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 in this case, but would not be able to protect its own naval bases and ports from bombardment by Russian ships, would not be able to and ensure normal shipping, 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 the heavy armored cruiser Asama, 5 armored cruisers (Tieda, Naniwa, Niitaka, Takatiho and Akashi), 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 the southern tip of Philip Island. 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 big shortfall, 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. The main goal of his gunners was Asama, which soon managed to disable him. 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 reluctantly, slid aground and moved away from the dangerous place in reverse. 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 minutes. 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 their armed forces, equipped with the most modern models of military equipment, the Japanese inflicted a number of heavy defeats on the Russian troops.
On April 18 (May 1), 1904, the first big battle took place between Russian and Japanese troops on the river. Yalu (Chinese name Yalujiang, Korean name - Amnokkan). The 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. Nogi.
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 there was a head-on battle between the 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. The losses of 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 high for the army of a small island state, whose government soon after this victory was forced to agree to the beginning of peace negotiations 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 the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean (May 14-15 (27-28), 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.
The Varyag was sunk 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 illustrious cruiser, which was returned to its former name. In 1917, the ship was under repair in the UK and after the 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
Battle at Chemulpo
Opponents
Side force commanders
Side forces
The last battle of the cruiser "Varyag"- took place at the beginning of the Russo-Japanese War, near the city of Chemulpo in Korea between the Russian cruiser "Varyag", the gunboat "Koreets" under the overall command of Captain 1st Rank Vsevolod Rudnev and the Japanese squadron of Rear Admiral Sotokichi Uriu. During the battle, the Varyag received a number of damages and, together with the Koreyets, returned to the port, where the Russian ships were subsequently destroyed by their teams, who switched to neutral ships.
The position of forces before the battle
Chemulpo, view of the bay
coast map
Chemulpo (the obsolete name of the city of Incheon) is a strategically important port in Korea; warships of the leading world powers were constantly located here. The political situation in Korea was extremely unstable, and the military presence was a necessary condition for different states to defend their interests in the region. In preparation for the war with Russia, the Japanese command developed several options for attack plans. All of them assumed the capture of Korea, as a springboard for a further offensive. Under pressure from the ground forces, the Japanese landing was to take place in Chemulpo Bay, as the most convenient and closest harbor to Seoul.
Preparing for war
Japan in a future war relied on the surprise and speed of deployment of troops. Japanese troops were stationed in Korea both openly (security forces based on international agreements) and covertly, living under the guise of civilians. They prepared the infrastructure for the future landing operation in advance, built food warehouses, communication points and barracks, and unloaded coal, boxes and bales with various cargoes from transport ships arriving at the port. All this was done with the tacit consent of the Korean authorities, who believed that all these were peaceful concerns of local Japanese residents, of whom there were more than 4,500 people in Chemulpo.
| Cap. 1 p. Rudnev reported to Port Arthur about the arrangement by the Japanese of food warehouses in Chemulpo and Seoul. According to reports, the total amount of all Japanese provisions already reached 1,000,000 pounds, and 100 boxes of cartridges were delivered. At the same time, scows, tugboats and steam boats were openly delivered to Chemulpo by the Japanese, which, as the commander of the cr. "Varyag" clearly indicated extensive preparations for landing operations. Along the Seoul-Fuzan railway, the Japanese placed officer stages connected by separate telegraph and telephone lines to a common telegraph line. All these preparations clearly pointed to the inevitable occupation of Korea by the Japanese. |
In January, Japan completed training on the formation of the landing corps, transport ships, landing craft and logistics. The Japanese fleet has trained the ships assigned to participate in the operation. That did not go unnoticed for Russia.
But no action was taken by the Russian command. The underestimation and neglect of intelligence data had a serious impact on the course of hostilities at the beginning of the war. On the contrary, in order not to provoke the Japanese, St. Petersburg forbade the command and commanders of the ships any manifestation of the initiative.
On February 7, ships carrying the Japanese Expeditionary Force lay adrift off the coast of Korea in Asanman Bay. Having received fresh intelligence, Rear Admiral Uriu adjusted the landing plans.
The incident with the "Korean"
On January 26, the gunboat Koreyets, having received the mail, weighed anchor, but at the exit from the raid she was blocked by the squadron of Rear Admiral S. Uriu, consisting of the armored cruisers Asama and Chiyoda, the cruisers Naniwa, Takachiho, Niitaka and Akashi, as well as three transports and four destroyers. The destroyers attacked the gunboat with two (according to another version, three) torpedoes, but unsuccessfully. Not having an order to open fire and not knowing about the start of hostilities, the commander of the "Korean" Captain 2nd Rank G.P. Belyaev ordered to turn back.
| Our detachment, like a giant snake, crawled along the fairway to Incheon, and when half of its body had already rounded Hachibito, the “Korean” appeared to meet us. We were supposed to maintain a peaceful look until the end of the landing of troops, but when we saw the enemy, the thought flashed through everyone - “but shouldn’t we capture him here, next to the island, since nothing will be visible from Incheon?” But we continued to move, and a few minutes later a small skirmish ensued between the "Korean" and two of the four destroyers. Uriu, of course, was somewhat disturbed by this, but at the same time, being on the bridge and watching the skirmish, he remarked with feigned indifference: "I see no point in this." |
During the trial, Commander Takachiho denied a mine attack on the Russian boat, and the actions of the destroyers, according to him, were dictated by the protection of transports from the attack of the Korean. As a result, the incident was presented as a misunderstanding. All night the Japanese landed troops. And in the morning, Russian sailors learned that the war between Russia and Japan had begun.
Ultimatum
Rear Admiral Uriu sent messages to the commanders of the warships of neutral countries located in Chemulpo (the English cruiser Talbot, the French Pascal, the Italian Elba and the American gunboat Vicksburg) with a request to leave the raid in connection with possible actions against the Varyag and the Korean. After a meeting on the English cruiser, the station commanders agreed to leave the harbor if the Russian ships did not leave it.
| At the meeting of the commanders, various combinations were discussed, then, in a secret meeting from me, they decided: if I stay on the roadstead, they will leave, leaving me with the Korean and the Sungari steamer. Together with this, they decided to send a protest to the admiral against the attack on the raid. When asked by the commanders about my opinion, I replied that I would make an attempt to break through and accept the battle with the squadron, no matter how large it was, but I would never give up, and also fight on a neutral raid |
VF Rudnev, who was the commander of a detachment of Russian ships, decided to go to sea and try to break through to Port Arthur with a fight. The officers of "Varyag" and "Korean" at the military councils unanimously supported this proposal.
Characteristics of the parties involved
Takachiho with flags at half-staff on the occasion of the death of Empress Mother Eisho, 1897
"Varyag" in 1901
"Korean" before the last battle, the masts were cut down to make it more difficult for the enemy to aim
Japan
On the Japanese side, the armored cruisers Asama and Chiyoda, armored cruisers Naniwa, Takachiho, Niitaka, Akashi and three destroyers of the 14th detachment (Hayabusa, Chidori and Manazuru) took part in the battle. The detachment was heterogeneous, in the ranks were both veterans of the Sino-Japanese war with extensive experience in combat operations, and unfired newcomers.
IJN Asama
After that, the Russian cruiser, unexpectedly for the Japanese, dropped the course and began to circulate to the right, turning to the opposite course (according to Russian data, the turn began at 12:15 / 12:50, according to Japanese - 10 minutes earlier). According to Rudnev's report, one of the Japanese shells broke the communication pipe with the drives to the steering gear, but the examination of the Varyag after raising the traces of hits in the area of \u200b\u200bthe passage of the pipe and combat damage to the steering did not reveal. The turn of the cruiser was motivated by his commander's desire to temporarily get out of the enemy's sphere of fire, put out the fires and correct the steering.
| During the passage of the traverse of Iodolmi Island, one shell broke the pipe in which all the steering gears pass, and at the same time, fragments of another shell (exploded at the foremast), which flew into the passage at the conning tower, were shell-shocked in the head of the cruiser commander ... The control of the cruiser was immediately transferred to the manual steering wheel in the tiller compartment, since the steam pipe to the steering machine was also broken. With the thunder of shots, orders to the tiller compartment were hard to hear, cars had to be controlled, and the cruiser did not obey well, being, moreover, in a strong current. At 12 o'clock. 15 m., wanting to get out of the sphere of fire for a while to correct, if possible, the steering drive and extinguish the fires that arose in different places, they began to turn around with cars and, since the cruiser did not obey the helm well and, due to the proximity of the island of Iodolmi, reversed (the cruiser was put in disadvantageous position relative to the island at the time when the steering gear was broken with the left rudder put). The distance to the enemy decreased, his fire intensified and the hit increased; At about this time, a large-caliber projectile pierced the port side under water, water gushed into a huge hole, and the third stoker began to quickly fill with water, the level of which approached the fireboxes. The stoker quartermasters Zhigarev and Zhuravlev closed up the coal pits, which filled with water. |
According to Japanese data, in a short period from 12:05/12:40 to 12:06/12:41, the Varyag received a large number of hits - one 203-mm projectile between the bow bridge and the tube, and five to six 152-mm shells in the bow and central part of the ship. The last hit was recorded at 12:10/12:45 - a 203-mm shell exploded in the stern of the Russian cruiser.
|
A very fast current was observed in the battle area, which made it difficult to control the ship, and it was impossible to keep a constant course. |
Until 11:59/12:34, only Asama fired at the Varyag, then until 12:13/12:48, all Japanese cruisers fired at varying intensity. After that, Asama and Niitaka fired until the end of the battle. According to Rudnev’s report, during the circulation period, the Varyag experienced difficulties in managing, as a result of which, in order to prevent a collision with the island of Yodolmi (Pkhalmido), it was necessary to reverse for a short time, some sources claim that the Varyag still ran aground, but got off it in reverse.
At 12:13/12:48, the Varyag completed its circulation and, together with the Korean, moved back to the anchorage, pursued by the Japanese cruisers Asama and Niitaka. At 12:40/13:15, due to the approach of Russian ships to the anchorage, which, if the battle continued, created a threat to neutral ships, the Japanese cruisers ceased fire and retreated. Five minutes later, due to the increased distance to the enemy, the Russian ships also completed firing, and at 13:00/13:35 they anchored in their parking lots.
Results of the battle
The Japanese cruisers fought in three battle groups: Asama and Chiyoda, Naniwa and Niitaka, Takachiho and Akashi. The destroyers were located 500-600 m from the non-shooting Naniwa side and did not actually take part in the battle. The battle was complicated by the narrowness of the fairway, which made it difficult for the Japanese to simultaneously bring all the ships into battle, a strong current that made it difficult to maintain the course, as well as the periodic hit of the Varyag on target with Phalmido Island, which forced individual Japanese ships to temporarily cease fire. During the battle, Japanese ships actively maneuvered, while developing a speed of up to 18 knots. The battle was fought at a distance of 4800 to 8000 m.
Asama, Chiyoda and Niitaka took the most active part in the battle. The rest of the Japanese cruisers fired an insignificant number of shells.
| asama | Chiyoda | Niitaka | Naniwa | Takachiho | Akashi | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 203 mm | 27 | 27 | |||||
| 152 mm | 103 | 53 | 14 | 10 | 2 | 182 | |
| 120 mm | 71 | 71 | |||||
| 76 mm | 9 | 130 | 139 |
The consumption of shells in battle by Russian ships remains a subject of discussion. According to Rudnev's report, the Varyag fired 425 152-mm shells, 470 - 75-mm, 210 - 47-mm, that is, significantly more than all Japanese ships combined. However, the calculation of the shells remaining on it, made by the Japanese after the cruiser was lifted, does not confirm this information and gives significantly lower figures for the consumption of ammunition by the Varyag in battle. According to the calculation, the cruiser fired no more than 160 shells of 152 mm caliber and about 50 of 75 mm caliber. The consumption of shells by the "Korean", according to the report of his commander, was: 203 mm - 22, 152 mm - 27, 107 mm - 3.
During the battle on Japanese ships, shells hit the Varyag: 203 mm from Asama - 3, 152 mm - 6 or 7 (4-5 from Asama and one each from Naniwa and Takachiho). Chiyoda also reported one alleged hit on the Koreets, which caused a fire, which is not confirmed by Russian data.
In the Varyag logbook and Rudnev's reports, a number of hits were recorded, including one in the underwater part of the ship, which caused the flooding of some of the coal pits and a noticeable roll of the ship to the port side. Two hits were noted in the stern of the cruiser, which caused fires, and in one case, artillery powder charges, the deck and the whaleboat burned, and in the second, officer cabins were destroyed and flour was set on fire in the provision department (this fire was never completely extinguished). Other hits destroyed the rangefinder station No. 2, damaged the main top and chimney No. 3, and knocked out a number of guns. The explosion of one of the shells, the fragments of which flew into the conning tower, shell-shocked the cruiser commander, killed and wounded several more people. An inspection after the battle revealed damage to five 152-mm, seven 75-mm and all 47-mm guns.
