Back to top Russo-Japanese War the armored cruiser "Varyag" and the gunboat "Koreets" were as "stationaries" in the Korean port of Chemulpo (now a sea suburb of Seoul). "Stationaries" were then called warships stationed in foreign harbors to support their diplomatic missions.

Already in Korea for a long time was still going political struggle Russia and Japan for influence. The Korean king, fearing the Japanese, hid in the house of the Russian ambassador. The cruiser "Varyag" and the gunboat "Koreets" in these conditions guaranteed the forceful support of our embassy in case of any provocations. At that time, this was a common practice: in the port of Chemulpo, next to our ships, there were warships - "stationaries" of England, France, the USA and Italy, protecting their embassies.

On February 6, 1904, Japan severed diplomatic relations with Russia. Two days later, the gunboat "Koreets", which left Chemulpo to deliver a report from the embassy to Port Arthur, was attacked by Japanese destroyers. They fired two torpedoes at her, but missed. The "Korean" returned to a neutral port with the news of the approach of an enemy squadron.

So, our two ships, "Korean" and "Varyag", were "locked" in this port, and on the morning of January 27, the Japanese sent Rudnev such an ultimatum:

"His Imperial Majesty ship "Naniva",

The eldest of the Russian officers.

Sir.

In view of the current hostile activities 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 most obedient servant.

S. Uriu. Rear Admiral Commanding a Squadron of the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Rudnev read the letter several times, looked at his watch. Half past ten. The letter was dated yesterday. It is difficult to assume that Uriu would not be able to deliver it to the Varyag earlier, as to other foreign ships on the roadstead in Chemulpo. Late the evening before, similar notices were given to the senior officers of the British warship Talbot, the French cruiser Pascal, the Italian Elba, and the American Vicksburg. There was no doubt that if foreign warships had not been in this port, the Varyag would have been attacked without any warning. Only because of the fear of causing damage to foreign ships in a neutral port, Uriu did not dare to attack the Varyag.

To the credit of the commanders of the three foreign ships, they expressed a written protest to the commander Japanese squadron:

“Soto Kichi Uriu, Rear Admiral Commander of the Squadron of the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Sir.

We, the undersigned, commanders of three neutral warships of England, France and Italy, having learned from the letter received from you dated January 26 about the attack by you of the Russian warships moored at the Chemulpo roadstead at 4 p.m. today, have the honor to draw your attention to the following circumstance. We recognize that, since the port of Chemulpo is neutral on the basis of generally recognized provisions of international law, no nation has the right to attack the ships of other nations located in this port, and the power that transgresses this law is fully responsible for any harm caused life or property in that port. Therefore, in this letter, we vigorously protest against such a violation of neutrality and will be glad to hear your opinion on this subject.

Bailey, Commander of His Majesty's HMS Talbot.

Borea, commander of the Elba.

Senes, commander of the Pascal ship.

However, only the signature of the commander of the American Vicksburg, Captain Second Rank Marshall, is not under this letter. When it suits US interests, Americans always insist on talking about international law when it is not profitable, they remain silent.

Meanwhile, Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev announced an ultimatum to the crew with the words: “The challenge is more than audacious, but I accept it. I do not shy away from combat, although I do not have an official report of the war from my government. I am sure of one thing: the Varyag and Koreyets teams will fight to the last drop of blood, showing everyone an example of fearlessness in battle and contempt for death. Midshipman Padalko answered for the whole team: “All of us, both the Varyag and the Korean, will defend our native Andreev flag, its glory, honor and dignity, realizing that the whole world is watching us.”

The captain of the Varyag, Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev, decided to break through with a fight to Port Arthur, and in case of failure, blow up the ships. The captain turned to the team: “Of course, we are going for a breakthrough and will engage in battle with the squadron, no matter how strong it is. There can be no questions about surrender - we will not surrender the cruiser and ourselves and will fight to the last opportunity and to the last drop of blood. Perform each of your duties accurately, calmly, without haste.

On February 9, 1904, at 11 am, Russian ships left the port to meet the enemy. At noon, the Varyag sounded the alarm and raised the battle flag.

"Varyag" and "Korean"

Cruiser "Varyag"

Our sailors were opposed by superior enemy forces - 6 cruisers and 8 destroyers. Later, military experts and historians calculated that the weight of a volley (the weight of shells fired at once by all the ship's guns) of the Japanese cruisers was almost 4 times greater than the weight of the volley of the Varyag and the Korean. In addition, part of the Japanese cruisers had better armor and speed, and the old guns of the slow-moving "Korean" had a shorter range and rate of fire compared to guns of a similar caliber on Japanese ships.

At 12:20 the Japanese opened fire on our ships. After 2 minutes, Varyag and Koreets returned fire. In total, our ships had 21 guns with a caliber of 75 mm or more, compared to 90 similar Japanese calibers.

Superiority in forces immediately affected the course of the battle. The Japanese literally bombarded the Varyag with heavy shells. Already 18 minutes after the opening of fire, a 152-mm projectile from the Asama armored cruiser, hitting the right wing of the Varyag's front bridge, destroyed the front rangefinder and caused a fire. The loss of the rangefinder sharply reduced the ability of the Russian cruiser to conduct aimed fire.

The distance between the opponents was less than 5 km. In just 25 minutes of the battle, the Russian cruiser received a whole series of hits: one 203-mm shell hit it between the bow bridge and the pipe, 5-6 152-mm shells hit the bow and central part of the ship. The last was the hit of a 203-mm projectile in the stern of the Varyag.

As it turned out after the battle, fires caused by enemy shells damaged a sixth of the ship. Of the 570 people of the Varyag team, 1 officer and 22 sailors were killed directly during the battle. After the battle, 10 more people died from their wounds within a few days. 27 people were seriously injured, "less seriously injured" - the commander of the cruiser Rudnev himself, two officers and 55 sailors. More than a hundred people were slightly injured by small fragments.

"Varangian" concentrated fire on "Asama". The commander of the Asama was only amazed at the number of shots from the guns of the Russian cruiser and the speed with which they were fired.

Soon, the artillery of the cruiser Chiyoda began to "work" on the "Korean". The Japanese were sure that this fire was more than enough to send a small Russian gunboat along with the sailors to the "realm of shadows", therefore special attention no more was given to her. The "Korean" took advantage of this attitude and inflicted serious damage on the Japanese squadron.

Did not waste time and "Varyag". Within an hour, he fired 1105 shells at the Japanese, as a result of which a fire started on the Asama, the captain's bridge collapsed and the ship's commander was killed.

