The ''Leninets'' or L class were the second class of

submarine A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...

s to be built for the Soviet Navy. Twenty-five were built in four groups between 1931 and 1941. They were

minelaying A minelayer is any warship, submarine or military aircraft deploying explosive mines. Since World War I the term "minelayer" refers specifically to a naval ship used for deploying naval mines. "Mine planting" was the term for installing controll ...

submarines and were based on the

British L-class submarine The British L-class submarine was originally planned under the emergency war programme as an improved version of the British E-class submarine. The scale of change allowed the L class to become a separate class. The armament was increased when ...

, , which was sunk during the British intervention in the

Russian Civil War , date = October Revolution, 7 November 1917 – Yakut revolt, 16 June 1923{{Efn, The main phase ended on 25 October 1922. Revolt against the Bolsheviks continued Basmachi movement, in Central Asia and Tungus Republic, the Far East th ...

. Some experience from the previous s was also utilised. The boats were of the saddle tank type and mines were carried in two stern galleries as pioneered on the pre-war Russian submarine Krab (1912), the world's first minelaying submarine. These boats were considered successful by the Soviets. Groups 3 and 4 had more powerful engines and a higher top speed.

Ships

Group 1

Shadowgraph Leninets class II mod series submarine

Six ships were built (L1 to L6), all launched in 1931. Three were assigned to the

Baltic Fleet , image = Great emblem of the Baltic fleet.svg , image_size = 150 , caption = Baltic Fleet Great ensign , dates = 18 May 1703 – present , country = , allegiance = (1703–1721) (1721–1917) (1917–1922) (1922–1991)(1991–present) ...

and three to the

Black Sea Fleet Chernomorskiy flot , image = Great emblem of the Black Sea fleet.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Great emblem of the Black Sea fleet , dates = May 13, ...

, including

Soviet submarine L-3 The World War II Soviet submarine ''L-3'' belonged to the L-class or ''Leninets'' class of minelayer submarines. It had been named ''Bolshevik'' and later ''Frunzenets'', before it was decided that submarines should stop having names and carry num ...

Group 2

Shadowgraph Leninets class XI mod series submarine

Six ships were built (L7 to L 12) and launched between 1935 and 1936. All were built for the Pacific Fleet by plant 202 "Dalzavod" Vladivostok and plant 199 Komsomolsk-na-Amure.

Group 3

Shadowgraph Leninets class XIII mod series submarine

Seven ships were built (L13 to L19) and launched from 1937 to 1938. All were assigned to the Pacific Fleet. Considered a new project, the hull was based on the ''Srednyaya'' class. They carried 18 mines.

Group 4

Shadowgraph Leninets class XIII-1938 series submarine

6 ships were built (L20 to L25) and launched from 1940 to 1941. 3 were assigned to the Baltic Fleet and 3 to the Black Sea Fleet. This group added stern torpedo tubes and new, more powerful diesel engines.

References

Sources

* * Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). ''Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946.'' Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. . * Yakubov, Vladimir and Worth, Richard. (2008) ''Raising the Red Banner: The Pictorial History of Stalin's Fleet 1920-1945.'' Spellmount.

External links

L-class submarines
{{WWII Soviet ships