On May 10, 1899, at the Crump and Sons shipyard in Philadelphia, the official ceremony of laying down an armored cruiser of the 1st rank for the Russian fleet took place. The ship was largely experimental - in addition to the new Nickloss boilers, its design contained a large number of innovations. Three times a workers' strike at the plant disrupted the plans Russian Admiralty, finally, the Varyag was solemnly launched on October 31, 1899. The orchestra began to play, 570 Russian sailors from the crew of the new cruiser burst out: “Hurray!”, momentarily drowning out even the orchestra pipes. American engineers, having learned that the ship would be christened according to Russian custom, shrugged their shoulders and opened a bottle of champagne. The one that, according to American tradition, should have been smashed against the hull of the ship. Head of the Russian Commission E.N. Shchensnovich reported to his superiors: “The descent went well. No deformations of the hull were found, the displacement coincided with the calculated one.” Did anyone present know that he was not only at the launch of the ship, but also at the birth of a legend of the Russian fleet?
There are shameful defeats, but there are also those that are worth more than any victory. Defeats that strengthen 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 o'clock in the afternoon, the Russian gunboat "Koreets" was fired upon by a Japanese squadron while leaving the port of Chemulpo: the Japanese fired 3 torpedoes, the Russians responded with fire from a 37 mm revolver cannon. Without getting further involved in the battle, the “Korean” hastily retreated back to the Chemulpo roadstead.
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 darkness and fighting their way to their bases in Manchuria. In the dark, a small Russian squadron would have a significant advantage than in a daylight 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 notice indicating the time of delivery of the notification from the Japanese admiral about the beginning of hostile actions between Russia and Japan, and that the admiral invited the Russian ships to leave the raid before 12 o'clock day, otherwise they will be attacked by the squadron in the roadstead after 4 o'clock. the same day, and foreign ships were asked to leave the roadstead for this time, for their safety. This information was delivered to the Varyag by the commander of the cruiser Pascal. At 9:30 a.m. on February 9, on board HMS Talbot, Captain Rudnev received a notice from Japanese Admiral Uriu, announcing that Japan and Russia were at war and demanding that Varyag leave port by noon, otherwise at four o'clock Japanese ships will fight right in the roadstead.
At 11:20 “Varyag” and “Koreets” weighed anchor. Five minutes later they sounded a combat alarm. 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 twelve, the Japanese cruisers received an offer to surrender to the mercy of the winner; the Russians ignored the signal. At 11:45 the Japanese opened fire...
In 50 minutes of an unequal battle, the Varyag fired 1,105 shells at the enemy, of which 425 were large-caliber (although, according to Japanese sources, no hits were recorded on Japanese ships). It’s hard to believe this data, because several 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 shooting accuracy of the Japanese was also simply ridiculous - 6 cruisers scored only 11 hits on the Varyag in an hour!
On the Varyag, broken boats were burning, the water around it was boiling from explosions, the remains of the ship's superstructures fell with a roar onto the deck, burying Russian sailors. The knocked out guns fell silent one after another, with the dead lying around them. Japanese grapeshot rained down, and the deck of the Varyag turned into a terrible sight. But, despite the heavy fire and enormous destruction, the Varyag still fired accurately at the Japanese ships from its remaining guns. “Korean” didn’t 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,” the commander of the French cruiser, who witnessed the unprecedented battle, later recalled, “the deck is covered in blood, corpses and body parts are lying everywhere. Nothing escaped destruction: in places where shells exploded, the paint was charred, all the iron parts were broken, the fans were knocked down, the sides and bunks were burnt. Where so much heroism had been shown, everything was rendered unusable, broken into pieces, riddled with holes; The remains of the bridge hung deplorably. Smoke was coming from all the holes in the stern, and the list to the left side was increasing..."
Despite such an emotional description of the Frenchman, the cruiser’s position was by no means so hopeless. The surviving sailors selflessly extinguished the fires, and emergency teams applied a patch under a large hole in the underwater part of the port 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 Battle of Tsushima, out of 900 people from the crew of the squadron battleship "Alexander III", no one was saved, and out of 850 people from the crew of the squadron battleship "Borodino", only 1 sailor was saved. Despite this, respect for these ships remains in the circles of military enthusiasts. "Alexander III" led the entire squadron under fierce fire for several hours, skillfully maneuvering and periodically throwing off the Japanese's sights. Now no one will say who competently controlled the battleship in the last minutes - whether the commander or one of the officers. But the Russian sailors fulfilled 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 from the crew escaped. A couple of hours later, his feat was repeated by the squadron battleship Borodino. Then the Russian squadron was led by the "Eagle". The same heroic squadron battleship that received 150 hits, but partially retained its combat capability until the very end of the Battle of Tsushima. This is such an unexpected remark. Happy memory to the heroes.
However, the situation of the Varyag, which was hit by 11 Japanese shells, remained serious. The cruiser's controls were damaged. In addition, the artillery was seriously damaged; out of 12 six-inch guns, only seven survived.
V. Rudnev, on a French steam boat, went to the English cruiser Talbot to negotiate the transportation of the Varyag crew to foreign ships and report on the supposed destruction of the cruiser right in the roadstead. The commander of the Talbot, Bailey, objected to the explosion of the Russian cruiser, motivating his opinion by the large crowding of ships in the roadstead. At 1 p.m. 50 min. Rudnev returned to the Varyag. Hastily gathering the officers nearby, he informed them of his intention and received their support. They immediately began transporting the wounded, and then the entire crew, ship documents and the ship's cash register to foreign ships. The officers destroyed valuable equipment, smashed surviving instruments and pressure gauges, dismantled gun locks, throwing parts overboard. Finally, the seams were opened, and at six o'clock in the evening the Varyag lay on the bottom on the left side.
Russian heroes were placed on foreign ships. The English Talbot took 242 people on board, the Italian ship took 179 Russian sailors, and the French Pascal placed the rest on board. The commander of the American cruiser Vicksburg behaved absolutely disgustingly in this situation, flatly refusing to accommodate Russian sailors on his ship without official permission from Washington. Without taking a single person on board, the “American” limited himself to only sending a doctor to the cruiser. French newspapers wrote about this: “Obviously, the American fleet is still too young to have those high traditions that inspire all the fleets of other nations.”
The crew of the gunboat "Koreets" blew up their ship
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 the gunboat, leaving the Japanese with only a pile of scrap metal as a souvenir.
Despite the immortal feat of the Varyag crew, Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev still should not have returned to the port, but scuttled the cruiser in the fairway. Such a decision would have made it much more difficult for the Japanese to use the port and made it impossible to raise the cruiser. The most important thing is that no one could say that “Varyag” retreated from the battlefield. After all, now many “democratic” sources are trying to turn the feat of Russian sailors into a farce, because supposedly the cruiser did not die in battle.
In 1905, the Varyag was raised by the Japanese and introduced 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 armistice, the Japanese government found it possible to reward Captain Rudnev for the Varyag’s feat. 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 Rising sun.
