The immortal feat of the Varyag cruiser. Armored cruiser "Varyag": structure and history of the ship

The feat of the cruiser Varyag

Historians still argue about the events of February 9, 1904, (January 27, old style), when two Russian ships, blocked in the Korean port of Chemulpo by a Japanese cruising squadron, took an unequal battle.

Why did “Varyag” and “Koreyets” find themselves in a tense moment far from the main forces? Why did they not interfere with the landing of the Japanese troops?
Why did the high-speed Varyag not go for the breakthrough alone?
The feat of the cruiser Varyag how did they get there?
In December 1904, an uprising against foreigners began in Korea. The governments of a number of countries have demanded the sending of warships with military contingents to protect diplomatic missions. In this regard, the command sent to Chemulpo, who arrived there on December 29 (according to the old style) and began to perform the duties of a senior stationary. At that time the cruiser Boyarin, which had brought the troops there, and the gunboat Gilyak were also in the port.

Finishing of the wheelhouse of the cruiser Varyag

The next day "Boyarin" left for Port Arthur, another day later "Gilyak" followed. And on January 5, 1904 (January 18, new style), a "Korean" arrived in Chemulpo, sent to establish contact with the Russian envoy: the telegraph message was interrupted.
So the now famous pair was formed: "Varyag" and.

Gunboat Korean in Chemulpo, February 1904

Why did you have to fight the Japanese squadron?
On January 25-26, government reports of the war with Japan began to arrive in the Far East.
The commander of the "Varyag" Rudnev suggested that Pavlov, the envoy in Seoul, evacuate the mission on his ship, "so as not to leave the cruiser in a foreign port in the event of a declaration of war." The envoy refused: he did not have the appropriate instructions from the ministry.
On the morning of January 26, the 4th combat detachment of counter-admiral Uriu Sotokichi, accompanying transports with troops, approached the Korean shores. The admiral ordered the landing at Chemulpo.

At 15.40 on January 26, the Korean with dispatches and foreign mail on board raised anchors, heading for Port Arthur.
At 15.55 from its side, right along the course, we saw Japanese ships approaching the fairway leading from Chemulpo to the open sea.

The Japanese formation consisted of six cruisers, eight destroyers, one advice note, two armed steamers and three transports. Rebuilding in three columns, the Japanese occupied the entire width of the fairway. Not daring to aggravate the situation, the commander of the Koreyets, Captain II Rank Belyaev, turned his ship back.
The Japanese marched into the Chemulpo raid and at about 6 pm began the landing. The port was neutral, there was no declaration of war. In addition, it is not out of place to recall that quite recently our "Boyarin", as well as ships of other powers, landed a landing party to protect their missions from the rebels.

"Varyag" with "Koreyets" could not shoot.
At about 7 a.m. on January 27 (February 9), the Japanese ships, having completed the landing, left the Chemulpo raid.
At about 9.30 am the commander of the "Varyag" was found by a messenger with a translation of the letter to Uriu. The Japanese admiral offered to leave the raid; otherwise, he will attack the Russians right in the port.

At 11.20 the Varyag weighed anchor and set sail.
The "Korean" followed him to the wake.
The fight is short and hopeless.
Uriu did not expect the Russian ships to leave. There was no time to raise the anchors - the admiral ordered the chains to be riveted. The first shot was fired by Asama; it was at 11.45.
Two of our ships were opposed by six Japanese cruisers - the rest did not take part in the battle.
The Asama was the most powerful - a British-built armored cruiser with excellent speed, armament and armor. The second armored cruiser, Chiyoda, was old, small, and poorly armed. The rest of the cruisers were armored, of which the Niitaka was completely new, the Akashi relatively new, and the Takachiho and Naniwa had already served for 18 years by the time of the battle.

The Japanese had an overwhelming advantage in artillery; the weight of an onboard salvo of large and medium-caliber guns from the Varyag with the Koreyets was 492 kg, and from the Japanese squadron - 1671 kg. All the artillery of the Japanese was modern, and the most powerful guns of our ships, the Korean's eight-inch guns, were old — short-range and slow-firing.
... The Russian ships responded at 11.47.
According to the observations of the Japanese, "Varyag" initially showed a very high rate of fire, but could not maintain it for more than a few minutes.
And at 12.03 the cruiser received the first hit. A 203 mm round hit the bridge. He killed the rangefinders, warrant officer Nirod, damaged the wheelhouse.
Due to the narrowness of the fairway, the Japanese operated in three combat groups of two ships (see diagram); it turned out that some of their ships at times covered the target from others.
The Asama, Chiyoda and Niitake managed to shoot the most; they fired 393 shells of large and medium calibers in total; the rest managed to make only 26 shots. In the final phase of the battle, four destroyers took part in it.

The Japanese at low tide on board the flooded Varyag, photo of 1904

At 12.15 "Varyag" began to turn to the opposite course. The Russian ships returned to the port and anchored at 13.00.
As a result of the battle, the Varyag lost 30 people killed, 85 wounded and shell-shocked, 100 lightly wounded — only about a third of the crew. The cruiser was on fire, part of its artillery was disabled. His situation was worse than before the fight; "Korean", albeit not damaged, had no chance alone.
The commander decided to blow up the Koreets and flood the Varyag so as not to damage the foreign ships stationed in the port.

