Probably, there is not a single person in Russia who has not heard about the suicidal feat of the Varyag cruiser. Despite the fact that more than a hundred years have passed since the events described below, the memory of unheard-of heroism still lives in the hearts and memory of people. But at the same time, knowing in general terms the history of this legendary ship, we lose sight of many amazing details with which its fate is rich. The beginning of the 20th century was marked by a clash of interests between two rapidly developing empires - the Russian and Japanese. The stumbling block was the territories belonging to Russia in the Far East, which the Japanese emperor slept and saw as belonging to his country. On February 6, 1904, Japan severed all diplomatic relations with Russia, and already on February 9, it blocked the port of Chemulpo, where the Varyag, unknown at that time, was located.
Made in USA
The armored cruiser of the 1st rank was laid down in 1898. Construction was carried out at the William Cramp and Sons shipyards in Philadelphia. In 1900, the cruiser was transferred to the Navy of the Russian Empire. According to the commander of the cruiser Rudnev, the ship was delivered with many construction defects, due to which, as expected, it would not be able to reach speeds above 14 knots. "Varyag" was even going to be returned back for repairs. However, during trials in the fall of 1903, the cruiser developed a speed almost equal to that shown in the initial trials.
Diplomatic mission "Varyag"
From January 1904, the famous cruiser was at the disposal of the Russian embassy in Seoul, stood in the neutral Korean port of Chemulpo and did not take any military action. By an evil irony of fate, the "Varyag" and the gunboat "Korean" had to enter into a losing battle, the first in an ingloriously lost war.
Before the fight
On the night of February 8, the Japanese cruiser Chiyoda secretly sailed from the port of Chemulpo. His departure did not go unnoticed by Russian sailors. On the same day, the "Korean" went to Port Arthur, but at the exit from Chemulpo was subject to a torpedo attack and was forced to return back to the raid. On the morning of February 9, Captain First Rank Rudnev received an official ultimatum from the Japanese Admiral Uriu: to surrender and leave Chemulpo before noon. The exit from the port was blocked by the Japanese squadron, so the Russian ships were trapped, from which there was not a single chance to get out.
"No Talk of Surrender"
At about 11 a.m., the commander of the cruiser addressed the crew with a speech. From his words it followed that he did not intend to surrender to the enemy so easily. The sailors fully supported their captain. Shortly thereafter, the Varyag and the Koreets withdrew from the raid to go to their last battle, while the crews of foreign warships saluted the Russian sailors and sang national anthems. As a sign of respect, the brass bands on the Allied ships played the national anthem of the Russian Empire.
Battle of Chemulpo
"Varyag" almost alone (a short-range gunboat does not count) went against the Japanese squadron, numbering 6 cruisers and 8 destroyers, equipped with more powerful and modern weapons. The very first hits showed all the vulnerabilities of the Varyag: due to the lack of armored turrets, the gun crews suffered heavy losses, and the explosions caused the guns to malfunction. For an hour of battle, the Varyag received 5 underwater holes, countless surface holes and lost almost all the guns. In the conditions of a narrow fairway, the cruiser ran aground, representing a seductive motionless target, but then by some miracle, to the surprise of the Japanese, he managed to get off it. During this hour, the Varyag fired 1105 shells at the enemy, sank one destroyer and damaged 4 Japanese cruisers. However, as the Japanese authorities later claimed, not a single shell from the Russian cruiser reached its target, and there were no damages or losses at all. On the Varyag, the losses among the crew were large: one officer and 30 sailors were killed, about two hundred people were injured or shell-shocked. According to Rudnev, there was not a single opportunity to continue the battle in such conditions, so it was decided to return to the port and flood the ships so that they would not go to the enemy as trophies. Teams of Russian ships were sent to neutral ships, after which the Varyag was flooded by opening the kingstones, and the Korean was blown up. This did not prevent the Japanese from getting the cruiser from the bottom of the sea, repairing it and including it in a squadron called Soya.
