The programme promised fifteen Project 23 battleships by 1947, which meant laying down roughly three ships a year and launching about two. That rate bore little relation to Soviet capacity. The Leningrad ship began before its slipway was finished, and only 21.18 percent was complete by 1941. Another hull remained below 18 percent after work began in October 1938, while one ship was cancelled because of defective rivets. The construction record exposes the gulf between Stalin's fleet plan and the industry expected to deliver it.
Chapter · 28:14-31:17
Project 23's implausible construction programme
A plan for fifteen Project 23 battleships by 1947 demanded a construction rate the Soviet Union could not sustain.