Corsairs 3 elusive squadron walkthrough. "I'm dying, but I'm not giving up!"
Captain 3rd rank B.A. ZVONAREV
Located on the eastern coast of distant Kamchatka, in one of the small bays of the vast Avachinskaya Bay, which juts deep into the mainland, Petropavlovsk was founded in 1740. For a long time, Petropavlovsk remained an insignificant abandoned village, and only at the end of the 18th century. The tsarist government drew attention to this port, remarkable for its natural amenities and advantageous location.
To protect against the attacks of sea pirates who plundered the coast of Kamchatka and plundered the enormous fish wealth of the seas washing it, from 1790 Petropavlovsk began to fortify. Subsequently, it became a point that Russian sailors constantly visited, completing their voyages around the world. Here they wintered several times, carrying out the necessary ship repairs, including major ones.
By the beginning of the Crimean War, a project was put forward to create a strong seaside fortress from Petropavlovsk and organize a powerful system of coastal fortifications on the approaches to Avacha Bay. However, Nicholas I did not like this project. Finding the project a “dream and fantasy,” he limited himself to installing temporary batteries only on the coast of the Peter and Paul Bay itself.
Alarming news about the entry of England and France into the war reached distant Kamchatka only in July 1854. They prompted the commander of the Petropavlovsk port, Major General Zavoiko, to immediately begin fortification work.
As a result of persistent and intense work, six earthen batteries were built by August. Battery No. 1 of five guns was placed on Signalny Cape (the southern tip of the peninsula covering the entrance to Peter and Paul Bay from the west). On the low and sandy Koshka spit, blocking the entrance to the bay from the south, is the strongest battery No. 2 of 11 guns. Battery No. 3 of five guns stood on the isthmus between Signalnaya and Nikolskaya mountains. Some distance from Petropavlovsk, closer to the exit from Avachinskaya Bay, at the foot of the steep Krasny Yar Mountain, Battery No. 4 of three guns was located. On the shore of Lake Kultushnoye there is a five-gun battery No. 6. To the north of Nikolskaya Mountain, on the isthmus between Avachinskaya Bay and Lake Kultushnoye there is a six-gun battery No. 7.
The hastily erected batteries suffered from a number of shortcomings and, above all, one common one - almost complete exposure to the sea. Only battery No. 2 had a fairly strong and reliable parapet. The very important battery No. 3, which protected the approaches to the city and the harbor located in its rear, was so open that the gun crew, as one of the battle participants said, “only had one heel closed.”
The guns were predominantly old, small-caliber, firing cast iron cannonballs. There were only two bomb cannons. Ammunition was extremely limited - up to 37 rounds per gun.
The coastal defense system also included two warships that arrived in Petropavlovsk shortly before the battle - the frigate Aurora and the transport Dvina. They were anchored in the depths of the bay behind the Koshka Spit, with their left sides facing the exit. The ships only had guns on the left side (22 on the Aurora and 5 on the Dvina), while the guns on the right side were removed to strengthen the coastal batteries. The entrance to the bay (about 0.5 kb wide) was blocked by a wooden boom on chains.
Thus, the defenders of Petropavlovsk had at their disposal only 66 very imperfect guns, which had an insignificant ammunition supply, which had nowhere to be replenished.
The garrison numbered 1016 people. This number included 36 indigenous residents - Kamchadals, as well as 18 Russian townspeople who made up a detachment of volunteers. All of them were armed with old, mostly flintlock rifles. There were no fittings.
The frigate Aurora played a very important role in the defense of Petropavlovsk. This ship left Kronstadt on August 21, 1853, heading under the command of Lieutenant Commander Izylmetyev to the mouth of the river. Amur. Having entered the Peruvian port of Callao along its route, the Aurora found here the same Anglo-French squadron that later appeared near Petropavlovsk. Persistent rumors about the supposed entry of England and France into the war (which actually took place a month ago) forced the far-sighted frigate commander to quickly leave the port. On April 14, 1854, the Aurora left Callao.
The further 9,000-mile journey to Petropavlovsk was fraught with extraordinary difficulties. Stormy weather and heavy rains accompanied the frigate throughout the journey. The ship often scooped with its sides, and there was severe dampness on the decks. At the end of the passage, the ship's hull was so damaged by storms that all the grooves began to leak. During the long journey, provisions and fresh water supplies were depleted. The sailors developed scurvy and were out of action in dozens. 13 people died at the crossing. The ship's doctor and the ship's commander fell ill. Taking into account the difficulty of the situation, the commander abandoned the trip to the unequipped mouth of the Amur and decided to call at the nearest port - Petropavlovsk, where the crew could rest.
The entire Aurora voyage from Kronstadt to Petropavlovsk took 10 months. After Europe, the frigate had berths only in Rio de Janeiro and Callao. But, despite all the hardships and difficulties endured, exhausted, barely getting back on their feet after illness, the Russian sailors took part in the battle two months later against enemy forces four times superior.
On the morning of August 17, the forward post at the entrance to Avachinskaya Bay signaled to Petropavlovsk: “I see an unknown squadron of six ships at sea.” The alarm was sounded in the city. The small garrison prepared for battle. The sailors of the Aurora and Dvina stood at the loaded guns. Even 60 sick Aurors with the first blow of the combat alarm hurried to the frigate and took their places on schedule, along with the healthy ones. The commander of the Aurora, Izylmetyev, approached the flag and called on the team to defend it with all their might. In response, a loud “hurray” echoed over the bay.
Soon, the English steamer Virago, camouflaged with an American flag, entered the roadstead of Avachinskaya Bay, having separated from the squadron. Before reaching Signal Cape, he stopped his progress and began taking depth measurements. Before the boat sent from the shore had time to approach him for questioning, the steamer turned sharply and went at full speed to the sea towards its squadron.
Despite the fact that the rest of the day passed relatively calmly, the Petropavlovsk residents had no doubt that battle with the enemy was inevitable and close. Vigilance was increased, and the teams of batteries and ships spent the entire night at the guns. Women and children were sent out of town.
The next day, in the evening, an Anglo-French squadron consisting of six ships entered the bay. These were the English 52-gun frigate "President" (the flag of Rear Admiral Price), the 44-gun frigate "Pike", the 6-gun steamer "Virago" and the French 60-gun frigate "Lafort" (the flag of Rear Admiral Depointe ), the 32-gun corvette Eurydice and the 18-gun brig Obligado. The overall command of the squadron was exercised by Rear Admiral Price.
After a minor skirmish with the Petropavlovsk batteries, which was intended to reveal the system of their location, the allied squadron retreated deeper into the bay and anchored. The Russian fortifications came as a great surprise to the enemy, and on that day he did not dare to do anything.
The night passed calmly, and at noon on August 19, an event occurred on the Anglo-French squadron that clearly testified to the beginning of demoralization in the ranks of the Allies. The squadron commander, Rear Admiral Price, shot himself in front of the entire team. In all likelihood, the awareness of the loss of time, thanks to which the Russian sailors managed to take the Aurora away from Callao and strengthen Petropavlovsk, the really tangible danger of the collapse of adventurous plans to end Petropavlovsk with one short blow, the fear of responsibility for the unsuccessful outcome of the battle prompted the English admiral to take this step. Be that as it may, this gesture of despair and cowardice could not help but make a grave impression on the personnel of the Anglo-French squadron. Depointe took the place of commander-in-chief.