The Akashi cruiser received such an impressive blow that it was then repaired for more than a year. Two other cruisers received no less severe damage. One of the destroyers, having received a portion of Russian metal, sank during the battle, and the other - on the way to the port of Sasebo. AT total the Japanese brought ashore thirty dead and two hundred wounded, not counting those who perished with their ships. The enemy could neither sink nor capture the Russian ships. Yes, it was a victory for the Russian fleet! But at what a terrible cost! The mutilated Russian ships reached the port with great difficulty.

Captain Senes recalls, who climbed onto the deck of the Varyag immediately after the battle: “I will never forget the amazing sight that presented itself to me. The deck is covered in blood, corpses and body parts are everywhere. Nothing escaped destruction."

Indeed, almost everything was destroyed. Of the 36 guns, only seven remained more or less intact. Found four huge holes.

The most serious damage was the destruction of the highway, in which all the steering gears passed. This made the ship almost uncontrollable. Of the crew on the upper deck, 31 sailors were killed and 86 were injured.

Captain Rudnev received severe wound to the head. In order to prevent the capture of unarmed ships by the Japanese, it was decided to blow up the gunboat "Koreets", and kingstones were opened on the "Varyag".

The surviving Russian heroes were placed on foreign ships. The English "Talbot" took on board 242 people, the Italian ship took 179 Russian sailors, the rest were placed on board the French "Pascal".

The American ship did not accept the wounded.

The surviving officers and sailors from the "Varyag" and "Korean" returned to Russia through neutral countries. The remains of the Russian sailors who died in that battle were transferred to Vladivostok in 1911 and buried in mass grave at the Sea Cemetery of the city.

The battle of the Varyag with the superior forces of the Japanese squadron was later assessed differently by military experts, speculative theories were put forward more than once that the enemy could have been inflicted more damage. But public opinion not only in Russia, but also in European countries immediately highly appreciated the feat of Russian sailors, who boldly moved into a hopeless battle.

Thus, the Austrian poet Rudolf Greinz, previously distant from Russia, and even more so from Far East shortly after learning about heroic battle Russian cruiser, impressed by the courage of the Varyag team, wrote a song that immediately became, as they would say today, a “hit” and a “hit”:

Auf Deck, Kameraden, all' auf Deck!

Heraus zur letzten Parade!

Der stolze Warjag ergibt sich nicht,

Wir brauchen keine Gnade!

Already in April 1904, Der Warjag was translated into Russian, and to this day these words are known to almost everyone in our country:

Up, comrades, all in their places!

last parade is coming!

Our proud Varyag does not surrender to the enemy,

Nobody wants mercy!

P.S. The Varyag was raised by the Japanese on July 26, 1905, repaired and in 1907, under the name Soya, was included in their fleet as a training cruiser.

It was redeemed by Russia from Japan in March 1916 for the S.L.O. flotilla, with the return of its former name.

In December 1916 he arrived in Murmansk. At that time, the Varyag could reach a speed of 10 knots, had armament: 12-152 / 45 mm. and 4-76/40 mm. guns, 4 7.62 mm. machine gun,

6 surface torpedo tubes of caliber 381 mm., 35 min.

At the end of 1919 it was sold for scrap. While being towed to a dismantling site, the metal hit rocks near the town of Lendalfoot in the Irish Sea and was then destroyed by a violent storm.

Dismantled by divers in parts in 1924-1925.

P.P.S.. The feat of the sailors of the cruiser was not forgotten. In 1954, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the battle at Chemulpo, Commander-in-Chief of the USSR Navy N.G. Kuznetsov personally awarded 15 veterans with medals "For Courage".

On August 9, 1992, a monument was unveiled to the commander of the cruiser V.F. Rudnev in the village of Savine (Zaoksky district Tula region), where he was buried after his death in 1913.

In the summer of 1997, a monument to the cruiser Varyag was erected in Vladivostok.

Sources:

Preparing for war with Russia, Japan had first of all and at any cost to gain dominance at sea. Without this, all her further struggle with her mighty northern neighbor became absolutely meaningless. A small island empire, deprived of mineral resources, would not only not be able to transfer troops and reinforcements to the battlefields in Manchuria, but would not be able to protect its own naval bases and ports from being bombed by Russian ships, could not even ensure normal navigation, and the work of the entire Japanese industry depended on the regular and uninterrupted delivery of goods. The Japanese could protect themselves from a very real threat from the Russian fleet only by inflicting a preemptive, unexpected strike on the places where enemy ships were concentrated. Such strikes, even before the official declaration of war, began hostilities in the Sea of ​​Japan.

On the night of January 27, 1904, 10 Japanese destroyers suddenly attacked the Russian squadron of Vice Admiral Stark, stationed on the outer roads of Port Arthur and torpedoed the battleships Retvisan and Tsesarevich, as well as the cruiser Pallada. The damaged ships were out of action for a long time, providing Japan with a tangible superiority in forces.

The second blow of the enemy was inflicted on the armored cruiser "Varyag" (commanded by Captain 1st Rank Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev) and the gunboat "Koreets" (commander Captain 2nd Rank Grigory Pavlovich Belyaev) located in the Korean port of Chemul. Against two Russian ships, the Japanese threw a whole squadron of Rear Admiral Sotokichi Uriu, which included a heavy armored cruiser"Asama", 5 armored cruisers("Tieda", "Naniva", "Niitaka", "Takatiho" and "Akashi"), the advice note "Chihaya" and 7 destroyers.

On the morning of January 27, the Japanese issued an ultimatum to the commanders of Russian ships demanding that they leave the neutral port by 12 noon, threatening to attack the Varyag and Koreets right in the roadstead if they refused. The commanders of the French cruiser Pascal, the English Talbot, the Italian Elba, and the American gunboat Vicksburg, who were in Chemulpo, received a Japanese notification of the upcoming attack of his squadron on Russian ships the day before. Their protest against the violation of the neutral status of the port of Chemulpo by the commander of the Japanese squadron was not taken into account. The commanders of the ships of the international squadron did not intend to protect the Russians by force of arms, and informed V.F. Rudnev, who answered bitterly: “So my ship is a piece of meat thrown to the dogs? Well, they will impose a fight on me - I will accept it. I'm not going to give up, no matter how big the Japanese squadron is." Returning to the Varyag, he announced to the team. "The challenge is more than bold, but I accept it. I do not shy away from the battle, although I do not have an official report on the war from my government. I am sure of one thing: the Varyag and Koreets teams will fight to the last drop of blood, showing everyone an example of fearlessness in battle and contempt for death."

At 11 o'clock. 20 minutes. the cruiser "Varyag" and the gunboat "Koreets" raised anchors and headed for the exit from the roadstead. The Japanese squadron guarded the Russians at southern tip Phillip Islands. Closest to the exit from the raid was "Asama", and it was from her that the "Varangian" and "Korean" who were going towards them were found. Admiral Uriu ordered the anchor chains to be riveted, as there was no time to raise and clean the anchors. The ships began to hastily stretch out onto the stretch, reorganizing themselves into battle columns on the move, according to the disposition received the day before.

