Русская (Советский) подводная лодка в Сан-Диего, Калифорния

Погружение! Погружение!
Photographic portrait of Russian (Soviet era) B39 Project 641 "Foxtrot" submarine at the San Diego Maritime Museum (Сан - Диего, Морской музей). The Cold-War submarine has been described as unsophisticated and uncomfortable, yet quiet and lethal. The "Foxtrot" could fire six torpedoes from its forward torpedo tubes and additional torpedoes aft. The torpedoes could be conventional, or could be nuclear-armed torpedoes with a fifteen-kiloton explosive warhead.

In some of the following captions, I've attempted some translations, with the help of the Internet. I can't vouch for their accuracy, but they may be good for amusement value if nothing else. If nothing else, this post may satisfy any residual cold-war nostalgia (холодной войны ностальгия). It might also be interesting to find an expert to learn how far off some of these translation attempts went amiss.

San Diego Maritime Museum photograph of B39 "Foxtrot" submarine cruising on the surface under her own power.


Submarine viewed from the ferry Berkeley at the San Diego Maritime Museum. () This was one of many acquisitions that the maritime museum made since we had last visited there more than ten years ago. It is of course a matter of irony that a former Soviet cold-war era sub is in the heart of San Diego, major home port of the US Pacific fleet and home to many US submarines.


Forward torpedo tubes. ИП-6 = IP-6 РП-6 = FP-6


Machinery with warning labels. ОГНЕОПАСНО! FLAMMABLE!
БЕРЕЧЬ ОТ ВОДЫ PROTECT FROM WATER!
БЕРЕЧЬ ОТ ТЕПЛЯ ГϹϺ И ВОДЫ KEEP AWAY FROM HEAT (__) AND WATER!

Captain's cabin (Капитана кабины). Only a few senior officers received private quarters on the B39 Foxtrot, and even these were quite confined. Bunks for enlisted sailors were placed wherever they could fit, and "hot bunking" was likely for many. Interesting, in the interest of hygiene and conserving restricted water supplies, crew members were issued paper bed sheets and paper underclothing, which were both disposable. Thin rough wool blankets completed their comforts -- and the submariners were elite members of the vital Soviet military machine.

Soviet Navy Unit Emblems (ВМФ СССР Группа Эмблемы)

Soviet Maritime Flags (Советские флаги Морской)

Soviet Navy Officer Insignia (ВМФ СССР сотрудник Insignia/Герб ранга)

Detail of Officer Insignia. Shown here on the top row are insignia for captains; on the lower row are insignia for lieutenants.

Service Branch Insignia for Soviet Navy Officers (Направление Insignia для советских офицеров флота)

Engine telegraph, showing that the submarine is stopped. I've attempted to read and translate some of the labels; bear with any likely mistakes.
At bottom, the telegraph indicates that the boat is stopped. СТОП = STOP
At left are the forward speeds, from flank speed at top left.

ПОЛНЫЙ FULL
СРЕДНЙ MIDDLE (medium)
МАЛЫЙ SMALL (low speed/slow)

Just a couple of spaces to the right of the stop signal is ТОВСЬ ЭКОНОМ ХОД , which I can best approximate as the TOVS ECONOMY STATUS. I believe this would be using the smaller electric engine for running quietly submerged at very slow speeds for up to a few days at a time. (The larger electric engines would only last for something like overnight and would require surfacing at least to snorkel depth in order to recharge the engines.)

Further to the right are the reverse speeds. НАЗАД = BACK (reverse)
МАЛЫЙ = SMALL (low speed/slow)

The indicator position for the medium (СРЕДНЙ) and high speed (ПОЛНЫЙ) positions is overlaid with a label that reads НЕ РАБОТАЕТ = DOES NOT WORK. (And presumably, that's one reason why the submarine was a bargain!) (grin)

Same engine telegraph, shot with flash.