The battle of the Varangian with the Japanese squadron. The immortal feat of the cruiser "Varangian"

Mount Everest, which is otherwise called Chomolungma, is located on the border of Nepal and China. This mountain is the highest peak of the earth, heading the list of the highest mountains in the world, has a height of 8848 meters above sea level. Climbing it is a real dream for many climbers, but at the same time it is considered very dangerous, because. in attempts to climb this mountain, a large number of people died.

What is the highest peak of the earth

The highest peak in the world is a peak that is higher in relation to other mountains, and the height is measured from sea level. The latter value refers to the position of the free surface of the World Ocean, which is measured along a plumb line with respect to some conventional reference point. This position depends on a number of factors, for example, temperature, the law of gravity, the moment of rotation of the Earth, etc. It turns out that the largest mountain in the world is Everest.

Which mountains are the highest in the world

Today there is a list of seven mountains, which includes the highest peaks of six parts of the world, and Europe and Asia are considered separately from each other:

in Asia it is Chomolungma;
in South America - Aconcagua;
in North America - Denali (formerly McKinley);
in Africa - Kilimanjaro;
in Europe - Elbrus;
in Antarctica, Vinson Peak;
in Australia and Oceania - Jaya, with the last peak located on the territory of the Indonesian part of New Guinea, although Mount Kosciuszko is the highest in Australia.

It should be added that the highest mountains in the world (TOP-100) are located in Asia, in the mountain ranges of the Himalayas, Karakoram and other areas adjacent to them. Today there is even an informal association "Club of Seven Peaks", consisting of climbers who have conquered the highest peaks of seven continents. The ranking of the ten highest mountains (eight-thousanders) on the planet is as follows:

Chomolungma - 8848 m.
Chogori - 8611 m.
Kanchenjunga - 8586 m.
Lhotse - 8516 m.
Makalu - 8485 m.
Cho Oyu - 8188 m.
Dhaulagiri - 8167 m.
Manaslu - 8163 m.
Nanga Parbat - 8126 m.
Annapurna I - 8091 m.

The highest point in Europe

The highest point of the continent is Mount Elbrus, which is located in the Greater Caucasus between two subjects of the Russian Federation: Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia. It is a two-peak saddle-shaped volcano cone: the western peak reaches a height of 5642 m and the eastern one - 5621 m. The last eruption was around the 50s of our era. This mountain peak is covered with 134.5 km2 of glaciers. The first documented ascent to this greatest peak in Europe dates back to 1829 - it was made by the expedition of General G.A. Emmanuel.

There are several options for conquering this peak, for example, it can be an ascent along the eastern route (ridge), starting from Elbrus (village) and passing through the Irikchat gorge, through a pass, a glacier, and so on until the beginning of the ridge. The northern route allows you to see really incredible beauty - the hills are replaced by stones and rocks of bizarre shapes. The most popular is the rise from the south, and the extreme one is from the west, because. on the way there are powerful rocky walls, heavy climbs and glaciations.

Africa's highest peak

The most famous and famous mountain of the African continent is the Kilimanjaro volcano - 5895 m. It is located in the northeast of Tanzania. It is noteworthy that the stratovolcano has an ice cap that is actively melting - over the past century, the decrease in the glacier has amounted to 80%. It consists of three main peaks. This volcano was first conquered by Hans Meyer in 1889. Climbing Kilimanjaro cannot be called technically difficult, but at the same time it is considered spectacular.

Highest point in North America

The highest peak on the northern American continent is Denali - a two-headed mountain, which until 2015 was called McKinley, and at the beginning of the century before last, the Big Mountain. Mount McKinley is located in south-central Alaska. American climbers under the command of Hudson Glass were the first to reach the summit in 1913. The name Denali belongs to the native locals of Alaska - the Athabaskan Indians. The mountain rises at an altitude of 6190 m above sea level.

The highest mountain in South America

In the list of seven peaks, Aconcagua is in second place in height - 6962 m. It represents the highest mountain peak of the continent of South America. Aconcagua is located in the Andes in Argentina. It was first conquered in 1897 - the first documented ascent was made by an expedition led by Edward Fitzgerald.

Climbing Aconcagua is considered technically easy if you make it along the northern slope. This large hill is covered with snow and many glaciers. According to some sources, its name is translated from the Araucano language as "comes from the other side." According to another version, it could come from the Quechua language and means "white guard" or "stone guard".

The highest peak in Antarctica

Vinson Peak reaches a height of 4892 m, is located on the territory of the Ellsworth mountain range, 1200 km from the South Pole. The summit was discovered by US pilots in 1957. There were several attempts to climb, but it was only in 1966 that Nicholas Clinch managed to climb for the first time. Vinson Massif has received quite a bit of attention from well-funded climbers over the past few years. The ascent itself does not involve too many technical difficulties, but your stay in Antarctica is not a safe undertaking.

Australia's highest peak

Punchak Jaya or Carstens Pyramid is the highest mountain in Australia and Oceania. It rises to 4884 m above sea level. Punchak Jaya is located on the Maoke massif in the western part of the island of New Guinea. The name is translated from Indonesian as "victory". The first ascent to the summit was made only in 1962, it was carried out by a group of Australian climbers, led by Heinrich Harrer.

The highest peak on earth

Most people know that the highest point on earth is located in South Asia, or to be more precise, in the central Himalayas on the border of China and Nepal. During the conquest of Everest, many climbers died. The fact that Chomolungma is the highest mountain on the planet was determined back in 1852 by the Indian topographer and mathematician Radhanat Sikdar. Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgei managed to conquer Chomolungma in 1953 through the South Col. Prior to this, about 50 expeditions to the Karakoram and the Himalayas were carried out.

Climbing this peak is extremely difficult and often ends in the death of climbers. This is due to the poor climatic conditions of the uppermost zone of the mountain: high rarefaction of the atmosphere, low temperatures down to -50-60 degrees, periodic hurricane winds, etc. In addition, other dangers await climbers, including:

the possibility of falling into the crevices of the relief;
steep slopes;
avalanches.

Everest Height

The highest peak in the world reaches a height of 8848 m. It has the shape of a trihedral pyramid, and the southern slope is steeper. Glaciers flow down from the massif in all directions, the boundary of which ends at an altitude of about 5 km. Today, Everest belongs to the Sagarmatha National Park, located in Nepalese territory. The last 300 m are considered the most difficult section for climbing this peak. To successfully pass them, climbers need to overcome a very steep and smooth slope of Everest.

