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Cruiser "Varyag": the history of the ship, advantages and disadvantages, participation in the Russian-Japanese war
A variety of ships have left their mark in the history of the Russian Navy, but perhaps the most famous of them is the cruiser Varyag. His first and last battle throughout and today is considered perhaps the most striking manifestation of the unparalleled heroism of Russian sailors. To understand what exactly happened to the cruiser on the fateful day of January 27, 1904 (according to the old style), one should turn to the main facts of his "biography", which has become rather short.
The history of the creation of the ship
In 1897, the government of the Russian Empire approved a number of additions to the main program for the construction of the navy. The reason for this decision was the growing activity of Japan. For a long time, it was underestimated, considering it backward and weak, but it became impossible to ignore the rapid increase in Japanese military potential over time. Of particular concern was the ever-increasing number of modern warships. It was quite obvious that in the coming years Japan will become the owner of the most powerful fleet in Far East.
As part of the implementation of the updated shipbuilding program, Russia in 1898 signed a contract with the American company William Crump and Sons. This agreement provided for the construction of a new armored cruiser, the displacement of which was supposed to be six thousand tons. In the original version of the contract, no other requirements for the future ship were established.
It can be said that this more than strange "technical task" alone later became one of the reasons for the death of the "Varyag". The contract determined only the construction time of the cruiser (20 months) and the cost of the work - about four and a half million rubles.
In addition, the agreement stated that the specification of the ship would have to be precisely determined during its manufacture at the plant - following the results of consultations between the customer and the contractor.
Charles Crump did not miss the opportunity to use such a free format of the treaty. When in July 1898 a Russian commission arrived in the United States, headed by Captain First Rank A.A. Danilevsky, it immediately became clear that the "American side" is not inclined to listen to the customer's requests. In particular, Crump insisted on increasing the ship's design displacement and increasing the power of the power plant.
These "whims", among other things, were indulged by the naval attaché of the Russian Empire D.F. battleship). If something like that happened today, then journalists would probably have already talked about "kickbacks" in favor of high-ranking officials.
Further disagreements between the Russian Commission and Charles Crump occurred on the following main issues:
- Maximum design speed. The commission insisted that it should have been 23 knots, which Crump felt was an overstated requirement;
- External appearance of the ship. The Americans wanted to make the "Varyag" similar to the Japanese "Kasagi", while in Russia they would prefer to get a cruiser built on the model of "Diana" (that is, of the same type as the "Aurora" known to everyone today);
- Armament composition. The commission insisted on equipping the ship with 203 mm guns, but Crump & Sons believed that in this case it would not be possible to make the cruiser light enough.
Because the Russian government did not want to fully support their own commission, the Americans managed to insist on most of the controversial issues. Because of this, six-inch (152 mm) guns became the main caliber of the Varyag, and the so-called Nikloss boilers became the basis of the power plant. True, the commission's demand for the need to equip the main mechanisms of the ship with electric drives was fulfilled, but this had to be paid for separately.
The cruiser was built only by September 22, 1900 - the company "Crump and Sons" did not meet the deadlines. A few months before that, sea trials of the ship were carried out, during which it moved at a speed of 24.6 knots, that is, even faster than the customer wanted. After signing the acceptance certificate, the Russian crew boarded, which included 21 officers, 9 conductors and 550 sailors ("lower ranks"). The first commander of the cruiser was V.I. Baer, Captain of the First Rank.
On May 3, 1901, the Varyag arrived in Kronstadt, where Nicholas II and some members of the autocrat's family examined it. The Emperor liked the new cruiser - to such an extent that he fully approved the earlier decision not to impose penalties on the company "Crump and Sons" for violation of the terms of the contract. Soon the ship went to the place of its permanent service - to the Far East. This is the somewhat protracted history of the creation of the cruiser "Varyag", even summary which requires mention of a number of technical aspects, is over.
Cruiser design
"Varyag" was created as a ship superior in its combat qualities to "Diana" or "Aurora", which by the beginning Russo-Japanese War are actually out of date.
Indeed, the design of the new cruiser turned out to be quite advanced for the beginning of the 20th century. Unfortunately, at the same time, during the construction of the ship, a number of miscalculations were made, which sharply reduced its real combat capability.
Frame
The "backbone" of the cruiser was the keel that connected the bow and stern pins (massive bars cast from bronze) and consisted of steel profiles and sheets. The so-called flora (transverse sheets forming the frame of the lower part of the ship) were attached directly to it. A second bottom was laid on top of the resulting structure, which extended the entire length of the hull and served as a good support for the power plant and various mechanisms.
The second "roof" of the hull was formed by a massive armored deck, which simultaneously served as the main element of protecting the ship from enemy artillery fire. In the bow of the cruiser there was an elevation (forecastle). Thanks to this, "Varyag" could successfully overcome large waves formed during a storm and not lose longitudinal stability. The total height of the hull reached 10.46 meters with a design weight of 2,900 tons.
Armored deck
Protection of the interior of the cruiser was provided by interconnected armor plates 38.1 and 19 mm thick, forming a single armored deck, which, due to its configuration, was called "carapace" (that is, turtle-like). She closed the ship not only from above, but also along the sides, dropping 1.1 meters below the waterline. The rise of the armored deck above the engine room was 7.1 m, and above the main line of the hull - 6.48 m.