The feat of the cruiser Varyag , the last fight is over ...
Why didn't Varyag go for a breakthrough? Why was it not possible, by sacrificing a small - an old gunboat - to save a large one - one of the newest cruisers of the Russian fleet?
After all, the "Varyag", which developed more than 23 knots on tests, was faster than any of the Uriu ships. Full speed, maximum rate of fire, optimal, relative to the position of the Japanese, course and - dash into the open sea ...
Such mistakes are often made by people who base their conclusions on two or three digits from a short reference book on TTE of ships.
First of all, about speed.
The speed shown by a ship immediately after construction is almost never achieved in day-to-day service.
First, the hull is overgrown with marine organisms, which inevitably slows down the speed. Secondly, during operation, the machines wear out, and the boiler tubes are covered with scale. The latter circumstance was especially important for the Varyag.

The requirements for the ship were set very high. The Crump firm, which built the cruiser, insisted on the installation of Nikloss boilers. They were distinguished by high performance with low weight; but as early as April 14, 1898, the Marine Technical Committee adopted special decree, in which he categorically refused Nikloss's company to supply steam boilers to the Russian fleet, recognizing them as unreliable and even dangerous.
Nevertheless, on both ships that Kramp built for Russia, the cruiser Varyag and the battleship Retvizan, just such boilers were installed. As a result, "Varyag" on tests carried out in 1904, was able to develop only a 14-knot speed.
And the Japanese directly during the battle at Chemulpo developed up to 18 knots.
Secondly, there could be no talk of any freedom to choose a course. Our ships left Chemulpo along a narrow channel bounded by islands and underwater rocks, and the length of this channel is 30 miles. The fairway was blocked off by the Japanese squadron ...

In such conditions, it becomes clear why Rudnev did not leave the Koreyets in the port. If there was a long artillery battle with limited maneuvering ability for both sides, then two eight-inch gunboats could be very useful.
After all, the war was just beginning. Uriu could have been instructed to take care of the ships and, if there was a danger of losing valuable combat units in battle, he could prefer retreat ...

Autumn 1904, ship-lifting works on the roadstead of Chemulpo

The only thing that can be called a claim against the commander of the Varyag. This is not a complete incapacitation of the ship, it is known that after lifting, it reached the repair dock on its own.

19.02.2018 10:56:00

The feat of the cruiser "Varyag"

February 9, 1904 - the day of the feat and death of the cruiser "Varyag". This day became the starting point for Russia's immersion in a series of revolutions and wars. But in this century it also became the first day of unfading Russian military glory.
The cruiser Varyag entered service in 1902. In its class, it was the strongest and fastest ship in the world: with a displacement of 6,500 tons, it had a speed of 23 knots (44 km / h), carried 36 guns, of which 24 were large-caliber, as well as 6 torpedo tubes. The crew consisted of 18 officers and 535 sailors. The cruiser was commanded by Captain 1st Rank Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev, a hereditary sailor. By the beginning of the Russian-Japanese war, "Varyag" was carrying out a mission to protect the Russian embassy in Seoul.
On the night of February 8-9, 1904, a Japanese officer left the following entry in his diary: "We will not declare war in advance, since this is a completely incomprehensible, stupid European custom" (compare - the Russian prince Svyatoslav, who lived a thousand years before this, before the war, he sent messengers to his opponents with short message"I'm going to you").
On the night of January 27 (old style) Rudnev was handed an ultimatum from the Japanese Rear Admiral Uriu: "Varyag" and "Koreets" must leave the port before noon, otherwise they will be attacked in the roadstead. The commanders of the French cruiser Pascal, the English Talbot, the Italian Elba and the American gunboat Vicksburg, who were in Chemulpo, had received a Japanese notification of the upcoming attack by his squadron on Russian ships the day before.
To the credit of the commanders of three foreign cruisers - the French Pascal, the English Talbot and the Italian Elba, they expressed a written protest to the commander of the Japanese squadron: has no right to attack ships of other nations located in this port, and the power that violates this law is fully responsible for any damage caused to life or property in this port.Therefore, with this letter we actively protest against such a violation of neutrality and we will be glad to hear Your opinion on this subject. "
Under this letter was not only the signature of the commander of the American "Vicksburg" - Captain 2nd Rank Marshall. As you can see, the practice of remembering international law only depending on its own benefit has a long tradition among Americans.
Meanwhile, Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev read out an ultimatum to the crew with the words: "The challenge is more than daring, but I accept it. I do not shy away from the battle, although I have no official message from my government about the war. I am sure of one thing: the Varyag and "Koreans" will fight to the last drop of blood, showing everyone an example of fearlessness in battle and contempt for death. "
Warrant officer Padalko answered for the whole team: "All of us, both Varyag and Koreets, will defend our native St. Andrew's flag, its glory, honor and dignity, knowing that the whole world is looking at us."