On Earth, there are fourteen mountain peaks with a height of more than eight thousand meters. All these peaks are located in Central Asia. But most highest mountain peaks are in the Himalayas. They are also called the "roof of the world." Climbing such mountains is a very dangerous occupation. Until the middle of the last century, it was believed that mountains above eight thousand meters were inaccessible to humans. We made a rating out of ten, which included highest mountains in the world.

Annapurna 8091 m

This peak opens the top ten the highest mountains of our planet. Annapurna is very famous and famous, it is the first Himalayan eight-thousander that was conquered by people. For the first time, people climbed its summit back in 1950. Annapurna is located in Nepal, the height of its peak is 8091 meters. The mountain has as many as nine peaks, on one of which (Machapuchare), a human foot has not yet set foot. The locals consider this peak to be the sacred abode of Lord Shiva. Therefore, climbing it is prohibited. The highest of the nine peaks is called Annapurna 1. Annapurna is very dangerous, climbing to its peak took the lives of many experienced climbers.

Nanga Parbat 8125 m

This mountain is the ninth highest on our planet. It is located in Pakistan and has a height of 8125 meters. The second name of Nanga Parbat is Diamir, which translates as "Mountain of the Gods". For the first time they were able to conquer it only in 1953. There were six unsuccessful attempts to climb the summit. A lot of climbers died while trying to climb this mountain peak. In terms of mortality among climbers, it ranks a mournful third after K-2 and Everest. This mountain is also called the "killer".

Manaslu 8156 m

This eight-thousander ranks eighth on our list highest mountains in the world. It is also located in Nepal and is part of the Mansiri-Himal mountain range. The height of the peak is 8156 meters. The top of the mountain and the surrounding countryside are very picturesque. It was first conquered in 1956 by a Japanese expedition. Tourists love to visit here. But to conquer the summit, you need a lot of experience and excellent preparation. When trying to climb Manaslu, 53 climbers died.

Dhaulagiri 8167 m

Mountain peak, which is located in the Nepalese part of the Himalayas. Its height is 8167 meters. The name of the mountain is translated from the local language as "white mountain". Almost all of it is covered with snow and glaciers. Dhaulagiri is very difficult to climb. She was able to conquer in 1960. Climbing this peak took the lives of 58 experienced (others do not go to the Himalayas) climbers.

Cho Oyu 8201 m

Another Himalayan eight-thousander, which is located on the border of Nepal and China. The height of this peak is 8201 meters. It is considered not too difficult to climb, but despite this, it has already taken the lives of 39 climbers and ranks sixth on our list of the highest mountains on our planet.

Makalu 8485 m

The fifth highest mountain in the world is Makalu, the second name of this peak is the Black Giant. It is also located in the Himalayas, on the border of Nepal and China and has a height of 8485 meters. It is located nineteen kilometers from Everest. This mountain is incredibly difficult to climb, its slopes are very steep. Only a third of the expeditions that have the goal of reaching its summit are successful. During the ascents to this peak, 26 climbers died.

Lhotse 8516 m

Another mountain located in the Himalayas and having a height of more than eight kilometers. Lhotse is located on the border between China and Nepal. Its height is 8516 meters. It is located at a distance of three kilometers from Everest. For the first time, they were able to conquer this mountain only in 1956. Lhotse has three peaks, each of which is over eight kilometers high. This mountain is considered one of the highest, most dangerous and difficult peaks to climb.

Kangchenjunga 8585 m

This mountain peak is also located in the Himalayas, between India and Nepal. This is the third highest mountain peak in the world: the height of the peak is 8585 meters. The mountain is very beautiful, it consists of five peaks. The first ascent to it took place in 1954. The conquest of this peak cost the lives of forty climbers.

Chogori (K-2) 8614 m

Chogori is the second highest mountain in the world. Its height is 8614 meters. K-2 is located in the Himalayas, on the border of China and Pakistan. Chogori is considered one of the most difficult mountain peaks to climb; it was only possible to conquer it in 1954. Of the 249 climbers who climbed its summit, 60 people died. This mountain peak is very picturesque.

Everest (Chomolungma) 8848 m

This mountain peak is located in Nepal. Its height is 8848 meters. Everest is highest mountain peak Himalayas and our entire planet. Everest is part of the Mahalangur-Himal mountain range. This mountain has two peaks: northern (8848 meters) and southern (8760 meters). The mountain is stunningly beautiful: it has the shape of an almost perfect trihedral pyramid. It was possible to conquer Chomolungma only in 1953. During attempts to climb Everest, 210 climbers died. Nowadays, climbing the main route is no longer a problem, however, at high altitude, the daredevils will face a lack of oxygen (there is almost no fire here), heavy winds and low temperatures (below sixty degrees). To conquer Everest, you need to spend at least $8,000. 286 36

This battle can also be called the first. Historians even believe that it is "earlier" than the battle of Port Arthur, but they must be considered together.

On February 6, the Japanese fleet was divided into two parts. Heihachiro Togo continued towards Port Arthur, while Sotokichi Uriu turned towards Korea. His task was to capture the capital of Korea, the city of Seoul, at his disposal was 1 armored cruiser, 5 light cruisers, 8 destroyers and 3 escort vehicles with landing troops on board.
By February 7, the Japanese cut off the telegraph communication between the port of Chemulpo and Port Arthur, so that the Russian ships standing in the roadstead did not know anything about the attack (well, however, given the situation and the almost simultaneity of the battle, this knowledge would hardly have given them anything) . There were only two of them - the gunboat "Koreets" and the very famous cruiser "Varyag" (there was also the steamer "Sungari", but its military strength was practically zero). There were also the Japanese cruiser Chiyoda and ships of several neutral powers: the British cruiser Talbot, the French cruiser Pascal, the Italian cruiser Elba, the American gunboat Vicksburg, and the Korean military steamer Yang-mu.
Worried about the break in communications, the Russians sent the "Korean" to Port Arthur and at the exit from the skerries (this is such an area where there are many small rocks separated by narrow straits, usually found in fjords and the word itself is Norwegian) he met the Japanese fleet. The Japanese cruiser Asama blocked the ship's path, it was forced to turn back, after which the destroyers fired three torpedoes at it, all of which missed the target. The "Korean" went back to Chemulpo, so that as a result both ships were notified of the events.

