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| '''ENS ''Lembit''''' is one of two submarines of the ] launched in ] at ] in ]. Her twin sister ] was sunk in October ]. | '''ENS ''Lembit''''' is one of two submarines of the ] launched in ] at ] in ]. Her twin sister ] was sunk in October ]. | ||
| == |
==History== | ||
| The ''Lembit'' is the only surviving warship of the pre-war ] and in the ]. Estonia is a ] nation and as every country with a long ] has to defend and safeguard its territorial waters. With due regard to the experiences of ] the submarines found their proper application in pre-World War II Estonian Navy. The collection organised by the ] in ] ] developed into one of the most successful undertakings among the similar events demonstrating a nation-wide determination to defend one’s country.<br />In the course of building and testing two submarines the ] crews got a top level naval training of the time in ] in ]-]. In the period of ]-] the submarines ] and ] were the most imposing naval vessels of the Estonian Navy. Their non-interference upon the ] by the ] was a political decision made irrespective of the will of the navy.<ref>http://www.meremuuseum.ee/?op=body&id=45 Estonian Maritime Museum</ref> | The ''Lembit'' is the only surviving warship of the pre-war ] and in the ]. Estonia is a ] nation and as every country with a long ] has to defend and safeguard its territorial waters. With due regard to the experiences of ] the submarines found their proper application in pre-World War II Estonian Navy. The collection organised by the ] in ] ] developed into one of the most successful undertakings among the similar events demonstrating a nation-wide determination to defend one’s country.<br />In the course of building and testing two submarines the ] crews got a top level naval training of the time in ] in ]-]. In the period of ]-] the submarines ] and ] were the most imposing naval vessels of the Estonian Navy. Their non-interference upon the ] by the ] was a political decision made irrespective of the will of the navy.<ref>http://www.meremuuseum.ee/?op=body&id=45 Estonian Maritime Museum</ref> | ||
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| On ], ], ] had expressed an interest in obtaining the submarine, if Estonia would sell it, but this offer was turned down{{Fact|date=March 2008}}. The submarine was formally taken over by the ] on ], 1940, by which time only five men of the submarine's Estonian crew remained onboard, to assists the new Soviet crew in learning unfamiliar machinery. After the ] in ] ], ''Lembit'' had been comissioned in the ]. The original name ''Lembit'' was retained. At least 3 of her original Estonian crew helped to operate submarine during the war<ref name=grin6></ref>. During the ] the ''Lembit'' participated in military operations of the ]<ref>http://users.tkk.fi/~andres/models_lembit.html Lembit</ref>. ''Lembit'' made a total of ten patrols during the ].<ref>http://users.tkk.fi/~andres/models_lembit.html Lembit</ref> | On ], ], ] had expressed an interest in obtaining the submarine, if Estonia would sell it, but this offer was turned down{{Fact|date=March 2008}}. The submarine was formally taken over by the ] on ], 1940, by which time only five men of the submarine's Estonian crew remained onboard, to assists the new Soviet crew in learning unfamiliar machinery. After the ] in ] ], ''Lembit'' had been comissioned in the ]. The original name ''Lembit'' was retained. At least 3 of her original Estonian crew helped to operate submarine during the war<ref name=grin6></ref>. During the ] the ''Lembit'' participated in military operations of the ]<ref>http://users.tkk.fi/~andres/models_lembit.html Lembit</ref>. ''Lembit'' made a total of ten patrols during the ].<ref>http://users.tkk.fi/~andres/models_lembit.html Lembit</ref> | ||
| ==''Lembit'' after World War II== | ===''Lembit'' after World War II=== | ||
| On ], ], ''Lembit'' was renamed ]; on ], ] ]; on ], ] ]; and on ], ] ]. Some time (between 1949 and 1956) she possibly carried the designation of ''PZM-1'' (''PTsM-1?'') for some time. The original name was probably restored when ''Lembit'' was decomissioned and returned to ] as a museum ship (1979). | On ], ], ''Lembit'' was renamed ]; on ], ] ]; on ], ] ]; and on ], ] ]. Some time (between 1949 and 1956) she possibly carried the designation of ''PZM-1'' (''PTsM-1?'') for some time. The original name was probably restored when ''Lembit'' was decomissioned and returned to ] as a museum ship (1979). | ||