When Russian ships were found on the masts of the Naniva, signal flags were raised with a proposal to surrender without a fight. But Rudnev decided not to answer the signal and went to approach the enemy squadron. "Korean" was a little to the left of "Varyag".

At a distance of 10 miles from Chemulpo, a battle took place near the island of Yodolmi, which lasted about 1 hour. The Japanese cruisers moved in a converging course, pressing the Russian ships to the shallows. At 11 o'clock. 44 min. on the masts of the flagship "Naniva" a signal was raised to open fire. A minute later, the Asama armored cruiser began firing from the bow turret guns.

The first volley lay ahead of the Varyag with a short flight. To the surprise of the Russians, the Japanese shells exploded even on impact with the water, raising huge columns of water and puffs of black smoke.

"Varyag" and "Korean" returned fire. True, the very first volleys from the gunboat gave a large undershot, and in the future, the Russian cruiser fought an artillery duel with the enemy almost alone. Meanwhile, the density of fire from the enemy increased: the ships of the second group entered the battle. The Russian cruiser was completely hidden behind huge water columns, which, with a roar, now and then took off to the level of combat mars. The superstructures and the deck were doused with a hail of fragments. Despite the loss of life, the Varyag energetically responded to the enemy with frequent fire. main goal his gunners became "Asama", which soon managed to put him out of action. Then an enemy destroyer went on the attack on the cruiser, but the very first salvo from the Varyag sent it to the bottom.

However, Japanese shells continued to torment the Russian ship. At 12 o'clock. 12 min. on the surviving halyards of the foremast of the cruiser, the signal "P" ("Peace") was raised, which meant "I'm turning right." This was followed by several events that hastened the tragic denouement of the battle. First, an enemy shell broke the pipe in which all the steering gears were laid. As a result, the uncontrolled ship moved to the rocks of Yodolmi Island. Almost simultaneously, another shell exploded between Baranovsky's landing gun and the foremast. At the same time, the entire crew of gun No. 35 was killed. Fragments flew into the passage of the conning tower, mortally wounding the bugler and drummer; the cruiser commander escaped with a slight wound and shell shock. Further control of the ship had to be transferred to the aft steering compartment.

Suddenly there was a rattle, and the ship shuddered to a stop. In the conning tower, instantly assessing the situation, they gave the car the fullest back, but it was too late. Now the Varyag, which turned to the enemy with its left side, was a stationary target. The Japanese commander, noticing the plight of the Russians, raised the signal "Everyone turn to approach the enemy." The ships of all groups lay down on a new course, simultaneously firing from bow guns.

The Varyag's position seemed hopeless. The enemy was rapidly approaching, and the cruiser sitting on the rocks could not do anything. It was at this time that he received the most severe injuries. A large-caliber shell, breaking through the side under water, exploded in coal pit No. 10, at 12.30 an eight-inch shell exploded in coal pit No. 12. Water began to rise to the fireboxes, the crew immediately began to pump it out with all available means. Under enemy fire, emergency parties began to bring patches under these holes. And here a miracle happened: the cruiser itself, as if unwillingly, slid aground and reversed away from dangerous place. No longer tempting fate, Rudnev ordered to lie down on the return course.

However, the situation was still very difficult. Although the water was pumped out by all means, the Varyag continued to roll to the port side, and a hail of enemy shells showered it. But, to the surprise of the Japanese, the Varyag, having increased its speed, confidently left in the direction of the raid. Due to the narrowness of the fairway, only the Asama and Chiyoda cruisers could pursue the Russians. “Soon, the Japanese had to cease fire, as their shells began to fall near the ships of the international squadron. The Italian cruiser Elba even had to go deep into the raid because of this. At 12.45 the Russian ships also ceased fire. The fight is over.

In total, during the battle, the Varyag fired 1105 shells: 425 152-mm, 470 75-mm and 210 47-mm. In the surviving Varyag logbook, it is noted that its gunners managed to sink an enemy destroyer and inflict serious damage on 2 Japanese cruisers. According to foreign observers, after the battle, the Japanese buried 30 dead in A-san Bay and had more than 200 wounded on their ships. According to an official document (a sanitary report for the war), the losses of the Varyag crew amounted to 130 people - 33 killed and 97 wounded. In total, 12-14 large high-explosive shells hit the cruiser ..

Rudnev, on a French boat, went to the English cruiser Talbot to arrange for the transportation of the crew of the Varyag to foreign ships and report on the alleged destruction of the cruiser right on the roadstead. Bailey, the commander of the Talbot, objected to the explosion of the Varyag, motivating his opinion by the large crowding of ships in the roadstead. At 13 o'clock. 50 min. Rudnev returned to the Varyag. Hastily gathering nearby officers, he informed them of his intention and obtained their support. They immediately began transporting the wounded, and then the entire crew, to foreign ships. At 15 o'clock. 15 minutes. the commander of the "Varyag" sent midshipman V. Balka to the "Korean". G.P. Belyaev immediately gathered a military council, at which the officers decided: “The upcoming battle in half an hour is not equal, it will cause unnecessary bloodshed ... without harming the enemy, and therefore it is necessary ... to blow up the boat ... ". The crew of the "Korean" switched to the French cruiser "Pascal". At 15 o'clock. 50 min. Rudnev with the senior boatswain, bypassing the ship and making sure that no one was left on it, got off it together with the owners of the hold compartments, who opened the kingstones and flood valves. At 16 o'clock. 05 min. "Korean" exploded, at 18 o'clock. 10 min. lay down on the port side and disappeared under the water "Varyag", at 20 o'clock. The ship "Sungari" was blown up.

Japan formally declared war on Russia only on January 28 (February 10), 1904. Having blocked the Russian fleet on the Port Arthur roadstead, the Japanese landed their troops in Korea and on the Liaodong Peninsula, which advanced to the border of Manchuria and, at the same time, began to lay siege to Port - Arthur with sushi. For Russia, a big problem was the remoteness of the theater of operations from its main territory. - The concentration of troops was slow, due to the incomplete construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway. With the numerical superiority of its armed forces, equipped with the most modern designs military equipment, the Japanese inflicted a number of heavy defeats on the Russian troops.

On April 18 (May 1), 1904, the first big fight between Russian and Japanese troops on the river. Yalu (Chinese name Yalujiang, Korean name - Amnokkan). Eastern Detachment of the Russian Manchurian army under the command of Major General M.I. Zasulich, having lost Gen. T. Kuroki more than 2 thousand people. killed and wounded, 21 guns and all 8 machine guns were forced to retreat to the passes of the Fyn-Shuilinsky ridge.