Bridge of the cruiser "Varyag"
Map of the battle at Chemulpo from the Varyag logbook
Feat of the cruiser Varyag
Historians are still arguing about the events of February 9, 1904, (January 27, old style), when two Russian ships, blocked in the Korean port of Chemulpo by a Japanese cruiser squadron, fought an unequal battle.
Why did the “Varyag” and the “Korean” find themselves far from the main forces at the most tense moment? Why didn't they prevent the Japanese landing?
Why didn’t the high-speed Varyag make the breakthrough alone?
Feat of the cruiser Varyag
, how did they get there?
In December 1904, an uprising against foreigners began in Korea. The governments of a number of countries demanded the sending of warships with military contingents to protect diplomatic missions. In this regard, the command sent to Chemulpo, who arrived there on December 29 (old style) and began performing the duties of a senior stationary. At this time, the cruiser Boyarin, which brought troops there, and the gunboat Gilyak were also in the port.
Finishing of the wheelhouse of the cruiser Varyag
The next day, "Boyarin" left for Port Arthur, and a day later it was followed by "Gilyak". And on January 5, 1904 (18.01 new style), the “Korean” arrived in Chemulpo, sent to establish contact with the Russian envoy: the telegraph message was interrupted.
This is how the now famous couple was formed: “Varyag” and.
Gunboat Korean in Chemulpo, February 1904
Why did you have to fight the Japanese squadron?
On January 25-26, government messages about the war with Japan began to arrive in the Far East.
The commander of the Varyag, Rudnev, suggested that the envoy in Seoul, Pavlov, evacuate the mission on his ship, “so as not to leave the cruiser in a foreign port in the event of a declaration of war.” The envoy refused: he did not have appropriate instructions from the ministry.
On the morning of January 26, the 4th combat detachment of Rear Admiral Uriu Sotokichi, accompanying transports with troops, approached the Korean shores. The admiral ordered a landing in Chemulpo.
At 15.40 on January 26, the “Korean” with dispatches and foreign mail on board raised anchor, heading for Port Arthur.
At 15.55, from its side, directly ahead, we saw Japanese ships approaching the fairway leading from Chemulpo to the open sea.
The Japanese force consisted of six cruisers, eight destroyers, one advice note, two armed ships and three transports. Having formed into three columns, the Japanese occupied the entire width of the fairway. Not daring to escalate the situation, the commander of the “Korean”, Captain II Rank Belyaev, turned his ship back.
The Japanese entered the Chemulpo roadstead and began landing at about 6 p.m. The port was neutral, there was no declaration of war. In addition, it is worth remembering that quite recently our “Boyarin”, as well as ships of other powers, landed troops to protect their missions from the rebels.
“Varyag” and “Koreyets” could not fire.
At about 7 a.m. on January 27 (February 9), the Japanese ships, having completed the landing, left the Chemulpo roadstead.
At about 9.30 the commander of the Varyag was found by a messenger with a translation of Uriu’s letter. The Japanese admiral suggested leaving the raid; otherwise he will attack the Russians right in the port.
At 11.20 "Varyag" weighed anchor and set sail.
The “Korean” followed him in his wake.
The fight is short and hopeless.
Uriu did not expect the Russian ships to come out. There was no time to raise the anchors - the admiral ordered the chains to be riveted. The first shot was fired by "Asama"; it was at 11.45.
Our two ships were opposed by six Japanese cruisers - the rest did not take part in the battle.
"Asama" was the most powerful - an English-built armored cruiser with excellent speed, weapons and armor. The second armored cruiser, Chiyoda, was old, small and poorly armed. The rest of the cruisers were armored, of which the Niitaka was completely new, the Akashi was relatively new, and the Takachiho and Naniwa had already served for 18 years by the time of the battle.
The Japanese had an overwhelming advantage in artillery; the weight of the side salvo of large and medium-caliber guns for the Varyag and Koreyets was 492 kg, and for the Japanese squadron it was 1671 kg. All the Japanese artillery was modern, but the most powerful guns of our ships, the eight-inch "Korean" guns, were old - short-range and slow-firing.
...Russian ships responded at 11.47.
According to Japanese observations, the Varyag initially showed a very high rate of fire, but was unable to maintain it for more than a few minutes.
And at 12.03 the cruiser received the first hit. A 203-mm shell hit the navigation bridge. He killed the rangefinders, midshipman Nirod, and damaged the wheelhouse.
Due to the narrowness of the fairway, the Japanese operated in three battle groups of two ships (see diagram); it turned out that some of their ships at times blocked the target from others.
“Asama”, “Chiyoda” and “Niitake” managed to shoot the most, in total they fired 393 large and medium caliber shells; the rest managed to fire only 26 shots. In the final phase of the battle, four destroyers took part in it.
Japanese at low tide on board the sunken Varyag, photo 1904
At 12.15 "Varyag" began to turn on the opposite course. The Russian ships returned to the port and anchored at 13.00.
As a result of the battle, the Varyag lost 30 people killed, 85 people wounded and shell-shocked, and 100 people lightly wounded - only about a third of the crew. The cruiser was on fire, and part of its artillery was disabled. His situation was worse than before the battle; The “Korean,” even if undamaged, had no chance alone.
The commander decided to blow up the "Korean" and sink the "Varyag" so as not to damage the foreign ships in the port.
Feat of the cruiser Varyag
, the last battle is over...
Why didn’t Varyag make a breakthrough? Why was it impossible, by sacrificing a small thing - an old gunboat - to save a big one - one of the newest cruisers of the Russian fleet?
After all, the Varyag, which developed more than 23 knots during testing, was faster than any of the Uriu ships. Full speed, maximum rate of fire, optimal course relative to the position of the Japanese, and a dash into the open sea...
This kind of mistake is often made by people who base their conclusions on two or three numbers from a short reference book on the technical specifications of ships.
First of all - about speed.
The speed shown by the ship immediately after construction is almost never achieved in everyday service.
Firstly, the hull becomes overgrown with marine organisms, causing the speed to inevitably drop. Secondly, during operation, the machines wear out, and the boiler tubes become covered with scale. The last circumstance was especially relevant for “Varyag”.
The requirements for the ship were very high. The Crump company, which built the cruiser, insisted on installing Nikloss system boilers. They were different high performance with low weight; but on April 14, 1898, the Marine Technical Committee adopted a special resolution in which it categorically refused to supply steam boilers to the Nikloss company Russian fleet, recognizing them as unreliable and even dangerous.
Nevertheless, just such boilers were installed on both ships built by Crump for Russia, the cruiser Varyag and the battleship Retvizan. As a result, the Varyag, during tests carried out in 1904, was only able to reach a speed of 14 knots.
And the Japanese directly during the battle at Chemulpo developed up to 18 knots.
Secondly, there could be no talk of any freedom to choose a course. Our ships left Chemulpo along a narrow fairway, limited by islands and underwater rocks, and the length of this fairway is 30 miles. The fairway was blocked by a Japanese squadron...
In such conditions, it becomes clear why Rudnev did not leave the “Korean” in the port. If there was a long artillery battle with limited opportunity maneuvering for both sides, then two eight-inch gunboats could be very useful.