Medal for defeat
In the homeland of the heroes of Chemulpo, great honors awaited, despite the fact that the battle was actually lost. The crew of the Varyag was honored with a solemn reception by Emperor Nicholas II and received many awards. The crews of the French, German and English ships stationed in the roadstead during the battle in Chemulpo also enthusiastically responded to the brave Russians. Another thing is surprising: the heroic deed of the Russian sailors was also considered by their opponents - the Japanese. In 1907, Vsevolod Rudnev (who by that time had fallen out of favor with Nicholas II) was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun by the Japanese Emperor as a tribute to the courage and steadfastness of Russian sailors.
The further fate of the Varyag
After the Russo-Japanese War, the Japanese government created a memorial museum for the heroes of the Varyag in Seoul. After ten years of captivity, the Varyag was redeemed from Japan in 1916, along with other Russian ships captured as war trophies. After the October Revolution, the British government ordered the arrest of all Russian ships in their ports, among which was the Varyag. In 1920, it was decided to scrap the cruiser to pay the debts of tsarist Russia, but on the way to the factory, it got into a storm and ran into rocks near the Scottish coast. Everything looked as if the "Varangian" had his own will and, wanting to complete his fate with honor, committed hara-kiri. Which is not surprising, given that he spent 10 years in Japanese captivity. More than once, they tried to get the stuck ship from the rocks, but all attempts ended in failure, and now the remains of the legendary cruiser rest at the bottom of the Irish Sea. On July 30, 2006, a memorial plaque appeared on the Scottish coast, not far from the site of the death of the Varyag, perpetuating the memory of the most famous ship in the history of the Russian Navy.There are enough tragic and heroic pages in the history of the Russian fleet, the most striking of which are connected with the Russo-Japanese war of 1905. The heroic defense of Port Arthur, the death of Admiral Makarov, the Tsushima defeat. Today in Russia, probably, there is not a single person who would not have heard about the suicidal feat of the Varyag cruiser, which took an unequal battle, about the death of a proud ship that fought to the last and did not want to surrender to the enemy.
More than a hundred years have passed since that memorable battle, but despite this, the heroism of the sailors and officers of the Varyag still lives in the memory of their descendants. More than one generation of Soviet and Russian sailors has been brought up on the example of this glorious ship. Films were made about the Varyag, songs were written.
However, do we know everything today about what happened in Chemulpo Bay on that memorable day on February 9, 1904? But before proceeding to the description of that memorable battle, a few words should be said about the Varyag armored cruiser itself, the history of its creation and service.
History and structure of the cruiser
The beginning of the twentieth century was a time of clash of interests between two empires that were rapidly developing - Russian and Japanese. The Far East became the arena of their confrontation.
The Land of the Rising Sun, having undergone rapid modernization at the end of the 19th century, wanted to gain leadership in the region and was not averse to expanding at the expense of the territories of neighboring countries. Russia, meanwhile, continued its expansion, in St. Petersburg they developed the project of "Zheltorossiya" - the settlement of part of the territories of China and Korea by Russian peasants and Cossacks and the Russification of the local population.
For the time being, the Russian leadership did not take Japan seriously: the economic potential of the two empires seemed too incomparable. However, the rapid growth of the Japanese armed forces and fleet made St. Petersburg take a different look at its distant Asian neighbor.
In 1895 and 1896, a shipbuilding program was adopted in Japan, which provided for the creation of a fleet that would surpass the Russian Navy in the Far East. In response to this, Russia made a change in its own plans: the construction of warships began specifically for the Far East region. Among them was the armored cruiser of the 1st rank "Varyag".
The construction of the ship began in 1898 at the shipyard of the American Company William Cramp & Sons in Philadelphia. The construction of the cruiser was monitored by a special commission sent from Russia.
Initially, it was planned to install heavier, but reliable and time-tested Belleville boilers on the ship, but later they were replaced by Nikloss boilers, which, although they differed in their original design and good performance, were not tested in practice. Later, such a choice of power plant for the cruiser caused many problems: it often failed, upon arrival from the USA to Vladivostok, the Varyag immediately got up for repairs for several months.
In 1900, the ship was handed over to the customer, but the cruiser had a lot of flaws, which were eliminated until the very departure of the ship to its homeland in 1901.
The cruiser's hull had a forecastle, which significantly improved its seaworthiness. Coal pits were located along the sides at the level of bevels in the area of boiler rooms and engine rooms. They not only supplied the power plant with fuel, but also provided additional protection for the most important components and mechanisms of the ship. Cellars with ammunition were located in the bow and stern of the ship, which made it easier to protect them from enemy fire.
