Organization of Diving in the Pacific Fleet in 1941-1945

Abstract

The article considers issues of diving development at the Pacific Fleet during the Great Patriotic War and combat actions against Japan. It is emphasized that work of the diver requires special preparation and all-round development. Special attention is paid to the numeral strength and deep-divers training, their new specialties mastering. The author discusses an interrelation between divers’ training system and their efficiency when performing in actual operations. He uses the documents from the Branch of the Central Archive of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation (Navy Archive, Gatchina),its archival department at the Pacific Fleet (Vladivostok) and the Russian State Navy Archive (Saint-Petersburg). The majority of the documents is introduced into scientific use for the first time. The organization of diving in the Pacific Fleet in 1941-1945 is summarized with regard to the analysis of scientific literature, archival materials and published sources.A conclusion is made about special needs of divers during the Great Patriotic War and World War II in the Pacific Fleet, because it was than that specialists in the marine rescue branch in addition to traditional activities had to carry out some specific ones - related to combat operations and the elimination of their consequences.