02:49Russia: Princess Anne honours fallen WWII Arctic Convoy sailors at Arkhangelsk cemetery
Princess Anne of the British Royal Family honoured sailors who died fighting in WWII during the second day of commemorations on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the first of the Arctic Convoys, in Arkhangelsk on Wednesday.
The first Allied convoy to the USSR departed from Iceland on August 21, 1941, and reached the city of Arkhangelsk 10 days later. The convoy consisted of five British and one Dutch vessel loaded with weapons and provisions while also being protected by nine British warships. This successful operation led to thousands of Soviet and Allied sailors and pilots subsequently taking huge risks to deliver supplies to assist the Soviet Union fight the Nazis.
Seventy-eight convoys completed the journey between August 1941 and May 1945, transporting four million tonnes of supplies, including 7,000 aircraft and 5,000 tanks. Thousands of sailors died in combat with German ships en route amid often brutal Arctic conditions.
02:49Princess Anne of the British Royal Family honoured sailors who died fighting in WWII during the second day of commemorations on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the first of the Arctic Convoys, in Arkhangelsk on Wednesday.
The first Allied convoy to the USSR departed from Iceland on August 21, 1941, and reached the city of Arkhangelsk 10 days later. The convoy consisted of five British and one Dutch vessel loaded with weapons and provisions while also being protected by nine British warships. This successful operation led to thousands of Soviet and Allied sailors and pilots subsequently taking huge risks to deliver supplies to assist the Soviet Union fight the Nazis.
Seventy-eight convoys completed the journey between August 1941 and May 1945, transporting four million tonnes of supplies, including 7,000 aircraft and 5,000 tanks. Thousands of sailors died in combat with German ships en route amid often brutal Arctic conditions.