The sad prologue of the battle for the allies did not, however, deprive them of their numerical superiority in strength over the Russians. Six new, superbly equipped ships continued to threaten Petropavlovsk. 2-14 enemy guns were directed against 67 Russian guns. On the enemy ships there were specially trained, selected landing troops ready for landing, armed not with flintlocks, but with the latest guns. There was quite enough ammunition.
Subsequent events, however, showed that the matter is not only in the number of weapons, but in their proactive use, in the art of combat and, above all, in the moral fortitude of the fighters. And here the Russians were much stronger than the Anglo-French.
On August 20, from 8 o'clock in the morning, the enemy finally decided to make the first serious attempt to attack. The day was beautiful, sunny. The entire garrison of Petropavlovsk stood in their places, their eyes riveted on the dark mass of ships slowly moving towards the bay. This is the steamer “ Virago" was towing the frigates "President", "Pike" and "Lafort".
The battle began exactly at 9 o'clock with shelling from batteries No. 1 and 4. For an hour and a half, 8 guns of both batteries fought with exceptional courage, heroism and steadfastness against 80 enemy guns. Major General Zavoiko with his headquarters was on Signal Cape in the sphere of fierce and destructive fire, directing the course of the battle from there. Battery No. 1 ceased fire only after large losses in personnel were discovered; the gun mountings were covered with earth and fragments of stones above the wheels, as a result of which the guns could no longer be turned. They had to be riveted, transferring the servants to battery No. 4, which was threatened by an enemy landing force of 600 people landing south of Krasny Yar.
The personnel of this battery, numbering only 28 people, were forced to retreat to the city, having previously riveted the guns. The landing force was already intending to capture the battery, but at that time the Aurora and Dvina opened accurate fire on it, supporting the advance of small rifle detachments and sailors from the Aurora, who had managed to arrive from Petropavlovsk. The Anglo-French rushed back to the boats in panic and confusion.
Meanwhile, seeing that two Russian batteries had been neutralized, the enemy frigates and steamer opened intense fire on battery No. 2 from a long distance, being themselves shielded from the Aurora’s guns by Signal Cape. However, the battery held out. The unequal competition between eleven weak guns and 80 enemy guns, in which the Russian sailors showed true heroism and combat courage, lasted more than 8 hours.
At the same time, the corvette Eurydice and the brig Obligado, covering the boat landing, twice tried to approach battery No. 3, but both times they were driven away by its fire, and one of the boats was sunk. By evening, the Anglo-French retreated, taking up a position outside the fire of the Russian batteries.
The enemy ships were significantly damaged. In the battle on August 20, the Russians had 6 killed and 13 wounded. As soon as the enemy left the battle, the Petropavlovsk residents immediately began to restore the combat effectiveness of the batteries. This was done in one night.
August 21, 22 and 23 passed quietly. The Anglo-French did not take any decisive action. It subsequently turned out that after the first unsuccessful battle, the allies convened a military council, at which heated debate arose about the nature of further actions. Rear Admiral Depointe reproached the British for the indecision shown during the shelling of the batteries, and, expressing doubts about the success of military operations against the Russians, directly raised the question of leaving Petropavlovsk. However, succumbing to persuasion, he decided to try to land a large landing force, since there was information about the presence of a convenient road leading from the coast to the city on the northern side of Nikolskaya Mountain.
The enemy's preparation for a new attack became obvious from the evening of August 23, and at dawn on August 24, through the fog of the gray Kamchatka morning, movement on the allied squadron became noticeable.
At 5 o'clock. 30 min. The steamship “Virago”, taking in tow the frigates “President” and “Lafort”, took them to Petropavlovsk. Leaving “Lafort” at battery No. 3, “Virago” and “President” headed to battery No. 7. At the same time, the corvette “Eurydice” took up a position on the approaches to batteries No. 1 and 4, and the frigate “Pike” remained further to the sea.
Soon a hot battle began. Battery No. 3, with its first salvos, knocked down the stern flag on the “President” as it passed by it. The duel between this battery, which was completely open and had only five cannons, with the Lafort, which had 30 cannons on each side, was initially successful. Each cannonball fired from the battery hit the target, demolishing the spar and making holes in the frigate's hull. However, terrible enemy fire (“Lafort” fired only 869 shots) caused significant damage to the battery. On the isthmus where the battery stood, there was not a single piece of land that was not dug up by cannonballs, and on the territory of the battery itself there were 182 cannonballs.
Being under a hurricane of cannonballs and bombs, the Russian sailors behaved heroically. The Anglo-French were amazed at the exceptional endurance of one of the sentries, who, under the cannonballs, did not stop walking steadily and firmly along the wall of the battery. Up to 60 rifle shots were fired at him, but the sentry still remained at his post.
The commander of battery No. 3, Lieutenant Alexander Maksutov, when the last cannon remained in service, rushed to it and personally continued to fire at the enemy until he fell, mortally wounded.
Battery No. 7 resisted the concentrated fire of the “President” and “Virago” for a little longer, having protection in the form of an earthen rampart. Being able to operate (due to the limited angle of fire) with only three guns against 29, she successfully fired at enemy ships, causing them serious damage. Only after the guns were shot down and covered with earth and fascist fire, and the battery commander, Lieutenant-Commander Korallov, was severely shell-shocked in the head, did the battery servants retreat and join forces with the rest of the garrison.
Having suppressed the stubborn resistance of both batteries, the Anglo-French began landing troops in the amount of about 900 people. 23 boats and 2 boats were sent to the shore south of battery No. 7 and 5 boats to the isthmus at battery No. 3. The main landing party was followed by the squadron commander, Rear Admiral Depointe, on a whaleboat. Encouraging his subordinates by militantly waving his naked saber, he himself, however, did not dare to go ashore.
During the landing, the brig “0bligado” approached the isthmus and tried to fire at the “Aurora” with throw-over fire, without, however, causing any significant damage to it.
The landed troops split into three groups and launched an attack on the city. Two groups began to climb steep paths to the northern slope of Nikolskaya Mountain, and the third, the most numerous, moved along a narrow bypass road to battery No. 6, located near Lake Kultushnoe.
The Anglo-French, apparently, thought about settling in Petropavlovsk seriously and for a long time. An eyewitness to the battle indicates that the landing units had with them everything they needed, down to the smallest detail: nails for riveting guns, demolition material, breakfast for the entire detachment, a supply of provisions and ammunition, mattresses, blankets, first-aid kits and even... shackles for shackling prisoners (!). “Remember that this thing is often absolutely necessary,” explained the purpose of the shackles in a special instruction found after the battle in the pocket of one of the killed enemy officers.
Already at the beginning of the bombing, Major General Zavoiko, having correctly assessed the situation, came to the conclusion that battery No. 6, which was the last key to capturing the city, would become the main and first target of attack by the landing troops. He pulled all the main forces to the powder magazine, where he himself was located. At the top of Nikolskaya Mountain they were left with only a small detachment of 15 best shooters. However, soon after the landing, the initial situation changed dramatically and entailed the need to regroup Russian forces. The main landing group of the enemy, approaching battery No. 6, was met by friendly grapeshot fire from four battery cannons and a small field gun, mixed up and began to retreat in the direction of two other groups towards Nikolskaya Gora. Taking advantage of the fact that the ridge of the mountain was almost empty at this point, the enemy troops took possession of it without much difficulty, taking a commanding position over the terrain below and threatening to attack the city.