From the Varyag team, 1 officer and 22 lower ranks died directly during the battle (after the battle, 10 more people died within a few days). In a short battle, the cruiser lost about a quarter of the entire crew killed and wounded, the exact number of wounded remains debatable, since various figures appear in the sources. The cruiser's watch log indicates that one officer and 26 lower ranks were seriously wounded, "wounded less seriously" - the cruiser commander, two officers and 55 lower ranks, all the wounded are listed by name. Rudnev’s report to the head of the Naval Ministry indicated that one officer and 85 lower ranks were seriously and moderately injured, two officers and more than a hundred lower ranks received minor injuries, the report to the governor Rudnev gives other figures - one officer and 70 lower ranks were seriously injured, easily - two officers, as well as many lower ranks, received minor wounds from shell fragments. The official sanitary report on the results of the Russo-Japanese War gives a figure of 97 wounded, and finally, according to the historical journal HMS Talbot, a total of 68 wounded were taken to neutral ships (four officers and 64 lower ranks), several of whom subsequently died. The gunboat "Koreets" had no losses in the crew, and the damage was limited to one fragmentation hole in the ram compartment.
Scheme of damage to the "Varyag" (from the report of Rear Admiral Arai Yukan)
During the rise of the Varyag, the Japanese studied the cruiser and described in detail the damage found. In total, traces of 9 combat damages were found in the hull and superstructures (masts and pipes were dismantled during lifting), as well as one damage that occurred after the ship was sunk:
- A hole measuring 0.6 × 0.15 m on the front bridge on the starboard side and next to it are several small holes
- A hole measuring 3.96 × 1.21 m and next to it 10 small holes on the deck on the starboard side in the area of the forward bridge
- A hole measuring 0.75 × 0.6 m and next to it three small holes in the bulwark on the starboard side, between the first and second chimneys
- A hole measuring 1.97 × 1.01 m in the port side at the waterline (the lower edge of the hole went 0.8 m below the waterline), between the second and third chimneys
- An underwater hole measuring 1.99 × 0.15 m in the port side, behind the fourth chimney, resulting from the pushing of the side by stones after the ship was sunk
- 12 small holes in the central part of the upper deck, near the main mast
- A hole measuring 0.72 × 0.6 m in the port side, 1.62 m above the waterline, under the 152-mm gun No. 10
- A very large (3.96 × 6.4 m in size) hole on the upper deck on the port side, in the area of 152-mm guns No. 11 and 12, there was also a big fire
- Six small holes on the starboard side at the aft end behind the 152 mm guns
- Hole measuring 0.75 × 0.67 m on the upper deck at the aft end
Taking into account the hits on the dismantled structures, A. Polutov comes to the conclusion that there were 11 hits on the Varyag. According to V. Kataev, damage No. 5 arose as a result of the cruiser landing on stones near Phalmido Island, and damages No. 8, 9 and 10 are not of a combat nature and are the result of a fire and an explosion of ammunition that occurred in Chemulpo on a ship abandoned after the evacuation of the crew.
As a result of the survey of the ship by the Japanese, it was also found that 1⁄6 of the ship was damaged by fires, the deck in the stern was especially damaged. The power plant and mechanisms of the propeller-steering group did not have any combat damage and were in good condition. All 152-mm guns, as well as at least six 75-mm and two 47-mm Varyag guns, were recognized by the Japanese as fit for use after examination.
According to Russian sources (reports of Rudnev and Belyaev, logbooks of the ships), there was a hit in the stern bridge of Asama with a fire and the sinking of one of the destroyers. According to information received by Rudnev from various sources (including rumors), the cruiser Takachiho sank after the battle when crossing to Sasebo, the cruisers Asama and Naniwa were docked to repair damage, the Japanese brought 30 dead to the shore. However, Japanese historical and archival sources claim that there were no hits on the ships of the Japanese squadron, as well as any damage and losses. At present, the fate of the ships of the Japanese fleet is well known; in particular, the Takachiho cruiser was lost already during the First World War during the siege of Qingdao, the destroyers of the 9th and 14th detachments were excluded from the lists of the fleet in 1919-1923 and scrapped.
The shooting of Russian ships was assessed by Uriu as "erratic" and having "extremely low accuracy." The inefficiency of the firing of Russian ships is explained by the poor training of the gunners (for example, during training firing at the shield on December 16, 1903, out of 145 shells fired by the Varyag, only three hit the target), errors in determining the distance to enemy ships (including those associated with the failure in the battle of rangefinder stations), the destruction of the fire control system.
Destruction of Russian ships
The explosion of the gunboat "Korean"
"Varyag" after flooding, at low tide
After anchoring, the officers and crew of the Varyag proceeded to inspect the ship and repair the damage. At 13:35, Rudnev went to the Talbot, where he announced to his commander his intention to destroy the Varyag and transport the team to neutral ships. Having received Bailey's consent, Rudnev returned to the cruiser at 13:50 and informed the officers of his decision, who supported the commander at the general council (it should be noted that the decision of the officers was not unanimous, in particular, the senior officer of the Varyag V. Stepanov was not invited on advice, and Rudnev's order to leave the ship came as a complete surprise to him).
| I voted for a breakthrough from Chemulpo to the sea, and this opinion was supported by all the officers who were in the wheelhouse. Damage to the steering gear, apparently, forced to change the proposed plan, and the commander, I believe, to correct the damage, went to the raid in order to get out of the enemy’s sphere of fire. The captain of the 1st rank V. F. Rudnev, after the battle with the Japanese to anchor the cruiser on the Chemulpo roadstead, having informed all the damage received by the cruiser during the battle, went on a French boat with the commander of the Talbot cruiser, Captain Belly, as a senior on the roadstead. Upon returning from the cruiser Talbot, the commander made known his decision to sink the cruiser and transport people to foreign ships in the roadstead. Prior to the trip to the cruiser Talbot, the commander of the council did not collect and did not express a definite decision. I cannot say how and in what form Captain 1st Rank VF Rudnev announced the decision to the officers. I was not invited to the council. From the moment the cruiser left the enemy's sphere of fire, he was busy with orders for the manufacture of the ship for a new meeting with the enemy. I did not expect at all that we should leave our cruiser. |
Boats from foreign ships with doctors began to arrive at the Varyag, who began to transport first the wounded, and then the rest of the ship's crew, to the English, French and Italian cruisers. The commander of the American gunboat, having no instructions from the leadership, refused to accept Russian sailors, in connection with which Rudnev sent her boat with a doctor. By 15:50, the transportation of the cruiser's crew was completed, at the request of the commanders of foreign ships, who feared damage to their ships in the explosion (which took place according to Rudnev's report), it was decided to limit the flooding of the Varyag by opening valves and kingstons, while no measures were taken to to bring weapons and equipment of the cruiser into disrepair. The team took a minimum of things, the bodies of the dead were not evacuated and were left on the ship. At 18:10, the Varyag, having a continuing fire at the stern, capsized on the port side and lay down on the ground.
At 15:30, the commander of the "Korean" gathered the officers, informed them of Rudnev's decision and offered to discuss the fate of the gunboat. All officers, starting with the youngest, spoke about the senselessness of a new battle due to the overwhelming superiority of the enemy and the impossibility of inflicting any damage on him. In this regard, it was decided to blow up the "Korean" and bring the team to neutral ships. Due to the haste of the evacuation, the team did not take things, and secret documents were burned in the presence of a special commission. The last boat left the boat at 15:51, and at 16:05 the gunboat was blown up and sank. At the same time, the ship "Sungari" was set on fire, after a while it landed on the ground.
The fate of the teams
Officers and crews of Russian ships were placed on the French cruiser Pascal (216 people), the English cruiser Talbot (273 people) and the Italian cruiser Elba (176 people). Given the high overcrowding and the lack of conditions for caring for the wounded (of which 8 people soon died), it was decided to bring 24 seriously wounded ashore to the Japanese Red Cross hospital. At the same time, negotiations were underway through diplomatic channels on the status of Russian sailors, the Japanese agreed to return them to their homeland, provided they gave an obligation to no longer participate in the war, which required the highest permission.
On February 27, Nicholas II gave his consent to the conditions of the Japanese, but the export of the crews of Russian ships began earlier, under the obligations of foreign governments. On February 16, Pascal left for Shanghai and then for Saigon, where he landed Russian sailors. The English and Italian cruisers left for Hong Kong, where the teams of Russian ships on Talbot were transported via Colombo to Odessa (where they arrived on April 1), and sailors from Elba to Saigon. On April 23, sailors arrived in Sevastopol from Saigon via Crete and Odessa. After a solemn meeting in St. Petersburg, the ship teams were disbanded and distributed to different fleets, except for the Pacific (in accordance with an agreement with the Japanese on the non-participation of teams in hostilities).
The remains of the dead sailors were transferred to Vladivostok in 1911 and buried in a mass grave at the city's Marine Cemetery. Above the grave there is an obelisk made of gray granite.
"Varyag", raised by the Japanese from the bottom of the bay
The Japanese army was given the opportunity for strategic deployment in the north of the Korean Peninsula, and not in the south, as previously determined. The swift occupation of Seoul was important both militarily and politically. On February 12, the Russian envoy left Seoul, thereby losing the last opportunity for Russia to influence the policy of the Korean imperial court and government.
The landing of the 12th Division, dubbed the "Operation to Pacify Korea", in two weeks brought Japan what it had long and unsuccessfully sought in the course of diplomatic negotiations with Russia - complete control of Korea. On February 23, 1904, a Japanese-Korean agreement was signed in Seoul, which established a Japanese protectorate over Korea, which allowed Japan to operate freely throughout Korea during the war with Russia, use its ports, land communications, administrative, human and material resources.
In 1905, the Varyag was raised by the Japanese, repaired and commissioned on August 22 as a 2nd class cruiser IJN Soya (in honor of the Japanese name for the La Perouse Strait). For more than seven years it was used by the Japanese for training purposes. It is widely believed that, as a sign of respect for the Russian sailors, the Japanese left the old name of the ship on the stern. However, according to the testimony of the former sailor "Varyag" Snegirev, who served as a helmsman in World War I and met his former cruiser in a Japanese port, the Russian state emblem - a double-headed eagle - and the name "Varyag" were forced by the Japanese, since they were structurally embedded in the aft balcony . The Japanese hieroglyphs of the new name were fixed on the lattice of the balcony.
Assessment by contemporaries
The actions of the Japanese side in modern sources are assessed as competent and professional. They made it possible to fulfill all the assigned tasks - to ensure the landing of troops and neutralize Russian ships without incurring losses. It is noted that the victory was achieved by the Japanese primarily due to the overwhelming superiority in forces and features of the battle area, which deprived the Russian ships of freedom of maneuver. The decision to engage Russian ships in battle against vastly superior enemy forces is assessed as heroic, including by the Japanese side.
The reaction to the death of the Varyag was not unequivocal. Part of the naval officers did not approve of the actions of the Varyag commander, considering them illiterate both from a tactical point of view and from a technical one. At the same time, it is noted that the provisions of the "Naval Charter" did not leave Rudnev any other option than accepting a battle - surrendering the ship to the Japanese or sinking it without a fight would qualify as an official crime. According to a number of authors (in particular, V.D. Dotsenko, as well as Major General A.I. Sorokin), the commander of the Varyag made a number of serious mistakes:
- was not used to break through the night before the battle;
- going for a breakthrough, the "Varyag" tied himself to the slow-moving "Korean", not using his advantage in speed (this mistake was also noted by the naval historian and theorist V. A. Belli);
- after the battle, the Varyag was not blown up, but flooded in shallow water, which allowed the Japanese to raise it and put it into operation.
Rudnev's decision to return to Chemulpo instead of continuing the battle is criticized, as well as the inefficient use of artillery by Russian ships, as a result of which the Japanese ships did not suffer any damage.
Given the unsuccessful start of the war, the tsarist government decided to widely use the battle for propaganda purposes, which came as a surprise to some participants in the battle (according to the memoirs of the Varyag navigator E. Berens, returning to Russia, they believed that they would be put on trial).
Solemn meetings of the participants in the battle were arranged in Odessa, Sevastopol and St. Petersburg, and in the capital - with the participation of Emperor Nicholas II. Without exception, all participants in the battle were awarded - officers, as well as civilian ranks (including officials and doctors) of both ships received the Order of St. George of the 4th degree or other orders, the lower ranks received the insignia of the Military Order of the 4th degree. Two sailors received the insignia of the Military Order of the 3rd degree, since they already had the 4th degree award. Moreover, the officers of the "Korean" were even awarded twice - in addition to the Order of St. George, they also received regular orders with swords. All participants in the battle were awarded a specially established medal "For the battle of "Varangian" and "Korean"".
Such a massive awarding of high awards was an unprecedented event for the Russian fleet. Already in Soviet times, in 1954, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the battle, its surviving participants by that time were awarded medals "For Courage". It is noteworthy that for the first time doctors and mechanics were awarded the St. George Cross along with line officers. The unprecedented awarding of the highest military awards to all members of the crews of the ships was ambiguously received among the officers:
| The St. George Cross ... gives great official advantages and is appointed only for outstanding military feats, moreover, by the verdict of a thought composed of cavaliers of this order ... However, they also managed to discredit the George Cross. At the very beginning of the war, under the first impression of the "feat" of the "Varyag" and "Korean", all the officers, doctors and mechanics who were on them were awarded, by special order of the Highest, in addition to the thought, St. George's crosses. Such a massive award, in connection with the unheard-of honors rendered by the crews of these ships in Russia, made a very unfavorable impression on the army. It was clear to everyone that if some determination was required from the ship's commander in order to meet the enemy's superior strength, then from the other ranks, one presence on the ship (maybe involuntary) in itself did not constitute merit worthy of being awarded the highest military order. . The dissatisfaction among the officers became even stronger when it later turned out that in general, in the indicated battle, the crew of the Varyag did not accomplish any feat, and there were almost no losses on the Koreyets ... |
Image in art
As a result of the patriotic upsurge caused by the feat of Russian sailors, several works were born: the march "Varangian", written by A. Reiderman, the song "Varangian goes to accomplish his glorious feat", written by Caesar Cui, "Heroic feat" by A. Taskin, the poem " Varyag" by the Riga amateur poet Yakov Repninsky (which was subsequently set to music by a student of Yuryev University, Fyodor Bogoroditsky, resulting in the song "Cold Waves Splash"). But the most popular was the song "Varangian".
