History

The Order of Ushakov was established on March 3, 1944 by a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. It was created as a high level award for naval officers only. The Order was designed by M.A Shipelevski, E.A Berkov and B.M Khomich. The Order was named after Russian Admiral Fedor Fedorovich Ushakov (1744-1817) and was chosen to appeal to Russian patriotism. The Order of Ushakov has two classes. They are nearly identical, however, there are different materials used and a wreath is present on the I Class.

The II Class medal was conferred upon naval officers in recognition of exceptional leadership and actions in naval combat that destroy part of a numerically superior force; for daring raids against enemy forces resulting in significant destruction; for actions against enemy communications that led to the destruction of enemy ships and convoys; for exceptional organization of a naval unit that was part of a naval landing; for a successful combat mission; for excellent leadership that supports a major operation's success. The II Class decoration was awarded 194 times, 181 were given to individuals and 13 were given to units.

The II Class is made of gold in the shape of a five point star. The center medallion and the anchor and chains pieces are made of silver. This decoration does not have the wreath. The reverse is identical the the I Class. The serial numbers range from roughly 30 to 500.

The obverse Russian inscription translates to: "Admiral Ushakov".

There are some fake II Class decorations which can often be identified by poorly made rivets and less overall detail.