Where the Varangian was sunk. The cruiser "Varyag": the history of the ship, advantages and disadvantages, participation in the Russian-Japanese war. A hail of shells fell on the "Varyag" and "Koreets"
Cruiser "Varyag" 1901
Today in Russia you can hardly find a person who does not know about the heroic feat of the crews of the cruiser "Varyag" and the gunboat "Koreets". Hundreds of books and articles have been written about this, films have been shot ... The battle, the fate of the cruiser and its crew are described in great detail. However, the conclusions and assessments are very biased! Why did the commander of the Varyag, Captain 1st Rank VF Rudnev, who received the Order of St. George of the 4th degree and the rank of Adjutant Wing for the battle, soon found himself in retirement and lived out his life on the family estate in the Tula province? It would seem that, folk hero, and even with an aiguillette and Georgy on his chest, he had to literally "take off" up the career ladder, but this did not happen.
In 1911, the historical commission for describing the actions of the fleet in the war of 1904-1905. at the Naval General Staff issued the next volume of documents, which published materials about the battle at Chemulpo. Until 1922, the documents were kept with the stamp "Not subject to disclosure." One of the volumes contains two reports of V.F.Rudnev - one to the emperor's governor in the Far East, dated February 6, 1904, and the other (more complete) - to the head of the Naval Ministry, dated March 5, 1905. The reports contain a detailed description of the battle at Chemulpo.
The cruiser "Varyag" and the battleship "Poltava" in the western basin of Port Arthur, 1902-1903
Let's quote the first document as more emotional, since it was written immediately after the battle:
"On January 26, 1904, the seaworthy gunboat Koreets set off with papers from our envoy to Port Arthur, but the Japanese squadron met with three mines fired from destroyers forced the boat back. The boat anchored near the cruiser, and part of the Japanese squadron with transports entered not knowing whether hostilities had begun, I went to the English cruiser Talbot to agree with the commander on further orders.
.....
continuation of the official document and the official version
And the cruisers. But we are not talking about that. Let's discuss what is not customary to talk about ...
Gunboat "Koreets" in Chemulpo. February 1904
Thus, the battle that began at 11:45 a.m. ended at 12:45 p.m. 425 6-inch rounds, 470 75-mm and 210 47-mm calibers were fired from the Varyag, and a total of 1105 rounds were fired. At 13 hours 15 minutes "Varyag" anchored in the place from which it took off 2 hours ago. There was no damage on the gunboat "Koreets", just as there were no killed or wounded.
In 1907, in the brochure "The Battle of the Varyag" at Chemulpo, VF Rudnev repeated word for word the story of the battle with the Japanese detachment. The retired Varyag commander did not say anything new, but it was necessary to say. Taking into account the current situation, at the council of the Varyag and Koreyets officers, they decided to destroy the cruiser and gunboat, and take the crews to foreign ships. The gunboat "Koreets" was blown up, and the cruiser "Varyag" was sunk, opening all the valves and kingstones. At 18 hours 20 minutes he went on board. During low tide, the cruiser was exposed to more than 4 meters. Somewhat later, the Japanese raised the cruiser, which made the transition from Chemulpo to Sasebo, where it was commissioned and sailed in the Japanese fleet under the name "Soya" for more than 10 years, until the Russians bought it.
The reaction to the death of the Varyag was not straightforward. Some naval officers did not approve of the actions of the Varyag commander, considering them illiterate both from a tactical point of view and from a technical point of view. But the officials of higher authorities thought differently: why start a war with failures (especially since there was a complete failure at Port Arthur), wouldn't it be better to use the battle at Chemulpo to raise the national feelings of Russians and try to turn the war with Japan into a popular one. Developed a scenario for the meeting of the heroes of Chemulpo. All were silent about miscalculations.
The senior navigator of the cruiser E. A. Behrens, who became the first Soviet chief of the Naval General Staff after the October Revolution of 1917, later recalled that he was expecting arrest and a naval court on his native shore. On the first day of the war, the fleet The Pacific decreased by one combat unit, the enemy's forces increased as much. The news that the Japanese had begun raising the Varyag spread quickly.
By the summer of 1904, the sculptor K. Kazbek made a model of a monument dedicated to the battle at Chemulpo and named it "Rudnev's Farewell to the Varyag". On the model, the sculptor depicted VF Rudnev standing at the rails, to the right of whom was a sailor with a bandaged hand, and an officer with his head bowed behind his back. Then the model was made by the author of the monument to "Guarding" KV Isenberg. A song about "Varyag" appeared, which became popular. Soon the painting "Death of the Varyag. View from the French cruiser Pascal" was painted. Photo cards with portraits of commanders and images of "Varyag" and "Koreyets" were issued. But the ceremony of welcoming the heroes of Chemulpo was especially carefully designed. Apparently, it should be said in more detail about it, especially since in the Soviet literature they almost did not write about it.
The first group of Varangians arrived in Odessa on March 19, 1904. The day was sunny, but there was a strong swell on the sea. From the very morning, the city was decorated with flags and flowers. The sailors arrived at the Tsar's wharf on the steamer "Malaya". The steamer "Saint Nicholas" stepped out to meet them, which, upon finding the "Malaya" on the horizon, was decorated with colored flags. This signal was followed by a volley of fireworks from the coastal battery. A whole flotilla of ships and yachts left the harbor to the sea.
On one of the ships were the head of the Odessa port and several gentlemen of St. George. Climbing aboard the "Malaya", the head of the port presented the Varangians with St. George's awards. The first group included Captain 2nd Rank V.V. Stepanov, Warrant Officer V.A. Balk, engineers N.V. Zorin and S.S.Spiridonov, doctor M.N. Khrabrostin and 268 lower ranks. About 2 pm "Malaya" began to enter the harbor. Several regimental bands were playing on the shore, and a crowd of thousands greeted the steamer with shouts of "hurray."
The Japanese aboard the sunken "Varyag", 1904
The first to go ashore was Captain 2nd Rank V.V.Stepanov. He was met by the priest of the seaside church, Father Atamansky, who presented the senior officer of the Varyag with the image of St. Nicholas, the patron saint of sailors. Then the team went ashore. Along the famous Potemkin Stairs leading to Nikolaevsky Boulevard, the sailors went upstairs and passed through a triumphal arch with an inscription of flowers "To the Heroes of Chemulpo".
On the boulevard, the sailors were met by representatives of the city administration. The mayor presented Stepanov with bread and salt on a silver platter with the emblem of the city and with the inscription: "Greetings from Odessa to the heroes of the Varyag who have surprised the world." A prayer service was served on the square in front of the Duma. Then the sailors went to the Saban barracks, where a festive table was laid for them. The officers were invited to the cadet school for a banquet hosted by the military department. In the evening, a performance was shown to the Varangians in the city theater. At 15 o'clock on March 20, the Varangians set off from Odessa to Sevastopol on the St. Nicholas steamer. A crowd of thousands again came to the embankments.
