance of 100 meters was 71 mm. By mid-1943, the frontal armor of German medium tanks tanks The 45mm guns were generally too tough for them. However, the introduction of sub-caliber projectiles with 108mm of armor penetration improved the situation somewhat. At the same time, the modernized 45mm could successfully penetrate medium German tanks in the side with a standard armor-piercing round, and thanks to its relatively low cost and good mobility, it was used until the end of hostilities.
Moving further, museum visitors see a 152-mm B-38 gun (the main caliber of the 68-K and 68-bis cruisers), and next to the breech of the 152-mm gun is a 30-mm AK-230 rapid-fire artillery mount.
The 152mm B-38 cannon, with a cartridge loader and a barrel length of 8935mm, fired shells weighing 48,5–55kg at a rate of up to 7 rounds per minute. At a muzzle velocity of 950m/s, the range was 30,150m. The gun and breech weighed 12,000kg.
The twin 30mm AK-230 mount, used in conjunction with the M-104 Rys autonomous PUS radar system, entered service in 1962. Its main purpose was to provide Defense close-in zone on ships and vessels of various classes – from missile boats to cruisers.
The total weight of the twin 30mm mount is 1974 kg. Ammunition is 500 rounds per barrel. The combined rate of fire is up to 2100 rounds per minute. The 354 g high-explosive fragmentation projectile has a muzzle velocity of 1050 m/s. The elevation range is 4800 m. The barrel elevation angles range from -12 to +87°. In combat, the mount is operated by a single gunner.
In the third courtyard, which is similar to the second, there is the same 85-mm naval universal artillery mount 90-K, as in the former position of the 57-mm guns of Nordenfeld.
Another 85-mm universal artillery mount on display at the Vladivostok Fortress Museum.
In the fourth courtyard, museum visitors see the same 85-mm 90-K artillery mount and the B-13-3s naval 130-mm gun.
In the fifth courtyard there is another 130-mm B-13-3s gun and a 25-mm naval twin-barrel 2M-3.
Unlike the Soviet Army, which used 23mm machine guns in the towed anti-aircraft mounts ZU-23 and ZSU-23-4 "Shilka" for the 23x152mm cartridge, which was used during the Second World War for firing from the VYa aircraft cannon, Soviet admirals preferred slightly more powerful anti-aircraft mounts for the 25x218mm ammunition, originally developed for the 72-K anti-aircraft mount with clip loading.
The total weight of the mount without accessories and ammunition is 1500 kg. The two-man crew was protected all-round by 4 mm of steel armor. The muzzle velocity of the 281 g projectile was 980 m/s. The altitude range was 2800 m. The total rate of fire was 600 rounds per minute. The ammunition boxes held 65 rounds per gun.
The 2M-3 naval anti-aircraft mount and the improved 2M-3M modification in the USSR Navy were used to arm artillery, torpedo and missile boats, minesweepers, landing ships, and auxiliary vessels. fleetRelatively recently, photographs emerged of an improvised self-propelled gun used in the SVO zone, built on the basis of a lightly armored multi-purpose tracked tractor armed with a 25-mm 2M-3 mount.
When restoring battery No. 319, restorers tried to recreate the historical appearance of the defensive structures, and the inscription “1900” was preserved above the door of the fifth casemate.
In the sixth courtyard, museum visitors can see the 100-mm universal naval gun B-34-U and the six-barreled 30-mm artillery mount AK-630.
The 100mm B-34 naval gun, model 1940, was developed by the design bureau of the Bolshevik plant in Leningrad. At the customer's request, the artillery system was modernized, after which the B-34-U/USM/USMA variants were produced until 1953 at Voroshilov Plant No. 4 in Krasnoyarsk and Plant No. 75 in Yurga. A total of approximately 300 guns were manufactured. Some were installed in coastal batteries and remained in service until the early 1990s.
The use of single-piece rounds and a semiautomatic sliding breech allowed the B-34-U to achieve a practical rate of fire of 15 rounds per minute. The 12,500 kg gun had a maximum firing range of 22,200 m. The ceiling was 15,600 m. The O-412 fragmentation shell weighed 15,8 kg and contained 1460 g of TNT. Semi-closed armor on the front, sides, and top partially protected the gunners from shrapnel. The gun's crew consisted of nine men.