By 17 pm, Japanese transports entered the Chemulpo raid, approached the shore and began landing. Of course, not by themselves, Japanese ships (at least 6 cruisers and 8 destroyers) stood between them and the Russian ships. The Russians did not resist, and by 6 am on February 9, the landing force landed, and 2 hours later, at 9:30 am, Uriu sent a message to the Varyag commander about the start of hostilities and an order to leave the raid before 12 noon. Otherwise, at 4 p.m., their attack will begin. (By the way, other foreign ships also received a message about the start of hostilities).

I'll make a little clarification. War has not yet been officially declared. All ships are in neutral waters, so the Japanese cannot launch an attack on the Russians, and the Russians cannot prevent the transport ships from appearing. After another group of Japanese warships enters the raid in the evening, the situation changes little. We still cannot open fire on them, they are on us, and although the unloading of troops is not good, to stop this it is necessary to start hostilities with ships, which again is against the law.

The commander of the "Varyag" Rudnev decided to break through with a battle to Port Arthur (motives can be read below in his note), which, of course, was almost a lost battle from the beginning. I will not give a comparative diagram of the battle forces at Chemulpo in view of the clear superiority of the Japanese.
"Varyag" received 5 underwater holes, half of the artillery was out of order (in total, he managed to fire almost a thousand shells, which, according to the Japanese, did not cause serious damage). The "Korean" was generally out of work, they did not shoot at him, and he did not receive any damage. By the way, if the "Varyag" was in splendid isolation, he could break through the Japanese squadron, because he had great speed and maneuverability, which the "Korean" did not have.

After the battle, both ships returned to the raid, sent their people to foreign stations, after which they were flooded.
In fact, that's all, the road to Seoul for Japan was open. With all the heroism of the sailors "Varyag" and "Koreets", the loss of these two ships was in vain, since, logically, they should have simply been recalled from Chemulpo.
It must be said that the Russian command did not particularly intend to fight for Korea, there were quite a few troops in Manchuria, the bulk were in Transbaikalia and the Amur and Primorsky regions. The main battle was supposed to take place in the Liaoyang-Mukden area, where, by the way, it took place. (It was on the Yalu River, and with 30 thousand people there were as many as 60 guns).

But back to Chemulpo. Actually, what I stated is Russian naval history. Japanese looks a little different, and I will try to give both reports.
The official report of Admiral Uriu (translated by Alexander Vikhrov) stated that on the last Monday, at 5 o'clock in the evening, the Japanese squadron arrived at Chemulpo, escorting transports. "Varyag" and "Korean" had just left the port, and both forces met near Rose Island. The Russians took position and prepared to act as if they intended to attack the transports, and opened fire on the destroyers, which fired two torpedoes but missed their target.
Then the "Varangian" and "Korean" sailed into the harbor and dropped anchor there. Admiral Uriu asked the captain of the Varyag to leave the port on Tuesday by twelve o'clock in the afternoon, failing which he would be forced to attack the Russians in the harbor. Admiral Uriu then sent a circular to all ships in the harbor, asking them to raise anchor and leave no later than 4 p.m. Tuesday. Similar messages were sent to all consuls on shore through the Japanese consul. At noon, the Russians left the harbor and were attacked. After thirty-four minutes of battle, the attacked ships retreated, the "Korean" exploded, and the "Varyag" and "Sungari" sank. None of the officers or sailors of the squadron was wounded, and no damage was done to the Japanese ships.

At the same time, I present to Your Excellency a report on the battle that took place on January 27 of this year. between the cruiser I rank "Varyag", the boat "Koreets" and the Japanese squadron under the command of Rear Admiral Uriu, which consisted of six cruisers and 8 destroyers; also a list of officers, for whose award I especially petition for truly selfless bravery and excellent performance of duties. The behavior of the officers and crew, their composure and courage, is beyond praise.

Captain 1st rank /Rudnev/

Description of the battle

On January 26, 1904, the seagoing gunboat "Koreets" set off with papers from our Envoy to Port Arthur, but the Japanese squadron encountered forced the boat to return back with three mines fired from destroyers. The boat anchored near the cruiser, and part of the Japanese squadron with transports entered the roadstead to bring troops ashore. Not knowing whether hostilities had begun, I went to the English cruiser Talbot to agree with the commander on further orders. The cruiser commander, as the eldest of the commanders, having taken the senior Japanese ship (the Japanese admiral returned to the lodolmi island without coming to the raid), forced the Japanese commander to vouch for his ships that they would not attack the raid - giving such the same assurance for the courts of all nations, and announced that he himself would shoot at the one who first made an attack. The night passed quietly, although all ships expected a night attack, not trusting the words of the Japanese.

January 27 in the morning at 7 o'clock. 30 minutes, the commanders of foreign ships: the English cruiser Talbot, the French Paskal, the Italian Elba and the American Vicksburg received a notice (indicating the time of delivery of the notification) from the Japanese admiral that war had been declared and that the admiral suggested that the Russian ships leave with raid before 12 pm, otherwise they will be attacked by the entire squadron on the raid after 4 pm, and it is proposed to foreign ships to leave the raid at this time for their safety. This information was brought to me by the commander of the French cruiser Pascal, with whom I went to the meeting of commanders. During the meeting of the commanders on the cruiser Talbot, I received a letter (at 9:30 am) through the Russian consul from the Japanese admiral, announcing the outbreak of hostilities, with a proposal to leave the raid before 12:00. day. The commanders decided that 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 a neutral raid.

Returning to the cruiser, I gathered the officers and announced to them the start of hostilities, and it was decided to break through, and in case of failure, blow up the cruiser; for which they subsequently prepared an ignition cartridge with a Bickford cord in a mine cellar. The production of the explosion was entrusted to the inspector midshipman Chernilovsky-Sokol.

The motives were as follows:

1) The battle in the roadstead was not convenient, in view of the impossibility of free maneuvering, for lack of space.

2) Fulfilling the demand of the admiral, there was a faint hope that the Japanese would be released from the skerries and give battle at sea; the latter was preferable, since in skerries one has to follow a certain course and, consequently, by exposing the side to a disadvantageous position, it is impossible to use all means of protection.

Then a team was assembled, war was declared on it, and appropriate instructions were given to everyone.

At 11 o'clock. 20 minutes later, the cruiser weighed anchor with the boat "Koreets", which entered the wake at a distance of one and a half cables. On foreign ships, teams and officers were lined up in the front, on the Italian cruiser music played the Russian anthem, when we passed, everyone shouted "Hurrah."

The Japanese squadron, including six ships (information about the number and name of the ships were obtained after the battle from the English cruiser) - "Asama", "Naniva", "Takachiho", "Chiyoda", "Akachi", "Nitaka" and 8 destroyers under the general team of Rear Admiral Uriu, located in the bearing ranks from Richy Island. The destroyers held on to their ships.