On the approaches to Sevastopol, the steamer met the destroyer with a raised signal "Hello to the brave". The steamer "Saint Nicholas", decorated with colored flags, entered the Sevastopol roadstead. On the battleship "Rostislav" his arrival was greeted with a salute of 7 shots. The first to board the steamer was the chief commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Vice Admiral N.I. Skrydlov.
Walking around the line, he turned to the Varangians with a speech: "Hello, dear ones, congratulations on the brilliant feat in which you proved that Russians know how to die; you, like true Russian sailors, surprised the whole world with your selfless bravery, defending the honor of Russia and St. Andrew's flag, ready to die rather than give the ship to the enemy. I am happy to greet you from the Black Sea Fleet and especially here in the long-suffering Sevastopol, a witness and keeper of the glorious military traditions of our native fleet. Here every piece of land is stained with Russian blood. Here are monuments to Russian heroes: they have me for you. I bow low on behalf of all the Black Sea people. At the same time, I cannot resist saying to you my heartfelt thanks as your former admiral for the fact that you so gloriously applied all my instructions on the exercises carried out by you in battle! Be our welcome guests! "Varyag" died , but the memory of your exploits is alive and will live for many years. Hurray! "
The flooded "Varyag" at low tide, 1904
A solemn prayer service was served at the monument to Admiral PS Nakhimov. Then the chief commander of the Black Sea Fleet handed over to the officers the highest diplomas for the St. George crosses granted. It is noteworthy that for the first time doctors and mechanics were awarded the St. George's Crosses along with combat officers. Taking off the St. George cross, the admiral pinned it to the uniform of Captain 2nd Rank V.V. Stepanov. The Varangians were placed in the barracks of the 36th naval crew.
The Tavrichesky governor asked the chief commander of the port that the crews of the Varyag and Koreyets, on their way to Petersburg, would stop for a while in Simferopol to honor the heroes of Chemulpo. The governor also motivated his request by the fact that his nephew, Count A.M. Nirod, had died in battle.
Japanese cruiser "Soya" (formerly "Varyag") at the parade
At this time in St. Petersburg they were preparing for a meeting. The Duma adopted the following procedure for honoring the Varangians:
1) at the Nikolaevsky railway station, representatives of the city public administration, headed by the mayor and the chairman of the council, meet the heroes, bring bread and salt to the commanders of the Varyag and Koreyets, invite commanders, officers and class officials to the council meeting to announce greetings from cities;
2) presentation of the address, artistically executed during the expedition of procurement of state papers, with the statement in it of the resolution of the city duma on honoring; presenting gifts to all officers totaling 5 thousand rubles;
3) treating the lower ranks with dinner at the People's House of Emperor Nicholas II; delivery to each lower rank of a silver watch with the inscription "To the Hero of Chemulpo", stamped with the date of the battle and the name of the person awarded (for the purchase of a watch was allocated from 5 to 6 thousand rubles, and for treating the lower ranks - 1 thousand rubles);
4) arrangement of performances for the lower ranks in the People's House;
5) the establishment of two scholarships in memory of the heroic deed, which will be assigned to students of the naval schools - St. Petersburg and Kronstadt.
On April 6, 1904, the third and last group of Varangians arrived in Odessa on the French steamer "Creme". Among them were Captain 1st Rank V. F. Rudnev, Captain 2nd Rank G. P. Belyaev, Lieutenants S. V. Zarubaev and P. G. Stepanov, doctor M. L. Banshchikov, paramedic from the battleship "Poltava", 217 sailors from "Varyag", 157 - from "Koreyets", 55 sailors from "Sevastopol" and 30 Cossacks of the Trans-Baikal Cossack Division, guarding the Russian mission in Seoul. The meeting was as solemn as the first time. On the same day on the steamer "St. Nicholas" the heroes of Chemulpo went to Sevastopol, and from there on April 10 by an emergency train of the Kursk railway - to St. Petersburg via Moscow.
On April 14, residents of Moscow met the sailors on a huge square near the Kursk railway station. The orchestras of the Rostov and Astrakhan regiments played on the platform. VF Rudnev and GP Belyaev were presented with laurel wreaths with inscriptions on white-blue-red ribbons: "Hurray for the brave and glorious hero - the commander of the Varyag" and "Hurray for the brave and glorious hero - the commander of the Koreyets". All officers were presented with laurel wreaths without inscriptions, and bouquets of flowers were presented to the lower ranks. From the station, the sailors went to the Spassky barracks. The mayor handed the officers gold tokens, and the priest of the Varyag, Father Mikhail Rudnev, a golden neck icon.
On April 16, at ten o'clock in the morning, they arrived in St. Petersburg. The platform was filled with welcoming relatives, military, representatives of the administration, nobility, zemstvo and townspeople. Among the greeters were Vice Admiral F.K. Avelan, Manager of the Naval Ministry, Rear Admiral Z.P. Rozhestvensky, Chief of the Main Naval Staff, his assistant A.G. Niedermiller, Chief Commander of the Kronstadt Port, Vice Admiral A.A. Birilev, Chief medical inspector of the fleet, life-surgeon V.S.Kudrin, St. Petersburg governor, equestrian O.D. Zinoviev, provincial leader of the nobility, Count V. B. Gudovich, and many others. Chemulpo has arrived to meet the heroes Grand Duke General-Admiral Alexey Alexandrovich.
The special train arrived at the platform at exactly 10 o'clock. On the platform of the station, a triumphal arch was erected, decorated with the state emblem, flags, anchors, ribbons of St. the palace. The ranks of soldiers, a huge number of gendarmes and mounted policemen could hardly hold back the onslaught of the crowd. Officers walked ahead, followed by lower ranks. Flowers fell from windows, balconies and roofs. Through the arch of the General Staff building, the heroes of Chemulpo entered the square near the Winter Palace, where they lined up opposite the royal entrance. On the right flank stood the Grand Duke, Admiral-General Alexei Alexandrovich and Adjutant General FK Avelan, head of the Naval Ministry. Emperor Nicholas II came out to the Varangians.
He received the report, walked around the line and greeted the sailors of the "Varyag" and "Koreyets". After that, they marched in a solemn march and proceeded to the St. George Hall, where the divine service took place. Tables were laid for the lower ranks in the Nicholas Hall. All the dishes were with the image of St. George's crosses. In the concert hall, a table was set with a gold service for the highest persons.
