Summary
S-7 was a Stalinets-class submarine of the Soviet Navy. Her keel was laid down by Krasnoye Sormovo in Gorkiy on 14 December 1936. She was launched on 5 April 1937 and commissioned on 30 June 1940 in the Baltic Fleet. During World War II, the submarine was under the command of Captain Sergei Prokofievich Lisin and took part in the Soviet submarine Baltic Sea campaign in 1942. S-7 scored victories, but was sunk in action.
 S-7 in Baltic Sea, circa 1941
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Soviet Union | |
| Name | S-7 |
| Builder | Krasnoye Sormovo, Gorkiy |
| Laid down | 14 December 1936 |
| Launched | 5 April 1937 |
| Commissioned | 30 June 1940 |
| Fate | Sunk by Vesihiisi on 21 October 1942 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Soviet S-class submarine |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 77.8 m (255 ft 3 in) |
| Beam | 6.4 m (21 ft 0 in) |
| Draught | 4.4 m (14 ft 5 in) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Test depth | 100 m (330 ft) |
| Complement | 50 officers and men |
| Armament |
|
Service history edit
The submarine made all her victories in summer 1942, having some success against the German-Swedish iron ore shipping lines (the main target of 1942 Soviet submarine campaign).
| Date | Ship | Flag | Tonnage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 July 1942 | Margareta | 
|
1,272 GRT | freighter (torpedo) |
| 11 July 1942 | Lulea |
|
5,611 GRT | freighter (torpedo) |
| 30 July 1942 | Kathe | 
|
1,599 GRT | freighter (torpedo) |
| 5 August 1942 | Pohjanlahti | 
|
682 GRT | freighter (deck gun) |
| Total: | 9,164 GRT | |||
On 27 July 1942 S-7 also attacked the German merchant Ellen Larsen (1,938 GRT): the torpedoes missed and S-7 opened fire with her gun. As result the merchant was driven ashore.[1]
Loss edit
While attempting a new campaign (after the successful summer one), S-7 was attacked, torpedoed and sunk by the Vesihiisi.
Four crewmembers were saved and captured, including the commander Lisin. Commander Lisin was believed killed in action and was awarded post-mortem the distinction, Hero of the Soviet Union. Once Finland signed an armistice with the Allies in 1944, Lisin was freed and was sent by the Soviets to an NKVD special camp. However accusations against him were dropped (he kept the title of Hero) and became a military instructor at an officer school.[2]
Discovery of wreck edit
In July 1998, the wreck of S-7 was found. The official data of war archives alleges that S-7 was torpedoed in Finnish waters, but the submarine was found in Swedish territorial waters – east of Söderarm in Stockholm's northern archipelago.[3]
References edit
- ^ a b "S-7 of the Soviet Navy – Soviet Submarine of the S (Stalinec) class – Allied Warships of WWII". uboat.net. Retrieved 2014-08-03.
- ^ Orlov Alex; Dmitriy Metelev; Evgeniy Chirva. "Великая Отечественная - под водой" (in Russian). Town.ural.ru. Archived from the original on 2014-08-09. Retrieved 2014-08-03.
- ^ Ringman, Magnus; Cantwell, Oisín (31 July 1998). "Ubåten rostar mitt i farleden" [The submarine rusting in the middle of the sea lane]. Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 29 July 2015.