 Nyora kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Dzerzhinsky yaive chikamu che1st Destroyer Division yezvikepe paBatumi pamwe ne Frunze na22 Chikumi 1941, apo maGerman akapinda muSoviet Union. Pakati pa 22 na 25 June iye akaisa 240 zvimbambaira kure neBatumi Naval Base mumasikati mana usiku. Nevanununa vake, akatumwa kunotsigira vadziviriri panguva yeKukombwa kweOdessanekuda kwekurambidzwa kwezvikepe kushandisa ngarava hombe mushure meKupamba paConstanța iyo yaive ichishanda kusvika Nyamavhuvhu, ichimanikidza vakwegura Novik kuti vashandiswe. Dzerzhinsky akasvika muOdessa musi wa20 Nyamavhuvhu aine mutoro wezvombo, uye zuva rakatevera racho akarwisa Dofinovka, achidzinga mabara 88 102 mm. Pakurova kwechigumi namatatu chikwidzo cheimwe turera chakakundikana uye chaifanira kutakurwazve namaoko. Yakarwiswa pasina mugumisiro nevatatu veHeinkel He 111 vabhomba, imwe yekurwiswa kwakawanda kwemhepo pazvikepe zveSoviet zvinotsigira Odessa. Mudzvanyiriri akaendesa vatakuri vatatu kubva kuOdessa musi wa 23 Nyamavhuvhu, ndokuenda kuSevastopol musi wa 29 Nyamavhuvhu achiendesa vatakuri vatatu, pamwe chete nemapurisa maviri uye zvikepe zvitatu zve torpedo. Paakasvika kuOdessa zuva rakatevera racho, akarwisa Fontanka, achishandisa mabhomba 200. Ichiri kuita basa iri, muparadzi akarwiswa kanoverengeka nendege dzeAxis pasina zvazvakabatsira. Pashure pokufamba muGulf of Odessa usiku, Dzerzhinsky yakawedzera mamwe magomba 118 pamusoro peFontanka nedzimwe nzvimbo dzeAxis mukati mezuva rakatevera, uye yakabva kuOdessa usiku ihwohwo nechikepe chinokweva chakakweva mabhazi maviri. Nhanho inononoka yeiyo yekupedzisira yakamanikidza muparadzi kuti afambe pa, achinonoka kudzoka kwake kuSevastopol kusvika 2 Gunyana. 