After all, the war was just beginning. Uriu could have been instructed to take care of the ships and, if there was a danger of losing valuable combat units in battle, he could choose to retreat...
Autumn 1904, ship-building work on the Chemulpo roadstead
The only thing that can be called a complaint against the Varyag commander. This is not a complete disabling of the ship; it is known that after lifting, it reached the repair dock under its own power.
In On cuts and kickbacks in Tsarist Russia
The development of a fire control system for the battleship Borodino was entrusted to the Institute of Precision Mechanics at the court of His Imperial Highness. The creation of the machines was carried out by the Russian Society of Steam Power Plants. A leading research and production team whose developments have been successfully applied on warships around the world. Ivanov's guns and self-propelled mines designed by Makarov were adopted as weapon systems...
All of you, there on the upper deck! Stop the ridicule!
The fire control system was French, mod. 1899. The set of instruments was first presented at an exhibition in Paris and was immediately purchased for the RIF by its commander, Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich (according to the recollections of relatives, le Beau Brummel, who almost permanently lived in France).
Barr and Studd brand horizontal base rangefinders were installed in the conning tower. Boilers of the Belleville design were used. Mangin spotlights. Worthington steam pumps. Martin's anchors. Ston pumps. Medium and anti-mine caliber guns - 152- and 75-mm cannons of the Canet system. Rapid-fire 47 mm Hotchkiss guns. Whitehead system torpedoes.
The Borodino project itself was a modified design of the battleship Tsesarevich, designed and built for the Russian Imperial Navy by specialists from the French shipyard Forges and Chantiers.
To avoid misunderstandings and unfounded reproaches, it is necessary to make an explanation for a wide audience. The good news is that most of the foreign names in the Borodino EDB design belonged to systems manufactured under license in Russia. On the technical side, they also met the best world standards. For example, the generally accepted design of the sectional boiler of the Belleville system and the very successful guns of Gustave Canet.
However, already alone French system fire control on a Russian EBR makes you think. Why and why? It looks as ridiculous as the Aegis on the Soviet Orlan.
There are two bad news.
A great empire with a population of 130 million people, with a high-quality education system (for the elite) and a developed scientific school - Mendeleev, Popov, Yablochkov. And besides, there are all kinds of foreign technologies all around! Where is our domestic “Belleville”? But he was - engineer-inventor V. Shukhov, employee Russian branch company "Babcock & Wilksos", which patented a vertical boiler of its own design.
In theory, everything was there. In practice, there are solid Belvilles, the Nikloss brothers and the Tsarevich EBR at the Forges and Chantiers shipyard as a standard model for the Russian fleet.
But, what is especially offensive, ships at domestic shipyards were built many times slower. Four years for EDB Borodino versus two and a half years for Retvizan (Cramp & Sans). Now you shouldn’t be like a recognizable hero and ask: “Why? Who did it?" The answer is on the surface - a lack of tools, machines, experience and skilled hands.
Another problem is that even with “mutually beneficial cooperation” in the conditions of an “open world market,” there are no torpedoes of the Makarov design in service with the French fleet. And in general there is nothing observed that would indicate an exchange of technologies. Everything, everything according to the old, proven scheme. We give them money and gold, in return they give them their technical innovations. Belleville boiler. Whitehead's mine. iPhone 6. Because Russian Mongols are completely impotent in terms of the creative process.
Speaking specifically about the fleet, even licenses were not always enough. We just had to take and place orders at foreign shipyards.
The fact that the cruiser “Varyag” was built in the USA is no longer hidden. It is much less known that the second participant in the legendary battle, the gunboat “Korean”, was built in Sweden.
Armored cruiser "Svetlana", built in Le Havre, France.
Armored cruiser "Admiral Kornilov" - Saint-Nazaire, France.
Armored cruiser "Askold" - Kiel, Germany.
Armored cruiser "Boyarin" - Copenhagen, Denmark.
Armored cruiser "Bayan" - Toulon, France.
The armored cruiser Admiral Makarov was built at the Forges & Chantiers shipyard.
The armored cruiser Rurik was built at the English shipyard Barrow Inn Furness.
The battleship Retvizan, built by Cramp & Sons in Philadelphia, USA.
Series of destroyers "Whale", Friedrich Schichau shipyard, Germany.
The Trout series of destroyers were built at the A. Norman plant in France.
Series "Lieutenant Burakov" - "Forges & Chantiers", France.
Series of destroyers “Mechanical Engineer Zverev” - Schichau shipyard, Germany.
The lead destroyers of the “Horseman” and “Falcon” series were built in Germany and, accordingly, Great Britain.
"Batum" - at the Yarrow shipyard in Glasgow, UK (the list is incomplete!).
A regular participant in “Military Review” spoke very caustically about this:
Well, of course, they ordered ships from the Germans. They built well, their cars were excellent. Well, clearly in France, like an ally, plus kickbacks to the Grand Dukes. One can also understand the order to the American Crump. He did it quickly, promised a lot and delivered everything no worse than the French. But it turns out that under the Tsar Father, we even ordered cruisers in Denmark.
Comment from Eduard (qwert).
The irritation is well understandable. Given the colossal gap in technology and labor productivity, building a series of armored cruisers is equivalent to building a modern spaceport. Outsourcing such “fat” projects to foreign contractors is unprofitable and ineffective in all respects. This money should go to the workers of the Admiralty shipyards and move the domestic economy. And together with it, develop our own science and industry. This is what everyone has strived to do at all times. Steal from profits, not losses. But we don’t do that.
We did it differently. The scheme was called “to steal a ruble, harm the country for a million.” The French have a contract, they, whoever needs it, get a kickback. Their shipyards are sitting without orders. Industry is deteriorating. Qualified personnel are not needed.
There was a time when they even tried to build dreadnought battleships, but it would be better not to try. During the implementation of this most complex project, all the shortcomings of pre-revolutionary Russia were clearly revealed. There is a widespread lack of production experience, machines and competent specialists. Multiplied by incompetence, nepotism, kickbacks and chaos in the offices of the Admiralty.
As a result, the formidable “Sevastopol” took six years to build and by the time the St. Andrew’s flag was raised it was completely outdated. “Empress Maria” turned out to be no better. Look at their peers. Who entered service at the same time as them in 1915? Isn't it the 15-inch Queen Elizabeth? And then say that the author is biased.
They say that there was still the mighty “Ishmael”. Or it wasn't. The battle cruiser “Izmail” turned out to be an unbearable burden for the Republic of Ingushetia. It’s a rather strange habit to pass off as an achievement something that you didn’t do.
Even in peacetime, with the direct help of foreign contractors, ships over and over again turned into long-term construction projects. With the cruiser everything turned out to be even more serious. When Izmail reached 43% readiness, Russia entered into a war that lacked any purpose, objective benefit, and was impossible to win. For “Ishmael” this was the end, because... Some of its mechanisms were imported from Germany.