“The moment was truly critical,” says midshipman Fesun, a participant in the battle. - The red uniforms of English naval soldiers appear above the isthmus battery and rifle bullets are already raining down on the Aurora like hail. If we had lost a second of time, if the allies had time to come to their senses and gather their strength, everything would have been over. But we didn’t lose that second!”
At this difficult and crucial moment, the leaders of the defense of Petropavlovsk, Zavoiko and Izylmetyev, showed exceptional resourcefulness, extraordinary skill and flexibility in leading the battle. Immediately after the occupation of the mountains by the Anglo-French, from the side of the isthmus three rifle detachments from the Aurora and part of the gun personnel from battery No. 3 were rushed at the enemy, and from the side of the powder magazine - two port rifle detachments, an Aurora rifle detachment, a detachment of volunteers and garrison of battery No. 2. Small detachments of Russian braves, numbering a total of about 300 people, were to take Nikolskaya Mountain by storm.
“How could 300 people knock down 700 people from a strong position?” asks an eyewitness to the battle and immediately gives the answer: “Although our small detachments acted separately and almost independently of one another, they all had one common and well-known goal: knock the enemy off the mountain at any cost. His numbers were not well known at that time, and every sailor fully understood one thing: the French and the British did not have to stay where they were!”
Despite the extremely difficult conditions in which small detachments of Russians were placed during the assault on Nikolskaya Mountain, they soon managed to occupy its peak. With a loud “hurray,” the brave Petropavlovsk residents broke through the thick bushes covering the mountainside and struck with bayonets. A brutal hand-to-hand fight broke out. Seeing the rapid onslaught of the Russians, who appeared from different sides, not realizing their small numbers and the absence of any reserves among the Russians, the Anglo-French wavered, became confused and began to retreat. This retreat took on the character of a stampede, during which the commander of the landing, Captain Parker, and a number of other officers were killed by well-aimed shots from the Russians.
Pressed by Russian bayonets to the steep and high cliffs of the western slope of Nikolskaya Mountain, the Anglo-French began to rush down in groups, breaking on the coastal stones and rocks. Those who were lucky enough to escape ran to the lifeboats in disarray. The return landing of the landing took place under well-aimed fire from the Petropavlovsk troops, who managed to occupy the ridge of the mountain. When the boats fell away from the shore, the enemy suffered very significant losses.
By noon the battle was over. The seriously damaged ships of the Anglo-French, having received the remnants of the defeated landing force, went deep into the Avacha Bay, where, as after the first battle, they began to repair the damage.
The Russian victory was obvious. The enemy lost about 450 people killed and wounded this time. More than half of the officers were wounded, 4 officers were killed. The Petropavlovsk residents lost 32 people killed and 64 wounded. They captured four people and captured an English banner, 7 officers' sabers and 56 guns as spoils of war.
Rear Admiral Depointe subsequently admitted with embarrassment that he did not expect to encounter such strong resistance in such an insignificant place.
At dawn on August 27, having somehow repaired the damage, the allied squadron, firmly and convincingly taught by the Russian sailors for the brazen attempt to capture Petropavlovsk, suddenly weighed anchor and left the inhospitable shores of Kamchatka.
Having put to sea, the squadron split up. The British went to Vancouver (Canada), the French to San Francisco. The enemy's flight was caused by significant losses that he suffered during his stay in Russian waters.
The brilliant victory did not turn the heads of the Petropavlovsk residents and did not lull their vigilance. Having kicked out the uninvited “guests,” they immediately set about restoring the damaged batteries and improving the entire city defense system. It could have been assumed (and these assumptions, as we will see, were justified) that the Anglo-French, embittered by the failure, would not calm down, would gather more significant forces and again appear at Petropavlovsk. Continuous work to strengthen the city continued until November, when the long Kamchatka winter arrived with its dashing snowstorms and deep snows. It was possible not only to completely restore the damaged batteries, but also to erect several new ones, dig covered passages, build durable powder magazines and new barracks. Soon after the departure of the Anglo-French, the Russian Kamchatka squadron was replenished with several ships. The corvette “Olivutsa”, the transports “Irtysh” and “Baikal” and two boats arrived in Petropavlovsk.
On March 3, 1855, the courier of the Governor General of Eastern Siberia, Yesaul Martynov, arrived in the city with orders to evacuate the port of Peter and Paul, arm the ships, load all the property on them, the entire garrison along with their families, and leave Kamchatka in early spring. The urgency was dictated by reliable news about the preparation by the Anglo-French of a new attack on Petropavlovsk. The enemy expected to arrive with a huge squadron of 26 ships, which even included the 84-gun battleship Monarch. Petropavlovsk, literally cut off from the outside world and deprived of its own material resources, would have found itself in an extremely difficult situation in the event of a blockade. The almost complete absence of land communications (except for visits to the city by mail once or twice a year, and then only in winter) would make the defense of the port, if convenient transportation by sea was disrupted, very difficult. Limited food and combat supplies (only 20 rounds per gun remained), an acute shortage of medicines and lack of hope for reinforcements aggravated the severity of the situation.
The destination of the Russian squadron, in order to maintain military secrets, was announced only to Rear Admiral Zavoiko. The squadron was supposed to go to the mouth of the Amur River, more than 1000 miles away and almost unequipped. “The entire success of our enterprise will depend on fast and rapid production for sailing,” Zavoiko addressed his subordinates in the order. - The Allies, as is positively known, have the intention of attacking Petropavlovsk with forces immeasurably superior to all our forces, and, therefore, it would be best to go to sea no later than April 1, in order to reach our new destination as quickly as possible. On this basis, I humbly ask the commanders to instill in their teams the importance of successful work on armament and the manufacture of ships.”
The next day work began to boil. There was very little time left before the onset of spring, and we had to hurry. It was necessary to tear off the snow-covered cannons, with great difficulty and caution, lower them from the steep mountains and carry them to the transports on sleds over the March ice that bent from the weight. Finding and digging out cannonballs from under the snow also caused a lot of trouble and difficulty. However, soon all the battery weapons, port cargo and personal property of the garrison were safely loaded onto transports. It should be noted that when leaving the port, the residents of Petropavlovsk took with them everything, down to the smallest household items: window frames, door hinges, stoves, stoves, iron from roofs. All that remained of the city dwellings were bare log walls.
Simultaneously with loading the transports, Russian sailors cut a passage in the ice for the squadron to exit the harbor. This work required persistence and perseverance. It was necessary to make the passage wide enough, completely free of ice and bring it to clean water, since sailing wooden ships could not cross the ice with their hulls. People worked 8-10 hours a day without rest, in strong winds, up to their knees. in the water, managing to walk only a few dozen fathoms per day. Severe night frosts again frozen the water surface and forced all the work to begin again. However, all difficulties were overcome, and by March 29, access to the sea was open.
Not wanting to tie up the combat core of the squadron with slow-moving, overloaded transports, Zavoiko decided to send them forward. On April 4, the “Irtysh” and “Baikal” left Petropavlovsk, carrying 282 passengers on board, among whom women and children predominated. The remaining ships - the frigate "Aurora", the corvette "Olivutsa" and the transport "Dvina" - left Petropavlovsk on April 6. The general rendezvous for the ships of the squadron was scheduled in De-Kastri Bay, located on the coast of the Tatar Strait 100 miles south of the mouth of the Amur River.
Captain Martynov remained in the deserted city with several Cossacks and sick residents. If the enemy appeared, he was ordered to move to the village of Avacha, located 10 versts from Petropavlovsk.
