In the 90s. 19th century The Russian Empire began building an ocean-going armored fleet. The military leadership of the country still considered England and Germany to be the main opponents, but it was already beginning to carefully look at the rapid growth Japanese fleet. During this period progress marine engineering and weapons was impressive - the firepower of artillery grew, armor was constantly improved and, accordingly, the displacement and size of squadron battleships grew. Under these conditions, it was necessary to decide which ships the Russian Imperial Navy needed to protect the interests of the country, what they would be armed with and how they would be protected.

BATTLESHIPS OF A NEW GENERATION

After the construction of a number of "low-cost" battleships, the Naval Ministry decided to build a really powerful armored ship. The design began in January 1888. The design of the Emperor Alexander II was taken as its basis, but later the designers, when creating the ship, began to focus on the German battleship Wörth. The design was completed in April 1889, but the manager of the Naval Ministry, I.A. Shestakov continued to make changes to the project. Now the English Trafalgar was considered the ideal. In July 1889, construction began on Galley Island. The official bookmark took place on May 19, 1890. new ship named "Navarin".

The launching took place on October 8, 1891. But even during the construction, the “editing” of the project continued. As a result, four 35-caliber 305-mm guns were installed on it, which proved themselves well on the Black Sea battleships. It was decided to abandon the foremast. The designers placed as many as four chimneys on Na-Varina. Completion was delayed for four years due to delays in the supply of weapons, armor, ship systems and mechanisms. In winter, severe frosts interfered with the work. Only in October 1893 he was transferred to Kronstadt to complete the work. November 10, 1895, although without the main caliber towers, the Navarin went to sea for testing. They were accompanied by finishing touches, the elimination of defects and the installation of weapons. The fifth Baltic battleship entered service in June 1896. It was sent to the Mediterranean Sea, and then to the Far East. On March 16, 1898, she arrived in Port Arthur and became the flagship of the Pacific Squadron.

Squadron battleship "Navarin" in "Victorian" coloring. Four chimneys and the absence of a foremast gave the ship a rather unusual look.

Squadron battleship "Sisoy the Great" in white "Mediterranean" coloring. These two ships became the basis for further work for the design of Russian battleships

The design of the sixth Baltic battleship was also initially based on the Emperor Alexander II, but its dimensions quickly grew. When designing, they again “looked back” at Trafalgar. As a result, a new generation battleship was designed. This work began in 1890 and continued until January 1891. Construction began in July 1891 in the boathouse of the New Admiralty. The official laying took place on May 7, 1892 in the presence of Emperor Alexander III. The ship was named "Sisoy the Great". But alterations and improvements to the project continued. This was reflected in the pace of construction, which caused many difficulties. But he was the first of the Russian battleships to receive a 40-caliber 305-mm gun. May 20, 1894 he was launched into the water in the presence of Alexander III. The completion of the "Sisoy the Great" dragged on for another two years, only in October 1896 did he begin official tests. Without completing them, in November 1896 the battleship was sent to the Mediterranean Sea. The international situation required the presence of significant forces of the Russian fleet.

The first voyage of the "Sisoya" revealed numerous imperfections and defects. On March 15, 1897, training artillery firing took place near the island of Crete, and when fired from the left aft 305-mm gun, an explosion occurred in the tower. The roof of the tower was thrown by the force of the explosion onto the bow bridge. 16 people died, 6 were mortally wounded, 9 were injured. Repair, repair of damage and elimination of defects was carried out in Toulon. The work lasted until December 1897. After that, the Sisoy the Great was hastily sent to the Far East, where the situation escalated. On March 16, 1898, he arrived in Port Arthur with the Navarin.

The presence of two newest Russian battleships made it possible to defend the interests of our country in the Pacific without a fight. Thanks to the "diplomacy of the armadillos", the Russian Empire received the right to lease the fortress of Port Arthur. Both battleships took an active part in the suppression of the Boxer uprising in China in 1900. They were on the raid of the Taku fortress, and their landing companies fought on the shore. The military command decided to repair and modernize the battleships. In the Far East, the Russian fleet had several bases, but none of them could provide a full-fledged repair and modernization of ships.

Then in St. Petersburg they decided to carry out work in the Baltic. December 12, 1901 "Navarin" and "Sisoy the Great", together with the "Emperor Nicholas I", the cruisers "Vladimir Monomakh", "Dmitry Donskoy", "Admiral Nakhimov" and "Admiral Kornilov" left Port Arthur. These veteran ships formed the basis of the Pacific squadron, their crews were the most experienced. The combat potential of the squadron had to be restored practically from scratch. This significantly weakened our naval forces in the Far East.

"Sevastopol", "Poltava" and "Petropavlovsk" in the Eastern Basin of Port Arthur, 1902. These three battleships of the same type formed the core of the Pacific squadron

THE MAIN CALIBER OF THE RUSSIAN BRONONOSTS

In October 1891, the design of a new 40-caliber 305-mm gun began at the Obukhov plant. It was a new generation gun, it was created for charges of smokeless powder, did not have trunnions, and for the first time a piston valve was used on it. They provided a high muzzle velocity, a longer firing range, and better armor penetration. They had a higher rate of fire. The barrel length is 12.2 m, the weight of the gun with the bolt is 42.8 tons. The first gun of this type was tested in March 1895. Serial construction was carried out by the Obukhov plant. From 1895 to 1906, it was these guns that became the main weapon of Russian squadron battleships; they were installed on ships such as Poltava and Borodino, Retviz-ne, Tsesarevich, Black Sea battleships. This weapon made them one of the strongest ships in the world. On the Navarin, four 305-mm guns supplemented the 8x152-mm, 4x75-mm and 14x37-mm guns. 6x152-mm, 4x75-mm, 12x47-mm and 14x37-mm guns were placed on the Sisoy the Great. On battleships of the Poltava type, designers for a medium caliber (8x152 mm) for the first time provided for two-gun turrets, they were supplemented by 4x152-mm, 12x47-mm and 28x37-mm guns. "Retvizan", in addition to 4x305-mm, received 12x152-mm, 20x75-mm, 24x47-mm and 6x37-mm guns. On the Tsesarevich, the medium caliber (12x152 mm) was placed in the towers, it was supplemented by 20x75 mm, 20x47 mm and 8x37 mm guns. On battleships of the Borodino type, the medium caliber (12x152 mm) was also placed in the towers. The armament was also supplemented by 20x75-mm 20x47-mm, 2x37-mm guns and 8 machine guns.

