Soviet Soviet badge - For Excellent Training/Firing - Naval badge

[JBFloyd]

Can anyone tell me the proper name for this badge?

[JBFloyd]

Harder yet, can someone translate the inscription?

[JimZ]

Can anyone tell me the proper name for this badge?

Not famailiar with this but it reads "For Excellent Training"

[JimZ]

I'd translate the Reverse as

_??__ Commander

Cruiser "Chervona Ukraina"

Comrade Grigorev A.A.

For excellent shooting

04/08/32

Edited September 12, 2011 by JimZ

[JimZ]

Very interesting.....some info from a quick search......

Chervona Ukraina (Ukrainian: "Червона Україна" — "Red Ukraine") was a Svetlana-class light cruiser of the Soviet Navy assigned to the Black Sea Fleet. During World War II she supported Soviet forces during the Sieges of Odessa and Sevastopol before being sunk at Sevastopol on 12 November 1941 by German aircraft. She was raised in 1947 and was used as a training hulk before becoming a target ship in 1950.

Chervona Ukraina displaced 8,400 long tons (8,500 t) at deep load. The ship had an overall length of 163.2 metres (535 ft 5 in), a beam of 15.7 metres (51 ft 6 in) and a mean draught of about 5.6 metres (18 ft 4 in). She was powered by four Curtiss-AEG steam turbines, each driving one shaft, which developed a total of 55,000 shaft horsepower (41,000 kW) and gave a maximum speed of 29.5 knots (54.6 km/h; 33.9 mph). The engines were powered by 14 Yarrow water-tube boilers. Four were coal-fired while the rest were mixed-firing. The ship carried a maximum of 540 long tons (550 t) of coal and an additional 690 long tons (700 t) of fuel oil that was sprayed on the coal to increase its burn rate in the mixed-firing boilers. At full capacity, she could steam for 1,200 nautical miles (2,200 km; 1,400 mi) at a speed of 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph). Chervona Ukraina was designed to carry about 630 officers and men.

The ship's main armament consisted of fifteen 55-calibre 130 mm (5.1 in)/55 B7 Pattern 1913 in single mounts. Six of these were mounted in casemates. Her anti-aircraft armament consisted of four 64-millimetre (2.5 in) guns. Chervona Ukraina also mounted twelve above-water 457-millimetre (18.0 in) torpedo tubes in triple swivelling mounts.

Chervona Ukraina's waterline belt consisted of 76 millimetres (3.0 in) of Krupp cemented armour and above it was an upper belt 25 millimetres (0.98 in) thick. The gun shields were protected by 25 millimetres (0.98 in) of armour. Each of the armoured decks was 20 millimetres (0.79 in) thick. The armour of the conning tower was 76 millimetres (3.0 in) thick.

She was laid down on 3 October 1913 as Admiral Nakhimov after Pavel Nakhimov and launched on 6 November 1915. Construction was abandoned in 1917 during the October Revolution when the ship was about 80% complete. In the second half of 1918, the Marine Department of Hetman Pavlo Skoropadskyi restarted construction of the ship. On 25 January 1919, the ship was formally renamed "Hetman Bogdan Khmelnitsky", but Nikolayev was captured shortly afterward by the Entente.

At the start of the Russian Civil War, the ship was run aground at the fitting dock in Nikolayev by the shipyard workers to hinder the evacuation by the Whites in 1919. The ship was raised by the Soviets in 1920 pending a decision on her disposition. The ship was renamed to Chervona Ukraina on 7 December 1922. It was decided to finish her in 1923 and the job was completed in 1927 to nearly the original design. She was modified to handle aircraft by adding cranes on either side of the middle funnel and a parking area was built for them between the central and rear funnels, although no catapult was ever fitted. The original internal torpedo tubes were replaced by four triple 450 mm (18 in) torpedo tubes mounted on the deck abaft the rear funnel.

Chervona Ukraina made a number of port visits to Turkey, Greece and Italy before World War II. She was extensively overhauled between 26 August 1939 and 1 May 1941 where her aircraft equipment was removed and she was fitted with new fire control equipment. The ship was given three Italian Minizini twin-gun 50 caliber 100 mm (3.9 in) anti-aircraft mounts, one was placed on the forecastle, in front of the forward 130 mm (5.1 in)/55 B7 Pattern 1913 gun and the other two on each side of the quarterdeck. One torpedo tube mount was removed from each side and four single mounts for the semi-automatic 45 mm (1.8 in) 21-K gun were fitted as well as seven 12.7 mm (0.50 in) AA machine guns.