If we talk outside of politics, then the Izmail LCR was also not an indicator of the heyday of the empire. Dawn has already begun to glow in the East. Japan stood up to his full height with his 16-inch “Nagato”. One that even their British teachers were taken aback by.
Time passed, there was not much progress. From the author's point of view, industry in Tsarist Russia was in complete decline. You may have an opinion different from the author’s, which, however, will not be easy to prove.
Go down to the engine room of the destroyer Novik and read what is stamped on its turbines. Come on, bring some light here. Really? A.G. Vulkan Stettin. Deutsches Kaiserreich.
Things didn't work out with the engines from the very beginning. Climb into the engine nacelle of the same “Ilya Muromets”. What will you see there? Engines of the Gorynych brand? Right, surprise. Renault.
Legendary royal quality
All the facts indicate that Russian empire lagged somewhere at the very bottom of the list of developed countries. After Great Britain, Germany, the States, France and even Japan, which, having gone through the late Meiji modernization, by the 1910s. managed to bypass RI in everything.
In general, Russia was not at all where it should be for an empire with such ambitions.
After this, jokes about “Ilyin’s light bulb” and state program eradication of illiteracy no longer seems so funny. Years passed and the country healed. Fully. It would become a state with the best education in the world, with advanced science and a developed industry that could do everything. Import substitution in the most important industries (military industry, atom, space) was 100%.
And the descendants of the degenerates who fled will continue to whine in Paris for a long time about “the Russia they lost.”
Author A. Dolganov.
The cruiser "Varyag" needs no introduction. However, the battle of Chemulpo is still a dark page in Russian military history. Its results are disappointing, and there are still a lot of misconceptions about the participation of “Varyag” in this battle.
"Varyag" - a weak cruiser
In popular publications there is an assessment that the combat value of the Varyag was low. Indeed, due to 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 a light cruiser.
Second serious drawback there was a lack of armor shields for main caliber guns. On the other hand, during the Russo-Japanese War, Japan, in principle, did not have a single armored cruiser capable of resisting the Varyag and the similarly armed Askold, Bogatyr or Oleg.
Not a single Japanese cruiser of this class had 12,152 mm guns. Is it true, fighting developed in such a way that the crews of Russian cruisers never had to fight an enemy of equal size or class. The Japanese always acted with certainty, compensating for the shortcomings of their cruisers with numerical superiority, and the first, but not the last in this glorious and tragic list for the Russian fleet, was the battle of the cruiser Varyag.
A hail of shells hit the Varyag and Koreets
Artistic and popular descriptions of the battle at Chemulpo often say that the “Varyag” and “Korean” (which did not receive a single hit) were literally bombarded by Japanese shells. However, official figures indicate otherwise. In just 50 minutes of the battle at Chemulpo, six Japanese cruisers spent 419 shells: “Asama” 27 - 203 mm. , 103 152 mm., 9 76 mm; "Naniva" - 14,152 mm; "Niitaka" - 53 152 mm, 130 76 mm. "Takachiho" - 10,152 mm, "Akashi" - 2,152 mm, "Chiyoda" 71,120 mm.
In response, the Varyag fired, according to Rudnev’s report, 1105 shells: 425 -152 mm, 470 - 75 mm, 210 - 47 mm. It turns out that Russian gunners achieved the highest rate of fire. To this we can add 22,203 mm, 27,152 mm and 3,107 mm of projectiles fired from the Koreyets.
That is, in the battle of Chemulpo, two Russian ships fired almost three times more shells than the entire Japanese squadron. The question remains debatable about how the Russian cruiser kept records of spent shells or whether the figure was indicated approximately based on the results of a survey of the crew. And could such a number of shells be fired on a cruiser that, by the end of the battle, had lost 75% of its artillery?
Rear Admiral at the head of the Varyag
As is known, after returning to Russia and upon his retirement in 1905, the commander of the Varyag, Rudnev, received the rank of rear admiral. Already today, one of the streets in South Butovo in Moscow received the name of Vsevolod Fedorovich. Although, perhaps, it would have been more logical to name Captain Rudnev, if necessary, to distinguish him 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 a captain of the 1st rank and commander of the Varyag, but as a rear admiral he could no longer prove himself. But an obvious mistake has crept into a number of modern textbooks for high school students, where the “legend” is already heard that the cruiser “Varyag” was commanded by Rear Admiral Rudnev. The authors did not go into detail and think about the fact that a rear admiral was somehow out of rank to command an armored cruiser of the 1st rank.
Two against fourteen
The literature often states 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.
Here it is necessary to make several clarifications.
Outwardly, there was a huge numerical and qualitative superiority of the Japanese, which the enemy never took advantage of during the battle. It is necessary to take into account that on the eve of the battle at Chemulpo, the Uriu squadron consisted of not even 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" attempted to proceed from Chemulpo to Port Arthur, the Japanese squadron began dangerous maneuvering (which ended with the use of a gun) around the Russian gunboat, as a result of which the destroyer "Tsubame" ran aground and did not directly participate in the battle. The messenger ship Chihaya, which, nevertheless, was in close proximity to the battle site, did not participate in the battle. In reality, the battle was waged by a group of four Japanese cruisers, two more cruisers participated only sporadically, and the presence of Japanese destroyers remained a presence factor.
"A cruiser and two enemy destroyers at the bottom"
When we're talking about about military losses, this issue often becomes the object of heated debate. The battle at Chemulpo was no exception, in which estimates of Japanese losses were very contradictory.
Russian sources indicate very high enemy losses: a destroyed destroyer, 30 killed and 200 wounded. They are based mainly on the opinions of representatives of foreign powers who observed the battle.
Over time, two destroyers and the cruiser Takachiho were already sunk (by the way, this data ended up 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 its entire crew during the siege of Qingdao.
Reports from all Japanese cruiser commanders indicate that there were no losses or damage to their ships. Another question: where, after the battle in Chemulpo, did the main enemy of the Varyag, the armored cruiser Asama, “disappear” for two months? Neither Port Arthur nor Admiral Kammimura was part of the squadron operating against the Vladivostok cruiser squadron. And this was at the very beginning of the war, when the outcome of the confrontation was far from decided.
It is likely that the ship, which became the main target of the Varyag’s guns, received serious damage, but at the beginning of the war, for propaganda purposes Japanese side it was undesirable to talk about this. From the experience of the Russo-Japanese War, it is well known how the Japanese tried for a long time to hide their losses, for example, the death of the battleships Hatsuse and Yashima, and a number of destroyers that apparently ended up 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 the Varyag in the Japanese fleet. One of them is related to the fact that the Japanese, after the rise of the Varyag, retained the Russian National emblem and the name of the cruiser. However, this was more likely due not to the desire to pay tribute to the crew of the heroic ship, but to design features- the coat of arms and name were mounted in the aft balcony and the Japanese fixed the new name of the cruiser “Soya” on both sides on the balcony grille. The second misconception is the replacement of Nicolossa boilers with Miyabara boilers on the Varyag. Although the vehicles had to be thoroughly repaired, the cruiser showed a speed of 22.7 knots during testing.