The sides of the Varyag were additionally protected by the so-called cofferdams - watertight compartments between the armored deck and the outer skin. WITH inside adjoining them were coal pits.
Thus, the damage received when the shell hit the side could be localized without fatal consequences for the ship - even the penetration of armor in itself did not lead to the defeat of vital mechanisms. The cofferdams had no internal contents, although at first they wanted to fill them with cellulose.
Power plant and screws
The cruiser "Varyag" was driven by steam engines, the maximum power of which was 20 thousand horsepower, but for a number of technical reasons this value was never achieved in practice. The work of the power plant was provided by thirty Nikloss boilers located in three compartments: 10 in the bow, 12 in the stern, and 8 on average.
It should be noted that in last years From the 19th century, Nikloss's boilers were a novelty, differing from previously used and similar devices, first of all, by their relatively low weight. Charles Crump was the initiator of equipping the Varyag with such boilers. Later, this decision turned out to be quite unpleasant consequences, causing numerous breakdowns.
Two three-blade propellers with a pitch of 5.6 meters were used as propellers of the ship. For the initial turning of the shafts to which they were attached, the cruiser had a kind of "starters" - auxiliary two-cylinder steam engines.
Electrical equipment
A significant part of the mechanisms of the cruiser "Varyag" were equipped with electric drives. In addition, there was a lighting system, a desalination plant and other equipment on board that also needed electricity. The total consumption was more than 400 kilowatts - a lot for a ship of this size in those years.
Power generation was carried out by three dynamos. One of them was on the living deck, and the other two were on the bow and stern. In the event of their failure, power could be carried out according to an emergency scheme, from sixty batteries located in a special compartment.
The list of the main consumers of electricity is as follows:
- Fans (boiler, machine and general ship). During operation, up to 119.2 kW were used;
- Lighting. A total of 700 lamps, half of them were switched on in the nominal mode, consuming 22.4 kW;
- Implement elevators. Spent up to 33.3 kW at half load;
- Drainage pumps. There were six of them, but usually only one was connected, consuming 40 kW;
- Searchlights. Required 54 kW;
- Winches (boat, garbage and for lifting anchors). Consumed a total of 136.1 kW.
In addition, electricity was used in the galley to run the dough mixers and for other purposes.
Ventilation system
The ventilation on the Varyag cruiser was quite powerful and well developed. Particular attention was paid to the engine rooms - the air in them was completely renewed twenty times in an hour. True, when driving at full speed, the temperature inside these rooms still reached forty-three degrees or even more.
In the artillery cellars, an hourly twelvefold air renewal was provided, and in the rest of the inner rooms under armor - fivefold. The room for the bow dynamo was ventilated the worst of all, due to which the temperature inside it often reached 55 degrees.
Life support systems
The crew of the cruiser was located mainly on the living deck and partially in the bow, directly under the forecastle.
The "lower ranks" were provided with hanging bunks, which were removed in the daytime, and lockers. For eating, the sailors used folding tables.
The best conditions were created for the ship's commander. The premises reserved for it occupied the aft part of the living deck, which stretched 12 meters in length. The officers' cabins were single, their area was six square meters. The conductors were housed in double cabins. The senior navigator, senior mechanical engineer and senior officer were in somewhat better conditions - their cabins were 10 square meters.
In addition, the living deck housed an infirmary with a separate operating room, a pharmacy, a bathhouse and a ship church. There were also two mess rooms - for officers and conductors.
Armament composition
The main armament of the Varyag cruiser consisted of twelve six-inch (152 mm) guns with 45 caliber barrels. They were divided into two batteries - bow and stern, with six guns each. The loading of the main caliber guns was separate (a sleeve with a charge of smokeless powder and a projectile). Ammunition was a total of 2388 rounds, 199 for one gun.
The main artillery was supplemented by a third battery, which consisted of twelve 75-mm guns. They were loaded with unitary cartridges, the total number of which was 3000 pieces, 250 rounds for each gun.
The Varyag's "counter-mine-carrying" artillery consisted of eight 47-mm and two 37-mm guns, firing unitary cartridges. Ammunition for these guns was, respectively, 5000 and 2584 shots.
In addition, the ship had two 63.5-mm cannons on wheeled carriages. They weren't meant for sea battle, and to arm the landing and could fire directly from the boats. The ammunition for these guns consisted of 1,490 unitary cartridges.
Near the conning tower, two 7.62 mm machine guns were installed on the brackets. They were intended for shelling enemy boats and destroyers.
The cruiser was equipped with six torpedo tubes (381 mm). Four of them were rotary and were located on the sides of the ship. There were stationary vehicles on the bow and stern. Ammunition consisted of twelve torpedoes.
During the landing and auxiliary operations "Varyag" could launch two steam boats. They were provided with separate 254 mm torpedo tubes. Ammunition - six torpedoes, three for each boat.
The cruiser's armament also included 35 barrage mines. They were to be installed using boats and rafts. This method was generally accepted in those years.
Unfortunately, we have to admit that at the beginning of the 20th century, six-inch guns were no longer considered powerful enough to arm ships of such a class as the Varyag. This greatly reduced the real capabilities of the cruiser. The refusal to install larger eight-inch cannons was caused by the desire to maximize the lightening of the ship - otherwise it would not have been able to develop its design speed.
