Soviet ships are rammed by American ones. Case in the Black Sea: "Selfless" goes to ram! Radio silence in the fog

Another case, which is discussed below. With video and detailed description.
In the second half of the 1980s, an unusual incident occurred in the history of the Soviet Navy, associated with a physical confrontation between two warships of the USSR and the USA off the coast of Crimea. To everyone's satisfaction, the incident ended in a peaceful outcome, although military conflict seemed inevitable.

The picture was taken during the ramming of an American cruiser.

It is known that the Black Sea, in the northern part of which the Black Sea Fleet of the Soviet Union is based and operates, has nothing to do with the Gulf of Mexico, where American ships are in charge.

However, in 1986, the American cruiser URO "Yorktown" and the destroyer "Caron", having passed through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles, resolutely headed for the coast of Crimea. Having entered from the direction of Feodosia, the American ships proceeded without hindrance along the southern coast of Crimea and retired towards the Bosporus. The test of vigilance and readiness of the Black Sea Fleet to provide timely counteraction ended without conflicts.

American cruiser URO Yorktown, USS Yorktown (CG 48)

In 1988, old acquaintances re-entered the Black Sea, but this time on a counter-course from Sevastopol. The American duo of ships moved along the dial of the Black Sea in the opposite direction - as if clockwise, pressing into our territorial waters so defiantly that any doubts about the good intentions of overseas visitors disappeared.

Project 1135.2 "Petrel" (a mug sticks out in the porthole of the chassis mu_rena )

It should be noted that the International Convention on Shipping, signed by the USSR in the mid-eighties, stipulated the possible peaceful passage of warships with weapons on board through the "appendices" of the territorial waters of coastal states. But only in exceptional cases, in order to shorten the path and the obligatory fulfillment of a number of requirements. Not to perform reconnaissance missions, not to lift aircraft into the air, not to conduct exercises and not to cause headaches to the coastal state.

During an exercise on an American ship

The Soviet Union did not ratify this convention, which the American sailors undoubtedly knew about. The American demarche off our shores with two modern warships was clearly reconnaissance in nature. The Americans plotted a course through our territorial waters deliberately, not having the goal of shortening their path.

The Soviet patrol ship of the Black Sea Fleet of the TFR pr. 1135 "Bezzavetny" has just returned from a six-month voyage in the Mediterranean Sea. The crew was well trained and had experience of sailing in the coastal waters of a number of foreign countries. The months spent at sea were not in vain, they gave the sailors good seamanship practice.

The command of the Black Sea Fleet set the task for the "Selfless" to follow the actions of two American ships, to find out their intentions. Being on parallel courses several times, our ships warned the Americans over the international communication channel: "You are violating the state border of the USSR." The same warnings were duplicated by a flag semaphore. In response, the Americans answered something like “OK”, continuing to follow their course.

Then the commander of the "Selfless" Captain 2nd Rank Vladimir Bogdashin received an order: to displace American ships from Soviet territorial waters. Easy to say, squeeze out! But how to do this without using weapons and considering that the displacement of the TFR is more than two times less than that of an American cruiser.

There could be only one solution in this situation - to carry out a bulk of the Soviet patrol ship on the intruder, or, rather, to inflict a series of blows on the hull of the American ship. In aviation, this maneuver is called "ramming" the enemy.

TFR "Selfless" rams an American

Having received once again from Yorktown - "We are not violating anything!" and guided by the Law on the State Border of the USSR, the crew of the "Selfless" took decisive action. The severity of the situation demanded that the commander, Captain 2nd Rank V. Bogdashin, make an exceptional decision. And it was accepted.

The history of the modern fleet did not know anything like this. Ships stripped of armor and armed with rather delicate rocket and torpedo weapons went to conscious hard contact.

At first, the ships sailed in parallel courses. "Yorktown" gave a big wave that interfered with the rapprochement. "Selfless" increased speed and began to quickly overtake the American missile carrier from its port side. The huge hull of the Yorktown seemed unnaturally large and impregnable, obscuring half the horizon with its superstructures. According to the in-ship broadcast, it was announced to the personnel of the Selfless that the ship was making physical contact with the American. Compartments were sealed on the TFR.