The AK-630 six-barreled 30mm automatic gun mount with a rotating barrel block and its modernized variants are still in service with the Russian Navy. The primary purpose of this six-barreled gun is to defend ships from aircraft and anti-ship missiles at slant ranges of up to 4000 meters. It can also be used to engage light enemy surface forces at ranges of up to 5000 meters. It fires 30×165mm ammunition with a continuous belt feed at a rate of up to 5000 rounds per minute. The standard ammunition load is 2000 rounds. The gun weighs 3800 kg and is operated by a single gunner.
The museum's backyard also features a number of interesting exhibits. Along the driveway is a 45mm 21-KM universal cannon, which was discussed in a publication dedicated to museum ships in Vladivostok.
Judging by the lubricated moving parts, components and well-groomed appearance, the 57-mm automatic anti-aircraft gun AZP-57 (S-60) is operational.
This anti-aircraft gun, accepted into service in 1950, is still used in combat in eastern Ukraine, but primarily fires at ground targets. The gun weighs 4800 kg in its firing position. A 2,8 kg projectile accelerates in a 4850 mm-long barrel to 980 m/s. The gun's vertical range is 5000 m, and its slant range against aerial targets is up to 6000 m. Ammunition can include fragmentation and armor-piercing rounds. The rate of fire is 120 rounds per minute. The practical rate of fire is 70 rounds per minute. The crew consists of 8 people.
The museum has another example of the AZP-57, but this anti-aircraft gun is not in as good condition as the example described above.
The 37-mm automatic naval gun mount 70-K, created on the basis of the towed 37-mm anti-aircraft gun 61-K model 1939, entered service in 1940. Like the land-based version, it had a 5-round magazine loading, air-cooled barrel, and mechanical aiming drives.
Initially, the naval 37mm mount was mounted openly and lacked protection from bullets and shrapnel. However, later, based on combat experience, the anti-aircraft gun was covered with 6mm of armor all around, increasing its weight to over 1500 kg. With a barrel length of 2510 mm, the 732g fragmentation-tracer round had a muzzle velocity of 880 m/s. The maximum slant range against the self-destruct device reached 4000 m. The practical rate of fire was approximately 110 rounds per minute. The mount had a crew of five.
Since the 70-K naval gun mount was not always able to provide the required density of fire and overheated during prolonged firing, soon after the end of World War II, the B-11 naval twin-barreled gun entered service, and in the 1950s, its modernized version, the B-11M.
A 37mm twin-barreled V-11M anti-aircraft gun mount in the backyard of the Vladivostok Fortress Museum.
From the outset, the V-11 featured armor protection and weighed 3150 kg. The oscillating part of the mount consisted of two automatic guns with the ballistics of the 70-K cannon, mounted in a single cradle. The monoblock barrel was forced-air cooled, allowing for sustained fire. The elevation and traverse mechanisms remained manual. The practical rate of fire increased to 180 rounds per minute. The gun was crewed by 10 personnel.
V-11M-type mounts remained in service in our navy until the mid-1990s. A number of 37mm twin-mounted anti-aircraft guns were sent to Vietnam in the late 1960s, where they were installed in permanent concrete emplacements and used to repel American air raids.
In 1951, a twin 14,5 mm deck-mounted machine gun mount 2M-7, capable of firing at air and surface targets, was developed to arm boats and small-displacement watercraft.
The gunner was protected by an 8mm shield from the front. The total weight of the mount reached 550 kg. A 63,6g bullet was accelerated to 980 m/s in a 1350 mm long barrel. The effective range against aerial targets reached 1500 m. The machine guns were belt fed, with 80 rounds per belt, weighing 18,7 kg when loaded. The last 14,5mm 2M-7 mounts were decommissioned along with the boats in the 21st century.
During the Soviet era, anti-aircraft units assigned to marine and coastal defense battalions were armed with towed twin ZU-2 anti-aircraft mounts chambered for 14,5x114 mm ammunition.
Production of the ZU-2 began in 1955 and continued until the early 1960s. Weighing 621 kg in its firing position, this mount replaced the 14,5 mm towed twin-barreled ZPU-2, which had entered service in 1949 and weighed approximately 1000 kg. The ZU-2 and ZPU-2 had identical basic combat characteristics. Due to its relatively light weight, the ZU-2 could be towed by a light GAZ-69 all-terrain vehicle and rolled over short distances by a five-man crew. The loaded belts were stored in 50-round boxes. The total rate of fire was 1100 rounds per minute. The effective range against air targets was up to 1500 m.
Until the mid-1990s, quadruple 14,5mm ZPU-4 mounts were used to cover fixed and mobile artillery batteries, coastal anti-ship systems, radar stations, and mobile communications centers. Until recently, a number of these mounts were also in storage.