The cruiser "Varyag" had an armored deck, its thickness reached 38 mm. Also, chimneys, rudder drives, elevators for lifting ammunition and muzzles of torpedo tubes were provided with armor protection.
The power plant of the cruiser consisted of twenty boilers of the Nikloss system and four-cylinder triple expansion machines. Their total capacity was 20 thousand liters. with., which allowed the shaft to rotate at a speed of 160 revolutions per minute. He, in turn, set in motion the two propellers of the ship. The cruiser's maximum design speed was 26 knots.
The installation of Nikloss boilers on the ship was a clear mistake. Difficult and capricious to maintain, they constantly failed, so the boilers tried not to load too much and the high speed of travel - one of its main trump cards - was rarely used by the armored cruiser. In the conditions of the weak repair base of Port Arthur, it was almost impossible to fully repair such equipment, therefore (according to a number of historians) by the beginning of the war, the Varyag could not even produce 20 knots.
The ship was equipped with a powerful ventilation system, the cruiser's rescue equipment consisted of two longboats, two steam launches and two rowing boats, whaleboats, yawls and trial boats.
The armored cruiser "Varyag" had quite powerful (for its time) electrical equipment, which was powered by three steam dynamos. The steering had three drives: electric, steam and manual.
The cruiser's crew consisted of 550 lower ranks, 21 officers and 9 conductors.
The main caliber of the Varyag was the 152-mm guns of the Kane system. Their total number was 12 units. The guns were divided into two batteries of six guns: bow and stern. All of them were installed on special ledges that went beyond the side line - sponsons. Such a solution significantly increased the angle of fire of the guns, but the problem was that the gun crew was not protected not only by towers, but even by armored shields.
In addition to the main caliber, the cruiser was armed with twelve 75-mm guns, eight 47-mm guns, and two 37-mm and 63-mm guns each. Also on board the ship were installed eight torpedo tubes of various designs and calibers.
If we give a general assessment of the project, then it should be recognized: the armored cruiser "Varyag" was a very good ship of its class. It was distinguished by good seaworthiness, the overall layout of the vessel was compact and thoughtful. The cruiser's life support systems deserve the highest praise. The Varyag had outstanding speed characteristics, which, however, were partly offset by the unreliability of the power plant. The armament and security of the Varyag cruiser were also not inferior to the best foreign analogues of that time.
On January 25, 1902, the cruiser arrived at her permanent place of service - at the Russian naval base in Port Arthur. Until 1904, the ship made several minor trips, and was also under repair for a long time due to frequent problems with the power plant. The armored cruiser met the beginning of the Russo-Japanese War in the harbor of the Korean city of Chemulpo. The captain of the 1st rank Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev was the commander of the ship at that moment.
Fight "Varyag"
On January 26, 1904 (hereinafter all dates will be given according to the “old style”), two Russian warships were in the port of Chemulpo: the cruiser Varyag and the gunboat Koreets. Also in the harbor were warships of other states: France, the USA, Great Britain and Italy. "Varyag" and "Korean" were at the disposal of the Russian diplomatic mission in Seoul.
A few words should be said about another Russian ship that took the fight along with the Varyag - the gunboat Koreets. It was built in 1887 in Sweden and was armed with two 203.2 mm and one 152.4 mm guns. They were all of an obsolete design, firing black powder at a distance of no more than four miles. The maximum speed of the gunboat during its trials was only 13.5 knots. However, at the time of the battle, the "Korean" could not develop even such a speed due to the severe deterioration of the machines and the poor quality of coal. As it is not difficult to see, the combat value of the "Korean" was practically equal to zero: the firing range of its guns did not allow inflicting at least some damage on the enemy.
On January 14, telegraph communication between Chemulpo and Port Arthur was interrupted. On January 26, the gunboat "Korean" tried to leave the harbor with mail, but was intercepted by the Japanese squadron. The gunboat was attacked by Japanese destroyers and returned to port.