At 11 h. 10 min. on the Russian ships the command sounded: "All up, remove from the anchor!" - and ten minutes later "Varyag" and "Koreets" weighed anchor and set sail. While slowly passing by the English, French and Italian cruisers, the musicians of the Varyag sang the corresponding national anthems. In response, the sounds of the Russian anthem were heard from the foreign ships, on the decks of which the crews were lined up in frunt.
"We saluted these heroes, who marched so proudly to certain death!" - wrote later the commander of "Pascal" Captain I rank Senes.
The excitement was indescribable, some of the sailors were crying. They have never seen a more sublime and tragic scene. On the bridge of the Varyag stood its commander, leading the ship to the last parade.
It was impossible to doubt the outcome of this battle. The Japanese opposed the Russian armored cruiser and the outdated gunboat with six armored cruisers and eight destroyers. Against the Russians, two 203-mm, thirteen 152-mm guns and seven torpedo tubes were preparing to fire four 203-mm, thirty-eight 152-mm guns and forty-three torpedo tubes. The superiority was more than threefold, despite the fact that the "Varyag" did not have side armor at all and even armored shields on the guns.
When the enemy ships saw each other on the high seas, the Japanese issued a signal "to surrender at the mercy of the victor," hoping that the Russian cruiser, in the face of their overwhelming superiority, would surrender without a fight and become the first trophy in this war. In response, the Varyag commander gave the order to raise the battle flags. At 11 hours 45 minutes. from the cruiser "Asama" the first shot rang out, after which in just one minute the Japanese guns fired 200 shells - about seven tons of deadly metal. The Japanese squadron concentrated all fire on the Varyag, at first ignoring the Koreets. Broken boats burned on board the Varyag, the water around it boiled from explosions, the remnants of ship superstructures crashed onto the deck, burying the Russian sailors under them. One after another the knocked-out guns fell silent, around which the dead lay. Japanese buckshot rained down, the deck of the Varyag turned into a vegetable grater. But, despite heavy fire and enormous destruction, the Varyag nevertheless conducted aimed fire at the Japanese ships from the remaining guns. "Korean" did not lag behind him either.

Even the wounded did not leave their combat posts. The roar was such that the sailors' eardrums literally burst. The namesake of the commander, the ship's priest Fr. Mikhail Rudnev, despite the constant threat of death, walked on the blood-drenched deck of the Varyag and inspired officers and sailors.
"Varyag" concentrated fire on "Asam". Within an hour, he fired 1105 shells at the Japanese, as a result of which a fire started on the Asama, the captain's bridge collapsed and the ship's commander was killed. The cruiser "Akashi" suffered such heavy damage that its subsequent repairs dragged on for over a year. Two other cruisers received equally severe damage. One of the destroyers sank during the battle, and the other on the way to the port of Sasebo. V total the Japanese brought ashore 30 killed and 200 wounded, not counting those who died along with their ships. The enemy could neither flood nor capture the Russian ships - when the forces of the Russian sailors were running out, Rudnev decided to return to the port to rescue the surviving sailors.
It was a victory for the Russian fleet. The moral superiority of the Russians over any enemy force was proved by a terrible price - but this price was paid easily.
When the mutilated Russian ships reached the port, the captain of the French cruiser Senes climbed onto the deck of the Varyag: "I will never forget the amazing sight that presented itself to me. The deck is covered with blood, corpses and body parts are scattered everywhere. Nothing escaped destruction."
Of the 36 guns, only 7 remained more or less intact. Four huge holes were found in the hull. Of the crew on the upper deck, 33 sailors were killed and 120 were injured. Captain Rudnev was seriously wounded in the head. In order to prevent the capture of unarmed ships by the Japanese, it was decided to blow up the Koreets gunboat, and Kingston was opened on the Varyag.
The surviving Russian heroes were placed on foreign ships. The English Talbot took on board 242 people, the Italian ship took 179 Russian sailors, the rest were placed on board by the French Pascal.
The German Rudolf Greinz, admired by the valor of the Russians, composed a poem, on the words of which (translated by E. Studenskaya) the musician of the 12th Astrakhan grenadier regiment A.S. - "Our proud" Varyag "does not surrender to the enemy.
On April 29, 1904, in the Winter Palace, Nicholas II honored the sailors of the "Varyag". On this day, for the first time, a song was sounded that looked more like a hymn:

Upstairs, comrades, with God, hurray!
The last parade is coming.
Our proud "Varyag" does not surrender to the enemy
Nobody wants mercy!
All the pennants curl and the chains clatter
Raising anchors upward,
The guns are preparing for battle in a row,
Ominously sparkling in the sun!
Whistles and rattles and rumbles around.
The thunder of the cannons, the hiss of the shells,
And our immortal and proud "Varyag"
Like a pitch hell.
Bodies tremble in their death throes,
The thunder of the cannons, and the smoke, and the groanings,
And the ship is engulfed in a sea of ​​fire
The moment of farewell has come.
Goodbye comrades! With God, hurray!
The boiling sea below us!
Didn't think, brothers, we were with you yesterday,
That today we will die under the waves.
Neither stone nor cross will tell where they lay
To the glory of the Russian flag,
Only the waves of the sea will glorify some
Heroic death of "Varyag"!

After some time, the Japanese raised the Varyag, repaired it and added it to their fleet under the name Soya. On March 22, 1916, the ship was bought by the Russian Tsar and enlisted in the Baltic Fleet under the same name - "Varyag".
A year later, the worn-out cruiser was sent for repairs to allied England. The Russian fleet was waiting for the return of the glorious cruiser to take part in the war with Germany, but the October coup took place, and the British military authorities disarmed the Varyag and sent the crew home, and the ship itself was sold in 1918 to a private entrepreneur. When they tried to tow the Varyag to the place of the future anchorage, near the city of Lendalfoot, a storm broke out, and the cruiser was thrown onto the rocks. In 1925 the British dismantled the remains of the Varyag for metal. This is how the most famous cruiser of the Russian fleet ended its existence.
Captain Rudnev died in Tula in 1913. In 1956, a monument was erected to him in his small homeland. Monuments to the heroes of the Varyag have been erected in the port of Chemulpo and at the Vladivostok Sea Cemetery.

Glory to the Russian heroes! Eternal memory to them!

