Destroyer “Novik” (“Yakov Sverdlov”)
Technical Data
- Full displacement: 1,951 t
- Dimensions: 102.4 x 9.6 x 3.6 m
- Propulsion: boiler-turbine, triple-shaft, 42,000 hp
- Speed: 32 knots max / 16 knots economical
- Range: 1,800 miles
- Main armament: 4 x 102mm guns
- Anti-aircraft: 2 x 37mm guns, 4 x 12.7mm machine guns
- 3 x triple 450mm torpedo tubes
- 50 mines
- Crew: 168 men
Historical Information
The destroyer Novik was commissioned in 1913 and was the most modern warship of the Russian fleet, setting a world speed record of 37.3 knots. She took an active part in World War I, fighting in the Baltic. After the Revolution, she was renamed Yakov Sverdlov and placed in reserve after the Civil War. Later she was modernized at the Severnaya Verf shipyard in Leningrad and returned to the Baltic Fleet. From the start of the Great Patriotic War, she served in the 3rd Destroyer Division of the Baltic Fleet.
During the Tallinn Breakthrough on August 28, 1941, the destroyer was part of the Main Force. Yakov Sverdlov served as escort for the fleet flagship, the cruiser Kirov. At 8:47 PM, the destroyer struck a German EMC mine on mineline D.27 of the German-Finnish Juminda minefield. The ship broke in two and went under. 114 men perished. The ship was commanded at the time of her loss by Captain 2nd Rank A.M. Spiridonov.
Discovery of Novik
On May 25, 2018, during joint operations between the expedition “Tribute to the Ships of the Great Victory” and the Finnish search team SubZone, a side-scan sonar survey in Estonian economic waters north of Mohni Island detected the wreck of a warship. In size and profile, the wreck resembled a Novik-type destroyer broken in half.
The search area was determined by Russian historian Mikhail Ivanov based on Soviet and German archival materials. The archives made it highly probable that this was the destroyer Yakov Sverdlov, formerly the legendary Novik, but definitive identification required a diving survey.
Survey of the Discovered Destroyer
On June 16, 2018, joint Russian and Finnish dives were conducted from the research vessel Yoldia, with photo and video documentation for identification purposes.
The team decided to dive on the stern section and attempt to find the brass name letters on the transom, as well as to thoroughly document the aft deck and superstructure.
Dive conditions: bottom depth 76 meters, clay and silt seabed, water temperature +2 to +3 degrees C, visibility 1-3 meters.
The dive revealed the ship’s name — “Yakov Sverdlov” — spelled out in brass letters on the transom. Above the name, a Soviet coat of arms was found.
Survey of the aft deck showed that the stern gun was trained toward the stern, while the next two guns were trained at various angles to port — toward the enemy. Depth charges stood on the deck. The aft superstructure — characteristically large for the Novik — was examined, revealing an auxiliary command post with a helm, compass, and engine telegraphs, as well as a 37mm anti-aircraft gun. Further inspection toward the bow revealed severe deck damage from the explosion. The shockwave apparently dislodged the torpedo tubes from their mounts.
The destroyer was torn in half by the mine explosion, approximately at the location of the second smokestack. Both halves lie on the seabed oriented north-south. The stern section rests on an even keel. The bow section is upside down with the stem slightly raised — the bow is likely resting on the seabed on its conning tower.
Historical Photos and Ship Diagrams
Sonar Images and Photos from the First Dive
