SSGN Kursk, Post-Soviet Tragedy

[d-riemer]

Here are two badges that frame the life of the SSGN Kursk, the nuclear-powered submarine cruiser. The bright sunny badge celebrates the launch of the sub in 1994. The dark gloomy badge honors the recovery divers operating under extremely difficult conditions after the fateful explosions on 08/12/2000. 118 men died aboard (111 crew members, 5 officers of 7-th SSGN Division headquarters and 2 designers). The crew had just won a rank of the best submarine crew of the Northern Fleet.

[Taz]

http://www.dotan.net/prayer/

Has anybody signed the book on behalf of the forum and it's members?

Eddie.

[Taz]

From the severity of the Cold War Era arms race, Russia came to emerge as the world's second largest naval power.
Meant to oppose the Aircraft Carriers of the powerful U.S. Navy, the Russian Navy created a new type of Guided-Missile Nuclear Submarine known as the Oscar class.
Massive Oscar-I Class submarines were first employed in 1982. Later, the Oscar-I submarine would evolve into the even more massive Oscar-II Class, with an awesome displacement tonnage of 18,300 tons and total length of 154 meters. Despite their gargantuan size, Oscar-II Class submarines were capable of high-maneuverability and silenced movement.
In January 1995 the 10th submarine of the Oscar-II series, the K.141 Kursk, went into commission with Russia's Northern Fleet and was assigned to defend the country's northern borders. Like other Oscar-II Class nuclear submarines the Kursk had two-layer construction consisting of an 8.5 diameter pressure-resistant inner hull as well as an external hull. The approximately 3.5meter space between these two hull layers housed twelve 550km-range SS-N-19 anti-ship cruise missile launch tubes on each side. To accommodate these missile launchers the 154m-long Kursk was built extra-wide, and this behemoth of a nuclear submarine became known for its total girth of 18.2meters.
The Kursk sank five years later on August 12th, 2000. This incident would mark the most tragic episode in all of Russian submarine history.
At 11:30 am, 140km off the naval port of Severomorsk (Northern Fleet Headquarters), an explosion of unknown cause sent the Kursk 100m underwater to the bottom of the Barents Sea. Despite efforts of the Russian Navy, as well as British and Norwegian rescue crews, the 118 men on-board, including the captain, could not be saved.

Eddie.

[d-riemer]

This national tragedy resulted in medals and several high-quality badges. Does anybody know who issued the various awards and for what specific occasions?

[Taz]

Daily Record Feb 26 2003

Three Britons who helped to recover the doomed Russian submarine Kursk from the seabed were honoured yesterday.

Project manager Malcolm Dailey, diving manager Raymond Wallace and support vessel skipper Alexander Macleod were presented with Orders of Friendship of the Russian Federation.

Malcolm said: "It was a major challenge. No operation like this has been successful before."

All 118 of the Kursk's crew died when it sank in the Barents Sea in August 2000 after two explosions on board.

The recovery operation began almost a year later.

Russian ambassador Grigory Karasin presented the awards at a ceremony in London.

He said: "There is a saying a friend in need is a friend indeed. I think this is also true for nations."

Awards for the Kursk crew

President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree that a monument be built to honor the Kursk crew. All Kursk crew members have been awarded posthumous Order of Courage medals. And the captain, Gennady Lyachin, was awarded the Order of Hero of Russia.


Eddie.

[Taz]

Originally Posted by d-riemer

This national tragedy resulted in medals and several high-quality badges. Does anybody know who issued the various awards and for what specific occasions?

This Badge is for the relatives of the Crew members who lost their lives in the
tragedy.
On the badge is K-141 " KURSK" 12.08.2000 (Date of the sinking) and the lowered/draped Navy Ensign.

Eddie.

[Taz]

This badge is for the participants of the Lifting of the "Kursk".

Eddie.

[Taz]

This is the normal Commemerative Badge for the K-141 "KURSK" as exists for other Submarines.

Eddie.

[Taz]

This Badge commemorates the salvage operation that was conducted jointly with Norway.

Eddie.

[Taz]

Originally Posted by Christophe

This first medal is the Medal "In Memory of the Lifting of the "Kursk".
I have no detail about the date of establishment of the medal. It is not officially issued by the Federation of Russia, but by a public or private organization.

Ch.

Christophe,

In one source that I found it is said that this Medal was issued by the Russian Navy. I'm not sure just how realiable that info is though.

Eddie.