The cruiser "Varyag", which was on the day of the beginning of the war in the neutral Korean port of Chemulpo (Incheon), was at that time the newest ship... Launched in Philadelphia in 1899, it entered service two years later. The displacement of the cruiser was 6500 tons, the speed reached 17 knots. The Varyag was armed with twelve 152- and 75-mm caliber guns, 10 small cannons and 6 torpedo tubes. The ship's crew consisted of 550 sailors, conductors, non-commissioned officers and 20 officers. The cruiser was commanded by one of the best officers of the Russian fleet, a hereditary sailor, Captain 1st Rank Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev.

The gunboat "Koreets", which arrived in Chemulpo on January 5, 1904, entered service in 1888. She had a displacement of 1334 tons, and a speed of 13 knots. Its armament - two 203–, one 152–, four 99–, two 47–, four 37-millimeter guns and one 64-millimeter landing cannon - did not correspond in quality to the latest artillery equipment of that time. The crew of the Koreyets, which consisted of 11 officers and 168 sailors, was commanded by Captain 2nd Rank Grigory Pavlovich Belyaev.

By mid-January, the situation in Chemulpo had become very tense. The Japanese seized the telegraph office in the port, and Japanese spies constantly monitored the actions of the Russian sailors. At night the Japanese cruiser "Chiyoda" secretly left the raid.

Under these conditions, "Varyag" and "Koreyets" had to connect with the Russian squadron in Port Arthur. However, the instructions of the tsar's governor demanded "in no case to leave Chemulpo without an order, which will be transmitted in one way or another." The same was prescribed by the head of the squadron: "About the most important changes in the political situation, if any, he (Rudnev) will receive either from the envoy or from Arthur notifications and corresponding orders." Meanwhile, there was no connection with Port Arthur. The Varyag commander turned to the Russian envoy in Seoul for permission to leave Chemulpo, but the tsarist official did not dare to take responsibility. Only on January 26, when the Japanese squadron was already approaching Chemulpo, the envoy finally decided to send the gunboat "Koreets" to Port Arthur with a report. However, time was lost: on that day, the exits from the port were blocked by a Japanese squadron.

The next morning, the commander of the Japanese squadron, Rear Admiral Uriu, in an ultimatum, threatened to open fire, invited the Russian ships to leave the raid. This was an unheard-of violation of international maritime law.

The commanders of the British cruiser Talbot, the French cruiser Pascal, the Italian cruiser Elba and the American gunboat Vicksburg, who had gathered for the meeting, decided to leave the raid for the sake of their own safety, if the Russians refused to leave the raid, for their own safety. This was a clear connivance at lawlessness. When the participants of the meeting asked Captain 1st Rank Rudnev about his intentions, he replied: "I will make an attempt to break through and take a fight with the squadron, no matter how great it is, but I will never surrender, and I will also fight on a neutral roadstead."

There was very little time to prepare for battle, but the Russian sailors managed to do a lot. They inspected and battened down all hatches and necks, threw overboard all unnecessary combustible materials, checked fire-fighting equipment, and brought the ships to full combat readiness. Before leaving the port, on the upper deck of the Varyag, the entire personnel lined up in large assembly. The commander addressed him with a short speech.

Of course, we are going to break through and engage in battle with the squadron, no matter how strong it is, ”he said. - There can be no questions about surrender - we will not surrender either the cruiser or ourselves, and we will fight to the last opportunity and to the last drop of blood. Perform each duties accurately, calmly, without haste, especially the gunners, remembering that every shell must harm the enemy. In case of fire, extinguish it without publicity, letting me know ... Let's go boldly into battle ...

At 11 o'clock. 20 minutes. The Varyag weighed anchor and headed for the exit from the roadstead. In 1 room followed by the "Korean". On foreign ships, sailors, delighted with the amazing boldness of the Russian sailors, who were going to certain death, stood in the ranks and shouted "hurray." An eyewitness to the battle, who was aboard the Italian cruiser, later wrote in the Neapolitan newspaper Mattino: The Varyag walked ahead and seemed like a colossus who decided to commit suicide. On the bridge of the Varyag, its commander stood motionless and calm. A thunderous "hurray" burst from everyone's chest and rolled around. On all ships, the music played the Russian anthem, picked up by the crews, to which the Russian ships responded with the same majestic and warlike anthem ... ".

Determined to defend the honor of their fleet, the sailors of the two Russian ships went into battle with the Japanese armored cruiser, five cruisers and eight destroyers, who also had an advantage in speed and in artillery. Even one armored cruiser "Asama" surpassed both Russian ships in the number of artillery. The Japanese squadron had four 203-, thirty-eight 152- and sixteen 120-mm guns against two 203- and thirteen 152-mm Russian guns. The Japanese had five times more torpedo tubes. In addition, their squadron was free to maneuver, while the Russian ships sailed along the narrow exit fairway.

Soon the observers found a Japanese squadron marching across the Varyag and Koreets. Uriu raised the signal to surrender. Rudnev did not answer. Then at 11 o'clock. 45 minutes from a distance of 50–48 cab. the cruiser Asama fired a round from its main battery. Following him, the rest of the ships of the Japanese squadron opened fire. On the "Varyag" and "Koreyets" the gunners stood at the ready with loaded guns. The distance to the enemy was getting closer and closer. Here the right side of the Varyag was enveloped in powder smoke - the first salvo at the enemy sounded.

An unequal battle has begun ...

