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Old 06-09-2009, 04:01 AM   #1
Tretov
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Wreck of Soviet submarine S-2 found

I thought this could be interesting also to our community. A Soviet submarine was sunk in 1940 in the sea between the Aland Isles (Finland) and Sweden and has now been found after almost 60 years.

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Rysk ubåt funnen vid Märket - Ålandstidningen

Translation

Russian submarine found at Märket

After almost ten years of searching, wreck hunters have found the remains of the russian submarine S-2 that was sund with all crew of 50 by the Market lighthouse in 1940.

HISTORY The last visual observation of the S-2 was made on January 3rd 1940 by lighthouse officer J.A. Eckerman of the Market lighthouse. He tells:

"The submarine was visible just outside the Market island eastern edge. It looked as if it headed northward towards the reefs just east of Market but suddenly it changed its heading to clear the reefs and headed eastwards between the reefs and the small island Northeast Sankan. Immidiately after changing course, the submarine submerged. Shortly after, an explosion was heard in east-southeast direction. At the moment I was looking through my binoculars at a shipwreck in another direction. As I immediately after the explosion turned around, I saw in the believed direction of the sound som thick black smoke that lightened up and disappeared in the wind. However, the observed submarine should not have been able to reach the explosion site even though it was heading in the direction. The submarine carried the the sign C-2."

Ever since, the submarine has been lost. Neither the Finnish or Swedish navy has known the position of the wreck.

The search for S-2 begun in April 2009. A wast area of the sea has been searched through and the wreck has now been found in the Aland sea near the Finnish-Swedish sea border by a swedish-finnish diving team. Member of this team is Ingvald Eckerman, grandson of the lighthouse officer J.A. Eckerman.

At the time of the sinking there were a total of 50 aboard, the regular crew of 46 plus the commander of the 13th submarine division Gavriil Nikolajevitj Tutyshkin, his assistant and two mechanical students. All 50 aboard perished.

Swedish and Aland isles authorities as well as the Embassy of Russia in Helsinki has been informed of the discovery of the wreck.

In a press release, the diving team tells that Russia has stated the finding of the S-2 to be very important and has thus contacted Swedish and Finnish authorities asking for further information on the fate of the S-2.

The members of the diving team are Mårten Zetterström (Heby), Ingvald Eckerman (Åland), Richard Johansson (Falkenberg), Patrik Palm (Helsingborg), Björn Rosenlöf (Stockholm) och Mikael Sundin (Uppsala).

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Old 06-09-2009, 07:14 AM   #2
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Re: Wreck of Soviet submarine S-2 found

The finding of the submarine has also been brought up big in Swedish newspapers. On the below link you will find photos and a map.

Bildextra från ubåtsfyndet | Nyheter | Aftonbladet
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Old 06-09-2009, 08:29 AM   #3
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Re: Wreck of Soviet submarine S-2 found

really interesting! Thanks for posting this.-DougD
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Old 06-09-2009, 09:43 AM   #4
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Re: Wreck of Soviet submarine S-2 found

Excellent photos, clear map, thanks for this.
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Old 06-11-2009, 01:21 PM   #5
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Re: Wreck of Soviet submarine S-2 found

From the photos, I guess that is one sub that won't be raised.
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Old 06-23-2009, 05:03 AM   #6
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Re: Wreck of Soviet submarine S-2 found

The story continues. While a total diving ban in the area was expected imminently, nothing has happened yet. Currently, the local authorities are investigating who holds the jurisdiction in the matter. It remains unclear if the this is a matter of the Finnish state or the local Aland Isles autonomy government. As the submarine is the legal property of the Soviet Union and its legal successor, the Russian Federation, an initiative for a diving ban can also come from the Kremlin. As per today, nothing has happened.

The wreck of the S-2 contains several torpedoes, shells for the deck gun and additionally, a still undetonated mine rest on the seafloor nearby. A local authority marine archeologist states: "No new diving permits are issued for this area, however we cannot stop divers that already hold permits for the area. We strongly urge that no diving is carried out in the area".

The border patrol has been asked to increase their supervision of the area awaiting further instructions "from above".

---

Does anyone have any information on the admiral that was aboard?
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Old 09-27-2009, 05:38 AM   #7
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Re: Wreck of Soviet submarine S-2 found

Another submarine has been found, this time the russian submarine Gepard, which most likely struck a mine in October 1917 and disappeared. The wreck was found by a swedish maritime research vessel just northeast of the island "Gotska sandon" and rest on the seabed 91 metres below the surface. While the submarine is damaged from the blast when it struck the mine, it is otherwise in good shape and the eight on-deck stored torpedoes are still intact.

TV | Aftonbladet

Last edited by Tretov; 09-27-2009 at 05:41 AM.
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Old 08-12-2010, 04:07 AM   #8
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Re: Wreck of Soviet submarine S-2 found

Follow-up on the submarine S-2:
Ryska anhöriga hedrar sina döda i sprängd ubåt - �landstidningen

Translation:

Russian relatives to submarine crew to honor those lost at sea in the sunk submarine


January 3rd 1940, the soviet submarine S-2 struck a mine near Market lighthouse. All 50 aboard perished.