The author of the poems was the Austrian writer and poet Rudolf Greinz, who wrote about the life and traditional way of Tyrol. Often he collaborated with the Munich magazine "Jugend" (Jugend), where he published his satirical notes on the topic of the day. On the pages of the 10th issue of the magazine "Jugend" dated February 25, 1904, the poem "Der "Warjag"" was published. The magazine strictly adhered to the anti-militarist and anti-imperial position, which, shared by Greinz, that along with the fact that the poem is placed next to humorous and satirical materials, without any introductory word, according to some historians, indicates that the poem was originally a pamphlet in verse - " The text, decorated with expressive adjectives, was quite naturalistic in order, perhaps, to show the absurdity of the act of those who went to real death for the sake of some abstract ideas.
The poem was translated into Russian by N. K. Melnikov and Evgenia Mikhailovna Studenskaya (nee Shershevskaya), who published her translation in the April 1904 New Journal of Foreign Literature, Art and Science. According to one version, on the wave of patriotism that swept over the entire Russian society, the musician and pupil of the 12th Astrakhan Grenadier Regiment Alexei Sergeevich Turishchev wrote music for the translation of Studenskaya.
The song "Our proud Varyag does not surrender to the enemy", having sounded for the first time at the imperial reception on the occasion of the awarding of sailors from the Varyag and the Koreyets, became especially beloved among naval employees, however, among the civilian population there were also many of her fans.
In 1946, the Soviet film studio Soyuzdetfilm filmed the feature film Cruiser Varyag, where the "made-up" cruiser Aurora, directed by Viktor Eisymont, was filmed as the Varyag.
Cruiser "Varyag". - 2nd ed., Revised. and additional . - L.: Shipbuilding, 1983. - 288 p.
"Varyag" - armored cruiser of the 1st rank of the 1st Pacific squadron of the Russian Navy in 1901-1904. He became famous throughout the world for his decision to take an unequal battle at Chemulpo against the superior forces of the Imperial Japanese Navy.
In 1895 and 1896, two shipbuilding programs were adopted in Japan, according to which by 1905 it was envisaged to build a fleet superior to the Russian naval forces in the Far East. In 1897, shipbuilding programs were revised in the direction of strengthening linear forces. The bet was made, first of all, on battleships and armored cruisers, developed by leading European shipbuilding companies. Funding for the programs was calculated up to 1905.
In April 1900, a naval exercise of unprecedented magnitude was held in Japan. All ships of the first line took part in them - over 53 units at the first stage and over 47 at the second. The main purpose of the maneuvers was to test the general plan for the mobilization of the fleet and coastal defense forces. In addition to 2,734 fleet personnel, more than 4,000 people called up from the reserve were involved in the exercises. The maneuvers continued for a month.
In parallel with the implementation of shipbuilding programs, the Japanese paid no less attention to the technical equipment of ports and bases for the fleet, the construction of modern docks, ship repair plants, coal stations, arsenals and other infrastructures that ensure the performance of combat missions by the linear forces of the fleet. In addition, observation posts were created along the coast of Japan, which were supposed to immediately report by telegraph on the appearance of suspicious ships in the sea.
In Russia at this time, too, did not sit idly by. The militarization of Japan did not go unnoticed. In 1895, Emperor Nicholas II was presented with an analytical note "On the current state of the Russian fleet and its immediate tasks." The author of the document was M.I. Kazi. The author in his work reasonably proved that the center of gravity of the fleet's actions had shifted from the Western theater to the Far East. The king agreed with the Kazi's conclusions, and they markedly influenced the plans of the Naval Ministry.
At that time, the shipbuilding program for strengthening the navy, adopted in 1895, was being implemented. But it clearly did not match the growth rate of the Japanese fleet. Therefore, in 1897, an additional program "for the needs of the Far East" was developed. It, like the Japanese programs, was supposed to be completed in 1905. By that time, Russia planned to have 10 squadron battleships, 4 armored cruisers, 8 armored cruisers of the 1st rank, 5 armored cruisers of the 2nd rank, 7 gunboats, 2 mine transports, 67 destroyers of various types, 2 mine and 2 auxiliary cruisers in the Far East. Due to the workload of domestic factories, some of the ships were ordered abroad: in the USA, in France and in Germany.
Armored cruisers of the 1st rank of the program "for the needs of the Far East", the lead of which was the "Varyag", were conceived as "long-range reconnaissance squadrons". According to the "program for designing a cruiser" developed by the ITC (in modern terms - terms of reference), they were supposed to have a displacement of 6000 tons, a speed of 23 knots, armament of 12 152-mm and 12 75-mm guns, as well as 6 torpedo tubes. Orders for three cruisers of this type (the future Varyag, Askold and Bogatyr) were placed with various private firms in the US and Germany; later, another ship ("Vityaz") was laid down according to a German project in St. Petersburg.
The main contractor in the construction of the Japanese fleet was Great Britain - at that time a recognized leader in the field of military shipbuilding. As a result, the Land of the Rising Sun basically completed its shipbuilding program as early as 1903, two years ahead of schedule. The Russian program "for the needs of the Far East", on the contrary, lagged behind. As a result, Japan was able to start a war at a time when the balance of forces at sea was clearly in her favor.
Construction and testing
An order for two ships of the shipbuilding program "for the needs of the Far East" - a squadron battleship and an armored cruiser (future Retvizan and Varyag) - was placed in the USA at the plant of The William Cramp & Sons Ship and Engine Building Company. This firm managed to bypass its competitors and, avoiding participation in the international competition announced by the Marine Technical Committee, signed a contract on April 11, 1898, which was "highest" approved on April 20. According to its terms, the cruiser with a displacement of 6000 tons (order No. 301) was to be ready 20 months after the arrival of the monitoring commission from Russia at the plant. The cost of the ship without weapons was estimated at 2,138,000 US dollars (4,233,240 rubles). Due to the absence of a detailed project at the time of the conclusion of the contract, it was specifically stipulated that the final specification of the cruiser was specified during the construction process with mutual agreement on emerging issues.
The supervisory commission arrived at the plant on July 13, 1898, it was headed by Captain 1st Rank M.A. Danilevsky. The commission included specialists in all the main departments of the ship under construction. Immediately upon arrival, the members of the commission had to fight with the head of the company, C. Kramp, who, using the discrepancies that arose as a result of the translation of the signed documents into English, began to challenge many requirements - in his opinion, they were impossible or entailed additional expenses. In particular, Kramp believed that the cruiser’s displacement was underestimated in the terms of reference, and therefore insisted on removing two 152-mm guns from the ship and reducing the coal reserve by 400 tons. As a result of the compromise reached, the displacement was allowed to be increased to 6500 tons. at a speed of 23 knots, Kramp suggested introducing the possibility of forced blast in the furnaces into the draft terms of reference. The commission did not agree to this. Therefore, in order to guarantee the achievement of a stroke of 23 knots, an American company designed machines with excess power - 20,000 hp. with. instead of the design 18,000 l. with.
As for the artillery of the main caliber, according to the original project, it was planned to disperse it throughout the ship - just like the cellars of artillery shells. As a result, the company had serious problems with the placement of cellars, especially in the area of boiler rooms and engine rooms. There was clearly not enough space, and Crump suggested that the guns be grouped at the ends. This made it possible to compactly place the cellars, providing them with better protection from enemy fire in battle. The Commission found the proposal acceptable and agreed to the changes.
As a prototype for the construction of a new ship, Crump suggested taking the Japanese armored cruiser Kasagi, but the MTK insisted on the Diana cruiser, which was built according to the 1895 program of the year. At the same time, the contract provided for the installation on the ship of Belleville boilers, which had proven themselves well in the Russian fleet. Although they were heavy, they were more reliable than the Nikloss boilers. Kramp, contrary to the requirements of the customer, persistently offered the latter, refusing, otherwise, to guarantee the achievement of the contract speed. Alas, he was also supported in St. Petersburg (in the person of Admiral General and head of the GUKiS V.P. Verkhovsky), finally resolving the dispute in favor of the construction company. It should be noted that representatives of the monitoring commission often found themselves in a difficult position due to the intervention of various officials of the MTC from St. Petersburg and Washington, in particular, naval agent D.F. Dead. Especially got the chairman of the commission. Crump, as one would expect, took advantage of this. In the end, due to the conflict between Danilevsky and Mertvago, in December 1898 a new chairman of the commission was appointed - Captain 1st Rank E.N. Shchenenovich, future commander of the battleship "Retvizan"
On January 11, 1899, by the will of the emperor and the order of the Naval Department, the cruiser under construction was given the name "Varyag" - in honor of the propeller-sailing corvette of the same name, a member of the "American expedition" of 1863. Captain 1st Rank V.I. was appointed commander of the new cruiser. Baer.
And on the slipway at that time, work was in full swing. In difficult "battles", sometimes beyond the bounds of decency, each side defended its interests. Disputes about what the look of the cruiser would be did not stop. As a result, the main pipe was excluded; the conning tower has been increased in size, in addition, it was raised to improve visibility; end torpedo tubes, chimney casings, ammunition supply elevators, and a skylight in the engine room received armor protection. It was possible to convince Krump to increase the height of the side keels of the cruiser from 0.45 to 0.61 m. The undoubted victory of the commission was the provision of auxiliary mechanisms with electric drives - up to the dough mixer in the galley. But there were some obvious miscalculations. So, gun shields were not installed due to fear of overload. And due to the ambiguity of the wording "weapons", Crump had to pay extra for the manufacture of auxiliary systems and mechanisms that ensure the firing of guns - fire control dials, elevators, ammunition supply monorails and other devices.
After the laying ceremony, which took place on May 10, 1899, work continued: propeller shaft brackets, stern tubes, outboard valves, kingstones and other fittings were installed. Due to the delays of the officials of the MTK (except for the "Varyag", the MTK had more than 70 orders), misunderstandings constantly arose, which inevitably led to a delay in work, and sometimes to a rework of already completed ones.
Suddenly there was a problem with the order of armor plates for the ship. Despite the fact that the ITC and the monitoring commission insisted on the use of monolithic armor plates made of "extra-soft nickel steel", Kramp ordered ordinary shipbuilding steel from the counterparty. At the same time, he once again rightly referred to the inaccurate wording in the "program for designing a cruiser." The conflict was resolved only after the company was promised an additional payment for the installation of nickel steel. Much controversy arose around the design of the armored deck. Due to the sluggishness of the MTK officials, the commission quickly had to accept the armor installation scheme proposed by the plant: composite horizontal armor riveted from two plates.
Although the construction of the ship proceeded at a fairly rapid pace, the cruiser's launch date was constantly pushed back. So, because of the strike in August 1899 at the factory, and then the general strike in the country, it was postponed to October. Finally, on October 19, on a rainy day, in the presence of the Russian ambassador to the United States, Count A.P. Cassini and other officials of the two countries launched the Varyag cruiser. The descent went well. Immediately after the descent, the tugboats took the ship's hull to the outfitting wall.
On December 29, the steamer "Vladimir Savin" arrived from Russia with weapons. By January 1, 1900, the installation of the main equipment inside the hull was practically completed and the installation of weapons on the upper deck began. Although the work went on uninterruptedly, even workers had to be removed from the Retvizan battleship under construction, it was clear that the Varyag would not be commissioned by the contract deadline - June 29, 1900. MTK began to prepare documents for withholding penalties from the company. In response, Kramp cited his counterarguments - a long coordination of drawings in Russia, multiple alterations of already assembled units, as well as strikes and strikes that swept the United States. The last reason for the delay in construction in St. Petersburg was considered valid and Kramp was not fined.
By the beginning of May, the chimneys, masts and weapons were finally installed. By the middle of the month, the company began mooring trials. On the 16th, the ship with the factory crew went to sea for the first time. When testing the machines, the cruiser developed a course of 22.5 knots. Despite the excessive heating of the bearings, the tests were considered successful. This gave hope that the contract speed will be achieved. At the same time, artillery fire was carried out, including on both sides. No damage or deformation of the hull was found. True, when firing at the nose from guns No. 3 and No. 4, the shock wave from the tank guns No. 1 and No. 2 tore off the muzzle covers. The same thing happened when firing from the stern - No. 9 and No. 10. In this regard, extended bulwarks were installed on the forecastle from both sides above guns No. 3 and No. 4 (much later, during the cruiser's service in Japan, similar bulwarks appeared over guns No. 5 and No. 6).
In the meantime, the deadline for the cruiser had passed, and the ship was still not ready even for sea trials. Finally, on July 2, the Varyag was brought into the dock for painting the underwater part. On July 12, the ship, having a bow draft of 5.8 m and a stern of 6 m, entered the ocean for a measured mile for progressive sea trials. The day turned out to be cloudy: it was raining, a strong wind was blowing, the sea state at the beginning of the tests was three points, and by the end it reached four. Progressive tests were carried out at a distance of 10 miles: three runs at a speed of 16 knots and two each at a speed of 18.21 and 23 knots. By the end of the tests, with a headwind, the Varyag reached a speed of 24.59 knots (with a machine power of 16198 hp and a steam pressure of 15.5 atm).
