Lend Lease: Soviet Union--Shipping Routes


Figure 1.--Here a Soviet merchant ship calls at Seattle for repairs in 1943. The caption reads, "Soviet kids--If this be capirtalism we love it: Three little sailor boys from Soviet Russia, junior members of the crew of a United Nations vessel [I think this just meant that the Soviet vessel was an American vessel supplied under Lend Lease] in for repairs at Todd Seattle Dry Docks, Inc. subsidiary of Todd Shipyards Corportation, demonstrate by their delighted grins what they think of America's favorite dessert--ice cream. Left to rightb are Gena Logovoy, 13, Eura Philipoff, 14, and Allen Feadorkoff, 15. All stand regular watches on their ship and study in their spare timefor jobs as electrician, engineer, and merchant mariner. Gena's father was shot down by the NAZIs, but the boy carries on with the courage that saved Stalingrad."

Building the needed war equipment was only part of the task. With the Soviet Union, the more difficult task was getting it to the Soviets. Aiding the British involved a straight shoot across the Atlantic. Although the U-boats posed a threat, most of the dhipments reached Britain and the turn around for the ships was realitively quick given the relatively short distance involved. Getting Lend Lead aid to the Soviets proved to be a much more difficult undertaking. The Germans early in the War closed off or occupied the Soviet Union's principal ports. The United States and the British opened up three routes to the Soviets. First, was the northern Arctic route to Murmansk and Arkangel. This route at times proved almost suisidal. Convoys were attacked by U-boats as well as German surface ships and aircraft based in Norway. Second was the western or Pacific route. This route extended from American west coast ports to Soviet Pacific ports. This proved to be the most important. About half of Lend Lease shipments took the Soviets were shipped over this route. Some of this was done by air. American aircraft were flown from Alaska to the Soviets. Large quantities of supplied were also shipped by cargo vessels. It is surprising because these shipments took place through Japanese controlled waters. Third, was the southern route. This involved a long trip around the Cape of Good Hope and then overland through Iran. This route was limited because the length of the voyage tied up shipping and the Iranian port and transportation infrastructure was limited. In addition during much of 1942 the Indian Ocean was threatened by the Japanese Navy.

Baltic Sea

The principal Soviet port was Lenningrad on the Baltic. The Soviets acquired several additional Baltic ports when they invded an occupied the three Baltic Republics (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) (1940). The NAZI invasion (June 22, 1941) was initially highly successful and occupied the Baltic Republics and approached the gates of Lenningrad within weeks. Not only was Lenningrad cut off from the rest of the Soviet Union, but the NAZIs effectively sealed off the entire Baltic. The Baltic became a NAZI lake and an important conduit for ore shipments, especially from Sweden and Norway. As a result of Brbarossa, the Soviet Union's principal European port was cut off. The NAZI blockade of Leningrad was not broken until 1944. By 1945 Soviet submarines operating from Lenningrad were reeeking havoc with German shipping n the Baltic. It was not possible, hwever, for allied surface ships to enter the Baltic throiughout the War.

Black Sea

The NAZIs were also successful in the south. Odessa was cut off within a few days and althouh it held out for some time it could not function as a supply port. Taking the Crimea and the importnt port of Sevastopol proved more of a challenge for the NAZIs. Even so there were serious limitations to using Black Sea ports. The Luftwaffe could attack shipping in the Black Sea. Turkey controlled the Dardanelles and although neutral could be pressured diplomatically by the NAZIs. The primary limitation, however, was the fact that the Mediterrean was a hotly contested theater of the War. The Italian Fleet and German u-boats as well as Italian and German air power made it difficult for the Allies to even supply tiny Malta, let alone begin delivering the emense quantities of Lend Lease supplies needed by the Soviets.

Northern Route: The Arctic

First, was the northern Arctic route to Murmansk and Ark Aangel. This was potentially the most important because it was the most direct route the Soviet front lines. This route at times proved almost suisidal. The Artic convoys convoys faced a daunting gaunlet of German forces because the Germans had occupied Norway (April 1940). The convoys were attacked by U-boats as well as German surface ships and aircraft based in Norway. This combined with the severe Arctic weather made the route the most dangerous one. The Allies organized 78 convoys to the Soviet Union using the northern route (August 1941 and May 1945). The first Allied aid to the Soviet Union was delivered over the northern route. The British organized the first convoy less than 2 months after the NAZI invasion. These were begun by the British even before the U.S. Congress approved Lend Lease aid for the Soviets because of the desperate need of the Red Army. The first convoys were organized from Iceland but eventually (after September 1942), the convoys assembled at Loch Ewe in Scotland. The Arctic convoys had two letter and number identifiers: PQ or JW for the trip north to Russia, andthen the inverted QP or RA for the return trip south.

