Abstract
Having been created only in May 1937, and despite being the smallest of the Soviet fleets in June 1941, the Northern Fleet was the most active during the Great Patriotic War, being to a considerable extent concerned with the defense of Allied convoys to Murmansk and Archangel'sk. This article examines the circumstances in which the Northern Fleet was born and developed, its preparation for war and its performance during the first months of the war. The author concludes that while Allied criticism of the capabilities of the Fleet was justified, with Allied assistance and despite the low priority of the Fleet for the Soviet leadership, considerable progress was made in transforming the Northern Fleet into a useful tool in the Allied armory in a very short space of time.
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