The lockpick only knows what the safe knows.
One day two hearts in love in front of everyone
Breaking the silence with a groan,
We went to the war at the pace of a waltz.

TNT, kissing the spark, said: “So be it!”
In the science of tender passion, what is important is not what, but how.
When exactly the beat is before the explosion,
And the contact is closed.

Whoever comes to mind will not come to the rescue.
But what pushes us forward?
We will fill the pillow with dreams, and we will dream
Love is like walking through minefields

The watch was born for that, to shelter the bomb.
Though I am a lyrical hero, but I can kill.
Good decision –
Shoot to kill.

And talking about the fact that the globe is small for two,
And what will happen to us after, we will read from books,
Where will the story be published?
About the first snow on the temples.

Lyrics of Underwood - Love is like walking through minefields

Passepartout only knows what he knows safe.
Once lovers two hearts in front of everybody,
Breaking the silence moan,
Were going to waltz to the war.

TNT, spark kissing, said: "So be it!"
In science, the tender passion is important not what, but how.
When exactly before the explosion stroke,
And a contact.

Who comes to memory, he will not come to the rescue.
But what pushes us forward?
We nabem pillow dreams and dream about us
Love is like a walk through minefields

Watch for it and were born to a bomb shelter.
I though the lyrical hero, but I can kill.
good decision-
fire.

And speaking of that globe is too small for two,
And what happens to us after we read the books,
Where will print story
On the first snow on the temples.

Algiers is a state in North Africa, located in the western part of the Mediterranean basin, in close proximity to important sea lanes. It borders: in the west with Morocco and Western Sahara, in the southwest with Mauritania and Mali, in the southeast with Niger, in the east with Libya and Tunisia. Algeria was conquered by France in the 1830s and formally annexed in the 1940s. In 1954, a national liberation struggle against the French colonialists unfolded in the country.