At the same time, the main disadvantage of the Varyag artillery was its open placement on the upper deck. The cannons did not have even the most primitive shields - they were removed, trying to reduce the weight of the ship as much as possible. As a result, the gunners found themselves in a very vulnerable position during the battle.
Tactical and technical characteristics
The main parameters of the Varyag cruiser are as follows:
The Varyag could not always reach its maximum speed, which was due to the unreliability of the boilers, which had to be repaired almost every time after intensive use.
Passage of service
The cruiser "Varyag" departed from the port of Philadelphia on March 20, 1901 on her first voyage. He was to cross the Atlantic Ocean and reach Kronstadt, the main base of the Baltic Fleet. The length of this route was 5,083 miles. At first, this passage went quite well, despite the strong wind and significant waves - the seaworthiness of the ship turned out to be almost flawless.
Nevertheless, it soon became clear that the consumption of coal slightly exceeded the established standards. Because of this, the cruiser was forced to make an unscheduled stop in the Azores, delaying there for five days due to a severe storm. The next point on the route was Cherbourg. In this port, the French engineer Nikloss, the inventor of the boilers installed on the ship, boarded the Varyag. He, like the commission of the British Parliament that arrived on the same day, was interested in the state of this equipment after a long crossing over the ocean.
The checks carried out did not reveal any malfunctions, however, the Varyag's team nevertheless performed a bulkhead of the main mechanisms, and only then the ship continued its journey. He arrived in Kronstadt on May 3.
On August 5 of the same 1901 "Varyag" went to the place of service, to the Far East. At the first stage of this passage, the cruiser accompanied the yacht "Shtandart", on board which was Nicholas II. On September 16, the ship left the last European port of Cherbourg on the route and headed for the Mediterranean Sea, from where it proceeded through the Suez Canal to the Indian Ocean. During this cruise, the boilers of the new design for the Russian fleet for the first time really "reminded of themselves." During each of the stops, they had to be repaired. After arriving in Port Arthur at the end of February 1902, the cruiser's power plant was examined by a specially created commission, which came to the conclusion that the Varyag cannot reach speeds of more than 20 knots, and at long distances it is necessary to limit itself to sixteen knots.
Throughout March and April 1902, the Varyag was under repair. The team conducted the exercises without going to sea. In May, the ship went on a "cruising" voyage, during which the Varyag moved mainly along the shores of the Kwantung Peninsula.
In August 1902, the boilers had to be repaired again. The fix took about two months. Then a short voyage to Korea was made, after which the ship remained at the quay wall until April of the following year.
After two short marches in the spring of 1903, the Varyag was again in the armed reserve. The reason was both with the next breakdowns and the planned "rotation" of the crew. By October 1903 it became clear that it was impossible to completely repair the Varyag at the place of its permanent service - this required a dry dock.
OV Stark (at that time he was in charge of the Pacific Fleet), sent a report to the Main Headquarters of the Navy, in which he proposed to send the "Varyag" to Kronstadt for further overhaul... This initiative did not receive support. Representatives of the Naval Ministry considered that the cruiser should serve at least one more year. True, at the same time, a number of parts were sent to Vladivostok to repair the power plant, but this "package" did not manage to reach the recipient by the beginning of the war of 1904-1905.
About two months before the Japanese attack, the ship, due to its limited combat capability ( maximum speed had to be reduced to 17 knots), "switched" to the implementation of diplomatic missions. During one of them, the "Varyag" ended up in the port of Chemulpo (he had already made short visits there before). Next to him in the roadstead was another small Russian ship - "Koreets", which was a slow-moving gunboat with outdated weapons.
The last battle
In January 1904, few doubted the imminent start of the war. In such conditions, the stay of Russian ships far from the main base became more and more risky, but the Russian ambassador Pavlov did not give permission to return home. Only on January 26, after the telegraph communication was interrupted, the "Korean" was sent to Port Arthur. On board this small ship was a diplomatic pouch. The Varyag was still at anchor in Chemulpo.
Almost immediately after leaving the sea, the Russian gunboat unexpectedly collided with an entire squadron.
Near Chemulpo were:
- Two armored cruisers, including the well-armed and armored Asama;
- Four cruisers of the II class;
- Four destroyers;
- Three transport ships.
According to the gunboat commander G.P. Belyaev, the Russian ship underwent a torpedo attack, but survived - the Japanese simply did not hit it. After that, the gunboat had to retreat to Chemulpo. A trial followed - Belyaev reported the incident to the Varyag commander VF Rudnev, and he turned to the head of the raid, the captain of the British cruiser Talbot, for intermediary help.
The Japanese, justifying their actions, stated that the "Korean" had threatened their transports. In addition, they denied having fired torpedoes.
Only the next morning Rudnev and Belyaev learned about the outbreak of hostilities. Soon an ultimatum was sent to the Russian cruiser (its author was Uriu, Rear Admiral, who commanded an enemy ship detachment). The enemy demanded to withdraw the Russian ships from Chemulpo, threatening in case of refusal to sink them right in the roadstead.
