Quote Originally Posted by SwordsMaster
Yeah, well. Not only the Baltic fleet. But it was the first bell.

Consider this: Why does the USSR need a fleet in the Baltic?
1. Imperial Russia had a fleet in the Baltic, and the USSR inherited it.
2. To prevent enemy fleets from operating uncontested in the Baltic.
3. To protect Leningrad from amphibious attack. Trusting in a city's defences without a mobile component somewhere is generally a bad idea.

Also, the Soviet disposition was Stalin's idea. He was quite upset with himself for days afterwards, and fully expected a coup in response to his incompetence.