ARKHANGELSK, August 30. / TASS /. Looking back at the history of the Arctic convoys is a reminder that cooperation between Moscow and London makes it possible to solve global problems, British Ambassador to Moscow Deborah Bronnert stated on Monday at the celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the famed Operation Dervish, the first allied convoy’s arrival in Russia’s Arkhangelsk, located in the country’s northwest.
"I am here to mark the 80th anniversary of the arrival of the Arctic convoy in Arkhangelsk, to honor the memory of over 3,000 British servicemen and sailors who gave their lives to deliver aid to the Soviet Union during the war," Bronnert said.
The British ambassador noted that relations between the two countries "were uneasy right now", however, the alliance between the Soviet Union and Great Britain during World War II reminded us that, by working together, Moscow and London "could solve major global problems."
Celebrations are in progress from August 29 to 31 in the Arkhangelsk Region to mark the 80th anniversary of the arrival of first allied convoy to the USSR dubbed Operation Dervish. Escorted by warships, it arrived in Arkhangelsk on August 31, 1941. The convoy delivered cargoes essential for the creation of the military industry, mortars, anti-tank guns and various equipment. At that time, there was still no formal Lend-Lease agreement.
From August 1941 to May 1945, some 78 convoys, 1,507 transports and tankers were sent from the anti-Hitler coalition countries to the USSR and back (128 of them were sunk or damaged). More than 22,000 aircraft, over 13,000 tanks, 13,000 guns, 639 ships and other vital cargoes, including $2-bln worth of food, were delivered to Arkhangelsk, Molotovsk and Murmansk, which fulfilled 12% of the needs of the front lines and the home front. The Arctic route (the allied convoys also delivered cargoes across the Pacific Ocean and through Iran) was the shortest, yet the most dangerous. It provided more than 90% of the Lend-Lease supplies, but up to 15% of the cargo, sent by this route, sank due to the loss of ships.