After being adopted into service in 1949, the ZPU-4 mounts played a long-standing role in Soviet air defense systems. Thanks to their high firepower, they were popular with foreign customers and participated in numerous local conflicts.
The quadruple 14,5mm mount, thanks to its four-wheel carriage and jacks, had excellent stability during firing. However, its weight reached 2100 kg, equivalent to that of the 37mm 61-K anti-aircraft gun, reducing mobility. Initially, all-wheel-drive GAZ-63 trucks were used to tow the ZPU-4. The wheel suspension allowed for travel at speeds of up to 50 km/h. A high rate of fire (2200 rounds per minute) and sophisticated sighting devices, which took into account target speed, course, and dive angle, made the ZPU-4 quite effective at engaging aerial targets flying at speeds of up to 300 m/s. The crew consisted of six men.
The next exhibit after the ZPU-4 is a BTR-60PB amphibious wheeled armored personnel carrier, its paint faded to yellow. Vehicles of this type were used by the Soviet Marine Corps from the late 1960s to the mid-1980s.
At the time of the BTR-60's development, the USSR lacked a suitable engine for a four-axle vehicle of such a weight, so the developers were forced to use two GAZ-51 engines, which created difficulties in operation, maintenance, and repair. The BTR-60's powerplant consisted of two GAZ-40P liquid-cooled carburetor engines, a high-performance version of a truck engine producing 90 hp. Both engines, each with a separate transmission, were mounted on a common frame in the engine compartment along the vehicle's axis, each driving two axles. The transmission design allowed the vehicle to continue driving at speeds of up to 60 km/h if one engine failed or was disconnected.
The armored personnel carrier, weighing approximately 10,000 kg, could reach speeds of up to 80 km/h on the road. However, its typical speed in a convoy was no more than 50 km/h. Off-road, it could reach speeds of up to 25 km/h. Its afloat speed was 10 km/h. Its road cruising range was up to 500 km. Its 7-11 mm thick armor protected the crew and troops from rifle bullets and light shrapnel. The BTR-60PB's armament consisted of a twin 14,5 mm KPVT machine gun and a 7,62 mm PKT machine gun in a rotating turret.
Next to the BTR-60PB stands the BRDM-2 armored reconnaissance and patrol vehicle, from the turret of which, instead of the standard twin 14,5 mm KPVT and 7,62 mm PKT guns, some kind of thin tube sticks out.
The BRDM-2's primary missions were reconnaissance and patrol missions. Mobile air defense missile systems, anti-tank guided missile systems, sound stations, and command vehicles were also developed on the basis of this wheeled armored vehicle.
The BRDM-2's combat weight is 7,000 kg. Armor thicknesses of 5-14 mm protect the four-man crew from bullets and shrapnel. A 140 hp carbureted engine provides a road speed of up to 100 km/h and afloat speed of 10 km/h. The vehicle's cruising range on the road is up to 750 km. To overcome trenches and dugouts, the BRDM-2 is equipped with two additional pneumatic wheels measuring 700 x 250 mm on each side. Before crossing obstacles, the wheels are lowered, and afterward, they are raised using four hydraulic lifts. These wheels, like the main wheels, are also the driving wheels.
Museum visitors will be drawn to the 130-mm SM-4-1 coastal towed artillery mount, which was produced from 1950 to 1958 at Plant No. 221 "Barrikady" in Stalingrad and the Starokramatorsk Machine-Building Plant in the Donetsk region. A total of more than 230 mounts were manufactured.
The two-axle mount, modeled after an anti-aircraft mount, provided excellent stability and all-round fire. Elevation angles ranged from -5 to +40°. However, this mount increased the overall weight of the system, and the 18,650 kg SM-4-1 gun was towed by a heavy AT-T tracked artillery tractor. The 130 mm mount weighed 17,800 kg in its firing position. Optical rangefinders and mobile radars mounted on trailers were used to control the artillery battery's fire.
The SM-4-1 fired separate-case loading ammunition originally developed for the SM-2-1 naval 130mm twin-barreled turret mount used on Project 41 and Project 56 destroyers. The 33 kg high-explosive fragmentation shell contained 2,49 kg of explosives. With a barrel length of 7000 mm, the shell's muzzle velocity was 940 m/s. The maximum firing range was 27,400 m. The ammunition complement could also include semi-armor-piercing, illumination, anti-radar, and anti-aircraft shells. The coastal battery did not have dedicated anti-aircraft anti-tank missiles, and was only capable of conducting barrage anti-aircraft fire at a rate of up to 12 rounds per minute using external target designation. The crew consisted of 12 people.
