The G-5: extraordinary speed, demanding maintenance

The G-5 continued the Soviet reliance on aluminium-copper alloy construction and stern torpedo cradles. A captured Soviet officer, possibly a boat commander, reportedly described a need to lift and treat the boats every five to seven days in summer. Different production series raised speed and machine-gun armament, but did not solve the difficulty of fitting heavier guns to the hull. In wartime, G-5s scored torpedo successes, yet they were often more useful carrying troops and important personnel or escorting landings. Soviet transfers also placed boats with North Korea and the Spanish Republican Navy, extending the type beyond its original fleets.