In July 1962, the so-called Evian Agreement was concluded between France and Algeria, which put an end to hostilities that had lasted more than eight years. On July 3, Algeria, whose people had fought against the French colonialists for many years, gained independence. The republican government arrived in the country, headed by Prime Minister Ben Jozef Ben Hedda.
Already in the first months of its existence, the Algerian Republic faced a vital important issue– cleaning of fertile lands from explosive objects.
The densest minefields were located along the Algerian-Moroccan and Algerian-Tunisian borders (the Shalya and Morris lines).
Back in 1959, the border with Morocco in all the most important areas was blocked by minefields, a system of posts and barbed wire (560 km, including 430 km electrified). Along the border with Tunisia, 1,500 km of electrified wire fences, reinforced by continuous minefields, stretched.
According to some eyewitnesses, French sapper battalions on the Algerian border with Morocco and Tunisia equipped a strip of obstacles consisting of many rows of mined barbed wire, some of which were energized with 6,000 volts. At each kilometer in the strip from 3-5 to 10-15 km in the ground there were up to 20 thousand mines of various designs: "jumping" mines, lighting, "deep", high-explosive, fragmentation anti-landing tension and pressure action, French jumping mines ARMV (with with a fragmentation radius of up to 400 meters), American M-2, M-3 and M-2-A-2, French anti-personnel mines of pressure action, not detected by APID, in a plastic case, etc. According to a former colonist and colonel of the French Air Force, and then famous writer Jules Roy, "only a madman would dare to set foot on this earth." The French officer was close to the truth. In the process of work, Soviet sappers identified 15 schemes for laying minefields with a mining density per 1 km of a minefield (strip) of only 100-160 jumping APMB mines and 2000-9000, in some places up to 15000, APID push action mines.
Not having the necessary qualifications in its army, the Algerian leadership was forced to seek help from a number of European states (Germany, Italy, Sweden), but was refused. Attempts to conclude contracts with private companies also failed. For example, a group of Italians that began work under the leadership of retired General Hipolito Armando, due to the explosion of several people on mines, including the head of work, was forced to soon stop demining.
In September 1962, the Algerian government turned to the USSR for help in destroying explosive and other obstacles. The Soviet side agreed to fulfill this dangerous work free of charge (agreement dated July 27, 1963).
On October 11 (according to other sources, November 16), 1962, a task force of officers arrived in the city of Marnia (Algerian-Moroccan border) for reconnaissance on the ground engineering troops led by Colonel V.Ya. Pakhomov (later commander of a group of Soviet military sappers on the Algerian-Moroccan border). It included Colonel Yu.N. Galkin, lieutenant colonel L.A. Kazmin (later commander of a group of Soviet sappers on the Tunisian border), Lieutenant Colonel V.G. Orlov, Major M.A. Lomakin, captains I.F. Shcherba,
I.S. Tkachenko, M.I. Grekov, G.A. Starinin, Senior Lieutenant A.I. Ulitin, translators - lieutenants
V.S. Kostryukov and A.I. Mikhailov. On January 9, 1963, engineering equipment, consisting of 5 tank tractors, and personnel led by senior lieutenant V.I. arrived at the Algerian-Moroccan border. Kravchenko. On January 25, a group led by Major General of the Engineering Troops P.I. Fadeev (brother of the Minister of Finance of the RSFSR) began experimental selective demining work.
The Soviet specialists who arrived in Algeria faced a number of extremely difficult problems. First, they had to scrupulously study and decipher the schemes of obstacles drawn up by French miners, often prepared carelessly and with specific alphabetic and numeric ciphers, military terms, designations and abbreviations. Moreover, already during the first analysis of the documents, it became clear to Soviet specialists that they were far from complete and inaccurate. The case was not without obvious forgeries (some documents were even artificially aged). The real schemes of mining sites were transferred to Algeria by the French only quite recently, already in the early 2000s, after 40 years of silence.
Secondly, to develop non-standard methods and methods for neutralizing previously unknown mines of French and American production.
Third, find technical solutions for clearing fields from thick wire fences. The work was complicated by the lack of special engineering equipment from Soviet miners - tanks, tractors, bulldozers, baking powder. Locally made light trawls for combating anti-personnel mines, special harrows for pushing them out were not effective enough and could not provide adequate security. In addition, it turned out that the standard army mine detector was unsuitable for detecting mines in which the body and other parts were made of plastic (French high-explosive mine APID (Antipersonel indetectable) - anti-personnel undetectable).
In June 1963, the second group of Soviet military specialists arrived in Algeria, headed by the deputy commander of the group of Soviet military specialists on the Algerian-Tunisian border, Captain A.Ya. Pavlenko. Soon, more than a hundred Soviet specialists and conscripts were already in Algeria. Special equipment began to arrive additionally. By the autumn of the same year, each miner had 10-15 thousand destroyed mines on his combat account. However, despite the great experience, caution and hope for "sapper" luck, it was not without casualties, injuries and injuries. Corporal N.S. died in the performance of his duties. Pyaskorsky, who previously discovered and destroyed more than 10 thousand mines, including over 300 extremely dangerous jumping fragmentation mines. As a result of the explosion, junior sergeant V.V. lost his leg. Pryadko. Lieutenant Colonel Yu.N. was wounded. Galkin, Major M.A. Lomakin, Sergeant V.F. Toluzarov (twice), Sergeant A.F. Zhigalov and Private M.A. Obilintsev. Moreover, the latter - when providing assistance to an Algerian soldier who was blown up by a mine. The captain lost his sight due to a severe wound.
I.F. Shcherba. For the heroic feat accomplished during the execution military duties in Algeria, captain I.F. Shcherba was awarded the Order of the Red Banner with the rank of major ahead of schedule. Later life of I.F. Shcherby is no less heroic. At the age of 37, after 18 years of service, the retired major actually began to live anew. In October 1964 he came to Belarusian society blind people asking for a job. He was enrolled as an apprentice in the electric welding shop. His wife died soon after, and former commander sapper company left with two small children. But the grief that befell him did not break him. He continued to work and study on the job at the evening faculty of the Institute of National Economy named after V.V. Kuibyshev. He was the head of the organizational and mass department, deputy chairman and chairman of the Central Board of the Republican Society of the Blind in Belarus. For selfless work he was awarded the Certificate of Honor of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Byelorussian SSR. Major I.F. Shcherba in the early 1990s.

