Soviet ship ''Stary Bolshevik'' (russian: Старый Большевик, translated as ''Old

Bolshevik The Bolsheviks (russian: Большевики́, from большинство́ ''bol'shinstvó'', 'majority'),; derived from ''bol'shinstvó'' (большинство́), "majority", literally meaning "one of the majority". also known in English ...

'') was a Soviet

lumber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, wi ...

steamship A steamship, often referred to as a steamer, is a type of steam-powered vessel, typically ocean-faring and seaworthy, that is propelled by one or more steam engines that typically move (turn) propellers or paddlewheels. The first steamships ...

. It took part in several

arctic convoys of World War II The Arctic convoys of World War II were oceangoing convoys which sailed from the United Kingdom, Iceland, and North America to northern ports in the Soviet Union – primarily Arkhangelsk (Archangel) and Murmansk in Russia. There were 78 convoys ...

as a general-purpose

cargo ship A cargo ship or freighter is a merchant ship that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year, handling the bulk of international trade. Cargo ships are usu ...

. For the heroic actions while taking part in

Convoy PQ 16 Convoy PQ 16 (21–30 May 1942) was an Arctic convoy of British, United States and Allied ships from Iceland to Murmansk and Archangelsk in the Soviet Union during the Second World War. The convoy was the largest yet and was provided with a consi ...

the ship was awarded the

Order of Lenin The Order of Lenin (russian: Орден Ленина, Orden Lenina, ), named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was established by the Central Executive Committee on April 6, 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration b ...

, its captain, first deputy for political matters, and

helmsman A helmsman or helm (sometimes driver) is a person who steering, steers a ship, sailboat, submarine, other type of maritime vessel, or spacecraft. The rank and seniority of the helmsman may vary: on small vessels such as fishing vessels and yacht ...

were awarded

Hero of the Soviet Union The title Hero of the Soviet Union (russian: Герой Советского Союза, translit=Geroy Sovietskogo Soyuza) was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for ...

, and the whole crew were awarded various orders and medals.''Рассказы о знаменитых кораблях''
p. 90
/ref>''Forgotten Sacrifice: The Arctic Convoys of World War II''
p. 141
/ref>

Actions

Spanish Civil War

The ship took part in Operation X, a secret Soviet weapons shipment to the Republicans during the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...

World War Two

The first trip of the ship was from Arkhangelsk to England in September 1941. In January 1942 she brought military cargo to Murmansk as part of

Convoy PQ 8 Convoy PQ 8 (8–17 January 1942) was an Arctic convoy of the Western Allies to aid the Soviet Union during the Second World War. The convoy left Iceland on 8 January 1942. On 12 January the convoy had to turn south to avoid ice; the weather was c ...

. The next trip was with

Convoy QP 13 Convoy QP 13 was an Arctic convoy of the PQ/QP series which ran during the Second World War. It was the thirteenth of the numbered series of convoys of merchant ships westbound from the Arctic ports of Arkhangelsk and Murmansk to the United Kingd ...

to New York with the load of

apatite Apatite is a group of phosphate minerals, usually hydroxyapatite, fluorapatite and chlorapatite, with high concentrations of OH−, F− and Cl− ions, respectively, in the crystal. The formula of the admixture of the three most common e ...

s, where she picked military equipment and returned to Iceland where it joined

Convoy PQ 16

It was the 4th (homebound leg of the 2nd roundtrip) convoy for the ship. The ship was placed last in the order. It carried over 4,000

tonne The tonne ( or ; symbol: t) is a unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. It is a non-SI unit accepted for use with SI. It is also referred to as a metric ton to distinguish it from the non-metric units of the short ton ( United State ...

s of load, including ammunition and explosives, as well as

A-20 Boston The Douglas A-20 Havoc (company designation DB-7) is an American medium bomber, attack aircraft, night intruder, night fighter, and reconnaissance aircraft of World War II. Designed to meet an Army Air Corps requirement for a bomber, it was or ...

bombers on the deck. The latter was an attractive target for German bombers. The ship was heavily bombed and set on fire, but the crew did not leave the ship and saved it and the cargo. During lulls between German attacks the neighboring helped ''Stary Bolshevik'' with fire hoses and pumping the water out, and with doctor. On that occasion British sailors were surprised to learn that about 50% of Stary Bolshevik's crew were women."Memoirs of Charles James Witham - An Account of his time on HMS Martin (G44)"
/ref>

=Awards

= Awarded Hero of the Soviet Union, helmsman Boris Akazyonok also had the combat assignment of an

anti-aircraft gun Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...

ner. In the commendation it was reported that due to his skillful maneuvering he three times avoided torpedo attacks. When bombing caused fire, he was one of the first to rush into the cargo hold with bomb fuses to move them into a safer place. Also, operating the aft anti-aircraft gun he downed a German

torpedo bomber A torpedo bomber is a military aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes. Torpedo bombers came into existence just before the First World War almost as soon as aircraft were built that were capable of carrying the weight ...

. In 1942 Captain was awarded Hero of the Soviet Union. In 1943 he was awarded Officer of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(civil division).«Старый большевик»
3 декабря 2015, «Аргументы Недели. Владивосток» In 1942 first deputy for political matters was awarded Hero of the Soviet Union. In 1943 senior motorist N.N. Pugachyov was awarded Member of the

(civil division). The ship itself was awarded the

, displayed on ship's flag.

References

{{reflist Lumber ships World War II merchant ships of the Soviet Union Merchant ships of the Soviet Union