The Russian squadron leaving the port faced the inevitable difficulties of a long, harsh transition and the possibility of meeting at sea with a powerful enemy. Everyone understood this perfectly well. The general determination of the Russian sailors to fully fulfill their duty to their homeland was expressed by Rear Admiral Zavoiko, saying that if, beyond expectation, they meet a strong enemy at sea, they will either repel him or die without giving up Russian warships and the glorious Russian flag to the enemy .
The transition of the squadron from Petropavlovsk to De-Kastri was extremely difficult. Severe storms and thick fogs, which abound in the Pacific Ocean in the spring season, accompanied the Russian ships. Meetings with the enemy at sea were avoided, although three days before the Russians left Petropavlovsk, individual Anglo-French ships came within sight of the Kamchatka coast. The Russian squadron went unnoticed due to heavy fog. The allies hoped that the Petropavlovsk residents would not be able to leave the port before the ice moved, and therefore decided to begin actions against the city in mid-April.
When this deadline arrived and a strong Allied squadron entered Avacha Bay, disappointment awaited it. Frustrated by yet another failure, the Anglo-Friats gave chase and, headlong, began to rush across the wide expanses of the Pacific Ocean in search of Russian ships.
They looked for Russians everywhere - along the coast of Kamchatka, in the Sea of Okhotsk, off the coast of Korea and even near distant Batavia, but, of course, to no avail. The elusive squadron of Russian daredevils, meanwhile, successfully completed the first stage of the difficult transition and by May 5th gathered in full strength in De-Kastri. Here the squadron was forced to wait for the ice to break up in the Amur Estuary, which was to occur no earlier than the end of the month. It was necessary to assume that the enemy would eventually attack the squadron's tracks. And so it happened.
Tired of the stupid campaigns, the English Admiral Stirling with the main forces of the allies went to rest in Japanese ports, instructing his assistant Commodore Elliot to continue the search in the Tartary Strait. At that time, the existence of a through passage between Sakhalin and the mainland was known only to the Russians. The British and French were convinced that the Tatar Strait was a gulf, and therefore access to the mouth of the Amur was possible only from the north. Geographical illiteracy, as we will see, played a cruel joke on the British. At dawn on May 8, three English ships - the 40-gun frigate Sybill, the 17-gun screw corvette Hornet and the 12-gun brig Bittern - under the flag of Commodore Elliott appeared at the entrance to De Castri Bay.
The Russian squadron immediately prepared for battle. It was decided to fight to the last drop of blood. Rear Admiral Zavoiko ordered the topmast flags to be nailed to the masts, so that if they were shot down in battle, the enemy would not consider this a signal of surrender.
Soon, a screw corvette separated from the enemy squadron and approached the Russian ships. However, after exchanging several salvos with the corvette Olivutsa, he suddenly turned back and went at full speed to his squadron.
Thunderous cries of “hurray” and ringing songs of Russian sailors accompanied the enemy’s mysterious maneuver. This is how a Russian witness describes this episode:
“The surprise on the squadron reached its highest degree and, really, looking at this beautiful screw corvette and those two apparently serviceable military ships waiting for it at the height of Kloster Kamp (the southern cape at the entrance to the bay), it was difficult to believe what was seen . Everyone was in some kind of bewilderment, and although the picture presented by the departing enemy was before our eyes, it seemed so incredible that until the last minute we were waiting for some special maneuver, some military trick.”
However, the true reasons for the seemingly incomprehensible behavior of the English squadron were much simpler than they seemed. Not daring to take the fight to the Russians, Commodore Elliot the next day sent a screw corvette to Hakodate with a report to Admiral Sterling, and he himself retreated more seaward, intending to block the Russian squadron from the south. Sending the report, the commodore simultaneously asked the commander-in-chief to send reinforcements and give instructions on further actions. The action of the English commodore clearly shows a complete lack of personal initiative. Obviously, the lesson learned at Petropavlovsk greatly influenced the tactical thinking of representatives of the high allied command and gave rise to excessive caution and extreme fear of responsibility, bordering on cowardice.
In fact, the British had all the advantages in De-Kastri. The cherished goal of a long fruitless search - the “little Russian squadron”, as the French called it, which had already escaped once - was now suddenly under our noses and stood in a kind of trap. It seemed that Commodore Elliott's squadron, undoubtedly superior in armament to the Russian squadron, had only to attack the enemy, having large reserves of English and French ships behind it. But Elliott preferred six days of inaction to a bold maneuver.
Elliott's very original “tactics” played into the hands of the Russian squadron. Having received the news on May 15 that the Amur estuary was clear of ice, she, without wasting time, left De-Kastri and, taking advantage of the thick fog, quietly passed north. The Russians' departure was timely. 14 hours after this, having finally waited for reinforcements, Commodore Elliot, at the head of a squadron of six ships, bravely entered De Kastri Bay. But the Russians disappeared without a trace.
Having left De-Kastri with nothing and not suspecting the possibility of the Russian squadron passing to the north, the enemy rushed to the southern exit from the Tatar Strait in the hope of finding it there, but soon became convinced that all hopes were in vain. On May 24, the Russian squadron safely entered the Amur Estuary.
* * *
Europe was amazed at the exploits of the Russian Kamchatka squadron. The actions of the Russian ships, which skillfully managed not only to escape unharmed from the numerically superior enemy forces, but also to win a number of undeniable victories over them, became the “spite” of the day.
Along with the heroism shown by Russian sailors and soldiers near Sevastopol, these successes strengthened faith in the power of Russian weapons and debunked the exaggerated glory of the enemy. The English newspaper The Times, recognizing the defeat of the Anglo-French squadron near Petropavlovsk as an accomplished fact, wrote with contrition that the Russian squadron under the command of Admiral Zavoiko, by moving from Petropavlovsk to De-Kastri and actions in De-Kastri, inflicted two black spots on the British flag, which never cannot be washed away by any ocean waters. Commander of the Order of the Bath, Commodore Charles Gilbert John Brighton Elliot, shared the unenviable historical fate of his mediocre colleague Napier. His name became the subject of ridicule.
The name of Petropavlovsk, along with the names of Gangut and Grengam, Chesma and Navarino, Sinop and Sevastopol, burns in golden, unfading letters in the chronicle of the victories of the Russian fleet.
Hounds of the Ocean. Part two. Vladivostok cruiser detachment
The lieutenant who drove the gunboats
Under fire from enemy batteries,
All night, under the southern sky,
I read my poems as a souvenir...
N. S. Gumilev
Unfortunately, I do not have the opportunity to look at the plan for a naval war against Great Britain developed by the Naval Department of the Russian Empire, developed at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. But even what we managed to learn is amazing and evokes a feeling of deep and lasting admiration. The Germans tried to implement something similar during the First and Second World Wars. By the way, against the same Great Britain. Apparently, she annoyed a lot of people. There has never been anything like this in world history. Unfortunately, Soviet military doctrine did not provide for deep cruising and interruption of communications throughout the World Ocean.
In short, the cruiser war plan looked something like this.
- Great Britain was recognized as the main enemy of the Russian Empire. And this thesis remained relevant during the Russian-Japanese War.In essence, England fought against Russia. It was the British who armed Japan and built at their shipyards the fleet that was called the “Japanese”, starting with Admiral Togo’s flagship “Mikasa”. All battleships of the Land of the Rising Sun were built in British shipyards. And throughout the entire Russo-Japanese War, transports with weapons and ammunition went from London, Glasgow, and Liverpool to Japan, with which the bearers of “European values” supplied the samurai, who had recently had the habit of eating the liver of a killed enemy.
