24th Nov, 2020 10:00

Maritime and Scientific Models, Instruments & Art (Venerable)

 
Lot 224
 

224

[M] THE BELL FROM THE 'VICTOR III' CLASS RUSSIAN NUCLEAR POWERED ATTACK SUBMARINE K-524, 1977

THE BELL FROM THE 'VICTOR III' CLASS RUSSIAN NUCLEAR POWERED ATTACK SUBMARINE K-524, 1977

cast in bell metal with black filled lettering inscribed K-524 1977 r. with plain shoulder and rim, suspension lug and clapper --13½ x 12½in. (34 x 32cm.); together with a suspension bracket

Provenance: Obtained from breaker's yard, Murmansk, 2003

A total of 26 'Victor III' class boats were built between 1977 and 1992. Given the Soviet designation of 'Schuka', the Victor IIIs are unofficially known in the U.S. Navy as the 'Walker' class, since many of the improvements in quieting the boats and in providing them with more effective sensors were the product of the activities of the Walker spy ring in the 1970s and 1980s - they were the submarine which inspired the book and later film 'The Hunt for Red October' where a super-quiet Soviet submarine evades its own navy and defects. K-524 was the first to be launched at the Admiralty Yard, Saint Petersburg and displaced 4,900 tons (6,000 tons submerged), was 341ft long with a 32ft beam and draft of 23ft. They were armed with four 25½in. torpedo tubes and a missile tube, they could carry 18 torpedoes. The class has a distinctive aft pod visible when surfaced which contained a lot of improved sonar equipment which together with towed arrays presented a great leap forward in underwater 'vision', later boats also had a new 'Viking' command system installed, reputedly stolen from the Norwegian 'Ula' class. Fitted with twin nuclear reactors and a seven-blade propeller, she could cruise on the surface at 18-knots, but underwater could do 30-knots – her forward planes retracting at high speed to reduce drag and noise. Crewed by 115 men, she could dive to 396 meters, although her operational depth was 320 meters with a sea endurance of 80 days. K-524 was part of the vast Soviet cold war fleet covertly pressurising the West—and America in particular—and achieved the singular distinction of being the first submarine to navigate submerged through the Robson & Kennedy Straits west of Greenland, and also successfully performed a simulated attack on the US aircraft carrier America. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 heralded a pause in Russian aggression and K-524 was one of many decommissioned by 1996 and was finally broken up in 2002.

Sold for £1,984
Estimated at £2,000 - £3,000

(inc. buyer's premium of 24%)


Condition Report

Approx. 20kg

We are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of this property. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Charles Miller Ltd is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD “AS IS” IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE.

 

THE BELL FROM THE 'VICTOR III' CLASS RUSSIAN NUCLEAR POWERED ATTACK SUBMARINE K-524, 1977

cast in bell metal with black filled lettering inscribed K-524 1977 r. with plain shoulder and rim, suspension lug and clapper --13½ x 12½in. (34 x 32cm.); together with a suspension bracket

Provenance: Obtained from breaker's yard, Murmansk, 2003

A total of 26 'Victor III' class boats were built between 1977 and 1992. Given the Soviet designation of 'Schuka', the Victor IIIs are unofficially known in the U.S. Navy as the 'Walker' class, since many of the improvements in quieting the boats and in providing them with more effective sensors were the product of the activities of the Walker spy ring in the 1970s and 1980s - they were the submarine which inspired the book and later film 'The Hunt for Red October' where a super-quiet Soviet submarine evades its own navy and defects. K-524 was the first to be launched at the Admiralty Yard, Saint Petersburg and displaced 4,900 tons (6,000 tons submerged), was 341ft long with a 32ft beam and draft of 23ft. They were armed with four 25½in. torpedo tubes and a missile tube, they could carry 18 torpedoes. The class has a distinctive aft pod visible when surfaced which contained a lot of improved sonar equipment which together with towed arrays presented a great leap forward in underwater 'vision', later boats also had a new 'Viking' command system installed, reputedly stolen from the Norwegian 'Ula' class. Fitted with twin nuclear reactors and a seven-blade propeller, she could cruise on the surface at 18-knots, but underwater could do 30-knots – her forward planes retracting at high speed to reduce drag and noise. Crewed by 115 men, she could dive to 396 meters, although her operational depth was 320 meters with a sea endurance of 80 days. K-524 was part of the vast Soviet cold war fleet covertly pressurising the West—and America in particular—and achieved the singular distinction of being the first submarine to navigate submerged through the Robson & Kennedy Straits west of Greenland, and also successfully performed a simulated attack on the US aircraft carrier America. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 heralded a pause in Russian aggression and K-524 was one of many decommissioned by 1996 and was finally broken up in 2002.

Auction: Maritime and Scientific Models, Instruments & Art (Venerable), 24th Nov, 2020

Mercantile : 1-98

Naval : 101-179

Instruments : 181-295

Printed catalogues available at £20 (+P&P)

Absentee Bidding Form

THIS SALE WILL BE CONDUCTED LIVE ONLINE ONLY

You will not be able to bid live in the room. Absentee bids may be left via the website or using a bid form or you can bid via one of three online platforms. Unfortunately, we cannot offer telephone bidding for this sale

  • UKAuctioneers.com  this service offers a choice of either paying a one-off £3.95 flat fee for the sale and no further charges; or 3% of the hammer price. Charles Miller Ltd will refund successful buyers who bid via the £3.95 flat fee
  • The-Saleroom.com – charges 5% of the hammer price
  • Invaluable.com – charges 3% of the hammer price

 

Viewing

By appointment only, please call or email

enquiries@charlesmillerltd.com
+44 (0)20 7806 5530

View all lots in this sale

File Upload

Drag and drop .jpg images here to upload, or click here to select images.