On tuesday, relatives to the crew members will attend to a memorial service at the place for the sinking. Two russian TV-channels will document the event.

In June last year (2009), Alandstidningen (local newspaper) spread the news that Bjorn Rosenlof and his fellow divers had found the soviet submarine S-2 in the Aland sea. Already in February, sonar images had revealed the shadows of a sunken and demolished submarine. In the early spring, dives were initiated on the wreck.

69 years had passed since the S-2 struck a finnish mine near the Market lighthouse. All 46 crew members plus the commander of the 13th submarine division, his assistant and two engineering students perished.

The S-2 had left the submarine base in Liepaja, Latvia SSR, on the January 1st 1940 carrying orders to patrol the northern baltic sea. Awaiting further instructions, S-2 waited in the Aland sea until the order to patrol further north came on January 3rd.

However - near the Market lighthouse the patrol came to and end as the S-2 struck a finnish mine and exploded. No survivors were ever found.

When the diving team found the submarine, the russian authorities were informed. Things went on, and on tuesday next week, relatives of the lost crewmembers will arrive to the Aland Isles for a memorial service at the wreck site.

The group of 17 includes relatives to the crew but also a priest and the retired submarine commander Igor Kurdin, chairman of the submariners club in S:t Petersburg. Kurdin has been the one in touch with the Aland isles authorities and gathered the relatives.

The group will be accompanied by two russian tv-teams as well as journalists from the news agency ITAR-TASS; a total of seven persons.

The memorial service will be carried out aboard the finnish borderguard vessel Uisko near the Market lighthouse. The head of the russian consulate on Aland isles, Vasilij Jakovlev as well as personnel from the russian embassy in Helsinki will attend as well. The local autonomous government will be represented by the chairman of the local parliament, mr. Roger Nordlund and the antiquarian mr. Kenneth Gustavsson. The finnish state will be represented by mr. Peter Lindback and the local commander of the borderguards, Timo Hissa. The diving team led by Bjorn Rosenlof and a swedish marine attaché, Christian Allerman, will also attend.

According to the representative of the Finnish state, mr. Peter Lindback, none of the local representatives will hold any speech nor lay down any flowers. " - We assist the relatives with a worthy and honorable ceremony", mr Lindback says.

-----

attached: Igor Kurdin. Kurdin was Executive Officer of Crew One on the K-219 from 1983 until September 1986. He lives in Russia.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg kurdin.jpg (15.9 KB, 28 views)

Last edited by Tretov; 08-12-2010 at 04:09 AM.
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Old 01-29-2011, 11:49 AM   #9
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Re: Wreck of Soviet submarine S-2 found

The story goes on! Now, the submarines club in S:t Petersburg has proposed to the russian MoD that a number of people involved in finding the wreck are to be given a state award.

Fyra ålänningar föreslås få rysk försvarsmedalj - �landstidningen

Four Aland island citizens are proposed to get a russian defense medal - one declines due to political reasons

SUBMARINE It is the submariners club in S:t Petersburg who propose that four persons on the Aland Isles, representants from the authorities as well as divers, shall be honoured at a ceremony in S:t Petersburg.

The submarines club has agreed with the general-consulates of Finland and Sweden in S:t Petersburg as well as with the relatives of the fallen, to turn to the russian Ministry of Defense and propose an award to mr. Peter Lindbäck, Kennth Gustavsson, Ingvald Eckerman, Björn Rosenlöf and three more swedish divers in the diving team who found the wreck of the S-2, sunk during the war in 1940.

It was the diving club that administrated the contacts to Aland isles and gathered the relatives who participated in the memorial service this summer.

"Defenders of the Fatherland"

In a proposal to the russian ministry of defense, it is called for that the persons mentioned shall be awarded "for their great personal effort to commemorate those fallen in the defense of the Russian fatherland ..." The suggestion is that a ceremony shall be held where a medal with the text "For contribution to upkeeping the memory of the defenders of the Fatherland" shall be awarded.

The diver Björn Rosenlöf won't accept any award of it has the text as quoted above:

- "It turns into politics to me. I cannot accept an award where it is suggested that I have participated in honouring persons fighting for the Soviet Union", he says.

Important for the relatives

Museum antiquary Kenneth Gustavsson thinks the wording is "a bit too much" but still see no reasons to look for political suggestions in the formulation:
- "It is always important that relatives get to know what has happened. Let is now wait for the answer from the russian Ministry of Defense", he says.

The representant for the Finnish Government on the Aland Isles, Peter Lindbäck, states that he assisted in the transport and practical arrangements around the ceremony:

- "When, or if, I am awarded, I will contact the Ministry of Foreign affairs and check what rules and regulations that apply", he says,

The reason this question is controversial is that the fact that the Soviet Union was in an aggressive war on Finland at the time of the loss of the S-2. The submarine was part of this war.

-----------

Comments: What award do you think is in question? It seems it would be one of the official state awards and not just some veteran organization decoration.
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Old 03-06-2011, 04:51 PM   #10
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Re: Wreck of Soviet submarine S-2 found

http://soviet-awards.com/forum/sovie...ine-found.html

I guess these threads could be merged.

Last edited by Art; 03-06-2011 at 06:29 PM. Reason: Threads merged
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