Chervona Ukraina, in company with the cruisers Krasny Kavkaz, Komintern and a number of destroyers, laid down a defensive mine barrage protecting the Black Sea Fleet base at Sevastopol on 22 June.She provided gunfire support to Soviet forces during the Siege of Odessa and escorted convoys bringing the 157th Rifle Division into Odessa during the month of September 1941. She escorted convoys from Odessa to Sevastopol in October when the evacuation of Odessa was ordered. During the Siege of Sevastopol Chervona Ukraina provided gunfire support and evacuated cut-off troops from elsewhere in the Crimea into Sevastopol and brought in reinforcements from Caucasian ports. She was hit three times in the South Bay of Sevastopol by bombs from German Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive-bombers from II./StG 77 on 12 November 1941, but didn't sink until the next day after her crew was ordered to abandon her. Her guns were salvaged and most of the guns and crew were incorporated into the port's defenses, although two of her twin Minizini turrets were added to Krasny Kavkaz.

She was raised on 3 November 1947, repaired, and used as a training hulk until 30 October 1950 when she became a target ship. On 10 May 1952, Chervona Ukraina was grounded on a spit to serve as a fixed target by 1980 there was nothing left of the ship above the surface.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chervona_Ukraina

[JimZ]

And just in case one is not bothered to click on the link here's a pic - although its entitled "Kraznaya Ukraina".

[JimZ]

Well done Jeff - that's a badge I would love to own and find out more about!

Jim :cheers:

[JimZ]

Another link: http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?149739

[JBFloyd]

Jim,

Many thanks for all that. The inscription translation adds another dimension to a rare badge.

[slava1stclass]

Harder yet, can someone translate the inscription?

Jeff,

Based on the grammar, Grigoryev was the cruiser's commander and this badge was awarded to him.

Regards,

slava1stclass

Edited September 13, 2011 by slava1stclass

[JBFloyd]

So, "..??.. Commander" might be "Vessel Commander" or similar title rather than a naval rank?

[JimZ]

I am not familar with the word "__??__"- It reads "plutong." Neither am I familiar with the abreviation at the end. WIsh I could help more there.

I also have little doubts that this was a personal award to A.A. Grigoriev in 1932.

Jim :cheers:

[slava1stclass]

I am not familar with the word "__??__"- It reads "plutong." Neither am I familiar with the abreviation at the end. WIsh I could help more there.

I also have little doubts that this was a personal award to A.A. Grigoriev in 1932.

Jim

Jeff,

"Plutong" is an obsolete Russian word that, in a naval context, would be the equivalent of a shipboard gun battery. It went out of use in the early 20th Century. МСЧиАМ is the acronym for the Naval Forces of the Black and Azov Seas. Hope this helps.

Regards,

slava1stclass

Edited September 13, 2011 by slava1stclass

[JBFloyd]

So, in naval terms, a gun captain or turret captain, rather than ship's captain?

[slava1stclass]

So, in naval terms, a gun captain or turret captain, rather than ship's captain?

Jeff,

Based on the fact that "Plutong." appears to be used as an adjective here, I amend my earlier post (# 10) and agree that he was a/the shipboard battery commander.

Regards,

slava1stclass

Edited September 13, 2011 by slava1stclass

[JimZ]

Not famailiar with this but it reads "For Excellent Training"

Slava - could you confirm the name of the badge.

The inscription at the back reads (IMHO) "For excellent shooting"

Could we infer that this might be awarded for marksmanship as well as training of the gun crew perhaps?

Its the first time I've seen one of these (and I love it!!!)

Thanks,

Jim :cheers

[slava1stclass]

Slava - could you confirm the name of the badge.

The inscription at the back reads (IMHO) "For excellent shooting"

Could we infer that this might be awarded for marksmanship as well as training of the gun crew perhaps?

Its the first time I've seen one of these (and I love it!!!)

Thanks,

Jim :cheers

Jim,

I agree with the name of the badge. An acceptable alternate translation for the inscription (especially given the naval angle) would be "For excellent firing."

As I'm unfamiliar with this badge, I would not hazard a guess as to its award criteria.

Regards,

slava1stclass

[Wild Card]

Gentlemen,

Most of you have likely seen this, or one of these, before; but I thought that it might be interesting to post it for comparative purposes anyway.

There are three things that immediately come to my attention.

1. JBFloyd’s badge has a bronze finish whereas mine is silver.

2. The areas which are filled with white enamel on JBFloyd’s badge are hollowed out on mine.

3. At first glance JBFloyd’s badge appears to have a solid back while mine is hollow. Closer inspection though, leads me to think that JBFloyd’s badge has a separate solid plate attached to the reverse for the inscription.

With regard to the first two points, is it possible that we are looking at two different classes, or perhaps army and navy examples?

[Wild Card]

Reverse.

[Wild Card]

A happy recipient and friends.

[Wild Card]

Notes on reverse of happy recipient's picture.

[JimZ]

Hi Wildcard,

Thanks for posting and WOW. The points you raise re Jeff's badge and the seperate plate are possible, but like slava, I am not familiar enough with this badge to comment on variations. What I would dare say is that Jeff's bage does seem to consist of two parts which, when looking closely at the photo show that they these are misaligned - they probably became loose over the years and moved apart.

It will be interesting to find more about this badge. - I will use my "volshevnik" powers to update the title thread to reflect the badge itself - perhaps we'll get some more interest on this.

Keep it coming gents!

Jim