At 11 o'clock. 45 minutes from the cruiser "Asama" the first shot was fired from an 8-inch gun, after which the entire squadron opened fire.

Subsequently, the Japanese assured that the admiral made a signal to surrender, to which the commander of the Russian ship responded with disdain, without raising any signal.

Indeed, I could see the signal, but I did not find it necessary to answer it, since I had already decided to go into battle.

After that, having fired, they opened fire on the Asama from a distance of 45 cables. One of the first Japanese shells that hit the cruiser destroyed the upper bridge, starting a fire in the navigational cabin, and interrupted the forkants, during which the rangefinder officer midshipman Count Nirod and all the rangefinders of station No. 1 were killed (at the end of the battle, one hand of Count Nirod was found, holding rangefinder). After this shot, the shells began to hit the cruiser more often, and the shells that did not reach were showered with fragments and destroyed the superstructures and boats. Subsequent shots knocked out the 6-inch No. 3 gun; all the servants of the gun and feed were killed or wounded and seriously wounded by the plutong commander midshipman Gubonin, who continued to command the plutong and refused to go to dressing until, exhausted, he fell. Continuously following the shells, a fire was set on the shkhanets, which was extinguished by the efforts of the inspector midshipman Chernilovsky-Sokol, whose dress was torn by shrapnel. Knocked out: 6 inch guns - XII (misprint - must be VIII - Sh.G.), IX; 75 mm. - No. 21; 47 mm-No. 27 and 28. The combat mainsail was almost demolished, the rangefinder station No. 2 was destroyed, guns No. 31 and No. 32 were knocked out, and a fire was made in the lockers in the armored deck, which was soon extinguished. During the passage of the traverse of the island of lodolmi, one of the shells broke the pipe in which all the steering gears pass, and at the same time, fragments of another shell that flew into the conning tower, the cruiser commander was shell-shocked in the head, his bugler and drummer standing on both sides were killed on the spot , wounded in the back near the steering foreman (who did not declare his wound and remained at his post throughout the battle); at the same time, the commander's orderly was wounded in the arm. Management was immediately transferred to the tiller compartment on the manual steering wheel. With the thunder of shots, orders to the steering compartment were hard to hear and had to be controlled mainly by machines, despite this, the cruiser still obeyed poorly.

At 12 o'clock. 15 minutes, wanting to get out of the sphere of fire for a while, in order to fix the steering gear if possible and put out the fires, the cars began to turn around, and since the cruiser did not obey the steering wheel well and, due to the proximity of the lodolmi island, reversed both cars (the cruiser was put in this position in the time when the steering gear was interrupted with the steering wheel set to the left). At this time, the Japanese fire intensified and the hit increased, since the cruiser, turning around, turned its port side towards the enemy and did not have high speed. At the same time, one of the serious underwater holes was received on the left side and the third stoker began to quickly fill with water, the level of which approached the fireboxes; brought the patch and began to pump out water; then the water level subsided somewhat, but nevertheless the cruiser continued to heel rapidly. A shell that passed through the officers' cabins, destroyed them and pierced the deck, ignited flour in the provision department (the fire was extinguished by midshipman Chernilovsky - Sokol and the senior boatswain Kharkovsky), and another shell smashed the bed nets on the waist above the infirmary, and the fragments fell into the infirmary , and the grid caught fire, but was soon extinguished. Serious damage forced them to leave the sphere of fire for a longer time, which is why they went at full speed, continuing to shoot back with the port side and stern guns. One of the shots of the 6th gun No. XII destroyed the aft bridge of the Asama cruiser and set off a fire, at which Asama stopped firing for a while, but soon opened again. Its stern turret was apparently damaged, since it was no longer active until the end of the battle. Only when the cruiser passed to the anchorage and when the fire of the Japanese could be dangerous for foreign ships, did they stop it and one of the cruisers chasing us returned to the squadron that remained in the fairway behind the island of lodolmi. The distance increased so much that it was useless for us to continue the fire, and therefore the fire was stopped at 12 hours 45 minutes of the day.

At 1 o'clock in the afternoon, anchoring near the cruiser "Talbot", they began to inspect and repair the damage, and also summed up the second patch; at the same time, the remaining team was separated by guns, in anticipation of an attack by the enemy squadron at 4 o'clock on the raid. Upon inspection of the cruiser, in addition to the listed damage, there were also the following: all 47 mm. the guns were not fit for firing, another five - 6 guns received various damage and seven - 75 mm. guns are damaged in knurlers and compressors. The upper elbow of the third chimney was destroyed, all fans and boats were turned into a sieve; the upper deck was pierced in several places; the commander's quarters were destroyed, the fore-mars was damaged, and four underwater holes of various sizes were found, as well as many other damages. Despite the fact that all foreign ships were ready to leave, they all immediately sent boats with doctors and orderlies, who began to bandage the wounded.

Convinced after inspecting the cruiser that it was completely impossible to engage in battle and not wanting to give the enemy the opportunity to defeat the dilapidated cruiser, the general meeting of officers decided to sink the cruiser, taking the wounded and the remaining crew to foreign ships, to which the latter expressed their full consent due to my request. The transport of the wounded and the crew from the cruiser was carried out on rowboats of foreign cruisers. The commander of the French cruiser Pascal, captain of the 2nd rank V.Senes, having arrived on the cruiser, personally contributed a lot in transporting the wounded and the crew.

In the course of an hour-long battle, there were: the commander of the cruiser was shell-shocked in the head; wounded: 3 officers (hard midshipman Gubonin, lightly midshipman Loboda and Balk) and lower ranks seriously - 70, and many received minor wounds from fragments of exploding lidite shells; killed: midshipman Count Nirod and lower ranks - 33.

When the crew left the cruiser, the senior and bilge mechanics, together with the owners of the compartments, opened the valves and kingstones and rolled away from the cruiser. I had to stop at the sinking of the cruiser, due to the statement of foreign commanders not to blow up the cruiser, in view of the extreme danger to them, and especially since the cruiser had already begun to sink into the water. The commander with the senior boatswain, making sure once again that no one was left on the ship, was the last to leave the cruiser at 3 hours 40 minutes, boarding a French boat, which was waiting for him at the gangway along with the commander of the Pascal cruiser. The cruiser, gradually filling with water and continuing to roll to the port side, at 6 hours 10 minutes of the day plunged into the water. The distribution of the number of wounded and the crew was made by mutual agreement of the commanders of the three ships: the French cruiser Pascal, the British cruiser Talbot and the Italian cruiser Elba. The American advice note "Vicsburg", although he sent his doctor for dressing, refused to accept people from the sinking cruiser, for lack of permission from his minister. In view of the fact that the transportation of the wounded took a very long time, the transportation of the rest of the team had to be too hasty, due to the announcement of the commanders to complete the loading at about 4 hours. The ship's papers were taken and the crew sent with small suitcases; the officers, busy with sending the wounded and carrying out their duties, did not have time to capture any of their belongings.

