# MV Stary Bolshevik

Soviet ship Stary Bolshevik (Russian: Старый большевик, lit. 'Old Bolshevik') was a Soviet lumber motorship. It took part in several Arctic convoys of World War II as a general-purpose cargo ship. For the heroic actions while taking part in Convoy PQ 16 the ship was awarded the Order of Lenin, its captain, first mate, and helmsman were awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union, and the whole crew were awarded various orders and medals.

## Actions
### Spanish Civil War

The ship took part in Operation X, a secret Soviet weapons shipment to the Republicans during the Spanish Civil War.

### Second World War

The first trip of the ship was from Arkhangelsk to the United Kingdom as part of Convoy QP 1 in September 1941. In January 1942 she brought military cargo to Murmansk as part of Convoy PQ 8. The next trip was with Convoy QP 7 to the United States with the load of apatites in February 1942, where she picked military equipment and returned to Iceland where it joined Convoy PQ 16.

#### Convoy PQ 16

It was the 4th convoy (homebound leg of the 2nd roundtrip) for the ship. The ship was placed last in the order. It carried over 4,000 tonnes of load, including ammunition and explosives, as well as A-20 Boston aircraft on the deck. The last one was an attractive target for German bombers and torpedo planes. On May 27, 1942, the ship was heavily bombed and set on fire near Bear Island.
The PQ 16 convoy's command invited the Soviet sailors to abandon the ship, which was threatening to explode every minute. During lulls between German attacks the neighboring HMS Martin had approached him and helped Stary Bolshevik with fire hoses and pumping the water out, and with doctor. On that occasion British sailors were surprised to learn that about 50 % of Stary Bolshevik's crew were women. The British destroyer wanted to pick up the crew of the Soviet transport, and then to sink the motorship: such was the usual practice of convoys. But the crew did not leave the ship and responded to this proposal with one phrase: "We are not going to bury the ship." Then the convoy went on, fighting off the continuing attacks of the enemy planes, and the burning transport was left alone with the fire.
For eight hours the Stary Bolshevik's crew fought to save their ship – and in the end they won – saving it and the cargo. The fire was extinguished, a patch was put on the holes, and the transport moved in pursuit of the convoy. He caught up with him the next day, when no one expected his return. Seeing a wounded, with a hole in the side, an actually demolished funnel and a charred deck, a timber carrier approaches the warrant and takes its place in it, the convoy commander ordered to raise the flag hoist "Well done" on the signal halyard of the escort's flagship. In the sparing of emotions in the language of sea signals, this means admiration for the actions of the ship's crew to whom this phrase is addressed. On the evening of May 30, Convoy PQ 16 entered Kola Bay.
The next trip of Stary Bolshevik was with Convoy QP 13 to the United Kingdom in June 1942 and then he moved to the Pacific Ocean for service at the Soviet Far East, and was subsequently used to move goods along the Pacific Route. The ship later underwent repairs in the United States.

##### Awards

Awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union, Helmsman Boris Akazyonok, also had the combat assignment of an anti-aircraft gunner. In the commendation it was reported that due to his skillful maneuvering he three times avoided torpedo attacks. When bombing caused fire, he was one of the first to rush into the cargo hold with bomb fuses to move them into a safer place. Also, operating the aft anti-aircraft gun he hit a German torpedo bomber.
In 1942 Captain Ivan Afanasyev [ru] was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union. In 1943 he was awarded Officer of the Order of the British Empire (civil division).
In 1942 First Mate and Deputy for Political Matters Konstantin Petrovsky [ru] was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union.
In 1943 Chief Engineer Nikolay Pugachyov was awarded Member of the Order of the British Empire (civil division).
The ship itself was awarded the Order of Lenin, displayed on ensign.

## Footnotes

* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Kola Encyclopedia 2013.
* 1 2 3 "Ship: STARI BOLSHEVIK - singledecker (IMO: 5338945)". ShipVault. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Yevseyev 1976.
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Isayenko 2003.
* ↑ Ruegg & Hague 1993, p. 37.
* ↑ "Sulzer ship list". Derbysulzers.com. May 17, 2017. Archived from the original on April 7, 2023. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
* 1 2 Рассказы о знаменитых кораблях, p. 90.
* ↑ "История легендарного теплохода Старый большевик".
* ↑ "75 лет подвигу советского парохода "Старый большевик" из конвоя PQ".
* ↑ Forgotten Sacrifice: The Arctic Convoys of World War II, p. 141.
* ↑ Daniel Kowalsky, Stalin and the Spanish Civil War, Chapter 9: Operation X, citing Толмачёв, Владимир Александрович, Советский Союз и Испания: опыт и уроки интернациональной помощи, kandidat nauk (history) thesis, 1991.
* 1 2 "Ivan Afanasyev". warheroes.ru (in Russian).
* ↑ Forgotten Sacrifice, p. 130.
* ↑ BBC History; WW2 People's War Homepage ; PQ 16 - Chapter 1 by Ron Kilby.
* ↑ "Memoirs of Charles James Witham - An Account of his time on HMS Martin (G44)".
* ↑ The Maritime Fleet Museum 2017.
* ↑ "Boris Akazyonok". warheroes.ru (in Russian).
* 1 2 «Старый большевик», 3 декабря 2015, «Аргументы Недели. Владивосток».
* ↑ "Konstantin Petrovsky". warheroes.ru (in Russian).