"Selfless" took to the right and lowered the starboard anchor, whose paws, like hedgehog thorns, bristled outward.

Undoubtedly, the command of the American cruiser did not understand the actions of the Soviet patrol ship. The sailors free from the watch crowded on the upper bridges of the superstructures, took pictures, shouted something. The carefree appearance of the American sailors, their self-confidence and arrogant calmness emphasized the indifference to the Soviet patrol ship.

The confrontation has reached a climax. "Selfless" reached the "Yorktown", SKR-6 approached the starboard side of the "Caron". Nearby were border ships and vessels of the auxiliary fleet. For greater persuasiveness, two TU-95s and BE-12 anti-submarine aircraft with suspended missiles were raised into the air. At the Yorktown, a navigation radar and an air enemy observation station were continuously working, reporting the situation to the cruiser commander.

project 1135 during exercises

The first blow of "Selfless" hit "Yorktown" in the middle part, in the area of ​​the ladder. The railings crumpled, deafening the dumbfounded Yorktowners with the gnashing of steel. The lowered three-ton anchor, having walked along the side of the cruiser, inflicted several blows and dents on it. In the next second, he broke off and fell into the sea.

As if the wind had blown American sailors off the bridge. An emergency alarm could be heard on the Yorktown, and everyone fled to their combat posts.

After the first blow, the stem of the Selfless went to the left, and its stern fell on the cruiser in the area where containers with Harpoon anti-ship missiles were installed, crushing four containers. There was a danger of damage to our torpedo tubes. Having sharply shifted the rudder to the “starboard” position, the “Selfless” again turned with its attacking nose into a combat stance. The second blow to the American was very strong.

"Yorktown" shuddered, and "Selfless" for a moment got a roll of 13 degrees, exposing a titanium bulb. The trim at the stern reached four degrees. So the stern was at the cut of the water level. In the next moment, the stem of the "Selfless" went to sweep away on the "Yorktown" everything that came across along the way - rail posts, bollards, necks, sheets of superstructures and other protruding parts, turning it all into scrap metal. Under the fireworks of sparks, a chilling crack of destroyed structures was heard for several seconds. There were patches of flying paint, smoke from heavy friction - until the prow of the sentry ship slid down.

After this ramming, the commander of the American cruiser finally assessed the danger of the moment. Yorktown shifted the steering wheel to the right. In a matter of minutes, he left the Soviet territorial waters in neutral. The whole action of "crowding out" took no more than fifteen minutes. "Yorktown" entered our waters for about 2.5 miles, "Caron" - almost 7 miles.

While the Selfless was fighting the Yorktown, the patrol ship SKR-6 delivered similar frightening blows with the stem on the Caron, however, due to its small displacement, with less success.

The actions of warships were insured by the Yamal ice-class vessel. The ice belt and the strengthening of the bulk carrier's hull were much more powerful than the hulls of patrol ships, but they could not chase the latest American cruiser Yamal at a speed of twenty knots.

The power of the ramming blows of the "Selfless" was realized later. Cracks of 80 and 120 mm formed at the point of contact of the TFR, a small hole appeared in the area where the ship routes passed, and the nasal titanium bulb also received several impressive dents. Already in the factory, a displacement of four engines and clutches was detected.

On the Yorktown, in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe middle superstructure, a fire apparently broke out, the Americans in firefighting suits descended, unwinding fire hoses, with the intention of putting out something.

"Selfless" did not lose sight of the American ships for some time. Then he again increased the speed and finally gave a "lap of honor" around the "Yorktown" and "Caron". The Yorktown seemed dead - not a single person was visible on the decks and bridges.

When about one and a half cables were left before the Caron, probably the entire crew of the ship poured onto the decks and superstructures of the destroyer. Dozens, hundreds of flashlights sparkled on the "Caron", seeing off the "Selfless" with such photo applause.

Shining with gold letters in the stern, "Selfless" proudly swept past and, as if nothing had happened, headed for Sevastopol.

According to foreign sources, after the incident, Yorktown was under repair for several months at one of the shipyards. The cruiser commander was removed from his post for passive actions and the initiative granted to the Soviet ship, which caused moral damage to the prestige of the American fleet. The US Congress froze the budget of the naval department for almost six months.