Nicholas II addressed the heroes of Chemulpo with a speech: "I am happy, brothers, to see you all healthy and safely returned. Many of you, with your blood, have entered into the chronicles of our fleet a deed worthy of the feats of your ancestors, grandfathers and fathers who performed them on" Azov "and" Mercury "; now you have added with your feat a new page in the history of our fleet, added the names of" Varyag "and" Koreyets "to them. They will also become immortal. I am sure that each of you will remain worthy of that award until the end of your service which I gave you. All of Russia and I with love and trembling excitement read about the deeds that you showed at Chemulpo. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting the honor of the St. Andrew's flag and the dignity of Great Holy Russia. I drink to the further victories of our glorious fleet . To your health, brothers! "
At the officers' table, the emperor announced the establishment of a medal in memory of the battle at Chemulpo for wearing by officers and lower ranks. Then a reception took place in the Alexander Hall of the City Duma. In the evening, everyone gathered at the People's House of Emperor Nicholas II, where a festive concert was given. The lower ranks were given gold and silver watches, and spoons with silver handles were given out. The sailors received a brochure "Peter the Great" and a copy of the address from the St. Petersburg nobility. The next day, the teams went to their carriages. The whole country learned about such a magnificent celebration of the heroes of Chemulpo, and therefore about the battle between "Varyag" and "Koreyets". The people could not have a shadow of doubt about the plausibility of the accomplished feat. True, some naval officers doubted the reliability of the description of the battle.
Fulfilling the last will of the heroes of Chemulpo, the Russian government in 1911 appealed to the Korean authorities with a request to allow the ashes of the dead Russian sailors to be transferred to Russia. On December 9, 1911, the funeral cortege headed from Chemulpo to Seoul, and then along railroad to the Russian border. Throughout the entire route, the Koreans showered the platform with the remains of the sailors with fresh flowers. On December 17, the funeral cortege arrived in Vladivostok. The burial of the remains took place at the Sea Cemetery of the city. In the summer of 1912, an obelisk of gray granite with the St. George's Cross appeared over the mass grave. The names of the victims were engraved on its four sides. As expected, the monument was built with public money.
Then the Varyag and the Varangians were forgotten for a long time. Remembered only after 50 years. On February 8, 1954, a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR "On rewarding the sailors of the cruiser" Varyag "with a medal" For courage "was issued. At first, only 15 people were found. Here are their names: V.F.Bakalov, A.D. Voitsekhovsky, D.S.Zalideev, S.D.Krylov, P.M. Kuznetsov, V.I. Kalinkin, A. I. Kuznetsov, L. G. Mazurets, P. E. Polikov, F. F. Semenov, T. P. Chibisov, A. I. Shketnek and I. F. Yaroslavtsev. The oldest of the Varangians, Fyodor Fedorovich Semyonov, is 80 years old. Then the others were found. In total, 1954-1955. medals were received by 50 sailors from the Varyag and Koreyets. In September 1956, a monument to V.F.Rudnev was unveiled in Tula. In the newspaper Pravda, Admiral of the Fleet N.G. Kuznetsov wrote these days: heroic story of our people, to the golden fund of the combat traditions of the Soviet fleet. "
Now I will try to answer a number of questions. The first question is: for what merits were they so generously rewarded without exception? Moreover, the officers of the gunboat "Koreets" first received regular orders with swords, and then simultaneously with the Varangians (at the request of the public) - also the Order of St. George of the 4th degree, that is, they were awarded twice for one feat! The lower ranks received the insignia of the Military Order - St. George's Crosses. The answer is simple: Emperor Nicholas II really did not want to start a war with Japan with defeats.
Even before the war, the admirals of the Naval Ministry reported that they would easily destroy the Japanese fleet, and if necessary, they could "arrange" a second Sinop. The emperor believed them, and then there was such bad luck! Under Chemulpo they lost the newest cruiser, and near Port Arthur 3 ships were damaged - the battleships Tsesarevich, Retvizan and the cruiser Pallada. Both the Emperor and the Naval Ministry with this heroic hype "covered up" mistakes and failures. It turned out believable and, most importantly, pompous and effective.
The second question: who "organized" the feat of "Varyag" and "Koreyets"? The first to call the battle heroic were two men - the governor-general in the Far East, Adjutant General Admiral E.A. Alekseev and the senior flagship of the Pacific squadron, Vice-Admiral O.A.Stark. The whole situation indicated that a war with Japan was about to begin. But they, instead of preparing to repel a sudden attack of the enemy, showed complete carelessness, or more precisely, criminal negligence.
The readiness of the fleet was low. They themselves drove the cruiser "Varyag" into a trap. To accomplish the tasks that they assigned to the stationary ships in Chemulpo, it was enough to send the old gunboat "Koreets", which was of no particular combat value, and not to use the cruiser. When the Japanese occupied Korea, they did not draw any conclusions for themselves. VF Rudnev also did not have the courage to make the decision to leave Chemulpo. As you know, the initiative in the navy has always been punishable.
Through the fault of Alekseev and Stark in Chemulpo, "Varyag" and "Koreets" were left to fend for themselves. An interesting detail. When conducting a strategy game in 1902/03 academic year at the Nikolaev Naval Academy just such a situation was played: with a sudden attack by Japan on Russia in Chemulpo, a cruiser and a gunboat remain unreported. In the game, destroyers sent to Chemulpo will report the beginning of the war. The cruiser and gunboat manage to connect with the Port Arthur squadron. However, in reality this did not happen.
Question three: why did the Varyag commander refuse to break through from Chemulpo and did he have such an opportunity? A false sense of camaraderie worked - "perish yourself, but help your comrade." Rudnev in the full sense of the word began to depend on the low-speed "Koreyets", which could reach speeds of no more than 13 knots. The Varyag, on the other hand, had a speed of over 23 knots, which is 3-5 knots more than the Japanese ships, and 10 knots more than the Koreets. So Rudnev had opportunities for an independent breakthrough, and good ones. Back on January 24, Rudnev became aware of the severance of diplomatic relations between Russia and Japan. But on January 26, on the morning train, Rudnev went to Seoul to the envoy for advice.
Returning, he only on January 26 at 15 hours 40 minutes sent a report to Port Arthur gunboat "Koreets". Again the question: why was the boat sent so late to Port Arthur? This remained unclear. The Japanese did not release the gunboat from Chemulpo. The war has already begun! Rudnev had one more night in reserve, but he did not use it either. Subsequently, Rudnev explained the rejection of an independent breakthrough from Chemulpo by navigational difficulties: the fairway in the port of Chemulpo was very narrow, winding, and the outer roadstead was full of dangers. Everyone knows that. Indeed, entering Chemulpo in low water, that is, during low tide, is very difficult.
Rudnev did not seem to know that the height of the tides in Chemulpo reaches 8-9 meters (the maximum height of the tide is up to 10 meters). With a cruiser draft of 6.5 meters in full evening water, it was still possible to break through the Japanese blockade, but Rudnev did not take advantage of it. He settled on the worst option - to break through in the afternoon during low tide and together with "Koreyets". We all know what this decision led to.