On July 15, 12-hour continuous tests began in full swing. Everything started well. The ship was in full swing for the eighth hour, when suddenly the cover of the HPC of the left machine was knocked out. The tests were forced to stop; the repair of mechanisms continued until mid-September. Before the 12-hour trials, they decided to conduct 24-hour tests, with an economic course of 10 knots. They passed without notice. As a result, the actual operational characteristics of the cruiser's power plant were specified: the productivity of the distillers was 38.8 tons of fresh water per day against the design 37 tons; coal consumption - 52.8 tons per day. Thus, with a full capacity of 1350 tons of coal pits, the cruising range was 6136 miles, which significantly exceeded the design value. At the same time, the power of the left and right machines was 576 and 600 hp. with. respectively; propeller speed 61.7 and 62 rpm.
On September 21, 12-hour progressive tests began in full swing in the morning. The deepening of the cruiser on an even keel was 5.94 m; sea roughness - 2 points; wind force in the lateral direction - 3 points. In general, the tests went well, only in one of the boilers a tube broke. The average speed reached - 23.18 knots - exceeded the value of the contract. The machines developed a capacity of 14,157 liters. with. at a steam pressure of 17.5 atm. The rotational speed of the shafts was on average 150 rpm.
On September 22, Crump passed the ship in excess of the main characteristics. The factory rejoiced. The members of the commission, on the contrary, were restrained in their emotions, although they were satisfied with the results of the tests. During the delivery, many minor shortcomings were revealed, which continued to be eliminated until the cruiser left for Russia.
Hull and armor
In accordance with the preliminary specification, the mass of the hull, taking into account efficient things, was to be 2900 tons. The cruiser's hull was made with a forecastle, which improved combat and running characteristics in stormy seas. The basis of the hull was the keel, enclosed between bronze stems. The keel was assembled on exposed keel blocks from simple elements: sheets and profiles. First, horizontal keel sheets were laid and riveted, vertical keel sheets were fixed to this structure using technological fasteners. Then reinforced sheets of a transverse set - flora - were attached to this assembly. On top of this structure, sheets of the second bottom were laid, stretching for the entire length of the ship. The foundations of all mechanisms and main machines were installed on the flooring of the second bottom. Brickwork of the foundations of 30 Nikloss boilers was installed on specially prepared sites. The hull of the cruiser consisted of a reinforced plating, longitudinal and transverse power set, deck decks, armored deck, posts and other structural elements that provide fastening of mechanisms, boilers and machines. The height of the ship's hull was 10.46 m.
Armored cruiser "Varyag" in the Baltic
All vital mechanisms, machines, boilers and cellars were covered by an armored deck made of "extra-soft nickel steel", stretching from stem to stem at a height of 6.48 m from the main line. Above the engine room, the deck rose to a height of 7.1 m; to the sides of its bevels descended below the waterline by about 1.1 m. The armor was riveted from 19-mm and 38.1-mm plates; the total thickness of the horizontal deck and bevels was 38 and 76 mm, respectively. The width of the plates was 3.74 m. The viscosity of the armor material made the projectile ricochet when it hit it at an acute angle. All armor plates were supplied by the Carnegie Steel Company, based in Pittsburgh. In the middle of the deck, along the diametrical plane above the boiler rooms, holes were made for chimneys, above the engine rooms - for a skylight. Along the sides, above and below the bevels in the area of engine and boiler rooms, there were coal pits. In addition to their direct purpose, they also performed protective functions, forming a parapet around the vital mechanisms and systems of the ship.
In the area of the coal pits, adjacent to the outer skin of the side, there were compartments of a cofferdam 0.76 m wide and 2.28 m high to accommodate pulp. But due to the fragility of cellulose, the compartments were not filled with it. Around the chimneys, skylight, rudder drives, ammunition supply elevators and other devices that passed through the armored deck, armored covers were installed. The muzzle parts of torpedo tubes also had reinforced protection. Manhole covers in the armored deck could be opened both from the inside and from the outside.
Under the armored deck, on the second bottom, all the main units, mechanisms and machines of the ship were located. Here, in the fore and aft ends, there were cellars with ammunition, reduced to two groups of nine rooms, which simplified their protection.
On the armor deck there were compartments for the bow and stern torpedo tubes, all utility rooms, on the bevels along the sides - coal pits. Above the armored deck was a living deck designed to accommodate the crew. The command quarters were also in free places under the forecastle.
Photo cruiser Varyag
Armament of the cruiser Varyag
Initially, in accordance with the "design program for the cruiser", it was supposed to install two 203-mm, ten 152-mm, twelve 75-mm, six 47-mm guns and 6 torpedo tubes on the ship, two of the latter being underwater. In total, 440.5 tons were allocated for artillery weapons; in reality, it was almost 30 tons heavier. Of this mass, 150.4 tons were assigned to 152-mm guns, 134 tons to torpedo-mine weapons, of which 26 tons were assigned to underwater TAs.
In the final version of the project, the "six-thousanders" ("Varyag", "Askold" and "Bogatyr") had 12 152/45 mm, 12 75/50 mm, 8 47/43 mm (two of them with removable machines), 2 37/23mm; 2 63.5/19 mm Baranovsky guns; 6 381 mm TA and 2 7.62 mm machine guns. In addition, it was supposed to install removable TA for boats, as well as minefields, exposed from special rafts.
"Varyag" was equipped with all these numerous weapons. Unlike other cruisers, on it all TAs were placed above the water. Despite the fact that all reference and specialized literature speaks of 381-mm torpedo tubes, there is reason to believe that in fact on the Varyag they had a caliber of 450 mm. This assumption is based on measurements of the dimensions of the torpedo and torpedoes given in the original drawings of the Kramp plant, and is indirectly confirmed by photographs of the torpedoes on the cruiser.
The large artillery of the cruiser (152 mm and 75 mm guns) was combined into three batteries. The first included 6 152-mm guns located in the bow, the second - 6 aft 152-mm guns; in the third - 12 75-mm guns.
All the cruiser's guns, including small-caliber guns, had through numbering, with odd numbers on the starboard side and even numbers on the left. Numbering - from bow to stern:
152 mm Kane guns, model 1891. On the forecastle - No. 1 and No. 2. On the upper deck - guns from No. 3 to No. 12;
- 75-mm Kane guns of the 1891 model on Meller's machines. On the upper deck from No. 13 - No. 22; on the living deck in the commander's cabin - No. 23 and No. 24;
- 47-mm Hotchkiss guns of the 1896 model. On the forecastle on the sponson of guns No. 5 and No. 6 - guns No. 27 and No. 28. Guns No. 25 and No. 26 were installed on removable machines designed for steam boats, No. 29 and No. No. 32 - on the top of the mainmast;
- 37-mm Hotchkiss guns of the 1896 model. Both guns No. 33 and No. 34 were installed on the platform behind the aft bridge;
- 63.5-mm landing guns of the Baranovsky model of 1882. Guns No. 35 and No. 36 were located on the forecastle under the wings of the bow bridge. Wheel carriages for them were stored separately - under the bow bridge behind the conning tower;
The machine guns were mounted on special brackets located on the bulwarks near the conning tower. Before firing, the calculation threw back a special platform, stood on it and fired. Exactly such platforms were prepared in the stern of the ship under the whaleboats. If desired, detachable 47-mm guns No. 25 and No. 26 could be mounted on the same brackets.
As already mentioned, all torpedo tubes on the cruiser were surface. Two of them were located in the stems at the ends of the ship in a fixed position; four - on the sides: two in the premises of the ship's church and two in the wardroom. The onboard vehicles were rotary; their guidance was carried out using a ball device. In the stowed position, they were disassembled; before the shot they had to be collected. Shooting from onboard vehicles was carried out using the energy of powder gases, and from the bow, due to the danger of flooding with water, with compressed air.
In addition, the ship had 254-mm torpedo tubes for arming steam boats. In the stowed position, they were fixed under the flooring of the longitudinal bridges next to the boats /
The cruiser's ammunition was stored in 18 cellars. Initially, the cellars were placed along the sides throughout the ship (similar to the Askold), but due to crowding, especially in the area of \u200b\u200bboiler rooms and engine rooms, and the inability to provide sufficient protection, in the final version, all of them were concentrated in nine cellars at the ends. They contained shells of all calibers, as well as torpedoes, throwing mines, barrage mines and cartridges for machine guns and small arms. Armor-piercing, high-explosive, cast-iron and segment shells were used for the main caliber; for firing from 75-mm guns - only armor-piercing and cast iron. According to the state, the cellars housed 2388 cartridges (charges in cartridge cases) and shells for 152-mm guns (199 rounds per barrel), 3000 unitary cartridges for 75-mm guns (250 per barrel), 5000 unitary cartridges for 47-mm guns (625 per barrel), 2584 unitary cartridges for 37 mm guns (1292 per barrel), 1490 unitary cartridges for 63.5 mm guns (745 per gun), 12 381 (or 450) mm torpedoes, six throwing mines with a caliber of 254 mm and 35 mines of obstacles (according to other sources - 22).
The supply of ammunition for all calibers was carried out by elevators with electric and manual drives. Shells and cartridges were fed up in gazebos, four shots each, and the gazebos were rolled up to the guns on special monorails and unloaded there onto a tarpaulin spread on the deck. Monorails were laid to all the guns located on the upper deck; they were in all the cellars. Shells and cartridges (cartridges) were delivered to guns No. 1 and No. 2 using folding monorails or brought by hand directly from the elevators. To the guns mounted on the tops, shots were fed using elevators located inside the masts. 152-mm guns were served by 12 elevators (one elevator per gun); 75-mm guns - three; 47-mm guns - two; the remaining elevators were intended for 37-mm guns and guns of Baranovsky. The speed of lifting arbors with an electric drive is 0.8 - 0.9 m / s, manually - 0.2 - 0.4 m / s. .
A remote electric fire control system was introduced on the cruiser using special indicators installed at the guns and in the cellars. Data on firing parameters and the type of projectiles were transmitted directly from the conning tower via cables laid throughout the ship. The total length of the cable network of the firing control system was 1730 m. The system consisted of a step-down transformer (supply voltage from 100 to 23 volts, current strength up to 25 A), cable network, setting and receiving devices.
The transmission of commands from the conning tower was carried out by turning the handle of the setting device, which, according to the principle of selsyns, rotated the same angle of the receiving device at the guns, indicating either the value of the heading angle, or the type of projectiles used for firing, or information about the type of firing being performed. The receiving devices were installed not only in the batteries, but also in the cellars (8 shell dials), issuing commands to feed certain shells to the guns.
Determining the distances to the target was carried out by six ranging stations equipped with ranging keys. The keys were included in the set of rangefinder stations, which are columns with Lujol-Myakishev micrometers installed on them. With the help of a micrometer, the distance to the target was determined and transmitted to the dials in the conning tower and to the guns. To control the correctness of the transmitted distance, the station had a control dial.
In the central post, two master and two combat dials were installed, with four keys and two projectile master dials each. Electrical devices that control the parameters in the network were also installed here.
Main mechanisms
Triple expansion steam engines with a capacity of 20,000 hp. with. located in two adjacent engine rooms and had a height of 4.5 m together with the foundation. Their excess power, revealed during full-speed tests, was like a "dead weight", since it could not be realized with the existing steam output of the boilers.
The cruiser's four-cylinder machines had one high (14 atm), medium (8.4 atm) and two low (3.5 atm) pressure cylinders each. Accordingly, their diameters were equal to 1.02; 1.58 and 1.73 m. The piston stroke was 0.91 m. The maximum angular speed of rotation of the shaft was 160 rpm. Piston rods were made of forged nickel steel hollow. The steel shafts of the main machines are also forged. The crankshaft of the machine consisted of four knees. The thrust shaft in its design had 14 rings, which are the main elements that perceive the pushing force from the propeller. This force was perceived by 14 horseshoe-shaped brackets attached to the thrust bearing housing. The rubbing parts of the brackets were filled with white metal. The entire structure was cooled by tap water during rotation. The ship had two shafts, respectively, two propellers. Shafts through the stern tubes were taken out of the ship.
In accordance with the design drawings, it was supposed to install two four-blade propellers with removable blades with a diameter of 4.4 m on the Varyag. However, during construction they were replaced with two three-blade propellers with fixed blades and a standard pitch of 5.6 m. two cylinder machines.
During the movement of the ship at full speed (during trials in the USA), the temperature in the engine rooms reached 3 G and 43 ° - respectively, on the lower and upper platforms.
The "Stop" command from full speed ahead to a complete stop of the machine was executed for a 10 - 75-mm gun; 11 - boat, 12 - davit; 13 - trial boat; 14 - flooring of the longitudinal bridge, 15 - casing of the chimney; 16 - skylight; 17 - flooring of the upper deck. Graphics: V. Kataev
15 s; "Move forward" - in 8 s, and change from full forward to full reverse - in 25 s.
