515) 
increased and their equipment improved, thanks mainly to the Allied 
deliveries. Mine warfare was also extensively used, but the Soviet 
Navy, while improving toward the end of the war, was not at its 
best in this traditional form of warfare. The Soviet Navy of the war 
years could in no sense be called a balanced fleet. The construction 
of a considerable number of surface ships in addition to numerous 
submarines, particularly during the late 1930’s, demonstrated the 
Soviet understanding of the concept of a balanced fleet in general, 
while, the lack of capability prevented its realization. 
In 1946, the first postwar 5 Year Plan which was devoted mainly 
to the restoration of the economy, visualized: ‘1950 level of shipbuild- 
ing exceeding that of 1940 by two times,” and “the development 
of a strong and mighty navy.” 7% But, during the first 3 or 4 years, 
Soviet industry was in no condition to assure construction of the 
newly designed ships. Soviet Navy attempts to force the shipbuilding 
industry to begin the construction of new ships failed and the ships 
of pre-World War II design, whose shortcomings were revealed during 
the war, were built first. However, the development and the beginning 
construction of new destroyers and escorts, both with flush decks, 
and improved armament, started as early as 1950. 
The postwar development of the navy was accompanied by tradi- 
tional reorganizational measures and repressions which were particu- 
larly harsh under Stalin. On February 25, 1946, the People’s Commis- 
sariat of the Navy was abolished. Four years later, February 25, 1950, 
the Naval Ministry of the U.S.S.R. was reinstituted in order to “focus 
attention on the speediest development of the navy.” On March 15, 
1953, the separation was ended, and the Ministry of Defense of the 
U.S.S.R. was formed unifying both the military and the navy ministries. 
Stalin’s postwar order to have two fleets instead of one in the Baltic 
and Pacific was abolished in 1956.29 Among other organizational 
changes was the abolition of a number of naval flotillas (White Sea, 
Danube, and Dneper) and the so-called naval defense districts. 
In 1947, the top leadership of the navy was shaken by Stalin. 
However, while reaching the lower echelons of the navy structure, 
this wave of Moscow repression was not as disastrous as in the late 
1930's. 
Parallel to the shipbuilding activity, considerable research and 
development efforts were initiated in atomic weaponry, rocketry 
(missilery), electronics (radar, sonar, communications, and control), 
and propulsion. In 1950 aviation received the first free-fall atomic 
bombs. At the beginning of the 1950’s nuclear warheads for torpedos 
and cruise missiles were developed. In 1953 the first hydrogen bomb 
was tested. Also, at the beginning of the 1950’s the Soviet Union 
started the development of nuclear propulsion systems, and the con- 
struction of nuclear powered submarines.*° Simultaneously, experi- 
ments were being conducted on a wide scale to employ closed-cycle 
engines for submarines.*! During the first half of the 1950’s the Soviet 
Union conducted an extensive research and development program 
with various missiles, including those for the navy. The first elements 
of the navy for which missiles were developed were aircraft and the 
28““Combat Path”, p. 585. , 
2° Kuznetsov, ““Nakanune’”’, pp. 276-278. 
“Combat Path”, p. 544, and ““Morskoy Sbornik” No. 6, 1971, p. 18. 
*1“Combat Path’, p. 542. 