The Japanese squadron represented a significant force, it included: an armored cruiser of the 1st class, an armored cruiser of the 2nd class and four armored cruisers of the 2nd class, an advice note, eight destroyers and three transports. Rear Admiral Uriu commanded the Japanese. To deal with the Varyag, the enemy needed only one ship - the flagship of the Japanese squadron of the armored cruiser Asama. It was armed with eight-inch guns mounted in turrets, in addition, the armor protected not only the deck, but also the sides of this ship.
On the morning of February 9, the captain of the Varyag Rudnev received an official ultimatum from the Japanese: to leave Chemulpo before noon, otherwise the Russian ships would be attacked right in the roadstead. At 12 o'clock the cruiser "Varyag" and the gunboat "Korean" left the harbor. A few minutes later they were discovered by Japanese ships and the battle began.
It lasted for one hour, after which the Russian ships returned to the raid. "Varyag" received from seven to eleven hits (according to various sources). The ship had one serious hole below the waterline, fires broke out on it, enemy shells damaged several guns. The lack of protection for the guns led to significant losses among the gunners and gun servants.
One of the shells damaged the steering gears and the uncontrolled ship sat on the rocks. The situation became hopeless: the motionless cruiser became an excellent target. It was at this moment that the ship received the most severe damage. By some miracle, the Varyag managed to get off the rocks and return to the raid.
Later, Captain Rudnev, in his report, indicated that one Japanese destroyer was sunk by Russian ships and the Asama cruiser was heavily damaged, and the other cruiser, Takachiho, sank after the battle from the damage received. Rudnev claimed that "Varyag" fired 1105 shells of various calibers at the enemy, and "Korean" - 52 shells. However, the number of unused shells that the Japanese found after the rise of the Varyag indicates a significant overestimation of this figure.
According to Japanese sources, there were no hits on any of the ships of Admiral Uriu, respectively, there were no losses in personnel. Whether or not a Russian cruiser hit the enemy at least once is still the subject of discussion. However, the information that none of the Japanese ships were damaged is confirmed by officers of foreign ships that were in Chemulpo and observed this battle. Also, almost all major researchers of the Russo-Japanese war came to this conclusion.
As a result of the battle on the Varyag, an officer and 30 sailors were killed, and 6 officers and 85 sailors were wounded and shell-shocked, about a hundred more crew members were slightly injured. The captain of the ship Rudnev was also wounded. Almost everyone on the upper deck of the cruiser was killed or wounded. The crew of the "Korean" had no losses.
Captain Rudnev considered that the Russian ships were no longer able to continue the battle, so they decided to flood the cruiser and blow up the gunboat. They were afraid to blow up the Varyag because of the danger of damaging other ships in the roadstead. The Russian ship "Sungari" was also flooded. The sinking of the cruiser turned out to be extremely unsuccessful: at low tide, part of the ship was exposed, which allowed the Japanese to remove guns and valuable equipment from it almost immediately.
The crews of the "Varyag" and "Korean" switched to foreign ships and left Chemulpo. The Japanese did not interfere with the evacuation.
Already at the beginning of 1905, the cruiser was raised and accepted into the Japanese fleet. She was renamed "Soya" and became a training ship.
After battle
After the outbreak of the First World War, in which Japan was an ally of Russia, the Varyag cruiser was bought by the Russian government. Until the autumn of 1916, the ship was being repaired in Vladivostok; on November 17, it arrived in Murmansk. Then the Russian government agreed to overhaul the Varyag in Liverpool. While the cruiser was being repaired, a revolution took place in Petrograd, the British requisitioned the ship and turned it into a floating barracks.
In 1919, the Varyag was sold for scrap, but it never made it to the disposal site: it landed on rocks in the Irish Sea. Later, it was partially dismantled right at the place of death.
After the battle in Chemulpo, the teams "Varyag" and "Korean" became national heroes. All the lower ranks received St. George's crosses and nominal watches, the officers of the ships were awarded orders. Sailors from the Varyag were personally received by the Russian Emperor Nicholas II. Poems were written about the courage of Russian sailors. And not only in Russia: the German poet Rudolf Greinz wrote the verse Der Warjag, which was later translated into Russian and set to music. This is how the most popular song in Russia “Our proud Varyag does not surrender to the enemy” was born.
The courage of the Varyag defenders was also appreciated by the enemy: in 1907, Captain Rudnev was awarded the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun.