The three boiler rooms of the cruiser housed 30 Nikloss water-tube boilers:
nasal 10; on average - 8 and in the stern - 12. The height of each boiler with a foundation is 3 m, of which 2 meters were occupied by a collector with tubes. Each boiler had three fireboxes lined with bricks. All boilers were combined into four groups, each had its own chimney, and the bow was narrower than the others. The area of the heating surface of all 30 boilers was 5786 m2, and the area of the swinging grate was 146 m2. The design working pressure in the boilers was taken equal to 18 atm (test - 28.1 atm). During running 12-hour progressive tests, the pressure in the boilers did not exceed 17.5 atm, the temperature in the boiler room on the upper platforms reached 73 °, on the lower ones - 50 °. Water was supplied to the boilers by 10 feed pumps. The amount of water in the boilers - 110 tons; another 120 tons were additionally stored in the double-bottom space. High-pressure steam from the boilers to the machines was supplied through a pipeline with a diameter of 381 mm. Slag from the boiler room was ejected through special shafts equipped with an electric drive. The total cooling surface of the two main refrigerators is 1120 m2.
Coal pits adjoined the boiler rooms. Coal from them climbed through special necks located in the boiler room. He was brought to the fireboxes on rails in special trolleys.
Coal was loaded into the pits through 16 necks with a diameter of 508 mm, located on the upper deck.
Ship devices and systems
The Davis mechanism, which was the basis of the cruiser's steering gear, for the first time in the Russian fleet had three types of drive: steam, electric and manual. The rudder blade was made in the form of a three-section steel frame sheathed with 9 mm thick sheet steel. The frame space was filled with wooden blocks. Rudder area - 12 m2.
The steering was carried out either from the conning or wheelhouse; in the event of their failure, control was transferred to the steering compartment, located under the armored deck.
The cruiser "Varyag", unlike the ships created earlier, had a large percentage of equipment powered by electricity. In this regard, the power consumption of the ship exceeded 400 kW. This required a significant amount of fuel. So, for example, out of 8600 tons of coal consumed in a year, 1750 tons were spent on lighting, 540 tons on a desalination plant, 415 tons on heating and a galley.
Three dynamo machines were the sources of electricity on the ship. The power of two, located in the bow and in the stern, was 132 kW each, and the generator located on the living deck was 63 kW. They generated electric current with a voltage of 105 V. In addition, a 2.6 kW generator with a voltage of 65 V was used to lift boats and boats. There was a steering generator in the tiller compartment; in everyday life, he often served for lighting. In addition, in a special compartment there was a battery for emergency power supply of running lights, loud bells and other needs.
To extinguish fires under the armored deck, a fire main with a diameter of 127 mm was laid. To connect fire hoses, the pipe had branches with a diameter of 64 mm, which stretched to all cellars, boiler rooms and engine rooms. Fire alarm sensors were installed in the coal pits. The fires in the coal pits were extinguished by steam.
The drainage system consisted of signaling means, drainage pumps and drives (electric motors). She ensured the pumping of incoming water from all the rooms under the armored deck of the ship.
Water was removed from the boiler rooms with the help of centrifugal pumps placed on the double bottom flooring. As a drive for them, electric motors were used, installed on the armored deck and connected to the pumps by a long shaft. Productivity of one pump - 600 MUCH. The diameters of the inlet pipes on all pumps were the same - 254 mm. Water was pumped out of the engine rooms by two circulation pumps of the main refrigerators with a capacity of 2x1014 m3/h.
Armored cruiser "Varyag". Interior spaces
The ventilation system could provide for an hour a 5-fold air exchange in all rooms below the armored deck, 12-fold in the cellars and 20-fold in the dynamo rooms.
To protect against torpedoes while parking in open raids, the ship was supplied with metal nets. They were hung along the sides on poles. In the stowed position, the poles were laid along the sides in an inclined position, and the nets were laid on special shelves.
The cruiser's anchoring device consisted of two hawse with succluses, four Hall anchors with rods, anchor chains, two capstans, a powered windlass, vymbovki and a crane for cleaning dead anchors. The mass of each anchor is 4.77 tons, and two of them were installed on special pillows on the starboard side: the first, closer to the hawse, is the anchor, the second is the spare. On the left side there is one deadman. The fourth was fixed on the front wall of the conning tower foundation. Anchor chains 274 m long and 54 mm in caliber were attached to both anchors. In addition to the main chains, the cruiser had two more spare ones, each 183 m long. The anchors were lifted by a windlass located under the forecastle. Drive windlass and capstan, located on the forecastle - steam; aft capstan - electric. In the event of a failure of these drives, the capstans could be pulled out manually using chisels. Vymbovki in the stowed position were installed on the bulkhead of the aft superstructure and on the outer wall of the elevators on the tank. Anchor cleaning after lifting was carried out by a crane installed on the forecastle not far from the guisstock. To work with a spare anchor, a collapsible crane mounted on the forecastle was used. In the stowed position, it was stored on the roof of the wheelhouse.
In addition to anchors, the cruiser had one stop anchor and three verps weighing 1.18 tons, 685 kg. 571 kg and 408 kg. The stop anchor was located on the left side behind the "casemate" of the 75-mm gun on special brackets. On the starboard side in the area of whaleboat No. 1, one werp was fixed on brackets, the rest were placed on the port side.
The cruiser's rescue boats included two steam boats 12.4 m long; one 16-oar and one 14-oar longboat; two 12-oar boats; two 6-oar whaleboats; two 6-oared yawls and two trial 4-oared boats. All of them were made of galvanized steel. In addition to two yawls, all watercraft were mounted on rostras. The sixes were located on the sides on the forecastle in front of the first chimney; trial boats - next to 12-row boats on rosters.
The means of control, communications and surveillance on the cruiser were concentrated mainly on the stern and bow bridges, including the navigation and conning tower. The cruiser's conning tower, increased from 2.8x2.3 m to 4.2x3.5 m compared to the project, was an oval armored breastwork protected by 152-mm armor. The cabin was installed on a foundation 1.5 m high. To ensure the normal operation of the combat and directional compasses, the roof and floor of the cabin were made of a bronze sheet 31.8 mm thick and a brass sheet 6.4 mm thick.
The roof was a mushroom-shaped oval figure with the edges curved down. The edges of the roof protruded beyond the parapet; the gap between the roof and the vertical armor parapet formed observation slots 305 mm high. The entrance to the armored cabin was open. To prevent shells and fragments from entering the wheelhouse, a traverse from an armor plate 152 mm thick was installed opposite the entrance. The armored cabin was connected by means of a vertical armored tube to the central post located under the armored deck. The pipe wall thickness was 76 mm. Above the conning tower there was a transverse bridge, on which combat lights (searchlights) and tack lights were installed. The wheelhouse, also made entirely of sheet brass and copper, was in the center of the bridge. There were fifteen windows in its walls: five in front, four on each side and two behind. Doors - four. And all the doors were sliding. The bridge rested on the roof of the conning tower and 13 racks installed on the forecastle.
In both cabins for ship control, communications and observation, duplicated devices and instruments were installed. Similar devices, except for the steering wheel and compass, were also installed in the central post.
There were five compasses on the cruiser. The two main ones were located on the roof of the undercarriage and on a special platform of the aft bridges. The non-magnetic zone of these compasses was 4.5 m.
The means of communication "Varyag" included a telephone network, speaking pipes and a staff of messengers. If the latter were a traditional type of communication, then the telephone was almost a novelty in the Russian fleet. It covered almost all service areas of the ship. Telephone sets were installed in all cellars, in boiler rooms and engine rooms, in the cabins of the commander, senior officer, mechanical engineer, in the conning and navigation cabins, at posts near the guns.
Means of electrical signaling (bells, indicators, fire alarm sensors, annunciators, etc.) were available in the cabins of command personnel, at combat posts and in the conning tower. In addition to warning bells, on the cruiser, paying tribute to traditions, the staff of drummers and buglers was retained (drummers gave signals for artillery crews on the starboard side, and buglers on the field side). To communicate with other ships, in addition to the radio station, the cruiser had a large staff of signalmen transmitting messages using flags, flags, figures, Tabulevich's lights and a mechanical semaphore (removed in the summer of 1901 due to bulkiness and inconvenience of use).
For raising signal flags, figures, stretching the radio antenna and placing searchlight and Mars platforms on the cruiser, two single-pole masts were installed. The topmasts of both masts were made telescopic and, if necessary, could be pulled inside the masts with the help of special devices. Elevators were also placed inside the masts for supplying cartridges to 47-mm guns on the tops.
The "Varyag" had six searchlights with a mirror diameter of 750 mm. They were located on the masts (one each) and bridges (two each).
Combat dressing stations
There were four dressing stations on the Varyag: two in the bow and two in the stern. In the bow, in a combat situation, the wounded were bandaged in the infirmary, located on the starboard side, and in the pharmacy opposite the infirmary on the port side. In the aft part - in the 4th command room at the descent to the combat dressing station and in the point itself, located under the armored deck. It was possible to get to the bow points through two hatches located between the 1st and 2nd chimneys. In peacetime, one could also go down to them through the hatches between the 2nd and 4th pipes, passing through the 3rd command room, separated from them by a waterproof partition. But in a combat situation, on alarm, this passage cannot be used, since the doors are usually battened down.
To deliver the wounded to the point located in the 4th command cockpit, it was necessary to lower him into the officer's quarters, then from there along a steep ladder to the armored deck, then carry him along a narrow corridor that ran at right angles to the ladder, go through the door in a waterproof bulkhead and get into the 4th command room.
To deliver the wounded to the combat dressing station, it is necessary to go down the ladder to the officer's quarters, from there carry him to the wardroom. Then, with the help of hoists, lower the wounded man into the torpedo storage room (at the same time, torpedoes were delivered through this hatch to the devices located in the wardroom during the alarm), and from there through a narrow door to the dressing station.
The unsuitability of this item was revealed during a training alarm before the battle, since during the alarm the gangway leading from the wardroom to the armored deck was removed, and the hatch cover was battened down to ensure the survivability of the ship. Subsequently, in accordance with the order of the commander, the following were approved as dressing stations:
1. In the bow - an infirmary and a pharmacy.
2. In the aft part there is a cabin-company room and a dressing station on the armored deck.
Dressings were stored in special boxes located in four places. All personnel were trained to provide first aid to the wounded.
The carriers of the wounded (14 people) were provided with special bags with medical supplies. There were enough surgical instruments: in addition to state-owned ones, doctors also used their personal ones.
Crew and accommodation
On the cruiser "Varyag", in accordance with the specification, the crew consisted of 21 officers, 9 conductors and 550 lower ranks. Before the ship left for Russia, there were 19 officers, a priest, 5 conductors and 537 lower ranks on it. 558 people participated in the battle on January 27, 1904: 21 officers, a priest, 4 conductors, 529 lower ranks and 3 civilians. Another 10 crew members of the Varyag were left in Port Arthur before leaving for Chemulpo.
The crew's living quarters were located under the forecastle and on the living deck and aft on the armored deck. From the 72nd sp. towards the stern were the cabins of the officers and command of the ship. The officers' cabins were single, with an area of 6 m2; cabins of a senior officer, mechanical engineer and senior navigator - 10 m2 each. The commander occupied the premises towards the stern at a length of 12.5 m. Adjacent to them was a saloon with an area of 92 m2. On the living deck there was an infirmary, a pharmacy, a galley, a bathhouse (25 m2) and a ship's church. On the living deck, all doors, except for watertight ones, were sliding.
Coloring
During the service "Varyag" was painted as follows. Before leaving for Russia and in Russia from September 1900 to May 1901: the hull and masts are white; lower knees of chimneys, fans (pipes and sockets) - yellow; upper knees of chimneys, topmasts of both masts and yardarms - black; the underwater part - green and the inner surface of the bells - red
During the voyage as part of the escort of Emperor Nicholas II from August to September 1901: the hull and masts are white; chimney elbows and fans (chimneys and sockets) - yellow; chimney crowns 1.5 m wide, topmasts of both masts and yardarms - black; the inner surface of the sockets is red; the underwater part is red.
When moving to the Far East and in Port Arthur from August 1901 to September 1903: the hull and masts are white; lower knees of chimneys and fans (pipes and sockets) - yellow; the upper knees of the chimneys, the topmasts of both masts and the yards are black; the inner surface of the sockets is red; the underwater part is red.
From September 1903 until the moment of death: from the klotik to the waterline - olive color (in accordance with the order for painting ships on the chimneys, an orange stripe 0.9 meters wide was to be beaten off); the underwater part is red.
During repairs in Vladivostok and the transition to Hong Kong from March to July 1916: from the klotik to the waterline - ball color; crowns of chimneys 1 meter wide - black; the underwater part is most likely red. During the transition from Hong Kong to Greenock from July to November 1916: from the klotik to the waterline - "semi-white" color (as in the document - V. K); crowns of chimneys 1 meter wide - black; the underwater part is red.
During the transition from Greenock to the capture by the British from November 1916 to November 1917: from the klotik to the waterline - ball color; crowns of chimneys 1 meter wide - black; the underwater part is red.
Project evaluation
The cruisers of the program "for the needs of the Far East" were built according to the same technical specifications, but they appeared to the world completely different, both in appearance and in basic shipbuilding characteristics. Rodin them, perhaps, only the same composition of weapons. In this regard, the question involuntarily arises: how successful were these ships and which one was better?
It seemed that the experience of military operations should have answered these questions. However, in reality, everything turned out to be much more complicated. The tasks that the cruisers had to perform during the Russo-Japanese War turned out to be far from those originally prescribed in the projects.
