Evacuation of Tallinn

Three large convoys carried most of the troops. A fourth convoy was made of smaller vessels. Many smaller vessels sailed alone. The total number of naval ships and small vessels was 153 and the number of transports and other vessels was 75 ^[Zub01]. The ships and vessels were to be ready for departure on the roads off Tallinn between the net barrage and boom defence by 22.00 hours on 27 August. A force seven north-east wind delayed the beginning of the operation for more than 12 hours. The submarine chasers, launches, minesweepers and other small vessels could not sail in such weather. As a result, the evacuation fleet had to make its way through the mine barrages in darkness. The Baltic Red Fleets ships formed three task forces; the main force, covering force and rear guard. The main force was to protect the first and second transport convoys in the most dangerous section of the route, from Point Juminda to Suursaari island. The covering force was to protect second and third convoys between the islands of Keri and Vaindlo. The rear guard was to protect the third and fourth convoys from the rear. The small submarines M 98 and M 102 were sent to patrol areas south from Helsinki.

The first convoy had been planned to depart on 27 August at 22.00 hours. A convoy plan in ^[Pla05] shows three pairs of minesweepers in front, followed by a minesweeper and the merchantmen in a single line, three submarines followed the merchantmen and the two destroyers were the last ones. The flanks were covered by coastal patrol ships, MO-type patrol boats and a tug.

Minesweeper	Nr. 71, Krab		First sweeper pair
Minesweeper	Nr. 72, Dzherzhinski		First sweeper pair
Minesweeper	Nr. 57, Viesturs (former Latvian)		Second pair, also T 298
Minesweeper	Nr. 91, Lyapidevskiy		Second pair
Minesweeper	Nr. 52, Buyok		Third pair
Minesweeper	Nr. 56, Barometr		Third pair
Mobile base	Leningradsoviet
Headquarters ship	Vironia, former Estonian merchantman	2026 brt
Transport	VT-524 (former Latvian merchantman Kalpaks)	2190 brt
Transport	VT-547 (former Estonian merchantman Järvamaa)	1363 brt
Icebreaker	Kristjanis Voldemars	1932 brt
Floating workshop	Serp-i-molot
Transport	VT-511 (former Estonian merchantman Alev)	1446 brt
Transport	VT-530 (former Estonian merchantman Ella)	1523 brt
Transport	VT-563 (former Latvian merchantman Atis Kronvaldis)	1423 brt
Submarine	Щ 307
Submarine	Щ 308
Submarine	M 79
Destroyer	Svirjepyi
Destroyer	Surovyi
Coastal patrol ship	Bayan		Left flank, minesweeper without sweeping gear
Patrol boat	MO-507		Left flank
Coastal patrol ship	Ametist (former Estonian Sulev)		Left flank
Tug	OLS-7		Right flank
Patrol boat	MO-208		Right flank
Coastal patrol ship	Kasatka		Right flank

The submarine Щ 301, motor mine sweepers KTЩ-1201, KTЩ-1206, KTЩ-1208, KTЩ-1209, KTЩ-1210 and KTЩ-1211, transport VT-505 (Ivan Papanin), salvage vessel Neptun, schooner Urme (in tow) were also included in the first convoy, total 36 vessels ^{[Zub01][Pla05]}. Õun ^[Õun96] list only 32 vessels, he has not listed Щ 301, Ivan Papanin and Urme. Instead of Neptun he lists salvage vessel Saturn. Õun differs in the list of motor mine sweepers, KTЩ-1201, -1203, -1204, -1205, -1206 and list of patrol boats, MO-204, MO-207.

The plan of the second convoy in ^[Pla05] shows three pairs of minesweepers in front, followed by Azimuth, Moskva and merchantmen in a single line and the Tshapaev as last one. The flanks were covered by MO-type patrol boats and motor mine sweepers.

Minesweeper	No. 43 LVP-12		First sweeper pair
Minesweeper	No. 44 Izhorets-38		First sweeper pair
Minesweeper	No. 42		Second pair
Minesweeper	No. 47 Izhorets-69		Second pair
Motor minesweeper	KTЩ-1510		Third pair
Motor minesweeper	KTЩ-1511		Third pair
Netlayer	Azimuth
Gunboat	Moskva
Transport	VT-523 (Kazhakhstan)
Transport	VT-584 (former Estonian merchantman Naissaar)	1892 brt
Motor schooner	Atta (former Estonian)
Transport	VT-505 (Ivan Papanin)	3374 brt
Transport	VT-537 (former Latvian merchantman Ergonautis)
Netlayer	Vjatka
Transport	VT-550 (former Lithuanian merchantman Shauliai)
Netlayer	Onega
Transport	Everita
Coastal patrol ship	Tshapaev
Patrol boat	MO-214		Left flank
Motor minesweeper	KTЩ-1512		Left flank
Patrol boat	MO-200		Right flank
Motor minesweeper	KTЩ-1514		Right flank