The attitude towards the Varyag and its commander was slightly different among professional military sailors. The opinion was often expressed that the captain of the ship did nothing heroic and could not even fully destroy his ship so that the enemy did not get it.
The mass awarding of the team with St. George's Crosses was not too well received. At that time, this was not accepted in Russia: “George” was given to a specific person for a accomplished feat. The mere presence on a ship which, at the behest of its commander, goes on the attack is unlikely to fall into this category.
After the revolution, the feat of the "Varangian" and the details of the battle in Chemulpo were forgotten for a long time. However, in 1946, the film "Cruiser" Varyag "was released, which completely changed the situation. In 1954, all surviving members of the cruiser's crew were awarded medals "For Courage".
Since 1962, the USSR Navy (and then the Russian fleet) has always had a ship called the Varyag. Currently, the Varyag missile cruiser is the flagship of the Pacific Fleet of the Russian Federation.
Could it be otherwise?
History does not tolerate the subjunctive mood. This is a well-known truth - but still, could the Varyag armored cruiser break through to the main forces of the fleet and avoid death?
With the breakthrough tactics that Rudnev chose, the answer is unambiguously negative. To go out to the open sea together with a slow-moving gunboat, which could not give even 13 knots - this task clearly looks unrealistic. However, after the shelling of the "Korean" on January 26, Rudnev could understand that the war had begun and Chemulpo had turned into a trap. The captain of the Varyag had only one night at his disposal: he could sink or blow up the gunboat, transfer her team to the cruiser and leave the harbor under cover of night. However, he did not take advantage of this opportunity.
However, to give the order to destroy your own ship without a fight is a serious responsibility and it is not clear how the command would react to such a decision.
The Russian military command in the Far East bears no less responsibility for the sinking of the two ships. When it became clear that the war could not be avoided, "Varangian" and "Korean" had to be urgently withdrawn from Chemulpo. Separated from the main forces of the fleet, they turned into easy prey for the Japanese.
November 1 marks the 110th anniversary of the launch of the legendary cruiser Varyag.
The cruiser "Varyag" was built by order of the Russian Empire at the shipyard "William Crump and Sons" in Philadelphia (USA). He left the slipways of the Philadelphia docks on November 1 (October 19, O.S.), 1899.
In terms of technical characteristics, the Varyag had no equal: equipped with powerful cannon and torpedo weapons, it was also the fastest cruiser in Russia. In addition, the Varyag was equipped with telephones, electrified, equipped with a radio station and steam boilers of the latest modification.
After testing in 1901, the ship was presented to the Petersburgers.
In May 1901, the cruiser was sent to the Far East to reinforce the Pacific squadron. In February 1902, the cruiser, having circled half the world, anchored in the harbor of Port Arthur. From that moment began his service in the squadron. In December 1903, the cruiser was sent to the neutral Korean port of Chemulpo to serve as a stationary ship. In the roadstead, in addition to the "Varyag", there were ships of the international squadron. On January 5, 1904, the Russian gunboat Koreets arrived at the raid.
On the night of January 27 (February 9, New Style), 1904, Japanese warships opened fire on the Russian squadron, which was stationed in the Port Arthur roadstead. The Russo-Japanese War began (1904-1905), which lasted 588 days.
The cruiser "Varyag" and the gunboat "Koreets", located in the Korean Bay of Chemulpo, were blocked by the Japanese squadron on the night of February 9, 1904. The crews of Russian ships, trying to break through from Chemulpo to Port Arthur, entered into an unequal battle with the Japanese squadron, which included 14 destroyers.
During the first hour of the battle in the Tsushima Strait, the crew of the Russian cruiser fired more than 1.1 thousand shells. "Varyag" and "Korean" put out of action three cruisers and a destroyer, but they themselves received heavy damage. The ships returned to the port of Chemulpo, where they received an ultimatum from the Japanese to surrender. Russian sailors rejected him. By decision of the officers' council, the "Varyag" was flooded, and the "Korean" was blown up. This feat has become a symbol of the courage and bravery of Russian sailors.
For the first time in Russian history, all participants in the battle (about 500 people) were awarded the highest military award - the St. George Cross. After the celebrations, the Varyag team was disbanded, the sailors entered the service on other ships, and commander Vsevolod Rudnev was awarded, promoted - and retired.