On this day in Chemulpo, in addition to the Varyag, Koreyets and the Sungari steamer, there was a gunboat from the US Navy, as well as a French, Italian and English cruiser (Pascal, Elba and the already mentioned Talbot) ... The commanders of all these ships also received messages from the Japanese with a proposal to leave the port - in order to avoid accidental casualties in a possible battle.
A brief meeting took place aboard the Talbot. After discussing the situation, the British, Americans, Italians and French protested against the Japanese admiral. At the same time, V.F. Rudnev asked the protesters to escort the Russian ships before leaving the Korean territorial waters, but was refused. It became clear that there would be no serious help from the "neutrals".
After analyzing the situation, V.F. Rudnev made a fundamental decision to leave Chemulpo (which, in principle, met the requirements of the ultimatum) and break through to his own, joining the battle if necessary. Military councils were held on both Russian ships, all participants of which agreed with the commander's proposal.
Having made such a decision, the Russian sailors showed the greatest courage, since Japanese squadron possessed an overwhelming advantage. The Asama alone could well have destroyed both Russian ships, and the overall superiority of the enemy's artillery can be roughly estimated as eightfold.
The anchors were raised at 11:20, after which the Varyag and Koreets passed by the anchored foreign ships, welcoming the crews of each of them. The orchestra on board alternately performed the national anthems of Great Britain, Italy, France and the United States. It really was the "last parade", forever engraved in the memory of each of those who were lucky enough to see it.
Foreign sailors quite sincerely admired the courage of people going to certain death, but the commanders of neutral ships probably mixed with these feelings also relief - after all, if the "Varyag" and "Korean" remained in the bay, the British, Americans, Italians and French would face would be an extremely unpleasant choice.
The Japanese rear admiral, who was aboard the cruiser Naniwa, did not immediately receive the message that the Russian detachment was leaving the port. Nevertheless, he quickly assessed the situation and ordered the commanders of the Asama and Chiyoda to immediately move towards the Varyag. Uriu himself on "Naniwa" and another ship ("Niitaka") followed, with a slight lag.
The enemy was noticed by the Russian officers in a timely manner, although they did not quite correctly perceive the meaning of the Japanese maneuver. Rudnev considered that the Japanese were lining up in a wake column, which in reality did not happen. After reaching a distance of 45 cables, signals appeared on the masts of the Japanese flagship - Uriu offered surrender. There was no answer.
At 11:44 the first shots were fired. They were made by the Asama gunners, firing several high-explosive shells. They lay down with a flight, exploding on impact with water, which at first surprised Rudnev.
At 11:47 a.m. the Varyag's six-inch guns began to fire. Apparently, it was at this moment or a little earlier that the first enemy shell hit the Russian cruiser. As a result, one of the rangefinder teams was almost completely destroyed. The midshipman who headed it instantly died (only a fragment of his hand remained from him). The same fate befell two of his subordinates, and three more sailors were seriously injured. These first losses deprived the Varyag of the ability to ensure the proper accuracy of artillery fire.
Almost immediately after that, the Japanese managed to disable the entire crew of the six-inch gun # 3. The Russian artillerymen were struck by fragments of a shell, which did not even hit the ship itself, but exploded not far from the side. The American designers should be thanked for this - after all, it was they who, during the construction of the cruiser, insisted on installing unprotected guns on the upper deck.
The Korean opened fire on the Japanese ships at the same time as the Varyag, but it immediately became clear that the gunboat would not be able to help its comrades - its outdated guns, designed to use black powder, did not have the required range.
Meanwhile, two more enemy cruisers began to shoot at the Russian detachment. Occasionally, individual shells fired by Japanese ships, which were still at a greater distance, also arrived.
The artillerymen of the Varyag responded to the enemy by firing rather intensively, but no results were noticed. According to one of the British officers who watched the battle, at some point the flagship of the Japanese squadron got into a dangerous position, but this ship quickly left the first line, dodging the fire.
The fire that broke out on the Varyag after another hit (presumably a six-inch shell) was extinguished, but the number of wounded was constantly increasing. In addition, the 75-mm guns began to fail, and not from the fire of the Japanese, but as a result of some design defects - the rollers could not withstand intense firing.
At 12:15 p.m., at the moment when the Russian cruiser was performing the turn envisaged by the route, the rudder drives were broken by a shell that hit the side not far from the conning tower. The next hit resulted in the death of the entire crew of one of the cannons and the injury of the ship's commander. He himself, however, by the will of fate, suffered slightly, while the sailors who were next to him died.
Due to the temporary loss of control "Varyag" ran aground and immediately received several more shells on the port side. The only thing that saved the Russian cruiser from death at that moment was that the enemy did not immediately appreciate the danger of the Varyag's position. Nevertheless, the damage suffered was so great that it became impossible to continue the battle - due to underwater holes, the ship banked dangerously. At the same time, the influx of seawater, apparently, led to the fact that the "Varyag" slipped from the shallow stern forward.
Russian ships began to retreat back to the inner roadstead. The Varyag crew managed to accelerate the heavily damaged cruiser to 11 knots, despite a fire that broke out on the living deck. Further damage was avoided, since the pursuit was carried out by only one armored cruiser - the rest of the ships "did not squeeze" into the narrow channel. According to some reports, before entering the internal raid, a destroyer tried to attack, but the Japanese refute this information.