Nevertheless, in 1891-1892. development of a new 45-caliber 254-mm gun began. It was conceived as a single one for ships, coastal batteries and ground forces. This unification led to numerous shortcomings of the new gun. The length of the gun was 11.4 m, the piston lock weighed 400 kg. The weight of the gun with the lock ranged from 22.5 tons to 27.6 tons. The construction of the guns was carried out by the Obukhov plant. Despite the shortcomings, they decided to install it on battleships of the Peresvet type and coastal defense battleships. This decision weakened the Russian fleet. The confusion in the artillery systems of the battleships began again, which made it difficult to provide the fleet with ammunition.

SERIAL CONSTRUCTION AT PETERSBURG SHIPyards

In 1890 a new shipbuilding program was adopted. As a prototype for new armored ships, the designers used the project of "Emperor Nicholas I". But the management again made significant changes to the project, they took into account the latest achievements in technical progress. The ship grew in size, for the first time guns of the main and medium caliber were placed in the towers. A number of ideas were borrowed from the construction of "Sisoya the Great" (booking, etc.). It was decided to lay down a series of three ships in the autumn of 1891. Work began on their construction at two St. Petersburg factories. The official laying took place on May 7, 1892. Poltava was laid on the New Admiralty, and the battleships Petropavlovsk and Sevastopol were laid on the Galerny Island. The Poltava was launched on October 25, 1894, and Petropavlovsk was launched three days later. "Sevastopol" went into the water on May 20, 1895. The completion of the ships was delayed for several years due to various reasons. The first to be tested was Petropavlovsk (October 1897), the second (September 1898) Poltava, the third in October 1898 Sevastopol. At this time, the situation in the Far East sharply worsened again and the naval leadership tried to send battleships to the Pacific Ocean as soon as possible. The first to come to Port Arthur was Petropavlovsk (March 1900). It was followed by "Poltava" and "Sevastopol" (March 1901). It was these battleships that formed the basis of the Pacific squadron.

"Peresvet" in Toulon, November 1901. The battleships of this project were an unsuccessful compromise: they differed from squadron battleships in weak armament and armor, and for cruisers they had too low speed

In 1894, the leadership of the Naval Ministry decided to build a series of "lightweight battleships". It was decided to weaken their armament and armor, but at the expense of this, increase the speed and cruising range, and improve seaworthiness. It was planned that they would operate both on enemy communications and together with the squadron. In the documents they were often called "battleships-cruisers". It was decided to build two battleships, one at the Baltic Shipyard (Peresvet) and one at the New Admiralty (Oslyabya). Their construction began in the autumn of 1895. The issue of replacing 254-mm guns with 305-mm guns was discussed several times, but in this case the deadlines for the ships' readiness were disrupted. The official laying of the battleships took place on November 9, 1895. On May 7, 1898, the Peresvet was launched, and on October 27, the Oslyabya. The completion, equipment and armament of the ships began, but the deadlines for the work were still missed. "Peresvet" went to trials in October 1899. At the same time, the military leadership decided to build a third ship of this type, "Victory". Even a fourth battleship was considered, but no decision was made. The construction of Pobeda began in May 1898 at the Baltic Shipyard. Her official laying took place on February 9, 1899. On May 17, 1900, the ship was launched, and already in October 1901, Pobeda was put to the test. "Oslyabya" was completed the longest and entered the test only in 1902, but even then various corrections and improvements continued on it. The rest of the battleships have already arrived in the Far East, and the Oslyabya has not yet left the Markizova Puddle. "Peresvet" arrived in Port Arthur in April 1902. "Victory" took part in the celebrations on the occasion of the coronation of the English King Edward VII in May 1902. In July 1902, she participated in the parade on the Revel raid in honor of the visit of the German squadron. She came to the Pacific Ocean only in June 1903. And the Oslyabya was still in the Baltic. Only in July 1903 did he leave for the Far East along with the Bayan cruiser. But in Gibraltar, the battleship touched an underwater rock and damaged the hull. She was docked at La Spezia for repairs. After repairing the damage, the long-suffering ship became part of the detachment of Rear Admiral A.A. Virenius, who slowly followed the Far East.

305-mm and 152-mm guns on battleships of the Borodino type were placed in two-gun turrets

The shortcomings of the "battleship-cruisers" caused a lot of criticism. They were eliminated on the third series of Baltic battleships. It became the largest in the history of the Russian Imperial Navy- it was planned to build five ships. The project "Tsesarevich" was taken as a basis. It was reworked by shipbuilding engineer D.V. Skvortsov. It was planned to build a series at three St. Petersburg plants. In May 1899, work began on the construction of the first ship of the series at the New Admiralty. Its official laying took place on May 11, 1900 in the presence of Emperor Nicholas II. The ship was named Borodino. On August 26, 1901, the lead ship went ashore. In October 1899, on the "Galley Island" they took up the second ship, which received the name "Eagle". It was launched on July 6, 1902. The battleships were built rhythmically, all issues that arose were resolved quite quickly. The completion of the ships has begun - the most difficult stage for domestic plants. It stretched out for several years, and by the beginning of 1904 this work was still ongoing. Only the beginning of the war with Japan accelerated the completion. At the Baltic Shipyard, as the largest and most modern Russian enterprise, it was decided to build three ships of the series. The first of these was the "Emperor Alexander III", the official laying of which took place on May 11, 1900. On July 21, 1901, it was launched in the presence of Emperor Nicholas II. In October 1903, the battleship entered the Gulf of Finland for trials. The assembly of the second ship began immediately after the descent of the previous one. This organization of work has reduced the slipway period to 14 months. The official laying of the “Prince Suvorov” took place on August 26, 1901, and already on September 12, 1902, it was launched. In terms of the pace of completion, he overtook both Borodino and Eagle. After the launch of the second ship, work began immediately on the construction of the third - "Glory". Officially, it was laid down on October 19, 1902, and its launching took place on August 16, 1903. But after the outbreak of war, the building was frozen, and it entered service only in 1905. The construction of a series of battleships of the Borodino type showed that domestic shipbuilding factories are able to independently build squadron battleships, but time has already been lost.

Squadron battleship "Borodino" after commissioning. The battleships of this project formed the basis of the second Pacific squadron

The squadron battleship "Emperor Alexander III" is the only ship of the "Borodino" type that has passed the full test program

ABROAD WILL HELP US

Convinced that domestic shipyards are not always able to build such huge and complex warships like squadron battleships, the military leadership decided to place part of the orders abroad. The military leadership believed that this would allow the program to be completed on time and achieve superiority over the Japanese fleet. Meanwhile, the military leadership of the country adopted a program "for the needs Far East". Behind short term it was planned to build a large number of battleships, cruisers and destroyers. Overseas factories should have helped Russian Empire maintain parity. Unfortunately, these expectations were met only in one case out of two. One of the first orders was an order placed at the American shipyard of Charles Henry Crump in Philadelphia. The overseas industrialist received a contract for the construction of a cruiser and a squadron battleship worth $6.5 million. Work on the construction of the ship began in the fall of 1898. The official laying was held on July 17, 1899. Advanced American technology significantly reduced the pace of construction. Already on October 10, 1899, the Retvizan was launched. The battleship entered the test in August 1901. On April 30, 1902, he left America and crossed Atlantic Ocean. In the Baltic, he managed to take part in the parade on the Reval raid in honor of the visit of the German squadron. The newest battleship arrived in Port Arthur in April 1903. Retvizan was considered the best battleship of the Pacific squadron.