The last Soviet sappers left Algeria in June 1965. During this time, they neutralized about 1.5 million mines, cleared more than 800 km of mine-explosive strips and cleared 120 thousand hectares of land.
After returning to their homeland, most of the sappers were awarded Soviet government awards. Among them are Colonel P. Kuzmin, captains V.F. Busalaev, M.D. Kuritsyn, N.K. Solovyov, Senior Lieutenant A.I. Ulitin, sergeants and privates V. Andrushchak, N. Akhmedov, V. Zuya, E. Morozov, N. Pashkin, U. Perfilov, military doctor M.P. Bolotov, military translator A.N. Vodyanov and many others. Corporal Nikolai Stanislavovich Pyaskorsky was posthumously awarded the Order of the Red Banner.

DGm
The lockpick only knows what the safe knows
DGm
One day two hearts in love in front of everyone
D# D#m B B
Breaking the silence with a groan
D# Cm D D
We went to the war at the pace of a waltz

D! gm
TNT spark kissing, said: so be it
DGm
In the science of passion and tenderly and it is important not what, but how
D# D#m B B
When exactly the beat is before the explosion
D# D Gm Gm! F#!
And contact closes

F B D# D#/E!

B/F D/F# Gm F/A
But what pushes us forward?
F B D#

Cm D Gm Gm

D# D Gm Gm!
Love is like walking through minefields

DGm
The watch was born for that, to shelter the bomb
DGm
At least I'm a lyrical hero, but I can kill
D# D#m B B
Good decision -
D# Cm D D
Shoot to kill

DGm
And talking about the fact that the globe is small for two
DGm
And what will happen to us after we read from books
D# D#m B B
Where will the story be published?
D# D Gm Gm! F#!
About the first snow on the temples

F B D# D#/E!
Whoever comes to mind will not come to the rescue
B/F D/F# Gm F/A
But what pushes us forward?
F B D#
We will fill the pillow with dreams, and we will dream
Cm D Gm Gm
Love is like walking through minefields
D# D Gm Gm
Love is like walking through minefields
D# D Gm Gm/B|D#|D|Gm|Gm/B|D#|D
Love is like walking through minefields DGm
Passepartout only knows what he knows safe
DGm
Once lovers two hearts in front of everybody
D#D#m B B
Violating groan silence
D# Cm D D
Were going to waltz to the war

D! gm
TNT spark kissing, saying, so be it
DGm
In science, passion and tenderness and it is important not what, but how
D#D#m B B
When exactly before the explosion stroke
D#D Gm Gm! F#!
And the contact closes

FBD#D#/E!

B/F D/F# Gm F/A
But what pushes us forward?
FBD#

Cm D Gm Gm

D#D Gm Gm!
Love is like a walk through the minefield

DGm
Watch out and born to a bomb shelter
DGm
I though the lyrical hero, but I can kill
D#D#m B B
good decision-
D# Cm D D
Shoot to Kill

DGm
And speaking of the fact that the globe is too small for two
DGm
And what happens to us after we'll read books
D#D#m B B
Where to publish a story
D#D Gm Gm! F#!
On the first snow on the temples

FBD#D#/E!
Who comes to mind, he will not come to the rescue
B/F D/F# Gm F/A
But what pushes us forward?
FBD#
We nabem pillow dreams and dream about us
Cm D Gm Gm
Love is like a walk through the minefield
D#D Gm Gm
Love is like a walk through the minefield
D#D Gm Gm/B | D# | D | gm | gm/b| D# | D
Love is like a walk through the minefield

Through the minefields

With the liberation of Novorossiysk and the entire Taman Peninsula from Nazi German invaders there have been favorable changes in the situation in the Black Sea theater of operations. The expansion of the basing zone for the forces of the fleet created the conditions for intensifying the combat activity of ships and formations in the subsequent offensive operations of the Soviet troops to liberate the Crimea and Sevastopol. The ships of the OVR formations and the trawling and barrage brigades had to solve new complex tasks.

As early as February 8, 1943, the Kerch Navy and its OVR began to form. On November 6 of the same year, the Odessa and Ochakovo naval bases were formed, on February 25, 1944, the Sevastopol naval base was formed. It included the 2nd division of small hunters (commander captain-lieutenant S. G. Fleisher) and the 12th division of minesweepers (commander senior lieutenant B. D. Gnoeva). Somewhat later, the 1st and 9th divisions of small hunters and the 3rd division of large hunters entered the compound.

