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Disaster's Messengers. The Red Fleet, which now has a chance to regain domination of the Black Sea, is headed by an ancient 12,000-ton craft called a battleship 33 years ago. But it also includes five cruisers, 27 modern destroyers, 50 submarines, a flock of 60-ft. PTs, a small aircraft carrier (named Stalin).
The Fleet's chief: tough, ingenious Vice Admiral Filip S. Oktyabrsky, who left Odessa with enemy bullets whizzing about his ears and who in the dark days of 1942 must have considered blowing up his ships if his last base at Batum fell. Now things were different.