Preparatory works and the beginning of the second wartime navigation. The spring of 1942

The transportation on the ice route stopped on April 24, 1942, and a month later, on May 20 the transportation by water started again. The picture displays the “Gidrotekhnik” tug boat that reached Kobona through ice and came back to Osinovets with 15 tons of ammunition on board. As early as in winter, long before the ice route was closed, big works started in order to prepare for the second wartime navigation on Ladoga. In extremely hard conditions the seamen repaired their ships, the hulls of which had severe damage from enemy attacks and the mechanisms were greatly worn. The ships underwent many bombardments from air while stationed in haven. Nevertheless, by spring the ships of the fleet had been repaired.

During the period of the second navigation it was planned to organize transportation at the minor and major routes: Osinovets – Kobona and Osinovets – Novaya Ladoga. The Kobona-Karedzhsky port was under construction at the East bank, while the Osinovets port was being constructed in the West. The piers were connected to a wide network of railways, mechanisms for loading and unloading had been built. More than 100 warehouses and spaces had been built. The military council of the front line had approved the daily plan of transportation for 5,200 tons of cargo and 3,000 evacuated people. In order to fulfill this plan additional vehicles had to be brought in. The transport fleet was significantly enlarged. Specially for Ladoga the Leningrad shipbuilding plants built 118 self-propelling cutters with the tonnage of 15-25 tons and 14 metallic "siege" barges with the carrying capacity up to 900 tons. They were delivered unassembled by railway to the Golsman bay and were assembled on site. The shipyard opened in April 1942 at the Syas river built 30 wooden barges with the capacity of 300 tons each. In order to speed up the evacuation of the factory equipment a ferry was arranged at the lake. For this purpose three metallic barges were remade and equipped with railway tracks.

The Leningrad front line needed new recruits urgently, the army suffered many casualties in armed personnel not only in combat, but also due to hunger. An emergency order for the delivery of soldiers and weapons followed. On the night on May 24, 1942 a squadron of ships of the Ladoga navy consisting of the "Selemdzha", "Bira" and "Nora" gun boats, the "Vilsandi" transport ship and five minesweepers started transporting new soldiers and automatic weapons. Thus started the regular sailing on Ladoga in spring 1942.

Although the enemy tried to do everything to paralyze the movement on the water route, the transportation only increased. During the navigation of 1942 they exceeded the transportation of the past autumn and winter and became the largest during the whole period of the enemy siege.