The actions of the "Varyag" during the battle delighted even the enemy - after the Russo-Japanese War, the Japanese government created a museum in memory of the heroes of the "Varyag" in Seoul and awarded its commander Vsevolod Rudnev the Order of the Rising Sun.
After the legendary battle in Chemulpo Bay, the Varyag lay at the bottom of the Yellow Sea for more than a year. Only in 1905, the sunken ship was raised, repaired and commissioned into the Imperial Japanese Navy under the name "Soya". For more than 10 years, the legendary ship served as a training ship for Japanese sailors, but out of respect for its heroic past, the Japanese retained the inscription on the stern - "Varyag".
In 1916, Russia acquired from its already ally Japan the former Russian warships Peresvet, Poltava and Varyag. After paying 4 million yen, the Varyag was enthusiastically received in Vladivostok, and on March 27, 1916, the Andreevsky flag was again raised on the cruiser. The ship was enlisted in the Guards crew and sent to reinforce the Kola detachment of the Arctic Fleet. On November 18, 1916, the Varyag@ cruiser was solemnly welcomed in Murmansk. Here it was appointed the flagship of the Naval Defense Forces of the Kola Bay.
However, the cars and boilers of the cruiser required immediate overhaul, and the artillery needed re-equipment. Just a few days before the February Revolution, the Varyag went to England, to the ship repair docks of Liverpool. The Varyag stood in the Liverpool dock from 1917 to 1920. The necessary funds for its repair (300 thousand pounds) have not been allocated. After 1917, the Bolsheviks for a long time crossed out the Varyag as a hero of the "tsarist" fleet from the history of the country.
In February 1920, while being towed across the Irish Sea to Glasgow (Scotland), where she was sold for scrap, the cruiser got into a severe storm and sat on the rocks. All attempts to save the ship were unsuccessful. In 1925, the cruiser was partially dismantled on the spot, and the 127-meter hull was blown up.
In 1947, the feature film "Cruiser" Varyag "was filmed, and on February 8, 1954, on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the feat of the Varyag, a gala evening was held in Moscow with the participation of veterans of the battle of Chemulpo, where, on behalf of the Soviet government, the heroes -" Varangians "were medals "For Courage" were handed in. Anniversary celebrations were held in many cities of the country.
On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the heroic battle in 2004, a Russian delegation erected a monument to the Russian sailors "Varyag" and "Koreets" in Chemulpo Bay. At the opening of the memorial in the port of Incheon (the former city of Chemulpo), the flagship of the Russian Pacific Fleet, the guards missile cruiser Varyag, was present.
The current "Varyag" - the successor of the legendary first-generation ship of the same name - is armed with a powerful multi-purpose strike missile system, which allows you to hit surface and ground targets at a considerable distance. Also in its arsenal are rocket launchers, torpedo tubes and several artillery mounts of various calibers and purposes. Therefore, in NATO, Russian ships of this class are figuratively called "aircraft carrier killers."
In 2007, in Scotland, where the legendary Varyag found its last resting place, a memorial complex was opened, which was attended by a large anti-submarine ship (BPK) of the Russian Navy Severomorsk. These monuments, made in Russian maritime traditions, became the first memorials to the Russian military spirit outside of Russia and an eternal symbol of gratitude and pride for descendants.
In 2009, on the occasion of the 105th anniversary of the legendary battle with the Japanese squadron, a unique international exhibition project "Cruiser Varyag" was created. Acquisition of relics, including genuine rarities from the legendary ship and gunboat "Koreets" from the funds of Russian and Korean museums. A similar exhibition , demonstrating the relics of the Russian fleet has not yet been in Russian history.
The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources
The famous battle of the Varyag cruiser with the Japanese squadron has become a real legend, although this, according to many, is contrary to logic and common sense.
There were many glorious victories in the history of the Russian fleet, and in the case of the Varyag, we are talking about a lost battle of an ingloriously lost war. So what is it that lies in the history of the Varyag that makes the hearts of Russians beat faster in the 21st century?
The Russian cruiser "Varyag" at the beginning of 1904 did not carry out a military mission at all. In the Korean port of Chemulpo, the cruiser and the gunboat "Koreets" were at the disposal of the Russian embassy in Seoul. Of course, the sailors knew about the current situation, which threatened to break out into war at any moment, but they did not expect an attack on February 9, 1904.