Ironically, the Bogatyr, the most protected and advanced of the 6000-ton armored cruisers, did not fire a single shot during the entire war and practically did not take part in any campaign, standing in the dock in a protracted repair. But "Varyag" on the very first day of the war had to meet face to face with representatives of almost all generations of "Elsvik cruisers" - from obsolete to the latest models. But fate put him in such conditions that the tragic outcome was a foregone conclusion. The third representative of the family - "Askold" - took an active part in all operations of the Pacific squadron. True, there were few such operations - much less than expected before the opening of hostilities. Nevertheless, the cruiser showed her outstanding capabilities, becoming the only ship of the series that managed to come out of the crucible of that war with honor, in the "arena" of which these cruisers were so imprudently used.
Speaking of 6,000-ton cruisers, one cannot fail to mention the ships built according to the 1895 program of the year. It was they who became the prototype for the development of the lead cruiser under the shipbuilding program of 1898. We are talking about cruisers of the type "Diana". Entered into service before the start of the Russo-Japanese War, they, alas, are morally and physically obsolete and no longer meet modern requirements. This fact speaks, first of all, about the level of development of domestic industry at the beginning of the 20th century. "Diana", "Pallada" and "Aurora" were distinguished by good reliability of mechanisms, but in all respects they lost to armored cruisers of foreign construction.
Armored cruiser "Varyag" in 1916
"Varyag" and "Askold", which in fact were experimental ships of this type, are most suitable for comparison in terms of design and layout. There is no doubt that the Varyag was designed more thoughtfully and compactly. The forced placement of artillery at the extremities saved him from cramped cellars along the sides. The ship had good seaworthiness, boats and boats were very well located on it. The engine and boiler rooms were spacious; their equipment and ventilation system deserved the highest praise.
"Askold" in this regard, "Varyag" was losing. The fears of the builders not to reach the contract speed led to the fact that the relative length of the cruiser (already large in the original project) became 8.7 in the final version (for the Varyag - 8.1). As a result, the hull was a long, flexible beam; its low margin of safety led to local loss of stability, and sometimes to destruction of the structure. The "fragility" of the hull on the move caused a strong vibration, this was especially felt on the quarterdeck. Due to the fear of overloading, the ship lost its forecastle and wheelhouse (the latter was installed only after sea trials, at the insistence of the commander), which significantly worsened its performance in stormy weather. The narrowness of the hull led to cramped quarters and ammunition cellars.
On the measured mile during the progressive maximum speed tests, both ships performed outstandingly. So, on July 12, 1900, the Varyag reached a speed of 24.59 knots. On September 6, 1901, the Askold, in turn, reached a speed of 23.39 knots. During 12-hour continuous tests, the Varyag showed an average result of 23.18 knots, with a machine power of 19,602 liters. with. "Askold" on September 15 and 17, 1901 on 6-hour runs reached a speed of 23.98 and 24.01 knots with a power of 21,100 and 20,885 hp. with. respectively. At the same time, it should be noted that due to a malfunction of the mechanical log, the velocities were not measured. In the final test tables, the figures obtained during other tests were entered.
Of interest are the 24-hour tests of the Varyag during the run at an economical speed of 10 knots. So, during the day the cruiser traveled 240 miles, while using 52.8 tons of coal (that is, 220 kg per mile). Simple calculations show that with a normal supply of coal of 720 tons, the cruising range was 3,270 miles, and with a full supply of 1,350 tons, 6,136 miles.
True, the actual cruising range of a ship always differs significantly from the calculated one obtained from the test results. So, during long-distance crossings, the Varyag at a speed of 10 knots spent 68 tons of coal per day, which corresponds to the maximum cruising range of 4288 miles. The daily consumption of coal on the Askold for a speed of 11 knots was 61 tons - thus, its cruising range was 4760 miles.
One of the main advantages of "Askold" was considered the reliable operation of its power plant. This advantage compensated for all its shortcomings. Alas, the "Varangian" could not "boast" of this. The cruiser spent a significant part of the pre-war service in Port Arthur against the wall in endless repairs. The reason was both the careless assembly of the machines and the unreliability of the boilers of the Nikloss system, which were ingenious in idea, but were no good in operation.
The location of the main caliber guns on the "Askold" look preferable. On it, seven six-inch guns could participate in a side salvo, and only six on the Varyag. True, strictly at the bow or stern, the Varyag could fire from four, and the Askold only from one gun. The rest were limited to an angle of 30 ° due to the danger of destruction of the superstructure structure.
But the main disadvantage of both the Varyag and the Askold lies in the depravity of the very concept of armored cruisers with a displacement of 6000 tons. While Japan, preparing for war, prudently relied on much cheaper 3000-ton ships, and the money saved invested in the creation of armored cruisers with 203-mm artillery, Russia continued to spend money on "trade fighters" designed to operate alone on ocean communications. As a result, the domestic fleet was replenished with a whole series of large, beautiful, but, alas, practically useless ships, among which the legendary Varyag belonged.
The battle
In the twentieth of January, telegraph communication with Port Arthur was interrupted. But despite all the signs of an impending war, Pavlov, the envoy to Korea, did not let the Varyag leave Chemulpo, giving the go-ahead only to send the Korean with diplomatic mail to Port Arthur. It is noteworthy that on the night of January 26, the Japanese stationary station Chiyoda suddenly went to sea.
On January 26, the gunboat “Koreets”, having received the mail, weighed anchor, but at the exit from the roadstead, the squadron of Rear Admiral S. Uriu, consisting of the armored cruiser “Asama”, cruisers of the 2nd class “Chyoda”, “Naniva”, “ Takachiho", "Niitaka" and "Akashi", as well as three transports and four destroyers. The destroyers attacked the gunboat with two torpedoes, but unsuccessfully. Not having an order to open fire and not knowing about the beginning of hostilities, the commander of the "Korean" captain 2nd rank G.P. Belyaev ordered to turn back.
Immediately upon anchoring, Belyaev arrived at the cruiser Varyag and reported to its commander about the incident, Rudnev immediately departed for the English cruiser Talbot, whose commander, captain L. Bailey, was the senior on the roadstead. Bailey, after listening to the Russian commander, immediately went to the older Japanese ship for clarification. During the proceedings, the commander of the Takachiho denied a mine attack on the Russian boat, and the actions of the destroyers, according to him, were dictated by the protection of transports from the attack of the Korean. As a result, the incident was presented as a misunderstanding.
All night the Japanese landed troops from the transports. And in the morning of the next day, Russian sailors learned that war between Russia and Japan had been declared ...
Rear Admiral Uriu sent messages to the commanders of the warships of neutral countries that were in Chemulpo - the English cruiser Talbot, the French Pascal, the Italian Elba and the American gunboat Vicksburg - with a request to leave the raid in connection with possible actions against the Varyag "and" Korean. After a meeting on the British cruiser Talbot, the commanders of the first three ships protested, since a battle in the roadstead would be a flagrant violation of the formal neutrality of Korea, but it was clear that this was unlikely to stop the Japanese. The Japanese admiral was also protested by the ambassadors of England, France and other countries accredited in Seoul.
The painting "Cruiser" Varyag ", Artist P.T. Maltsev. 1955
Then V.F. Rudnev, who was the commander of a detachment of Russian ships, decided to go to sea and try to break through to Port Arthur with a fight. The officers of the Varyag and Koreets unanimously supported this proposal at the military councils.
After the incendiary speech of the commander of the Varyag, which the crew of the ship greeted with repeated loud "cheers", and the performance of the national anthem by the ship's orchestra, the command sounded: "All up, anchor!" At 11.20 on January 27, 1904, the Varyag cruiser and the Koreets gunboat weighed anchors and headed for the exit from the raid. The "Korean" walked ahead for some time. The distance between the ships was maintained at 1-2 kbt, the speed was approximately 6-7 knots. The weather that day turned out to be calm and frosty, the sea was completely calm.
The horizon line was not visible due to the haze, and so far nothing spoke of the presence of an enemy in the sea. On foreign ships, people standing along the sides paid tribute to the courage of the Russians. According to the words of the British from the Talbot, "they greeted us three times, and we also very amicably answered three times ..,." On the Varyag, the orchestra played the anthems of those countries whose ships were passing by at that moment. Solemnly and decorously, the Russians looked at the foreigners, who admired their calmness before the coming unequal battle. French sailors from the Pascal cruiser expressed their feelings especially enthusiastically: having broken the formation, they waved their arms and caps, shouted greetings, trying to encourage people going to certain death.
When the Italian cruiser Elba left behind, the music stopped. Now there was only the enemy ahead, who was not yet visible behind the island of Yodolmi (Pha-mildo). Gradually increasing the speed, the Russian ships brought the speed up to 12 knots. The signalmen on the bridge of the Varyag, who had been on duty since the morning according to the combat schedule, peered tensely into the distance and soon noticed the silhouettes of enemy ships in the haze. Captain 1st rank V.F. Rudnev at 2:25 p.m. ordered to sound a combat alarm and raise the flags. As soon as the blue and white cloths of the St. Andrew's flags fluttered in the wind, the crackling of the drum and the high notes of the horn rang out, the bells of loud battle rang deafeningly, calling the fire and water divisions upstairs. People quickly fled to combat posts. The conning tower began to receive reports about the readiness of batteries and posts for battle.
Although S. Uriu was preparing for retaliatory actions on the part of the Russians, nevertheless their entry into the sea came as a surprise to him. The Japanese squadron, with the exception of a few ships, guarded the Russians at the southern tip of Philip Island. Closest to the exit from the raid were Asama and Chiyoda, and it was from them that the Varyag and Korean sailing into the sea were discovered. in the sea".
Rear Admiral Uriu on board the cruiser "Naniva" at that time read the protest of the commanders of the international squadron, delivered by Lieutenant Wilson from the English cruiser "Talbot". Having received the news from Asama and Chiyoda, the commander, along with those present, quickly went upstairs. Signal flags flew up on the masts of the Naniva. Having riveted the anchor chains, since there was no time to lift and clean the anchors, the ships of the squadron began to hastily stretch out onto the stretch, on the move reorganizing into battle columns according to the disposition received the day before. Assessing the situation, the admiral ordered the Chiyoda to join the Asama and act together with it.
Asama and Chiyoda were the first to move, followed by the flagship Naniwa and the cruiser Niitaka, a little behind. Three destroyers of the 14th detachment of destroyers walked abeam the non-shooting side of the Naniva. The destroyers of the 9th detachment were sent in the morning to fetch coal and water in Asan Bay. The cruisers Akashi and Takachiho, having developed a large course, rushed in a south-westerly direction. Aviso "Chihaya" together with the destroyer of the 14th detachment "Kasasagi" were on patrol at the exit from the 30-mile fairway.
The Russian ships continued to move on the same course, but the "Korean" was now walking in a ledge, somewhat to the left of the "Varyag". On the right wing of the bridge of the cruiser, at the combat lamp (searchlight), the rangefinders began to adjust their instruments, the ship froze in anticipation of the battle. The priest, Father Michael, blessed the “Christ-loving warriors for heroic deeds and victory over the enemy” and went down to the infirmary.
On the deck, like giant snakes, lay the sleeves of fire hoses rolled out. From rangefinder stations began to report the distance to the nearest enemy ships. The elevators fired their first shots, and the arbours loaded with charges rumbled down the overhead monorails towards the guns.
In the distance, along the course, the island of Yodolmi opened. To the right of the island, the gray silhouettes of the ships of the Japanese squadron were already visible to the naked eye. The nearest Japanese ships, meanwhile, stretched out in a battle column (as it seemed from the Russian ships), moved in a converging course, advancing down to the line of movement of the Russian ships. There were more than 45 kbt to the lead ship. Against the background of numerous smokes on the masts of the third cruiser from the head of the column of the cruiser, multi-colored signal flags flew up. Without a doubt, the meaning of the signal was clear - the Japanese commander offered the Russians to surrender without a fight. They immediately let the conning tower know about this, From there the command came: "Do not answer the signal."
The ship's clock, installed in the wheelhouse, showed 11.40. The conning tower was crowded. In addition to the watch, which already in the morning was on duty according to the combat schedule, there were the commander, senior artilleryman, senior navigator, auditor and watch commander. The helmsman froze at the helm, the lower ranks froze at the telephones and speaking pipes, the staff bugler and the drummer stood stretched out in the aisle of the conning tower. And already outside, at the entrance to the wheelhouse, almost on the steps of the ladder, there were signalmen and messengers of the commander.
Russian sailors continued to watch the enemy. The second group of Japanese ships - "Naniva" and "Niytaka" - a little behind the first group, walked in a ledge to the right, keeping a little more seaward. In the distance, in the haze, there were still a few enemy ships, but it was difficult to classify them because of the distance.
It was also crowded in the conning tower of the Naniva. In addition to the command of the ship, the commander of the squadron was here with his headquarters. At 11.44 on the masts of the 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 of the enemy lay ahead of the "Varyag" with a small 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. The guns of the Varyag were silent for the time being - the commander was waiting for the distance to decrease.
The very first shell that hit the cruiser killed the junior navigator midshipman A. M. Nirod and two rangefinder sailors, three people were injured. The explosion destroyed the flooring and handrails of the bridge, and the shock wave bent the bridge struts. A fire broke out in the navigator's cabin, but it was quickly extinguished.
The next shell exploded at the side. Its fragments disabled all the servants of the 152-mm gun No. 3, and the plutong commander midshipman P.N. Gubonin was also seriously wounded.