On April 8, 1944, the troops of the 2nd Guards Army launched an offensive in the Perekop direction. At the same time, the troops of the 51st Army marched from the bridgehead to south coast Sivash. Having broken through the enemy's defenses, they occupied Dzhankoy. The Separate Primorsky Army advanced on Kegl.

Now every day brought good news. On April 11, Kerch was liberated; on April 13, Feodosia, Simferopol, Evpatoria. April 16 Soviet troops entered Yalta, and the next day they went to Sevastopol and captured Balaklava.

On April 18, the commander of the OVR, Captain 1st Rank K. Yu. Andreus, officers of the political department and headquarters on MO-072 (commander senior lieutenant V. V. Sedletsky) and MO-0512 (commander senior lieutenant D. I. Aksenov) left from Poti and headed for Yalta. The head was MO-072, it was captain 1st rank Andreus and flagship navigator senior lieutenant G. F. Saratovtsev. Having entered Feodosia, the boats refueled. They arrived in Yalta on April 20. There were already boat minesweepers at the pier and torpedo boats 1st Brigade under the command of Captain 2nd Rank G.D. Dyachenko.

Yalta lay in ruins. The Nazis, fearing the landing of an amphibious assault, turned the city into a powerful stronghold. They adapted the facades of the houses adjacent to the embankment for pillboxes, bricked the windows and doors, and entangled the alleys with barbed wire. The streets descending to the sea were blocked with stone walls. Reinforced concrete pillboxes were installed on the embankment. The port area was mined. Fleeing, the Nazis also mined the berths, but did not have time to blow them up.

There was plenty of work for the sailors of the OVR. It was required to clear the port water area and approaches to it, to carry out sentinel service and combat duty.

On the outskirts of Sevastopol, as well as on enemy communications leading to the ports of Constanta and Sulina, torpedo boats based in Yalta successfully operated. Small hunters, while on patrol, had an additional task - to cover torpedo boats that were heading to the combat area and returning from missions.

May 9, 1944 Sevastopol was liberated. Immediately, the ships of the OVR moved to Streletskaya Bay for a permanent base, and the minesweepers of the 1st trawling brigade - to the South Bay.

On May 31, 1944, for exemplary performance of tasks, courage, steadfastness and heroism, by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the Order of the Red Banner was awarded to the 4th division of small submarine hunters (commander of the division Hero Soviet Union lieutenant commander I. V. Lednev). In fierce battles, the personnel of the boats acted boldly and selflessly, inflicting tangible blows on the enemy. By November 1, 1943, hunter boats traveled 29,168 miles, escorted 1,474 transports, landed 11,014 troops, fired on the coast occupied by the enemy 35 times, shot down 6 enemy aircraft with anti-aircraft fire, destroyed a torpedo boat, 103 mines, 63 times assisted dying ships and boats, while saving 3180 people.

Immediately after the liberation of the Crimea in the bays of Sevastopol, hard work began on minesweeping, the port facilities destroyed by the Nazis were restored.

The Ovrovites gained experience in such work back in Novorossiysk. Immediately after its liberation from the Nazi invaders, they began preparing the port for basing the main forces of the fleet in order to expand the area of ​​​​its combat operations.

The Ovrovtsy had no documents on mining the harbor. But the blowing up of a raid boat, a dry-cargo barge and a diving boat left no doubt that the Nazis had mined the port. It was necessary to clear it of mines in a short time.

On September 17, 1943, the minesweepers of the OVR of the Novorossiysk naval base began to work to clear the harbor from bottom non-contact mines. By the end of September they had destroyed nine mines. Then the commander of the fleet entrusted this work to the trawling and barrage brigade.

To manage the trawling, the commander of the BTZ, Rear Admiral T. A. Novikov, created a marching headquarters. It included the flagship navigator of the brigade lieutenant commander V. G. Chuguenko, who is also the head of the marching headquarters, flagship miner lieutenant commander I. V. Schepachenko, navigators senior lieutenant V. A. Mishin and senior lieutenant I. A. Khomyakov, flagship doctor lieutenant colonel of the medical service E. I. Gelekva. Hydrography officers headed by Lieutenant Commander S.F. Sakhoshkin, junior flagship fleet miner Captain 3rd Rank G.N. Okhrimenko and specialists from the mine-sweeping department of the fleet were seconded to the marching headquarters. The marching headquarters was in Gelendzhik. Trawling at sea was led by the division commander, captain of the 3rd rank F. P. Shipovnikov.