"Varyag" and "Korean" go into battle, February 9, 1904. Photo: Public Domain
The conflict of two empires
At the beginning of the 20th century, the interests of two rapidly developing empires, Russian and Japanese, clashed in the Far East. The parties fought for influence in China and Korea, the Japanese side also openly claimed the territories belonging to Russia, and in the long run hoped to completely oust Russia from the Far East.
By the beginning of 1904, Japan had completed the rearmament of the army and navy, in which the European powers, in particular Great Britain, played an important role, and was ready to resolve the conflict with Russia by force.
In Russia, on the contrary, they were clearly not ready for Japanese aggression. The equipment of the army left much to be desired, the underdevelopment of transport communications excluded the possibility of a quick transfer of additional forces to the Far East. At the same time, there was also a clear underestimation of the enemy by the ruling circles of Russia - too many did not take Japanese claims seriously.
On the night of February 4, 1905, at a meeting of the Privy Council and the government of Japan, it was decided to start a war with Russia, and a day later an order was issued to attack the Russian squadron in Port Arthur and land troops in Korea.
On February 6, 1904, Japan severed diplomatic relations with Russia. However, the Russian command did not expect decisive military action from the Japanese.
Armored cruiser Varyag and a photograph of its captain Vsevolod Rudnev. Photo: Public Domain
Trap in Chemulpo
On the night of February 9, 1904, Japanese destroyers attacked the Russian squadron in Port Arthur, putting out of action two battleships and one cruiser.
At the same time, the Japanese squadron, consisting of six cruisers and eight destroyers, blocked the Varyag and the gunboat Koreets in the port of Chemulpo.
Since Chemulpo was considered a neutral port, there were ships of several powers in it, including the Japanese cruiser Chiyoda, which on the night of February 9 went to the open sea, as it turned out later, to join the main Japanese forces.
By this time, the Russian embassy in Seoul and the commander of the Varyag Captain 1st Rank Vsevolod Rudnev were actually in informational isolation due to the non-receipt of telegrams held up by Japanese agents who controlled the transmitting stations in Korea. The fact that Japan broke off diplomatic relations with Russia, Rudnev learned from the captains of foreign ships. Under these conditions, it was decided to send the "Korean" with reports to Port Arthur.
But on the night of February 9, the Korean, which left the port, was subjected to a torpedo attack by Japanese ships and was forced to return to the roadstead.
According to international law, the Japanese squadron did not have the right to attack Russian ships in a neutral port, as this endangered the ships of other states. On the other hand, the sailors of the "Varyag" could not take retaliatory action when landings began on the morning of February 9 from Japanese transport ships.
The cruiser after the battle, February 9, 1904. A strong list to the port side is visible. Photo: Public Domain
Russians don't give up
It became clear that the war had begun. After negotiations with the participation of the captains of the ships of the neutral powers, the commander of the Japanese squadron, Admiral Sotokichi Uriu, issued an ultimatum: by 12:00 on February 9, Russian ships must leave the port, otherwise they will be attacked directly in it.
The captain of the Varyag, Vsevolod Rudnev, decided to go to sea and take the fight, making an attempt to break through to Port Arthur. With this balance of power, there was practically no chance of success, but the captain's decision was supported by the crew.
When the "Varyag" and "Koreets" were leaving the port, the ships of the neutral powers began to sing the anthem of the Russian Empire as a sign of respect for the courage of Russian sailors going to certain death.
After the Russian ships left the port, Admiral Uriu ordered the Varyag and the Korean to be handed over: we offer to surrender and lower the flag.
The Russian sailors refused, after which a battle ensued. The battle lasted about an hour. Japanese ships had better equipment, maneuverability and higher speed. With an overwhelming quantitative advantage, this, in fact, did not leave the Russians a chance. Japanese fire caused serious damage to the Varyag, including most of the ship's guns were disabled. In addition, due to their hit in the underwater part, the ship rolled to the port side. There was great damage to the stern, some hits caused fires, several people were killed by shrapnel in the conning tower and the captain was shell-shocked.
In the battle, 1 officer and 22 sailors of the Varyag were killed, ten more died of wounds, dozens of people were seriously injured. The "Korean", whose participation in the battle was limited, had no losses in the crew.
