View source for Kronshtadt-class battlecruiser

{{Short description|Planned class of Soviet battlecruisers}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=[[File:Kronshtadt3.jpg|300px|alt=]]
|Ship caption=Side view as the design appeared in early 1939
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Builders=*[[Admiralty Shipyard|Shipyard No. 194, Marti]], [[Saint Petersburg|Leningrad]]
* [[Shipyard named after 61 Communards|Shipyard No. 200, 61 Communards]], [[Mykolaiv|Nikolayev]]
|Operators={{navy|Soviet Union}}
|Class before={{sclass|Borodino|battlecruiser|4}} (planned)
|Class after={{sclass|Stalingrad|battlecruiser|4}} (planned)
|Subclasses=
|Built range=1939–1941
|In commission range=
|Total ships building=
|Total ships planned=2–3
|Total ships completed=0
|Total ships cancelled=2
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption= (Project 69-I)
|Ship type=[[Battlecruiser]]
|Ship displacement={{cvt|39660|t|LT|lk=on|0}} ([[Displacement (ship)#Standard displacement|standard]])
|Ship length= * {{convert|250.5|m|ftin|abbr=on}} ([[Length overall|o/a]])
|Ship beam={{convert|31.6|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship draft={{convert|9.7|m|ftin|abbr=on}} (full load)
|Ship power=*12 [[water-tube boiler]]s
* {{cvt|210000|shp|kW|lk=on|0}}
|Ship propulsion=3 shafts; 3 [[steam turbine]]s
|Ship speed={{convert|32|knots|lk=in}}
|Ship range={{convert|8300|nmi|0|lk=in|abbr=on}} at {{convert|14.5|knots}}
|Ship complement=1,819
|Ship armament=*3 × twin [[38 cm SK C/34 naval gun|{{cvt|38|cm|0}} guns]]
* 4 × twin {{cvt|152|mm|0}} guns
* 4 × twin {{cvt|100|mm|1}} [[Dual purpose gun|DP guns]]
* 6 × quadruple {{cvt|37|mm|1}} [[AA gun]]s
|Ship armor=*[[Belt armor|Waterline belt]]: {{convert|230|mm|in|abbr=on}}
* [[Deck (ship)|Main Deck]]: {{convert|90|mm|in|abbr=on}}
* [[Deck (ship)|Lower Deck]]: {{convert|30|mm|in|abbr=on}}
* [[Gun turret|Turrets]]: {{convert|305|mm|in|abbr=on|0}}
* [[Barbette]]s: {{convert|330|mm|in|abbr=on|0}}
* [[Conning tower]]: 330&nbsp;mm
* [[Bulkhead (partition)|Bulkhead]]s: {{convert|275|-|330|mm|1|abbr=on}}
|Ship aircraft=2 [[Beriev Be-4|Beriev KOR-2]] [[seaplane]]s
|Ship aircraft facilities= 1 [[aircraft catapult|catapult]]
|Ship notes=
}}
|}

The '''''Kronshtadt''-class''' [[battlecruiser]]s, with the [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] designation as '''Project 69''' heavy cruisers ({{lang|ru|"Тяжёлые крейсера проекта 69"}}), were ordered for the [[Soviet Navy]] in the late 1930s. Two ships were started but none were completed due to [[World War II]]. These ships had a complex and prolonged design process which was hampered by constantly changing requirements and the [[Great Purge]] in 1937.

They were laid down in 1939, with an estimated completion date in 1944, but Stalin's naval construction program was more ambitious than the shipbuilding and armaments industries could handle. Prototypes of the armament and machinery had not even been completed by 22 June 1941, almost two years after the start of construction. This is why the Soviets bought twelve surplus [[38 cm SK C/34 naval gun|{{convert|38|cm|1|adj=on|sp=us}} SK C/34 guns]], and their twin turrets, similar to those used in the {{sclass|Bismarck|battleship}}s, from [[Germany]] in 1940. The ships were partially redesigned to accommodate them, after construction had already begun, but no turrets were actually delivered before [[Operation Barbarossa|Germany invaded]] the following year.

Only ''Kronshtadt''{{'}}s hull survived the war reasonably intact being 10% complete in 1945, although she was considered to be obsolete. The Soviets considered converting her into an [[aircraft carrier]], but the idea was rejected and both hulls were [[scrap]]ped in 1947.

