The Kola class was the NATO reporting name for a group of frigates built for the Soviet Navy in the 1950s. The Soviet designation was Storozhevoi Korabl (escort ship) Project 42. These ships were analogous to World War II era destroyer escorts or German s. The programme consisted of only 8 ships as these vessels were considered to be too expensive for series production and the smaller and cheaper was built instead. Radars and sonars were fitted.
Design
The ships were designed for patrolling Soviet waters and escorting convoys. The design process involved a specification issued in 1946 and two design bureau submitted competing designs with both diesel and steam turbine machinery. The hull was welded and longitudinally framed. The machinery suite consisted of alternating boiler rooms and turbine rooms in a unit machinery arrangement. Armament consisted of four single dual purpose guns and torpedo tubes.
Ships
All ships were built by Yantar Yard, Kaliningrad. They were the first major ships built there after the transfer of the area to Soviet rule following World War II.
Name Russian Commissioned Fate Sokol Сокол (Falcon) 1951 transferred to the Caspian Sea, scrapped 1970s Berkut Беркут (Golden Eagle) 1952 Scrapped 1970sKondor Кондор (Condor)1952Lost in grounding accident near Murmansk 1962Grif Гриф (Vulture)1952Transferred to the Caspian Sea, scrapped 1970sKrechet Кречет (Gyrfalcon)1952Scrapped 1970sOrlan Орлан (Sea Eagle)1953Transferred to the Caspian Sea, scrapped 1970sLev Лев (Lion)1953Scrapped 1970sTigr Тигр (Tiger)1953Scrapped 1970s
See also List of ships of the Soviet Navy List of ships of Russia by project number
References Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen & Budzbon, Przemysław (1995). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. Site in Russian Language Site in Russian Language Russian Kola Class Frigates - Complete Ship List