The battle ended at 12.45 - exactly one hour after the first shots were fired. The sight of the lurching cruiser, on the deck of which corpses and individual pieces of bodies lay, spoke of the results of the battle quite eloquently. Unfortunately, despite all the efforts of the Varyag crew, the enemy did not suffer any damage. According to the report of the Japanese Rear Admiral Uriu, none of the shells fired by the Russian guns reached their targets.
Meanwhile, Rudnev's report said that Asama received heavy damage in battle, one of the enemy destroyers died under fire, and Takachiho suffered so badly that it subsequently led to its sinking. The commander of "Varyag" insisted on this version of events even several years later, despite the fact that the "drowned" cruiser "Takachiho" safely sailed the seas for more than ten years after this battle.
In addition, Rudnev said that during the battle, the Russian artillerymen spent 1105 shells, reaching a record rate of fire. Subsequent verification showed that this statement is extremely far from reality. Today it is impossible to understand what Rudnev was counting on, so clearly distorting the truth. One way or another, with his fantasies, he largely blurred the impression of his own feat and the heroism of other participants in the battle.
The further fate of the ship
After calculating the losses (they amounted to 39 people killed and 74 wounded) and assessing the damage received during the battle, the officers of the Varyag decided to flood their ship so that the enemy would not get it. It should be noted that the gunboat "Koreets" practically did not suffer during the battle, but under no circumstances would it have been able to fight the battle alone. Therefore, it was decided to destroy it too.
Subsequently, Rudnev was repeatedly reproached for not blowing up the Varyag, but only flooding it, and even in a shallow place. However, this decision was forced - near the Russian cruiser was "Talbot", which could have suffered from the explosion. Meanwhile, there was little time left for any other actions - the Japanese could enter the port at any time.
After the evacuation of the team, at 15 hours 50 minutes on January 27 (February 8), 1904, Rudnev personally opened the kingstones of the Varyag cruiser. The ship began to slowly sink to the bottom of the bay. At 16.05 the "Koreets" was blown up, the wreckage of which immediately disappeared under the water. In addition, the Russian transport "Sungari" had to be flooded.
At 18 hours 10 minutes "Varyag" completely sank. It seemed that the history of the ship would end there, but it happened differently. In August 1905, the cruiser was raised from the water by the Japanese. Two weeks later, he was included in the Imperial Japanese Navy under the name "Soya".
The captured cruiser was used mainly for training naval sailors. Of course, for this he needed repairs, which lasted until July 1907. By this time, relations between Japan and Russia had significantly improved. One of the results of the "thaw" was the awarding of the second most important Japanese order to Rudnev. Moreover, the death of the Varyag was considered in Japan a model of service to the Motherland, and a summary of the battle at Chemulpo was necessarily told to everyone who served on the Soya.
In 1916, the Russian government managed to buy out the Varyag and return it to its homeland. From the Pacific Fleet, the ship was transferred to the Arctic Ocean flotilla. The famous cruiser did not participate in the battles, and at the beginning of 1917 she was sent to Great Britain for another repair.
On November 7, 1917, a revolution took place in Russia, as a result of which the Bolshevik government came to power. Since the Council of People's Commissars refused to pay the debts of the Russian Empire, the British decided to confiscate the Varyag. The ship remained at anchor until 1920, after which it was sold to Germany for cutting into metal. For some reason, sending it to the disposal site was delayed, and only in 1925 the cruiser was tried to be towed to the German shores. The Varyag did not reach its destination - it was destroyed by a strong storm. This happened in the Irish Sea. They did not begin to lift the remains of the ship - instead, their detonation was organized.
In the USSR, for some time they did not remember the heroes of the Varyag, but in the post-war years this situation changed. The project 58 guards missile cruiser, launched in 1963, was named in honor of the legendary ship. Later, the Varyag GRKr made many trips, serving until 1990.
The next carrier of the famous name was to be an aircraft carrier under construction in the city of Nikolaev (project 1143.6). But due to the collapse of the USSR, the construction of this ship was not completed, and later it was bought by China. Nevertheless, the Varyag soon reappeared in the Russian Navy - this name was given to the modern Guards Missile Cruiser (GVRK), originally called Chervona Ukraine. This ship remains in service now.
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On May 10, 1899, at the Crump and Sons shipyard in Philadelphia, the official ceremony of laying down a rank 1 armored cruiser for the Russian navy took place. Of the Russian Admiralty, finally on October 31, 1899, the Varyag was solemnly launched, an orchestra began to play, 570 Russian sailors from the crew of the new cruiser burst out: "Hurray!" The American engineers, having learned that the ship would be baptized according to the Russian custom, shrugged their shoulders and opened a bottle of champagne. The one that, according to American tradition, should have been smashed against the ship's hull. The head of the Russian commission E.N. Schensnovich told his superiors: “The descent went well. No hull deformations were found, the displacement coincided with the calculated one.” Did anyone present know that he was not only at the descent of the ship, but also at the birth of the legend of the Russian fleet?
There are shameful defeats, but there are also ones that are dearer than any victory. Defeats, tempering the military spirit, about which songs and legends are composed. The feat of the cruiser Varyag was a choice between shame and honor.