Now about the fight itself. There is reason to believe that the artillery was not used quite competently on the Varyag cruiser. The Japanese had a huge superiority in forces, which they successfully implemented. This can be seen from the damage that the Varyag received.
According to the Japanese themselves, in the battle at Chemulpo, their ships remained unharmed. In the official publication of the Japanese Naval General Staff "Description of military operations at sea in 37-38. Meiji (1904-1905)" (vol. I, 1909) we read: "In this battle, enemy shells never hit to our ships and we have not suffered the slightest loss. "
Finally, the last question: why did Rudnev not disable the ship, but flooded it by simply opening the Kingstones? The cruiser was essentially a "gift" to the Japanese navy. Rudnev's motivation that the explosion could damage foreign ships is untenable. Now it becomes clear why Rudnev resigned. In Soviet publications, the resignation is explained by Rudnev's involvement in revolutionary affairs, but this is a fiction. In such cases, in the Russian fleet with the production of rear admirals and with the right to wear a uniform, they were not fired. Everything is explained much more simply: for the mistakes made in the battle at Chemulpo, the naval officers did not accept Rudnev into their corps. Rudnev himself was aware of this. At first, he was temporarily in the position of commander of the battleship"Andrew the First-Called", then filed a letter of resignation. Now, it seems, everything fell into place.
The famous battle of the Varyag cruiser with the Japanese squadron has become a real legend, although, in the opinion of many, this contradicts logic and common sense.
In the history of the Russian fleet there were many glorious victories, and in the case of the "Varyag" we are talking about a lost battle of an ingloriously lost war. So what is it about the history of "Varyag" that makes the hearts of Russians beat faster in the 21st century?
At the beginning of 1904, the Russian cruiser Varyag was carrying out a non-military mission. In the Korean port of Chemulpo, the cruiser and gunboat Koreets were at the disposal of the Russian embassy in Seoul. Of course, the sailors knew about the situation that threatened to break out into war at any moment, but they did not expect an attack on February 9, 1904.
"Varyag" and "Korean" go into battle, February 9, 1904. Photo: Public Domain
Conflict of two empires
At the beginning of the 20th century, the interests of two actively developing empires - Russian and Japanese - clashed in the Far East. The parties fought for influence in China and Korea, the Japanese side also openly laid claim to the territories belonging to Russia, and in the long term hoped to completely oust Russia from the Far East.
By the beginning of 1904, Japan completed the rearmament of the army and navy, in which the European powers, in particular Great Britain, played an important role, and was ready to resolve the conflict with Russia by force.
In Russia, on the contrary, they were clearly not ready for Japanese aggression. The equipment of the army left much to be desired, the underdevelopment of transport communications excluded the possibility of a quick transfer of additional forces to Far East... At the same time, there was also a clear underestimation of the enemy by the ruling circles of Russia - too many did not take Japanese claims seriously.
On the night of February 4, 1905, at a meeting of the secret council and the government of Japan, it was decided to start a war with Russia, and a day later an order was issued to attack the Russian squadron in Port Arthur and land troops in Korea.
On February 6, 1904, Japan severed diplomatic relations with Russia. Nevertheless, the Russian command did not expect decisive military action from the Japanese.
Armored cruiser Varyag and a photograph of its captain Vsevolod Rudnev. Photo: Public Domain
Trapped in Chemulpo
On the night of February 9, 1904, Japanese destroyers attacked a Russian squadron in Port Arthur, knocking out two battleships and one cruiser.
At the same time, a Japanese squadron of six cruisers and eight destroyers blocked the Varyag and the gunboat Koreets in the port of Chemulpo.
Since Chemulpo was considered a neutral port, there were ships of several powers, including the Japanese cruiser Chiyoda, which on the night of February 9 went to sea, as it turned out later, to join the main Japanese forces.
By this time, the Russian embassy in Seoul and the commander of the Varyag Captain 1st Rank Vsevolod Rudnev were actually in information isolation due to the non-receipt of telegrams detained by Japanese agents who controlled the transmitting stations in Korea. Rudnev learned that Japan had severed diplomatic relations with Russia from the captains of foreign ships. In these conditions, it was decided to send "Koreets" with reports to Port Arthur.
But on the night of February 9, the Korean, leaving the port, was torpedoed by Japanese ships and was forced to return to the roadstead.
According to international law, the Japanese squadron had no right to attack Russian ships in a neutral port, since this endangered the ships of other states. On the other hand, the sailors of the Varyag could not take retaliatory actions when the landing of the landing began from the Japanese transport ships on the morning of February 9.
Cruiser after the battle, February 9, 1904. A strong list to the left side is visible. Photo: Public Domain
Russians don't give up
It became obvious that the war had begun. After negotiations with the participation of captains of ships of neutral powers, the commander of the Japanese squadron, Admiral Sotokichi Uriu, issued an ultimatum: before 12:00 on February 9, Russian ships must leave the port, otherwise they will be attacked directly in it.
The captain of the Varyag, Vsevolod Rudnev, decided to go to sea and take battle, attempting to break through to Port Arthur. With this balance of forces, there was practically no chance of success, but the captain's decision was supported by the crew.
When the "Varyag" and "Koreets" left the port, the ships of the neutral powers began to sing the anthem Russian Empire as a sign of respect for the courage of Russian sailors going to certain death.
After the Russian ships left the port, Admiral Uriu ordered to hand over to "Varyag" and "Koreyets": we propose to surrender and lower the flag.
Russian sailors refused, after which a battle ensued. The battle lasted about an hour. Japanese ships had better equipment, maneuverability and higher speed. With an overwhelming quantitative advantage, this, in fact, did not leave the Russians a chance. The fire of the Japanese caused serious damage to the Varyag, including the destruction of most of the ship's guns. In addition, due to their hitting the underwater part, the vessel gave a list to the port side. There was great destruction at the stern, some hits caused fires, shrapnel in the conning tower killed several people and the captain was shell-shocked.
One officer and 22 sailors of the Varyag perished in the battle, ten more died of wounds, and dozens of people were seriously injured. "Korean", whose participation in the battle was limited, had no losses in the crew.
It is difficult to talk about Japanese losses. According to the report of Captain Rudnev, one Japanese destroyer was sunk, at least one Japanese cruiser was seriously damaged.
Japanese sources report that Admiral Uriu's ships did not suffer any losses at all, and not a single Varyag shell reached the target.
Fragment of the painting "Cruiser Varyag" by Pyotr Maltsev. Photo: www.russianlook.com
Loss rewards
After returning to the port, Captain Rudnev was faced with the question: what to do next? Initially, he intended to resume the fight after the damage was repaired, but it quickly became apparent that there was no possibility for this.