Oddly enough, but in our country there were attempts to accuse Soviet sailors of illegal actions, sea robbery and so on. This was done mainly for political purposes and to please the West. They did not have a serious basis, and the accusations crumbled like a house of cards. Because in this case, the fleet showed determination and simply performed the functions assigned to it.

USS Yorktown (CG 48)

• Length: 172 m
• Width: 16 m
• Displacement: 9600 tons
• Power reserve: 6000 miles
• Speed: 32 knots

• Guns: 2 MK.45
• Torpedo tubes: 2
• Rocket launchers: 2 MK41
• Anti-ship complexes: 8 Harpoon
• Anti-aircraft installations: 2 Vulkan MK.15; 2 Standard
• Anti-submarine systems: 2 ASROK-VLA
• Helicopters: 1
• Fire control systems: Aegis

BOD "Selfless"

• Length: 123.1 m
• Width: 14.2 m
• Displacement: 3200 tons
• Power reserve: 4600 miles
• Crew: 180
• Speed: 32 knots

• Guns: 2 AK-726
• Torpedo tubes: 8,533 mm
• Anti-aircraft installations: 2 Osa / Oca-M
• Anti-submarine systems: 2 RBU-6000; 2 Metel/Rastrub-B
• Mines: 20
• Helicopters: 1

The case, which will be discussed in the article, although rare, is very indicative of the Soviet-American confrontation during the Cold War. We are talking about the so-called "bulk", that is, the collision of warships without the use of weapons. According to the definition of the marine explanatory dictionary, bulk is the contact of ships due to errors in the calculations of movement. Unlike a collision, damage during a bulk is practically minimal.

It was such a bulk that took place in the Black Sea between Yalta and Foros, when Soviet ships forced American ships out of the territorial waters of the USSR.

In general, in the 1980s, American ships were too frequent guests in the Black Sea, especially in the part that bordered on the territorial waters of the USSR. But the most famous incident occurred on February 12, 1988, when 6 warships of the US Navy violated the state border of the USSR.

The head of the operation to oust the offending ships was Admiral V.E. Selivanov.

The command of the Black Sea Fleet knew in advance about the upcoming voyage of American ships: fleet intelligence monitored all the actions of the 6th US fleet (it was the ships of this fleet that became participants in the incident) and had already decided that in case of violation of the border of the USSR, they would take the most severe measures to punish violators.

The ships of the USSR Black Sea Fleet took American ships for escort immediately after the latter left the Bosphorus. As expected, they greeted us and said that they would continue on the same course. Despite the fact that everything was said with humor, they say, “You are our guest, and according to the laws of Russian hospitality, it is not customary to leave guests unattended,” the situation was already aggravated almost from the first minutes of the meeting.

So, with escort, American ships approached the area south-southeast of Sevastopol (about 40-45 miles) and began completely incomprehensible maneuvers there. After staying there for about 2 days, they crossed to the area near Sevastopol and, not paying attention to numerous warnings, violated the state border.

After some time, the ships of the Black Sea Fleet were ordered to "Take positions to force out the violating ships." A combat alert was immediately announced, hatches were sealed, torpedoes were put on alert, etc.

Almost exactly at 11.00 o'clock, Mikheev reports: "Closed with the cruiser up to 40 meters" ... and then a report every 10 meters. The sailors imagine how difficult and dangerous it is to carry out such maneuvers: a huge cruiser with a displacement of 9200 tons and a patrol boat with a displacement of 3000 tons is “moored” to it on the move, and on the other “flank” against a destroyer with a displacement of 7800 tons there is a very small watchdog with a displacement of only 1300 tons. Imagine: at the moment of approaching closely with this little watchdog, put the destroyer sharply on the rudder "to the port side" - and what will happen to our ship? Would not roll over - and this can be! Moreover, the American will still be formally right in such a collision. So the commanders of our ships had to perform a difficult and dangerous task.

Mikheev reports:"10 meters". And immediately: "I ask" good "to act!". Although he had already received all the orders, but, apparently, he decided to play it safe - all of a sudden the situation changed, besides, all negotiations on the air were recorded both by us and by the Americans. I tell him again: "Act according to the plan of operation!". And then there was silence...