Italian officers watching the battle, and an English steam boat returning from the Japanese squadron, claim that a large fire was visible on the Asama cruiser and the stern bridge was shot down; on a twin-pipe cruiser, an explosion was visible between the pipes, and one destroyer was sunk, which was later confirmed. According to rumors, the Japanese brought 30 dead and many wounded to A-san Bay.

The Japanese envoy, on the basis of instructions received from his government, is satisfied that the officers and crews of the ships are sent to Shanghai with the obligation not to travel north of Shanghai and not take part in hostilities. In the meantime, a day later, the French government notified its representative directly that the crew on the Pascal should immediately be sent to Saigon. The British government decided to send to Singapore or Colombo. As for the people on the Elba cruiser, by the time the Pascal left Chemulpo, no decision had yet been received.

On February 3/16, the Pascal cruiser left with me, three officers and three officials of the Varyag cruiser, with part of the cruiser’s crew, the entire crew of the Korean boat, a security team (the battleship Sevastopol) and the Cossacks of the mission guard.

I present a petition for rewarding officers and crews for their selfless courage and valiant performance of duty - I present it especially. According to information received in Shanghai, the Japanese suffered heavy losses in people and had accidents on ships, the cruiser Asama, which went into the dock, was especially damaged. The cruiser Takachicho, which received a hole, also suffered; the cruiser took 200 wounded and went to Sasebo, but the road plaster burst and the bulkheads could not withstand, so the cruiser Takachicho sank in the sea. The destroyer sank during the battle.

Reporting on the foregoing, I consider it my duty to report that the ships of the detachment entrusted to me with dignity supported the honor of the Russian flag, exhausted all means for a breakthrough, did not allow the Japanese to win, inflicted many losses on the enemy and saved the remaining team.

Signed: Commander of the 1st rank cruiser "Varyag" "Captain 1st rank RUDNEV"

Cruiser "Varyag"

Gunboat "Korean"

Finally, I will tell you about one more interesting fact. Admiral Uriu demanded that Russian sailors and officers be handed over to him as prisoners of war, but the captains of all foreign ships refused to do this, giving the latter the opportunity to return to their homeland. They returned through Odessa (since the road to Vladivostok was closed to foreign ships, especially to Port Arthur). In the capital, the crews were greeted very solemnly, Nicholas II invited them to the Winter Palace for a reception, where he addressed them with a speech:
“I am happy, brothers, to see you all healthy and safely returned. Many of you, with your blood, entered into the annals of our fleet a deed worthy of the exploits of our ancestors, grandfathers and fathers, who accomplished them on the Azov and Mercury. Now you, too, have added a new page in the history of our fleet with your feat, adding to them the names "Varangian" and "Korean". They will also become immortal.
I am sure that each of you will remain worthy of the award that I gave you until the end of your service. All of Russia and I read with love and quivering excitement about the exploits that you showed at Chemulpo. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting the honor of St. Andrew's flag and the dignity of Great Holy Russia.
I drink to the further victories of our glorious fleet. To your health, brothers!

For this battle, the commander of the Varyag cruiser, Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev, was awarded the Order of St. George, 4th degree, and promoted to adjutant wing. However, in 1905, for "refusal to assist in the arrest of sailors," he was dismissed with a promotion to rear admiral. A mountain and a bay in Peter the Great Bay are named after Rudnev. All officers were also awarded combat awards. The lower ranks of the teams "Varyag" and "Korean" became St. George's Cavaliers. On July 10, 1904, the medal “For the Battle of the Varyag and the Korean at Chemulpo” was established. It was awarded to all members of the teams of heroic ships. For this medal, an original ribbon was invented, which was a vertically located St. Andrew's flag.

The fame of the "Varyag" went to Russia. The feat of the cruiser's crew was quite comparable to the stamina of the defenders of the Port Arthur fortress. The song "Our Proud Varyag" immediately became one of the most beloved in the Russian expanses:

Upstairs, you comrades, all in their places!
The last parade is coming!
Our proud Varyag does not surrender to the enemy,
Nobody wants mercy!
All pennants curl and chains rattle,
Anchors are raised up.
Ready for battle guns in a row
They sparkle ominously in the sun.
It whistles and rumbles and rumbles all around,
The thunder of cannons, the hiss of shells,
And our fearless and proud "Varangian" became
It's like pure hell.
Bodies tremble in death throes,
Around the rumble 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!
We did not think yesterday with you,
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
The heroic death of the Varyag.

Subsequently, the Varyag was raised by the Japanese, repaired and included in the imperial fleet under the name Soya. In 1916, Russia bought the cruiser, it was equipped with a team of the Guards crew and, under the former name "Varyag", made the transition from Vladivostok to the Russian North to Murmansk, to strengthen the military flotilla of the Arctic Ocean.
In March 1917, the Varyag went to England for repairs. After the October Revolution and the separate exit of Russia from the First World War, by order of the Admiralty, the great honor of the crew returned home. The British government declared the Varyag the property of the Royal Navy of Great Britain, arrested the part of the crew remaining on it, ordered the Russian cruiser to be disarmed and sold for scrap.
While being towed, the ship was thrown onto rocks in the Irish Sea near the town of Lendalfoot during a storm. Since there were no opportunities to remove the cruiser from the stones, it was dismantled for metal a few years later. In response to an inquiry from the Soviet government, official London announced that the Varyag had been torpedoed by a German boat and sunk in the Irish Sea.
In memory of the heroes of the naval battle at Chemulpo during the years of the Russo-Japanese War, monuments were erected in Vladivostok at the maritime cemetery (the remains of the dead sailors of the Varyag cruiser were transported there from Korea in 1911) and in the city of Tula, in the homeland of the commander of the hero ship V. F. Rudneva.

Here you can see diagrams, ships, etc.

Exit "Varangian" and "Korean". The beginning of the battle.