On May 13 (26), 1904, units of the 2nd Japanese Army, General. Ya. Oku captured the city of Jinzhou, cutting off the garrison of Port Arthur from the Russian Manchurian army. To assist the besieged Port Arthur, the 1st Siberian Corps of Gen. I.I. Stackelberg. On June 1-2 (13-14), 1904, his troops entered into battle with units of the 2nd Japanese Army near the Wafangou station. As a result of a two-day stubborn battle, the troops of General Oku, who had a significant superiority in infantry and artillery, began to bypass the right flank of the corps of General Stackelberg and forced him to retreat to join the main forces of the Russian army (in Pasichao). The main formations of the 2nd Japanese Army launched an offensive against Liaoyang. For the siege of Port Arthur, the 3rd Japanese Army was formed under the command of General M. Noga.

The Japanese offensive against Liaoyang, launched in July 1904, forced the Russian command to engage them in battle. August 11 (24) - August 21 (September 3), 1904, the battle of Liaoyang took place. Started successfully for the Russian troops, it, due to the erroneous actions of the gene. A.N. Kuropatkin, ended with the defeat of his army, forced to retreat to the city of Mukden. Russian troops lost 16 thousand people in this 11-day battle, Japanese - 24 thousand people.

The arrival of new troops replenished the Manchurian army, whose strength by the autumn of 1904 reached 214 thousand people. Having a numerical superiority over the enemy (170 thousand people), part of whose troops were distracted by the ongoing siege of Port Arthur, the Russian command decided to go on the offensive. September 22 (October 5) - October 4 (17), 1904 on the Shahe River happened oncoming battle Russian and Japanese armies, which ended in vain for both sides. For the first time in the entire war, opponents who suffered heavy losses (the Russians - over 40 thousand people, the Japanese - 20 thousand people) were forced to switch to positional military operations. However, the stabilization of the front line on the river. Shahe had disastrous consequences for the besieged Port Arthur. After the capture by the Japanese of Mount High, a key point of the Russian defense, and the destruction of the squadron stationed in the inner roadstead by the fire of their batteries, the commandant of the Kwantung Fortified Region, Gen. A.M. On December 20, 1904 (January 2, 1905), Stessel signed an agreement with representatives of the Japanese command on the surrender of the fortress and the surrender of the Port Arthur garrison.

On the Manchurian front, a new and largest clash between the Russian and Japanese armies in the entire war took place near Mukden on February 6 (19) - February 25 (March 10). The Russian army, having suffered a heavy defeat, retreated to the city of Telin. Losses Russian troops in this battle reached 89 thousand people. killed, wounded and captured. The Japanese lost 71 thousand people killed and wounded, which turned out to be very large for the army of a small island state, whose government soon after this victory was forced to agree to the beginning peace talks with Russia through the mediation of US President T. Roosevelt. Another consequence of the Mukden defeat was the resignation of Gen. A.N. Kuropatkin from the post of commander-in-chief of the armed forces in the Far East. He was succeeded by Gen. N.P. Linevich. The new commander-in-chief refused active actions, being engaged only in engineering support of the Sypingai positions 175 km away. sowing Mukden. The Russian army remained on them until the end of the war

At sea, the last hopes of the Russian command perished after the rout. in the Tsushima Strait by the Japanese fleet of Admiral H. Togo of the Russian squadron of Vice Admiral Z.P. Rozhdestvensky, directed from Baltic Sea on the Pacific Ocean(14-15 (27-28) May 1905).

During the hostilities, Russia lost approx. 270 thousand people, incl. OK. 50 thousand people - killed, Japan - also approx. 270 thousand people, but approx. 86 thousand people

Aviso is a small warship used for messenger service.

Only the commander of the American Vicksburg, Captain 2nd Rank Marshall, did not join the protest of the commanders of foreign ships.

"Varyag" was flooded at a shallow depth - at low tide the ship was exposed almost to the diametrical plane by 4 m. The Japanese decided to take possession of it and began lifting work. In 1905 "Varyag". was raised and sent to Sasebo. There, the cruiser was repaired and then commissioned by the squadron of Vice Admiral Uriu under the name "Soya", but on the stern, under Japanese hieroglyphs, by the decision of Emperor Mutsuhito, an inscription was left in golden Slavic script - "Varyag". On March 22, 1916, Russia bought out its famous cruiser, which was returned former name. In 1917, the ship was under repair in the UK and after October revolution was sold for scrap. However, fate and the sea were against such an end of the Varyag - in 1922, during his last campaign, he sank off the coast of Scotland, 60 miles south of Glasgow.

V.A. Volkov

A.V. Borodin, Leading Editor of the Institute of History, Archeology and Ethnography of the Peoples of the Far East, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Colonel, veteran of the Pacific Fleet

... The cold December waves, cut by the stem of the "Varyag", obediently flowed around its sides. In the engine room, giant pistons scurried down and up, to the height of a three-story building. The watch shift of the machinists worked dexterously, the rest slept in a sound peasant sleep ...

The commander of the cruiser Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev, one of the brilliant Russians naval officers, stood on the bridge, peering intently into the winter damp haze. And even through it, the ship's commander could distinguish the border between the black December sea and the same black, alien sky. Thirty nautical years taught Rudnev this art.

Directly on the course in the darkness, the outlines of the island of Iodolmi began to emerge: these were sea ​​gate into the bay of the Korean port of Chemulpo ... The dawn of one of last days 1903. For Russia, for its sailors, it was the last peaceful year. The air smelled of an impending military storm.

Does it promise something to the Fatherland? And is it really necessary at such a time for the latest fast cruiser settle in a minor foreign port? And the tasks assigned to the ship were somehow secondary: to maintain contact between Port Arthur, where the squadron was based, and the Russian envoy in Seoul, and also to collect information about the military preparations of the Japanese.

Were such tasks on the eve of hostilities supposed to be solved by a cruiser that had entered service only two years before? A seven thousand-ton ship, the speed of which reached almost 25 knots; a ship armed with 12 guns of 152 and 75 mm caliber, 10 smaller guns and 6 torpedo tubes. Should the command have set such tasks for the perfectly trained crew of the Varyag, which numbered 550 sailors, conductors, non-commissioned officers and 20 officers - excellent naval specialists !?

Probably not. The Russian command should have disposed of it in a completely different way, and then, probably, the fate of the cruiser would have turned out differently. However, as they say, although banal, but the truth - in history there is no subjunctive mood: if yes, if only ... And there is only what happened in reality.

