Малая Лопатка : Malaya Lopatka Naval Base (closed)

Russia / Murmansk / Zaozyorsk /
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Malaya Lopatka("Low Shoulder"), the oldest facility at Zapadnaya Litsa, was built in the 1950s to support the first nuclear-powered submarine, K-3. The facility consists of five piers and a floating repair dock.

At the end of 1950 it was equipped as the first base in the Bay of Malaya Lopatka. It was based, and was tested under the guidance of Academician Alexandrov's first Soviet nuclear submarine K-3 Leninsky Komsomol . In July (according to some sources, in June) 1961, 206th separate brigade of submarines was transformed into the 1 st Submarine Flotilla. Its composition was established as third division of submarines - the first division of nuclear submarines of the Soviet Navy. It is composed of submarine K-3 and NPS Project 627A "K-5", "K-8", "K-14", based in Little Shoulder Bay.

July 15, 1961 the division was formed into the 1931st attack submarines, based in Malaya Lopatka. Originally, it included a boat 658 Project - K-19 "," K-33 "," K-55 " mother ship "Dvina" and two plavkazarmy PKZ PKZ-104 and-71. During 1962-1963 years the division has expanded the project 658 submarines "K-16", "K-40", "K-145", "K-149", "K-178. In 1963, K-178 moved to the Pacific Ocean. In December 1964, it was decided to transfer the 31 th division into the 12-th squadron of submarines of the Northern Fleet, based in Saida Bay north.

After completion of the mooring locations in Bolshaya Lopatka in the first half of the 1960s the boats were transferred there. A small dry dock is used to repair ships. There is mooring line consisting of five piers, and floating repair plant

By the start of the 1990s most of the active fleet boats had been transferred to operational basing at one of the other two naval bases in the inlet. By 2005 the last of the fleet auxiliary vessels had been relocated and the base clean up had commenced. Today the base is non-operational.
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Coordinates:   69°27'2"N   32°26'13"E
This article was last modified 10 years ago