From Julietts to Yasens is one of the latest titles from Helion & Co's superlative Europe@War range and covers the design, development and operational history of Soviet cruise missile submarines from 1958 to 2022. This may be considered a somewhat niche topic but as someone who grew up reading the likes of The Hunt For Red October and Red Storm Rising, I've always been fascinated by Cold War submarines and, in particular, those of the Soviet Navy.
Coming in at 88 pages (excluding the covers), From Julietts to Yasens takes the reader through the early days of the Soviet Navy's attempts to get a workable cruise missile submarine into service. The Whiskey-class were a worthy (if of dubious safety) first attempt, and the follow up Juliett-class something entirely more capable - although I do wonder exactly how loud these boats were with all of that flow noise! Function definitely dictated form. As for the nuclear-powered Echo-class, well, improvements abounded, in a technical sense if not in safety.
The follow-up Echo II was again more capable, before there was the slight detour with the Papa-class. I say class, it was just one boat, nicknamed the "Golden Fish" due to its cost. The Charlie-class were a return to common sense (and sensible budgeting) before the behemoths that were (and still are) the Oscar-class became the byword in cruise missile submarine design. Finally, there is a brief note on the current situation with the Yasen-class SSGN's.
For each class, there is a design history coupled with an operational history. Weapons and potential opponents are also discussed. Patrols are detailed as well as upgrades and, more tellingly, accidents. By any standards, the accident rate in the cruise missile sub fleet was disconcertingly high - the list for the Echo-class takes up a whole page. More serious incidents are given greater detail - the K431 incident in 1985 being the most serious Cold War event, but the loss of the Kursk (for entirely different reasons) is also included too. There is balance to the writing and I cannot find fault with the author's point of view.
I think that this is most pertinent takeaway from this book. Yes, the Soviet Union managed to field such vessels and with a variety of technological firsts, but the safety record of the fleet was a major concern. That should not take away the sense of achievement that should be rightly felt at the level of technological progress, but questions should have been asked (and should continue to be asked) about whether it was worth the price in cold hard coin, environmental damage and the effect on people's lives. That being said, the idea of a cruise missile submarine force to deal with enemy carrier fleets was a distinctly Soviet endeavour and thankfully, outside the realms of fiction or war-games, one that has never been tested in reality.
This comment may seem like a cut and paste job from another Helion & Co review but once again there are plenty of contemporary photographs, as well as maps, diagrams, tables and the ever high quality plate section occupying the centre pages. Given the paucity of imagery in the numerous publications I already have on the subject of Soviet submarines, this book is a worthy addition to the library on that point alone.
As a fan of Cold War submarine warfare, From Julietts to Yasens is a fantastic guide to a uniquely Soviet technological enterprise and one that should be on your shelves if you are interested in Cold War naval history. There is also plenty of detail in here to add any amount of flavour to those who wish to game the use of these vessels.
You can pick up a copy of From Julietts to Yasens directly from Helion & Co here or from their trade stand at various shows across the UK. Keep an eye on their social media links for future news about attendance.
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