As a result, it was decided to destroy the ships in order to avoid them falling into the hands of the enemy. The wounded sailors were transferred to neutral ships, after which the crews left the Varyag and Koreets. The Varyag was flooded by the opening of the Kingstones, and the Korean was blown up.
After negotiations with the Japanese side, an agreement was reached that Russian sailors would not be considered prisoners of war, but would receive the right to return to their homeland, subject to the obligation not to participate in further hostilities.
In Russia, the sailors of the Varyag were greeted as heroes, although many of the crew expected a completely different reaction: after all, the battle was lost, and the ships were lost. Contrary to these expectations, the crew of the Varyag was awarded a solemn reception by Nicholas II, and all participants in the battle were awarded awards.
This still causes bewilderment among many: why? The Japanese squadron crushed the Russians to smithereens. Moreover, the sunken "Varyag" was soon raised by the Japanese and included in the fleet under the name "Soya". Only in 1916 the Varyag was bought out and returned to Russia.
The cruiser "Soya". Photo: Public Domain
To stand to the last
The most amazing thing is that the act of the Russian sailors was considered heroic and their opponents - the Japanese. Moreover, in 1907, Captain Vsevolod Rudnev was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun by the Japanese emperor in recognition of the heroism of Russian sailors. Young Japanese officers were taught courage and resilience, using the crews of the Varyag and the Koreyets as an example.
There is no logic in all this, only if you think pragmatically. But the fact of the matter is that not everything in our life can be measured by such logic.
Duty to the Motherland and the honor of a sailor sometimes cost more than their own lives. Accepting an unequal and hopeless battle, the sailors of the Varyag showed the enemy that there would be no easy victory in the war with Russia, that every warrior would stand up to the end and would not retreat to the last.
It was by their perseverance, courage and readiness for self-sacrifice that Soviet soldiers forced the well-oiled machine of the Hitlerite Wehrmacht to break down. For many of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War, the heroic deed of "Varyag" was an example.
In 1954, already in the Soviet Union, the 50th anniversary of the battle at Chemulpo was widely celebrated. The surviving sailors of "Varyag" were assigned personal pensions, and 15 of them received medals "For Courage" from the hands of the Commander-in-Chief of the USSR Navy, Admiral Kuznetsov.
More than 300 years ago, by order of Peter the Great, the St. Andrew's flag was first raised on Russian ships. Since then, many heroic pages have been written in the history of the fleet, but cruiser « Varangian”Who refused to lower the banner in front of a huge enemy squadron in 1904, forever remained in the memory of people the most striking symbol of fearlessness, self-sacrifice and military valor.
history of the cruiser "Varyag"
And the history of this ship began more than 100 years ago in 1898 in the American city of Philadelphia. Light armored cruiser « Varangian"Was built in the United States by order of the Russian naval ministry. The shipyard of the company “ American Company William Cramp & Sons"In the city of Philadelphia on the Delaware River. The parties signed the contract on April 11, 1898. The choice of this shipbuilding company was not accidental. The plant was well known in Russia. The cruisers bought in America for the Russian Navy were also repaired and refitted here. In addition, the company promised to pass ship after 20 months. This was much faster than the rate of construction of ships at Russian state-owned factories. For example, the construction of the finished project at the Baltic Shipyard took about 7 years.
original photos of the cruiser "Varyag"
cruiser "Varyag" docked in Philadelphia
"Varyag" in Philadelphia before going to Russia
raid of Algeria, September 1901
cruiser "Varyag", 1916
However, all weapons " Varyag"Was made in Russia. Guns at the Obukhov plant, torpedo tubes at the Metal Plant in St. Petersburg. The Izhevsk plant manufactured equipment for the galley, the anchors were ordered in England.
On October 19, 1899, after lighting and a prayer service, it was solemnly launched. " Varangian”Amazed his contemporaries not only with the beauty of forms and perfection of proportions, but also with a multitude of technical innovations used in its construction. Compared to the ships created earlier, it had significantly more appliances powered by electricity, boat winches, windlass, elevators for feeding shells and even dough mixers in the ship's bakery were equipped with electric drives. For the first time in the history of shipbuilding, all furniture cruisers « Varangian”Was made of metal and painted over to imitate wood. This increased the ship's survivability in battle and during a fire. Cruiser « Varangian”Became the first Russian ship, on which telephones were installed in almost all service premises, including posts at the guns.
One of the weak points cruisers there were new steam boilers " Nickolas”They allowed to develop high speeds sometimes up to 24 knots, but were extremely unreliable in operation. Due to some of the shortcomings found, when receiving the ship, " Varangian”Was commissioned at the beginning of 1901. During the construction of the cruiser, the shipyard employed 6,500 people. Simultaneously with the construction of " Varyag»The Russian leadership ordered the construction armadillo « Retvizan»For the Russian Pacific squadron. It was built on a nearby slipway.
St. Andrew's flag and pennant were hoisted on cruiser « Varangian»January 2, 1901. In March of the same year, the ship always left Philadelphia. On the morning of May 3, 1901 " Varangian»Anchored at the Great Kronstadt roadstead. Two weeks later, a review took place, which was attended by Emperor Nicholas II himself. Ship The king liked it so much that the same one was included in the composition heading to Europe. After official visits to Germany, Denmark and France cruiser « Varangian»Departed for the place of permanent base in the Far East. On February 25, 1902, the battleship arrived at the Port Arthur roadstead. Before cruiser « Varangian»Managed to visit the Persian Gulf, Singapore, Hong Kong and Nagasaki. Everywhere, the appearance of a spectacular new Russian ship made a tremendous impression.
Port Arthur on the map
Japan, dissatisfied with the strengthening of Russian influence in the Far East, feverishly prepared for war with Russia. In English shipyards, her fleet was practically rebuilt. The army was increased 2.5 times. The most advanced developments in the type of weapons were taken for equipment. The land of the rising sun, just like Russia, considered the Far East a zone of its vital interests. The result of the coming war, according to the Japanese, should have been the expulsion of the Russians from China and Korea, the seizure of Sakhalin Island and the establishment of Japanese domination in the Pacific Ocean. Clouds were gathering over Port Arthur.
heroic battle of the cruiser "Varyag"
December 27, 1903 commander cruisers « Varangian»Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev received an order from the Russian governor to go to the Korean international port of Chemulpo (now the port of Inchhon, South Korea). As conceived by the command, the cruiser was to establish a reliable connection between Port Arthur and our envoy in Seoul, as well as designate the Russian military presence in Korea. It was forbidden to leave the port of Chemulpo without an order from the senior command. Due to the difficult fairway and shallow water " Varangian”Anchored in the outer roadstead. A few days later he was joined by " Korean". It soon became clear that the Japanese were preparing for a major amphibious operation. On January 25, the commander of the cruiser V.F.Rudnev personally went to the Russian ambassador to pick him up and go home along with the entire mission. But Ambassador Pavlov did not dare to leave the embassy without an order from his department. A day later, the port was blocked by an armada of a Japanese squadron, consisting of 14 ships. The flagship was the armored cruiser « Osama».