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| On ], ] exactly 38 years after she had left ], ''Lembit'' returned there – in tow – where after a lengthy overhaul the submarine was opened to the public as war memorial (more precisely, a branch of the Museum of the ]) on ] ] (among other celebrations of the 40th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany). In ] ''Lembit'' was one of the three submarine war memorials in the USSR: ''S-56'' in the Far East, and ''K-21'' in the ]. Similarly to those two, there had been plans for displaying ''Lembit'' out of the water, but unfortunately the floating crane (which had been towed from ]) had lost its boom during the tow. | On ], ] exactly 38 years after she had left ], ''Lembit'' returned there – in tow – where after a lengthy overhaul the submarine was opened to the public as war memorial (more precisely, a branch of the Museum of the ]) on ] ] (among other celebrations of the 40th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany). In ] ''Lembit'' was one of the three submarine war memorials in the USSR: ''S-56'' in the Far East, and ''K-21'' in the ]. Similarly to those two, there had been plans for displaying ''Lembit'' out of the water, but unfortunately the floating crane (which had been towed from ]) had lost its boom during the tow. | ||
| ==After regaining independence== | ===After regaining independence=== | ||
| After the collapse of the ] in ] and the following dissolution of its navy Estonians feared that the leaving Soviet Baltic Navy would take ''Lembit'' with them and sell it for scrap, so the submarine was overtaken by Estonian officials on ], ] – a few ] men hoisted an ] on the vessel, meeting no resistance. | After the collapse of the ] in ] and the following dissolution of its navy Estonians feared that the leaving Soviet Baltic Navy would take ''Lembit'' with them and sell it for scrap, so the submarine was overtaken by Estonian officials on ], ] – a few ] men hoisted an ] on the vessel, meeting no resistance. | ||
Revision as of 22:16, 18 March 2008
 ENS Lembit which survived the Second World War.
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name | ENS Lembit |
| Operator | Estonian Navy |
| Ordered | 12 December 1934 |
| Builder | Vickers and Armstrongs Ltd., United Kingdom |
| Laid down | 19 June 1935 |
| Launched | 7 July 1936 13:07 |
| Commissioned | 14 May 1937 |
| In service | 1937 - 1979 |
| Out of service | 1979 |
| Homeport | Tallinn |
| Motto | list error: <br /> list (help) "Vääri oma nime" ("Be worth of Your name") |
| Captured | by USSR in 1940 |
| Fate | list error: <br /> list (help) since 1979 museum ship Estonian Maritime Museum |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement | list error: <br /> list (help) 665 tons surfaced 853 tons submerged |
| Length | 59.5 m |
| Beam | 7.5 m |
| Draught | 3.6 m |
| Propulsion | list error: <br /> list (help) Twin diesel/electric 2 diesel engines: Vickers and Armstrongs Ltd. – 1200 hp 2 Electric engines: Metropolitan-Vickers – 790 hp |
| Speed | list error: <br /> list (help) surface - 13.5 knots submerged - 8.5 knots |
| Test depth | list error: <br /> list (help) 90 m operational 120 m tested |
| Complement | 4 officers + 28 sailors |
| Armament | list error: <br /> list (help) 4 × bow torpedo tubes (8 21" torpedoes) 1 × 40 mm AA gun "Bofors" 1 × 7.7mm AA gun "Lewis" 24 mines |
| Armor | list error: <br /> list (help) thickness of hull steel 12 mm |
ENS Lembit is one of two submarines of the Republic of Estonia launched in 1936 at Vickers and Armstrongs Ltd. in England. Her twin sister Kalev was sunk in October 1941.
History
The Lembit is the only surviving warship of the pre-war Estonian Navy and in the Baltic countries. Estonia is a maritime nation and as every country with a long coastline has to defend and safeguard its territorial waters. With due regard to the experiences of World War I the submarines found their proper application in pre-World War II Estonian Navy. The collection organised by the Submarine Fleet Foundation in May 1933 developed into one of the most successful undertakings among the similar events demonstrating a nation-wide determination to defend one’s country.
In the course of building and testing two submarines the Estonian crews got a top level naval training of the time in England in 1935-1937. In the period of 1937-1940 the submarines Lembit and Kalev were the most imposing naval vessels of the Estonian Navy. Their non-interference upon the annexation of Estonia by the USSR was a political decision made irrespective of the will of the navy.