It is difficult to talk about Japanese losses. According to Captain Rudnev's report, one Japanese destroyer was sunk, and at least one Japanese cruiser was seriously damaged.
Japanese sources report that the ships of Admiral Uriu did not suffer any losses at all, and not a single Varyag shell reached its target.
Fragment of the painting "Cruiser Varyag" by Pyotr Maltsev. Photo: www.russianlook.com
Rewards for defeat
After returning to the port, the question arose before Captain Rudnev: what to do next? Initially, he intended to resume the fight after repairing the damage, but it quickly became clear that there was no way for this.
As a result, it was decided to destroy the ships in order to prevent them from falling into the hands of the enemy. The wounded sailors were transferred to neutral ships, after which the crews left the Varyag and Koreets. "Varyag" was flooded by opening the kingstones, and "Korean" was blown up.
After negotiations with the Japanese side, an agreement was reached that the Russian sailors would not be considered prisoners of war, but would be entitled to return to their homeland, subject to the obligation not to participate in further hostilities.
In Russia, the Varyag sailors were greeted as heroes, although many of the crew expected a completely different reaction: after all, the battle was lost, and the ships were lost. Contrary to these expectations, the crew of the "Varyag" was awarded a solemn reception by Nicholas II, and all participants in the battle were awarded.
This still causes confusion among many: why? The Japanese squadron defeated the Russians to smithereens. Moreover, the flooded "Varyag" was soon raised by the Japanese and included in the fleet under the name "Soya". Only in 1916 "Varyag" was redeemed and returned to Russia.
Cruiser Soya. Photo: Public Domain
Stay to the last
The most surprising thing is that the act of Russian sailors was considered heroic and their opponents were the Japanese. Moreover, in 1907, Captain Vsevolod Rudnev was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun by the Japanese Emperor in recognition of the heroism of Russian sailors. Young Japanese officers were taught courage and stamina, using as an example the crews of the Varyag and Koreets.
There is no logic in all this, only if you think pragmatically. But the fact of the matter is that not everything in our lives can be measured by such logic.
The duty to the Motherland and the honor of a sailor are sometimes more valuable than their own lives. Accepting an unequal and hopeless battle, the Varyag sailors showed the enemy that there would be no easy victory in the war with Russia, that every warrior would stand to the end and not retreat to the last.
It was with steadfastness, courage and readiness for self-sacrifice that Soviet soldiers forced the well-oiled machine of the Nazi Wehrmacht to break down. For many of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War, the feat of the Varyag was an example.
In 1954, already in the Soviet Union, the 50th anniversary of the battle at Chemulpo was widely celebrated. The surviving sailors of the "Varyag" were assigned personal pensions, and 15 of them received medals "For Courage" from the hands of the Commander-in-Chief of the USSR Navy, Admiral Kuznetsov.
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, having gone around 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. Noga.
The Japanese offensive against Liaoyang, launched in July 1904, forced the Russian command to engage them in battle. August 11 (24) - August 21 (September 3), 1904, the battle of Liaoyang took place. Started successfully for the Russian troops, it, due to the erroneous actions of the gene. A.N. Kuropatkin, ended with the defeat of his army, forced to retreat to the city of Mukden. Russian troops lost 16 thousand people in this 11-day battle, Japanese - 24 thousand people.
The arrival of new troops replenished the Manchurian army, whose strength by the autumn of 1904 reached 214 thousand people. Having a numerical superiority over the enemy (170 thousand people), part of whose troops were distracted by the ongoing siege of Port Arthur, the Russian command decided to go on the offensive. September 22 (October 5) - October 4 (17), 1904 on the Shahe River 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 of 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.
"Varyag" was flooded at a shallow depth - at low tide the ship was exposed almost to the diametrical plane by 4 m. The Japanese decided to take possession of it and began lifting work. In 1905 "Varyag". was raised and sent to Sasebo. There, the cruiser was repaired and then commissioned by the squadron of Vice Admiral Uriu under the name "Soya", but on the stern, under Japanese hieroglyphs, by the decision of Emperor Mutsuhito, an inscription was left in golden Slavic script - "Varyag". On March 22, 1916, Russia bought out its 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