Novorossiysk harbor was first trawled with a boat trawl and no anchor mines were found. Then the divers inspected the entire berthing line up to 50 meters wide. And there were no mines. After that, first, 2034 depth charges were dropped on the port water area, and then they were successively swept by boat electromagnetic, barge electromagnetic and acoustic trawls.

Behind successful work for mine clearance, the commander of "KATSCH-154" midshipman P. A. Remezov was awarded the Order Patriotic War I degree.

Navigational and hydrographic support for trawling was well established: portable targets were installed, trawl areas and tacks were covered. Divisional navigators were assigned to help the KATSCH commanders, who directly ensured the accuracy of navigation during trawling. The locations of the detonated mines were determined from the shore by taking bearings from two raid posts.

In total, during the trawling of the Novorossiysk harbor, 32 bottom non-contact mines were destroyed. At the same time, two trawl barges, a trawl raft, a loop trawl and three boat minesweepers were blown up and out of order.

Trawling of marching fairways to the port of Novorossiysk was carried out from October 17, 1943 to January 18, 1944 by the division's minesweepers. This was the first major minesweeping operation carried out by the fleet in the seaport and on the approaches to it. Tactical trawling techniques developed here were then used in other ports.

In April 1944, the trawling and barrage brigade was reorganized into the 1st trawling brigade, which became the main minesweeping formation. Black Sea Fleet. On April 18, 1944, by directive of the Military Council of the Fleet, the brigade was tasked with clearing the port of Feodosia, Dvuyakornaya Bay, the raid at Cape Kiik-Atlam, and also clearing the entrance fairway to Feodosia from mines.

In the Feodosiya Gulf, the enemy put up high density a minefield of small anti-boat anchor mines, and the port harbor and approaches to it were mined with bottom non-contact mines and land mines.

To accomplish the task, the brigade commander, Rear Admiral T. A. Novikov, allocated the 4th division of boat electromagnetic minesweepers (nine units) and the 17th division of boat minesweepers in the same composition.

Feodosia, seaport facilities and railway station lay in ruins. The headquarters of the brigade at that time was in Novorossiysk, and the direct supervision of minesweeping was carried out by an operational group led by the flagship miner Lieutenant Commander I. V. Shchepachenko. Perfectly knowing mine and minesweeping weapons, he was a competent specialist in organizing minesweeping.

The minesweepers sailors worked with full effort. They swept the water area of ​​the Feodosiya port and the outer road three times with boat trawls. Divers carefully examined the areas along the berthing lines and in the area of ​​​​the exit gates, while discovering engineering mines, iron barrels filled with explosives, and bundles of depth charges with electric fuses. After neutralizing explosive devices, bombing was carried out. There were no anchor and bottom non-contact mines in the Feodosiya harbor.

During reconnaissance trawling on the outskirts of Feodosia, a minefield of high density was discovered, equipped with mine defenders. 197 anchor mines, 44 mine defenders, a bottom mine - this is the result of trawling and bombing in the fairway near Feodosia.

In the period from May 9 to 19, trawling of the recommended courses was carried out from the port of Feodosia to Cape Kiik-Atlam and Dvuyakornaya Bay. 28 mines and 13 mine defenders were fired in this area.

The crews of minesweepers showed courage and heroism.

Having fired another mine, "KATSCH-5385" (commander midshipman V. A. Leonhard) stalled the move to reload the trawl. In the meantime, the miners-bombers of the Red Navy G.F. Rak and the foreman of the 1st article V.E. Tovstik went on a boat to the mine to blow it up. Hanging the cartridge, they set fire to the fuse fuse and hurried to the minesweeper. Midshipman Leonhard went to meet the boat in order to take her in tow and quickly take her to a safe area. And at that moment a cable was wound around the screw. The boat began to drift towards the mine. The Red Navy, who were in the boat, realized the danger that threatened the minesweeper, and immediately went to the mine. There were only 40 seconds left before the explosion, when they cut the burning fuse fuse, thus preventing a catastrophe.