The second order for the construction of a squadron battleship was received by the French shipyard Forge and Chantier in Toulon. The amount of the contract for its construction exceeded 30 million francs. The project was based on the French battleship "Zhoregiberi", which the designer Antoine-Jean Ambal Lagan "fitted" to the requirements of the customer. The official laying of the "Tsarevich" took place on July 26, 1899. At first, construction proceeded at a fairly rapid pace, but work was often interrupted due to urgent matters on other orders. The hull was launched on February 10, 1901. But during the completion, numerous problems arose and, like in Russian shipyards, it dragged on for several years. Only in November 1903, the "Tsesarevich" arrived in Port Arthur. This experience has shown that ordering warships from foreign shipyards is not always justified, and domestic factories could cope with their construction much faster.

Retvizan is the strongest battleship of the first Pacific squadron. Philadelphia, 1901

BATTLESHIPS IN THE FIRE OF THE "LITTLE VICTORIOUS WAR"

At the end of 1903 and beginning of 1904, the Russian military leadership, which incorrectly assessed the current situation in the Far East, did not take emergency measures for a hasty reinforcement of the squadron Pacific Ocean. It hoped that our naval forces were sufficient to ensure dominance at sea and Japan would not risk a conflict. But negotiations on controversial issues were interrupted, and the Japanese leadership was going to solve them with the help of force. At this time, a detachment under the command of Rear Admiral A.A. was on the way to the Far East. Virenius. It consisted of the battleship Oslyabya, 3 cruisers, 7 destroyers and 4 destroyers. With their arrival in Port Arthur, our forces would have received a complete look: 8 battleships, 11 cruisers of the 1st rank, 7 cruisers of the 2nd rank, 7 gunboats, 2 minelayers, 2 mine cruisers, 29 destroyers, 14 destroyers. They were based in Port Arthur and Vladivostok. But with the outbreak of hostilities in St. Petersburg, they decided to return the ships of the Virenius detachment to the Baltic, and not to attempt a breakthrough to Port Arthur or Vladivostok. The Japanese, in turn, were able to successfully transfer two of the latest armored cruisers from the Mediterranean to the Far East, which significantly strengthened their fleet. In January-March, the Russian leadership did not take any real measures to speed up work on the completion of the battleships of the Borodino type. Everything changed only after the death of Petropavlovsk. But time has been lost.

"Tsarevich" - the flagship of the first Pacific squadron

The war with the Land of the Rising Sun began on the night of January 27, 1904, when several detachments of Japanese destroyers attacked Russian ships that were on the outer roadstead of Port Arthur. Their torpedoes hit the strongest ships of the squadron, the battleships Retvizan and Tsesarevich. They were seriously injured, but did not die, thanks to the heroic actions of the rescue parties. On the morning of January 27, they met on the coastal shallows at the entrance to the fortress. In this form, the damaged battleships took part in the first battle with the Japanese fleet, which approached Port Arthur. Our weakened squadron was assisted by fire from the coastal batteries of the fortress, and the skirmish ended in a draw. During the battle, Petropavlovsk, Pobeda and Poltava received minor damage. After the end of the battle, the squadron gathered in the inner roads of the fortress and began to "lick their wounds", only the "Retvizan" remained on the shallows. It was necessary to urgently repair the damage to the battleships, but there was no large dock in Port Arthur, it was just beginning to be built. Russian engineers found a way to repair ships using caissons. The Japanese did not sit idly by and on the night of February 11 decided to destroy the Retvizan. To do this, they used firewalls. But our sailors repelled their attack and sank five ships. The battleship was not damaged, they began to hastily unload it in order to remove it from the shoal. This was only possible on February 24, on the day Vice-Admiral S.O. Makarov arrived at the fortress, who was appointed the new commander of the squadron.

Towing one of the Tsesarevich's caissons, Port Arthur's Eastern Basin, February 1904. The caisson is a wooden rectangle, which made it possible to partially drain the underwater part of the ship's hull and carry out repairs. This "Arthurian improvisation" during the war made it possible to repair the "Tsesarevich", "Retvizan", "Victory" and "Sevastopol"

Maxim's machine guns from the "Tsesarevich" are brought to the coastal fortifications, May 1905

Under Makarov, the squadron began active operations during the 35 days of his command, the squadron went to sea six times, the ships made evolutions and maneuvers, reconnaissance of the coast was started. In the campaigns of the squadron, Makarov raises his flag on the Petropavlovsk. The repair of damaged ships accelerated, work began on the Retvizan and Tsesarevich. On March 8 and 9, the Japanese fleet tried to shell Port Arthur, but it was prevented by the throwing fire of Pobeda and Retvizan. On March 13, during maneuvers, Peresvet hit the Sevastopol stern with its nose and bent the blade of the right propeller, which had to be repaired using a diving bell. On March 31, the flagship battleship Petropavlovsk exploded on Japanese mines in the outer roadstead of Port Arthur. On it died: the squadron commander, 30 officers of the ship and headquarters, 652 lower ranks and battle painter V.V. Vereshchagin. It was a real disaster, it demoralized the Russian sailors. The situation was aggravated by the detonation of the Pobeda mine, which took 550 tons of water, but returned safely to the fortress. It began to be repaired, for this the caisson was again used. At the same time, work continued on the "Tsesarevich" and "Retvizan", the damage to the "Sevastopol" was corrected. After the death of Makarov, the squadron again stopped going to sea and stood on barrels in Port Arthur.

The Japanese took advantage of the lull and landed their troops at Bizwo. Thus, they cut off Port Arthur from Manchuria and blockaded it. Soon the Japanese units began preparations for the assault. Landing companies of sailors took an active part in repelling the attacks. All machine guns and landing guns were hastily taken from the ships of the squadron. The battleships said goodbye to part of their artillery, which they began to install in Arthurian positions. By June 1, the ships of the squadron had lost: 19x152-mm, 23x75-mm, 7x47-mm, 46x37-mm, all machine guns and 8 searchlights. Then the governor ordered the squadron to be prepared for a breakthrough to Vladivostok, and these guns began to hastily be returned to the ships of the squadron. By June 9, all repairs on Pobeda, Tsesarevich and Retvizan were completed. The ships took on board coal, ammunition, water and food. On the morning of June 10, the squadron in in full force began to leave the fortress. But due to trawling, her exit was delayed. At sea, she was met by the Japanese fleet and the commander of the squadron, Rear Admiral V.K. Witgeft refused to fight. He decided to abandon the breakthrough and return to Port Arthur. So the real opportunity was missed to go to Vladivostok and start active operations. On the way back, "Sevastopol" hit a mine, but was able to return to the fortress.