January 27 commander cruisers « Varangian”Received an ultimatum from Admiral Urio. The Japanese commander offered to leave the port and surrender at the mercy of the victors, otherwise he threatened to attack the Russian ships right in the roadstead. Upon learning of this, the ships of foreign states sent a protest - to go into battle on a neutral roadstead, at the same time they refused to accompany the Russians until they went to sea, where they would have more possibilities to maneuver and repel an attack.
On cruiser « Varangian"And the gunboat" Korean"Began to prepare for battle. By tradition, all sailors and officers changed into clean shirts. At 10:45, V.F.Rudnev addressed the crew with a speech. The ship's priest blessed the sailors before the battle.
At 11:20 cruiser « Varangian"And the gunboat" Korean”Weighed anchor and went to meet the Japanese squadron. As a sign of the admiration of the sailors, the French, British, Italians lined up the crews of their ships on the decks. On " Varyag»The orchestra played the anthems of the states, in response the anthem of the Russian Empire sounded on the Italian ship. When Russian ships appeared on the roadstead, the Japanese raised a signal suggesting surrender, the commander cruisers ordered not to respond to enemy signals. For several minutes Admiral Urio waited in vain for an answer. At first, he could not believe that the Russians were not going to surrender, but to attack his squadron. At 11:45 am the flagship " Osama"Opened fire on the cruiser" Varangian". One of the first shells hit the upper bow bridge and destroyed the rangefinder station, the navigator's warhead was killed. In two minutes " Varangian”Opened strong return fire from the starboard side.
It was especially hard for the gunners, who were on the upper deck. For the first time, the Japanese used new tactics in this battle - they literally fell asleep cruiser « Varangian»High-explosive shells of strong explosive action, even when hitting the water, such a shell scattered into hundreds of pieces.
The Russian navy used powerful armor-piercing shells. They pierced the sides of enemy ships without exploding.
paintings with the cruiser "Varyag"
battle of the cruiser "Varyag"
There was blood and blood everywhere, burnt hands and feet, torn bodies and naked meat. The wounded refused to leave their places, only those who could no longer stand on their feet got into the infirmary. The upper deck was pierced in several places, all fans and grilles cruisers turned into a sieve. When the next explosion tore off the stern flag, the boatswain raised a new one, risking his life. At 12:15 pm, Rudnev decided to put the left side gun into battle. When ship began to unfold, two large shells simultaneously hit him. The first hit the room where all the steering gears were located, the fragments of the second flew into the conning tower, three people standing next to Rudnev were killed on the spot. The commander himself cruisers « Varangian"Was wounded in the head, but, despite the concussion, remained at his post and continued to lead the battle. When the distance between the opponents was reduced to 5 km, the gunboat entered the battle " Korean».
Curiously, not a single Japanese shell hit her. The day before, the commander ordered to shorten the masts, which prevented the Japanese from accurately determining the distance and adjusting the fire.
At 12:25 pm Varangian»Opened fire from the port side. A direct hit destroyed the aft bridge "Osama", after which a massive fire broke out on the flagship. At this point, the second Japanese cruiser " Takatiha”, Having received serious injuries, was forced to withdraw from the battle. One of the destroyers sank. At 12:30, two shells pierced the side of the cruiser " Varangian" under the water. Cruiser began to roll to the port side. While the team was filling up the holes, Rudnev decided to return to the port of Chemulpo. On the raid, he planned to repair the damage and extinguish the fires, so that later he would return to battle.
At 12:45, as we approached the raid, the general fire ceased. During the battle " Varangian"Managed to release 1105 shells at the enemy. At 1:15 p.m., wounded and smoking " Varangian»Anchored in the roadstead. According to eyewitnesses, the entire deck was covered in blood. 130 wounded sailors lay in the burned rooms of the cruiser. 22 people died during the battle. Of the 12 six-inch guns, two remained in working order. Further resistance was not possible. And then the military council of the cruiser made a decision so that the Japanese did not get to sink the ships, and the crew should be placed on foreign ships by agreement. Having received Rudnev's appeal, the commanders of the European ships immediately sent boats with orderlies. During the evacuation, several sailors died. Most of all - 352 people - adopted French cruiser « Pascal", The British took 235 people, the Italians - 178. At 15:30 to" Varyag"Opened the kingstones and flooding valves," Korean"Was blown up.
February 9, 1904 at 18:10 light armored cruiser « Varangian”Lay down on the port side and disappeared under the water.
Not a single officer or sailor was taken prisoner after the battle. Respecting the courage shown in that battle, Admiral Urio agreed to let them pass through the war zone to return to their homeland.
Two months later with the sailors " Varyag" and " Koreans»Arrived in Odessa. The heroes of Chemulpo were greeted with thunder of the orchestras, demonstrations of many thousands. The sailors were bombarded with flowers and an unprecedented explosion of patriotic feelings. All participants in the battle were awarded the Cross of St. George. Each sailor received a personal watch from the emperor. Then the first songs dedicated to the cruiser appeared “ Varangian"And the gunboat" Korean».
the second life of the cruiser "Varyag"
after battle
after the rise in August 1905
Japanese cruiser "SOYA" ("Varyag")
However, this history of the legendary cruiser is not over. Soon after the battle, it became clear that “ Varangian"Sank not deep. During low tides, the water level in Chemulpo Bay dropped to 9 meters. Upon learning of this, the Japanese began work on raising the cruiser " Varangian". A month later, divers and special equipment were delivered to Chemulpo from Japan. The guns, masts and pipes were removed from the cruiser, coal was unloaded, but all attempts to raise it in 1904 ended in failure. Only on August 8, 1905, after the creation of special caissons, was it possible to tear off cruiser from the muddy bottom. In November 1905 " Varangian"Reached Japan on its own. Almost two years cruiser « Varangian”Was in the city of Yokosuka undergoing major repairs. The work on its lifting and restoration cost the Japanese treasury 1 million yen. In 1907, he was enlisted in the Japanese Navy under the name " Soya". On the stern, as a sign of respect for the enemy, the inscription of the former name of the cruiser was left. For nine years cruiser was the training ship of the cadet school. It taught how to defend the honor of their homeland. cruiser "Peresvet"
Late 1916 cruiser « Varangian"Was enlisted in the Arctic Ocean flotilla. Soon he was sent to England for repairs. In 1917 he arrived in Liverpool. Further destiny « Varyag"Has developed tragically. After the news of the October coup in Russia, the British government ordered all Russian ships to be detained in their ports, by which time the cost of repairing the Varyag was estimated at £ 300,000. When it became clear that the Bolsheviks were not going to pay the tsarist debts, the British confiscated " Varangian”And after a while they sold it to one of the German firms for scrap. On February 5, 1920, two tugs took him to the port of Glasgow. During the towing, a severe storm broke out in the Irish Sea. Off the coast of South Scotland " Varangian”Bumped into the rocks and sank, however, again not deep. During low tides, the hull of the cruiser protruded from the water by almost 2 meters. All attempts to remove him from the cliff were unsuccessful. Then the new owners began to take it apart right into the sea. In 1925, all work at the crash site " Varyag Were finished. So ended the fate of the legendary ship, but the feat of his crew was not consigned to oblivion.