On February 8, 1904, at 4 pm, the Russian gunboat "Koreets" was fired upon by the Japanese squadron when leaving the port of Chemulpo: the Japanese fired 3 torpedoes, the Russians responded by firing a 37 mm revolver cannon. Not becoming further involved in the battle, the "Korean" hastily retreated back to the Chemulpo raid.
The day ended without incident. On the cruiser Varyag, the military council spent the whole night deciding what to do in this situation. Everyone understood that war with Japan was inevitable. Chemulpo is blocked by a Japanese squadron. Many officers spoke out in favor of leaving the port under cover of night and breaking through to their bases in Manchuria. In the dark, a small Russian squadron would have a significant advantage than in a daytime battle. But Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev, the commander of the Varyag, did not accept any of the proposals, expecting a more favorable development of events.
Alas, in the morning at 7 o'clock. 30 minutes, the commanders of foreign ships: English - Talbot, French - Pascal, Italian - Elba and American - Vicksburg received a notification indicating the time of delivery of the notification from the Japanese admiral about the beginning of hostilities between Russia and Japan, and that the admiral suggested that the Russian ships leave the raid before 12 hours day, otherwise they will be attacked by the squadron in the roads after 4:00. the same day, and foreign ships were asked to leave the raid at this time, for their safety. This information was delivered to the Varyag by the commander of the cruiser Pascal. At 9:30 am on February 9, on board the HMS Talbot, Captain Rudnev received a notification from the Japanese admiral Uriu, announcing that Japan and Russia were at war and demanding that the Varyag leave the port by noon, otherwise, at four o'clock Japanese ships will fight right on the roadstead.
At 11:20 the Varyag and the Korean weighed anchors. Five minutes later, a combat alarm was played on them. The English and French ships greeted the passing Russian squadron with the sounds of an orchestra. Our sailors had to fight through a narrow 20-mile fairway and break out into the open sea. At half past eleven an offer was received from the Japanese cruisers to surrender at the mercy of the winner, the Russians ignored the signal. At 11:45 am the Japanese opened fire ...
For 50 minutes of an unequal battle, "Varyag" fired 1105 shells at the enemy, of which 425 were large-caliber (although, according to Japanese sources, no hits on Japanese ships were noted). It is hard to believe this data, because a few months before the tragic events of Chemulpo, "Varyag" participated in the exercises of the Port Arthur squadron, where it hit the target three times out of 145 shots. In the end, the accuracy of the Japanese was also simply ridiculous - 6 cruisers achieved only 11 hits in an hour on the Varyag!
Broken boats were burning on the Varyag, the water around it boiled from explosions, the remnants of ship superstructures crashed onto the deck, burying the Russian sailors under them. One after another the knocked-out guns fell silent, around which the dead lay. Japanese buckshot rained down, the deck of the Varyag turned into a terrible sight. But, despite heavy fire and enormous destruction, the Varyag nevertheless conducted aimed fire at the Japanese ships from the remaining guns. "Korean" did not lag behind him either. Having received critical damage, the Varyag described a wide circulation in the Chemulpo fairway and was forced to return to the roadstead an hour later.
Legendary cruiser after the battle
“... I will never forget this stunning sight that presented itself to me,” later recalled the commander of the French cruiser, who witnessed an unprecedented battle, “the deck is covered with blood, corpses and body parts are scattered everywhere. Nothing escaped destruction: in the places where the shells exploded, the paint was charred, all the iron parts were punctured, the fans were knocked down, the sides and bunks were burned. Where so much heroism was shown, everything was rendered useless, broken into pieces, riddled; the remains of the bridge hung deplorably. Smoke was coming from all the holes in the stern, and the roll to the left side was increasing ... "
Despite such an emotional description of the Frenchman, the position of the cruiser was by no means so hopeless. The surviving sailors selflessly extinguished the fires, emergency crews put a plaster under a large hole in the underwater part of the left side. Of the 570 crew members, 30 sailors and 1 officer were killed. The gunboat "Koreets" had no casualties among its personnel.
Squadron battleship "Eagle" after the battle of Tsushima
For comparison, in the Tsushima battle of 900 people, the squadron battleship team “ Alexander III"No one was saved, and out of 850 people of the command of the squadron battleship" Borodino "only 1 sailor was saved. Despite this, in the circles of military enthusiasts, respect for these ships remains. For several hours, "Alexander III" led the entire squadron under fierce fire, skillfully maneuvering and periodically knocking down the sight of the Japanese. Now no one will say who competently controlled the battleship in the last minutes - whether it was the commander or any of the officers. But the Russian sailors did their duty to the end - having received critical damage in the underwater part of the hull, the flaming battleship capsized at full speed without lowering the flag. Not a single person escaped from the crew. A couple of hours later, his feat was repeated by the battleship Borodino. Further the Russian squadron was led by "Oryol". The same heroic battleship that received 150 hits, but partially retained its combat capability until the very end of the Tsushima battle. Here's an unexpected remark. Blessed memory of the heroes.
Nevertheless, the position of the Varyag, which was hit by 11 Japanese shells, remained serious. The controls on the cruiser were damaged. In addition, the artillery was seriously damaged, only seven of the 12 six-inch guns survived.
