The post-civil-war Soviet fleet retained an important force that conventional battleship and cruiser counts can hide. Its eclectic gunboats included vessels improvised from barges, supported by a recovery ship and floating crane. About thirty combat flotillas for minor waterways survived, forming a major part of Soviet naval strength going into the Second World War. These craft reflected the practical inheritance of civil-war fighting and the importance of inland waterways to Soviet operations. Soviet force structure extended well beyond the badly damaged seagoing fleet.
Notable Point · 25:52-30:07
River flotillas made inland warfare a major Soviet strength
Gunboats, improvised barges, support craft, and about thirty minor-waterway combat flotillas gave the damaged Soviet fleet a substantial riverine component.