On August 9, 1992, a monument to the commander of the cruiser V.F. Rudnev. In the summer of 1997 in Vladivostok installed cruiser monument « Varangian».
monument to the sailors of the cruiser "Varyag"
Technical characteristics of the 1st rank cruiser "Varyag":
Length - 127.9 m;
Width - 15.8 m;
Draft - 6.9 m;
Displacement - 6500 tons;
Full speed - 23 knots;
Crew - 570 people, including 20 officers;
Armament:
Guns 152 mm - 12;
Guns 75 mm -12;
Guns 47 mm - 8;
Machine guns - 2;
Torpedo tubes - 6;
November 1 marks 110 years since the day the legendary cruiser "Varyag" was launched.
The cruiser Varyag was built by order of the Russian Empire at the William Crump and Sons shipyard in Philadelphia (USA). He stepped off the docks in Philadelphia on November 1 (October 19 O.S.) 1899.
By technical specifications The Varyag was unmatched: equipped with powerful cannon and torpedo armament, it was also the fastest cruiser in Russia. In addition, "Varyag" was telephoned, electrified, equipped with a radio station and steam boilers of the latest modification.
After tests in 1901, the ship was presented to the Petersburgers.
In May 1901, the cruiser was sent to the Far East to reinforce the Pacific squadron. In February 1902, the cruiser, having gone around half the world, anchored in the roadstead of Port Arthur. From that moment on, his service began as part of the squadron. In December 1903, the cruiser was sent to the neutral Korean port of Chemulpo to serve as a stationary. In the roadstead, in addition to the Varyag, there were ships of the international squadron. On January 5, 1904, the Russian gunboat "Koreets" arrived at the roadstead.
On the night of January 27 (February 9, new style), 1904, Japanese warships opened fire on the Russian squadron, which was stationed in the roadstead of Port Arthur. The Russo-Japanese War began (1904-1905), which lasted 588 days.
The cruiser "Varyag" and the gunboat "Koreets", which were in the Korean bay of Chemulpo, were blocked by the Japanese squadron on the night of February 9, 1904. The crews of Russian ships, trying to break through from Chemulpo to Port Arthur, entered into an unequal battle with the Japanese squadron, which included 14 destroyers.
During the first hour of the battle in the Tsushima Strait, the crew of the Russian cruiser fired over 1.1 thousand shells. "Varyag" and "Koreets" disabled three cruisers and a destroyer, but they themselves received heavy damage. The ships returned to the port of Chemulpo, where they received an ultimatum from the Japanese to surrender. Russian sailors rejected him. By decision of the officers' council, the Varyag was flooded and the Korean was blown up. This feat became a symbol of the courage and courage of Russian sailors.
For the first time in Russian history all participants in the battle (about 500 people) were awarded the highest military award - the St. George Cross. After the celebrations, the Varyag crew was disbanded, the sailors entered service on other ships, and the commander Vsevolod Rudnev was awarded, promoted, and dismissed.
Even the enemy was amazed by the actions of the Varyag during the battle - after the Russian-Japanese war, the Japanese government created a museum in memory of the heroes of the Varyag in Seoul and awarded its commander Vsevolod Rudnev with the Order of the Rising Sun.
After the legendary battle in the Chemulpo bay, the Varyag lay at the bottom of the Yellow Sea for over a year. Only in 1905, the sunken ship was raised, repaired and entered into the composition of the Imperial Japanese Navy under the name "Soya". For more than 10 years the legendary ship served as a training vessel for Japanese sailors, however, out of respect for its heroic past, the Japanese kept the inscription on the stern - "Varyag".
In 1916, Russia acquired from its already ally Japan the former Russian warships Peresvet, Poltava and Varyag. After the payment of 4 million yen, the Varyag was enthusiastically received in Vladivostok, and on March 27, 1916, the St. Andrew's flag was raised on the cruiser. The ship was enlisted in the Guards crew and was sent to reinforce the Kola detachment of the Arctic Fleet. On November 18, 1916, the cruiser Varyag @ was solemnly greeted in Murmansk, where she was appointed the flagship of the Kola Bay Naval Defense Forces.
However, the cruiser's machines and boilers demanded immediate overhaul, and artillery - rearmament. Just a few days before the February Revolution, the Varyag left for England, to the Liverpool docks. The Varyag stood at the Liverpool dock from 1917 to 1920. The necessary funds for its repair (300 thousand pounds) have not been allocated. After 1917, the Bolsheviks deleted the Varyag as a hero of the "tsarist" fleet from the history of the country for a long time.
In February 1920, while sailing in tow across the Irish Sea to Glasgow (Scotland), where she was sold for scrap, the cruiser was caught in a heavy storm and sat on the rocks. All attempts to save the ship were unsuccessful. In 1925, the cruiser was partially dismantled on the spot, and the 127-meter hull was blown up.
In 1947, the feature film "Cruiser" Varyag "was shot, and on February 8, 1954, on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the feat of the" Varyag " medals "For Courage" were awarded. ”Anniversary celebrations were held in many cities of the country.
On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the heroic battle in 2004 in the Chemulpo bay, the Russian delegation erected a monument to the Russian sailors "Varyag" and "Koreyets". The flagship of the Russian Pacific Fleet, the guards missile cruiser Varyag, was present at the opening of the memorial in the port of Incheon (the former city of Chemulpo).
The current "Varyag" - the successor of the legendary first-generation ship of the same name - is armed with a powerful multipurpose strike missile system, which allows it to hit surface and ground targets at a considerable distance. Also in his arsenal are rocket launchers, torpedo tubes and several artillery installations of various calibers and purposes. Therefore, in NATO, Russian ships of this class are figuratively called "aircraft carrier killers."
In 2007, in Scotland, where the legendary Varyag found his last refuge, a memorial complex was opened, which was attended by the large anti-submarine ship (BOD) of the Russian Navy "Severomorsk". These monuments, made in the Russian maritime traditions, became the first memorials to the Russian military spirit outside of Russia and an eternal symbol of gratitude and pride of descendants.
In 2009, to the 105th anniversary of the legendary battle with the Japanese squadron, a unique international exhibition project "Cruiser" Varyag "was created. Acquisition of relics, including genuine rarities from the legendary ship and gunboat" Koreets "from the funds of Russian and Korean museums. , showing the relics of the Russian fleet has not yet been in Russian history.