- In the future, the British will pay for their “philanthropy.” Very soon the Japanese themselves will learn to build ships no worse - they will crush the British colonies in Southeast Asia in 1941 and sink the Royal Navy. Moreover, especially zealous guardians of traditional Japanese values will devour the livers of captured British people in the Second World War, if you believe the “free” English press. But this was still far away, and in 1904 the same press portrayed the colonial war with Russia in China as nothing more than a battle for little Japan “for freedom.”
- Due to the impossibility of defeating it in a linear naval battle, the Fleet’s tactics should have been reduced to the fact that combat-ready units of the Baltic and Black Sea fleets, during the period of hostilities, ensured coastal defense and interaction with ground units, avoiding a general battle. And the raiders based in the Far East, withdrawn during a threatened period, freely enter the Ocean, without the need to break into the Atlantic, which in itself is fraught, just remember the fate of the battleship Bismarck, and enter the communications of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. They are joined by auxiliary cruisers converted from civilian ships. The main areas of operation for the raiders were the waters adjacent to the Capes of Horn and Good Hope, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, in order to block shipping through the Suez Canal.
- The main tasks of the raiders were to impede the transfer of reinforcements from colonies and dominions, ensure the life of the metropolis and disperse the forces of the enemy Fleet.
And despite the fact that England started the war with Russia through the hands of Japan, the raiders still went out into the Ocean and, in addition to the Japanese, English ships became their enemies.
The main trade routes from the Indian to the Pacific Ocean.
It just so happened that the raiders transferred to Vladivostok on the eve of the war had to operate in the near sea zone against a direct enemy - Japan.
After the very first days of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. The Russian Pacific squadron was blocked in Port Arthur by the enemy fleet; there was only one formation of Russian ships left in the Pacific Ocean capable of conducting cruising operations on Japanese communications - the Vladivostok detachment consisting of the cruisers "Russia", "Rurik", "Gromoboy", "Bogatyr" "and several destroyers assigned to him.
80 years later, the famous writer Valentin Pikul dedicated his novel “Cruisers” to the Vladivostok detachment of cruisers, and local prose writer Anatoly Ilyin wrote a story called “The Vladivostok Detachment”. It is clear that no one just dedicates stories and novels to ships. The Vladivostok detachment forever entered the annals of history with its daring raids on the shores of Japan, which caused panic among the enemy. At the same time, the cruisers themselves remained elusive to the Japanese fleet for a long time, and therefore the foreign press nicknamed them “ghost ships.”
Due to the fact that geographically, Japan is located on islands, Russia had a chance to win with only a cruising war.
In 1902, Japan was able to smelt 240 thousand tons of pig iron from its own iron ore raw material and produced only 10 million liters of oil. The country's need in the same year amounted to 1,850 thousand tons of pig iron and 236 million liters of oil. The cost of imports of ferrous metals and metal products in 1901 amounted to 24,406.5 thousand yen, oil and petroleum products - 15 million yen, machinery and equipment for industrial enterprises - 16.6 million yen, wool and woolen products - 12 million yen. In total, these four types of goods, which are vital to the military-economic potential, cost Japan 73,006.5 thousand yen, or 54.1% of the total value of imports in 1901.
During the war, almost all heavy guns, including 11-inch howitzers, were obtained by Japan from abroad. In 1904–1905, a huge amount of naval weapons was imported into the country, including cannons and torpedoes, and even submarines.
Japan is located on dozens of islands and has thousands of miles of coastline. Most of its cities are on the coast within range of Kane's 152/45 mm guns. The country depends heavily on fishing.
All this was well known to Russian politicians and admirals long before 1904. By interrupting the Japanese sea communications and attacking its coast, the Empire of the Rising Sun could quickly be brought to its knees. This, by the way, is what the Americans did in 1943–1945. Their surface ships, submarines and aircraft sank all ships going to or from Japan, regardless of nationality.
And in order to avoid accusations that morals were completely different in 1904 than in 1941, one can quote Admiral and Lord of the British Admiralty John Fisher: “At the first peace conference in The Hague in 1899, when I was a British delegate, spewed terrible nonsense about the rules of warfare. War has no rules... The essence of war is violence. Self-restraint in war is idiocy. Strike first, strike hard, strike without rest!”
In the sixth month of the war, the Vladivostok detachment of cruisers, commanded by the former commander of the Thunderbolt, Rear Admiral Jessen received an order from the Commander-in-Chief of the ground and naval forces, Admiral Alekseev: “The general attack of the Japanese on Port Arthur requires decisive action on the communications of their armies with the mother country. You and the cruisers “Russia”, “Gromoboy”, “Rurik” have to go out on a cruise to attack the named sea communications... When meeting with superior enemy forces, combat with them must be avoided. Alekseev.”
The commander-in-chief's warning was completely justified due to the fact that the cruisers of the Vladivostok detachment were built for raider operations and had armor protection that was not capable of protecting them in a combat clash with the forces of the Japanese fleet. They were significantly inferior to Japanese ships in firepower. Moreover, unfortunately,The cruiser "Bogatyr" On May 15, 1904, in the Gulf of Posyet, during fog, it sat tightly on the rocks at Cape Bruce. With great difficulty and not immediately, the cruiser was removed from the rocks and escorted to Vladivostok for repairs, where it remained until the end of the war. Having lost their brother in such an absurd way, “Russia”, “Rurik” and “Gromoboy” were left alone. To the entire Sea of Japan and surrounding areas...
On June 15, 1904, Russian cruisers approached the island of Tsushima. The main sea communications passed by it and further to the southwest, along which the Japanese command carried out military transport to Manchuria. To the south, 60 miles in Ozaki Bay, the main base of Admiral Kamimura’s squadron was located. After a short search, the signalmen discovered several smokes on the horizon belonging to military transports. The raiders gave chase. “Thunderbolt” caught up with the troop transport “Izumo Maru” with a displacement of 3229 tons. After fire was opened, all ship documents and mail were destroyed on the transport by order of its captain. Then, in four boats, 105 people from the Izumo Maru crossed to the cruiser, and the ship was sunk. Please note. At that time, the war was conducted in a “gentlemanly” manner. They tried to avoid unnecessary casualties among the civilian population and the crews had not yet been destroyed along with the ships. By the way, this is exactly how German sailors will behave ten years later... Meanwhile, two more smoke appeared from the Shimonoseki Strait. The cruisers moved towards them. The Japanese, having discovered the Russian ships, tried to return, but did not have time. And “Thunderbolt” attacked the four-masted “Hitatsi Maru” with a displacement of 6175 tons, on which there were1100 soldiers, 320 horses and 18 280-mm siege guns from Krupp, designed to destroy the fortifications of Port Arthur. Captain of the Japanese ship, Englishman J. Campbell tried to ram our cruiser. Having dodged, the "Thunderbolt" shot the "Hitatsi-Mara" from its guns.The captain and crew boarded the boats, but the guards refused to leave the doomed ship. It was sent to the bottom by a torpedo shot. And “Russia” and “Rurik” pursued the transport “Sado-Maru” with a displacement of 6226 tons,where there were about 15 thousand builders, a railway battalion of soldiers, pontoons, a telegraph park, machine tools for siege weapons (which sank along with the Hitazi Maru), boxes of gold and silver andstopped only under the aimed guns of Russian cruisers. 23 officers accompanying the cargo, as well as the captain of the ship and his assistants, were delivered to the Rurik. The operation to destroy Japanese transports had been going on for more than five hours. And the armored detachment of Admiral Kamimura went out to intercept the Russian raiders. Therefore, “Rurik” was ordered to sink the transport. The cruiser fired two torpedoes at the Sado-Maru and, without waiting for its final death, began to leave, especially since the airwaves were filled with radio conversations of the Japanese. And on June 20, the Russian cruisers entered the Vladivostok Zolotoy Rog Bay, bringing the captured steamer Allanton as a prize. with a displacement of 6500 tons. The main results of the raid: two large Japanese transports were sunk: “Izumo Maru” and “Hitatsi Maru”. The departure of the 9th Infantry Division from Japan was delayed for a month.
