The vessel depict on this stamp, entering the Volga – Don Canal lock No 1 in 1952, is the river- passenger ship JOSEPH STALIN.
Built at the Red Sormovo plant at Gorki in 1937 for the ERM, Soviet Union. She was the lead vessel of her class, and her hull was welded
Launched as JOSEPH STALIN, four sisters
Tonnage and dimensions?
Powered by two 6-BK-43 four-stroke 6-cyl diesel engines of 350 hp. each, speed 20 km/h
The two propellers were housed particular in tunnels to protect the propeller blades.
Bunker capacity 35 ton.
Flat bottomed, did have eight bulkheads, a round stern.
She was fitted out with a steering wheel fore and aft to pass easily through the many locks in the 128 km long canal.
For heating she was fitted out with a steam boiler.
Fitted out with berths for 18 passengers and eight four person cabins used by passengers without a berth.
One cargo hold of 108 m³.
Behind the engine room there were cabins for crew, a dinning room, hairdressing saloon and an other small cargo hold of 11 m³.
Also had a cinema and concert hall and a restaurant with seats for 100 persons.
1937 The Moscow Canal was opened and for this canal this five vessels were special built to pass through this canal from Moscow to the great rivers of Russia.
In 1938 she was featured in the Russian film Volga-Volga. Some scenes of the film are showed on a envelop of Russia issued in 2003, which shows also the director of the movie Mr. G. Alexandrov.
She got the honour to open op 27 July 1952 the Volga Don canal, as seen on the stamps.
During World War II attacked by enemy bombers.
After the war in 1947 again in-service in the Moscow River.
After Stalin died, was she in 1958 renamed in MIKHAIL FRUNZE.
1971 Out of service?
A model of the ship today you can find in a hall of the Red Sormovo plant at Gorky, were you can see also the movie Volga-Volga.
Russia 1947 50k sg1273, scott. (she is one of the JOSHEP STALIN class)
Russia 1952 8k sg?, scott? (cargo vessel leaving the Volga-Don Canal)
Russia 1952 40k sg 1783, scott?
Russia1r sg1806, scott? (also a photo after which this stamp was designed)
Russia 1956 envelope for the Volga-Volga film.
Rumania 1955 1.55 lei sg?, scott? (looks a Joshep Stalin class vessel?)
Source: info and images supplied by Mr. Gennadiy Sitnikov.
The painting I believe the stamp is designed after you can find: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28047774@N ... otostream/
Not any ships-name is given by the painting, but it shows us four Chilean warships and most probably the following ships are depict: SAN MARTIN, CHACABUCO, LAUTARO and ARAUCANO.
On the stamp I can see only 3 ships.
ATA Handbook 156 “Watercraft on Stamps” gives 5 ships the CHACABUCO of 1818, LAUTARO of 1800, SAN MARTIN of 1802 and the brigantines PUEYRREDON and ARAUCANA.
The only vessel not depict before on a stamp is the CHACABUCO below is her history and details, the other ships are given in the index except the PUEYRREDON, which I believe is not depict on the stamp.
She was built in Boston in 1812 under the name AVON after arrival in Coquimbo, Chile was she bought by merchants of Copiapó to be used as a privateer under the name COQUIMBO (sometimes also given as SANTA ROSA or SANTA ROSA DE COQUIMBO)
Tonnage 450 ton, dim. 131.3 x 26.3 x 8.2ft.
The merchants lost there interest in privateering and the COQUIMBO sailed to Valparaiso where she arrived on 23 May 1818.
20 June 1818 was she bought by the Chilean Government for $35,000 and renamed in CHACABUCO the first ship in the Chilean Navy under that name.
Armament 18 – 12 pdr. and 2 – 9 pdr. guns.
Crew 80.
Then incorporated in the First Naval Squadron of Chile under command of Commander Francisco Diaz.
10 October 1818 the squadron sailed from Valparaiso southbound to intercept a Spanish convoy of 11 transports escorted by the frigate MARIA ISABEL which had sailed from Cadiz on 21 May 1818.
She took not part in the capture of the MARIA ISABEL when the night before during a storm she got separated from the squadron.
18 November she made landfall on Isle Mocha where she captured the Spanish transports JEREZENA, CARLOTE and ROSALIA.
24 March 1819 she captured the Spanish schooner MOCTEZUMA during the second blockade of Callao.
When the Chilean fleet sailed to liberate Peru the CHACABUCO was under command of Juan José Tortel.
In January 1821 used in the second expedition to the Island Chiloé, arriving off Chiloé 16 January during strong winds. The crew discovered a bad leak and the officers decided to sail to Valdivia for repair.
But before Captain Tortel tried during that night with boats manned with 35 men to capture the Spanish frigate PRESIDENTE and two gunboats which were in the port of Ancud on the island.
Bad weather and the leaking which got worse (27 inches per hour) forced the CHACABUCO to return to Valparaiso without taken back on board the boats, who made it to Valdiva.
After repair she made voyages along the coast to Juan Fernandez and Talcahuano.
Late 1821she was under-manned and in bad shape.
July 1822 she was badly damaged during bad weather near Valparaiso and decommissioned afterwards.
09 December 1824 she brought the news of the victory of Ayacucho from Quilca to Valparaiso.
She was one of the four navy ship that sailed out in search for the Spanish ship ASIA.
Early February 1825 she sailed to Chiloé with orders that the Governor of Chiloé did surrender, the Governor rejected the orders.
Early 1826 she left from Corral as a unit with a fleet under command of Admiral Blanca, she bombarded San Carlos and gave protection to the landings which ended with the surrender of Governor Quintanilla and the annexation of the Archipelago Chiloé by Chile. Chiloé was the last Spanish enclave in South America.
01 April 1826 the CHACABUCO was sold to the United Provinces of Rio de la Plata, she was not renamed.
She made it safely to Argentina, but was in a bad shape, she was on 30 October off Cape Corrientes where she met Admiral Brown which was on board SARANDI.
The crew on board the CHACABUCO had to man the pumps day and night she was badly leaking.
Both ships passed the border with Brazil and the two ships parted between Cabo Frio and Rio de Janeiro.
The CHACABUCO captured some Brazilian ships.
19 November 1826 she met the powerful Brazilian fleet, (at that time she showed the French flag) she managed to escape but in the struggle she was damaged.
January 1827 she arrived in Carmen de Patagones where she remained in reserve.
Most of her canons were transferred on shore and used against the Brazilian expedition that tried to capture Carmen de Patagones between 27 February and 7 March 1827.
Her last naval operations was when she with two other ships of the fleet sailed on 14 August 1827 to harass Brazilian trade, but she was forced to return soon because she was leaking badly and unseaworthy.
She arrived at Patagones on 27 October where her armament and sails were removed, and she was used as a pontoon for many years in Patagones.
She ended her days as firewood.
Chile 1993 $80 sg1541, scott1073.
http://www.todoababor.es/datos_docum/nav_prov_chile.htm
