MT-class minesweeper
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | MT class (Project 253L) |
| Operators | |
| Built | 1943-1945 |
| In commission | 1943-1956 |
| Completed | 92 |
| Lost | 1 |
| Retired | 91 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement | 126.6-141.3 tons |
| Length | 38 meters |
| Beam | 5.7 meters |
| Draft | 1.4 meters |
| Installed power | 3x230 hp (170 kW) |
| Propulsion | diesel engines driving triple screws |
| Speed | 14 knots (26 km/h) |
| Range | 2,500 nmi (4,600 km) at 8.6 kn (15.9 km/h) |
| Armament |
|
| Armor | 8mm (control room only) |
The MT class were a group of coastal minesweepers built for the Soviet Navy in the 1943-1945. The Soviet designation was Project 253L.
Design
The specifications for the Project 253 were issued in April 1942 by admiral Lev Galler. Initial design iteration made by TsKB-32 was unsatisfactory and was transferred in 1943 to TsKB-51 for improvements, resulting in Project 253L (named after chief designer N. G. Loshchinskii). The minesweepers were badly needed in the heavily mined Baltic Sea, therefore pre-production series comprising 32 vessels were ordered 12 April 1943, followed by full-capacity production on two shipyards starting from 12 June 1943. The minesweeper was extremely successful, resulting in 4 shipyards assigned to its production starting from 31 October 1943.[1]
Two main versions were produced:
- MT-1 (June 1943) - full displacement 126.6 tons
- MT-2 (April 1944) - full displacement increased to 141.3 tons, smaller engines rated to 160 hp (120 kW).
The ships were routinely fitted with four mine-sweeping gears, comprising two mechanical trails, magnetic and acoustic towed trails.
Ships
A total of 92 ships were built, all to the Baltic fleet operation. Numbers were T-222 to T-249, T-351 to T-391, T-434 to T-441, T-459 to T-479. Only T-387 was lost to enemy action been sunk by German submarine U-481 28 November 1944.
In 1946, the seven minesweepers (T-225, T-228, T-231, T-241, T-244, T-465, T-467) were transferred to the 
Polish Navy.
Upon retirement in 1956, the MT minesweepers were routinely converted into diving support ships.
See also
References
- ^ Mikhail Monakov, Jurgen Rohwer, "Stalin's Ocean-going Fleet: Soviet Naval Strategy and Shipbuilding Programs 1935-1953", p.155