Western Route: Pacific

Second was the western or Pacific route using the Soviet Far Eastern port of Vladivostok. This route extended from the American west coast ports to Vladivostok . This proved to be the most important. About half of Lend Lease shipments took the Soviets were shipped over this route. Some of this was done by air. American aircraft were flown from Alaska to the Soviets. Large quantities of supplied were also shipped by cargo vessels. This is surprising because these shipments took place through Japanese controlled waters. This began before Pearl Harbor. Even after Pearl Harbor, however, the Japanese did not interdict the shipments. American officials decided it adviseable to tansfer the vessels to Soviet registry. The first 15 ships were transferred (November-December 1942. Eventually 125 ships were transferred. [Herring] This became a substantial irritation in Japanese-German relations. American magic intercepts revealed that Ribbentrop could not believe that the Japanese were permitting this when he first received reports of what was happening. [Boyd, p. 221.] The Japanese did not interdict the supplies when their powerful fleet dominated the Pacific. Even after the War turned against them with the defeat at Miday (June 1942), they still could have easily blockaded Vladisvostock. But after the Soviets not only stopped the NAZIs, but launched major offensives, the Japanese were primsarily cincerned with placating the Soviets. Thus while the Pacific route was secure, it also had serious limitations. It involved not only sea transport, but because the fighting was in European Russia, the material had to be transported thousands of miles west on the Trans-Siberian Railway. This well known system was not a modern high-volume raiway system. There were thus severe limitations as to the quantity of material which could be moved on it.

Alaska-Siberia Air Route

The Alaska-Siberia Air Route (ALSIB) was the only air route. The other routes were maritime routes. ALSIB was created to deliver planes. The Luftwaffe in the opening days of Barbarossa essentially destroyed the Red Air Force, atthe time a massive force. As much of the Red Air Force was on the ground, there were large numbers of pilots without planes. The Soviet ability to produce planes was also affected by the NAZO drive east. Sar plants had to be disasembled and moved east. As aresult, Soviet air craft production did not begin to recover until 1943. The Red Army ws foirced to fight without air cover. Planes were thus a priority Lend Lease item. A delivery route was estanlished to ferry the plans from Great Falls, Minnesota to Fairbnks. Alaska. American women played a najor role in this operation. At Firbanks, Soviet pilots would then fly the planes to Siberia and then on to the Eastern Front. The primary plane delivered was the Bell Aircraft P-39 Air Cobra. This was not a popular type with the American Air Force, but the Soviets liked it because of its tank killing capabilities. It had a nose cone mounted 37mm cannon. Other aircraft delivered included the P-53 King Cobra, B-29s, and C-47s. Deliveries were limited in 1942, but some of the first planes to reach the Red ir Force were involved in the Stalingrad campaign. Substabtial numbers began arriving in 1943. Over 6,000 aircraft were eventuall delivered. The severe weathr coditions in Alaska and Siberia resulted in numerous crashes, 183 in North America and 44 n Siberia. >> ??? didn;t always look like Aercan planes, Sov red star painted on at the factry women also on Sov side, interpretors Rus pilots went in town ad started buyong >

Southern Route: Iran

The third Lend Lease sea route to the Soviets was the southern route through Iran, then called Persia. This route was opened when the British and Soviets moved into Iran in a coordinated action (August 1941). The British ousted Iran's pro-Axis shah. The route was imperiled by u-boats and the Japanese Fleet during early 1942. The route was fairly secure by mid-1942. The problemsexperienced on the other two routes caused the Allies to take great interest n the this route. The problem was the distance involved. The long voyages meant that ships could move much less materil than the other two routes because of the substantial tirn over times. This route involved a long trip around the Cape of Good Hope and then overland through Iran. This route was limited because the length of the voyage tied up shipping and the Iranian port and transportation infrastructure was limited. In addition during much of 1942 the Indian Ocean was threatened by the Japanese Navy. Another serious constraint was the port facilities in Iran and the country's limited railroad network. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers played a major role in expanding the capacity of the ports and railway system. Even after the long trip around the Caspe of Good Hope, the Iranian route (referred to as the Persian corridor) was still further fron the fronr than the northern route. It was, however, closer to the front than deliveries at Vladisvostock. Thus as the War progressed, this route became more and more important.

Sources

Boyd, Carl. Hitler's Japanese Confidant: General Oshima Hiroshi nd Magic Intelligence, 1941-1945 (University Press of Kansas: Lawrence, 1993), 271p.

Herring, George C. Aid to Russua, 1941-1945: Strategy, Diplomacy, the Origins of the Cold war (New York: Columbia University Press, 1973.







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Created: 6:20 PM 10/6/2005
Last updated: 6:21 AM 7/21/2010