The transport VT-543 (Vtoraya Pyatiletka), tug KP-12 towing TK-121 and tug Tasuja towing sweeper No. 86 (Izhorets-33), patrol ship Shors, sweepers No. 84 (Izhorets-28), No. 88 (Izhorets-31) and No. 121 (Izhorets-71), motor mine sweepers KTЩ-1203, KTЩ-1204, KTЩ-1205 and KTЩ-1509 were also included in the second convoy. Transport VT-505 (Ivan Papanin) is included in the convoy plan but it is listed in the first convoy. Minesweeper No. 42 is included in the convoy plan, but it is not listed ^{[Zub01][Pla05]}. The second convoy had according to ^[Zub01] and ^[Pla05] 34 vessels, but Õun lists only 21. Õun's list agrees with the larger vessels, but some smaller vessels are not listed ^[Õun96].

The plan of the third convoy was two pairs of minesweepers in front, followed by Amgun, the merchantmen in a single line and Kolyvan as last one. The flanks were covered by MO-type patrol boats and motor mine sweepers.^[Pla05].

Minesweeper	Nr. 58, Osetr		First sweeper pair
Minesweeper	Nr. 33, Olonka		First sweeper pair
Minesweeper	Nr. 35, Shuya		Second pair
Minesweeper	Nr. 83		Second pair
Gunboat	Amgun
Transport	VT-518 (Luga)
Transport	VT-512 (Tobol)	2758 brt
Transport	VT-581 (former Estonian merchantman Lake Lucerne)	2317 brt
Tanker	TN-12
Transport	VT-581 (Balhash)
Transport	VT-546 (former Estonian merchantman Ausma)	1791 brt
Transport	VT-574 (former Estonian merchantman Kumari)	237 brt
Transport	VT-543 (Vtoraya Pyatiletka)	3974 brt
Transport	VT-529 (Skrunda)
Salvage vessel	Kolyvan
Patrol boat	MO-501		Left flank
Motor minesweeper	KTЩ-1104		Left flank
Motor minesweeper	KTЩ-1109		Left flank
Patrol boat	MO-502		Right flank
Motor minesweeper	KTЩ-1101		Right flank
Motor minesweeper	KTЩ-1106		Right flank

The third convoy included also minesweeper Jastreb. The transport VT-543 (Vtoraya Pyatiletka) in the convoy plan is listed in the ships of the second convoy ^[Zub01]. According to ^[Zub01], and ^[Õun96] the third convoy had 21 vessels, inluding the Vtoraya Pyatiletka. Minesweeper Jastreb is not in Õun's list, but there is sailing ship Hiiusaar.

The fourth convoy was made of 11 smaller vessels. It had ^[Zub01].

Coastal patrol ship	Ost
Coastal patrol ship	Razhvedtshik
Gunboat	I-8	armed tug
Minesweeper	5M2 (Piksha)
Minesweeper	8M1 (Povodetsh)
Motor minesweeper	KTЩ-1503
Motor minesweeper	KTЩ-1504
Motor minesweeper	KTЩ-1505
Motor minesweeper	KTЩ-1506
Salvage vessel	Saturn
Tug	LP-5
Barge	TT-1	Torpedo transport

Õun adds to this list a large number of vessels ^[Õun96]: Submarine Щ 301, mine sweepers Izhorets-12, Izhorets-17 and TЩ-86, motor mine sweepers Jastreb, Vaindlo, Voronin, KTЩ-1208, -1209, -1210, -1211, motor torpedo boat TKA-121, survey ships Sekstant and Vostok, tugs Esro, Kaja, Paldiski, Venta, Vilma, KP-6, KP-17 and S-101, sailing ship Atta, VR-6, coastal ships Vaindlo and Vormsi, transport Everita and ice breaker Tasuja. According to Õun there were 38 vessels.

The main Soviet battlefleet under the command of Vice-Admiral V. Tributs, departed Tallinn harbor at 14.52 hours ^[Zub01]. The cruiser Kirov was Tributs’ flagship.

