SIMBIRSK

[aukepalmhof]

The stamp depict a passenger vessel with two funnels, at that time (1922) there was only one passenger ship under Russian flag the SIMBIRSK what carried two stacks, most probably this ship is depict on the stamp. A photo of the ship compared with the stamp looks almost the same.

Built as a passenger-cargo vessel under yard No 832 by F Schichau at Danzig for the Russian Volunteer Fleet Association, Vladivostok.
Launched as the SIMBIRSK.
Tonnage 2,713 grt, 1.356 net, dim. 311.1 x 41.5 x 28.2ft (draught).
Powered by a 3-cyl triple expansion steam engine, manufactured by F. Schichau, Elbing, 584 nhp., speed 16 knots.
September 1909 completed.

She was built for the passenger-cargo service between Vladivostok and Tzuruga, Japan.
During May 1920 the vessel was brought to Kobe by the White Russian, where she was interned.
The mostly Red Russian crew then refused to follow the orders of the White Russian authorities in Japan, to sail the ship to Sevastopol.
Laid up in Kobe till January 1923, where after she sailed back to Vladivostok.
07 September 1923 (after the stamp was issued) renamed in LENIN.
She made a voyage from Vladivostok to Nagasaki, Japan with a cargo much needed by the victims of an earthquake there, but the Japanese Authorities refused the cargo and she returned back to Vladivostok.
Then she was moved to the Black Sea, with homeport Odessa and managed by the Black Sea-Azov Shipping Co. Used in the service between Odessa and Novorossiysk.
1924 Managed by A/O Sovtorgflot, Odessa.
When war broke out between Germany and the USSR the LENIN made one voyage from Odessa to Mariupol with as cargo of sugar and evacuating refugees in July 1941.
Then she returned back to Odessa to load an other cargo.
Many passengers embarked there, now body knows exactly how many had boarded but the estimates are that she carried around 4000 passengers when she left Odessa on 24 July 1941 at 22.00 hours under command of Captain Ivan Semyonovich.
She was command ship of a convoy of merchant ships, during the voyage the VOROSHILOV got engine problems and LENIN towed her to Sevastopol.
27 July she left Sevastopol for Yalta.
27 July 1941 at 23.33 most probably she hit a Russian mine and sank within 7/10 minutes, only 600 passengers and 43 crew were rescued.

Source: Soviet Passenger Ships 1917 – 1977 by E.A. Wilson. http://www.miramarshipindex.org.nz
http://www.blackseadiving.ru/divesites. ... vesited=10 Register of Merchant ships completed in 1909.

[D. v. Nieuwenhuijzen]

Passengers 1st and 2nd class:104, 3th class:240.

On 07.09.1923 re-named Lenin. First voyage from Vladivostok to Japan with first aid cargoes for Japanese workers – victims of earthquake (value of goods about 200 000 gold roubles). No cargoes were accepted by Japanese Authorities and the ship was returned to Russia. Since 1923 (as per other sources 1925) she was delivered to Black Sea and was operated by Black Sea Department of Sovtorgflot (later Black Sea State Shipping Co.) in service between Russian Black Sea Ports. First voyage of Lenin in WW2: 12.07.1941 from Odessa to Mariupol. Second and last voyage: Loading commenced 22.07.1941, loading completed 24.07.1941 at 22:00 / sailed from Mariupol via Sevastopol to Yalta. Complement is unknown. The only 482 passengers had tickets. However a lot of passengers were accepted without tickets – representatives of authorities and members of their families / crew members’ families / children and many others. Up to 1200 people of Red Army reserves were picked up too. She sailed from Mariupol as leader of merchant ships convoy, including Lenin, Voroshilov (Ворошилов), Berezina (Березина) and 2 barges. Engine of Voroshilov was damaged and Lenin had to give her a tow bound Sevastopol. 27.07.1941 Lenin, Voroshilov and another passenger ship Gruzia (Грузия) as well as Navy Boat SKA-026 sailed from Sevastopol to Yalta. On 27.07.1941 at 23:33 the ship received fatal explosion of unknown nature and sank within 7/10 minutes.
According to official sources the loss of Lenin could take place because of navigation mistake of Navy pilot lieutenant I.I.Svistun, who changed the route and sent the ship to Soviet mines area. Lieutenant I.I.Svigun was arrested and shot on 24.08.1941 in accordance with decision of Military Court. However, according to other sources (Gerd Enders. German submarines in Black Sea) the ship was torpedoed and sunk by Romanian submarine DELFINIUS, which is not confirmed by Romanian Navy.