But in reality ... On January 5, 1904, the gunboat "Koreets", commanded by Captain 2nd Rank G.P., came to Chemulpo from Port Arthur. Belyaev, and anchored not far from the Varyag. The "Korean" did not bring any instructions from Port Arthur. In the same place, in Chemulpo, there was a Russian steamship "Sungari", as well as English, French, Italian, American and Japanese ships. "Varangian", "Korean" now and then reached different kind rumors. "I heard about the breakup of our diplomatic relations with Japan. Can you confirm or refute this?" - V.F. Rudnev asked the Russian envoy in Seoul Pavlov on the twentieth of January. The envoy replied: "Rumors about a break in relations are being spread by local private individuals. No reliable confirmation of these rumors has been received.

It remained to be in the dark and helplessly wait. Rudnev, as an executive officer, collected data: "The Japanese built warehouses of rice and barley for a million poods ... They unloaded 100 boxes of cartridges ... 3616 tons of rice were sent from Chemulpo to Seoul, 1816 - coal. Nobody comes back..."

The wait was becoming unbearable. Japan's frank preparation for war, for the occupation of Korea could be seen in Chemulpo, as they say, with the naked eye. The Japanese seized a telegraph in the port, the actions of Russian sailors were constantly monitored by Japanese spies. On the night of January 26, 1904, the Japanese cruiser Chiyoda secretly set off from the raid. He left with the lights out, under the cover of the night fog.

In such an environment, "Varyag" and "Korean" had to urgently leave Chemulpo and head to Port Arthur to join the Russian squadron. But the order of the royal governor demanded: "In no case should you leave Chemulpo without an order, which will be transmitted in one way or another." But there was still no connection with Port Arthur. Then V.F. Rudnev summoned Belyaev, the commander of the Korean gunboat, and ordered him to urgently get ready for a campaign in Port Arthur. Half an hour later, the "Korean" went to sea.

It was a quiet, slightly hazy frosty weather. Slowly turning around, the gunboat passed near the side of the Varyag, and then, passing the foreign cruisers, advanced to the roadstead.

Japanese ships are ahead ahead, - the signalman reported to the commander. And then he continued: - To the left on a parallel course are four of their own destroyers.

How many of them are there? - asked the captain of the 2nd rank Belyaev.

There are six cruisers to the northwest, led by the armored cruiser Asama, one of the officers on the bridge answered.

And in the south there are still six destroyers that are moving closer to us.

Having approached the Japanese squadron, the "Korean" wanted to leave it aside. However, the Japanese destroyers evaded to the left, and the cruisers to the right, and the gunboat ended up between two wake columns of Japanese ships. The Russian sailors could clearly see how the Japanese brought guns and mine vehicles into combat position. The armored cruiser "Asama" with a displacement of nine thousand tons, went out of order, blocked the way for the Russian ship. Onboard guns aimed their barrels at the "Korean", at the same time the Japanese raised signal flags.

"Go back to the port," the signalman dismantled the flag semaphore.

Stop! Belyaev commanded into the car. And immediately turned to standing nearby with him excited officers: - What are we going to do, gentlemen?

To join the battle is pure madness, in three minutes we will be at the bottom, - such was the general opinion. And in fact, what could "Korean" oppose to the Japanese squadron? This gunboat entered service in 1888. Its displacement was 1334 tons, the speed reached only 13 knots. The Korean was armed with two 203 mm guns and one 152 mm gun. The gunboat had several more relatively small-caliber guns. The crew consisted of 11 officers and 168 sailors.

Mindful of Rudnev's instructions not to get involved in the battle, Belyaev gave the command to lie down on the return course. A few minutes later, turning around, "Korean" at full speed headed back to Chemulpo.

Following the Russian gunboat, 4 Japanese destroyer and surrounded the Russian ships. After some time, the Japanese, flouting the norms of international law, landed neutral country(and that was then Korea) their landing force, consisting of 3 thousand people. On the morning of January 27, 1904, the Japanese ships left the raid. Before leaving, the commander of the Japanese squadron, Rear Admiral S. Uriu, sent an ultimatum to the Varyag, demanding, under the threat of opening fire, the immediate exit of the Russian cruiser and gunboats from the port. Here is what was said in the ultimatum of the Japanese Rear Admiral:

To the commander of the cruiser Varyag of the Imperial Russian Navy.

Sir! In view of the outbreak of hostilities between Japan and Russia, I have the honor to most respectfully ask you to leave, with all ships under your command, the port of Chemulpo before noon on January 27, 1904. Otherwise, I will attack you in port.

I have the honor to be your most respectful servant.

S. URIO,
Rear Admiral of the Imperial Japanese Navy and commander of the Japanese squadron on the raid in Chemulpo.

On the same January morning, the commanders of the English cruiser Talbot, the French cruiser Pascal, the Italian cruiser Elba, and the American gunboat Vicksburg, which were in port, gathered on board the English ship. At their invitation, the commander of the Varyag also arrived on the Talbot. At this international naval council, the commanders of the ships signed a protest against the actions of Uriu and the Japanese squadron. As soon as the official part of the meeting was over, all the foreigners began to talk with each other, trying both to show support for the "Varyag" and to find out what the Russian sailor would do.

I will make an attempt to break through and accept the battle with the Japanese squadron, no matter how great it is, - said V.F. Rudnev. - But I will never give up, just like fighting on a neutral raid.

You are a real brave man, monsieur! - exclaimed the expansive commander of the French cruiser Victor Seine. The rest of the commanders applauded in unison.

Returning to the Varyag, Captain 1st Rank Rudnev, at a large gathering, lined up the entire crew on the upper deck and addressed him with a short speech:

Of course, we are going for a breakthrough and will engage in battle with the squadron, no matter how strong it is, - the cruiser commander emphasized. - There can be no questions about surrender - we will not surrender either the cruiser or ourselves and will fight to the last opportunity and to the last drop of blood. Fulfill each duty accurately, calmly, without haste, especially gunners, remembering that each projectile must harm the enemy. In the event of a fire, extinguish it without publicity, letting me know ... The enemy is stronger, but not braver than us, and courage, as you know, takes cities. Let us now pray to God and boldly go to unequal fight for Faith, Tsar and Fatherland under the St. Andrew's flag. Hooray!

At 11:20 the Varyag weighed anchor and headed for the exit from the roadstead. The Korean was following the cruiser in one cable. The decks of the foreign ships in the bay were filled with their crews. Officers and sailors stood in line along the sides and enthusiastically "Hurrah!" welcomed the Russian sailors, marching to certain death. An eyewitness who was then on board the Italian cruiser wrote later in the Neapolitan newspaper Mattino:

"Varyag" walked ahead and seemed like a colossus who decided to commit suicide. On the bridge of the Varyag, its commander stood motionless and calm. Thunderous "Hurrah!" burst out of the chest of all the sailors and rolled around. On all ships, the orchestras played the Russian anthem, picked up by the crews, to which they answered on Russian ships with the same majestic anthem ... "

At the exit from the raid "Varangian" and "Korean" found a Japanese squadron. She walked - one armored cruiser, five cruisers and eight destroyers - across the path of two Russian ships. Rear Admiral S. Uriu, whose flag was flying on the cruiser "Naniva", raised a signal inviting the Russians to surrender. Rudnev did not answer. He, his sailors went into battle, defending the honor of the Russian flag. And, although the Japanese had a sevenfold superiority in ships and a fivefold superiority in the number of guns, on the Varyag and Koreets no one even thought about surrendering.