At noon on February 9, 1904, the cruiser "Varyag" and the gunboat "Koreets" weighed anchor and headed for the exit from Chemulpo Bay, blocked by the Japanese squadron. According to some sources, the ultimate goal was a breakthrough from the bay, which seems doubtful, given the low maximum speed of the Korean (no more than 14 knots), which practically ruled out the possibility of breaking away from the Japanese. The exit of the Russian ships turned out to be unexpected for the Japanese, which led to some confusion: battle groups were formed as they were removed from the anchors.

The Japanese cruiser Asama was the first to open fire, followed immediately by Russian ships. The distance to the beginning of the battle was about 38 cables (7,000 meters). 10 minutes after the start of the battle, the first hit followed: a 203-mm shell hit the Varyag's stern bridge area and caused a fire.

Around the same time, the peak of the intensity of the artillery fire of the Russian cruiser falls, then, as damage was received, it began to subside. This was followed by hits on the bow rangefinder station "Varyag", which significantly complicated aiming, in the central and aft parts of the ship.

End of the battle and return to Chemulpo.

The battle ended at 12:50 and lasted about 50 minutes, after which the heavily damaged Varyag (the cruiser received at least 9 hits, including 3 with 203 mm shells) and the undamaged Korean returned to the port of Chemulpo . On the Japanese side, mainly the Asama, Niitaka and Chiyoda took part in the battle, other ships did not have a significant impact on the battle. Since the Japanese fire was concentrated on the Varyag, the Korean received no hits.

After the battle, the commanders of the Russian ships decided to destroy them in order to avoid being captured by the Japanese. The cruiser "Varyag" was sunk, "Korean" was blown up.

Overall result of the battle.

All contemporaries of the battle, including the Japanese, agree that the battle of Russian ships with enemy forces many times superior to them is an example of great courage and valor. At the same time, the results of the battle itself are extremely ambiguous.

According to the report of the captain of the Varyag, a Japanese destroyer was destroyed, the cruiser Takachiho was seriously damaged and then sank, and the cruiser Asama was heavily damaged. It can be said for sure that the information regarding the Takachiho was incorrect: the cruiser successfully served for more than 10 years. There is no evidence of serious damage to the Asama cruiser either. After the battle, the commander of the Japanese squadron sent a report in which he pointed out the absence of hits from Russian ships and any casualties or damage.

More than 300 years ago, by decree of Peter the Great, the St. Andrew's flag was raised on Russian ships for the first time. Since then, many heroic pages have been inscribed in the history of the fleet, but the Varyag cruiser, which refused to lower the banner in front of a huge enemy squadron in 1904, will forever remain in the memory of people as the most vivid symbol of fearlessness, self-sacrifice and military prowess.

The history of the cruiser "Varyag": from construction to the battle near Chemulpo

And the history of this ship began more than 100 years ago in 1898 in the American city of Philadelphia. The light armored cruiser "Varyag" was built in the USA by order of the Russian Naval Ministry. The shipyard of the company "American Company William Cramp & Sons" in the city of Philadelphia on the Delaware River was chosen as the place for the construction of the ship. The parties signed the contract on April 11, 1898. The choice of this shipbuilding company was not accidental. The plant was well known in Russia. Here they repaired and converted ships and cruisers for the Russian fleet bought in America. In addition, the company promised to hand over the ship in 20 months. This was much faster than the pace of building ships at Russian state-owned factories.

However, all the armament of the Varyag was made in Russia. Guns at the Obukhov Plant, torpedo tubes at the Metal Plant in St. Petersburg. The Izhevsk plant manufactured equipment for the galley, the anchors were ordered in England.

On October 19, 1899, after lighting and a prayer service, the cruiser was solemnly launched. "Varyag" impressed contemporaries not only with the beauty of forms and perfection of proportions, but also with many technical innovations used in its construction. Compared to the ships built earlier, it had significantly more devices that ran on electricity, boat winches, windlasses, elevators for feeding shells and even the dough mixers in the ship's bakery were equipped with electric drives. For the first time in the history of shipbuilding, all the furniture of the Varyag cruiser was made of metal and painted to look like wood. This increased the survivability of the ship in battle and during a fire. The cruiser "Varyag" became the first Russian ship, on which telephone sets were installed in almost all office premises, including gun posts.

One of the weak points of the cruiser was the new steam boilers "Nickolas" they allowed to develop high speed sometimes up to 24 knots, but were extremely unreliable in operation. Due to some shortcomings found, when accepting the ship, the Varyag was commissioned at the beginning of 1901. During the construction of the cruiser, 6,500 people worked at the shipyard.

St. Andrew's flag and pennant were raised on the cruiser "Varyag" on January 2, 1901. In March of that year, the ship left Philadelphia forever. On the morning of May 3, 1901, the Varyag anchored on the Great Kronstadt roadstead. Two weeks later, a review was held, which was attended by Emperor Nicholas II himself. The king liked the ship so much that he was immediately included in the escort of the imperial yacht "Standard" heading to Europe. After official visits to Germany, Denmark and France, the Varyag cruiser left for its permanent base in the Far East.

In December 1902, an order was issued by the Naval Ministry, by which Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev was appointed commander of the Varyag cruiser. Rudnev came to the Varyag as an experienced naval officer who had served on seventeen ships and commanded nine, being a participant in three round-the-world trips, one of which he did as a ship commander. On February 25, 1902, the warship arrived at Port Arthur. Prior to this, the Varyag cruiser managed to visit the Persian Gulf, Singapore, Hong Kong and Nagasaki. Everywhere the appearance of a new spectacular Russian ship made a huge impression.

Japan, dissatisfied with the strengthening of Russian influence in the Far East, was feverishly preparing for a war with Russia. At the English shipyards, her fleet was practically rebuilt. The army was increased by 2.5 times. The most advanced developments of the type of weapons were taken for equipment. The Land of the Rising Sun, like Russia, considered the Far East a zone of its vital interests. The result of the coming war, according to the Japanese, was to be the expulsion of Russians from China and Korea, the rejection of Sakhalin Island and the establishment of Japan's dominance in the Pacific Ocean. Clouds were gathering over Port Arthur.