I follow the stopwatch - I spotted it with my last order: the arrow ran for a minute, two, three ... Silence. I don’t ask, I understand what is happening on ships now: briefing and losing on maneuverable tablets is one thing, and how everything will turn out in reality is another matter. I can clearly imagine how the high forecastle of the Bezvevetny, together with the hanging anchor, tears the side and the massive bow superstructure of the American cruiser Yorktown (its superstructure is designed integrally with the side of the ship). But what will happen to our ship from such mutual "kisses"? And what happens in the second pair of this naval "corrida" between the "SKR-6" and the destroyer "Caron"? Doubts, uncertainty... It was thought that with this kind of "mooring" on the move, mutual suction ("sticking") of ships to each other is possible.

Well, how will the Americans rush to the "boarding"? We have foreseen such a possibility - special landing platoons have been formed on the ships and are constantly being trained. But there are a lot more Americans… All this is rushing through my mind until there are no reports. And suddenly I hear Mikheev’s completely calm voice, as if during the drawing of such episodes on the cards: “We walked along the port side of the cruiser. They broke the launcher of the Harpoon missiles. Two broken missiles hang from the launch containers. boat. In some places, the side and side plating of the bow superstructure were torn. Our anchor broke off and sank." I ask: "What are the Americans doing?" Answers: "They played an emergency alarm. Emergency workers in protective suits water the Harpoon launcher with hoses and drag the hoses inside the ship." "Rockets on fire?" - I ask. "It seems not, fire and smoke are not visible." After that, Mikheev reports for "SKR-6": "He passed along the port side of the destroyer, the rails were cut down, the boat was broken. Breaks in the side plating. The ship's anchor survived. But the American ships continue the transition at the same course and speed." I give the command to Mikheev: "Perform a second bulk." Our ships have begun maneuvering to carry it out."

Nikolai Mikheev and Vladimir Bogdashin tell how everything really happened in the "bulk" area: In this case, the cruiser is ahead and seaward, the destroyer is closer to the coastline at the cruiser's heading angle of 140-150 degrees. left side. SKR "Bezzavetny" and "SKR-6" in the positions of tracking the cruiser and destroyer, respectively, at their heading angles of the left sides 100-110 degrees. at a distance of 90-100 m. Two of our border ships maneuvered behind this group.

Upon receipt of the order to "Take positions for displacement", a combat alarm was declared on the ships, the bow compartments were sealed, the personnel were withdrawn from them, the torpedoes in the vehicles were in combat readiness, cartridges were fed to the gun mounts up to the loading line in the breech, emergency parties were deployed, landing platoons were in readiness according to the places of the schedule, the rest of the personnel at combat posts. The right anchors are hung on anchor chains made of hawse. On the navigation bridge of the TFR "Selfless" Mikheev keeps in touch with the command post of the fleet and controls the ships of the group, Bogdashin controls the maneuvers of the ship, here the translator officer maintains constant radio contact with the American ships. We approached the cruiser at a distance of 40 meters, then at 10 meters ("SKR-6" the same with the destroyer). Sailors and officers with cameras and video cameras poured out on the deck of the cruiser, superstructure platforms, laughing, waving their hands, making obscene gestures, as is customary among American sailors, etc. The cruiser commander stepped out onto the left open wing of the navigation bridge.

With the confirmation of the order "Act according to the plan of operation", they went to the "bulk" of the cruiser ("SKR-6" - the destroyer). Bogdashin maneuvered in such a way that the first blow fell on a tangent at an angle of 30 degrees. to the port side of the cruiser. From the impact and friction of the sides, sparks fell and the side paint caught fire. As the border guards later said, for a moment the ships appeared to be in a fiery cloud, after which a thick plume of smoke trailed behind them for some time. Upon impact, our anchor with one paw tore the plating of the side of the cruiser, and the other made a hole in the bow of the side of his ship. From the impact, the TFR was thrown away from the cruiser, the stem of our ship went to the left, and the stern began to dangerously approach the side of the cruiser.