"Tsesarevich" in Qingdao, August 1904. The damage to the chimneys is clearly visible. In the foreground is a medium 152 mm turret.

Damaged Sevastopol, December 1904

While the damage to the Sevastopol was being repaired with the help of the caisson, the ships of the squadron began to be involved in supporting the Russian troops. Several times the Poltava and Retvizan went to sea. The Japanese brought up siege weapons and from July 25 began daily shelling of Port Arthur. There were several hits in the "Tsesarevich" and "Retvizan". Rear Admiral V.K. Witgeft was wounded by a shell fragment. On July 25, work on the Sevastopol ended, and the squadron again began to prepare for a breakthrough. Early in the morning of July 28, the ships left Port Arthur. At 12.15 a general battle began, which was called the battle in the Yellow Sea. For several hours, the opponents fired at each other, there were hits, but not a single ship sank. The outcome of the battle was decided by two hits. At 17.20, a Japanese shell hit the lower part of the Tsesarevich's foremast and showered the battleship's bridge with fragments. Wit-geft was killed, and the squadron lost command. At 18.05 a shell hit the lower bridge, its fragments hit the conning tower. The battleship lost control, went out of order, described two circulations and cut through the formation of the Russian squadron. Our ships lost command, broke formation and huddled together. The Japanese covered them with fire. The situation was saved by the commander of the battleship Retvizan, Captain 1st Rank E.N. Shchensnovich, who sent his ship towards the Japanese. The enemy concentrated fire on it, the rest of the ships of the squadron got a break, rebuilt and turned to Port Arthur. In this battle, Retvizan, Sevastopol and Poltava suffered the most. The damaged "Tsesarevich" and a number of other ships went to neutral ports, where they were interned and disarmed.

Returning to the fortress, the battleships began to repair the damage. By the beginning of September, they were eliminated, but at a meeting of the flagships it was decided not to make new attempts to break through, but to strengthen the defense of the fortress with guns and sailors. On August 10, "Sevastopol" went to Tahe Bay to shell Japanese positions. On the way back, he again hit a mine, but was able to return to Port Arthur on his own. This was the last exit of the battleship of the Arthurian squadron to the sea. On September 19, the Japanese carried out the first shelling of the fortress from 280-mm siege mortars. Each such gun weighed 23 tons, it fired a projectile of 200 kg at 7 km. These attacks became daily and it was they who destroyed the Russian squadron. The first victim of the "babies from Osaka" was "Poltava". She was shot on November 22. After a strong fire, the ship landed on the ground in the Western Basin of the fortress. On November 23, "Retvizan" died, on November 24 - "Victory" and "Peresvet". Only "Sevastopol" survived and on the evening of November 25 left the fortress into the bay White Wolf. He continued shelling Japanese positions. It was attacked several nights in a row by Japanese destroyers, destroyers and mine boats, but to no avail. The battleship was protected by anti-torpedo nets and booms. Only on December 3 did they manage to damage the battleship with torpedoes. He had to be planted astern on the ground, but he continued to fire. The last shooting with the main caliber was on December 19. December 20 "Sevastopol" was flooded in the outer roadstead of Port Arthur. The fortress was surrendered to the Japanese.

The flagship of the second Pacific squadron is the squadron battleship "Prince Suvorov" under the flag of Rear Admiral Z.P. Rozhdestvensky

By this time, the second Pacific squadron under the command of Rear Admiral Z.P. was on its way to Port Arthur. Rozhdestvensky. The basis of its combat power was four of the latest squadron battleships of the Borodino type. For the sake of their hasty completion and early commissioning, work on the fifth ship of the series had to be frozen. By the middle of the summer of 1904, all work on them, in general, was completed. Only the readiness of the "Eagle" lagged behind, which on May 8 lay down on the ground in Kronstadt. The battleships began to pass tests and make the first trips along the Marquise Puddle. Due to the rush of wartime, the test program for the latest battleships was reduced. Their crews passed only short course combat training and began to prepare for the campaign. On August 1, the squadron commander raised his flag on the flagship battleship Knyaz Suvorov. It included 7 squadron battleships, 6 cruisers, 8 destroyers and transports. On September 26, an imperial review took place on the Revel roadstead. On October 2, the squadron began an unprecedented campaign to the Far East. They had to travel 18,000 miles, overcome three oceans and six seas without Russian bases and coal stations along the way. Battleships of the Borodino type received their baptism of fire in the so-called. Gull incident. On the night of October 9, Russian ships fired on English fishermen in the North Sea, who were mistaken for Japanese destroyers. One trawler was sunk, five damaged. Five battleships went around Africa, the rest went through the Suez Canal. On December 16, the squadron gathered in Madagascar. During the stay in Nusib, a number of warships joined her. But the morale of the sailors of the squadron was undermined by the news of the death of the squadron, the surrender of Port Arthur and "Bloody Sunday". On March 3, the squadron left the island and headed for the shores of Indochina. Here, on April 24, the ships of the detachment of Rear Admiral N.I. Nebogatov. Now it was a significant force: 8 squadron battleships, 3 coastal defense battleships, 9 cruisers, 5 auxiliary cruisers, 9 destroyers and a large number of transports. But the ships were overloaded and badly worn out by the most difficult transition. On the 224th day of the campaign, the second squadron of the Pacific Ocean entered the Korea Strait.

At 2.45 on May 14, 1905, a Japanese auxiliary cruiser discovered a Russian squadron in the Korea Strait and immediately reported this to the command. From that moment on, the battle became inevitable. It began at 13.49 with a shot from the Knyaz Suvorov. A fierce skirmish ensued, with both sides concentrating their fire on the flagships. The Japanese went out of order during the cover, and the Russian ships did not maneuver. Already 10 minutes after the start of the cannonade, Oslyabya received significant damage. Large holes formed in the bow, there was a strong roll to the port side, fires began. At 14.40 the ship broke down. At 14.50 "Oslyabya" rolled over to the port side and sank. Part of his crew was rescued by destroyers. At the same time, the battleship Knyaz Suvorov went out of order. The steering gear was broken on it, it had a roll to the port side, numerous fires raged on the superstructure. But he continued to fire at the enemy. At 1520, Japanese destroyers attacked her, but they were driven off. Further, the squadron on the NO23 course was led by "Emperor Alexander III". The Japanese concentrated all the power of their fire on it, and at 15.30 the burning battleship broke down with a roll to the port side. Soon he extinguished the fires and returned to the column, which was headed by Borodino. Now he experienced the full power of Japanese fire, but soon the battle was interrupted due to fog. At 16.45 "Prince Suvorov" again attacked the enemy destroyers, one torpedo hit the port side. At 17.30, the destroyer "Buyny" approached the burning battleship. Despite the strong excitement, he managed to remove the wounded commander and 22 other people. There were still sailors on the huge flaming battleship, but they decided to fulfill their duty to the end.