The rate of fire from both sides increased continuously. The sea around the Varyag was seething with shell explosions. Their fragments, whistling through the air, hit the sides and superstructures. One shell hit the upper bridge, destroyed the rangefinder post and caused a fire in the navigator's cabin. Another shell, exploding near the third gun, incapacitated almost all of the servants. But the gunmen who survived, despite being severely wounded, continued firing.

One of the shells knocked down the Varyag's stern flag, but it was immediately hoisted into place.

Remembering VF Rudnev's order, the cruiser's gunners acted accurately, calmly and skillfully hitting enemy ships. With precise fire, they destroyed the Asama's aft bridge, caused a fire on it, and disabled the aft artillery tower. A second Japanese cruiser enveloped in black smoke, then another. Several well-aimed salvos sunk an enemy destroyer that had launched a torpedo attack. According to the testimony of Captain 1st Rank Rudnev, all the gunners showed an example of courage, courage and calmness, the wounded did not leave their places, with the exception of those who could not keep on their feet.

The other crew members also acted bravely. Wounded in the back, the helmsman G.P. Snegirev, bleeding, continued to stand at the helm until the end of the battle. The orderly of the cruiser commander T.P. Chibisov, who was wounded in both arms, refused to go to the infirmary, saying that while he was alive, he would not leave his commander for a minute. The driver S. D. Krylov, who received several wounds, fed shells from a powder magazine until he lost consciousness. A. I. Shketnik also acted selflessly at the combat post. And when he was taken to the infirmary, 28 fragments were found in his body. The ranks of the cruiser's crew were noticeably melting. But the fighting spirit of the Russian sailors was unshakable. An example of courage and self-control was shown by the cruiser commander himself. Badly wounded in the head, he continued to lead the battle. And when the orderly reported to him that a rumor spread among the team that the commander had been killed, Rudnev, as he was, without a cap, in a uniform stained with blood, ran onto the bridge and shouted: “Brothers, I'm alive! Aim better! " The commander's call further encouraged the team.

The deck of the cruiser was twisted iron, covered in blood. Fires broke out in one or another place, but they were quickly extinguished by sailors under the leadership of Lieutenant E.A. Berens. The Varyag continued to inflict damage on the enemy.

Left: Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev. On right: Explosion of "Koreets"
On the cruiser, both rangefinder posts were shot down, the formars and all overlaps on the upper deck were destroyed, most of the guns were out of order. The shell broke the pipe in which all the steering gears passed. I had to transfer control of the cruiser to manual, but in the roar of breaks, orders from the conning tower were hard to hear in the tiller compartment.

Seeing that the ship had largely lost its combat capability, Rudnev decided to leave the zone of fire and return to Chemulpo to repair the damage.

At the moment the cruiser turned, a large-caliber shell pierced the port side below the waterline. Water poured into the boiler room through an underwater hole. She was already getting close to the boiler furnaces. Undaunted, the stokers Zhigarev and Zhuravlev rushed into the cold waterfall and battened down the bulkheads. Thus, they prevented the stoker from flooding.

The cruiser was banked to the port side. The sailors battened down the necks of the coal pits, and covered the holes with plaster under a hail of shrapnel. However, the list continued to increase. So, with a roll to the port side, the Varyag entered the roadstead in Chemulpo and anchored.

The Japanese did not manage to sink, let alone capture the Russian ships. In battle, the enemy squadron lost one destroyer, and three of its best cruisers received heavy damage. According to foreign observers, the Japanese buried 30 people in A-San Bay. On their ships, they counted more than 200 wounded. Captain 1st Rank Rudnev had every reason to report that "the ships of the detachment entrusted to him with dignity upheld 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." During the battle, "Varyag" fired 1105 shells at enemy ships, of which 425 six-inch, 470 seventy-five-millimeter and 21 forty-seven-millimeter caliber. "Korean" fired 52 shells.

Inspection of the "Varyag" on the Chemulpo raid showed that its damage cannot be quickly repaired. 76% of the cruiser's artillery, steering gear, third boiler room, rangefinders were out of order. Although all the drainage facilities were in operation, the ship continued to sink slowly. On the "Varyag" an officer and 30 sailors were killed in battle; 6 officers and 85 sailors were wounded and concussed. Out of order 45% of the personnel painted on the upper deck. The cruiser practically could not continue the battle under these conditions. Considering all this, Rudnev accepted the only the right decision, unanimously approved by the council of officers, - to blow up the ships so that they do not fall into the hands of the enemy.

At 16 o'clock. 05 minutes the gunboat "Koreets" was blown up. With tears in their eyes, the heroes of the "Varyag" left their native ship. With the last batch of the team, the sentry at the flag was sent from the cruiser to the boatswain's mate Pyotr Olenin, who was at his post throughout the battle. When the sentry was asked to go into the boat, he replied that only the commander could remove him from his post. This was reported to Rudnev. The captain of the 1st rank removed from his post and hugged the hero. Olenin was wounded in the leg, shrapnel smashed his uniform, smashed the butt of the rifle. He was completely deaf from the incessant roar, but did not leave his post. Twice during the battle, shells shot down the ship's flag, but each time Olenin raised a new one. After making sure that there was no one left on the cruiser, the commander was the last to get off it, carefully carrying the ship's flag cut by shrapnel.

At 18 o'clock. 10 min. the crew sank their proud, undefeated cruiser. Russian sailors switched to French and Italian ships and were subsequently taken to Russia.

