Draft Soviet Convention - 23 March 1928 (Extract)

CHAPTER 2.

Naval Forces.

Article 12.

In accordance with the principles set forth in the Preamble to the present convention, the Contracting States agree to effect a reduction of their naval forces on the following basis:

a) Countries which at January 1^st, 1928, had a fleet whose aggregate tonnage exceeded 200,000 tons shall reduce their naval forces by half, such reduction to affect both the aggregate tonnage of the entire fleet and the tonnage in each of the following classes of warship:

Capital ships;

Other warships of displacement exceeding 10,000 tons;

Light forces;

Submarines.

b) Countries which at January 1^st, 1928, had a fleet whose aggregate tonnage was less than 200,000 tons shall reduce their naval forces by one-fourth of the aggregate tonnage of the entire fleet.

c) As soon as the present Convention comes into force, aircraft-carriers shall be struck off the establishment of the navy. Within six months they must be disarmed and so converted as to make it quite impossible for them to be used for warlike purposes.

NOTE: The strength of the naval forces of those countries which were disarmed after the war of 1914-1918 shall be fixed in accordance with special principles to be laid down by the Disarmament Conference.

Article 13.

The nominal specific tonnages which must not be exceeded by the Contracting States shall be fixed in accordance with the above-mentioned principles by a special Convention, concluded within three months from the day on which the present Convention comes into force.

Article 14.

The division of the fleet into vessels which are to be struck off the naval establishment and vessels which are to remain on the establishment, the names of the vessels being given (within the limits of the tonnage specified in accordance with Article 12 of the present Convention), shall be effected by each Contracting party. Within one year from the coming into force of the present Convention, those warships which each Party designates to be struck off the establishment of the Navy must be disarmed and put into such a condition that they cannot possibly be used for warlike purposes.

NOTE: The disarmament of warships comprises the removal of armour-plate, guns and torpedoes, the destruction of special fittings, armoured turrets, conning-towers, fire control instruments, communications for use in battle, and aircraft-launching devices.

Article 15.

The procedure for striking vessels off the naval establishment and putting them into such a condition that they cannot possibly be used for warlike purposes shall be fixed by an additional technical agreement which shall be attached to the present Convention, and shall be concluded in accordance with Article 13 of the present Convention.

Article 16.

The Contracting States agree that, as from the entry into force of the present Convention, warships (both those which are to be constructed in future and those which are now on the stocks) shall only be constructed to replace vessels of the corresponding classes or categories which have been retained on the establishment of the fleet after the reduction has been effected as provided in Articles 12 and 13. Such vessels must satisfy the following conditions:

a) Except in case of total loss, no vessel may be replaced until it has reached the age-limit, as specified below:

Capital ships )

Other warships of over 10,000 tons ) 25 years.

Cruisers of over 7000 tons )

Cruisers of under 7000 tons )

Flotilla leaders )

Torpedo-boat destroyers ) 20 years.

Torpedo-boats )

Submarines 15 years.

b) The maximum standard displacement for a warship shall be fixed at 10,000 metric tons. Vessels of more than 10,000 tons displacement now included in the naval forces shall be excluded when they reach the age-limit specified in paragraph (a) of this article, but in any case not later than ………

c) The maximum calibre of the guns mounted on warships shall be fixed at 12 inches (304,8 mm).

d) No warship may be fitted with appliances for the carrying of aircraft.

e) The maximum limits for vessels by classes and categories are laid down as follows:

NOTE: The standard displacement of a ship is the displacement of the ship complete, fully manned, with engines and boilers, equipped ready for sea, including all armament and ammunition, equipment, outfit, provisions and fresh water for crew, miscellaneous stores and implements and supplies of every description that are intended to be carried in war, including fuel and reserve feed water for engines and boilers. The calculation must be made in metric tons.

Article 17.

The Contracting States agree to assume the following obligations:

a) Not to use for warlike purposes warships which have been struck off the establishment of the fleet and replaced by newly-built vessels (except in cases which may be specially provided for in supplementary technical agreements).

b) Not to hand over or sell their warships to foreign countries if the latter can use them as warships supernumerary to the establishment laid down for each State by the present Convention.

c) Not to build or allow to be built in their territory any warships exceeding any of the limits laid down in Article 16 of the present Convention:

d) Not to cause new vessels to be constructed in foreign yards over and above the limit laid down for each Contracting State.

e) Not to establish on merchant vessels any apparatus or appliance enabling such vessels to be used for warlike purposes.

Article 18.

The Contracting States agree to limit the quantity of shells and torpedoes as follows:

a) for guns of a calibre of from 8 to 12 inches (203.2 to 203.8 [sic] m/m) 200 rounds each;

b) for guns of a calibre of from 4 to 7.9 inches (101.6 to 200.7 m/m), 500 rounds each;

c) for guns of a calibre under 4 inches (101.6 m/m), 1000 rounds each;

d) for each torpedo tube, two torpedoes.

Article 19.

All supplies of ammunition and torpedoes over and above the quantities specified in Article 18 must be destroyed.

Source:  C.P.D./117, League of Nations, Preparatory Commission for the Disarmament Conference, Draft Convention for the Reduction of Armaments submitted by the Delegation of the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics, 23 March 1928, TNA: CAB 53/16