Expedition discovers WW2 Soviet cruiser underwater off Georgia's Black Sea coast

A photograph of the Soviet Navy cruiser 'Komintern' in 1941. Photo via Wikipedia.

Agenda.ge, 05 Oct 2020 - 17:48, Tbilisi,Georgia

A World War II-era Soviet cruiser, with service history spanning from the early 20th century and including World War I, has been discovered scuttled off Georgia's Black Sea coast by an expedition of the Ilia State University.

The group involving historians, divers and a film crew found the light cruiser Komintern lying in shallow waters just off the port of Poti, with historian, filmmaker and journalist Toma Chagelishvili describing the effort to a Rustavi 2 TV programme on Monday.

Scuttled by the Soviet Navy after sustaining irreparable damage in a German air raid in July 1942, the 134-metre-long cruiser with a displacement of 6,6 thousand tons was filmed by divers of the expedition and described as being in one piece. The members of the group who briefly explored it underwater described it as a "maze" to navigate.

Contours of the hulk of the ship were identified at the grid location via drone footage. Screenshot from Rustavi 2 video.

Setting off with a coastal vessel to navigate to the grid location of the hulk, the group used a drone after approaching the position to pinpoint the shape of the cruiser in shallow waters, before dispatching the divers. Chagelishvili and a filming crew recorded notable highlights of the journey and presented their feature in the noon programme.

The filmmaker and historian told his co-hosts of the programme the scuttled hulk could serve as an underwater tourism site, after professionals would clear it of potential explosives and ensure safety regulations for exploring the site.

Komintern was initially commissioned in 1902 as a Bogatyr-class cruiser Kagul for the Imperial Russian Navy and later renamed to Pamyat' Merkuriya.

A detail of the scuttled vessel in shallow waters. Screenshot from Rustavi 2 video.

Serving in World War I, the ship later entered the ranks of the Soviet Navy and was given the name Komintern. It was also redesignated as a minelayer while also providing fire support for troops in operations during Eastern Front battles between German and Soviet forces.

The warship took part in Black Sea port siege operations of Odesa and Sevastopol between 1941-1942 while also featuring in the Kerch-Feodosiya Operation. The latter battle formed a significant chapter in the history of Georgian participation in the war, with many Georgian servicemembers killed while defending the Kerch peninsula.

Komintern was damaged by a Luftwaffe bombing attack on July 16, 1942 and was hulked by the Soviet Navy. Later towed to its current position, the vessel was scuttled on October 10 of the same year to serve as a breakwater.