And here is another case. It was already evening when "KATSCH-39" (commander Chief Sergeant Major I. G. Baturin) mines mine. A boat was required to destroy it, but it was not on board. Communication with other minesweepers, already heading to the port, was interrupted: they were covered by a thick veil of rain, accompanied by heavy winds. Among the raging waves, an ominous black ball swayed menacingly. The only way out is to swim to the mine and blow it up. The choice fell on the commander of the department of miners, a young communist, foreman of the 2nd article N. V. Anikin.

Having prepared a subversive cartridge, the miner put on a life belt and jumped into the water. Sailors with bated breath followed every movement of the foreman. Time passed slowly. Finally Anikin at the mine. Deftly grasping the ignition glass with one hand, with the other he threw a subversive cartridge on it, set fire to the cord and quickly swam back. When the foreman boarded the minesweeper, he immediately set off. Soon there was an explosion, but the minesweeper managed to retreat to a safe distance.

Trawling work required high tension from the personnel, constant readiness to decisive action.

One evening, a detachment of minesweepers, having finished trawling, was returning to the port. "KATSCH-38", commanded by midshipman N.M. Khrushchev, was trailer with a trawl. Twilight fell on the sea, when the minesweepers began to enter the bay one by one.

Rudder right! commanded the midshipman.

But before the boat had time to complete the turn and lay down on a new course, a strong double explosion was heard. A sharp blow shook the minesweeper. The foreman of the 2nd article Ya. M. Denisov and the machine gunner of the Red Navy G. M. Gavrilov, who were on the upper deck, were thrown overboard by an explosive wave. A black wall of water crashed down on the minesweeper. The engine stopped and there was silence.

Check the car, inspect the premises! - there was a command.

Motorman of the Red Navy V. A. Averyanov and miner of the Red Navy P. F. Sveshnikov hurried to the engine room, the rest of the Red Navy began to inspect the hull and interior. Denisov and Gavrilov boarded. Acting without fuss, the sailors quickly fixed the malfunctions. "KATSCH-38" safely arrived at the port. For skillful actions, the battalion commander expressed his gratitude to the commander of the miners' department, foreman of the 2nd article F.V. Karavaytsev, the miner, senior sailor P.F. Sveshnikov, and the electrician, senior sailor N.S. Stykalo.

The best among those who distinguished themselves was the crew of "KATSCH-29". For the courage shown in the performance of combat missions, the skillful command of the minesweeper, Chief Petty Officer A.N. Eltansky was awarded the Order of the Red Banner. This order was also awarded to the commander of "KATSCH-35" chief foreman A. I. Pankratov. For a month of combat trawling of the fairway, its crew neutralized 30 mines.

Unfortunately, there have been losses. On April 19, 1944, from the "RTShch-37" (commander chief foreman G. I. Utsin), walking at the end of the ledge in the ranks, a mine was found right on the nose, which was at a shallow depth. Because of short distance it was not possible to turn away, the minesweeper hit a mine and sank in 35–40 seconds. The crew managed to escape.

On April 29, during the destruction of a mine bank in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe fairway, "KATSCH-6" trawled a mine, but the trawl cartridge did not work. In order to cut off the check, the foreman of the boat went full speed, and at that time another mine was found right on the bow. Being constrained in maneuvering, the foreman did not have time to turn away: the explosion tore off the stern of the boat. In general, trawling in this area was successful.

In total, in April - May 1944, the crews of boat minesweepers of the 4th and 17th divisions cleared and destroyed 283 anchor mines and mine defenders, bottom and 6 engineering mines, 4 barrels filled with explosives, a bunch of depth charges in the Feodosiya region. The total number of mines of all types and explosive devices was 295.

The task of trawling the Feodosia region was completed on time.

In the period from June 16 to June 20, 1944, four boat minesweepers carried out trawling of the recommended course of Feodosia, Yalta. The trawling was led by the commander of the 12th division, captain-lieutenant P. G. Kamlyk. Coastal landmarks and buoys were used for hydrographic support of trawling. The place of the lead minesweeper boat was determined by two horizontal angles of coastal landmarks, measured with a sextant. The total width of the swept strip was 50 meters.