The sailors of the cruiser "Varyag" and the gunboat "Koreets" have written a bright page in the combat chronicle of the Russian Navy. The Russian people composed wonderful songs about their feat. At the sea cemetery in Vladivostok, a monument to the Varyag sailors who died of their wounds was erected at the expense of the city residents. The powerful granite base of the monument embodies the invincibility and greatness of the Russian people.

At Soviet power a copper plaque was attached to the parapet of the monument with the inscription:

“Centuries will pass, and new generations of Russian sailors will proudly carry in their hearts the bright memory of those who did not bow their heads in front of the enemy in the terrible hour for the Fatherland. Sleep well, heroes! The cause for which you gave your lives has triumphed. From now on and forever over the waters of the Pacific Ocean the proud flag of our Motherland - Russia will fly! "

By order of the Soviet government, a monument to the commander was erected in Tula in 1960 legendary cruiser VF Rudnev, and one of the modern missile cruisers of the USSR Navy bore the glorious name "Varyag".

In February 1904, the cruiser Varyag entered into an unequal battle with the Japanese squadron at the port of Chemulpo. The history of the Russian fleet is glorious for such feats, when in a hopeless situation a Russian ship took a battle.

2nd rank cruiser "Novik"

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

Gunboat "Korean"

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

Cruiser "Svetlana"

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

Destroyer "Impeccable"

One of the ships of the Second Pacific Squadron, about whose participation in the Tsushima battle, very little is known. According to Japanese data, on the night of May 14-15, 1905, the cruiser Chitose and the destroyer Ariake overtook a Russian destroyer that had malfunctions in the car. When the Russian ship knocked out in battle began to sink, the Japanese ships left, not becoming to save people. The Russian destroyer who died in an unequal battle with the entire crew, but did not lower the flag, turned out to be "Impeccable".

The battleship of coastal defense "Admiral Ushakov"

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

Cruiser "Rurik"

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

Cruiser "Dmitry Donskoy"

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

On February 9, the Varyag and the Koreets accomplished their feat. How it was

Upward, comrades, everyone is in their places!
The last parade is coming!
Our proud "Varyag" does not surrender to the enemy,
Nobody wants mercy!

V that day "Varyag" and "Koreets" took an unequal battle with the Japanese squadron.
It became known to the whole world as a battle with a Japanese squadron near the port of Chemulpo, after which Russian sailors sank their ship, but did not surrender to the enemy. The feat was accomplished in front of sailors from all over the world. It is in this case that you understand the validity of our saying "Death is red in peace". It was thanks to these numerous witnesses and the press of their countries that this battle became known.

The feat of the Russian cruiser Varyag and its commander V.F. Rudnev. Having withstood an unequal battle with the Japanese squadron and without lowering the flag in front of the enemy, the Russian sailors themselves sunk their ship, deprived of the opportunity to continue the battle, but did not surrender to the enemy.

The cruiser "Varyag" was considered one of the best ships Russian fleet. In 1902 the Varyag entered the Port Arthur squadron.

It was a four-pipe, two-masted, armored cruiser of the 1st rank with a displacement of 6500 tons. The cruiser's main caliber artillery consisted of twelve 152-mm (six-inch) guns. In addition, the ship had twelve 75mm cannons, eight 47mm rapid-fire cannons and two 37mm cannons. The cruiser had six torpedo tubes. He could reach speeds of up to 23 knots.

The ship's crew consisted of 550 sailors, non-commissioned officers, conductors and 20 officers.

Captain 1st Rank Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev, a native of the nobility of the Tula province, an experienced naval officer, took command of the cruiser on March 1, 1903. It was a difficult and stressful time. Japan was strenuously preparing for war with Russia, creating a significant superiority in forces here.

A month before the start of the war, the imperial governor in the Far East, Admiral E.I. Alekseev sent the cruiser Varyag from Port Arthur to the neutral Korean port of Chemulpo (now Incheon).

On January 26, 1904, a Japanese squadron of six cruisers and eight destroyers approached the Chemulpo Bay and stopped at the outer roadstead in a neutral port: At that time, there were Russian ships in the inner roadstead - the cruiser Varyag and the seaworthy gunboat Koreets, as well as cargo-passenger steamer "Songhua". There were also foreign warships.

On February 8, 1904, a Japanese squadron under the command of Rear Admiral Uriu (2 armored cruisers Asama and Chiyoda, 4 armored cruisers Naniwa, Niitaka, Takachiho, Akashi; 8 destroyers) blocked Chemulpo, having aim to cover the landing (about 2 thousand people) and prevent the intervention of the "Varyag". On the same day, the "Korean" set off for Port Arthur, but upon leaving the port was attacked by torpedo boats (two torpedoes fired did not hit the target), and then returned to the roadstead.

Early in the morning of January 27, 1904 V.F. Rudnev received an ultimatum from Japanese Rear Admiral S. Uriu demanding to leave Chemulpo by 12 noon, otherwise the Japanese threatened to open fire on Russian ships in a neutral port, which was a flagrant violation of international law.
V.F. Rudnev announced to the crew that Japan had begun military action against Russia and announced a decision to break through to Port Arthur, and in case of failure to blow up the ships.

The command room of the Varyag.

The Varyag weighed anchor and headed towards the exit from the bay. In the wake was the gunboat "Koreets" (commander Captain 2nd Rank GP Belyaev). A combat alarm was sounded on the ships.

At the exit from the gulf, a Japanese squadron surpasses the Varyag in artillery weapons more than five times, and in torpedoes seven times. She reliably blocked the exit to the open sea for Russian ships.