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The battle of the cruiser “Varyag” is forever in the history of the Russian fleet and the memory of the Russian people
P.T. Maltsev. Cruiser Varyag. 1955
The fate of a ship is akin to the fate of a person. The biography of some includes only construction, measured service and decommissioning. Others face risky hikes, destructive storms, hot battles, and participation in important events. Human memory mercilessly erases the former, extolling the latter as witnesses and active participants in the historical process. One of such ships, without a doubt, is the cruiser “Varyag”. The name of this ship is well known, perhaps, to every resident of our country. However, the general public knows, at best, one of the pages of his biography - the battle in Chemulpo Bay. The short service of this ship coincided with the fatal military events, social and political changes that swept the world and Russia at the beginning of the twentieth century. The history of the Russian cruiser "Varyag" is unique. It began in the USA, continued in Korea and Japan, and ended in Scotland. American and English workers, Russian sailors, the Russian Tsar, Japanese cadets, revolutionary sailors walked along the decks of the Varyag...
Beginning in 1868, Russia constantly maintained a small detachment of warships in the Pacific Ocean. The forces of the Baltic Fleet were based here in Japanese ports on a rotational basis. In the 1880s, the strengthening of Japan's position began, accompanied by an increase in its population, the strengthening of its military power and military-political ambitions. In 1896, the Main Naval Staff prepared a special report on the need to urgently increase Russia's naval forces in the Far East and equip its bases there.
In 1898, a shipbuilding program was adopted in Russia. Due to the workload of Russian factories, some orders were placed at American shipyards. One of the contracts provided for the construction of an armored cruiser with a displacement of 6,000 tons and a speed of 23 knots. Nicholas II ordered the name “Varyag” to be given to the cruiser under construction in honor of the sail-screw corvette that participated in the American expedition of 1863.
Construction was accompanied by scandals and heated debates about what the future ship should be like. In the search for a compromise between the Crump shipyard, the monitoring commission and naval officials in St. Petersburg and Washington, important technical aspects were repeatedly revised. Some of these decisions subsequently cost the cruiser's crew dearly, playing a role in its fate. For example, at the insistent request of the shipbuilders, boilers were installed that did not allow the ship to reach its design speed. To lighten the weight of the ship, it was decided to abandon the armor shields protecting the gun crews.
The cruiser "Varyag" at the Kramp shipyard. USA
The results of sea trials caused no less controversy. However, despite the delay associated with strikes by American workers and the approval of documents between the Russian Maritime Department and the American shipyard, at the beginning of 1901 the ship was handed over to the Russian crew. Two months later, the armored cruiser Varyag headed for Russia.
The Russian fleet has been replenished with a wonderful ship. The length of the cruiser along the waterline was 127.8 m, width - 15.9 m, draft - about 6 m. The cruiser's steam engines, consisting of 30 boilers, had a total power of 20,000 hp. Many ship mechanisms were electrically driven, which made life much easier for the crew, but increased coal consumption. The deckhouses, cabins, posts, cellars, engine rooms and other service areas of the ship were connected by telephone, which was an innovation for Russian ships at that time. The Varyag was surprisingly good in its architecture, distinguished by four funnels and a high forecastle, which improved the seaworthiness of the ship.
The cruiser received powerful weapons: 12 152 mm guns, 12 75 mm guns, 8 47 mm guns, 2 37 mm guns, 2 63.5 mm Baranovsky guns. In addition to artillery, the cruiser was equipped with 6 381 mm torpedo tubes and 2 7.62 mm machine guns. To control artillery fire, the ship was equipped with 3 rangefinder stations. The sides and conning tower of the cruiser were reinforced with solid armor.
To staff the cruiser, it was planned to have 21 officer positions, 9 conductors and 550 lower ranks. In addition to this staff, from the first trip to sea until the last battle, there was also a priest on board. The command of the new ship was entrusted to Captain 1st Rank Vladimir Iosifovich Baer, who oversaw the construction of the cruiser in Philadelphia from the moment of its laying until the moment of transfer to the Russian fleet. Baer was an experienced sailor who, over the course of 30 years, went through all the necessary career steps from watch commander to commander. He had an excellent military education and owned three foreign languages. However, contemporaries remembered him as a tough commander who kept the crew in exceptional strictness.
Having completed the transatlantic crossing, the cruiser “Varyag” arrived in Kronstadt. Here the new ship was honored with a visit from the emperor. Here is how these events are described in the memoirs of eyewitnesses: “Externally, it looked more like an ocean-going yacht than a battle cruiser. The appearance of “Varyag” to Kronstadt was presented as a spectacular spectacle. To the sounds of a military orchestra, an elegant cruiser in a dazzling white ceremonial livery entered the Grand Roadstead. And the morning sun was reflected in the nickel-plated barrels of the main caliber guns. On May 18, Emperor Nicholas II himself arrived to get acquainted with the Varyag. The king was captivated - he even forgave the builder for some assembly defects.”
“Varyag” was rightfully considered the most beautiful ship of the Russian Imperial Navy. This is how he looked in June 1901. Photo by E. Ivanov
However, very soon the ship had to go to the Far East. Relations with Japan have become strained, and ruling circles more and more often they talked about the upcoming war. The cruiser "Varyag" had to make a long journey and strengthen Russia's military power on the eastern borders.
In the fall of 1901, the cruiser set off on a long voyage along the route St. Petersburg - Cherbourg - Cadiz - Algiers - Palermo - Crete - Suez Canal - Aden - Persian Gulf- Karachi - Colombo - Singapore - Nagasaki - Port Arthur. The technical imperfections in the cruiser’s design began to affect the transition. The boilers, the installation of which was so controversial, allowed the ship to travel at low speed. Only for a short time could the Varyag move at 20 knots (subsequent attempts, already in the Far East, to correct the situation led to a further decrease in speed. At the time of the battle in Chemulpo, the ship could not move faster than 16 knots).
Having made a significant number of calls to foreign ports, circumnavigating Europe and Asia, on February 25, 1902, the Varyag arrived at the Port Arthur roadstead. Here the cruiser was inspected by the head of the Squadron Pacific Ocean vice admiral and commander naval forces Pacific Admiral. The ship became part of the Pacific Ocean squadron and began intense combat training. In her first year of service in the Pacific alone, the cruiser covered nearly 8,000 nautical miles, conducting approximately 30 gunnery training exercises, 48 torpedo firing exercises, and numerous mine-laying and net-laying exercises. However, all this was not “thanks to”, but “in spite of”. The commission, which assessed the technical condition of the ship, gave it a serious diagnosis: “The cruiser will not be able to reach a speed above 20 knots without the risk of severe damage to the boilers and machinery.” Vice Admiral N.I. Skrydlov described the technical condition of the ship and the efforts of its crew as follows: “The stoic behavior of the crew is commendable. But young people would not have to mobilize all their strength to overcome a simple curriculum, if the damned fate in the person of one American had not put them in such conditions with its incompetence in matters of engineering.”
