RI Irian (201), previously named Ordzhonikidze (Russian: Орджоникидзе) was a, Soviet designation "Project 68bis", of the Soviet Navy that was acquired by Indonesian Navy in 1962.
See main article: Sverdlov-class cruiser.
The Sverdlov-class cruisers, Soviet designation Project 68bis, were the last conventional gun cruisers built for the Soviet Navy. They were built in the 1950s and were based on Soviet, German, and Italian designs and concepts developed prior to the Second World War. They were modified to improve their sea keeping capabilities, allowing them to run at high speed in the rough waters of the North Atlantic. The basic hull was more modern and had better armor protection than the vast majority of the post Second World War gun cruiser designs built and deployed by peer nations. They also carried an extensive suite of modern radar equipment and anti-aircraft artillery. The Soviets originally planned to build 40 ships in the class, which would be supported by the s and aircraft carriers.
The Sverdlov class displaced 13,600 tons standard and 16,640 tons at full load. They were 210m (690feet) long overall and 205m (673feet) long at the waterline. They had a beam of 22m (72feet) and draught of 6.9m (22.6feet) and typically had a complement of 1,250. The hull was a completely welded new design and the ships had a double bottom for over 75% of their length. The ship also had twenty-three watertight bulkheads. The Sverdlovs had six boilers providing steam to two shaft geared steam turbines generating 118100shp. This gave the ships a maximum speed of 32.5kn. The cruisers had a range of 9000nmi at .[1]
Sverdlov-class cruisers main armament included twelve 1520NaN0/57 cal B-38 guns mounted in four triple Mk5-bis turrets. They also had twelve 100mm/56 cal Model 1934 guns in six twin SM-5-1 mounts. For anti-aircraft weaponry, the cruisers had thirty-two 37mm anti-aircraft guns in sixteen twin mounts and were also equipped with ten 5330NaN0 torpedo tubes in two mountings of five each.
The Sverdlovs had 100mm belt armor and had a 50mm armored deck. The turrets were shielded by 175mm armor and the conning tower, by 150mm armor.
The cruisers' ultimate radar suite included one 'Big Net' or 'Top Trough' air search radar, one 'High Sieve' or 'Low Sieve' air search radar, one 'Knife Rest' air search radar and one 'Slim Net' air search radar. For navigational radar they had one 'Don-2' or 'Neptune' model. For fire control purposes the ships were equipped with two 'Sun Visor' radars, two 'Top Bow' 152 mm gun radars and eight 'Egg Cup' gun radars. For electronic countermeasures the ships were equipped with two 'Watch Dog' ECM systems.
In April 1956 the ship docked at Portsmouth; aboard were Nikita Khrushchev[2] and Nikolai Bulganin.[3] Former Royal Navy diver Lionel Crabb was recruited to observe the Ordzhonikidze but went missing.[4]
After a deal to sell the ship to China fell through due to the Sino-Soviet Split,[5] [6] [7] Ordzhonikidze was sold to Indonesia in 1962.
RI Irian arrived in Surabaya in October 1962 and later it was declared decommissioned from service by the Soviet Navy on 24 January 1963.[8]
In the mid-1960s, following the abortive coup by the 30 September Movement and the subsequent transition from President Sukarno to President Suharto, ties between Eastern Bloc countries and Suharto's New Order regime promptly deteriorated, leading to the flow of spare parts for the ship being cut.[9]
Accounts differ regarding the fate of Irian. One account states that in 1970, the ship's condition had deteriorated due to lack of maintenance that she began to flood with water. Eventually, when Admiral Sudomo became Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Navy, the ship was sent to Taiwan for dismantling in 1972. Another account from Hendro Subroto, an Indonesian war journalist, states that the ship was sold to Japan after being stripped of its weapons, despite the presence of two remaining spare parts warehouses in Tanjung Priok.
| Date | Pennant number[10] | |
|---|---|---|
| 1953 | 18 | |
| 1954 | 45 | |
| 1956 | 21 | |
| 1958 | 53 | |
| 1959 | 310 | |
| 355 | ||
| 1961 | 743 | |
| 1962 | 435 |