==Design==
The ''Kronshtadt''-class battlecruisers had their origin in a mid-1930s requirement for a large cruiser ({{langx|ru|bol'shoi kreiser}}) capable of destroying {{convert|10000|LT|t|0|adj=on}} cruisers built to the limits imposed by the [[Washington Naval Treaty]], of which the Soviets were not a signatory. Several designs were submitted by the end of 1935, but the Navy was not satisfied and rejected all of them. It asked for another design, displacing {{convert|23000|t|LT|0|sp=us}} and armed with {{convert|254|mm|sp=us|adj=on}} guns, in early 1936, eventually designated Project 22, but this design was cancelled after the Soviets began negotiations in mid-1936 with the British that ultimately resulted in the Anglo-Soviet Quantitative Naval Agreement of 1937 and agreed to follow the terms of the [[Second London Naval Treaty]] which limited battleships to a displacement of {{convert|35000|LT|0}}. The Soviets had been working on a small battleship design (Battleship 'B') for service in the [[Baltic Sea|Baltic]] and [[Black Sea]]s and had to shrink it as a result of these discussions to a size close to that of the Project 22 large cruiser so that the latter was cancelled. Battleship 'B' was redesignated as Project 25 and given the task of destroying Treaty cruisers and German [[Deutschland-class cruiser|pocket battleships]]. The Project 25 design was accepted in mid-1937 after major revisions in the armor scheme and the machinery layout and four were ordered with construction to begin in late 1937 and early 1938. However, this decision occurred right before the Great Purge began to hit the Navy in August 1937 and two of the ship's designers were arrested and executed within a year. The Project 25 design was then rejected on the grounds that it was too weak compared to foreign ships and the whole program was cancelled in early 1938 after an attempt to modify the design with larger guns had been made.<ref>McLaughlin, pp. 100–05</ref>

However the Soviet Navy still felt a need for a fast ship that could deal with enemy cruisers and the original concept was revived as Project 69. They wanted a ship not to exceed 23,000 metric tons with a speed of {{convert|34|knots|lk=in}} and an armament of nine 254&nbsp;mm guns, but the requirement proved to be too ambitious for the specified size and it increased to {{convert|26200|t|LT|0|sp=us}} in the design submitted in June 1938. By this time, however, details were becoming available for the {{sclass|Scharnhorst|battleship|1}}s and the ship was deemed inferior to the German ships. The State Defense Committee revised the requirements and specified a size about {{convert|31000|t|LT|0|sp=us}}, an armament of nine {{convert|305|mm|in|adj=on|sp=us}} guns, an [[Belt armor|armor belt]] {{convert|250|mm|in|abbr=on}} thick and a speed about {{convert|31|-|32|knots}}. A revised design was finished by October which was wargamed against the Japanese {{sclass|Kongō|battlecruiser|1}}s, the French {{sclass|Dunkerque|battleship|1}}s as well as the ''Scharnhorst'' class. It was deemed superior to the ''Kongo''s at medium range and inferior to the ''Dunkerque''s at the same range, but generally superior to the ''Scharnhorst''s, although it is doubtful that the Soviets were fully aware of the true specifications of the ''Kongō''s as rebuilt or of the ''Scharnhorst''s as the displacement of the latter had been given as {{convert|26000|t|LT|0|sp=us}}, more than {{convert|5000|t|LT|0|sp=us}} short of their true displacement. The Navy's Shipbuilding Administration thought that the original secondary armament of {{convert|130|mm|adj=on|sp=us}} guns was too small and that the armor on the turrets, conning tower and the forward transverse bulkhead was too thin. A revised, 35,000-ton design with {{convert|152|mm|1|adj=on|sp=us}} guns and extra armor was submitted to the State Defense Council in January 1939.<ref>McLaughlin, pp. 105–06</ref>

This was approved and the detailed design work began with the basic concept that the ship should be superior to the ''Scharnhorst''-class ships and able to outrun the ''Bismarck''-class battleships. At this time the horizontal protection was revised after full-scale trials revealed that a {{convert|500|kg|adj=on|sp=us}} bomb would penetrate both a {{convert|40|mm|adj=on|sp=us}} upper deck and a {{convert|50|mm|adj=on|sp=us}} middle deck to burst on the main armor deck. So the middle deck was thickened to {{convert|90|mm|adj=on|sp=us}} with the lower deck intended to catch any splinters penetrating the armor deck. This meant that the main belt had to be extended upwards to meet the main armor deck at a significant penalty in weight. The Defense Committee approved the sketch design on 13 July 1939, but the detailed design was not approved until 12 April 1940, after construction had already begun on the first two ships.<ref>McLaughlin, pp. 107, 109, 112</ref>