The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources
The cruiser Varyag needs no introduction. Nevertheless, the battle of Chemulpo is still a dark page for the Russian military history... Its results are disappointing, and there are still a lot of misconceptions about the participation of the Varyag in this battle.
"Varyag" - a weak cruiser
In popular publications one can find an assessment that the combat value of the "Varyag" was not great. Indeed, due to the poor-quality work performed during construction in Philadelphia, the Varyag could not reach the contract speed of 25 knots, thereby losing the main advantage of the light cruiser.
The second serious drawback was the lack of armor shields for the main caliber guns. On the other hand, during the Russo-Japanese War, Japan, in principle, did not have a single armored cruiser capable of withstanding the Varyag and the Askold, Bogatyr or Oleg similar in armament.
12 152 mm guns not a single Japanese cruiser of this class had. Truth, fighting developed in such a way that the crews of Russian cruisers never had to fight with an enemy equal in number or class. The Japanese always acted for sure, compensating for the shortcomings of their cruisers by a numerical superiority and the first, but far from the last, in this glorious and tragic list for the Russian fleet was the battle of the cruiser Varyag.
A hail of shells fell on the "Varyag" and "Koreets"
In the artistic and popular descriptions of the battle at Chemulpo, it is often said that the Varyag and the Korean (who did not receive a single hit) were literally bombarded with Japanese shells. However, official figures show otherwise. In just 50 minutes of the battle at Chemulpo, six Japanese cruisers used up 419 rounds: "Asama" 27 - 203 mm. , 103 152 mm., 9 76 mm; "Naniwa" - 14,152 mm; "Niitaka" - 53 152 mm., 130 76 mm. Takachiho - 10 152 mm, Akashi - 2 152 mm, Chiyoda 71 120 mm.
In response, according to Rudnev's report, 1105 rounds were fired from the Varyag: 425-152mm, 470-75mm, 21047mm. It turns out that the Russian gunners achieved the highest rate of fire. To this can be added the 22,203 mm, 27,152 mm and 3,107 mm projectiles fired from the Koreyets.
That is, in the battle at Chemulpo, two Russian ships fired almost three times more shells than the entire Japanese squadron. The question of how the spent shells were recorded on the Russian cruiser, or the figure was indicated approximately based on the results of a survey of the crew, remains debatable. And could such a number of shells have been fired on a cruiser that had lost 75% of its artillery by the end of the battle?
Rear admiral at the head of the "Varyag"
As you know, after returning to Russia and upon his resignation in 1905, the commander of the Varyag Rudnev received the rank of Rear Admiral. Already today, one of the streets in Yuzhny Butovo in Moscow received the name of Vsevolod Fedorovich. Although, maybe it was more logical to name Captain Rudnev, if it was necessary to single out among his famous namesakes in military affairs.
There is no mistake in the name, but this image requires clarification - in military history this man remained the captain of the 1st rank and the commander of the Varyag, and as a rear admiral he could not prove himself in any way. But an obvious mistake has crept into a number of modern textbooks for high school students, where there is already a "legend" that the cruiser "Varyag" was commanded by Rear Admiral Rudnev. The authors did not go into details and think that the rear admiral would command an armored cruiser of the 1st rank as something out of order.
Two against fourteen
The literature often indicates that the cruiser Varyag and the gunboat Koreets were attacked by the Japanese squadron of Rear Admiral Uriu, consisting of 14 ships - 6 cruisers and 8 destroyers.
There are several clarifications to be made here.
Outwardly, a huge numerical and qualitative superiority of the Japanese, which the enemy did not take advantage of during the battle. It should be noted that on the eve of the battle, Chemulpo's squadron of Uriu consisted not even of 14, but 15 pennants - the armored cruiser Asama, armored cruisers Naniwa, Takachiho, Niitaka, Chiyoda, Akashi and eight destroyers and advice note "Chihaya".
True, even on the eve of the battle with the Varyag, the Japanese suffered non-combat losses. When the gunboat "Koreets" tried to proceed from Chemulpo to Port Arthur, the Japanese squadron began dangerous maneuvers (which ended with the use of a gun) around the Russian gunboat, as a result of which the destroyer Tsubame flew aground and did not participate directly in the battle. The messenger ship "Chihaya" did not participate in the battle either, which, nevertheless, was in the immediate vicinity of the battlefield. In reality, the battle was fought by a group of four Japanese cruisers, two more cruisers participated only sporadically, and the presence of destroyers by the Japanese remained a factor of presence.
"Cruiser and two enemy destroyers at the bottom"
When it comes about military losses, this issue often becomes the object of heated discussions. The battle at Chemulpo was no exception, estimates of Japanese losses in which are very contradictory.
Russian sources indicate very large losses of the enemy: a sunk destroyer, 30 killed and 200 wounded. They are based mainly on the opinion of representatives of foreign powers who watched the battle.
Over time, two destroyers and the cruiser Takachiho were already in the "sunk" (by the way, these data were included in the feature film "Cruiser Varyag"). And if the fate of some Japanese destroyers raises questions, the cruiser "Takachiho" safely survived the Russo-Japanese war and died 10 years later with the entire crew during the siege of Qingdao.
The reports of all the commanders of the Japanese cruisers indicate that there were no losses or damage to their ships. Another question: where, after the battle in Chemulpo, the main enemy of the Varyag, the armored cruiser Asama, "disappeared" for two months? Neither Port Arthur, nor in the composition of the squadron of Admiral Kammimura operating against the Vladivostok detachment of cruisers. And this was at the very beginning of the war, when the outcome of the confrontation was far from being decided.
It is likely that the ship, which became the main target of the Varyag's guns, was seriously damaged, but at the beginning of the war it was undesirable for the Japanese side to talk about this for propaganda purposes. From the experience of the Russo-Japanese War, it is well known how the Japanese for a long time tried to hide their losses, for example, the deaths of the battleships Hatsuse and Yashima, and a number of destroyers that were apparently at the bottom were simply written off after the war as beyond repair.
Legends of Japanese modernization
A number of misconceptions are associated with the service of "Varyag" in the Japanese fleet... One of them is connected with the fact that the Japanese, after lifting the Varyag, preserved the Russian state emblem and the name of the cruiser as a sign of respect. However, this was rather connected not with the desire to pay tribute to the crew of the heroic ship, but with the design features - the coat of arms and the name were mounted in the aft balcony and the Japanese fixed the new name of the cruiser "Soya" on both sides on the balcony lattice. The second delusion is the replacement of Nikolos's boilers with Miyabar boilers at Varyag. Although the vehicles had to be thoroughly repaired, the cruiser showed a speed of 22.7 knots during testing.