On December 27, 1903, the commander of the Varyag cruiser, Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev, received an order from the Russian governor to enter the Korean international port of Chemulpo (the current port of Incheon, South Korea). According to the plan of the command, the cruiser was supposed to establish a reliable connection between Port Arthur and our envoy in Seoul, as well as designate the Russian military presence in Korea. It was forbidden to leave the port of Chemulpo without an order from the senior command. Due to the difficult fairway and shallow water, the Varyag anchored in the outer roadstead. A few days later, the gunboat "Koreets" joined him. It soon became clear that the Japanese were preparing for a major landing operation. On January 25, the commander of the cruiser, V. F. Rudnev, personally went to the Russian ambassador to pick him up and go home along with the entire mission. But Ambassador Pavlov did not dare to leave the embassy without an order from his department. A day later, the port was blocked by the armada of the Japanese squadron, which consisted of 14 ships. The flagship was the armored cruiser Osama.

On January 27, the commander of the Varyag cruiser received an ultimatum from Admiral Uriu. The Japanese commander offered to leave the port and surrender to the mercy of the victors - otherwise he threatened to attack Russian ships right in the roadstead. Upon learning of this, the ships of foreign states sent a protest - to go into battle in a neutral roadstead, at the same time they refused to accompany the Russians to the sea, where they would have more opportunities to maneuver and repel an attack.

On the cruiser "Varyag" and the gunboat "Koreets" began to prepare for battle. By tradition, all sailors and officers changed into clean shirts.

At 10:45 VF Rudnev addressed the crew with a speech. The ship's priest blessed the sailors before the battle. At 11:20 the cruiser "Varyag" and the gunboat "Koreets" weighed anchor and went towards the Japanese squadron. As a sign of admiration for the sailors, the French, British, Italians lined up the teams of their ships on the decks. On the "Varyag" the orchestra played the anthems of the states, in response, the anthem of the Russian Empire sounded on the Italian ship.

Report of V. F. Rudnev - to the Viceroy of the Emperor in the Far East, Adjutant General E. A. Alekseev, dated February 6, 1904, written immediately after the battle.

"On January 26, 1904, the naval gunboat" Koreets "set off with papers from our envoy to Port Arthur, but the Japanese squadron met by three fired mines from destroyers forced the boat to return. The boat anchored near the cruiser, and part of the Japanese squadron with transports entered not knowing whether hostilities had begun, I went to the English cruiser "Talbot" to agree with the commander on further orders. The commander of the cruiser, as the senior commander, having gone to the Japanese ship (the Japanese admiral without coming to the raid), forced the Japanese commander to vouch for his ships that they would not attack the raid, giving the same assurance on his behalf for the ships of all nations, and announced that he himself would shoot at the one who made the first attack. The night passed quietly, although all ships expected a night attack, not trusting the words of the Japanese.

On January 27 in the morning at 7:30 am, the commanders of foreign ships: the English cruiser Talbot, the French Pascal, the Italian Elba and the American Vicksburg received a notice (indicating the time of delivery of the notification) from the Japanese admiral that war had been declared and that the admiral suggested that the Russian ships leave the raid before 12 noon, otherwise they would be attacked by the entire squadron in the raid after 4 pm, and it was proposed that foreign ships leave the raid at this time for their safety.

This information was delivered to me by the commander of the French cruiser Pascal, with whom I went to the meeting of commanders. During the meeting of the commanders on the Talbot cruiser, I received a letter (at 9:30 in the morning) through the Russian consul from the Japanese admiral, announcing the beginning of hostilities, with a proposal to leave the raid before 12 noon. The commanders decided that if I stayed on the roadstead, they would leave, leaving me with the "Korean" and the ship "Sungari". Together with this, they decided to send a protest to the admiral against the attack on a neutral raid.

Returning to the cruiser, I gathered the officers and announced the start of hostilities, and it was decided to break through, and in case of failure, blow up the cruiser; for which they subsequently prepared an ignition cartridge with a Bickford cord in a mine cellar. The production of the explosion was entrusted to the inspector midshipman Chernilovsky-Sokol.

The motives were as follows: 1) The battle in the roadstead was not convenient due to the impossibility of free maneuvering for lack of space. 2) Fulfilling the demand of the admiral, there was a faint hope that the Japanese would be released from the skerries and give battle at sea; the latter was preferable, since in the skerries one has to follow a known course and, consequently, by exposing the side to a disadvantageous position, one cannot use all the means of protection.

Then a team was assembled, war was declared on it, and appropriate instructions were given to everyone.

At 11:20 am, the cruiser weighed anchor with the boat "Koreets", which entered the wake at a distance of one and a half cables. Commands and officers were lined up on the foreign ships, on the Italian cruiser the music played the Russian anthem, at our passage they shouted "hurrah". The Japanese squadron is among six ships (information about the number and name of the ships was obtained after the battle from the English cruiser) - Asama, Naniwa, Takachiho, Chiyoda, Akashi, Niytaka and 8 destroyers - under the general team of Rear Admiral Uriu was located in the bearing system from the island of Rihu. The destroyers held on to their ships.

At 11:45 a.m., the first shot from an 8-inch gun was fired from the Asama cruiser, followed by the entire squadron firing.

Subsequently, the Japanese assured that the admiral made a signal to surrender, to which the commander of the Russian ship responded with disdain, without raising any signal. Indeed, I could see the signal, but I did not find it necessary to answer it, since I had already decided to go into battle.

After that, having fired, they opened fire on the "Asama" from a distance of 45 cables. One of the first shells of the Japanese, hitting the cruiser, destroyed the upper bridge, setting fire in the navigational cabin, and killed the fore-shrouds, and the rangefinder officer midshipman Count Nirod and all the rangefinders of station No. 1 were killed (but at the end of the battle, one hand of Count Nirod was found, holding a rangefinder).

After this shot, the shells began to hit the cruiser more often, and the shells that did not fly were showered with fragments and destroyed the superstructures and boats. Subsequent shots knocked out the 6-inch No. 3 gun; all the servants of the gun and supply were killed or wounded and seriously wounded by the plutong commander midshipman Gubonin, who continued to command the plutong and refused to go to dressing until, exhausted, he fell. Continuously following the shells, a fire was set on the shkhanets, which was extinguished by the efforts of the inspector midshipman Chernilovsky-Sokol, whose dress was torn by fragments.

6-inch guns knocked out - XII and IX; 75 mm - No. 21; 47-mm - No. 27 and 28. The combat mainsail was almost demolished, the rangefinder station No. 2 was destroyed, guns No. 31 and No. 32 were knocked out, and a fire was made in the lockers and in the armored deck, which was soon extinguished. During the passage of the traverse of the island of Iodolmi, one of the shells was broken by a pipe in which all the steering gears pass, and at the same time, fragments of another shell that flew into the conning tower, the cruiser commander was shell-shocked in the head, his bugler and bugler standing on both sides were killed on the spot. a drummer, wounded in the back in the vicinity of the steering foreman (who did not declare his wound and remained at his post throughout the battle); at the same time, the commander's orderly was wounded in the arm. Management was immediately transferred to the tiller compartment on the manual steering wheel. With the thunder of shots, orders to the tiller compartment were hard to hear, and it was necessary to control mainly machines, despite this, the cruiser still obeyed poorly.

