Loading Soviet Troops onto the Destroyer Leader “Tashkent” Before the Fall of Sevastopol

June 25, 2025 - Reading time: 4 minutes

Loading of a Soviet 76mm F-22 gun onto the destroyer leader “Tashkent” before her final mission to Sevastopol.

Novorossiysk, June 1942.
On the docks, chaos. Smoke. Orders barked. Sweat glistens under helmets.
This was no ceremonial embarkation — this was a lifeline to hell.

The photograph captures the loading of a Soviet 76mm F-22 divisional field gun onto the sleek, fast, and desperately needed destroyer leader Tashkent — one of the very few ships capable of breaking through the German blockade to reach besieged Sevastopol.

Nicknamed the “Blue Cruiser” for its striking color and elegant lines, Tashkent wasn’t just a ship — she was a legend. Built in Italy for the Soviet Navy, the vessel had already run multiple high-risk missions to Sevastopol by the time this image was taken. But the final mission would be one of tragedy and grim defiance.

On June 27, 1942, she departed Sevastopol with over 2,100 evacuees on board, pushing her capacity to the brink. The Luftwaffe sent everything they had — 90 German aircraft dropped over 300 bombs, battering the ship during her desperate retreat. Somehow, crippled and bleeding, she made it back to Novorossiysk.

But fate wasn’t done with Tashkent.
Just days later, on July 2, 1942, as the final Soviet defenses in Sevastopol collapsed, Tashkent was caught at anchor during a massive air raid. Struck by four direct hits, the gallant ship sank in shallow waters. Of her crew, 76 were killed, and 77 wounded.

For two years she rested beneath the waves, only partially visible above the surface — her deck guns and smokestacks like tombstones. In 1944, she was raised. But the damage was irreparable. The legend was gone, though her name still stirs pride.

This photo freezes one moment in the long agony of the Siege of Sevastopol — a testament to Soviet naval bravery under relentless fire.

📷 Technical photo data:
📸 Photographer: Alexei Mezhuyev
📅 Date: June 1942
📍 Location: Novorossiysk, USSR