The wooden D-2 suffered poor stability, while the steel SM-3's hull cracked at high speed; neither entered production. Wood could tolerate the repeated movement and pounding of a fast planing hull better than inadequately developed steel construction. Soviet designers nevertheless developed the D-3 and ordered production before prototype trials had begun. Unreliable GAM-34FN engines had to be replaced by less powerful machinery, cutting planned speed from 48 to 32 knots. Even a run of roughly seventy-three wooden boats lacked standardised machine-gun armament, while a later steel variant repeated its predecessor's hull troubles. Crews sought more dependable weapons such as 20 mm Oerlikons and continued adding equipment. The buoyant wooden D-3 became reasonably capable in service despite its unpromising development path.
Notable Point · 1:43:04-1:52:23
The D-3: from failed prototypes to a usable boat
The Soviet D-3 emerged after the D-2 and SM-3 exposed stability, hull-strength, and engine-reliability problems, but crews found ways to make the wooden boat useful.