It was already apparent that the 305&nbsp;mm guns and turrets were well behind schedule when [[Joseph Stalin]] asked the German representatives in [[Moscow]] on 8 February 1940 to negotiate a trade agreement if it would be possible to use the triple {{convert|283|mm|1|adj=on|sp=us}} turrets in lieu of the triple 305&nbsp;mm turrets of the Project 69 ships. They replied that the turrets were out of production, but new ones could be built. He then asked if twin {{convert|380|mm|1|adj=on|sp=us}} turrets could be used instead. The Germans said that they would have to check back for the technical details. [[Krupp]] had six incomplete turrets on hand that had originally been ordered before the war to rearm the ''Scharnhorst''-class battleships, but they were cancelled after the start of World War II when the Germans decided that they could not afford to have the ships out of service during the war. A preliminary purchase agreement was made to buy twelve guns and six turrets later that month, well before any studies were even made to see if the substitution was even possible. The Shipbuilding Commissariat reported on 17 April that it was possible so the agreement was finalized in November 1940 with the deliveries scheduled from October 1941 to 28 March 1943. The order also included {{convert|10|m|adj=on|sp=us}} [[Rangefinding telemeter|rangefinder]]s and {{convert|150|cm|adj=on|sp=us}} searchlights.<ref>McLaughlin, pp. 109, 111</ref>

The Soviets never did get the detailed data required to redesign the ship's barbettes and [[magazine (artillery)|magazine]]s, but they did know that the 380-mm barbettes were bigger in diameter than that of the 305&nbsp;mm turret as well as being taller than the Russian turrets. So the barbette of turret number two had to be raised to clear turret number one and the height of the conning tower had to be raised to clear turret number two. Similarly the {{convert|37|mm|1|adj=on|sp=us}} [[Anti-aircraft warfare|anti-aircraft]] guns behind turret number three had to be raised as well.<ref name=m11>McLaughlin, p. 111</ref> The new turrets required more electrical power which meant that the output of the [[turbo generator]]s had to be increased to 1,300 kilowatts.<ref name=u2>Usov & Mawdsley, p. 382</ref> All of these changes added over {{convert|1000|t|LT|0|sp=us}} to the ships' displacement and the sketch design was completed by 16 October 1940, as Project 69-I (''Importnyi''—Imported), even though they still lacked data for the turrets and their barbettes. This was presented to the State Defense Committee on 11 February 1941, but the design was not approved until 10 April when it ordered that the first two ships be completed with German guns while the others would continue to use the 305&nbsp;mm guns. The detailed design was supposed to be completed by 15 October 1941, but it was rendered pointless when the Germans [[Operation Barbarossa|invaded the Soviet Union]] in June.<ref name=m11/>

===General characteristics===
The ''Project 69''-class ships were {{convert|250.5|m|ftin|sp=us}} long [[length overall|overall]] and had a [[waterline length]] of {{convert|240|m|ftin|sp=us}}. They had a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|31.6|m|ftin|sp=us}} and at [[full load]] a [[draft (ship)|draft]] of {{convert|9.45|m|ftin|sp=us}}. As designed they displaced {{convert|35240|t|LT|0|sp=us}} at [[Displacement (ship)#Standard displacement|standard]] and {{convert|41539|t|LT|0|sp=us}} at full load. The displacement of the two ''Project 69-I''-class ships increased to {{convert|36250|t|LT|0|sp=us}} at standard load and {{convert|42831|t|LT|0|sp=us}} at full load which increased the draft to {{convert|9.7|m|ftin|sp=us}} at full load while the waterline length grew to {{convert|242.1|m|ftin|sp=us}} simply because the extra draft submerged more of the sharply raked stem and spoon-shaped stern. The speed remained the same as the deeper draft was offset by a more efficient propeller form.<ref>McLaughlin, pp. 107, 112</ref>