Lembit in World War II
The Lembit joined the Estonian Navy in spring 1937 where she operated until the Soviet take over in 1940. Submarine carried out one training torpedo attack in her 3 years of service in Estonian Navy and never tried minelaying . On 24 February, 1940, The Third Reich had expressed an interest in obtaining the submarine, if Estonia would sell it, but this offer was turned down. The submarine was formally taken over by the Soviet Navy on 18 September, 1940, by which time only five men of the submarine's Estonian crew remained onboard, to assists the new Soviet crew in learning unfamiliar machinery. After the German attack on USSR in June 1941, Lembit had been comissioned in the Soviet Baltic Fleet. The original name Lembit was retained. At least 3 of her original Estonian crew helped to operate submarine during the war. During the Second World War the Lembit participated in military operations of the Soviet Baltic Fleet. Lembit made a total of ten patrols during the German-Soviet war.
Lembit after World War II
On 18 June, 1946, Lembit was renamed U-1; on 9 June, 1949 S-85; on 30 January, 1956 STZh-24; and on 27 December, 1956 UTS-29. Some time (between 1949 and 1956) she possibly carried the designation of PZM-1 (PTsM-1?) for some time. The original name was probably restored when Lembit was decomissioned and returned to Tallinn as a museum ship (1979).
Lembit was awarded the Order of Red Banner on 6 March, 1945 for her victories earlier in the German-Soviet war. On 17 January, 1946 Lembit was withdrawn from active duty and become a training boat. On 12 January, 1949 Lembit was included among medium submarines. On 10 June, 1955 Lembit was stricken (disarmed). On 3 August, 1957 Lembit was transferred to the shipyard Krasnoe Sormovo and subsequently towed to Gorky (now Nizhni Novgorod). Here Lembit was preserved as an experimental boat and an example of British submarine design. Her hatch of the pressure-tight AA gun storage shaft was of particular interest, and was copied for the missile shaft hatches of new Soviet submarines.
On 28 August, 1979 exactly 38 years after she had left Tallinn, Lembit returned there – in tow – where after a lengthy overhaul the submarine was opened to the public as war memorial (more precisely, a branch of the Museum of the Soviet Baltic Fleet) on 5 May, 1985 (among other celebrations of the 40th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany). In 1987 Lembit was one of the three submarine war memorials in the USSR: S-56 in the Far East, and K-21 in the Far North. Similarly to those two, there had been plans for displaying Lembit out of the water, but unfortunately the floating crane (which had been towed from Kronstadt) had lost its boom during the tow.
After regaining independence
After the collapse of the USSR in 1991 and the following dissolution of its navy Estonians feared that the leaving Soviet Baltic Navy would take Lembit with them and sell it for scrap, so the submarine was overtaken by Estonian officials on 27 April, 1992 – a few Defence League men hoisted an Estonian flag on the vessel, meeting no resistance.
Lembit is one of the two surviving pre-war Estonian warships (the other is a small ex-gunboat on Lake Peipsi, Uku, surviving as a wreck). She received the honorary nomination as vessel No. 1 in the new Estonian Navy on 2 August, 1994. Today, after a long and expensive restoration, the submarine is open to the public five days a week, as a department of the Estonian Maritime Museum, with a collection of other naval weapons. Lembit is one of the few surviving pre-World War II 1930's submarines (among others are the Finnish Vesikko, built 1933, and Soviet K-21, built 1937), and could be the oldest submarine in the world to be still afloat.
Preservation
Unlike most other submarine museums, no new entries have been cut into the hull of Lembit. Visitors enter and leave the ship through one of the normal entries – the torpedo loading hatch which doubled as an entry whilst the submarine was in port.
References
- http://www.meremuuseum.ee/?op=body&id=45 Estonian Maritime Museum
- Под советским флагом (Russian)
- Судьбы лембитовцев (Russian)
- http://users.tkk.fi/~andres/models_lembit.html Lembit
- http://users.tkk.fi/~andres/models_lembit.html Lembit
See also
External links
 Eesti Kaitsevägi (Estonian Defence Forces) | |||||||||||
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 Land Forces |
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 Navy | |||||||||||
 Air Force | |||||||||||
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| Education | |||||||||||
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| Kalev-class submarines | |
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