The Soviet Project 1124 armored cutters

In 1931 November 12 the leadership of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Fleet (RKKF) approved the conditions for the creation of two types of armored river cutters. A large armored cutter, intended for navigation on the Amur River, was to be armed with two 76 mm guns in two tank turrets, and a small armored cutter with one 76 mm gun in the turret. It was also planned to install two light turrets with 7.62 mm machine guns in armored cutters. The draft of the large armored cutter was to be no more, than 70 cm, and the small one - no more, than 45 cm. Ships transported by rail on the platform, had to correspond to the dimensions of the USSR railway. In 1932 June 22 an order for a technical project was issued to the "Lenrechsudoproekt" organization. The T-28 tank turrets and GAM-34 gasoline engines were chosen for the armored cutters. In 1932 in October "Lenrechsudoproekt" finished designing the ships. The large armored cutter was named "Project 1124"; the small one is "Project 1125". These ships were of similar construction. The chief designer of "Project 1125" was Benua Julius Julievich. In 1934 Zelenodolsk factory, named after A.M. Gorky, received an order from the Ministry of Defense to build new ships at that time - river armored cutters of projects 1124 and 1125; 154 units were built in 10 years. According to another source, the construction of project 1124 armored cutters began in 1933 at the Zelenodolsk factory. In 1937 in the first days of April, the factory handed over 28 1124 project cutters to the Amur fleet. Armored ships were intended for reconnaissance and fire support of reconnaissance groups, escorting troops, combating enemy transports, patrolling and combating enemy ships. During operation, the armored cutters of the first series of the Amur 1124 project, built in the M. Gorki factory No. 340, showed their unsatisfactory sailing characteristics. When sailing in stormy water, the deck and cabin of the ships were so flooded, that it was almost impossible for the crew to work on the upper deck. With this in mind, NKVMF UK Division 2 was tasked with reducing the spattering of built cutters, using simple equipment, but without significantly altering the front of the hull. The use of splash guards (which looked like a wing) significantly reduced splashing in both calm water and waves. 25.09.1937 Red Army Navy, deputy commander, 2nd rank flagship L.M. Haler approved measures to reduce the water space and draft of Amur-type armored cutters: - to lighten the hull, all systems, devices, equipment, by reviewing safety limits and extensive use of light alloys, reaching a draft of 0.7 m on a smooth keel, against the existing 0.75 m; - wide use of welding of hull and frame (except armor): - to make kit, outer cladding sheets, bulkheads and decks from galvanized steel; - to differentiate the cutter in an even keel position, moving equipment in warehouses of combat supplies, living quarters, machinery and other compartments; - abandon the compartment flooding system due to the small draft of the cutters; - Improve the seaworthiness by expanding the V angle of the front spars; - reduce cabin flooding by sealing doors and portholes; - blackout panels outside the citadel are made of duralumin. At the same time, special attention was paid to the need to build special light artillery turrets. It was thought, that these changes would make it possible to install an armor belt outside the citadel at the waterline, extending this belt to the forsteven and achtersteven. But the hopes did not come true and the redesigned cutter of project 1124, approved by the head of the Shipbuilding Board (LSV) on March 5, 1938, the full displacement increased to 43.8 tons, the draft increased to 0.76 m, the speed dropped to 21 knots, the sailing distance reached 475 km. This happened due to the fact, that, according to the requirements of the LSV, the thickness of the armor of the combat cockpit was increased from 7 to 8 mm, and the thickness of the deck in the area of the fuel tanks - from 4 to 7 mm, due to the increase in the resistance of the bottom set and the increase in the reserve of water capacity from 630 kg to 1000. 1941 on January 1, the industry submitted 172 cutters of projects S-40, 1124 and 1125. But due to the lack of tank towers, at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, only 71 entered the formation - 44 in the Amur flotilla and the border detachment of the Amur NKVD, 22 assigned to the Danube flotilla, 4 - in the Shecher detachment of the Baltic fleet and 1 (of the S-40 project) - in the Amu Darya river. According to some sources, 97 units of the 1124 project cutters were built, according to others - 99. The difference is due to the fact, that the first sources do not include armored cutters, built after 1945 - 2 units were built in 1946.

Moderately complex, well designed and detailed WW2 ships models. The models, although small, are quite complex, but not so that, working under the supervision of a more experienced colleague, even an advanced beginner, who has glued several more complex models, could not glue them together. From the publication You can glue together two complete models of cutters with several weapon options of your choice. Where necessary, details are double-side printed.