V. Rudnev on a French steam boat went to the English cruiser Talbot to agree on the transportation of the Varyag crew to foreign ships and to report the alleged destruction of the cruiser right on the roadstead. The Talbot commander Bailey objected to the explosion of the Russian cruiser, explaining his opinion by the large crowding of ships in the roadstead. At 13 o'clock. 50 minutes Rudnev returned to the Varyag. Hastily gathering the officers nearby, he informed them of his intention and received their support. Immediately, they began to transport the wounded, and then the entire crew, ship documents and the ship's cash desk to foreign ships. The officers destroyed valuable equipment, smashed the surviving instruments, pressure gauges, disassembled gun locks, throwing parts overboard. Finally, the Kingstones were opened, and at six o'clock in the evening the Varyag lay down on the port side.
Russian heroes were placed on foreign ships. English "Talbot" took on board 242 people, the Italian ship took 179 Russian sailors, the rest were placed on board the French "Pascal". The commander of the American cruiser Vicksburg behaved absolutely disgustingly in this situation, who flatly refused to place Russian sailors on his ship without the official permission of Washington. And without taking on board a single person, the "American" limited himself to sending a doctor to the cruiser. French newspapers wrote about this: "Obviously, the American navy is too young to have those high traditions that inspired all the fleets of other nations."
The crew of the gunboat "Koreets" blew up their ship
The commander of the gunboat "Koreets", captain of the 2nd rank G.P. Belyaev turned out to be a more decisive person: despite all the warnings of the British, he blew up a gunboat, leaving only a pile of scrap metal to the Japanese.
Despite the immortal feat of the Varyag crew, Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev still should not have returned to the port, but should have sunk the cruiser in the fairway. Such a decision would significantly complicate the use of the port for the Japanese, and make it impossible to lift the cruiser. Most importantly, no one would have been able to say that the Varyag had retreated from the battlefield. After all, now many "democratic" sources are trying to turn the feat of Russian sailors into a farce, tk. allegedly the cruiser did not die in battle.
In 1905, the Varyag was raised by the Japanese and entered into the Japanese Imperial Navy under the name Soya, but in 1916 the Russian Empire bought the legendary cruiser.
Finally, I would like to remind all "democrats" and "truth seekers" that after the conclusion of the armistice, the Japanese government found it possible to reward Captain Rudnev for the feat of the "Varyag". The captain himself did not want to accept the reward from the opposing side, but the Emperor personally asked him to do so. In 1907 Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun.
Bridge of the cruiser "Varyag"
Map of the battle at Chemulpo from the Varyag logbook
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.
There have been many glorious victories in the history of the Russian fleet, 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 not performing a 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 current situation, which 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 the 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 privy 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 later turned out, 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. Under these conditions, it was decided to send the "Korean" 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 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" were leaving the port, the ships of the neutral powers began to sing the anthem of the 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 battle 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.
To this day, this 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 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.
The cruiser "Varyag" was considered one of the best ships Russian fleet. Built at an American plant in Philadelphia, it was launched in 1899 and entered service in the Russian fleet in 1901, arriving in Kronstadt. In 1902, the Varyag entered the Port Arthur squadron.
It was a four-pipe, two-masted, armored cruiser of the 1st rank with a displacement of 6500 tons. The cruiser's main battery artillery consisted of twelve 152-mm (six-inch) guns. In addition, the ship had twelve 75mm cannons, eight 47mm rapid-fire cannons, and two 37mm cannons. The cruiser had six torpedo tubes. He could reach speeds of up to 23 knots. However, the "Varyag" also had a number of serious shortcomings: the steam boilers were very difficult to operate, the actual speed was much lower than the design speed, there was no cover for the gun servants from shell fragments. These shortcomings manifested themselves during the transition from Kronstadt to Port Arthur, and then during the battle at Chemulpo.
The ship's crew consisted of 550 sailors, non-commissioned officers, conductors and 20 officers.
Captain 1st Rank Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev, a native of the nobility of the Tula province, an experienced naval officer, took command of the cruiser on March 1, 1903. It was a difficult and stressful time. Japan was strenuously preparing for war with Russia, creating a significant superiority in forces here.
A month before the start of the war, the imperial governor in the Far East, Admiral E.I. Alekseev sent the cruiser Varyag from Port Arthur to the neutral Korean port of Chemulpo (now Incheon).
On January 26, 1904, a Japanese squadron of six cruisers and eight destroyers approached the Chemulpo Bay and stopped in the outer roads the ship "Sungari". There were also foreign warships.
Early in the morning of January 27, 1904 V.F. Rudnev received an ultimatum from the Japanese Rear Admiral S. Uriu demanding to leave Chemulpo before 12 noon, otherwise the Japanese threatened to open fire on Russian ships in a neutral port, which was a gross violation of international law.
V.F. Rudnev announced to the crew that Japan had begun military action against Russia. "Varyag" weighed anchor and headed towards the exit from the bay. In the wake was the gunboat "Koreets" (commander Captain 2nd Rank GP Belyaev). A combat alarm was sounded on the ships.