On July 4, “Russia”, “Gromoboy” and “Rurik” left the Golden Horn and headed to the Sangar Strait, which separates the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido. No one expected the appearance of Russian cruisers here. The windows in the houses of coastal villages glowed, the lights of the lighthouses burned brightly. A speed of 15 knots and a favorable current allowed the detachment to calmly pass “through Japan,” and at 6 a.m. on July 7, the ships entered the Pacific Ocean and began the search. Within half an hour, the Takashima Maru was detained and sunk, but the next one, the Kyodouniu Maru, had to be released. Most of its passengers were women and children. The next day, the cruisers sank several more large-tonnage Japanese schooners. On July 9, the Rurik detained and inspected the German steamer Arabika. The cargo was recognized as contraband, and a prize crew was left on the ship, which brought it safely to Vladivostok. On the night of July 13, the Rurik sank the German steamer Tea, chartered by the Japanese, with food supplies for the Manchurian army, and was detained during the day English transport “Calchas” displacing 6,748 tons, chartered to deliver railway rails to Japan. They landed a prize team on it and sent it to Vladivostok, just like “Arabica”. And the sea soon became empty, and life in the Japanese ports came to a standstill. The sixteen-day cruising ended, as Jessen wrote in his report, “without losses in people, as well as without casualties on destroyed ships or taken prizes.” Because of its elusiveness, the Russian detachment was dubbed the “invisible squadron” by the foreign press. Rear Admiral Jessen accepted well-deserved congratulations. The situation of Admiral Kamimura was much worse. Enraged by the losses incurred, shipowners and consignees burned his house.
Enemy ships scoured the entire Sea of Japan, looking for the Vladivostok invisibles, but they burned coal in the furnaces in vain. All of Japan was frightened by the raids of Russian cruisers, and newspapers published offensive cartoons of Admiral Kamimura. The foreign press also responded to these events. Thus, one of the English newspapers was forced to note: “The cruising of the Vladivostok detachment is the most daring enterprise of all the Russians. The fact that their ships managed to escape from Kamimura’s squadron aroused public opinion in Japan.”
Freight tariffs and insurance rates increased sharply, and contracts for the supply of goods to Japan were broken. Panic reigned in the ports and stock exchanges...
As a result of the actions of the Russian cruisers, the Commander of the Japanese fleet, Admiral Togo, was forced to weaken his forces at Port Arthur in order to strengthen Kamimura’s squadron to fight our cruisers. This is the Naval Department: to distract some of the enemy ships besieging Port Arthur.
Unfortunately, after the death of the Rurik on August 1, 1904, cruising operations were curtailed and the cruisers practically did not participate in the further course of hostilities. Who knows how the course of the war might have turned if the raiders had remained at sea, if Vice Admiral Makarov and the foundations of Port Arthur had not been blown up on the Petropavlovsk...
Scheme of action of Russian cruisers
In total, Russian raiders sunk and captured:
Steamships:
1. "Kaun Maru" (36 GRT)
2. "Hagionoura Maru" (219 GRT)
3. "Takashima Maru" (318 GRT)
4. "Goyo Maru" (601 GRT)
5. "Nakonoura Maru" (1084 GRT)
6. "Izumi Maru" (3,229 GRT)
7. "Kinshu Maru" (3,853 GRT)
8. "Hitachi Maru" (6,175 GRT)
A total of 8 steam ships with a total displacement of 15,515 gross tons. And this is about 2% of the pre-war Japanese trade tonnage.
Sailboats:
1. "Seiyei Maru" (69 GRT)
2. "Hoksei Maru No. 2" (91 GRT)
3. "Ansci Maru" (105 GRT)
4. "Seisho Maru" (122 GRT)
5. "Hachiman Maru" (130 GRT)
6. "Fukuji Maru" (130 GRT)
7. "Kiho Maru" (140 GRT)
8. "Jizni Maru" (199 brt)
9. "Hachiman Maru No. 3" (204 GRT)
A total of 9 sailing ships with a total displacement of 1,190 GRT. A very worthy result.
At the same time, Russian sailors drowned three military transport ("Kinshu Maru", "Izumi Maru" and "Hitachi Maru") and more one ("Sado Maru" 6,226 GRT), having been blown up by mines on both sides, was seriously damaged. And they inflicted irrevocable losses on the enemy approximately the same as in a multi-day battle like Shah or Sandepu. It should be especially noted that before the advent of submarines, the destruction of ships transporting troops (that is, the most valuable and especially protected auxiliary ships) happened very rarely. The Russians managed to do this twice, during two consecutive raiding operations. Even though the Japanese, in that war, created a system of stages for transportation by sea, according to which ships followed one another, from point to point. Moreover, these points were connected by telegraph, and the non-arrival of a ship at one of the points stopped the departure of other ships until the circumstances of the non-arrival were clarified. And all more or less important and status (Guards Division, for example) transportation was provided by a convoy from the linear forces of the fleet. However, achieving success during their raids, the Vladivostok detachment of cruisers, three times was leaving the detachment of Admiral Kamimura opposing him.
The Russian Fleet, by its actions on enemy communications, radically changed the doctrine of the use of naval forces. And it is Russian tactics that will be developed in the near future by German raiders, the “Hounds of the Kaiser.” But Russia, being a pioneer, can and should rightfully be proud of its sons, who, once again, were the first. Who won, and when dying, went under the water with the St. Andrew’s Flag raised and the signal raised to the spot: “I’m dying, but I’m not giving up!”...
The storyline begins when the main character first visits Port Royal.
Generated quests, as well as generated mini-quests, opportunities, events:
Vessel escort.
Where to get: Any tavern owner
What does that require: Not hostile relations with the nation of the colony in which we take the task.
Help the prison commandant.
Where to get: Any prison commandant.
What does that require: Nothing.
Help the church. Search for donations.
Where to get: Any priest.
What does that require:
Nothing.
Help the church. Destruction of strange creatures.
Where to get: Any priest, except the colonies on Hispaniola and Maria Galante.
What does that require:
Nothing.
Golden caravan.
Where to get: It is possible to obtain information from the drunkards in the tavern about a golden caravan carrying a large cargo of gold.
Extortion.
Where to get: You can find out from the drunkards in the tavern that one of the residents is rich. Let's go to him and extort him :).
Arrival of an important person.
Where to get: Depending on your luck, when asked, “Do you know anything interesting?”, the tavern owner may tell you about the arrival of an important person. Goal: Capture an important person and receive a large ransom.
Trade caravan.
Where to get: Depending on your luck, when asked, “Do you know anything interesting?”, the owner of the tavern can tell you that a ship under the n-th name is carrying such and such cargo accompanied by someone to the n-th city.
Treasure hunt.
