In late 1941, the Gorky TsKB Chief Design Bureau was ordered to plan an all-steel motor boat for amphibious operations.

The TsKB eventually came out with the 50-feet long DB ("Desant Bot") pr.165, including an armored operator stand and driven by two truck engines (GAZ-MM, GAZ-202 or ZIS-5).

Series production started in 1942 at factory # 343 in Gorokhovets and the Dzerzhinsk shipyards and by 1944 no more than 150 samples had left the production line.
Of them 99 were ordinary landing crafts, while 40 in 1944 were layed out as Anti-Aircraft PVO boats (3.7cm 70-K + 12.7mm DShK/20mm cal.70 Oerlikon) and the balance as mortar carriers (M-8-24 NURS Rocket Launcher).

The DB pr.165 participated in all major amphibious operations of the Black (Osereika, Myskhako, Novorossisk, Kerch/Eltigen) and Baltic Sea as well as on support operations on the large rivers like the Volga, Dnepr, Bug etc., thus suffering the loss of no less than 50 boats.
They usually performed the amphibious landings together with Bronekater BK-1124/5, "Small Hunter" MO-4, Torpedo Kater G-5 and Ladoga tenders.

Finally, the DB even served as platforms for the so-called "Floating Batteries", a pontoon construction carrying the mighty 100m B-24BM naval gun to the shores of the Oder in April 1945.