The hull form was very full with a [[Hull (watercraft)|block coefficient]] of 0.61 which compared badly to the 0.54 of the ''Dunkerque'', the 0.52 of the German {{sclass2|O|battlecruiser|1}} or the 0.5266 of the American {{sclass|Alaska|cruiser}}. This meant that a lot of horsepower was necessary to achieve even modest speeds. Stalin's decision that the Project 69 ships would use three shafts increased the shaft loading and reduced propulsive efficiency, although it did shorten the length of the armored citadel and thus overall displacement. The riveted hull was subdivided by 24 transverse bulkheads and used longitudinal framing in the citadel, but transverse framing for the structure fore and aft of the citadel. The [[metacentric height]] was {{convert|2.8|m|ftin|sp=us}} for the 305&nbsp;mm gunned ships, but dropped to {{convert|2.58|m|ftin|sp=us}} in the 380&nbsp;mm gunned ships. The tactical diameter was estimated at about {{convert|1200|m|yd|sp=us|0}}.<ref>McLaughlin, pp. 107, 112, 115</ref>

The ''Kronshtadt''-class ships were provided with two [[Beriev Be-4|KOR-2]] [[flying boat]]s which would be launched by the [[aircraft catapult|catapult]] mounted between the funnels.<ref name=u2/>

===Propulsion===
The power plant was laid out on a unit system. The forward boiler room contained eight boilers and was followed by an engine room for the two wing propeller shafts. The second boiler room contained four boilers and was followed by a turbine room for the central shaft. The single-reduction, impulse-reduction geared [[steam turbine]]s were an imported [[Brown, Boveri & Cie|Brown Boveri]] design shared with the {{sclass|Sovetsky Soyuz|battleship|1}}, but the factory in [[Kharkiv]] that was to build them never finished a single turbine before the Germans invaded. They produced a total of {{convert|210000|shp|kW|abbr=on|0}}. Twelve 7u-bis [[water-tube boiler]]s worked at a pressure of {{convert|37|kg/cm2|kPa psi|0|abbr=on|lk=on}} and temperature of {{convert|380|°C|°F}}. There were two other small boilers for harbor service and to power the auxiliary machinery. The electrical plant originally consisted of four 1200&nbsp;kW turbo generators and four 650&nbsp;kW diesel generators, but these were upgraded for the Project 69-I ships.<ref name=m09>McLaughlin, p. 109</ref>

Maximum speed was estimated at {{convert|31|kn}}, using the revised propeller design, although forcing the machinery would yield an extra knot. The normal [[fuel oil]] capacity was {{convert|2920|t|LT|0|sp=us}}, which provided an estimated endurance of {{convert|1100|nmi|lk=in}} at full speed. Maximum fuel capacity was {{convert|5570|t|LT|0|sp=us}} which gave a range of {{convert|8300|nmi|-1}} at {{convert|14.5|kn}} and {{convert|6900|nmi|-1|abbr=on}} at {{convert|16.5|kn}}.<ref>McLaughlin, p. 107</ref>

===Armament===
The main armament was initially going to consist of three electrically powered triple-gun turrets, each with three 54-[[caliber (artillery)|caliber]] 305&nbsp;mm B-50 guns. The turrets were based on the MK-2 turrets planned for the Project 25 large cruiser. The guns could be depressed to −3° and elevated to 45°. They had a fixed loading angle of 6° and their rate of fire varied with the time required to relay the gun. It ranged from 2.36 to 3.24 rounds per minute depending on the elevation.<ref>McLaughlin, pp. 107–08</ref> The turrets could elevate at a rate of 10 degrees per second and traverse at 5.1 degrees per second. 100 rounds per gun were carried. The gun fired {{convert|470|kg|lb|adj=on|sp=us}} [[Armor-piercing shot and shell|armor-piercing]] projectiles at a [[muzzle velocity]] of {{convert|900|m/s|ft/s|abbr=on}}; this provided a maximum range of {{convert|47580|m|yd|sp=us}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNRussian_12-55_B-50.htm|title=Russian 305 mm/55 (12") B-36 Pattern 1937 305 mm/55 (12") B-50 Pattern 1940|date=21 May 2006 |access-date=3 January 2010|publisher=Navweaps.com}}</ref>