Squadron battleship "Oslyabya" and battleships of the "Borodino" type. The picture was taken in the parking lot during the transition to the Far East

At 18.20 the battle resumed. The Japanese concentrated their fire on the Borodino. At 18.30, the Emperor Alexander III left the column, which capsized and sank 20 minutes later. Several dozen sailors remained on the water at the place of the death of the battleship. The cruiser Emerald tried to save them, but the enemy drove it away with fire. Not a single person escaped from the crew of the "Emperor Alexander III". It became a mass grave for 29 officers and 838 lower ranks. The Russian squadron was still led by Borodino. Several fires raged on it, it lost its main mast. At 19.12, one of the last volleys of the battleship Fuji, he was covered and received a fatal hit. A 305-mm projectile hit the area of ​​​​the first medium-caliber turret. The hit caused the detonation of ammunition and the battleship sank instantly. Only one person from his crew escaped. On the Borodino, 34 officers and 831 lower ranks were killed. At this time, the Japanese destroyers attacked the "Prince Suvorov". The flaming flagship fired back from the last 75-mm gun, but it was hit by several torpedoes. So the flagship of the second squadron of the Pacific Ocean died. Of the sailors who remained on it, none escaped. 38 officers and 887 lower ranks were killed.

Squadron battleships Navarin and Sisoy the Great during the imperial review on the Reval roadstead, October 1904. Veteran ships also became part of the Second Pacific Squadron

In a daytime battle, the Russian squadron was defeated, the battleships Oslyabya, Emperor Alexander III, Borodino, Prince Suvorov and an auxiliary cruiser were sunk, many ships were significantly damaged. The Japanese did not lose a single ship. Now the Russian squadron had to withstand the attacks of numerous destroyers and destroyers. The squadron continued to follow the NO23 course, it was led by "Emperor Nicholas I". Lagging and damaged ships were the first to become victims of mine attacks. One of them was Navarin. In the daytime battle, he received several hits: the battleship sat down with its nose and had a roll to the port side, one of the pipes was shot down, and the speed dropped sharply. Around 22.00, a torpedo hit the Navarin's stern. The bank increased sharply, the speed dropped to 4 knots. Around 2 am, the battleship was hit by several more torpedoes, she capsized and sank. Many sailors remained on the water, but no one rescued them because of the darkness. 27 officers and 673 lower ranks were killed. Only 3 sailors survived. "Sisoy the Great" received significant damage during the day, a large fire broke out on it, there was a significant roll to the port side, the speed dropped to 12 knots. He lagged behind the squadron and independently repelled the attacks of the destroyers. Around 23.15 a torpedo hit the stern. The ship was out of control, there was a strong roll to starboard. The sailors brought a band-aid under the hole, but the water continued to rise. The commander sent the battleship to the island of Tsushima. Here he was overtaken by Japanese ships and the signal for surrender was raised on the Shisoy the Great. The Japanese visited the ship, but it was already listing. Around 10 am, the battleship capsized and sank.

Around 10 am on May 15, the remnants of the Russian squadron were surrounded by the main forces of the Japanese fleet. At 10.15 they opened fire on the Russian ships. Under these conditions, Rear Admiral N.I. Nebogatov gave the order to lower the St. Andrew's flags. The battleships Eagle, Emperor Nicholas I and two coastal defense battleships surrendered to the Japanese. 2396 people were taken prisoner. It was this episode that became a symbol of the defeat of the Russian fleet at Tsushima.

Russia is a continental state, but the length of its borders, passing through the water surface, is 2/3 of their total length. From ancient times, Russians knew how to navigate the seas and knew how to fight at sea, but the real naval traditions of our country are about 300 years old.

Still arguing about a specific event or date from where the story originates Russian fleet. One thing is clear to everyone - it happened in the era of Peter the Great.

First experiences

The use of waterways to move the armed forces in a country where rivers were the main means of communication, the Russians began a very long time ago. Mentions of the legendary path "from the Varangians to the Greeks" go back centuries. Epics were composed about the campaign of Prince Oleg's "lods" to Constantinople.

The wars of Alexander Nevsky with the Swedes and German crusaders had one of the main goals of arranging Russian settlements near the mouth of the Neva in order to be able to freely navigate the Baltic Sea.

In the south fighting for a way out Black Sea the Zaporozhian and Don Cossacks led the Tatars and Turks. Their legendary "seagulls" in 1350 successfully attacked and captured Ochakov.

The first Russian warship "Eagle" was built in 1668 in the village of Dedinovo by decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. But the Russian navy owes its real birth to the dream and will of his son, Peter the Great.

Home dream

At first, the young tsar simply liked to sail on a small boat found in a barn in the village of Izmailovo. This 6-meter boat, given to his father, is now kept in the Naval Museum of St. Petersburg.

The future emperor later said that the Russian imperial fleet originates from him, and called him "the grandfather of the Russian fleet." Peter himself restored it, following the instructions of the masters from the German settlement, because there were no shipbuilders in Moscow.

When the future emperor became a real ruler at the age of 17, he began to truly realize that Russia cannot develop without economic, scientific and cultural ties with Europe, and the best means of communication are by sea.

An energetic and curious person, Peter sought to acquire knowledge and skills in various fields. His greatest passion was the theory and practice of shipbuilding, which he studied with Dutch, German and English masters. He delved into the basics of cartography with interest, learned to use navigational instruments.

He began to invest his first skills in the creation of a "fun flotilla" on Lake Pleshcheyevo in Pereslavl-Zalessky near Yaroslavl. In June 1689, the boat "Fortune", 2 small frigates and yachts were assembled at the shipyards there.

Access to the ocean

A huge land giant, which occupied a sixth of the earth's land, Russia at the end of the 17th century, less than other countries, could claim the title of maritime power. The history of the Russian fleet is also the history of the struggle for access to the oceans. There were two options for accessing the sea - two "bottlenecks": through the Gulf of Finland and where strong Sweden was in charge, and through the Black Sea, through the narrow one, which was under the control of the Ottoman Empire.

