Soviet Motor Torpedo Boats of World War II

In the 1920s and 30s, aircraft designer Andrey Tupolev designed a series of advanced torpedo boats for the USSR. Superbly illustrated, this is their first history in English.

The Soviet Navy's fast attack craft were inspired by the 1919 Kronstadt raid, conducted by British hydroplaning, torpedo-armed Coastal Motor Boats (CMBs). The first were to be CMB copies, but with Soviet shipbuilding incapable of the project, it was handed to the Aerodynamic Institute, headed by Andrey Tupolev. Built with aircraft engines and technology, his 50kt boats were as photogenic as they were bumpy and noisy, and made a vivid impression on propaganda newsreels. Some were adapted with remote control guidance, a pioneering development of the naval drone.

Written by a former Soviet naval architect, this book is the first in English to offer a history of these fascinating, dashing craft. He explains that, technically advanced but flawed, the Sh-4 and G-5 had no opportunity to act in their designated role in World War II. Instead, some were employed instead as landing craft, while others were rearmed and used as minelayers or subchasers. Many were adapted as fire support craft with Katyusha rocket launchers installed.

Packed with superb new artwork and unpublished photos, it examines Tupolev's torpedo boats as well as the handful of other MTBs the Soviet Union fielded. It is an account of a rare impressive design in the prewar Soviet Navy.

About the Author

Przemyslaw Budzbon is a naval architect who worked on warship construction for the Soviet Navy in the 1980s. He has written widely on the history of the Polish and Soviet navies of WW2 for Warship Quarterly and other European naval magazines. He contributed to Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships series and his book Soviet Navy at War 1941–45 was published in 1989. Since 2019 he has resumed his writing for Warship and has recently published two books on Polish shipyards from the post-1990 era.

Waldemar Góralski lives in Poland. A graphic designer for almost 20 years, he specialises in warship reconstructions. His work is acclaimed by hobbyists and military historians due to the detailing of his 3D models, each of which is based on countless photographs and drawings. As an author and illustrator, Waldemar has published over 40 books, including for AJ Press and Kagero's Super Drawings in 3D series. His work has appeared at many exhibitions in Poland and Europe.

Piotr Forkasiewicz was born in 1978 in Opole, Poland, and has been a digital artist for over 20 years. In recent years his projects have ranged from graphic and industrial design to animation. His greatest passion is military history illustration, particularly aviation and naval. Following in the footsteps of traditional artists, he has created illustrations for books, magazines, model manufacturers, and for individual collectors worldwide. Piotr lives in Czestochowa with his wife and two sons.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
  • The development of the CMBs, 1915
  • CMBs in Russia, 1919
• Torpedo Boat Development
  • The Soviet 'Young School'
  • Pervenets
  • Sh-4 type
  • The G-5 type (ANT-5)
  • General arrangement
  • Series production
  • Corrosion
  • Remote control
• Further Developments
• Torpedo Boats at War
  • Organization
  • War production
  • Lend-lease
  • Performance
• Conclusion
• Further Reading
• Index