At 11:45 a.m. from a distance of 45-50 cables, the Asama cruiser fired a shot from the main battery gun. Following them, other ships of the Japanese squadron opened fire. On the "Varyag" and "Koreyets" the gunners stood ready at the ready with loaded guns.

... Here the starboard side of the "Varyag" was enveloped in powder smoke - this was the first volley of the cruiser at the enemy. The unequal battle has begun...

The rate of fire on both sides steadily increased. The sea around the "Varyag" seethed from the explosions of shells. Soon, several shells hit the cruiser one after another. Fragments of them, howling and whistling through the air, hit the sides, deck, and superstructures. One shell hit the upper bridge, destroyed the rangefinder post and caused a fire in the chart room. Another Japanese shell, exploding near the third gun, hit almost all of its gunners. But the surviving gunners, despite severe injuries, continued to fire.

All the gunners of the Varyag, remembering Rudnev's order, acted courageously and skillfully. From the well-aimed fire of the Russian artillerymen (and the sailors of the Koreets also supported the Varyag), the cruiser Chiyoda caught fire. Blazing from bow to stern, he began to hastily leave, take cover behind other ships. With precise hits, the artillerymen of the Varyag destroyed the aft bridge of the Asama, disabled its aft turret, and set it on fire.

Transfer fire to "Naniva!" Rudnev ordered. And a few minutes later, this Japanese flagship cruiser, engulfed in flames, also, following the Chiyoda, began to retreat. Immediately, with several well-aimed volleys, the Japanese destroyer, which went into a torpedo attack, was sunk, quickly sinking to the bottom.

At some point in the battle, the Japanese squadron, maneuvering, settled down in an arc, with its sides, as it were, clasping the Varyag. He was in the center of this arc. Taking advantage of this, Rear Admiral Uriu ordered all fire to be concentrated on the Russian cruiser. "Varyag" was literally bombarded with shells. The water near its sides boiled with incessant splashes. The ship was covered in smoke from numerous hits and fires.

On the "Varyag" more than half of the guns were disabled, the steering failed, water gushed into the ship through holes below the waterline. The cruiser tilted to the port side, which made it difficult to fire serviceable guns.

However, in this situation, all the sailors acted selflessly, bravely and skillfully. Helmsman G.P., wounded in the back. Snegirev, bleeding, continued to stand at the helm until the end of the battle. The orderly of the cruiser commander T.P. Chibisov, wounded in both hands, did not go to the infirmary, declaring that while he was alive, he would not leave his commander for a minute. The machinist S.D., who received several injuries, Krylov fed shells from the powder magazine until he lost consciousness ...

At some point in the battle, a rumor spread among the crew that the cruiser commander had been killed. Then Rudnev, to whom the signalman told about this rumor, as he was, without a cap, in a blood-stained uniform, ran out onto the bridge and shouted into a megaphone:

Brothers, I'm alive! Aim back!

The call of the commander inspired the team. From the remaining guns in the ranks, the gunners continued to fire at the enemy, although the entire deck of the cruiser was a twisted iron covered in blood. Seeing that the ship had largely lost its combat effectiveness, Rudnev decided to withdraw the cruiser from the fire zone and return to Chemulpo. The "Varangian" was followed by the "Korean".

The Japanese, despite the huge numerical superiority over the Russian ships, failed to sink them, let alone capture them. Captain 1st rank Rudnev had every reason to report to the command that "the ships of the detachment entrusted to me with dignity supported the honor Russian flag, exhausted all means of a breakthrough, did not allow the Japanese to win, inflicted many losses on the enemy and saved the remaining team.

Inspection of the ships in the roadstead showed that all the possibilities to fight further were exhausted. And Rudnev makes a decision, unanimously approved by the council of officers, to blow up the ships so that they do not fall into the hands of the enemy. January 27, 1904 at 4:30 p.m. The gunboat "Koreets" was blown up. Then, with tears in their eyes, the heroes of the Varyag left their ship. The cruiser commander was the last to leave him, carefully carrying in his hands a ship's flag. At 18:10 the crew scuttled their undefeated cruiser. Russian sailors switched to French and Italian cruisers and were later taken to Russia. All along the route home country to the capital of sailors-heroes were solemnly honored by compatriots ...

The sailors of the cruiser "Varyag" and the gunboat "Koreets" wrote the brightest page in the combat chronicle of the national navy, they became a kind of bitter glory to Russia, supporting it with unparalleled courage. The Russian people composed beautiful songs about their feat.

A monument to the fallen sailors of the Varyag was erected at the Marine Cemetery in Vladivostok. There is an inscription on it: "Centuries will pass, and new generations of Russian sailors will proudly carry in their hearts the bright memory of those who, in a terrible hour for the Fatherland, did not bow their heads before the enemy" ...

19.02.2018 10:56:00

The feat of the cruiser "Varyag"

February 9, 1904 - the day of the feat and the death of the cruiser "Varyag". This day became the starting point for Russia's plunge into a series of revolutions and wars. But in this century it also became the first day of unfading Russian military glory.
The cruiser Varyag entered service in 1902. In its class, it was the strongest and fastest ship in the world: with a displacement of 6500 tons, it had a speed of 23 knots (44 km / h), carried 36 guns, 24 of them large-caliber, and 6 torpedo tubes. The crew consisted of 18 officers and 535 sailors. The captain of the 1st rank Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev, a hereditary sailor, commanded the cruiser. By the beginning of the Russo-Japanese War, the Varyag was on a mission to protect the Russian embassy in Seoul.
On the night of February 8-9, 1904, a Japanese officer left the following entry in his diary: "We will not declare war in advance, as this is a completely incomprehensible, stupid European custom" (compare the Russian prince Svyatoslav, who lived a whole thousand years before this, before the war he sent messengers to his opponents with a brief message "I'm coming at you").
On the night of January 27 (old style), Rudnev was given an ultimatum from the Japanese Rear Admiral Uriu: "Varyag" and "Korean" must leave the port before noon, otherwise they will be attacked in the roadstead. The commanders of the French cruiser Pascal, the English Talbot, the Italian Elba, and the American gunboat Vicksburg, who were in Chemulpo, received a Japanese notification of the upcoming attack of his squadron on Russian ships the day before.
To the credit of the commanders of three foreign cruisers - the French "Pascal", the English "Talbot" and the Italian "Elba", they expressed a written protest to the commander of the Japanese squadron: "... since, on the basis of generally recognized provisions of international law, the port of Chemulpo is neutral, then no nation has no right to attack the ships of other nations in this port, and the power that transgresses this law is fully responsible for any harm done to life or property in this port. Therefore, by this letter, we protest vigorously against such a violation of neutrality and will be glad to hear What is your opinion on this subject?
Under this letter, there was only the signature of the commander of the American Vicksburg, Captain 2nd Rank Marshall. As you can see, the practice of remembering international law only depending on its own benefit has a long tradition among Americans.
Meanwhile, Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev announced an ultimatum to the crew with the words: “The challenge is more than impudent, but I accept it. I do not shy away from battle, although I do not have an official report from my government about the war. "Koreans" will fight to the last drop of blood, showing everyone an example of fearlessness in battle and contempt for death."
Midshipman Padalko answered for the whole team: "All of us, both the Varyag and the Korean, will defend our native St. Andrew's flag, its glory, honor and dignity, realizing that the whole world is watching us."