First attempt to stop raids Crimean Tatars and the Turks to the southern borders and lay the foundations for a future breakthrough to the Black Sea was undertaken by Peter in 1695. located at the mouth of the Don, withstood the attacks of the Russian military expedition, but for a systematic siege there were not enough forces, there were not enough funds to cut off the supply of supplies to the surrounded Turks by water. Therefore, in order to prepare for the next campaign, it was decided to build a flotilla.

Azov fleet

Peter, with unprecedented energy, took up the construction of ships. More than 25,000 peasants were rounded up to work at the shipyards in Preobrazhensky and on the Voronezh River. According to the model brought from abroad, under the supervision of foreign craftsmen, 23 rowing galleys (penal servitude), 2 large sailboats (one of which is the 36-gun Apostle Peter), more than 1300 small ships - baroques, plows, etc. d. This was the first attempt to create what is called a "regular Russian imperial fleet." He perfectly fulfilled his tasks of delivering troops to the walls of the fortress and blocking the surrounded Azov from the water. After a month and a half siege on July 19, 1696, the garrison of the fortress surrendered.

“It’s better for me to fight by sea…”

This campaign showed the importance of the interaction of land and sea forces. It was of decisive importance for deciding on the further construction of ships. "Ships to be!" - the royal decree on the allocation of funds for new ships was approved on October 20, 1696. From this date, the history of the Russian fleet has been counting down.

Grand Embassy

The war for the southern outlet to the ocean by the capture of Azov had just begun, and Peter went to Europe in search of support in the fight against Turkey and its allies. The Tsar took advantage of his diplomatic tour, which lasted a year and a half, to supplement his knowledge in shipbuilding and military affairs.

Under the name of Peter Mikhailov, he worked at shipyards in Holland. He gained experience along with a dozen Russian carpenters. In three months, with their participation, the frigate "Peter and Pavel" was built, which later sailed to Java under the flag of the East India Company.

In England, the Tsar also works in shipyards and machine shops. The English king arranges naval maneuvers especially for Peter. Seeing the coordinated interactions of 12 huge ships, Peter is delighted and says that he would like to be an English admiral, than from that moment the dream of having a powerful Russian imperial fleet was finally strengthened in him.

Russia is young

Maritime business is developing. In 1700, Peter the Great established the stern ensign of the ships of the Russian fleet. It was named in honor of the first Russian order - St. Andrew the First-Called. 300 years of the Russian fleet, and almost all this time the oblique blue cross of the St. Andrew's flag overshadows the Russian military sailors.

A year later, the first naval educational institution- School of Mathematical and Navigational Sciences. The Naval Order is established to guide the new industry. The Naval Charter is adopted, naval ranks are introduced.

But the most important thing is the admiralties, which are in charge of the shipyards - new ships are being built there.

Pyotr Alekseevich's plans for further seizures of ports on the Black Sea and the establishment of shipyards there were prevented by a more formidable enemy from the North. Denmark and Sweden started a war over the disputed islands, and Peter entered it on the Danish side, with the goal of breaking through a "window to Europe" - access to the Baltic Sea.

Battle of Gangut

Sweden, led by the young and cocky Charles XII, was the main military force that time. The inexperienced Russian Imperial Navy faced a severe test. In the summer of 1714, a Russian squadron of rowing ships led by Admiral Fedor Apraksin met with powerful Swedish sailboats at Cape Gangut. Yielding to the enemy in artillery, the admiral did not dare to make a direct collision and reported the situation to Peter.

The tsar made a distracting maneuver: he ordered to arrange a platform for crossing ships on land and show the intention to go across the isthmus to the rear of the enemy fleet. To stop this, the Swedes divided the flotilla, sending a detachment of 10 ships around the peninsula to the place of transfer. At this time, a complete calm was established on the sea, which deprived the Swedes of the possibility of any maneuver. Massive stationary ships formed an arc for frontal combat, and the ships of the Russian fleet - fast rowing galleys - broke along the coast and attacked a group of 10 ships, locking it in the bay. The flagship frigate "Elephant" was boarded, Peter personally participated in the hand-to-hand attack, capturing the sailors by personal example.

The victory of the Russian fleet was complete. About a dozen ships were captured, more than a thousand Swedes were captured, over 350 were killed. Without losing a single ship, the Russians lost 120 men killed and 350 wounded.

The first victories at sea - at Gangut and, later, at Grengam, as well as the Poltava land victory - all this became the key to the signing of the Nishtad Peace Treaty by the Swedes (1721), according to which Russia began to prevail in the Baltic. The goal - access to Western European ports - was achieved.

Legacy of Peter the Great

The basis for the creation of the Baltic Fleet was laid by Peter ten years before the Battle of Gangut, when St. Petersburg was founded at the mouth of the Neva recaptured from the Swedes, new capital Russian Empire. Together with the military base located nearby - Kronstadt - they became a gate closed to enemies and open to trade.

For a quarter of a century, Russia has traveled a path that took several centuries for the leading maritime powers - the path from small ships for coastal navigation to huge ships capable of overcoming the world's expanses. The flag of the Russian fleet was known and respected on all the oceans of the earth.

History of victories and defeats

Peter's reforms and his favorite offspring - the first Russian fleet - had a difficult fate. Not all subsequent rulers of the country shared the ideas of Peter the Great or possessed his strength of character.

Over the next 300 years, the Russian fleet had a chance to win great victories of the times of Ushakov and Nakhimov and suffer severe defeats at Sevastopol and Tsushima. After the heaviest defeats, Russia was deprived of the status of a maritime power. Periods of revival after a complete decline are known in the history of the Russian fleet and past centuries, and

Today, the fleet is gaining strength after another destructive stagnation, and it is important to remember that everything began with the energy and will of Peter I, who believed in the maritime greatness of his country.

The Russian Imperial Fleet is one of the very first and official names of the Russian Navy. The name existed until 1917 - I think it’s not worth specifying why it was in this year that the word “imperial” was “cut out” from the official name. Nevertheless, let's turn to more important things - to the history of the creation of Russia's naval power.

Today, the era of the reign of Peter the Great is condemned in the most natural and familiar way. Many of his reforms are controversial even centuries later, and all of them are based on a Europeanized version of Russia. After all, it was he, the Russian Emperor Peter, who took the European model of Russia's development as a basis.

It would be absurd and stupid of me to argue on the topic: "was he right or not" great emperor in your decision. For me, it's not a bad idea to learn from those who are more and better at some things. And in this context, it would be right to ask the most important questions - under Peter, was Russia built and developed, or did it degrade for all political and economic reasons?

It is unequivocal that Peter I developed the country, strengthened and made it more powerful, even taking into account the fact that European touches and the borrowed experience of neighboring countries were very frankly looming. I repeat, the main thing is the development of the state, and it would be absurd to reproach Peter for the opposite. The most important argument in support of the above is creation of the Imperial Navy- the pride of Peter the Great!