On one of the days of this trawling, an incident occurred when the chief foreman A. M. Lepetenko and the foreman of the 1st article V. E. Tovstik encountered a surprise. When they approached the floating mine in a skiff, they heard a hiss. First thought - immediately back! But what if the mine does not explode now and will wait for its victim?

Two deaths cannot happen, but one cannot be avoided! Lepetenko said. Approaching the mine, the demolition men turned the boat around. Lepetenko lay down on the trance board, threw his hands forward with the prepared cartridge. It required nerves of steel, inhuman endurance, to work at the "bubbly" mine. However, the miners passed the test: hanging the cartridge, set fire to the cord. The mine exploded when the boat had already moved to a safe distance.

Later, the bombers found out what was the matter. It was a mine of a special design: when it ascended, the self-destruction mechanism automatically worked and after a certain time it exploded.

Lepetenko and Tovstik got into other, no less risky situations. One day the boat came within fifty meters of the horned ball when it exploded. The fragments flew through the tuzik, fell at the very side. Luckily no one was hurt.

The experience gained by minesweeper crews in the area of ​​Novorossiysk and Feodosia was then successfully used in the area of ​​Sevastopol. Reconnaissance trawling in the approach fairways to it began on May 25, 1944. Within a month, the Ovrovites trawled the approach fairways to a width of 10 cables, as well as Balaklava Bay, then Streletskaya and Karantinnaya Bays. Anchor mines were not found.

From June 10 to June 14, 1944, the minesweepers of the 20th and 4th divisions, and later the minesweepers of the 16th division of electromagnetic minesweepers, carried out trawling with non-contact trawls of the Sevastopol port. 11 bottom non-contact mines were removed and destroyed. During the secondary trawling with a boat trawl in the Northern Bay, another mine was trawled on the ground, which was in combat condition.

On August 16, 1944, while trawling in the Sevastopol Bay, he was blown up by a bottom mine KATSCH “V. Chkalov. Following to Kilen Bay for trawling, the commander of the KATSCH midshipman M.V. Shevtsov, due to the constraint of maneuvering, decided to pull up the magnetic-acoustic trawl to fifty meters. At this time, in the immediate vicinity of the stern, a bottom mine exploded at a shallow depth. The minesweeper sank instantly. The commander and eight crew members were killed.

From October 15 to November 1, 1944, the Red Banner electromagnetic minesweeper "Mina" (commander Lieutenant Commander V. K. Steshenko) carried out electromagnetic and acoustic trawling of the central part of the South and North bays, as well as places intended for anchoring ships. The minesweeper was armed with the most modern and reliable trawls, and the crew members were fluent in the methods of combating mines.

The trawling of the Northern Bay was carried out by the minesweeper commander on the "foot". The bay was divided into squares, and the squares into stripes. The ship was at anchor, and a trawl launched astern processed one strip after another in turn with electromagnetic and acoustic fields. After that, he moved to another square, and everything repeated. In the Northern and Southern bays on the outer roadstead, 30 bottom non-contact mines were cleared.

On October 19, 1944, the tugboat "ChF-4", having a water-loading barge towed by the lag, walked along the trawled Inkerman alignment. When approaching the entrance boom gate, a mine exploded a hundred meters from the tugboat. The ship received minor damage. The reason for the explosion, as experts explained, was that during the depth bombing, the urgency clock in the mine came into action and it became dangerous. A passing tugboat caused her explosion.

Minesweeper crews worked from dawn to dusk. Day after day, they plied the sea, fought against mortal danger and completed the work by November 4, 1944. This made it possible for the command of the Crimean Sea Defense Region to open Sevastopol bays and approach fairways for safe navigation.

For combat trawling in the Sevastopol area, many minesweeper sailors were awarded orders and medals, including the Order of the Red Banner, the commander of the 4th division of boat minesweepers, Senior Lieutenant P. P. Grigoriev, the commander of the minesweeper "Mina", Lieutenant Commander V. K. Steshenko, commander of the minesweeper "Kopeikin" junior lieutenant P. A. Remezov.