The secondary armament consisted of eight 57-caliber B-38 152&nbsp;mm guns mounted in four twin-gun turrets concentrated at the forward end of the superstructure. The forward turrets were inboard and above the outer turrets which provided both turrets with good arcs of fire. Their elevation limits were -5° to +45° with a fixed loading angle of 8°. Their rate of fire also varied with the elevation from 7.5 to 4.8 rounds per minute.<ref name=m8>McLaughlin, p. 108</ref> The turrets could elevate at a rate of 13 degrees per second and traverse at 6 degrees per second. They had a maximum range of {{convert|30085|m|yd|sp=us}} with a {{convert|50|kg|lb|adj=on|sp=us}} shell at a muzzle velocity of {{convert|915|m/s|ft/s|abbr=on}}.<ref>Garzke & Dulin, p. 326</ref>

Heavy anti-aircraft (AA) fire was provided by eight 56-caliber 100&nbsp;mm B-34 [[dual-purpose gun]]s in four twin turrets mounted at the aft end of the superstructure with the aft turrets mounted inboard of the forward turrets. They could elevate to a maximum of 85° and depress to -8°.<ref name=m8/> They could traverse at a rate of 12° per second and elevate at 10° per second. They fired {{convert|15.6|kg|lb|adj=on|sp=us}} [[Explosive material#High explosives|high explosive]] shells at a muzzle velocity of {{convert|900|m/s|ft/s|abbr=on}}; this provided a maximum range of {{convert|22400|m|yd|sp=us}} against surface targets, but their maximum ceiling against aerial targets was {{convert|15000|m|sp=us}}.<ref>Campbell, p. 363</ref>

Light AA defense was handled by six quadruple, water-cooled mounts fitted with [[37 mm automatic air defense gun M1939 (61-K)|{{convert|37|mm|abbr=on}} 70-K]] guns. Two mounts were abreast the forward [[funnel (ship)|funnel]], two just [[abaft]] the rear funnel and the last two on the centerline of the aft superstructure [[Superfire|superfiring]] over the rear main-gun turret. Initially seven mounts were planned, but the one above the [[conning tower]] was exchanged for a director for the 100&nbsp;mm guns in early 1940 when the Navy realized that the other directors were blocked by the superstructure.<ref name=m89>McLaughlin, pp. 108–09</ref> The guns fired {{convert|.732|kg|lb|adj=on|sp=us}} shells at a muzzle velocity of {{convert|880|m/s|ft/s|abbr=on|0}}. Their maximum range was {{convert|8000|m|sp=us|0}}.<ref>Campbell, p. 367</ref>

The Germans sold the Soviets twelve 52-caliber [[38 cm SK C/34 naval gun|{{convert|38|cm|1|adj=on|sp=us}} SKC/34 guns]] and their associated Drh LC/34 turrets as part of the [[Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact]].<ref name=m11/> Their [[elevation (ballistics)|elevation]] range was -5.5° to +30° with a fixed loading angle of 2.5°. Their rate of fire was 2.3 rounds per minute. The guns had a maximum range of {{convert|35550|m|yd|sp=us}} with an {{convert|800|kg|lb|adj=on|sp=us}} shell at a muzzle velocity of {{convert|820|m/s|ft/s|abbr=on}}.<ref>Campbell, pp. 229–30</ref>

===Fire control===
Two KDP-8-III [[Fire-control system#Naval fire control|fire-control director]]s were used to control the main armament. These had two {{convert|8|m|ftin|adj=on|sp=us}} [[Coincidence rangefinder#Stereoscopic rangefinders|stereoscopic rangefinders]], one to track the target and the other to measure the range to the ship's own shell splashes. Two of these were protected by {{convert|20|mm|abbr=on}} of armor and were mounted atop the rear superstructure and the tower-mast. Two KDP-4t-II directors, with two {{convert|4|m|ftin|adj=on|sp=us}} rangefinders each, controlled the secondary armament. The dual-purpose guns were controlled by two, later three, stabilized directors, each with a {{convert|3|m|ftin|adj=on|sp=us}} rangefinder.<ref name=m89/>