At 1215 hours, wanting to get out of the sphere of fire for a while, in order to fix the steering gear if possible and put out the fires, they began to turn around with cars, and, since the cruiser did not obey the steering wheel well and, due to the proximity of the island of Iodolmi, they reversed both cars (the cruiser was set to this position at the time when the steering gear was interrupted with the left steering wheel). At this time, the Japanese fire intensified and the hit increased, since the cruiser, turning around, turned its port side towards the enemy and did not have high speed.

At the same time, one of the serious underwater holes was received on the left side, and the third stoker began to quickly fill with water, the level of which approached the fireboxes; brought the patch and began to pump out water; then the water level subsided somewhat, but nevertheless the cruiser continued to heel rapidly. A shell that passed through the officer’s cabins, destroyed them and pierced the deck, ignited flour in the provision department (the fire was extinguished by midshipman Chernilovsky-Sokol and senior boatswain Kharkovsky), and another shell smashed the bed nets on the waist above the infirmary, and the fragments fell into the infirmary, and the grid caught fire, but was soon extinguished.

Serious damage forced them to leave the sphere of fire for a longer time, which is why they went at full speed, continuing to shoot back with the port side and stern guns. One of the shots of the 6-inch gun No. XII destroyed the aft bridge of the Asama cruiser and set off a fire, and the Asama stopped firing for a while, but soon opened again. Its stern turret was apparently damaged, since it was no longer active until the end of the battle. Only when the cruiser passed to the anchorage and when the fire of the Japanese could be dangerous for foreign ships, did they stop it, and one of the cruisers chasing us returned to the squadron that remained in the fairway behind the island of Iodolmi. The distance increased so much that it was useless for us to continue the fire, and therefore the fire was stopped at 12 hours 45 minutes of the day.

At 1 o'clock in the afternoon, anchoring near the cruiser "Talbot", they began to inspect and repair the damage, and also summed up the second plaster; at the same time, the remaining team was separated by guns in anticipation of an attack by an enemy squadron at 4 o'clock in the roadstead. Upon inspection of the cruiser, in addition to the damage listed, the following were also found: all 47-mm guns were not fit for firing, five more 6-inch guns received various damages, and seven 75-mm guns were damaged in knurlers and compressors. The upper leg of the third chimney was destroyed, all fans and boats were turned into a sieve; the upper deck was pierced in several places; the commander's quarters were destroyed, the fore-mars was damaged, and four underwater holes of various sizes were found, as well as many other damages. Despite the fact that all foreign ships were ready to leave, they all immediately sent boats with doctors and orderlies, who began to bandage the wounded.

Convinced after inspecting the cruiser that it was completely impossible to engage in battle and not wanting to give the enemy the opportunity to defeat the dilapidated cruiser, the general meeting of officers decided to sink the cruiser, taking the wounded and the remaining crew to foreign ships, to which the latter expressed their full consent due to my request. The transport of the wounded and the crew from the cruiser was carried out on rowboats of foreign cruisers. The commander of the French cruiser Pascal, Captain 2nd Rank V. Senes, having arrived on the cruiser, personally contributed a lot in transporting the wounded and the crew.

In the course of an hour-long battle, there were: the commander of the cruiser was shell-shocked in the head; 3 officers were wounded (heavily warrant officer Gubonin, light warrant officer Laboda and Balk) and lower ranks seriously - 70, and many received minor wounds from fragments of exploding lithide shells; Midshipman Count Nirod and lower ranks were killed - 38.

The distribution of the number of wounded and the crew was made by mutual agreement of the commanders of the three ships: the French cruiser Pascal, the English cruiser Talbot and the Italian cruiser Elba. The American advice note "Vicksburg", although he sent his doctor for dressing, refused to accept people from the sinking cruiser for lack of permission from his minister. In view of the fact that the transport of the wounded took a very long time, the transport of the rest of the team had to be too hasty due to the announcement of the commanders to complete the loading at about 4 hours. The ship's papers were taken and the crew sent with small suitcases; the officers, busy with sending the wounded and carrying out their duties, did not have time to capture any of their belongings.

The Japanese envoy, on instructions received from his government, informed the French envoy that the Japanese government was satisfied that the officers and crew of the ships were sent to Shanghai with the obligation not to travel north of Shanghai and not take part in hostilities. Meanwhile, a day later, the French government notified its representative directly that the crew on the Pascal should immediately be sent to Saigon. The British government decided to send to Singapore or Colombo. As for the people on the Elba cruiser, by the time the Pascal left Chemulpo, no decision had yet been received.

The cruiser "Pascal" left on February 3 with me, three officers and three officials of the cruiser "Varyag", with part of the cruiser's crew, the entire crew of the boat "Koreets", a security team (battleship "Sevastopol") and Cossacks guarding the mission.

I present a petition for rewarding officers and crews for their selfless bravery and valiant performance of duty. According to information received in Shanghai, the Japanese suffered heavy losses in people and had accidents on ships, the cruiser Asama, which went into the dock, was especially damaged. The cruiser Takachiho, which received a hole, also suffered; the cruiser took 200 wounded and went to Sasebo, but the plaster burst on the road and the bulkheads could not withstand, so the Takachiho cruiser sank in the sea. The destroyer sank during the battle.

Signed: commander of the cruiser 1st rank "Varyag" captain 1st rank Rudnev.

Thus, the battle that began at 11:45 a.m. ended at 12:45 p.m. 425 shells of 6-inch caliber, 470 of 75-mm and 210 of 47-mm calibers were fired from the Varyag, for a total of 1105 shells fired. At 13:15 "Varyag" anchored at the place where it took off 2 hours ago. There was no damage on the gunboat "Koreets", just as there were no dead or wounded.

It is curious that not a single Japanese shell hit her. The day before, the commander ordered the masts to be shortened, which prevented the Japanese from accurately determining the distance and adjusting their fire.

Not a single officer and sailor was taken prisoner after the battle. Respecting the courage shown in that battle, Admiral Uriu agreed to let them through the war zone to return to their homeland.

Portal for the student. Self-training