The cruiser "Varyag" and the squadron battleship "Poltava" in the Western basin of Port Arthur. November 21, 1902 Photo by A. Diness
On March 1, 1903, a captain of the 1st rank took command of the cruiser. Unlike his predecessor, he had a humane outlook on working with the crew. With his humane attitude towards the sailors, he soon gained the respect of the crew, but faced misunderstanding from the command. Under the leadership of a talented commander, the cruiser continued to participate in the activities of the fleet. During artillery firing V.F. Rudnev discovered that almost a quarter of large-caliber shells do not explode. He reported this to the command, and achieved complete replacement ammunition. But the results of the shooting remained the same.
The cruiser continued to serve regularly as part of the Pacific Ocean Squadron. Frequent accidents of the Varyag's vehicles, as well as its low speed, forced the cruiser to be sent to the Korean port of Chemulpo as a stationary. In order not to once again overload the cruiser’s vehicles, the gunboat “Korean” was assigned to it as a courier.
In addition to the Varyag, ships from other countries were stationed in Chemulpo: England, the USA, France, Italy and Japan. The latter, almost without hiding, was preparing for war. Her ships were repainted in camouflage White color, and coastal garrisons have been significantly strengthened. The port of Chemulpo was flooded with many vessels prepared for landing, and thousands of Japanese walked the streets of the city, masquerading as the local population. Captain 1st Rank V.F. Rudnev reported that the start of hostilities was approaching, but in response he received assurances that all this was just a demonstration by the Japanese of their strength. Realizing that war was inevitable, he conducted intense training with the crew. When the Japanese cruiser Chiyoda left the port of Chemulpo, Captain 1st Rank V.F. It became obvious to Rudnev that the start of hostilities was a matter of days, if not hours.
At 07:00 on January 24, the combined Japanese fleet left the port of Sasebo and entered the Yellow Sea. He had to strike at Russian ships five days before the official declaration of war. A detachment of Rear Admiral Uriu separated from the general forces and was tasked with blockading the port of Chemulpo and accepting surrender from the ships stationed there.
On January 26, 1904, the gunboat "Korean" was sent to Port Arthur, but at the exit from Chemulpo Bay it encountered a Japanese detachment. Japanese ships blocked the Korean's path and fired a torpedo salvo at it. The gunboat had to return to port, and this incident became the first clash in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904 - 1905.
Having blocked the bay and entered it with several cruisers, the Japanese began landing troops on the shore. This went on all night. On the morning of January 27, Rear Admiral Uriu wrote letters to the commanders of the ships stationed in the roadstead with a proposal to leave Chemulpo in view of the upcoming battle with Russian ships. Captain 1st Rank Rudnev was asked to leave the port and take battle at sea: “Sir, in view of the currently existing hostilities between the governments of Japan and Russia, I respectfully ask you to leave the port of Chemulpo with the forces under your command before noon on January 27, 1904 Otherwise, I will be obliged to open fire against you in the port. I have the honor to be, sir, your humble servant. Uryu."
The commanders of the ships stationed in Chemulpo organized a meeting on board the English cruiser Talbot. They condemned the Japanese ultimatum and even signed an appeal to Uryu. Captain 1st Rank V.F. Rudnev announced to his colleagues that he was going to break out of Chemulpo and fight on the open sea. He asked them to provide escort to the “Varyag” and “Korean” before going to sea, however, he was refused. Moreover, the commander of the cruiser Talbot, Commodore L. Bailey, notified the Japanese of Rudnev’s plans.
At 11:20 on January 27, “Varyag” and “Korean” began moving. The decks of foreign ships were filled with people who wanted to pay tribute to the bravery of Russian sailors. It was a sublime and at the same time tragic moment in which some people could not hold back their tears. The commander of the French cruiser Pascal, Captain 2nd Rank V. Senes, subsequently wrote: “We saluted these heroes who walked so proudly to certain death.” In Italian newspapers this moment was described as follows: “On the bridge of the Varyag, its commander stood motionless, calm. A thunderous “hurray” burst from everyone’s chests and rolled around. The feat of great self-sacrifice took on epic proportions.” As much as possible, foreign sailors waved their caps and caps after the Russian ships.
Rudnev himself admitted in his memoirs that he did not remember the details of the battle, but he remembered in great detail the hours that preceded it: “Leaving the port, I thought which side the enemy would be on, which guns would have which gunners. I was also thinking about hot wires strangers: will this be beneficial, will it not undermine the morale of the crew? I thought briefly about my family and mentally said goodbye to everyone. And I didn’t think about my fate at all. The consciousness of too much responsibility for people and ships obscured other thoughts. Without strong confidence in the sailors, I might not have made the decision to engage in battle with the enemy squadron.”
The weather was clear and calm. The sailors of the Varyag and Koreyets clearly saw the Japanese armada. With every minute, Azama, Naniwa, Takachiho, Chiyoda, Akashi, Niitoka and the destroyers were getting closer. It was hardly possible to seriously count on the combat capabilities of the gunboat "Korean". 14 Japanese ships against one Russian. 181 guns versus 34. 42 torpedo tubes versus 6.
When the distance between the opponents was reduced to the distance of an artillery shot, a flag was raised over the Japanese flagship, indicating an offer to surrender. The answer to the enemy was Russian topmast battle flags. At 11:45, the first shot of this battle, which forever went down in world naval history, was fired from the cruiser Azama. The Varyag's guns were silent, waiting for the optimal approach. When the opponents got even closer, all Japanese ships opened fire on the Russian cruiser. The time has come for Russian gunners to join the battle. The Varyag opened fire on the largest of the Japanese ships. Captain 1st Rank V.F. It was obvious to Rudnev, who controlled the battle from the bridge, that it would not be possible to break into the sea, much less break away from the superior enemy forces. It was necessary to inflict as much damage on the enemy as possible.
The unprecedented battle of “Varyag” and “Korean” near Chemulpo. Poster 1904
The Japanese shells were getting closer and closer. When they began to explode at the very side, the deck of the cruiser began to be covered with a hail of fragments. At the height of the battle, the Japanese fired dozens of shells per minute at the Varyag. The sea around the brave ship was literally boiling, billowing with dozens of fountains. Almost at the very beginning of the battle, a large Japanese shell destroyed the bridge, caused a fire in the chart room, and destroyed the rangefinder post along with its personnel. Midshipman A.M. died Nirod, sailors V. Maltsev, V. Oskin, G. Mironov. Many sailors were injured. The second accurate hit destroyed six-inch gun No. 3, near which G. Postnov died and his comrades were seriously wounded. Japanese artillery fire disabled six-inch guns No. 8 and 9, as well as 75-mm guns No. 21, 22 and 28. Gunners D. Kochubey, S. Kapralov, M. Ostrovsky, A. Trofimov, P. Mukhanov, sailors K. Spruge, F. Khokhlov, K. Ivanov. Many were injured. This is where the savings in the ship's mass had an impact, due to which the guns were deprived of armor, and the crews were deprived of protection from fragments. Participants in the battle later recalled that real hell reigned on the upper deck of the cruiser. In the terrifying noise it was impossible to hear a human voice. However, no one showed any confusion as they concentrated on their work. The crew of the Varyag is most clearly characterized by the massive refusal of medical care. The wounded commander of the plutong, midshipman P.N. Gubonin refused to leave the gun and go to the infirmary. He continued to command the crew while lying down until he lost consciousness from loss of blood. Many “Varangians” followed his example in that battle. The doctors were able to take to the infirmary only those who were completely exhausted or lost consciousness.