"Varyag" and "Korean" returned fire. True, the very first volleys from the gunboat gave a big shortfall, 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 "Varyag" was fired mainly by "Asama", "Naniva" and "Niytaka"; occasionally, when the situation allowed, Takachiho and Akashi opened fire. The "Varyag" was literally bombarded with enemy shells, sometimes hiding behind huge water tornadoes, which with a roar now and then took off to the level of combat mars. Missiles, bursting at the sides, doused the superstructures and the deck with streams of water and a hail of fragments, destroying the superstructures and crippling people who stood openly on the upper deck. Despite the casualties, the Varyag energetically responded to the enemy with frequent fire, but, alas, the results were not yet visible. The "Korean" was fired upon by the "Chyoda" and, probably, several more ships of the Uriu squadron. Moreover, their shooting was very inaccurate, and during the battle it was not corrected. Looking ahead, we note that for the entire battle, not a single shell hit the “Korean”. According to the gunboat commander, there were only three shortfalls, and the rest of the shells fell with a large flight.
Since the Japanese ships were initially far ahead and to the right along the course of our ships, the Varyag and the Korean had to catch up with them all the time and fire from rather sharp angles. The Japanese, in turn, moving in relation to the Russians on a converging course, gradually "descended" to the alleged line of movement of the "Varangian" and "Korean". At the same time, they had to follow the fairway so as not to run into stones.
The battle flared up with renewed vigor, and, as the English observer Captain Trubridge noted, during this period of the battle, “he observed many shells falling near the Naniva and believed that he must have been hit.” Caught under fire from the Varyag, the Japanese flagship cruiser immediately broke down and, having made a coordinate to the right, let the Nii-taka go ahead, and then he entered her wake.
On the Varyag, at that time, a fire raged on the quarterdeck, which arose as a result of the explosion of a six-inch segment projectile, which ignited the cartridges prepared for firing. The fire from the cartridges spread to the canvas canopy of whaleboat No. 1. The explosion of this projectile destroyed the combat crew of the six-inch gun No. 9; it was temporarily silent. Shrapnel also killed the commutator K. Kuznetsov, three people from the servants of gun No. 8, and almost completely the crew of the 47-mm gun located on the main-mars. Through the efforts of the fire division, headed by midshipman N.I. Chernilovsky-Sokol and boatswain Kharkovsky, the fire was soon extinguished. The wheelhouse received data on damaged starboard guns. It turned out that compressors and knurlers failed during firing on 75-mm guns.
Hard work was going on in the wardroom adapted for the dressing station. Not far from the entrance hatch, a shell exploded, the ship shuddered perceptibly. The senior doctor M.N. Khrabrostin, who performed the dressing, could hardly keep on his feet. In an instant, the wardroom was filled with smoke, there was nothing to breathe. The orderlies began to drag the wounded into an adjacent room. They were putting out a fire upstairs - streams of water gushed through the open hatch; Khrabrostin and some orderlies were soaked to the skin.
By that time, the distance between the opposing sides had decreased so much that the Korean guns were finally able to enter the battle. His very first shells landed at the side of the lead Japanese cruiser.
Due to the tightness in the conning tower and the difficulty of observing the enemy (hanging remnants of a canvas body kit, shrouds and davits interfered), the commander of the Varyag stood in the wheelhouse aisle between the bugler N Nagle and the drummer D. Korneev and continued to command the ship from here. On the right beam one could see the gloomy rocks of the island of Iodolmi. Enemy ships were moving ahead on a wide stretch. The Uriu squadron in relation to the Russians "created" for a while. In the process of complex evolutions, Japanese ships ended up on the same line. As a result, the cruisers of the second and third groups, which rarely fired, ceased fire altogether. The tension of the battle subsided somewhat.
"Varyag" and "Korean", having reached the traverse of the island of Yodolmi, had to, following the fairway, turn to the right. Therefore, at 12.12, the “P” signal (“Peace”, which meant “I am turning right”) was raised on the surviving halyards of the foremast of the cruiser. The rudder was shifted “port to side 20 °”, and the cruiser began to maneuver. The clock in the cabin showed 12.15 pm. From that moment, a chain of tragic events followed, accelerating the denouement of the battle. First, one enemy shell, breaking through the deck near the conning tower, broke the pipe in which all the steering gears were laid. As a result, the uncontrolled ship rolled on the circulation right on the rocks of the island of Yodolmi. Almost simultaneously with the first, a second shell landed here, forming a hole in the deck with an area of about 4 m2. At the same time, the entire crew of gun No. 35 died, as well as the quartermaster I. Kostin, who was at the cabin on the transmission of orders. The fragments flew into the passage of the conning tower, mortally wounding the sailors Nagle and Korneev; the commander escaped with a slight wound and concussion. Further control of the ship had to be transferred to the aft steering compartment. There, under the leadership of the boatswain Shlykov, the helmsmen Gavrikov, Lobin and the driver Bortnikov hastily began to establish manual control.
On the "Korean", seeing a signal from the cruiser, they wanted to turn after him, but then, seeing that the "Varangian" was not controlled, they reduced the speed and described a circulation of 270 ° in the opposite direction. After the battle, the commander of the boat, Belyaev, in his report to Rudnev noted: “Having passed the island of Yodolmi, I saw your signal (“P”) “I am changing course to the right”, and, avoiding to happen to you for the enemy, and also assuming you had damage in the steering wheel, put “ right on board "and, reducing the course to a small one, described a circulation of 270 ° ... At 12 1/4 hours of the day, following the movement of the 1st rank cruiser" Varyag ", turned to the roadstead, continuing to shoot, first from the left 8-inch and 6-inch guns, and then from one 6-inch.
Suddenly, under the bottom of the "Varyag" there was a rattle, and the cruiser, shuddering, stopped. As a result of the grounding, boiler No. 21 moved from its place, and water appeared in the boiler room. Later, already when the ship was being raised by the Japanese, a large hole was found on the port side in the region of 63 frames, about seven long and about a foot wide.
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.
On the Japanese ships, which had moved far ahead, they did not immediately notice the danger of their enemy's maneuver and continued to move on the same course, firing from the guns of the stern sectors. However, having seen the signal on the masts of the Varyag and assuming that the Russians decided to break through astern of him, Uriu immediately went back on course. The ships of his detachment, successively describing the coordinates to the right side, continued to conduct fierce fire. And only then, having assessed the plight of the Russians, Uriu raised a signal: “Everyone turn to approach the enemy .. The ships of all groups lay down on a new course, without stopping 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. One of the enemy shells hit the third chimney; with a ringing, the main-yard braces burst. Splinters scattered in all directions killed two people from the servants of the 75-mm guns of the left side. Another shell that exploded next to the cruiser broke the pertulin and rusts (chains that fasten the anchor to the pillow) of the right main anchor. The anchor with a roar broke loose and hung on the slack of the anchor chain. Fragments were pierced by the side plating in the bath area. Another large-caliber projectile, breaking through the side under water, exploded at the junction of coal pits No. 10 and No. 12, resulting in a large hole in the area of frames No. 47 and No. 48 with an area of about 2 m5. The spread of water was stopped by battening down the neck of the coal pit. The water that had approached the fireboxes was immediately pumped out with all available means. The emergency parties, under the leadership of senior officer V.V. Stepanov, despite the enemy fire, began to put a plaster under this hole. And here a miracle happened: the cruiser itself, as if reluctantly, slid aground and moved away from the dangerous place in reverse. And 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. In the poop, the fire division unsuccessfully fought the fire in the provisional department - flour was burning. The fire was caused by a projectile that had flown in from the port side. The shell, having passed through the officer's cabins in the area of frame No. 82, pierced the adjacent deck and exploded in the provision cellar. A shell fragment pierced the starboard side (looking ahead, we note that this fire was extinguished only after the cruiser returned to the roadstead). Soon another source of fire arose - the bed nets of the spruce side broke out. A heavy projectile, breaking through the nets behind the bow bridge in the area of frame No. 39, exploded between the first and second chimneys just above the ladder to the infirmary, while the 75-mm gun No. 16 was dropped onto the deck by a shock wave.
Armored cruiser "Varyag" in Port Arthur
The enemy continued to approach: the distance to the nearest ship ("Asama") was no more than 25 kbt. The "Korean", who was somewhat away from the cruiser, fired intensely at the enemy, first from the left linear, and then from one retirade gun. The enemy still did not pay attention to the gunboat, and there were no dead or wounded on it.
To the surprise of Admiral Uriu, the Varyag, despite the visible fires, increased its speed and, together with the Korean, confidently left in the direction of the raid. Due to the narrowness of the fairway, only Asama and Chiyoda could pursue the Russians. According to the Japanese, due to a malfunction in the car and poor coal, the Chiyoda, with the permission of the admiral, was forced to leave the battle ahead of time and join other cruisers that were heading to the anchorage.
"Varyag" and "Korean" fired furiously, although because of the sharp heading angles, only two or three 152-mm guns could fire. Meanwhile, the Asama cruiser, giving way to the destroyer, circulated to the right and temporarily disengaged. A nimble destroyer appeared from behind the island and began to attack. It was the turn of small-caliber artillery. From the surviving stern guns, the Russians opened a dense barrage. The destroyer turned sharply and left without firing a torpedo.
This unsuccessful attack prevented the Asama from approaching the Russian ships in a timely manner, and when the enemy cruiser, having circulated to the right side, again rushed in pursuit, the Varyag and the Korean were already approaching the anchorage. The Japanese had to cease fire, as their shells began to fall near the ships of the international squadron. On the latter, they were forced to play a combat alarm and prepare for battle, and the Elba cruiser even had to go deep into the raid. At 12.45 the Russian ships also ceased fire. The fight is over. The Varyag anchored next to the Talbot cruiser, and the Korean, having received permission from the Varyag, went further and stopped away from foreign ships.
The Japanese in the battle with the "Varyag" fired a total of 419 shells: "Asama" - 27 203 mm; 103 152mm; 9 76mm; "Chyoda" - 71 120 mm; "Naniva" - 14 152 mm; "Niita-ka" - 53 152 mm; 130 76mm; Takachiho 10 152 mm; and "Akasi" 2 152-mm projectiles.
According to Russian data, during the battle, the "Korean" fired 22 shots from eight-inch guns, 27 from a six-inch gun and 3 from 9-pounders; "Varyag" fired 1105 shells; 425 152mm, 470 75mm and 210 47mm. If these data are true, then the Varyag artillery in battle showed a record rate of fire. However, it is not entirely clear how, during the battle, a record of fired shells was kept (and whether it was kept at all). It can be assumed that the number of shots fired given in the report of the Varyag commander was calculated on the basis of a survey of the crew after the battle, and in fact it was less. However, there is still no exact answer to this question.
To this day, the dispute about the effectiveness of the fire of the Russian cruiser has not been put to rest. As often happens, the opinions of opponents on this matter differed greatly. According to official Japanese data published during the Russo-Japanese War, there were no hits on the ships of the Uriu squadron, and no one from their teams was injured. On the contrary, in the Russian, and later the Soviet official press spoke of significant losses of the Japanese - both in ships and in people. Both sides had reasons not to trust each other. So, the official Japanese work “Description of military operations at sea in 37-38 years. Meiji ”, published immediately after the war, was replete with inaccuracies, omission of facts inconvenient for Japan, and even outright disinformation. Sinned similar and Russian print media. And additional confusion was introduced by contradictory testimonies of foreign observers who were in Chemulpo. A comprehensive analysis of all available information is the topic of a separate study that goes beyond the scope of this book. In the meantime, we present the main official documents, including the reports of the participants in the battle on January 27, without comment.
According to the report of the Varyag commander, 557 people took part in the battle, including 21 officers (including ranks equated to officers). According to the official document (sanitary report for the war), the loss of the Varyag crew amounted to 130 people, including 33 killed. In total, according to Russian data, about 14 large shells hit the cruiser; according to the Japanese - 11. However, after lifting the cruiser on it, the Japanese found 8 combat damage from shells. Other damage was not directly related to the battle: one hole (the area of sp. No. 63) with an area of approximately 0.3 m2 was the result of a grounding near the island of Yodolmi and three - in the area of frames No. 91-93 and No. 99 - the result of an explosion of ammunition and fire in the stern, which occurred after the evacuation of the ship's crew in the port of Chemulpo.
Although the armor deck was not destroyed, and the ship kept moving, it should be recognized that by the end of the battle, the Varyag had almost completely exhausted its combat capabilities for resistance due to large losses in personnel, damage to steering gears, and the failure of a significant number of guns ( according to Rudnev's report) and the presence of several underwater holes, which, under the conditions of the besieged port, could not be corrected on their own. In addition, the morale of the crew, which experienced the effects of powerful Japanese shells, changed dramatically by the end of the battle. And, apparently, it was very difficult to force people to go into battle again, and without the slightest hope of success.
On foreign ships, seeing the plight of the Varyag, they lowered the boats and rushed to the Russian cruiser. One of the first boats approaching the Varyag was from the English Talbot. On board, in addition to the officers, were doctors - Dr. Austin from the Talbot itself and Dr. Keene from the merchant ship Ajax. Then came the barge from the "Pascal" with the commander, who arrived in person. On the barge was also the doctor of the cruiser Dr. Prezhan with orderlies. Having boarded the Varyag, they wasted no time immediately began to provide assistance to the wounded.
