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.
Built as a battle-cruiser under yard No 201 by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg for the Imperial German Navy.
08 April 1909 ordered.
12 August 1909 laid down.
28 March 1911 launched as the SMS GOEBEN, named after the Franco-Prussian General August von Goeben, one sister the MOLTKE. She was christened by General Ploetz.
Displacement 22.979 tons standard, 25.400 tons full load. Dim. 186.6 x 29.5 x 8.7m. (draught).
Powered by two Parsons steam turbines, 85.661 shp, four shafts, speed 28 knots. Coal fired
Range 4.120 miles by a speed of 14 knots.
Armament 10 – 11 inch, 12 – 5.9 inch, 12 – 3.5 inch guns and 11 – G7 torpedoes in four tubes.
Crew 1053.
02 July 1912 commissioned. Building coast 41.564.000 Mark.
From 29 August till 24 September 1912 a unit in the autumn fleet manoeuvres.
01 November 1912 a unit of the Mediterranean Squadron.
Spring 1913 used in the eastern Mediterranean.
21 August till 16 October 1913 under repair in Pola.
From January till May 1914 visited ports in Italy and Adriatic.
04 August 1914 coastal bombardment of Philippeville, French African coast when underway to the Dardanelles.
07 August 1914 a short battle with HMS GLOUCESTER.
10 August 1914 after arrival sold to Turkey, but still operated with German crews.
16 August 1914 renamed in YAVUZ SULTAN SELIM.
29 October 1914 carried out a coastal bombardment on Sevastopol, when returning to Turkey she was attacked by three Russian destroyers and the minelayer PRUT. The PRUT was scuttled by is own crew and the flagship of the 4th Destroyer Flotilla, LEITENANT PUSHCHIN was heavily damaged by JAVUZ SULTAN SELIM’s gunfire.
18 November 1914 carried out a bombardment on the Crimea peninsula (Battle of Cape Sarych) with parts of the Russian Black Sea fleet including the battle-cruiser SVJATOJ EVSTAFIJ and four other battle ships, the JAVUZ SULTAN SELIM was hit one time, killing 13 and wounding 3 men, the Russian battleship is hit three times.
26 December 1914 hit by two mines when entering the Bosporus, she got holed and about 2000 tons of water flowed into the ship. Repair took a couple of months.
During a raid in the Black Sea on 02 and 03 April she sank two Russian merchant ships.
10 May 1915 YAVUZ SULTAN SELIM engaged the Russian Black Sea Fleet under which the SVJATOJ EVSTAFIJ and IOANN ZLATOUST when the Russian fleet attacks the forts in the Bosporus, during this battle she was hit three times, but without inflicting damages herself.
14 November 1915 she was attacked by the Russian submarine MORZ without success.
07 January 1916 fought a battle of 11 minutes with the new Russian battleship IMPERATRITSA EKATERINA VELIKAYA, by her high speed YAVUZ SULTAN SELIM escaped.
February 1916 she carried Turkish troops to the Caucasus front, disembarking the troops in Trabson,
03 till 06 June 1916 carried out bombardment on Tuapse and Sochi in Russia,
When leaving the Bosporus she met the battleship IMPERATRISA EKATERINA VELIKAYA and PAIMAT MERKURIA and two other battleships and two submarines, by tactical mistakes made by the Russian commander the YAVUZ SULTAN SELIM escaped unharmed.
Due to the appearance of superior Russian warship in the Black Sea she moved her operations into the Mediterranean.
20 January 1918 she together with her sister MIDILLI attacked British troop transports near the island of Imbros in the Mediterranean.
She sinks in the Kusu Bay the monitor HMS RAGLAN and M28 with the loss of 123 British seamen.
The operation was cancelled when she was hit by two mines and the MIDILLI also was hit and sank. During her return to Turkey she was attacked by British airplanes in which she two times was hit, badly damaged and holed she managed to return to the Dardanelles and was beached at the Narrows.
26 January 1918 refloated and returned to Istanbul.
02 May 1918 she arrived at Sevastopol for repairs.
27 June 1918 sent to Novorossiysk.
02 November 1918 the German crew was relieved by a Turkish crew, and transferred to the Ottoman Empire.
09 November 1918 laid up at Izmir.
Between 1926 to 1930 refitted and modernized by the Turkish shipyard at Gölcük.
Recommisioned and renamed YAVUZ SELIM.
1936 Renamed in YAVUZ.
1941 Mainmast removed and 28cm gun mountings modernized.
Since 1948 used as a stationary training vessel at Gölcük.
20 December 1950 decommissioned.
1971 Sold for scrap, and was broken up between 1973 and 1976.
Turkey 1949 30k sg1413, scott994.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS_Goeben http://www.german-navy.de/hochseeflotte ... tions.html http://www.turkeyswar.com/navy/battleships-yavuz.htm