At 11:10 a.m. on the Russian ships a command was sounded: "All up, anchor off!" - and ten minutes later "Varyag" and "Korean" weighed anchor and set sail. When slowly passing by the English, French, Italian cruisers, the musicians of the "Varyag" performed the corresponding national anthems. In response, from the foreign ships, on the decks of which the teams lined up in front, the sounds of the Russian anthem rushed.
"We saluted these heroes who marched so proudly to certain death!" - later wrote the commander of the "Pascal" captain of the 1st rank Senes.
The excitement was indescribable, some of the sailors were crying. They had never seen a more sublime and tragic scene. On the bridge of the Varyag was its commander, leading the ship to the last parade.
There was no doubt about the outcome of this battle. The Japanese opposed the Russian armored cruiser and the obsolete gunboat with six armored cruisers and eight destroyers. Against the Russians, two 203-mm, thirteen 152-mm guns and seven torpedo tubes were preparing to fire four 203-mm, thirty-eight 152-mm guns and forty-three torpedo tubes. The superiority was more than triple, despite the fact that the "Varyag" had no side armor at all and even armored shields on the guns.
When the enemy ships saw each other on the high seas, the Japanese issued a signal to "surrender at the mercy of the winner", hoping that the Russian cruiser, in the face of their overwhelming superiority, would surrender without a fight and become the first trophy in this war. In response to this, the commander of the "Varyag" gave the order to raise battle flags. At 11:45 a.m. the first shot was fired from the Asama cruiser, followed by 200 shells fired by the Japanese guns in just one minute - about seven tons of deadly metal. The Japanese squadron concentrated all fire on the Varyag, at first ignoring the Korean. Broken boats burned on the Varyag, the water around it boiled from explosions, the remains of the ship's superstructures fell on the deck with a roar, burying Russian sailors under them. One after another, the wrecked guns fell silent, around which the dead lay. Japanese buckshot rained down, the deck of the Varyag turned into a vegetable grater. But, despite heavy fire and huge destruction, the Varyag still fired aimed at Japanese courts from the remaining guns. The "Korean" did not lag behind him either.

Even the wounded did not leave their combat posts. The roar was such that the sailors in literally this word burst eardrums. Commander's namesake, ship's priest Fr. Mikhail Rudnev, despite the constant threat of death, walked along the blood-drenched deck of the Varyag and inspired the officers and sailors.
"Varangian" concentrated fire on "Asama". Within an hour, he fired 1105 shells at the Japanese, as a result of which a fire started on the Asama, the captain's bridge collapsed and the ship's commander was killed. The cruiser "Akashi" received such heavy damage that its subsequent repair lasted more than a year. Two other cruisers received no less severe damage. One of the destroyers sank during the battle, and the other on the way to the port of Sasebo. In total, the Japanese brought ashore 30 dead and 200 wounded, not counting those who died with their ships. The enemy was unable to either sink or capture Russian ships - when the forces of Russian sailors were running out, Rudnev decided to return to the port in order to save the surviving sailors.
It was a victory for the Russian fleet. The moral superiority of the Russians over any enemy force was proved at a terrible price - but this price was paid easily.
When the mutilated Russian ships reached the port, the captain of the French cruiser Senes climbed onto the deck of the Varyag: "I will never forget the amazing sight that presented itself to me. The deck is covered in blood, corpses and body parts are everywhere. Nothing has escaped destruction."
Of the 36 guns, only 7 remained more or less intact. Four huge holes were found in the hull. Of the crew on the upper deck, 33 sailors were killed and 120 were injured. Captain Rudnev was severely wounded in the head. In order to prevent the capture of unarmed ships by the Japanese, it was decided to blow up the gunboat "Koreets", and kingstones were opened on the "Varyag".
The surviving Russian heroes were placed on foreign ships. The English "Talbot" took on board 242 people, the Italian ship took 179 Russian sailors, the rest was placed on board the French "Pascal".
Admired by the valor of the Russians, the German Rudolf Greinz composed a poem, to the words of which (in the translation of E. Studenskaya) the musician of the 12th Astrakhan Grenadier Regiment A.S. famous song- "Our proud Varyag does not surrender to the enemy.
April 29, 1904 in winter palace Nicholas II honored the sailors of the Varyag. On this day, for the first time, a song sounded more like a hymn:

Upstairs, you, comrades, are with God, hurray!
The last parade is coming.
Our proud Varyag does not surrender to the enemy
Nobody wants mercy!
All pennants curl and chains rattle,
Lifting the anchor up
Prepare for battle guns in a row,
Shining ominously in the sun!
It whistles and rumbles and rumbles all around.
The thunder of cannons, the hiss of shells,
And our immortal and proud "Varangian" became
It's like pure hell.
Bodies tremble in death throes,
The thunder of guns, and smoke, and moaning,
And the ship is engulfed in a sea of ​​fire,
It's time to say goodbye.
Farewell, comrades! With God, cheers!
The boiling sea below us!
Didn't think, brothers, we are with you yesterday,
That now we will die under the waves.
Neither stone nor cross will tell where they lay down
For the glory we Russian flag,
Only sea waves will glorify alone
Heroic death "Varyag"!

After some time, the Japanese raised the Varyag, repaired it and introduced it into their fleet under the name Soya. March 22, 1916 the ship was bought by the Russian tsar and enlisted in the Baltic Fleet under the former name - "Varangian".
A year later, the worn-out cruiser was sent for repairs to allied England. The Russian fleet was waiting for the return glorious cruiser to participate in the war with Germany, but there was an October coup, and the British military authorities disarmed the Varyag and sent the crew home, and the ship itself was sold in 1918 to a private entrepreneur. When they tried to tow the Varyag to the place of the future parking, near the town of Lendalfoot, a storm broke out, and the cruiser was thrown onto the rocks. In 1925, the British dismantled the remains of the Varyag for metal. Thus ended its existence famous cruiser Russian fleet.
Captain Rudnev died in Tula in 1913. In 1956 he was installed on small homeland monument. Monuments to the heroes of the "Varyag" were erected in the port of Chemulpo and at the Marine Cemetery in Vladivostok.