Plans of the Japanese and their squadron

Japanese ships: Asama in 1898

Akashi on the road in Kobe, 1899

Naniwa in 1898

The Japanese side had detailed plan battle, brought by the order of Uriu to the commanders of the ships at 9:00 on February 9. It provided for two options for the development of events - in the event of an attempt to break through the Russian ships and in the event of their refusal to break through. In the first case, given the tightness of the fairway, Uriu identified three lines of interception of Russian ships, each of which had its own tactical group:

Asama was assigned to the first group
second - Naniwa (Uriu flagship) and Niitaka
in the third - Chiyoda, Takachiho and Akashi.

Asama, as the most powerful ship in the squadron, played a major role. In the event that the Russian ships refused to break through, Uriu planned to attack them in the port with torpedoes by the forces of the 9th destroyer detachment (if the neutral ships did not leave their anchorages), or artillery and torpedoes by the forces of the entire squadron.

If the Russian ships do not leave the anchorage by 13:00 on February 9, then all ships will take up positions next to the flagship.
- if the ships of the neutral powers remain at the anchorage, then a torpedo attack is carried out in the evening;
- if only Russian ships and a small number of foreign ships and vessels are at the anchorage, then an artillery attack is carried out by the forces of the entire squadron.

Battle progress

Six Japanese cruisers - "Asama", "Naniwa", "Takachiho", "Niitaka", "Akashi" and "Chiyoda" took their starting positions in the bearing formation. Eight destroyers loomed behind the cruisers. The Japanese offered to surrender to the Russian ships. V.F. Rudnev ordered to leave this signal unanswered.

The first shot rang out from the armored cruiser Asama, and after it the entire enemy squadron opened fire. "Varyag" did not answer, he went to rapprochement. And only when the distance was reduced to the right shot, V.F. Rudnev ordered to open fire.

Varyag and Koreets go to the last battle. A rare photo.

The fight was fierce. The Japanese concentrated all their fire on the Varyag. The sea was seething with explosions, splashing the deck with shell fragments and cascades of water. Every now and then there were fires, holes were opened. Under the enemy's hurricane fire, sailors and officers fired at the enemy, applied a plaster, plugging holes, and extinguished fires. V.F. Rudnev, wounded in the head and shell-shocked, continued to lead the battle. Many sailors fought heroically in this battle, among whom were our fellow countrymen A.I. Kuznetsov, P.E. Polikov, T.P. Chibisov and others, as well as the ship's priest M.I. Rudnev.

Well-aimed fire from the Varyag brought its results: the Japanese cruisers Asama, Chiyoda, and Takachiho were seriously damaged. When the Japanese destroyers rushed to the Varyag, the Russian cruiser concentrated its fire on them and sank one destroyer.

Destroyed 6-inch guns - XII and IX; 75 mm - # 21; 47-mm - No. 27 and 28. The battle 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. When passing the traverse of the island of Iodolmi, 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 were wounded in the head of the cruiser commander, and his bugler and drummer, who were standing on both sides, were killed on the spot. the sergeant major who was standing nearby was wounded in the back (who did not declare his wound and remained at his post throughout the battle); at the same time the orderly of the commander was wounded in the arm. Control was immediately transferred to the tiller compartment on the hand wheel. With the thunder of shots, the orders to the tiller compartment were poorly audible, and it was necessary to be controlled mainly by machines, despite this, the cruiser still did not obey well.

At 12 hours 15 minutes, wanting to leave the sphere of fire for a while in order to correct the steering gear and extinguish the fires, they began to turn around by the machines, and, since the cruiser did not obey the steering wheel well and due to the proximity of the Iodolmi Island, they backed up with both machines (the cruiser put to this position at the time when the steering gear was interrupted with the left hand drive positioned). At this time, the Japanese fire intensified and the hit increased, since the cruiser, while turning, turned her left side towards the enemy and did not have high speed.

At the same time, one of the serious underwater holes in the left side was received, and the third stoker began to quickly fill with water, the level of which approached the furnaces; they brought in a plaster and began to pump out water; then the water level dropped somewhat, but nevertheless the cruiser continued to roll rapidly. A shell that passed through the officers' cabins, destroyed them and pierced the deck, ignited flour in the provisioning compartment (the fire was extinguished by midshipman Chernilovsky-Sokol and senior boatswain Kharkovsky), and another shell smashed the bed nets on the chest above the infirmary, and the fragments hit and the grid caught fire, but was soon extinguished. Serious damage forced us to leave the sphere of fire for a longer time, which is why they went full speed, continuing to shoot back from the left side and stern guns. One of the shots from the 6-inch gun # XII destroyed the stern bridge of the cruiser Asama and started a fire, and Asama stopped firing for a while, but soon reopened.

Its aft tower, apparently, was damaged, since it did not function until the end of the battle. Only when the cruiser passed to the anchorage and when the Japanese fire could be dangerous for foreign ships, they stopped it, and one of the cruisers pursuing us returned to the squadron that remained in the fairway beyond Iodolmi Island. 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 day.

Results of the battle

During the battle, which lasted for one hour, "Varyag" fired 1105 shells at the enemy, "Koreets" - 52 shells. After the battle, the losses were calculated. On the "Varyag", out of a crew of 570 people, there were 122 killed and wounded (1 officer and 30 sailors were killed, 6 officers and 85 sailors were wounded). In addition, more than 100 people were lightly injured.

Wounded, but not defeated, "Varyag" (above in the photo "Varyag" after the battle) returned to the port to make the necessary repairs and again go to the breakthrough.