The tension of the battle did not subside. The number of Varyag guns that were damaged by direct hits from enemy shells increased. Sailors M. Avramenko, K. Zrelov, D. Artasov and others died near them. One of the enemy shells damaged the combat mainsail and destroyed the second rangefinder post. From that moment on, the gunners began to shoot, as they say, “by eye.”
The conning tower of the Russian cruiser was smashed. The commander miraculously survived, but staff bugler N. Nagl and drummer D. Koreev, who stood next to him, died. Orderly V.F. Rudneva T. Chibisov was wounded in both arms, but refused to leave the commander. The helmsman, Sergeant Major Snegirev, was wounded in the back, but he did not tell anyone about it and remained at his post. The commander, who was wounded and concussed, had to move to a room located behind the conning tower and direct the battle from there. Due to damage to the steering gear, we had to switch to manual control rudders.
One of the shells destroyed gun No. 35, near which gunner D. Sharapov and sailor M. Kabanov died. Other shells damaged the steam line leading to the steering gear. At the most intense moment of the battle, the cruiser completely lost control.
Trying to hide from the destructive fire behind the island in order to give the crew the opportunity to put out the fires, the cruiser began to describe a large circulation in the narrow strait and received serious damage to the underwater part on the underwater rocks. At this moment, confusion arose among the guns, caused by rumors about the death of the commander. Captain 1st Rank V.F. Rudnev had to go out onto the wing of the destroyed bridge in a bloody uniform. The news that the commander was alive instantly spread around the ship.
Senior navigator E.A. Behrens reported to the commander that the cruiser was losing buoyancy and was gradually sinking. Several underwater holes immediately filled the ship with sea water. The bilges bravely fought against its arrival. But in the conditions of a fierce battle, it was impossible to eliminate the leaks. As a result of the shaking, one of the boilers moved and leaked. The boiler room was filled with scalding steam, in which the stokers continued their efforts to seal the holes. V.F. Rudnev decided, without changing course, to go back to the Chemulpo roadstead to repair the damage and continue the battle. The ship set off on a reverse course, receiving several more accurate hits from large-caliber shells.
Throughout the entire hour of the battle, boatswain P. Olenin was on duty at the mainmast, ready to change the flag on the gaff every minute if it was shot down. P. Olenin was wounded by shrapnel in his leg, his uniform was torn, and the butt of his weapon was broken, but he did not leave his post for a minute. Twice the sentry had to replace the flag.
The gunboat "Koreets" maneuvered after the "Varyag" throughout the battle. The distance at which the shooting was carried out did not allow her to use her guns. The Japanese did not fire at the boat, concentrating their efforts on the cruiser. When the “Varyag” left the battle, a signal was raised on its yardarm to the “Korean”: “Follow me at full speed.” The Japanese fired after the Russian ships. Some of them began to pursue the Varyag, fighting an artillery duel with it. The Japanese stopped firing at the Russian cruiser only when it stood on the Chemulpo roadstead in close proximity to the ships of neutral countries. The legendary battle of Russian ships with superior enemy forces ended at 12:45.
There is no reliable information about the shooting performance of Russian gunners. The results of the battle at Chemulpo are still a source of debate among historians. The Japanese themselves insist that their ships did not receive a single hit. According to information from foreign missions and military attaches in Japan, Rear Admiral Uriu's detachment nevertheless suffered losses in this battle. Three cruisers were reported damaged and dozens of sailors were killed.
The cruiser "Varyag" was a terrifying sight. The sides of the ship were riddled with numerous holes, the superstructures were turned into piles of metal, the rigging and torn, crumpled sheets of plating hung from the sides. The cruiser was almost lying on the left side. The crews of the foreign ships looked at the Varyag again, taking off their hats, but this time there was not delight in their eyes, but horror. 31 sailors died in that battle, 85 people were seriously and moderately wounded, and more than a hundred were slightly wounded.
Having assessed the technical condition of the ship, the commander assembled a council of officers. A breakthrough at sea was unthinkable, a battle in the roadstead meant an easy victory for the Japanese, the cruiser was sinking and could hardly stay afloat for long. The officers' council decided to blow up the cruiser. The commanders of foreign ships, whose crews provided considerable assistance to the Varyag, taking on board all the wounded, asked not to blow up the cruiser in the narrow waters of the port, but simply to drown it. Despite the fact that the Korean did not receive a single hit and suffered no damage, the council of gunboat officers decided to follow the example of the cruiser officers and destroy their ship.
The mortally wounded Varyag was about to capsize when the international signal “In Distress” went up on its mast. The cruisers of neutral states (the French Pascal, the English Talbot and the Italian Elba) sent boats to remove the crew. Only the American ship Vicksburg refused to accept Russian sailors on board. The commander was the last to leave the cruiser. Accompanied by the boatswain, he made sure that all the people were removed from the cruiser, and went down into the boat, holding the Varyag flag, torn by shrapnel, in his hands. The cruiser was sunk by the discovery of the kingstons, and the gunboat "Korean" was blown up.
It is noteworthy that the significantly superior Japanese detachment failed to defeat the Russian cruiser. It sank not from the enemy’s combat influence, but was flooded by a decision officer council. The crews of “Varyag” and “Koreyets” managed to avoid the status of prisoners of war. Russian sailors were taken on board by the French, British and Italians in response to Rudnev's signal "I am in distress" as victims of a shipwreck.
Russian sailors were taken from Chemulpo by chartered ship. Having lost their uniforms in battle, many of them were dressed in French ones. Captain 1st Rank V.F. Rudnev thought about how his action would be accepted by the Tsar, the naval leadership and the Russian people. The answer to this question was not long in coming. Upon arrival at the port of Colombo, the commander of the Varyag received a telegram from Nicholas II, with which he greeted the crew of the cruiser and thanked them for their heroic feat. The telegram informed that Captain 1st Rank V.F. Rudnev was awarded the title of aide-de-camp. In Odessa, the “Varangians” were greeted as national heroes. A worthy welcome was prepared for them and they were given highest awards. The officers were awarded the Order of St. George, and the sailors were awarded the insignia of this order.
The heroes of the Varyag, led by the cruiser commander V.F. Rudnev in Odessa. April 6, 1904
The further journey of the “Varangians” to St. Petersburg was accompanied by general rejoicing and stormy applause from the people who met their train along the route. In large cities, the train with heroes was greeted with rallies. They were presented with gifts and all kinds of treats. In St. Petersburg, the train with the sailors of the “Varyag” and “Koreyets” was personally met by Admiral General Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich, who told them that the Sovereign himself was inviting them to the Winter Palace. The procession of sailors from the station to the palace, which caused an unprecedented stir among St. Petersburg residents, turned into a real celebration of the Russian spirit and patriotism. In the Winter Palace, the crews were invited to a ceremonial breakfast, each participant of which was presented with cutlery in memory.