Glory to Russian heroes! Eternal memory to them!

In February 1904, the Varyag cruiser entered into an unequal battle with the Japanese squadron near the port of Chemulpo. By similar feats, when in hopeless situation the Russian ship took the fight, the history of the Russian fleet is glorious.

Cruiser 2nd rank "Novik"

One of the most famous ships First Pacific Squadron. Thanks to high speed, good crew training and the initiative of the commander, the cruiser successfully participated in almost all significant naval battles at Port Arthur. After the battle in the Yellow Sea on July 28, 1904, the Novik, unlike most other ships that returned to Port Arthur, attempted to break through to Vladivostok around Japan. However, during the journey, the cruiser met an English ship, which, due to the lack of prohibited cargo, had to be released and reported the appearance of a Russian cruiser at east coast Japan. Having entered the Korsakov post on Sakhalin to receive coal, the Novik was blocked by Japanese cruisers, and the worn-out vehicles did not allow full speed. On August 7, 1904, in a battle with the more powerful cruiser Tsushima, the Russian cruiser forced the enemy to retreat, but she herself was seriously damaged. After the Chitose cruiser approached the battlefield, the Russian ship was sunk in Aniva Bay. Part of the artillery was removed from the cruiser, which was then used in the defense of Sakhalin, and the name legendary ship received a whole series of the most famous destroyers of the Russian fleet.

Gunboat "Korean"

The gunboat "Koreets" on the eve of the Russo-Japanese War was together with the cruiser "Varyag" in the port of Chemulpo. On January 26, 1904, the gunboat was sent to Port Arthur, but was attacked by the Japanese squadron and was forced to return to Chemulpo. Before the battle on the "Korean" they cut down the topmasts ( upper part masts) to contribute to the shooting Japanese gunners a deliberate mistake - the Japanese calculated the distance to the target using Lujols prisms, focusing on the tabular, and not the actual height of the target spars. As a result of the battle on January 27, the Russian gunboat had no losses or damage. The boat returned fire from two 203 mm and one 152 mm guns, and the rest of the artillery was not used due to the long distance. After the battle, the "Korean" was blown up by the crew on the Chemulpo roadstead, and the gunboat of the Baltic Fleet, which also died in an unequal battle in 1915, inherited the name of the heroic boat.

Cruiser "Svetlana"

The armored cruiser of the 1st class was originally built as an armed yacht of the Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich, featuring a chic finish interior spaces. Subsequently, after the installation of additional weapons, the ship became part of the Second Pacific Squadron. During the Battle of Tsushima on May 14, 1905, the cruiser received a significant hole in the bow. On the morning of May 15, Svetlana, on which, due to a strong roll, only two stern 152 mm guns could operate and ammunition was running out, took the battle with the Japanese cruisers Otova and Niytaka. According to Japanese data, as a result of two shells from the Svetlana hitting the Otova cruiser, the Japanese lost 5 people killed and 23 wounded. When the shells ran out, the Russian cruiser was scuttled by the crew. Revenging for the desperate resistance to the crew of the Russian ship, the Otova cruiser passed through a group of Russian sailors in the water, crushing people with its hull and propellers. With the Svetlana, 167 Russian sailors and officers were killed in the Tsushima battle.

Destroyer "Flawless"

One of the ships of the Second Pacific Squadron, very little is known about its participation in the Tsushima battle. According to Japanese data, on the night of May 14-15, 1905, the cruiser Chitose and the destroyer Ariake overtook a Russian destroyer that had malfunctions in the car. When the Russian ship that had been shot down in battle began to sink, the Japanese ships left without starting to save people. The Russian destroyer, who died in an unequal battle with the entire crew, but did not lower the flag, as it later turned out, turned out to be “Impeccable”.

Battleship coastal defense"Admiral Ushakov"

The battleship of the coastal defense "Admiral Ushakov" in the Tsushima battle on May 14, 1905 received two large holes in the bow and lagged behind the squadron. The next day, the ship was overtaken by the Yakumo and Iwate armored cruisers and opened fire on the Japanese offer to surrender. The significant superiority of the Japanese ships in speed, firepower and firing range did not allow the Russian sailors to offer effective resistance. If the first volleys of "Ushakov" covered the "Iwate", causing a fire on the Japanese cruiser, then in the future the Japanese ships stayed out of reach of the armadillo's guns. After a 40-minute battle, "Admiral Ushakov" was flooded by the crew. Among the dead was the commander of the battleship Vladimir Nikolaevich Miklukha (brother famous researcher Oceania N. N. Miklukho-Maclay). According to one version, he was mortally wounded by a shrapnel, and according to another, he himself refused to be rescued, pointing out to the Japanese a sailor drowning nearby.

Cruiser "Rurik"

Armored cruiser, which was part of the Russo-Japanese War during the Russo-Japanese War Vladivostok detachment cruisers. At the beginning of the war, it successfully operated on Japanese communications, destroying military transports and merchant ships. In battle on August 1, 1904 in Korea Strait(at Fuzan) received significant damage from the fire of enemy armored cruisers, and then was attacked by two Japanese armored cruisers. Having lost almost all of its artillery, the ship fought an unequal battle for an hour and was scuttled after all means of resistance were exhausted. This battle was marked by the only use of torpedo weapons by a large Russian ship in the war of 1904-1905. The name of the heroic ship was given to the cruiser of the Baltic Fleet during the First World War.

Cruiser "Dmitry Donskoy"

The old armored cruiser (armored frigate) was part of the Second Pacific Squadron. During the Tsushima battle on May 14, 1905, he did not receive serious damage and continued his independent journey to Vladivostok. But on the evening of May 15, he was overtaken by a Japanese squadron of six armored cruisers and four destroyers. It is noteworthy that the Japanese squadron was commanded by Vice-Admiral Uriu, who had previously tried to force the surrender of the Varyag and Rurik cruisers and then lost, it would seem, the right prey for the third time. They opened fire on the offer to surrender from Dmitry Donskoy. Fighting on both sides, the Russian cruiser forced the enemy ships to abandon pursuit, but she herself received serious damage. Only about 300 miles remained to Vladivostok, but it was already impossible to pass them. On the night of May 16, the crew sank the cruiser off Evenlet Island. It was the last of the Russian ships that died in the Tsushima battle.