Mokomasis karo laivas "Prezidentas Smetona" Šventojoje 1939-1940 metais

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Jureivių mokymas; Karinis laivynas; Karo laivas; Karo laivas ,,Prezidentas Smetona"; Karo laivas „Prezidentas Smetona“; Klaipėdos regionas; Lietuvos karinis laivynas; Vokietijos ultimatumas; Šventoji; 'Prezidentas Smetona'; Germany's ultimatum; Klaipėda region; Lithuania; Lithuanian navy; Navy; Navy training; Sventoji; Vessel; Warship; Warship „Prezidentas Smetona“; Šventoji.

ENOn 23 March 1939, the navy training vessel Prezidentas Smetona was forced to leave the port of Klaipėda, because following the acceptance of Germany’s ultimatum the Lithuanian government handed over Klaipėda region to Germans. The navy vessel did not have an alternative base, so it found refuge in the port of Liepaja till July, while the harbour basin of the port of Šventoji was being dredged. In 1939-1940, while lying at berth in the port of Šventoji without hardly any possibilities of sailing to sea and carrying out its routine military service, the navy vessel Prezidentas Smetona could not perform its functions of guarding the sea border and training navy seamen. Due to this, and also due to unfavourable service conditions, the seamen’s discipline deteriorated. Premises for the vessel’s shore services were rented. The plans to build seamen’s barracks and change the vessel's manning structure were never implemented. In June 1940, Lithuania was occupied by the army of the USSR. The operations of the navy vessel fell under command by the Soviet army unit deployed in Šventoji. The vessel was renamed the Pirmūnas. A Russian political officer was appointed to the vessel. This prompted three of the vessel’s officers to flee to Klaipeda in a yacht on 20 July 1940. On 3 August, the Pirmūnas, including all its property and weaponry, was handed over to the Soviet army in Šventoji and included into the NKVD border guard navy. In the summer of 1941, it was included into the Soviet Baltic navy fleet under the name the Koral. The vessel sank on 11 January 1945 during its voyage from Helsinki to Tallinn. [From the publication]