Where to get: Depending on your luck, you may encounter treasure map vendors in taverns and houses. The value of the treasure also depends on your luck.
Plus, to all this, you can be attacked by a famous pirate at sea, and the generated quests of the original ones are also left in the game "Corsairs 3".
Non-generated:
Extortionists.
Where to get it: From a moneylender in St. Martin.
What is needed for this: At least 7th rank.
Help the Spanish captain.
Where to get: From the Spanish officer who sits in the San Juan tavern. What does that require:
Not lower than rank 10. Not hostile relations with Spain.
Help for an old sailor.
Where to get: Taken from the person sitting in the Isla Mona tavern.
What does that require:
Nothing. But at first it is not recommended to go through.
The second part of this quest is taken in the location "Strange House" that's in the jungle. On which island, we are looking for it ourselves.
Strange behavior of pirates (Elusive Squadron).
Where to get: At the head of the pirates on Isla Mona.
What does that require: Rank 15
Alicia.
Where to get: A woman standing outside a church in Curacao.
What does that require: Rank 5
Help the head of the smugglers (He is also the ruler for the smugglers).
There are 3 tasks in the line.
Where to get: From the head of the smugglers who sits in the Isla Mona tavern.
What does that require: Not lower than rank 15.
Magic golden skull.
Where to get: Activates automatically when the main character receives the item of the same name.
Frigate "Flora".
Where to get: At the tavernkeeper's in Port Royal.
What is necessary: Rank 3
Monkey ship.
Where to get: From the man standing at Port Royal Church.
What is necessary: Rank 10
In search of Eldorado. (Kidnapping of Diego de La Encantario)
Where to get: Obtained during the quest The Elusive Squadron (Strange behavior of the pirates).
Advice: Read the descriptions of quest items and entries in the ship's log more often, and most importantly, save!
Attention, there are no quests here, but only a short description!
The storyline begins when the main character first visits Port Royal.
Generated quests, as well as generated mini-quests, opportunities, events:
Vessel escort.
Where to get it: From any tavern owner
What is needed for this: Non-hostile relations with the nation of the colony in which we take the task.
Help the prison commandant.
Where to get it: From any prison commandant.
What is needed for this: Nothing.
Help the church. Search for donations.
Where to get it: From any priest.
What does that require:
Nothing.
Help the church. Destruction of strange creatures.
Where to get it: From any priest, except for the colonies on Hispaniola and Maria Galante.
What does that require:
Nothing.
Golden caravan.
Where to get it: It is possible to get information from drunkards in the tavern about a golden caravan carrying a large cargo of gold.
Extortion.
Where to get it: You can find out from the drunkards in the tavern that one of the residents is rich. Let's go to him and extort him :).
Arrival of an important person.
Where to get it: Depending on your luck, when asked, “Do you know anything interesting?”, the tavern owner may tell you about the arrival of an important person. Goal: Capture an important person and receive a large ransom.
Trade caravan.
Where to get it: Depending on your luck, when asked, “Do you know anything interesting?”, the tavern owner can tell you that a ship under the n-th name is carrying such and such cargo to the n-th city, accompanied by someone or.
Treasure hunt.
Where to get it: Depending on your luck, you may encounter treasure map vendors in taverns and houses. The value of the treasure also depends on your luck.
Plus, to all this, you can be attacked by a famous pirate at sea, and the generated quests of the original “Corsairs 3” are also left in the game.
Non-generated:
Extortionists.
Where to get it: From a moneylender in St. Martin.
What is needed for this: At least 7th rank.
Help the Spanish captain.
Where to get it: From the Spanish officer who sits in the San Juan tavern. What does that require:
Not lower than rank 10. Not hostile relations with Spain.
Help for an old sailor.
Where to get it: Take it from the person sitting in the Isla Mona tavern.
What does that require:
Nothing. But at first it is not recommended to go through.
The second part of this quest is taken in the "Strange House" location in the jungle. On which island, we are looking for it ourselves.
Strange behavior of pirates (Elusive Squadron).
Where to get it: From the pirate leader on Isla Mona.
What is needed for this: rank 15.
Alicia.
Where to get it: From a woman standing outside a church in Curacao.
What is needed for this: rank 5.
Help the head of the smugglers (He is also the ruler for the smugglers).
There are 3 tasks in the line.
Where to get it: From the head of the smugglers who sits in the Isla Mona tavern.
What is required for this: At least rank 15.
Magic golden skull.
Where to get it: Activates automatically when the main character receives the item of the same name.
Frigate "Flora".
Where to get it: From the tavernkeeper in Port Royal.
What is needed: 3 rank.
Monkey ship.
Where to get it: From the man standing near Port Royal Church.
What is needed: rank 10.
In search of Eldorado. (Kidnapping of Diego de La Encantario)
Where to get it: Obtained during the quest The Elusive Squadron (Strange Behavior of Pirates).
Advice: Read the descriptions of quest items and entries in the ship's log more often, and most importantly, save!
Ships of the Russian fleet - participants in the Russo-Japanese War. There is probably no more disappointing defeat in Russian history.
1st rank cruiser "Askold"
Laid down in 1898 in Kiel (Germany). Shipyard - "Germany" (Deutschland). Launched in 1900. Entered service in 1902. In 1903 he went to the Far East. One of the most actively operating ships. In July 1904, he took part in an unsuccessful breakthrough to Vladivostok. Together with the cruiser Novik (later sunk in Korsakov Bay on Sakhalin), he managed to escape the encirclement. Unlike Novik, Askold went to the nearest port - Shanghai, where he was interned until the end of the war. After the end of the Russo-Japanese War, he became part of the Siberian Flotilla and was stationed in Vladivostok. During WWII he participated in various military operations together with Allied ships against the squadron of Admiral Spee. After that, he went to the Mediterranean Sea, participated in the Dardanelles operation (a joint operation of allied land and naval forces against the Ottoman Empire, the goal of which was a breakthrough to Constantinople, ended in the failure of the coalition forces despite the numerical advantage over the Ottomans). After which he went to Toulon, where he was undergoing repairs (spring 1916 - summer 1917). From Toulon the cruiser went to Murmansk, where it became part of the Arctic Ocean fleet. In 1918, in the Kola Bay, it was captured by the British and became part of the British fleet under the name "Glory IV". In 1922 it was bought by Soviet Russia. Due to the unsatisfactory condition of the hull and mechanisms, it was decided to sell the cruiser for scrap. In the same 1922, "Askold" was dismantled for metal in Hamburg.
During the Dardanelles operation, Askold fought alongside the British cruiser HMS Talbot - the same one that the Varyag team switched to.
before launching
hull "Askold" (left) in the water
at the outfitting wall - installation of the bow pipe, 1901
the cruiser has almost taken on its final form, winter 1901
docking in the Blom & Foss floating dock, Hamburg, 1901
sea trials, 1901
additional installation of the navigation bridge, autumn 1901, Kiel, Germany
acceptance tests. Since the cruiser has not yet been enlisted in the navy, there is a state (tricolor) flag on the flagpole, and not a naval (Andreevsky) flag
in the Kiel Canal, 1902
Great Kronstadt raid, 1902
already part of the Baltic Fleet, 1902
Dalian Bay, 1903
Port Arthur, 1904. The cruiser has already been repainted in the standard combat paint of the Pacific formations of those years - dark olive
on a combat course, 1904
during the Dardanelles operation, 1915
in Toulon, 1916
as part of the Arctic Ocean flotilla, 1917
note from the magazine "Niva", 1915
drawing and axonometric projection, "Modelist-Constructor" magazine. An axonometric view of anti-mine networks shows them in combat position
"Askold" during service on the Baltic Sea, modern drawing
livery of the cruiser "Askold" during service in the Pacific Ocean
livery of the cruiser "Askold" during combat operations in the Mediterranean Sea
Laid down at the Baltic Shipyard in St. Petersburg on September 5, 1899, launched on July 21, 1901 and commissioned on June 20, 1904. Before moving to Libau and further to the Far East, it was equipped with a Guards crew.