An emergency alarm was played on the cruiser, the personnel rushed down from the decks and platforms, the cruiser commander rushed inside the navigation bridge. At this time, he apparently lost control of the cruiser for some time, and the cruiser turned somewhat to the right from the impact, which further increased the danger of its bulk on the stern of the Selfless TFR. After that, Bogdashin, having commanded "right to board", increased the speed to 16 knots, which allowed the stern to be slightly diverted from the side of the cruiser, but at the same time the cruiser turned left to the previous course - after that, the next most powerful and effective bulk occurred, rather ramming a cruiser. The blow fell on the area of ​​​​the helipad - a tall sharp stem with a forecastle of the TFR, figuratively speaking, climbed onto the cruising helipad and, with a roll of 15-20 degrees to the port side, began to destroy with its mass, as well as everything that came across from the hawse anchor, gradually sliding towards the cruising stern: tore the skin of the side of the superstructure, cut down all the rails of the helipad, broke the commander's boat, then slid down to the poop deck (stern) and also demolished all the rails with racks. Then he hooked the Harpoon anti-ship missile launcher - it seemed that a little more and the launcher would be pulled off its fasteners to the deck. But at that moment, having caught on something, the anchor broke away from the anchor chain and, like a ball (3.5 tons in weight!), Having flown over the aft deck of the cruiser from the port side, collapsed into the water already behind its starboard side, miraculously not hooking any of the sailors on the deck of the cruiser's emergency party. Of the four containers of the Harpoon anti-ship missile launcher, two were broken in half along with missiles, their torn off warheads hanging from internal cables. Another container was bent.

Finally, the forecastle of the TFR slid from the stern of the cruiser into the water, we moved away from the cruiser and took up a position on its beam at a distance of 50-60 meters, warning that we would repeat the bulk if the Americans did not leave the water. At that time, on the deck of the cruiser, a strange fuss was observed among the personnel of the emergency parties (all Negroes): stretching fire hoses and lightly spraying water on broken rockets that did not burn, the sailors suddenly began to hastily drag these hoses and other fire fighting equipment into the interior of the ship. As it turned out later, a fire started there in the area of ​​​​the cellars of the Harpoon anti-ship missiles and Asrok anti-submarine missiles.

With the confirmation of the order to "act according to the plan of operation", the Soviet ships went to the "bulk". From impact and friction, the paint that covered the side caught fire. Upon impact, the anchor of one of our ships tore the skin of the American cruiser, but damaged its bow in the process.

A few minutes later, the next, even stronger bulk occurred, which, rather, became a ram: the blow fell on the helipad area - our ship simply began to destroy the enemy ship, tore the skin, cut down part of the helipad and hooked the Harpoon anti-ship missile installation.

Some time later, the Americans began to prepare helicopters for takeoff from the wrecked ship. Almost immediately, a warning was sounded from the Soviet side that if the helicopters left the ship, this would be considered a violation of the airspace, and every helicopter that took off would be shot down. In order for the Americans to understand that no one would joke anymore, Mi-26 helicopters were raised into the air, which, only by demonstrating a combat suspension, forced the Americans to abandon the idea of ​​​​lifting helicopters into the air.

Valentin Selivanov: After some time, I receive a report from Mikheev: "The destroyer Caron has turned off course and is heading straight for me, the bearing does not change." Sailors understand what it means "bearing does not change" - that is, it goes to a collision. I tell Mikheev: "Go to the starboard side of the cruiser and hide behind it. Let the Caron ram it."

Nikolai Mikheev: But "Caron" approached us at a distance of 50-60 meters from the port side and lay down on a parallel course. On the right, at the same distance and also in a parallel course, the cruiser followed. Further, the Americans began on converging courses, as it were, to clamp the TFR "Selfless" into pincers. He ordered to charge the RBU-6000 rocket launchers with depth charges (the Americans saw this) and deploy them abeam to the starboard and port sides, respectively, against the cruiser and destroyer (although both RBU installations operate in combat mode only synchronously, but the Americans did not know this). It seems to have worked - the American ships were turned away. At this time, the cruiser began to prepare a couple of helicopters for departure. I reported to the fleet command post that the Americans were preparing some kind of dirty trick for us with helicopters.