===Protection===
The ships had relatively light armor. The main belt was {{convert|230|mm|sp=us|1}} thick, with a taper to the lower edge, and inclined outwards six degrees. It was {{convert|5|m|ftin|sp=us}} high of which {{convert|1.6|m|ftin|sp=us}} was intended to be submerged as originally designed. The belt was {{convert|185|m|ftin|sp=us}} long and covered 76.8 percent of the waterline; forward of this was a 20&nbsp;mm belt that extended all the way to the bow. The forward transverse {{convert|330|mm|adj=on|sp=us|1}} bulkhead was 330&nbsp;mm thick while the rear bulkhead was {{convert|275|mm|sp=us|1}} thick. The upper deck was only {{convert|14|mm|sp=us}} thick and was intended to initiate shell and bomb fuzes. The main armor deck, which was even with the top of the waterline belt, was {{convert|90|mm|sp=us}} thick and a {{convert|30|mm|adj=on|sp=us}} splinter deck was underneath it, although it tapered to {{convert|15|mm|sp=us}} in thickness over the torpedo protection system. The underwater protection was an American-style design with a bulge and four longitudinal bulkheads intended to withstand a {{convert|500|kg|sp=us|adj=on|0}} warhead of [[Trinitrotoluene|TNT]]. It covered 61.5% of the ship's length and had a total depth of {{convert|6|m|ftin|sp=us}}, that reduced to {{convert|4|m|ftin|sp=us}} forward and aft where the hull lines became finer.<ref name=m09/>

The main turrets had 305&nbsp;mm faces and backs and {{convert|125|mm|adj=on|sp=us}} sides and roofs. Their barbettes were protected with 330&nbsp;mm of armor. The secondary turrets had 100&nbsp;mm faces with {{convert|50|mm|adj=on|sp=us}} sides and roofs and {{convert|75|mm|adj=on|sp=us}} barbettes. The dual-purpose mountings had 50&nbsp;mm armor with {{convert|40|mm|adj=on|sp=us}} barbettes. The conning tower had 330&nbsp;mm sides and a 125&nbsp;mm roof with a 230&nbsp;mm communications tube running down to the armor deck. The admiral's bridge was protected with 50&nbsp;mm armor. Each of the directors had 14&nbsp;mm of armor as did the 37&nbsp;mm gun mounts. The funnels had 20&nbsp;mm armor for their entire height above the deck and a 50&nbsp;mm box protected the [[Smoke-screen#Naval methods|smoke generators]].<ref name=m09/>

==Construction==
[[File:KronshtadtBattlecruiser.jpg|250px|thumb|left|Luftwaffe reconnaissance photo of ''Kronshtadt'' under construction in late 1941; her stern section is in the right midsection of the photograph|alt=]]
The Soviet shipbuilding and related industries proved to be incapable of supporting the construction of the four ''Sovetsky Soyuz''-class battleships as well as the two ''Kronshtadt''-class battlecruisers at the same time. The largest warships built in the Soviet Union prior to 1938 were the {{convert|8000|t|LT|0|adj=on|sp=us}} {{sclass|Kirov|cruiser|2}}s and even they had suffered from a number of production problems, but the Soviet leadership preferred to ignore the industrial difficulties when making their plans. The shipyards in [[Saint Petersburg|Leningrad]] and [[Mykolaiv|Nikolayev]] had less than half the workers intended. Shipbuilding steel proved to be in short supply in 1939–1940 and a number of batches were rejected because they did not meet specifications. An attempt to import {{convert|14000|LT|t|0}} of steel and armor plate from the United States in 1939 failed, probably as a result of the Soviet invasion of Poland on 17 September 1939. Armor plate production was even more problematic as only {{convert|27438|t|LT|0|sp=us}} were delivered in 1940 of the anticipated {{convert|30000|-|32000|t|LT|0|sp=us}} and 30–40% of that was rejected. Furthermore, the armor plants proved to be incapable of making cemented plates over 230&nbsp;mm and inferior [[Case hardening|face-hardened]] plates had to be substituted for all thicknesses over {{convert|200|mm|sp=us}}.<ref>McLaughlin, p. 112</ref>

Machinery problems were likely to delay the ships well past their intended delivery dates of 1943–44. The Kharkhovskii Turbogenerator Works never completed a single turbine before the German invasion in June 1941. Another problem were the 305&nbsp;mm guns and turrets as the armament factories were focused on the higher-priority guns for the ''Sovetsky Soyuz''-class battleships. Prototypes of neither had been completed by the time the Germans invaded. The situation was not much better for the smaller guns as mountings for both the 152&nbsp;mm and 100&nbsp;mm guns were still incomplete on 22 June 1941 and all of these programs were terminated quickly afterwards.<ref>McLaughlin, pp. 112–13</ref>