When Japanese engineers examined the Varyag at the bottom of Chemulpo Bay, they came to a disappointing conclusion: design flaws, coupled with significant battle damage, made raising the ship and repairing it economically unprofitable. However, the Japanese nevertheless went through an expensive procedure, raised, repaired and commissioned the cruiser as a training ship under the name Soya.
Lifting of the cruiser "Varyag" by the Japanese
At the height of the First World War, when the Russian Empire was in dire need of warships, after lengthy negotiations, the cruiser was bought from Japan for a lot of money. Under his native name, he joined the Russian fleet. The technical condition of the Varyag was depressing. Right shaft propeller was bent, causing the housing to be subject to severe vibration. The ship's speed did not exceed 12 knots, and its artillery consisted of only a few small-caliber guns of an outdated type. In the cruiser's wardroom there hung a portrait of Captain 1st Rank Rudnev, and in the sailor's quarters, at the initiative of the crew, a bas-relief depicting a battle scene in Chemulpo was placed.
In March 1917, the cruiser received orders to sail from Vladivostok to Murmansk via the Suez Canal. This campaign was very difficult for 12 officers and 350 sailors under the command of Captain 1st Rank Falk. In the Indian Ocean, during a storm, a leak opened in a coal pit, which the crew continuously struggled with. In the Mediterranean Sea, the ship's roll reached alarming levels, and the ship had to be repaired in one of the ports. In June 1917, the ship arrived in Murmansk, where it was supposed to strengthen the Arctic Ocean flotilla.
The cruiser's condition was so serious that immediately upon arrival in Murmansk, the naval command sent it to the English port of Liverpool to undergo major repairs. Taking advantage of the political confusion in Russia, the British refused to repair the ship. They forcibly took most of the Varyag crew to the United States. When after October revolution The few Russian sailors left on the cruiser for security tried to raise the flag of the Soviet Republic on it; they were arrested, and the cruiser was declared the property of the British Navy.
While en route to the dismantling site in the Irish Sea, the long-suffering cruiser ran aground. Attempts to remove it from the coastal rocks were unsuccessful. The legendary ship found its final resting place 50 meters from the shore in the small town of Landalfoot in the Scottish county of South Ayrshire.
Immediately after the historical battle in Chemulpo, many people appeared who wanted to perpetuate the name “Varyag” in the names of ships and vessels. This is how at least 20 “Varyags” appeared, which during the Civil War were noted for their participation in hostilities on both the side of the Whites and the Reds. However, by the beginning of the 1930s there were no ships with that name left. Years of oblivion have come.
The feat of the “Varangians” was remembered during the Great Patriotic War. Military newspapers glorified the battle of the patrol ship "Tuman", saying that its sailors accepted death to the song about the "Varyag". The icebreaking steamer "Sibiryakov" received the unofficial nickname of the "polar Varyag", and the boat Shch-408 - the "underwater Varyag". Immediately after the end of the war, a film was made about the cruiser "Varyag", in which its role was played by an equally famous ship - the cruiser "Aurora".
The 50th anniversary of the battle in Chemulpo Bay was celebrated on a grand scale. Historians managed to find many sailors who participated in those memorable events. In cities Soviet Union Several monuments dedicated to the historical battle appeared. Veterans of “Varyag” and “Koreyets” were assigned personal pensions, and from the hands of the Commander-in-Chief of the USSR Navy they received medals “For Courage”.
The leadership of the Soviet fleet decided to return the well-deserved name “to service.” “Varyag” was the name given to the Project 58 missile cruiser under construction. This guards ship was destined for a long, interesting service. He happened to pass the Northern By sea. During its 25 years of service, it was recognized 12 times as an excellent ship of the USSR Navy. No one before or since has managed to hold this title for 5 years in a row.
Project 58 missile cruiser "Varyag"
After the Varyag missile cruiser was decommissioned, it was decided to transfer this name to an aircraft-carrying cruiser being built in Nikolaev. However, political upheavals again interfered with the fate of the Varyag. Due to the collapse of the USSR, it was never completed. The well-deserved name was transferred to the missile cruiser of the Russian Pacific Fleet of Project 1164. This ship is still in service to this day, providing an invisible connection between generations of Russian sailors with its daily military labor.
Missile cruiser "Varyag" project 1164
The battle of the cruiser “Varyag” is inscribed in the history of the Russian fleet in golden letters. It was reflected not only in the names of subsequent ships, but also in many works of art. A monument to V.F. was erected in Tula. Rudnev with a bas-relief depicting the battle in Chemulpo. The Russian people composed many songs about “Varyag”. Artists, filmmakers, and publicists turned to the history of “Varyag”. The battle of a cruiser is in demand by creative people because it represents an example of unparalleled courage and loyalty to the Fatherland. Russian museums cherish the memory of the “Varyag” with special care. After the death of Captain 1st Rank Rudnev, his family donated the commander’s unique materials for storage to museums in Sevastopol and Leningrad. Many artifacts related to the battle in Chemulpo are kept in the Central Naval Museum.
It is not for nothing that they say that a war is not over until its last participant is buried. The situation when the legendary Russian cruiser lay forgotten by everyone on the coastal rocks of Scotland was unbearable for people who were not indifferent to the fate of the Russian fleet. In 2003, a Russian expedition examined the site of the sinking of the Varyag. A memorial plaque was installed on the Scottish coast, and in Russia, fundraising began for the installation of a memorial to the legendary Russian ship.
On September 8, 2007, a solemn opening ceremony of the memorial to the cruiser “Varyag” took place in the town of Lendelfoot. This monument became the first monument to Russian military glory on the territory of the United Kingdom. Its components were a bronze cross, a three-ton anchor and an anchor chain. Capsules with soil from places dear to the Varyag sailors were placed at the base of the cross: Tula, Kronstadt, Vladivostok... It is noteworthy that the memorial project was chosen on a competitive basis, and Sergei Stakhanov, a student of the Nakhimov Naval School, won this competition. The young sailor was given the honorable right to tear off the white sheet from the majestic monument. To the sounds of a song about the cruiser “Varyag”, sailors of the large anti-submarine ship “Severomorsk” of the Northern Fleet marched past the monument in a solemn march.
More than a century after the battle of the Varyag in Chemulpo Bay, the memory of this event continues to live. The eastern borders of Russia are guarded by the modern missile cruiser Varyag. The memorial to the cruiser is included in all Scottish guidebooks. Exhibits related to the cruiser occupy pride of place in museum exhibitions. However, the main thing is that the memory of the heroic cruiser continues to live in the hearts of the Russian people. The cruiser "Varyag" has become an integral part of the history of our country. Now, when Russia is on the path of understanding its history and searching for a national idea, the unprecedented feat of the Varyag sailors is in demand more than ever.
Major Vladimir Pryamitsyn,
Deputy Head of the Research Department
Institute (military history) VAGSh RF Armed Forces,
candidate of military sciences