Cruiser	Kirov
Flotilla leader	Leningrad
Destroyer	Gordyi
Destroyer	Jakov Sverdlov
Destroyer	Smetlivyi
Submarine	Kalev (former Estonian)
Submarine	Lembit (former Estonian)
Submarine	S 4
Submarine	S 5
Icebreaker	Suur Tõll (former Estonian)	2417 brt
Mine sweeper	T-204 (Fugas)
Mine sweeper	T-205 (Gafel)
Mine sweeper	T-206 (Verp)
Mine sweeper	T-207 (Shpil)
Mine sweeper	T-217

The small vessels in the main force were motor torpedo boats No. 37, 73, 74, 84, 103, 113 and 114, MO-class patrol boats No. 112, 131, 133, 142, 202 and 204 ^{[Zub01][Pla05]}. The submarine Щ 405 may have been in the main force ^[Pla05].

The covering force ^[Zub01] sailed under command of rear admiral Pantelejev.

Flotilla leader	Minsk
Destroyer	Skoryi
Destroyer	Slavnyi
Submarine	Щ 322
Submarine	M 95
Mine sweeper	T-203 (Patron)
Mine sweeper	T-210 (Gak)
Mine sweeper	T-211 (Rym)
Mine sweeper	T-215
Mine sweeper	T-218

The small vessels in the covering force were motor torpedo boats No. 33, 53, 91, and 101, MO-class patrol boats No. 207, 212, 213 and 510 ^{[Zub01][Pla05]}. According to Õun the submarines M 98 and M 102 were in the covering force ^[Õun96], but they were sent to patrol south from Helsinki ^[Pla05].

The rear group was made of old destroyers and small patrol ships ^[Zub01]. The rear group was under command of rear admiral Rall.

Destroyer	Artyom
Destroyer	Volodarskiy
Destroyer	Kalinin
Coastal patrol ship	Burja
Coastal patrol ship	Sneg
Coastal patrol ship	Tsiklon

The small vessels in the rear group were motor torpedo boats No. 51 and 61, MO-class patrol boats No. 5, 195, 197, 204, 210, 211 and 232 ^{[Zub01][Pla05]}.

The first transport convoy sailed between islands Naissaar and Aegna at 12.15. A mine exploded in the sweeping gear of the first sweeper pair at 13.09 hours, four miles NW Aegna island. The second convoy passed Naissaar and Aegna at 15 hours and the third convoy 20 minutes later. The fourth convoy sailed at 14:15. The main force of Baltic Red Fleet weighed anchor and departed Tallinn harbor at 14.52 hours. It took the lead with the cruiser Kirov as flagship.

The Navy ships and convoys formed a line 15 miles long. The first convoy passed Keri island at 16 hours and was off Juminda peninsula at 18 hours. Soon thereafter the ships sailed directly to the mines. The steamer Ella was first to sink. Then began German air attacks, artillery fire from Finnish coastal batteries and later in the evening torpedo attacks by German Schnellboots and Finnish patrol boats. All this caused confusion, the train of ships stretched and sailing through the 200 m wide sweeped channel became impossible. The sweeping equipment of many sweeper were damaged by explosions and drifting mines cut loose from moorings were great danger. The sunset was at 20.40 hours and at 22 hours the visibility was only a cable length. Warships were not giving much protection to merchant ships, as they were fully occupied with drifting mines.

On the evening of 28. August following ships were lost ^[Pla05]:

1. At 18.05 VT-530 (Ella) from the first convoy hit a mine and sank.
2. At 18.20 tug LP-5 (S-101) from the fourth convoy that tried to rescue people from Ella hit a mine and sank.
3. At 18.30 icebreaker Kristjanis Voldemars from the first convoy was sunk by bombs.
4. At 19.40 the minesweeper Nr. 71 (Krab) sailing in the first sweeper pair of the first convoy hit a mine and sank.
5. At 20.11 submarine S 5 hit a mine and sank in 40 seconds. The boat had sailed in keel water of cruiser Kirov. The position is given as 59^o48'N, 25^o32'E, possibly barrage D25 ^[Mor01].
6. At 20.20 rescue vessel Saturn towing Vironia hit a mine and sank.
7. At 20.30 gunboat I-8 hit a mine and sank.
8. At 20.48 submarine Щ 301 hit a mine and sank. The position is given as 59^o52'N, 25^o16'E, either barrage F18 or D22. 14 men were picked up and taken to Vironia that sank a hour later ^[Mor01].
9. At 20.50 destroyer Jakov Sverdlov hit a mine and sank after 5-6 minutes.
10. At 21.45 Vironia hit a mine and sank. Vironia from the first convoy was damaged by air attack 18.30 and taken to tow by Saturn from the fourth convoy.
11. At 21.57 transport Everita from the second convoy hit a mine and sank. The ship had drifted slightly too much south from the sweeped lane.
12. At 22.05 the minesweeper Nr. 56 (Barometr) sailing in the third sweeper pair of the first convoy hit a mine and sank.
13. At 22.15 coastal patrol ship Tsiklon from the rear group hit a mine and sank.
14. At 22.30 destroyer Skoryj from the covering force hit a mine and sank while towing the damaged flotilla leader Minsk.
15. At 22.45 destroyer Kalinin from the rear group hit a mine and sank.
16. At 23.00 destroyer Volodarskiy from the rear group hit a mine and sank.
17. At 23.05 destroyer Artyom from the rear group hit a mine and sank.
18. At 23.00 VT-518 (Luga) from the third convoy hit a mine. As no towing was possible, the master decided to scuttle the ship.
19. Barge TT-1 hit a mine and sank.
20. The armed tug OLS-7 disappeared during the night.

