The Arctic Ocean Flotilla (AOF) (Russian: Флотилия Северного Ледовитого океана, or Flotiliya Severnogo Ledovitogo okeana), was a Russian military flotilla stationed in Aleksandrovsk- today's Polyarnyy at the mouth of the Kola Gulf, Iokanga, and Arkhangelsk.
In July 1916, the formation of the AOF began and by September was dominantly complete. By the end of 1917 the AOF comprised the battleship Chesme, cruisers Askold and Varyag, 6 destroyers, 3 submarines and other ships. The AOF's operational zone included the Barents Sea from the Norwegian border to the Kara Gates and the White Sea. Its mission was to secure uninterrupted the sea lines of communications connecting Russia with its Entente allies.
After Bolshevik Russia's withdrawal from World War I, the flotilla comprised approximately 90 combatant and auxiliary ships. In August 1918, the best ships of the AOF were captured by the interventionists and the White Army. The rest of the ships were intentionally put out of commission or destroyed.
Famous quotes containing the words arctic and/or sea:
“Does the first wild-goose care
whether the others follow or not?
I don’t think so he is so happy to be off
he knows where he is going
so we must be drawn or we must fly,
like the snow-geese of the Arctic circle.”
—Hilda Doolittle (1886–1961)
“I wouldn’t think of asking you to lie; you haven’t the necessary diplomatic training.”
—John Farrow. Consul in Valparaiso, The Sea Chase (1955)