Q&A · 1:43:17-1:44:14

Where would a new Soviet shipyard city matter most?

The Northern Fleet, probably around Arkhangelsk, is the likeliest location for a new shipyard city.

Question

Would Stalin's treaty fleet require a new shipyard city, and where would it be built?

Short answer

Most plausibly near Arkhangelsk for the Northern Fleet, because the Baltic and Black Sea already had facilities and Pacific sites could be expanded.

Notes

The Baltic and Black Sea already had major naval construction and support infrastructure, while Pacific sites could be expanded around existing facilities. The Northern Fleet presented the clearest gap for a purpose-built shipyard city. The Arkhangelsk area is therefore the likeliest place for a Soviet 'shipyard-grad' if Stalin forced one into the program. That proposal is conditional on Stalin committing to northern capital-ship construction. Distributing battleships among four fleets multiplies shore requirements as well as hull costs.