Valentin Selivanov: In response to Mikheev's report, I tell him: "Inform the Americans - if they take off into the air, the helicopters will be shot down as if they had violated the airspace of the Soviet Union." At the same time, he sent an order to the naval aviation command post: "Raise an on-duty pair of attack aircraft into the air! Task: loitering over American ships that invaded the waterways in order to prevent their carrier-based helicopters from rising into the air." But the aviation OD reports: "In the area adjacent to Cape Sarych, a group of landing helicopters is working out tasks. I suggest sending a couple of helicopters instead of attack aircraft - this is much faster, besides, they will perform the task of" countering takeoff "more efficiently and clearly." I approve this proposal and inform Mikheev about the dispatch of our helicopters to the area. Soon I receive a report from the aviation OD: "A couple of Mi-26 helicopters are in the air, they are moving to the area."

Nikolai Mikheev: He told the Americans what would happen to the helicopters if they were lifted into the air. It did not work - I see the propeller blades are already spinning. But at that time, a pair of our Mi-26 helicopters with a full combat suspension of airborne weapons passed over us and the Americans at an altitude of 50-70 meters, making several circles above the American ships and defiantly hovering somewhat away from them - an impressive sight. This apparently worked - the Americans drowned out their helicopters and rolled them into the hangar.

Valentin Selivanov: Further, an order was received from the Central Command of the Navy: "The Minister of Defense demanded to investigate and report on this incident" (our naval wits then refined themselves: to report with a list of persons to be removed from their posts and demoted). We submitted a report to the authorities on how everything happened. Literally a couple of hours later, another order comes from the Central Control Center of the Navy: "The Minister of Defense demands that those who distinguished themselves be presented for promotion" (our wits were found here too: replace the list of persons for demotion with a register of persons involved in the award). Well, everyone seemed to feel relieved from the heart, the tension subsided, we all seemed to calm down with the calculation of the command post of the fleet.

The next day, the Americans, not reaching the territorial waters of the USSR in the Caucasus region, advanced to the exit from the Black Sea. Again, accompanied by a new group of Soviet ships. A day later, a fairly battered group of ships of the 6 "valiant" US fleet left the Black Sea.

That very moment:

P.S. In 1997, the Bezzavetny was transferred to Ukraine, proudly called the Dnipropetrovsk frigate, but did not go to sea, then it was disarmed and sold to Turkey. In March 2006, she was sunk while being towed, probably in order to obtain insurance. And "SKR-6" back in 1990 was cut up for scrap.

The US military has never been particularly "politically correct". If there was an opportunity to arrange a provocation, they always went for it. However, more than thirty years ago, Soviet sailors repelled violators by ramming two enemy ships at once.

Radio silence in the fog

Perestroika, which was announced in our country in 1986, rather quickly led to a softening of morals regarding our "potential enemy", that is, the Americans. The magnanimity of the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU knew no bounds: soon, with his light hand, they began to cut military missiles into pieces, transfer ships, submarines, tanks and other military equipment, and not just combat-ready, but completely new. The country's leadership suddenly considered that there was no longer any threat to the USSR from overseas "partners".

In the United States itself, however, they were in no hurry to relax. On the contrary, in the second half of the 1980s in the Black Sea, for example, many provocative violations of the territorial waters of the USSR by enemy ships were recorded. Most often, such visits could be nipped in the bud: Soviet watchdogs simply became a “human wall” at the rate of the intruder, thus blocking the path to our territorial waters. But this was not always possible. And then the corvettes, destroyers and cruisers of the US Navy not only patrolled along our coasts, but also made combat turns, prepared installations with missiles and depth charges for firing. In a word, they swaggered as best they could, as if making it clear who the real boss here was.

For the time being, for the time being, they got away with it - after all, detente was gaining momentum in our country. And the naval authorities, having received appropriate benevolent orders from the country's leadership, did not dare to violate the order and enter into an open confrontation with provocateurs. However, in 1988, our sailors had to deal with too arrogant intruder. In February, an escort of American ships, consisting of the cruiser Yorktown and the accompanying destroyer Caron, proceeded through the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles. Moreover, the ships were sailing with complete radio silence and, as if deliberately choosing the time when the sea was covered with thick fog. And although, thanks to intelligence, it was known in advance about the uninvited visit, it was possible to detect the escort during the passage of the straits only through visual observation. Because the locators fix only a point, and it is impossible to make out whether it is a warship or a civilian ship.

