32 
The October 1924 decision of the Council of Labor and Defense 
approved a shipbuilding program, authorizing major repair of a battle- 
ship, cruisers, and destroyers, as well as the completion of construction 
on ships laid down prior to the Revolution and found suitable for 
completion. Thirty-five million rubles were appropriated for ship 
restoration in 1925, and 64 million rubles, in 1926. The year 1925 
was marked by more extensive combat training. For the first time, 
a squadron of ships headed by the battleship Marat with Frunze 
aboard entered the Baltic Sea and sailed to Kiel Bay where it 
anchored. During the year, Soviet Navy ships sailed a total of 260,000 
miles, 159,000 in the Baltic Sea, 49,000 in the Black Sea, and 24,000 
in the Far East.'4 
The first Soviet 6-year (1926-32) shipbuilding program authorizing 
the construction of 12 submarines, 18 patrol ships, and 36 torpedo 
boats was approved and successfully fulfilled. 
When the second period of development ended in 1928, the Soviet 
Navy in general had recovered from the ordeal of the Revolution, 
the civil war, and the Kronstadt mutiny. Also at this time a system 
of organization and command was established, a number of documents 
defining principles of combat training and combat employment of 
the ships were produced, the majority of ships suitable for restoration 
were repaired and in commission, and the gradual construction of 
new ships had begun. The Soviet Navy had in commission 3 battle- 
ships, 5 cruisers, 24 destroyers, 18 submarines, and a considerable 
number of smaller combatant and auxiliary ships.’ 
Rapid industrialization of the nation, initiated in 1928 with the 
launching of the first 5 Year Plan, was an important factor in future 
naval development. During the years of the second 5 Year Plan, 
naval construction not only intensified quantitatively, but became more 
qualitatively diversified and sophisticated. When the second 5 Year 
Plan was completed, the Soviet Navy had in commission more than 
6 times as many submarines, twice as many destroyers, 6 times as 
many aircraft and 3.5 times as many torpedo boats as in the last 
year of the first 5 Year Plan.’® 
In 1937 upon completion of the two 5 Year Plans, with their empha- 
sis on heavy industry, despite great strains on the economy, the Soviet 
Union managed to increase naval construction. The decision to 
develop a “‘large sea and ocean navy” and to start the construction 
of ships of all types was made in 1937. A separate commissariat 
of shipbuilding was organized and a new shipbuilding program was 
approved in 1937. While the program visualized the continued con- 
struction of submarines and destroyers, it placed heavy emphasis on 
building battleships, heavy and light cruisers, and minesweepers. "7 
Realization of the new naval development program generated a 
shipbuilding boom. As a result, the total tonnage of the Soviet Navy 
“Shipbuilding” No. 4, 1971, pp. 45-48. 
'*“Combat Path’, p. 160. 
'8“History of Naval Art’’, p. 169. 
16S. Gorshkov in ““Morskoy Sbornik” Nov. 7, 1963, pp. 9-18. 
'7““Sudostroyeniye” Nov. 4, 1971, p. 47. 