October 30, 1696 is considered the official date, when the Boyar Duma, at the insistence of Peter I, decided to create a regular Russian navy: "Sea ships to be."

Azov Fleet of Peter I

Azov Fleet. Engraving from Johann Georg Korb's book "Diary of a Journey to Muscovy" (Russian translation, 1867)

The emperor's military failures served as prerequisites for the creation, in particular, the first Azov campaign* clearly showed Tsar Peter that the seaside fortress could not be taken without any strong fleet.

The very idea of ​​Peter I to build a fleet on land, in Voronezh, 1,200 miles from the sea, was considered ambitious by all standards, but not for Peter. The task was completed in one winter.

Azov campaigns of 1695 and 1696 - Russian military campaigns against Ottoman Empire; were a continuation of the war started by the government of Princess Sophia with the Ottoman Empire and the Crimea; taken by Peter I at the beginning of his reign and ended with the capture of the Turkish fortress of Azov. They can be considered the first significant accomplishment of the young king.

This gigantic enterprise alone could have been the glory of man, and only later, even more glorious deeds somehow obscured in our memories this famous emergence of the navy on land.

When Peter I was pointed out the almost impossible difficulties of keeping the fleet on a completely alien sea, where there was not a single harbor of its own, he replied that "a strong fleet will find a harbor for itself." One can think that Peter, having mastered Azov and decided to build large ships in Taganrog, expected to talk with the Turks about the world not on the Prut (constrained by their hordes), but on the Bosphorus, where his ships would threaten the Sultan's palace with their guns.

True, foreign envoys reported to their governments that most of the ships of the Azov fleet were good only for firewood. The ships of the first construction, cut down in the middle of winter, from a frozen forest, in most cases by inexperienced and poor shipbuilders, were really not important, but Peter I did everything so that the Azov fleet was a real sea power, and, admittedly, he achieved this.

The king himself worked tirelessly. “His Majesty,” wrote Kruys, “was vigilant in this work, so with an ax, an adze, a caulk, a hammer and anointing ships, he was much more diligent and working harder than an old and highly trained carpenter.”

Almost immediately at that time, military shipbuilding began in Russia, ships were built in Voronezh and St. Petersburg, on Ladoga and in Arkhangelsk. In the second Azov campaign against Turkey in 1696, 2 battleships, 4 fireships, 23 galleys and 1300 plows built in Voronezh on the river participated. Voronezh.

In order to gain a foothold on the Sea of ​​Azov, in 1698 Peter began the construction of Taganrog as a naval base. During the period from 1695 to 1710, the Azov fleet was replenished with many battleships and frigates, galleys and bombardment ships, fire ships and small ships. But he did not last long. In 1711, after an unsuccessful war with Turkey, according to the Prut peace treaty, Russia was forced to give the Turks the shores of the Sea of ​​​​Azov and pledged to destroy the Azov fleet.

The creation of the Azov Fleet was an extremely important event for Russia. Firstly, it revealed the role of the navy in the armed struggle for the liberation of coastal lands. Secondly, the much-needed experience in the mass construction of military ships was acquired, which made it possible to quickly create a strong Baltic Fleet in the future. Third, Europe was shown Russia's enormous potential to become a powerful maritime power.

Baltic Fleet of Peter I

The Baltic Fleet is one of the oldest Russian navies.

The Baltic Sea washed the shores of Denmark, Germany, Sweden and Russia. It makes no sense to dwell on the strategic importance in controlling the Baltic Sea itself - it is large and you need to know this. Peter the Great also knew this. Should he not know about the Livonian War, launched in 1558 by Ivan the Terrible, who already at that time was striving in every possible way to provide Russia with a reliable outlet to the Baltic Sea. What did it mean for Russia? I will give just one example - in 1558, having captured Narva, the Russian tsar made it the main trading gate to Russia. The turnover of Narva grew rapidly, the number of ships entering the port reached 170 per year. You need to understand that such a combination of circumstances cut off a significant part of other states - Sweden, Poland ...

To gain a foothold in the Baltic Sea has always been one of the fundamental important tasks Russia. Attempts were made by Ivan the Terrible, and very successful, but the final success was secured by Peter the Great.

After the war with Turkey for the possession of the Sea of ​​Azov, the aspirations of Peter I were directed to the struggle for access to the Baltic Sea, the success of which was predetermined by the presence military force on the sea. Knowing this very well, Peter I set about building the Baltic Fleet. At the shipyards of the Syaz, Svir and Volkhov rivers, river and sea warships are being laid down, seven 52-gun ships and three 32-gun frigates are being built at the Arkhangelsk shipyards. New shipyards are being created, and the number of iron and copper foundries in the Urals is growing. In Voronezh, the casting of ship cannons and cores for them is being established.

In a fairly short time, a flotilla was created, which consisted of battleships with a displacement of up to 700 tons, a length of up to 50 m. Up to 80 guns and 600-800 crew members were placed on their two or three decks.

For a confident exit to the Gulf of Finland, Peter I concentrated his main efforts on mastering the lands adjacent to Ladoga and the Neva. After a 10-day siege and a fierce assault, with the assistance of a rowing flotilla of 50 boats, the Noteburg (Nutlet) fortress was the first to fall, soon renamed Shlisselburg (Key City). In the words of Peter I, this fortress "opened the gates to the sea." Then the Nyenschanz fortress was taken, located at the confluence of the Neva river. Oh you.

In order to finally block the entrance to the Neva for the Swedes, on May 16 (27), 1703, at its mouth, on Hare Island, Peter I laid the foundation for a fortress called Peter and Paul, and the port city of St. Petersburg. On Kotlin Island, 30 versts from the mouth of the Neva, Peter I ordered the construction of the Kronstadt fort to protect the future Russian capital.

In 1704, on the left bank of the Neva, the construction of the Admiralty shipyard began, which was destined to soon become the main domestic shipyard, and St. Petersburg - the shipbuilding center of Russia.

In August 1704, Russian troops, continuing to liberate the Baltic coast, stormed Narva. In the future, the main events of the Northern War took place on land.

On June 27, 1709, the Swedes suffered a serious defeat in the battle of Poltava. However, for the final victory over Sweden, it was necessary to crush its naval forces and establish itself in the Baltic. It took another 12 years of stubborn struggle, primarily at sea.

In the period 1710-1714. By building ships at domestic shipyards and buying them abroad, a fairly strong galley and sailing Baltic Fleet was created. The first of the battleships laid down in the fall of 1709 was named Poltava in honor of the outstanding victory over the Swedes.