Pictured: US cruiser Yorktown / Photo: wikimedia

Unequal Forces

We found the Americans from our ferry "Heroes of Shipka". Having intercepted a radiogram from the ferry and realizing that they had been discovered, the commanders of the Yorktown and Caron initially decided to “sit out” off the Turkish coast. But in neutral waters, the Americans were already waiting for our two TFRs (patrol ships): TFR-6 and Selfless. Apparently, this is why the provocateurs decided, no longer hiding, to do what, in fact, they had planned from the very beginning.

Having reached our border, the ships, without slowing down, rushed into the territorial waters of the Soviet Union. A warning radiogram flew from our guards to the offenders, which, however, had no result: the Americans were confidently heading towards the shore. Here it should be noted that, in comparison with the "Selfless", "Yorktown", for example, had three times the displacement, and its crew was twice the number of sailors on the guard. It was 50 meters longer than the TFR, carried on board helicopters, 2 missile and 4 anti-aircraft installations, two anti-submarine and 8 anti-ship systems (Asrok and Harpoon, respectively), not to mention torpedoes, guns, the Aegis fire control system " etc.

Bezzavetny, in turn, was armed with two RBU-6000 rocket launchers, four launchers of the URPK-5 Rastrub missile system, two anti-aircraft missile systems, torpedoes and twin 76.2 mm artillery mounts. So, given the difference in armament, the sailors prepared for the worst, uncovering the onboard guns and preparing them for firing (it’s more expensive to use missiles).

In response to these preparations, the Americans decided to take their rotorcraft into the air: pilots and maintenance personnel appeared on the helipad. Seeing this, the commander of the "Selfless" captain of the second rank Vladimir Bogdashin ordered to send a radiogram to the "Yorktown", in which he warned the Americans that if they took off, they would immediately be shot down. However, the violators did not pay any attention to the warning.

Bulk, more bulk

It was at that moment that Bogdashin realized that it was impossible to do without decisive measures, but it was impossible to apply. And then he gave a desperate order - to go to the ram. Since the “Selfless” literally went side by side with the “Yorktown”, at a distance of literally ten meters, the TFR just slightly changed course and at first made only a light bulk on the missile cruiser, demolishing its ladder. The American sailors, who before that, having poured out onto the deck, frivolously sent obscene gestures to the Soviet sailors and photographed our guard, calmed down and hid in the ship's premises. With the second strike, the TFR literally "climbed" onto the cruiser, "shaved off" the intruder's helipad and damaged four Harpoon anti-ship systems - the blow was so strong. And in the torpedo tubes of the Yorktown, a fire broke out.

In the picture: the bulk of the TFR "Selfless" on the cruiser "Yorktown" / Photo: wikimedia

At this very time, the SKR-6 went to ram the Caron, although the Soviet guard was four times smaller than the destroyer. However, the impact was tangible. He, in turn, decided not to contact the SKR-6, but to approach the other side of the Selfless in order to take the SKR in pincers together with the Yorktown. However, the speed of the patrol ship was higher, and he easily parried this maneuver. However, the crew of the cruiser was no longer up to maneuvers and had nothing to do at all - the struggle for the survivability of the ship was in full swing on it. And after the team moved away from the shock, Yorktown turned 180 degrees and was like that. Caron followed suit. After this incident, American ships disappeared from our Black Sea territorial waters for a long time.

In the picture: SKR-6 fell on the port side in the stern of the destroyer "Caron" / Photo wikipedia

We must pay tribute to the command of the fleet, which supported the sailors of the "Selfless" and defended their good name before the leadership of the country. And a year later, Vladimir Bogdashin was awarded the Order of the Red Star ... for the development of new technology. At that time, he was no longer the commander of the guard, but studied at the Grechko Naval Academy. Subsequently, he commanded the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet "Moscow". Now Vladimir Ivanovich, a retired rear admiral, is the general director of the training and research center of the Moscow Federation of Trade Unions.

After the collapse of the USSR, during the division of the fleet, the Bezzavetny went to Ukraine and became the Dnepropetrovsk, and then it was completely written off as scrap metal. Went "on pins and needles" and "SKR-6". So sad was the fate of the watchmen, who gained fame for the Soviet navy.