Other ships lost on 28.8. are :

21. VT-547 (Järvamaa) hit a mine and sank at 21.00 near Suursaari ^[Õun96], or was mined and sank 29.8. at 17 hours west from Suursaari ^[Pla05].
22. Hiiusaar was bombed ^[Õun96].
23. Schooner Atta was torpedoed by Finnish VMV-17 ^[Õun96].

Before midnight the four convoys had to anchor in the middle of the barrage. The main force had sailed through the mine barrage and anchored north from Vaindlo. Flotilla leaders, four destroyers and few transports from I, II and IV convoys were north of Mohni lighthouse and the bulk of transports from the II and III convoys north from Juminda. On the morning of 29. August the ships continued their way. Bombers attacked again and sank several transport ships. Without air cover and anti-aircraft guns and their possibility to manoeuvre limited by mines, they were easy targets. During that day following ships were lost ^[Pla05]:

24. At 05.30 tug I-18 was captured by Finnish patrol boats.
25. At 05.30 tug Paldiski was captured by Finnish patrol boats.
26. At 06.51 a vessel sank in mine explosion, it might have been the salvage vessel of the third convoy, Kolyvan.
27. At 07.43 coastal patrol ship Sneg hit a mine and sank 30 minutes later.
28. At 08.39 a ship was sunk by mine.
29. At 08.41 another ship was sunk by mine. These two ships may have been transports Naissaar and Ergonautis from the second convoy.
30. At 09.06 VT-501 (Balkhash) from the third convoy hit a mine and sank.
31. At 12.30 VT-512 (Tobol) was sunk by bombs.
32. At 13.00 VT-546 (Ausma) was sunk by bombs.
33. At 15.00 VT-524 (Kalpaks) was sunk by bombs.
34. at 15.07 VT-520 (Evald) was sunk by bombs.
35. At 17.40 VT-563 (Atis Kronvaldis) was sunk by bombs.
36. At 18.10 tanker No 12 was sunk by bombs 5 miles east of Suursaari.
37. VT-529 (Skrunda) was hit 5 miles NW Vaindlo and the ship was scuttled 30.08.
38. VT-511 (Alev) was damaged by bombs and sank few miles west from Lavansaari.
39. VT-543 (Vtoraya Pyatiletka) was sunk by bombs.

A number of ships were beached at Suursaari during 29.8. ^[Pla05]:

40. The floating workshop Serp-i-molot was damaged by bombs and beached on southern end.
41. VT-505 (Ivan Papanin) was hit by bombs and the ship was run aground on west coast of Suursaari.
42. VT-581 (Lake Lucerne) run aground on south end of Suursaari after bomb damage.
43. VT-550 (Shauliai) was hit by bomb and towed to Suurkylä harbour on Suursaari.

The main naval forces arrived to Kronstadt in the afternoon of 29.8. The only transport that survived was Kazakhstan. The ship was damaged by bomb 29.8. at 07:15 near Vaindlo and it arrived to Kronstadt 2.9.

Zubkov summarizes the losses during Tallinn evacuation as ^[Zub01]:

• 22 navy vessels, these were 5 destroyers, 3 coast guard ships, 2 minesweepers, 2 submarines, one gunboat, one motor torpedo boat and 8 patrol boats.
• 43 other vessels, including 19 transports, one tanker, one ice breaker, a floating workshop, 7 tugs and two rescue vessels.

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This page is maintained by Jari Aromaa.
Last modified 8.7.2011.