Foxtrot-class B440
Commissioned December 25th 1970 the project 641 submarine NATO codenamed Foxtrot entered service with the Soviet Northern Fleet based in Polyarnyy after her acceptance trials and inland navigation.
In December 1971 she would be deployed into the Mediterranean sea and later be stationed off the coast of Africa in Guinea.
During her career the B440 would see service with the Baltic fleet and Northern fleets conducting operations in the Mediterranean Sea, Arctic and Atlantic oceans.
In late 1978- early 1979 the Submarine made a trip to Cuba via the Gulf of Mexico and was received by the Defence minister Raul Castro, she would return back to the Northern fleet.
In 1981 the submarine was the star of a Soviet made film “The truth about Lieutenant Klimov”
From February 1982 to September 1984 the submarine would be involved with several patrols into the Mediterranean and Atlantic, before entering repair in Kronstadt in 1985 for nearly 2 years.
January to July 1988 The B440 along with B396 (Project 641B NATO Tango class) and B401 (Project 877 NATO Kilo Class) undertook a hunt for NATO submarines in the Norwegian sea after completing their set tasks.
On August 12 1989 the submarine would be involved in an incident involving a Norweigen Trawler, the submarine while submerged travelling around 2 knots became entangled in the Trawlers nets, the submarine subsequently surfaced and cut herself free from the entanglement.
The Captain of the B440 noted that despite efforts to raise the trawler on international channel 16 no one on board responded.
The incident took place in International waters.
Between September 13th 1991 and 24th April 1995 the submarine entered overhaul, during this time the Soviet Union collapsed.
In 1999 the submarine was decommissioned and prepared for scrapping of sale as a museum, interested parties from Australia made unsuccessful bids, the submarine was then towed pending scrapping.
In 2003 the Submarine was reprieved and it was decided she would become a museum in Vytegra Oblast.
10th December 2005 the Submarine opened her doors to the Public for the first time.
Write up courtesy of Blair Shaw
To organize a more rewarding and in depth tour on any naval museum ship or naval museum in Russia please speak to Captain 1st Rank Igor Kurdin and his associates at the Submarine Veterans club by contacting him via email at Subclub@mail.ru
Click following link for the Google translated website