According to the report of the Varyag commander, the cruiser sank one Japanese destroyer and damaged the Asama cruiser, and the Takachiho cruiser sank after the battle; the enemy allegedly lost at least 30 people killed.

In this battle, it is customary to forget about the "Koreyets". In one of the documents I read interesting information... Before the battle, the captain of the ship, Captain of the 2nd rank G.P. Belyaev ordered to shorten the mast of the ship. It was a military trick. He knew that the Japanese knew the detailed characteristics of our ships and understood that the range finders would measure the distance to the Koreets by the height of the masts. Thus, all the shells of the Japanese ships safely flew over the Russian ship.

Korean with masts before and after the fight.

Meanwhile, during the battle, the "Korean" fired 52 shells at the enemy, and the only damage was the ram compartment pierced by a fragment of a Japanese shell. There were no losses at all.

The Varyag was lurching aboard, the vehicles were out of order, most of the guns were destroyed. VF Rudnev made a decision: to remove the teams from the ships, to flood the cruiser, and to blow up the gunboat so that they would not get to the enemy. The Council of Officers supported their commander.

After the crew was taken to neutral ships, the Varyag was sunk by opening the Kingstones, and the Korean was blown up (the explosion of the Koreyets is above in the photo). The Russian steamship Sungari was also sunk.

"Varyag" after flooding, at low tide.

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

The commander of the American cruiser Vicksburg behaved absolutely disgustingly in this situation, who flatly refused to place Russian sailors on his ship without the official permission of Washington.

And without taking on board a single person, the "American" limited himself to sending a doctor to the cruiser.

French newspapers wrote about this: " Obviously, the American navy is too young to have the high traditions that inspire all the fleets of other nations."

After the Russo-Japanese War, the Japanese government created a museum in memory of the heroes of the Varyag in Seoul and awarded Rudnev the Order of the Rising Sun.

The sailors of the "Varyag" and "Koreyets" returned to their homeland in several echelons, where they were enthusiastically greeted by the Russian people.

General Baron Kaulbars greets the sailors "Varyag" and "Koreyets" upon their arrival in Odessa.

The sailors were warmly greeted by the residents of Tula, who filled the station square late at night. Large celebrations in honor of the heroes-sailors were held in St. Petersburg.

The crews of the "Varyag" and "Koreyets" were awarded with high awards: the sailors were awarded with St. George's crosses, and the officers were awarded the Orders of St. George, 4th degree. Captain 1st rank V.F. Rudnev was awarded the Order of St. George, 4th degree, the rank of adjutant wing, and was appointed commander of the 14th naval crew and the battleship Andrey Pervozvanny under construction in St. Petersburg. A medal "For the battle of" Varyag "and" Koreyets "was established, which was awarded to all participants in the battle.

In November 1905, V.F. Rudnev was dismissed from the rank of rear admiral.

He left for the Tula province, where he settled in a small estate near the village of Myshenki, three versts from the Taruskaya station.

July 7, 1913 V.F. Rudnev died and was buried in the village of Savino (now the Zaoksky district of the Tula region).

The further fate of the cruiser "Varyag"

In 1905, the cruiser was raised by the Japanese, repaired and commissioned on 22 August as a 2nd class cruiser called Soya (宗 谷).

During World War I Russian empire and Japan became allies. In 1916, the cruiser Soya (together with the battleships Sagami and Tango) was bought by Russia.

On April 4, the Japanese flag was lowered and on April 5, 1916, the cruiser was transferred to Vladivostok, after which, under the former name Varyag, she was included in the Arctic Ocean flotilla (made the transition from Vladivostok to Romanov-on-Murman) as part of the Special Purpose Ships Detachment under the command of Rear Admiral Bestuzhev-Ryumin.

In February 1917 he went to Great Britain for repairs, where he was confiscated by the British, since the Soviet government refused to pay the debts of the Russian Empire.

In 1920 it was resold to German firms for scrap. In 1925, while being towed, the ship was caught in a storm and sank off the coast in the Irish Sea. Part metal structures was then filmed by local residents. Was subsequently blown up.

In 2003, the first Russian expedition to dive into the wreckage area took place, some small details were brought up. The grandson of Captain Rudnev, who lives in France, took part in the dive ...

After the feat of the crew of the cruiser "Varyag", the Austrian writer and poet Rudolf Greinz wrote the poem "Der" Warjag "" dedicated to this event. The full story of the song and the original test can be read

"The song about the feat of the Varyag" (to the translation of Greinets's poems) became the anthem of Russian sailors

On October 29, 1955, the battleship Novorossiysk exploded and capsized in the Sevastopol Bay, burying hundreds of sailors. The veteran of the Armed Forces of the USSR, retired officer M. Pashkin recalls: “ Below, in the armored womb of the battleship, the walled up and doomed to death sailors sang, they sang "Varyag". On the bottom, it was not audible, but, approaching the speaker, one could make out the barely audible sounds of the song. It was an overwhelming experience, such a state I have never experienced. No one noticed the tears, everyone looked down at the bottom, as if trying to see the sailors singing below. Everyone stood without hats, there were no words».

On April 7, 1989, the submarine K-278 "Komsomolets" sank as a result of a fire on board after a 6-hour crew struggle for the ship's buoyancy. Sailors in icy water Norwegian Sea, said goodbye to their commander and the ship, singing the song "Varyag" ...

Infa and photo (C) different places in the Internet ... I added new photos to my post last year and corrected it.