===Ships===
[[File:KronshtadtUnderConstruction1June1942.jpg|thumb|Luftwaffe aerial reconnaissance photo of ''Kronstadt'' under construction, 1 June 1942]]
The ships were originally intended to be laid down 1 September 1939, but they were delayed until November to allow improvements to the shipyards to be completed. A total of sixteen ships were planned in the August 1939 building program, but this was scaled back to four in July 1940 and two in October 1940 when it became clear just how unprepared the Soviets were for any large-scale naval construction program. Work on these ships ceased shortly after the German invasion.<ref>McLaughlin, pp. 99, 112</ref>

''Kronshtadt'' ({{langx|ru|Кронштадт}}) was built by the [[Admiralty Shipyard|Shipyard No. 194, Marti]] in Leningrad. She was laid down 30 November 1939 and judged 10.6% complete when the Germans invaded. Her building slip was too short for her entire length so her stern was built separately. Some of her material was used during the [[siege of Leningrad]] to repair other ships and in defensive works, but she could have been finished after the end of the war. Proposals were made to complete her as an aircraft carrier and as a base ship for a whaling flotilla, but both ideas were rejected and she was ordered scrapped on 24 March 1947. Her dismantling began shortly afterwards and was completed the following year.<ref name=m24>McLaughlin, pp. 112, 114</ref>

''Sevastopol'' ({{langx|ru|Севастополь}}) was built by [[Shipyard named after 61 Communards|Shipyard No. 200, 61 Communards]] in Nikolayev. She was laid down on 5 November 1939 and estimated as 11.6% complete on 22 June 1941. She was captured by the Germans when they occupied Nikolayev in late 1941, but the Germans did little with her other than to use some of her material for defensive positions and some was apparently shipped to Germany. Before the Germans evacuated the city they damaged her building slip and hull with explosives and made her a constructive total loss. She was ordered scrapped on 24 March 1947 and her dismantling began shortly afterwards. It was completed in 1948.<ref name=m24/>

==See also==

* [[List of ships of the Soviet Navy]]
* [[List of ships of Russia by project number]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946|editor-last=Chesneau |publisher=Conway Maritime Press |location=Greenwich, UK|year=1980|isbn=0-85177-146-7 |last=Budzbon|first=Przemysław|pages=318–346|chapter=Soviet Union|editor-first=Roger}}
*{{cite book |last1=Budzbon |first1=Przemysław |last2=Radziemski |first2=Jan |last3=Twardowski |first3=Marek |title=Warships of the Soviet Fleets 1939–1945 |date=2022 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |isbn=978-1-68247-877-6|volume=I: Major Combatants|name-list-style=amp}}
* {{cite book|last=Campbell|first=John|title=Naval Weapons of World War II|year=1985|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|isbn=0-87021-459-4}}
* {{cite book|last1=Garzke|first1=William H. Jr. |last2=Dulin|first2=Robert O. Jr. |title=British, Soviet, French, and Dutch Battleships of World War II|year=1980|publisher=Jane's|location=London|isbn=0-7106-0078-X|name-list-style=amp}}
* {{cite book|last=McLaughlin|first=Stephen|chapter=Project 69: The ''Kronshtadt'' Class Battlecruisers |editor-last=Preston|editor-first=Antony|editor-link=Antony Preston |publisher=Conway's Maritime Press|location=London |year=2004 |title=Warship|volume=2004 |pages=99–117|isbn=0-85177-948-4}}
* {{cite journal|last1=McLaughlin|first1=Steve|year=1991|title=Question 52/90: ''Kronstadt'' and ''Stalingrad'' Class Battlecruisers |journal=Warship International|volume=XXVIII|issue=4|issn=0043-0374|pages=408–411}}
* {{cite journal|last1=Usov|first1=V. Iu.|last2=Mawdsley |first2=Evan |year=1991|title=The ''Kronshtadt'' Class Battle Cruisers |journal=Warship International|volume=XXVIII|issue=4|pages=380–86|issn=0043-0374|name-list-style=amp}}

==External links==
* [http://ship.bsu.by/main.asp?id=101784 Short article] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090228145103/http://ship.bsu.by/main.asp?id=101784 |date=2009-02-28 }} {{in lang|ru}}

{{Kronshtadt class battlecruiser}}
{{Large cruisers}}
{{WWII Soviet ships}}
{{good article}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kronshtadt Class Battlecruiser}}
[[Category:Battlecruiser classes]]
[[Category:Kronshtadt-class battlecruisers| ]]
[[Category:World War II battlecruisers of the Soviet Union| ]]
[[Category:Abandoned military projects of the Soviet Union]]