Okhta shipyard: Difference between revisions

 

 

 

The area went back to the state and marine industry was continued by [[Petrozavod]] company.

 

[[File:FrigatePallada.jpg|240px|thumb|[[Russian frigate Pallada|Frigate Pallada]] constructed at Okhta yard.]]

 

==Okhta Admiralty shipyard==

 

The panoptical institute was destroyed in fire in March 1818, but the shipbuilding premises did not suffer damages. Shipbuilding activity became independent thereafter. In 1822 was started construction of a [[garrison]] building for 600 marines on the institute ruins; subsequently, also shops were built, as well as [[warehouse]]s, sawmill and number of other workshops. The Okhta area was joined to the city of Saint Petersburg in 1829 and in the same year planning of a new shipyard was assigned to V.F. Stoke; the [[Czar]] personally ordered, that the yard must have two large [[Ship cradle|cradles]] for [[frigate]]s and two smaller ones for [[brig]]s and other small vessels. The plans were approved in 1830. The yard operated under the Admiralty and it soon became one of the most important yards for newbuilding and repairing.<ref name="Grönros et al: s.92-99"/>

 

By the end of the 1840s the shipbuilding had moved indoors into large sheds designed by architect E.H. Annert supported by [[naval architect]] I.A. Amosov, who planned the foundation. The large and showy sheds remained until the early 20th century as a characteristic landmark of the Okhta area.<ref name="Grönros et al: s.92-99"/>

 

In 1856 the yard area was enlarged to the lands of previously deceased count E.F. Komarovski. However, soon after this steel started to replace wood as a material and the shipbuilding started to require more complex machinery, and the focus moved to the more modern New Admiralty Yard. Part of the yard area became training field for marines. Two of the cradles became timber stocks in 1861. The last vessels built at the Admiralty Okhta Yard were [[patrol boat]] ''Askold'' and [[clipper]] ''Jahont''. During the following 30 years only the workshops and sawmill were used; they supplied material to the Saint Petersburg harbour workshops. An exception were 20 torpedo boats built in 1878.<ref name="Grönros et al: s.92-99"/>

 

 

In the early 1890s the Admiralty leased the buildings for [[History of aviation|early aviation]] experiment purposes; the premises were used for building of [[hot air balloons]] for scientific research and under state assignment.<ref name="Grönros et al: s.100-103">Grönros et al.: ''Crichtonin aika – yksityisyritys valtion vuokralaisena.'' pp. 100–103.</ref>

The yard was in poor condition and the machinery was deficient; there were no premises for advanced production. Crichton was only allowed to use local workforce apart from some ten Finns, who worked as supervisors for the 400–500 yard workers.<ref name="NvK: s.73-75"/> In 1898 two shipbuilding cradles were renovated and new [[foundry]] and [[power plant]]s, as well as carpenter and model workshops were built. In the same year commercial counsellor Martinsson, the representative of W:m Crichton & C:o, signed a contract with Admiralty for four Sokol-type torpedo boats. This was followed by other orders of similar vessels. The yard produced also number of other vessel types and undertook repair projects. The ship drawings and large part of the machinery were made in Turku.<ref name="Grönros et al: s.100-103"/>

 

 

[[File:Alligator classe Alligator.jpg|240px|thumb|Russian submarine ''Alligator'' was one of the four [[Kaiman-class submarine|''Kaiman''-class submarines]], which caused to Crichton massive losses.]]

During years 1906–1912 the Okhta yard had bled the parent Crichton white; the situation was further worsened when the Turku yard started to create loss. As a solution, some Russian owners of W:m Crichton & C:o suggested closing the Turku yard and focusing the production entirely in Okhta but the plan was rejected.<ref name="NvK: s.73-75"/> The Russian authorities suspected that W:m Crichton & C:o built some of the ordered vessels in Finland and transferring the profit to its Finnish branch. In the subsequent [[Financial audit|audit]] it came out that the Okhta yard did not fulfill the terms of the contract; the company had not made the agreed investments on the premises.<ref name="Grönros et al: s.100-103"/>

 

 

The surviving documents consist total 94 vessels built at Okhta yard during Crichton's era.<ref name="NvK: s.76-77">Knorring: ''Taulukko 7. Crichtonin Ochtan telakalla Pietarissa 1898–1913 rakennettuja aluksia.'' pp. 76–77.</ref>

| align="left" | 1898

| align="center" | 1 450

| align="center" | [[Propeller|screw-propelled]] [[Steamship|steamer]]

| align="left" | {{flagicon|Russian Empire}} [[Russian Customs]]

| align="left" | 1899

| align="center" | 1 451

| align="center" | [[Propeller|screw-propelled]] [[Steamship|steamer]]

| align="left" | {{flagicon|Russian Empire}} (Russian customer)

| align="left" | 1902

| align="center" | 1 456

| align="center" | [[torpedo boat]], [[Sokol class destroyer|Sokol class]]

| align="left" | [[File:Naval Ensign of Russia.svg|20px|border]] [[Imperial Russian Navy]]

| align="left" | 1902

| align="center" | 1 472

| align="center" | [[torpedo boat]], [[Sokol class destroyer|Sokol class]]

| align="left" | [[File:Naval Ensign of Russia.svg|20px|border]] [[Imperial Russian Navy]]

|-

| align="left" | 1905

| align="center" | ''Krokodil''

| align="center" | [[submarine]] hull, [[Kaiman-class submarine|Kaiman class]]

==Bibliography==

* {{cite book|last=Breyer|first=Siegfried|title=Soviet Warship Development: Volume 1: 1917–1937|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=London|date=1992|isbn=0-85177-604-3}}

 

{{Saint Peterburg Navy structures}}