A memorable day came on November 5 - the arrival in Sevastopol of the ships of the Black Sea squadron. To meet them, all minesweepers, small hunters and torpedo boats lined up on the inner and outer roads along the axis of the fairway. A light breeze blew Naval flags and color flags. Noisy Primorsky Boulevard: thousands of citizens gathered here to greet warships.

The first salute was fired, followed by the second, the third... The ships entered the port.

On the shore thundered, gleaming in the sun, the brass of orchestras. The ships sailed in strict order and gave up anchors in the place allotted for each of them. The sounds of a bell rang out, counting the time of the ship's watch.

Listening to the battle of the bottles, the people of Sevastopol rejoiced. Their naval city is alive, the capital of the sailors of the Black Sea Fleet! Again, naval peakless caps and ribbons with golden anchors flashed in the streets and squares.

And for minesweepers, hard days began. Back in July - August 1944, boat minesweepers of the 20th division (commander lieutenant commander Ya. P. Volkov) carried out trawling of the water area of ​​the port of Skadovsk, the roadstead of Ak-Mechet Bay (now Chernomorsk), as well as approaches to them. Four watch mine devices were fired, each of which consisted of four mines. At the same time, several tacks had to be made in one place. In Ak-Mechet Bay, the bottom was checked with a bottom trawl-rope towed by two minesweepers. Two box-type bottom mines were found here. In total, 35 mines were hauled in this area - 32 anchor and 3 bottom non-contact mines.

At the same time, the forces of the Odessa naval base carried out trawling of the fairways and ports of Nikolaev, Kherson, Ochakov and Odessa.

According to available data, in the port of Nikolaev, the enemy set up up to 30 bottom mines, in the Dnieper-Bugsky estuary, the barrier consisted of contact and non-contact mines, and in the port of Odessa and on the approaches to it, many anchor and bottom mines were placed. On April 18, 1944, at the entrance to Odessa near the Vorontsovsky lighthouse, two mine boats of the 4th separate brigade river ships.

The Military Council of the Fleet set the Odessa Naval Base the task of ensuring the safety of navigation from the Tendra Spit to the ports of Nikolaev, Ochakov, Kherson, Odessa and approaches to them, as well as basing ships and transports. Later, an additional task was set: to ensure the safety of navigation of the ships of the fleet and transports in the section Odessa, Sulina.

Navigation and hydrographic support was provided by the hydrographic party, headed by Senior Lieutenant V. G. Galyuga.

To solve problems, the commander of the Odessa naval base had the 3rd trawling brigade (commander captain 2nd rank A.P. Ivanov, and from March 16, 1945 - captain 2nd rank A.M. Ratner) and the 17th division of boat minesweepers ( commander senior lieutenant N. M. Sotnikov).

At first, they decided to sweep the ports from anchor mines with a boat trawl (a steel cable towed by two boats). This was dictated by the danger of undermining minesweepers, especially in the area of ​​the Dnieper-Bug estuary, where mines stood at a depth of up to twenty-five centimeters, while minesweepers had a draft of 70 centimeters.

Trawling of bottom non-contact mines was carried out in the following sequence: first, divers inspected the berthing line, then the water area was treated with depth charges, and the work ended with trawling with electromagnetic and acoustic trawls. In addition, the port of Odessa was trawled with open and acoustic trawls.

Thanks to this tactic, all areas became clear of mines. In total, ships of the Odessa Naval Base in 1944 cleared and destroyed 57 bottom non-contact and 385 anchor mines. Ports and approaches to them were open for navigation.

In the port of Kerch and the Kerch Strait, trawling was carried out by the crews of the 13th separate division of boat minesweepers (commander lieutenant commander I.G. Chernyak) and the 2nd trawling brigade (commander captain 1st rank A.F. Studenichnikov). The density of the minefield here was exceptionally high. The enemy set up combined barriers of anchor and bottom mines at various depths, some of which were even visible from boats in calm weather.

In 1944, combat trawling of fairways in the strait zone and in the Sea of ​​Azov, as well as ports, was carried out, as a result of which 617 anchor mines and mine defenders were destroyed.

As a result of minesweeping operations carried out during 1943-1944, all major ports and fairways to them became open for navigation.

In total, during the period of hostilities in the Black Sea from 1941 to 1944, 2349 mines were destroyed, of which 1788 were anchor mines and mine defenders, 561 bottom non-contact mines.