On the right side of the museum grounds, next to the M-30 howitzers, there are two more 130-mm SM-4-1 guns, which, like the 122-mm howitzers, are in poor technical condition and awaiting restoration.
The Japanese 75mm Type 38 field gun, adopted by the Imperial Japanese Army as its standard field gun in 1905, stands out among the domestic artillery systems in the museum's collection. This 75mm gun is essentially a copy of the German 75mm gun, Model 1903, created by Friedrich Krupp AG. Licensed production of the Type 38 was established in Osaka. In total, the Japanese army received over 2600 field guns of this type.
The Type 38 field gun had a conventional design for its time, complete with a limber and single-beam carriage, a simple hydraulic recoil compensation system, a piston breechblock, and an armor shield to protect the crew from bullets and shrapnel. The gun weighed 947 kg in its firing position. The 2286 mm long barrel gave a 6,56 kg fragmentation grenade a muzzle velocity of 510 m/s and a firing range of 8350 m. The horizontal firing arc was ±4°. In the vertical plane, the gun had aiming angles from -8° to +16°. The piston breechblock allowed for 10-12 rounds per minute. The gun was towed by a team of six horses. The crew consisted of eight men.
Unfortunately, the explanatory plaque attached to the gun's shield says nothing about its combat history or how it ended up in Vladivostok.
The Vladivostok Fortress Museum collection contains two anti-aircraft missiles: the B-611 from the M-11 Shtorm air defense missile system and the B-601 from the M-1 Volna air defense missile system.
A V-601 SAM from the M-1 Volna-M air defense missile system is on display at the Vladivostok Fortress Museum.
The M-1 Volna SAM system, accepted into service in 1962, is essentially a navalized version of the highly successful S-125 Neva anti-aircraft missile system. The V-601 SAM system had a maximum range of 20 km against air targets, with a ceiling of 14 km. Its maximum speed was 730 m/s. Its launch weight was 953 kg. Its length was 6093 mm, with a first stage diameter of 552 mm and a second stage diameter of 379 mm. Its wingspan was 1,6 m.
The Volna family of missile systems, which could not only hit air targets but also surface targets, were used to arm missile cruisers of Project 58 and Project 1134, large anti-submarine ships of Project 61, as well as destroyers of Project 56A/K/U and Project 57.
The M-11 Shtorm universal air defense system was also capable of engaging surface targets. This system was first installed on the Project 1123 anti-submarine cruiser Moskva, commissioned in 1967. This air defense system was developed exclusively for the navy, and there is no land-based equivalent.
A V-611 SAM from the M-11 "Shtorm" air defense missile system is on display at the Vladivostok Fortress Museum.
Compared to the Volna SAM system, the Shtorm system had a longer range, reaching 55 km against air targets and a ceiling of 30 km. The V-611 missile had a launch weight of 1844 kg, a length of 6100 mm, and a diameter of 655 mm. Its wingspan was 2,2 m. The Shtorm systems were installed on Project 1123 and 1143 anti-submarine cruisers and Project 1134 A/B large anti-submarine ships.
In addition to ship-to-air missiles, the museum's collection includes P-35 and P-500 anti-ship cruise missiles, as well as the 85RU anti-submarine missile-torpedo.
A P-35 anti-ship cruise missile on display at the Vladivostok Fortress Museum.
The P-35 anti-ship missile, designed to arm coastal defense systems and surface ships, was an evolutionary development of the P-5 missile, developed at OKB-52 under the direction of V.N. Chelomey. During the cruise phase, the P-35 was powered by a turbojet engine with a ventral air intake. Launch was achieved using solid-fuel boosters. The P-35 missile had several flight modes at altitudes ranging from 300 m to 7,000 m. Depending on altitude, the flight speed was 1300-1600 km/h, and the range was from 100 to 300 km. In addition to surface targets, the P-35 missile, equipped with a "special" warhead with a yield of up to 350 kt, could also hit ground targets. The loaded weight of the P-35 missile was 4,500 kg. Length: 10 m. Diameter: 900 mm. Wingspan: 2,6 m. Warhead weight: approximately 800 kg. The P-35 anti-ship missile was installed on the Redut and Utes coastal defense systems, as well as on the Project 58 and Project 1134 guided missile cruisers.
The P-500 anti-ship missile of the Bazalt system continued the development of the P-35 anti-ship missile. It was accepted into service in 1975. The P-500 was carried by Project 1143 heavy aircraft-carrying cruisers and Project 1164 guided-missile cruisers. From the late 1970s to the mid-1980s, 10 Project 675MK and 675MU submarines, which had previously carried the P-6 anti-ship missile, were rearmed with the Bazalt system.