At the exit from the bay, a Japanese squadron, surpassing the Varyag in artillery weapons by more than five times, and by torpedoes by seven, blocked the way for the Russian ships to the open sea. Six Japanese cruisers - "Asama", "Naniwa", "Takachiho", "Niitaka", "Akashi" and "Chiyoda" took their starting positions in the bearing formation. Eight destroyers loomed behind the cruisers. The Japanese offered to surrender to the Russian ships. V.F. Rudnev ordered to leave this signal unanswered.
The first shot rang out from the armored cruiser Asama, and after it the entire enemy squadron opened fire. "Varyag" did not answer, he went to rapprochement. And only when the distance was reduced to the right shot, V.F. Rudnev ordered to open fire.
The fight was fierce. The Japanese concentrated all their fire on the Varyag. The sea was seething with explosions, splashing the deck with shell fragments and cascades of water. Every now and then there were fires, holes were opened. Under the enemy's hurricane fire, sailors and officers fired at the enemy, applied a plaster, plugging holes, and extinguished fires. V.F. Rudnev, wounded in the head and shell-shocked, continued to lead the battle. Many sailors fought heroically in this battle, among whom were our fellow countrymen A.I. Kuznetsov, P.E. Polikov, T.P. Chibisov and others, as well as the ship's priest M.I. Rudnev.
Well-aimed fire from the Varyag brought its results: the Japanese cruisers Asama, Chiyoda, and Takachiho were seriously damaged. When the Japanese destroyers rushed to the Varyag, the Russian cruiser concentrated its fire on them and sank one destroyer.
Wounded, but not defeated, "Varyag" returned to the port to make the necessary repairs and again go for a breakthrough. However, the cruiser heeled aboard, the vehicles were out of order, and most of the guns were wrecked. VF Rudnev made a decision: to remove the teams from the ships, to flood the cruiser, and to blow up the gunboat so that they would not get to the enemy. The Council of Officers supported their commander.
During the battle, which lasted for one hour, "Varyag" fired 1105 shells at the enemy, "Koreets" - 52 shells. After the battle, the losses were calculated. On the "Varyag", out of a crew of 570 people, there were 122 killed and wounded (1 officer and 30 sailors were killed, 6 officers and 85 sailors were wounded). In addition, more than 100 people were lightly injured.
The sailors "Varyag" and "Koreyets" returned to their homeland in several echelons, where they were enthusiastically greeted by the Russian people. The sailors were warmly greeted by the residents of Tula, who filled the station square late at night. Large celebrations in honor of the heroes-sailors were held in St. Petersburg.
The crews of "Varyag" and "Koreyets" were awarded with high awards: the sailors were awarded with St. George's crosses, and the officers were awarded the Orders of St. George, 4th degree. Captain 1st rank V.F. Rudnev was awarded the Order of St. George of the 4th degree, the rank of adjutant wing and was appointed commander of the 14th naval crew and the battleship Andrey Pervozvanny under construction in St. Petersburg. A medal "For the battle of" Varyag "and" Koreyets "was established, which was awarded to all participants in the battle.
In November 1905, V.F. Rudnev was dismissed from the rank of rear admiral. He left for the Tula province, where he settled in a small estate near the village of Myshenki, three versts from the Taruskaya station.
July 7, 1913 V.F. Rudnev died and was buried in the village of Savino (now the Zaoksky district of the Tula region).
On September 30, 1956, a monument to the commander of the legendary cruiser was unveiled in Tula. And on February 9, 1984 in the village of Rusyatine, Zaoksky district, the opening of the V.F. Rudnev.
On August 9, 1992, a monument to V.F. Rudnev. In the summer of 1997, a monument to the Varyag commander was erected in the city of Novomoskovsk, not far from which the Rudnev family estate was located near the village of Yatskaya.
A guards missile cruiser with the proud name "Varyag" serves as part of the Russian Pacific Fleet.
Naval battles Khvorostukhina Svetlana Alexandrovna
The death of the cruiser "Varyag"
The death of the cruiser "Varyag"
On the night of August 8-9, 1904, the roar of guns was heard over Port Arthur. Meanwhile, in the Korean port of Chemulpo, English, Italian and American ships were waiting in the wings. In Port Arthur, the Russian troops fiercely defended themselves, illuminating the Japanese destroyers attacking them with searchlights.
On the morning of February 9, the commander of the Russian cruiser Varyag, Captain First Rank VF Rudnev, was handed a Japanese ultimatum, according to which the Varyag and the gunboat Koreets were to leave the port.
At 11 hours 10 minutes, the Russian sailors, rejecting the ultimatum presented to them, decided to accept the battle. "Varyag" and "Koreets" left the port of Chemulpo and moved slowly along the standing ships. The orchestra on board the Russian ships played the anthems of foreign countries, and in response, fireworks were heard from the shore. Everyone understood that "Varyag" and "Koreets" were going to certain death. The armored cruiser Varyag and the gunboat Koreets had to withstand the onslaught of fifteen Japanese warships. The Russians fired 1105 shells at the enemy. An hour later, the fierce battle ended. The "Varyag" and "Koreets", destroyed beyond recognition, were flooded. Some of the sailors who survived that battle went over to foreign ships.
A spotlight is a special lighting device. There are several types of floodlights: long-range (for distant objects), flood light (for illuminating open berths) and signal (for transmitting light flashes).
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