In the Battle of Tsushima he led a column of Russian ships. Having received heavy damage to the bow, it gave way to the lead ship of the Borodino EBR. Due to the loss of speed, he found himself under fire from the armored cruisers Nissin and Kassuga. A fire broke out on board. Water entering through the holes worsened the situation and at 18:50 on May 14, 1905, the ship capsized and sank. The entire crew died. In the same year, he was formally excluded from the lists of the fleet.
Before leaving for Port Arthur, Captain 1st Rank, crew commander of the EBR "Emperor Alexander III" Nikolai Mikhailovich Bukhvostov said 2:
You wish us victory. Needless to say, how much we wish for her. But there will be no victory! I'm afraid that we will lose half the squadron along the way, and if this does not happen, then the Japanese will defeat us: they have a more serviceable fleet and they are real sailors. I guarantee one thing - we will all die, but we will not give up.
The squadron reached the Tsushima Strait without losses, and died there. But the honor remained untarnished. N. M. Bukhvostov and his crew died all together. Your coffin is an armadillo. Your grave is the cold depths of the ocean. And your faithful sailors’ family is your centuries-old guard... 1
squadron battleship "Emperor Alexander III"
before launching, 1901
during outfitting work at the Baltic Shipyard
transition from St. Petersburg to Kronstadt
in the dry dock of Kronstadt, 1903
at the Kronstadt roadstead, 1904
August 1904
on the Revel roadstead, September 1904
view of the starboard side, a crane with a steam boat is given away
at one of the stops during the transition to the Far East, from left to right - EDB "Navarin", EDB "Emperor Alexander III", "Borodino"
The armored cruiser "Rurik" is the last ship of its class with full sail weapons in the Russian Navy
The last Russian cruiser with full sails. Development of the project "Memory of Azov". The subsequent ships - "Russia" and "Gromoboy" - became the development of this project (initially it was planned to build them according to the same project as the "Rurik"). The main task is to conduct combat operations and raiding operations on British and German communications. The peculiarity of the ship was that when loading additional coal reserves, it could travel from St. Petersburg to the nearest Far Eastern bases for additional coal loading at a 10-knot speed.
Construction began at the Baltic Shipyard in St. Petersburg in September 1889. Officially laid down in May 1890. Launched October 22, 1892. Entered service in October 1895. Transferred from the Baltic Sea to the Far East to the 1st Pacific Squadron,
arrived in Nagasaki on April 9, 1896. He was part of the Vladivostok cruiser detachment. In the battle on August 1, 1904 near Fr. Ulsan was flooded by the crew as a result of the damage received. Of the 796 crew members, 139 were killed and 229 were injured.
on a voyage, view of the deck from the top of the foremast
painting the side in preparation for the show 
on a hike
"Rurik" in black paint
"Rurik" in Nagasaki, 1896
in the eastern basin of Port Arthur
in the dock of Vladivostok 
Port Arthur
cruiser on a voyage, Far East
the cruiser's stem - the decoration of the bow is clearly visible - the legacy of the "nose figures" of sailing ships
squadron battleship "Sevastopol"
Laid down on March 22, 1892. Launched May 25, 1895. Entered service on July 15, 1900. Participated in the battle in the Yellow Sea. On December 20, 1904, on the eve of the surrender of Port Arthur, it was scuttled by its crew. The last ship of the Poltava class.
near Galerny Island before being transferred for completion to Kronstadt, 1898
"Sevastopol" and "Petropavlovsk" in Vladivostok, 1901
on the right (near the wall) is the Sevastopol EDB. A crane carries a faulty 12-inch gun from the Tsarevich, Port Arthur, 1904
EDB "Sevastopol" on the march
"Sevastopol", "Poltava" and "Petropavlovsk" near the wall of the eastern basin of Port Arthur, 1901-1903
ventilation deflector torn by a shell, 1904
in Port Arthur. Ahead - stern to the photographer - "Tsesarevich", in the distance in the background - "Askold"
in Port Arthur, campaign of 1904, on the right is the stern of the Sokol-class destroyer, on the left is the stern of the Novik
after being hit by a Japanese torpedo in White Wolf Bay, December 1904
sailors leave for the land front. after this, the Sevastopol EDB will be sunk in the internal roadstead of Port Arthur on the eve of the surrender of the fortress
Squadron battleship "Sevastopol", color postcard
Armored cruiser of rank II "Boyarin"
Laid down at Burmeister og Wein, Copenhagen, Denmark in early 1900. The official laying took place on September 24, 1900. On May 26, 1901 it was launched.
Entered service in October 1902. On October 27, 1902, the cruiser left Kronstadt and on May 10, 1903, arrived in Port Arthur.
It was blown up by a Russian mine near the port of Dalniy on January 29, 1904 (6 people died). The team abandoned the ship, which remained afloat for another two days and only sank after a repeated explosion at a minefield.
still under the Danish flag, sea trials, 1902
1902 - St. Andrew's flag is already on the flagpole. Before moving to Kronstadt.
"Boyarin" in the Far East, 1903 
in the Denmark Strait, 1903
in Toulon
Port Arthur, 1904
Armored cruiser II rank "Boyarin", photo postcard
1 - these are stanzas from the poem "In Memory of Admiral Makarov". Its author is S. LOBANOVSKY, a cadet of the Vladimir Kyiv Cadet Corps, graduated in 1910. It is completely engraved on the pedestal of the monument to Admiral Stepan Osipovich Makarov in Kronstadt. But these drains are a memory to all those who remained with their crew, with their ship, until the last. Such as N. M. Bukhvostov, S. O. Makarov and many others...
Sleep, northern knight, sleep, honest Father,
Taken by untimely death, -
Not laurels of victory - crown of thorns
You accepted with a fearless squad.
Your coffin is an armadillo, your grave
Cold depths of the ocean
And faithful sailors' native family
Your age-old protection.
Shared laurels, from now on with you
They also share eternal peace.
The jealous sea will not betray the land
A hero who loved the sea -
In a deep grave, in a mysterious darkness
Cherishing him and peace.
And the wind will sing a dirge over him,
Hurricanes will cry with rain
And the shroud will be spread with a thick cover
There are thick fogs over the sea;
And the clouds, frowning, the last fireworks
The thunder will be given to him with a roar.
Let me remind you that Admiral Makarov died along with the Petropavlovsk nuclear submarine, which was blown up by a mine in Vladivostok. The Russian battle painter Vasily Vasilyevich Vereshchagin (author of the paintings “The Apotheosis of War”, “Before the Attack at Plevna”, “Napoleon on the Borodino Heights”, “Skobelev at Plevna”, etc.) also died along with the ship.
2 - who regularly follows the TV project "Living History" of the TV channel "Channel 5 - St. Petersburg", could have heard this quote in one of the parts of the film about the Russian fleet "Yablochko". True, Sergei Shnurov shortened it - he removed the words regarding the loss of ships during the voyage.