A P-500 anti-ship cruise missile on display at the Vladivostok Fortress Museum.
The P-500 missile has a similar layout to the P-35, but is longer and heavier. Its cigar-shaped fuselage is equipped with a folding, highly swept delta wing and a vertical stabilizer under the fuselage. It is launched from a transport and launch container using two solid-fuel boosters attached to the aft section (either side of the stabilizer). The firing range can reach 500 km and operate at altitudes ranging from 50 to 5,000 m. Cruising speed, depending on the altitude profile, is 2200-2900 km/h. Warhead weight ranges from 500 to 1000 kg. The P-500 anti-ship missile could be equipped with a shaped-charge high-explosive warhead or a "special" warhead. Currently, the Bazalt complex has been removed from service and replaced by the longer-range Vulcan complex with the P-1000 missile.
The URK-5 Rastrub-B universal anti-submarine missile system, armed with the 85RU cruise missile-torpedo, was designed for anti-submarine warfare. This system was used on large anti-submarine ships of Project 1134-A/B and Project 1155, as well as patrol ships of Project 1135 and cruisers of Project 1144.
An 85RU cruise missile on display at the Vladivostok Fortress Museum.
The 85RU solid-fuel missile carries a UMGT-1 homing anti-submarine torpedo as its warhead. A special mode has been introduced for firing at surface targets, flying at an altitude of 15 meters instead of the 400 meters required for firing at submarines. A radio command system allows the missile's trajectory to be adjusted based on changes in the current acoustic bearing or course of a surface target. To reduce the missile's length, the main payload is located beneath the missile body. The anti-submarine torpedo separates from the missile at a predetermined point and lands on a parachute. It then dives, conducts a circulation search with its homing system, and engages the underwater target. When attacking a surface target, an infrared homing warhead is used, resulting in a direct hit. With a launch weight of approximately 4000 kg, the missile's range can reach 90 km. Flight speed is about 1000 km/h. Rocket length 7,2 m. Diameter – 574 mm.
Along the outer wall of the casemates, closer to the exit, torpedoes are installed: SET-53M and 53-39PM.
The SET-53M torpedo is on display at the Vladivostok Fortress Museum.
The SET-53M is a 533-mm electric anti-submarine torpedo. This torpedo, with a passive acoustic homing system, was accepted into service in 1964. It differs from the earlier version (SET-53) in having a larger-capacity silver-zinc battery and an improved guidance system. When ready for combat, the SET-53M weighs 1490 kg. Its range at a speed of 29 knots is 14 km. The warhead weighs 100 kg.
The 533-mm 53-39PM steam-gas torpedo entered service with the Soviet Navy in 1949 and is an improved version of the 53-39 torpedo, which was actively used during the Great Patriotic War. The 53-39 torpedo, in turn, was based on an Italian model acquired in 1932.
A 533-mm 53-39PM torpedo on display at the Vladivostok Fortress Museum.
According to the data provided on the plaque next to the torpedo, its loaded weight is 1820 kg. Its length is 7488 mm. Its range at 51 knots was 4000 m, and at 39 knots, 8000 m.
Also on display outside the museum are various anti-submarine bomb throwers, mine bodies, free-fall aviation and depth charges.
However, in order not to bore readers with unnecessary details, I will leave them outside the scope of the publication.
Let me briefly tell you about the museum exhibition located inside the artillery casemates.
The museum houses a wide variety of exhibits related to military affairs from ancient times to the present day: from bows and matchlock guns to anti-tank grenade launchers, mortars, modern small arms, and aircraft cannons.
In addition to numerous artillery shells, cartridges, mines, and grenades, the museum also houses a rich collection of stamped bricks and stove dampers from the mid-19th and early 20th centuries, which are living witnesses to the history of Vladivostok.
However, when examining the interior exhibition, one gets the feeling that the existing spaces are too cramped for such a large number of exhibits, and in some places, examples from different time periods are chaotically overlapping each other.
In some rooms, the exhibits are not arranged systematically, and some samples do not have explanatory plaques.
At the same time, the exhibition features very interesting rarities, copies of fascinating historical documents, and carefully crafted models of the fortifications of the Vladivostok Fortress.
If we ignore the cramped conditions and minor flaws, we can state that the Vladivostok Fortress Museum is well-run in its scientific work, and that efforts are made to ensure the preservation of the concrete fortifications and exhibits, which overall makes a very favorable impression.
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