At 13.35 the commander of the "Varyag" on a French boat went to the "Talbot". On the English cruiser, he agreed on further actions: the transportation of the crew of his ship to foreign ships and the sinking of the cruiser right in the roadstead. According to Rudnev, Bailey objected to the explosion of the Varyag, citing the large crowding of ships in the roadstead. At 13.50, Rudnev returned to his cruiser. Hastily gathering nearby officers (moreover, the senior officer and some others involved in repairing damage were not around), he informed them of his intention. The officers present approved of it. The transportation of the wounded, and then the entire crew, to foreign ships immediately began. The sailors behaved courageously, discipline and order reigned among the team, first of all they sent the wounded. The British, French and Italians accepted Russian sailors, only the American sailors from the Vicksburg, according to the British, for some reason transported the Varangians not to their own ship, but to the Talbot or Pascal. The American gunboat Vicksburg, although it sent its doctor for dressing, refused to take people from the sinking cruiser. Subsequently, the commander of the gunboat A. Marshall justified his actions by the lack of permission from his government to assist the Russians.
Scuttled armored cruiser "Varyag" in Chemulpo
At 15.15 V.F. Rudnev sent midshipman V.A. Beam on the "Korean" to notify the boat commander about the situation on the "Varyag". The commander of the "Korean" immediately gathered a military council and proposed to discuss the question: what to do in these conditions?
The officers decided: "The battle coming 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" in full strength switched to the cruiser "Pascal". Subsequently, the GMSH forwarded to the second department (MFA) 38 certificates for the medal "For Diligence", granted to the lower ranks of the cruiser "Elba" - for the help provided to the Russians, and 3rd class mechanic Umberto Morocci received a gold medal on the Annenskaya ribbon.
Similar awards were later received by the crews of other foreign ships.
At 15.50, Rudnev with the senior boatswain, bypassing the ship and making sure that no one was left on it, got off it along with the owners of the hold compartments, who opened the kingstones and flood valves. At 16.05 they blew up the "Korean".
The cruiser continued to slowly sink; Rudnev, fearing that the Japanese might capture the agonizing ship, asked Captain Bailey to fire a torpedo shot at the waterline.
Having received a refusal, he and his people on a French boat headed for the Varyag and "made a series of fires that hastened the death of the ship."
At 18.10 the burning "Varyag" with a roar overturned on the port side and disappeared under water.
The Japanese are raising the Russian cruiser Varyag, Chemulpo. 1905
The further fate of the cruiser Varyag
The Varyag was raised by the Japanese on August 8, 1905. August 22, 1905 was included in the Imperial Japanese Navy. She was repaired and commissioned on July 7, 1907 as a 2nd class cruiser under the name Soya (宗谷, after the Japanese name for the La Perouse Strait). For more than seven years it was used by the Japanese for training purposes. Saluting the feat of the Russian sailors, the Japanese left the name "Varangian" on the stern, and when climbing on board, an inscription was made: "On this ship we will teach you how to love your Motherland." From March 14 to August 7, 1909, the cruiser went on a campaign to the Hawaiian Islands and North America to practice navigation in long-distance navigation and train officers. The cruiser performed similar trips until 1913.
After raising the Varyag and repairing it in Japan, its helm was transferred to the flagship of the Japanese fleet, the battleship Mikasa. From the latter, a museum ship was made. Until now, the Mikas exhibits a helm that is passed off as the helm of the Varyag. However, its appearance suggests that, most likely, the steering wheel belonged to the Russian steamer Sungari.
During the First World War, the Russian Empire and Japan became allies. In 1916, the Soya cruiser (together with the battleships Sagami and Tango) was bought by Russia. On April 4, the Japanese flag was lowered and on April 5, 1916, the cruiser was transferred to Vladivostok, after which, under the former name "Varyag", it was included in the flotilla of the Arctic Ocean (made the transition from Vladivostok to Romanov-on-Murman) as part of the Detachment of Special Purpose Ships under the command of Rear Admiral Bestuzhev-Ryumin.
In February 1917, he went to the UK for repairs, where he was confiscated by the British, since the Soviet government refused to pay the debts of the Russian Empire. In 1920, it was resold to German firms for scrapping. In 1925, while being towed, the ship got into a storm and sank offshore in the Irish Sea. Part of the metal structures was then removed by local residents. Was subsequently blown up.
The Japanese are raising the Russian cruiser Varyag, Chemulpo. 1905
The performance characteristics of the cruiser Varyag
Homeport: Port Arthur
- Organization: First Pacific Squadron
- Manufacturer: William Cramp and Sons, Philadelphia, USA
- Construction started: 1898
- Launched: 1899
- Commissioned: 1901
- Status: Scuttled 9 February 1904
- Commissioned by Japan: July 9, 1907 under the name "Soya"
- Returned to Russia: April 5, 1916
- Withdrawn from the fleet: 1917
- Status: sank while being towed for scrapping in 1925
Displacement of the cruiser Varyag
6604 tons, 6500 tons (design displacement)
Dimensions of the cruiser Varyag
Length: 129.56 m
- Width: 15.9 m (without plating)
- Draft: 5.94 m (midships)
Booking cruiser Varyag
Armor deck: 38/57/76 mm,
- Conning tower - 152 mm
Cruiser Varyag engines
Vertical triple expansion steam engines, 30 Nikloss steam boilers
- Power: 20,000 HP with.
- Propulsion: 2 three-bladed propellers
The speed of the cruiser Varyag
On trials 13/7/1900: 24.59 knots
- after repair in Port Arthur 10/16/1903: 20.5 knots
- after repair in Vladivostok: 16 knots
- Cruising range: (10-knot course): 6100 miles (full coal supply), 3270 miles (normal coal supply)
Crew: 20 officers, 550 sailors and non-commissioned officers
Armament
Artillery
- 12 × 152 mm / 45,
- 12 × 75 mm / 50,
- 8 × 47 mm / 43,
- 2 × 37 mm / 23 guns,
- 2 × 63-mm / 19 Baranovsky guns,
- 2 × 7.62 machine guns
Mine and torpedo armament
- 6 × 381 (450) mm TA (2 in stems, 4 onboard, 12 torpedoes),
- 2 × 254-mm TA (6 throwing mines),
- 35 (22) mine barriers.
The Japanese are raising the Russian cruiser Varyag, Chemulpo. 1905
The Japanese are raising the Russian cruiser Varyag, Chemulpo. 1905
The Japanese are raising the Russian cruiser Varyag, Chemulpo. 1905
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 audacious, 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. As the English, French and Italian cruisers slowly passed, the musicians of the Varyag sang 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, the commander of the "Varyag" gave the order to raise the 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 the heavy fire and huge destruction, the Varyag still fired aimed at the Japanese ships 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 the literal sense of the 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. - "Our proud Varyag does not surrender to the enemy.
On April 29, 1904, in the 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
To the glory of the 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. On March 22, 1916, the ship was redeemed by the Russian Tsar and enlisted in the Baltic Fleet under the former name - "Varyag".
A year later, the worn-out cruiser was sent for repairs to allied England. The Russian fleet was waiting for the return of the glorious cruiser to participate in the war with Germany, but the October coup happened, 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 city 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 the existence of the most famous cruiser of the Russian fleet.
Captain Rudnev died in Tula in 1913. In 1956, a monument was erected to him in his small homeland. 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!
The 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 took an unequal battle.
Why did the "Varyag" with the "Korean" find themselves at a tense moment away from the main forces? Why didn't they prevent the Japanese landing?
Why did the high-speed "Varyag" not go on a breakthrough alone?
The feat of the cruiser Varyag
how did they get there?
In December 1904, an uprising began in Korea against foreigners. 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 to perform the duties of a senior stationer. At that time, the cruiser "Boyarin", which brought troops there, and the gunboat "Gilyak" were also in the port.
Finishing the wheelhouse of the cruiser Varyag
The next day, "Boyarin" went to Port Arthur, a day later he was followed by "Gilyak". And on January 5, 1904 (18.01 according to a new style), a “Korean” arrived in Chemulpo, sent to establish contact with the Russian envoy: the telegraph message was interrupted.
So the now famous couple was formed: "Varangian" and.
Gunboat Korean in Chemulpo, February 1904
Why did you have to fight with the Japanese squadron?
On January 25-26, government reports about the war with Japan began to arrive in the Far East.
The commander of the Varyag, Rudnev, suggested that Pavlov, the envoy in Seoul, 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, escorting transports with troops, approached the Korean coast. The admiral appointed a landing in Chemulpo.
At 15.40 on January 26, the "Korean" with dispatches and foreign mail on board weighed anchors, heading for Port Arthur.
At 15.55, from its side, straight ahead, they saw Japanese ships approaching the fairway leading from Chemulpo to the open sea.
The Japanese formation consisted of six cruisers, eight destroyers, one advice note, two armed steamers and three transports. Having rebuilt in three columns, the Japanese occupied the entire width of the fairway. Not daring to aggravate the situation, the commander of the "Korean" captain II rank Belyaev turned his ship back.
The Japanese went to the Chemulpo raid and at about 6 pm began landing. The port was neutral, there was no declaration of war. In addition, it is useful to recall that quite recently our "Boyarin" landed troops, as well as ships of other powers - to protect their missions from the rebels.
"Varangian" with "Korean" could not shoot.
At about 7 am on January 27 (February 9), the Japanese ships, having completed the landing, left the Chemulpo raid.
Around 9.30 the commander of the "Varyag" was found by a messenger with a translation of Uriu's letter. The Japanese admiral offered to leave 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 the wake.
The fight is short and hopeless.
Uriu did not expect the exit of the Russian ships. 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, armament and armor. The second armored cruiser, the Chiyoda, was old, small and poorly armed. The rest of the cruisers were armored, of which Niitaka was completely new, Akashi was relatively new, and Takachiho and Naniwa had already served 18 years by the time of the battle.
The Japanese had an overwhelming advantage in artillery; the weight of an airborne salvo of large and medium-caliber guns for the Varyag with the Korean was 492 kg, and for the Japanese squadron - 1671 kg. All the artillery of the Japanese was modern, and the most powerful guns of our ships, the eight-inch "Korean", were old - short-range and slow-firing.
... Russian ships answered at 11.47.
According to the observations of the Japanese, "Varyag" at first showed a very high rate of fire, but could not maintain it for more than a few minutes.
And at 12.03 the cruiser received the first hit. 203-mm projectile hit the navigation bridge. He killed rangefinders, midshipman Nirod, damaged the wheelhouse.
Due to the narrowness of the fairway, the Japanese operated in three battle groups of two ships each (see diagram); it turned out that some of their ships sometimes covered the target from others.
Asama, Chiyoda and Niitaka managed to shoot the most, in total they fired 393 large and medium caliber projectiles; the rest managed to fire only 26 shots. In the final phase of the battle, four destroyers took part in it.
The Japanese at low tide on board the flooded Varyag, photo 1904
At 12.15 "Varyag" began a turn to the opposite course. Russian ships returned to the port and anchored at 13.00.
On the Varyag, as a result of the battle, 30 people were killed, 85 people were wounded and shell-shocked, 100 people were lightly wounded - only about a third of the crew. The cruiser was on fire, part of its artillery was disabled. His situation became worse than before the battle; "Korean", though not damaged, had no chance alone.
The commander decided to blow up the "Korean" and flood the "Varyag" so as not to damage the foreign ships in the port.
The feat of the cruiser Varyag
the last fight is over...
Why didn't the Varyag make a breakthrough? Why was it impossible, by sacrificing a small one - an old gunboat - to save a large one - one of the newest cruisers of the Russian fleet?
After all, the Varyag, which developed more than 23 knots in tests, was faster than any of the Uriu ships. Full speed, maximum rate of fire, optimal, relative to the position of the Japanese, the course and - a dash into the open sea ...
This kind of mistake is often made by people who build their conclusions on two or three numbers from a quick reference guide to the TFC of ships.
First of all - about speed.
The speed shown by a ship immediately after construction is almost never achieved in daily service.
Firstly, the hull is overgrown with marine organisms, which is why the speed inevitably drops. Secondly, during operation, the machines wear out, and the tubes of the boilers become covered with scale. The last circumstance for the "Varyag" was especially relevant.
The requirements for the ship were set very high. Krump's firm, which built the cruiser, insisted on installing the Nikloss system boilers. They were distinguished by high performance with low weight; but as early as April 14, 1898, the Marine Technical Committee adopted a special resolution in which it categorically refused to supply Nikloss's company with steam boilers for the Russian fleet, recognizing them as unreliable and even dangerous.
Nevertheless, such boilers were installed on both ships built by Krump for Russia, the Varyag cruiser and the Retvizan battleship. As a result, the Varyag, in tests conducted in 1904, was able to develop only 14 knots.
And the Japanese directly during the battle at Chemulpo developed up to 18 knots.
Secondly, there could be no question of any freedom of choice of course. Our ships left Chemulpo along a narrow fairway, limited by islands and pitfalls, and the length of this fairway is 30 miles. The fairway was blocked by the Japanese squadron ...
Under such conditions, it becomes clear why Rudnev did not leave the "Korean" in the port. If there was a long gun battle with limited maneuverability for both sides, then two eight-inch gunboats could prove very useful.
After all, the war had just begun. 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 prefer to retreat ...
Autumn 1904, shipbuilding work on the Chemulpo roadstead
The only thing that can be called a claim to the commander of the Varyag. This is not a complete decommissioning of the ship, it is known that after lifting, it reached the repair dock under its own power.
