Ex-Shmel-Class (Project 1204)
After a lull in river gunboat development following the end of the Second World War, the development of new shallow-draught vessels in the late 1950s and early 1960s ed in the USSR and the Shmel-class (Project 1204) was the result. These were notably the last ever riverine gunboats of the Soviet Navy; the concept has largely died out as the need for blue-water naval powers to operate “brown-water” vessels decreased in the years following the Second World War and particularly after the conclusion of the Vietnam War.
Built by two shipyards, one based in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), and the other based in Nikolaev (now Mykolaiv). Around 118 were built across the two shipyards. The ship was designed to operate as a powerful “brown-water” navy vessel and as a coast guard patrol boat. Technically a riverine gunboat, it was armed with a 76.2mm D-56TS tank gun from the PT-76 amphibious light tank of the Red Army. This was a powerful gun for such a small vessel and gave it considerable potency. It featured a tiny 7.62mm coaxial machine gun fixed in the turret, which was perhaps of questionable use in a riverine vessel due to the limited traverse.
They were powered by two M-50F diesel engines, allowing for a top speed of 24 knots. They had a limited range of only 320 nautical miles due to their small size and intended role. It was lightly armoured, with up to 15mm of plating over the main turret, 10mm on the conning tower and 8-4mm across the belt and deck respectively. This was enough to protect from small arms fire and some heavy machine guns but not much else. These ships were fitted with a wide array of additional armament throughout their careers, some featured 25mm autocannons, 14.5mm heavy machine guns, multiple-launch rocket systems, grenade launchers or even mines, with different ships featuring different combinations of these weapons.
The boats were widely used by the Soviet Navy, and some continue to be used by the modern Russian Navy, despite their age. They were exported to multiple countries, including Abkhazia, Cambodia, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan The former received 4 units in 2004, with one of those cannibalised for spare parts. Cambodia received 4 units between 1984 to 1985, discarding them in the late 90s. Uzbekistan continues to operate the 8 units they received from Russia in 1993 as their primary river force. Ukraine received 4 units between 1994-1999 and continues to operate them as part of their coast guard (the Lubny-class) in the present day.
To conclude, these were small and simple riverine gunboats, although equipped with relatively powerful weaponry. They were highly capable, albeit in a very small sphere of naval combat and they were highly modifiable, capable of operating a huge range of weaponry. However, with river combat an ever-decreasing theatre of modern naval warfare, it wouldn’t surprise me to see the development and acquisition of future similar warships around the world dwindle to nothing in years to come.
CLASS OVERVIEW
| Ships In Class | Builder | Laid Down | Launched | Commissioned | Acquired From | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ex-AK-248 | Zalyv Shipbuilding Yard, Kerch, Ukraine | 1967-1971 | 1967-1971 | 1967-1971 | Russia, 2004 | In Service |
| Ex-AK-527 | Zalyv Shipbuilding Yard, Kerch, Ukraine | 1967-1971 | 1967-1971 | 1967-1971 | Russia, 2004 | Decommissioned, Dismantled For Spare Parts, 2004 |
| Ex-AK-582 | Zalyv Shipbuilding Yard, Kerch, Ukraine | 1967-1968 | 1967-1968 | 1968 | Russia, 2004 | In Service |
| Ex-AK-599 | Zalyv Shipbuilding Yard, Kerch, Ukraine | 1967-1968 | 1967-1968 | 1968 | Russia, 2004 | In Service |
STATISTICS
| Shmel-Class (As Built) | |
|---|---|
| Type | Riverine Gunboat |
| Operators | Abkhazia, Cambodia, Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan |
| Preceded By | None |
| Succeeded By | None |
| Standard Displacement | Unknown |
| Full Displacement | 71 Tonnes 77 Tonnes (Ex-AK-248) |
| Length | 27.40 Metres |
| Beam | 4.32 Metres |
| Draught | 0.85 Metres 1.00 Metre (Ex-AK-248) |
| Machinery | 2 x M-40F Diesel Engines, 2 x 25KW DGA-25-9 Diesel Generators, 2 x Shafts |
| Power | 2,400 SHP |
| Speed | 24.0 Knots |
| Range | 320 Nautical Miles @ 10.0 Knots 240 Nautical Miles @ 20.0 Knots |
| Complement | 14 |
| Sensors, Electronic Warfare, & Other Systems | Donets-2 Navigational Radar |
| Armament | (Ex-AK-582, Ex-AK-599): 1 x 76.2mm/48 D-56TS Tank Gun [1 x 1], 2 x 14.5mm/93 2M-7 Heavy Machine Guns [1 x 2], & 1 x 7.62mm/94 SGMT (SG-43) Goryunov Coaxial Medium Machine Gun [1 x 1], 4 x UGDM mines Or 10 x YaM Mines (Ex-AK-248): 1 x 76.2mm/48 D-56TS Tank Gun [1 x 1], 2 x 25mm/79 2M-3M Autocannons [1 x 2], 17 x 140mm BM-14-17 (8U35) Rocket Launchers [1 x 17], 4 x 30mm BP-30 (AGS-17) Plamya Grenade Launchers [4 x 1], & 1 x 7.62mm/94 SGMT (SG-43) Goryunov Coaxial Medium Machine Gun [1 x 1], 4 x UGDM mines Or 10 x YaM Mines |
| Armour | Armoured Belt: 8mm Deck: 4mm Gun Turret: 15-10mm Conning Tower: 10-4mm |
GALLERY
In order of appearance, left-to-right, top-to-bottom. Only where attribution is required has it been provided:
Hero Image & Gallery Image #1: By Mike1979 Russia – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0
Gallery Image #2: By Георгий Долгопский – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0
Gallery Image #3: By Георгий Долгопский – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0
Gallery Image #4: By Mil.ru, CC BY 4.0
Gallery Image #5: By Mil.ru, CC BY 4.0
Gallery Image #6: By Mil.ru, CC BY 4.0
Gallery Image #7: By Mil.ru, CC BY 4.0
25mm/79 110-PM 2M-3M Autocannon Image: By ShinePhantom, CC BY-SA 3.0