The high quality of Russian ships was recognized by many foreign shipbuilders and sailors. So, one of his contemporaries, the English Admiral Porris wrote:

“Russian ships are in all respects equal to the best ships of this type that are available in our country, and, moreover, are more fairly finished”.

The successes of domestic shipbuilders were very significant: by 1714, the Baltic Fleet included 27 linear 42-74-gun ships, 9 frigates with 18-32 guns, 177 scampaways and brigantines, 22 auxiliary ships. Total number guns on ships reached 1060.

The increased power of the Baltic Fleet allowed its forces on July 27 (August 7), 1714 to win a brilliant victory against the Swedish fleet at Cape Gangut. IN naval battle a detachment of 10 units was captured along with Rear Admiral N. Ehrensheld, who commanded them. In the battle of Gangut, Peter I fully used the advantage of the galley and sailing and rowing fleet over the enemy's linear fleet in the skerry region of the sea. The sovereign personally led the advance detachment of 23 scampaways in battle.

The Gangut victory provided the Russian fleet with freedom of action in the Gulf of Finland and Bothnia. She, like the Poltava victory, became a turning point in the course of the entire Northern War, which allowed Peter I to begin preparations for an invasion directly into the territory of Sweden. This was the only way to force Sweden to make peace.

The authority of the Russian fleet, Peter I as a naval commander became recognized by the fleets of the Baltic states. In 1716, in the Sound, at a meeting of the Russian, English, Dutch and Danish squadrons for joint cruising in the Bornholm area against the Swedish fleet and privateers, Peter I was unanimously elected commander of the united Allied squadron.

This event was later commemorated by the issuance of a medal with the inscription "Reigns over four, at Bornholm". In 1717 troops from northern Finland invaded Swedish territory. Their actions were supported by large amphibious assault forces landed in the Stockholm area.

On August 30, 1721, Sweden finally agreed to sign the Treaty of Nystad. The eastern part of the Gulf of Finland, its southern coast with the Gulf of Riga and the islands adjacent to the conquered shores departed to Russia. The composition of Russia included the cities of Vyborg, Narva, Revel, Riga. Emphasizing the significance of the fleet in the Great Northern War, Peter I ordered that the medal, approved in honor of the victory over Sweden, be stamped with the words: “The end of this war by such a world was received by nothing else than the fleet, because it was impossible to achieve it by land.” The tsar himself, who had the rank of vice admiral, "as a sign of the labors incurred in this war," was promoted to admiral.

The victory in the Northern War strengthened the international prestige of Russia, promoted it to the ranks of the largest European powers and served as the basis for being called the Russian Empire since 1721.

Having achieved the approval of Russia on the Baltic Sea, Peter I again turns his gaze to the south of the state. As a result of the Persian campaign, Russian troops, with the support of the ships of the flotilla, occupied the cities of Derbent and Baku with adjacent lands, which went to Russia under a treaty concluded with the Shah of Iran on September 12 (23), 1723. For the permanent deployment of the Russian flotilla on the Caspian Sea, Peter founded a military port and the Admiralty in Astrakhan.

To imagine the grandeur of the accomplishments of Peter the Great, it is enough to note that during his reign, more than 1,000 ships were built at Russian shipyards, not counting small ships. The number of teams on all ships reached 26 thousand people.

It is interesting to note that there is archival evidence dating back to the reign of Peter I, about the construction by a peasant Efim Nikonov of a “hidden vessel” - a prototype of a submarine. In general, about 1 million 200 thousand rubles were spent on shipbuilding and maintenance of the fleet by Peter I. So, by the will of Peter I in the first two decades of the eighteenth century. Russia has become one of the great maritime powers of the world.

Peter I came up with the idea of ​​creating "two fleets": a galley fleet for operating jointly with the army in coastal areas and a ship fleet for predominantly independent operations at sea.

In this regard, military science considers Peter I an expert in the interaction between the army and the navy, unsurpassed for his time.

At the dawn of domestic state shipbuilding for operations in the Baltic and Seas of Azov Peter had to solve the problem of creating ships of mixed navigation, i.e. those that could operate both on rivers and at sea. Other maritime powers did not need such military vessels.

The complexity of the task lay in the fact that navigation along shallow rivers required a small draft of the vessel with its relatively large width. Such dimensions of ships when sailing at sea led to a sharp pitching, which reduced the effectiveness of the use of weapons, worsened physical state teams and troops. In addition, for wooden ships, the problem of ensuring the longitudinal strength of the hull was difficult. In general, it was necessary to find a "good proportion" between the desire to obtain good driving performance by increasing the length of the vessel, and to have sufficient longitudinal strength. Peter chose the ratio of length to width equal to 3:1, which guaranteed the strength and stability of the ships with a slight decrease in speed.

In the 2nd half of the XVIII - early XIX centuries The Russian Navy in terms of the number of warships came out on the 3rd place in the world, the tactics of military operations at sea were constantly improved. This allowed the Russian sailors to win a number of brilliant victories. The life and exploits of admirals G.A. Spiridova, F.F. Ushakova, D.N. Senyavina, G.I. Butakova, V.I. Istomina, V.A. Kornilov, P.S. Nakhimova, S.O. Makarov.

During the years of the Great Patriotic War the Soviet fleet withstood severe tests and reliably covered the flanks of the fronts, crushing the Nazis at sea, in the sky and on land.

The modern Russian Navy has a reliable military equipment: these are powerful missile cruisers, nuclear submarines, anti-submarine ships, landing craft and naval aircraft. This technique works effectively in the capable hands of our naval specialists. Russian sailors continue and develop the glorious traditions of the Russian Navy, which has more than 300 years of history.

Russian Navy TODAY

The Russian Navy (Russian Navy) includes five operational-strategic formations:

1. The Baltic Fleet of the Russian Navy, the headquarters of Kaliningrad, is part of the Western Military District
2. The Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy, headquartered in Severomorsk, is part of the Western Military District
3. The Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Navy, headquartered in Sevastopol, is part of the Southern Military District
4. The Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy, headquartered in Astrakhan, is part of the Southern Military District
5. The Pacific Fleet of the Russian Navy, headquartered in Vladivostok, is part of the Eastern Military District

Goals and objectives

Deterrence from the use of military force or the threat of its use against Russia;

Protection by military means of the sovereignty of the country, extending beyond its land territory to internal sea ​​waters and territorial sea, sovereign rights in the exclusive economic zone and on the continental shelf, as well as freedom of the high seas;

Creation and maintenance of conditions for ensuring the safety of maritime economic activity in the World Ocean;

Ensuring the naval presence of Russia in the World Ocean, demonstration of the flag and military force, visits of ships and vessels of the Navy;

Ensuring participation in military, peacekeeping and humanitarian actions carried out by the world community that meet the interests of the state.

The Russian Navy consists of the following forces:

• surface forces
• submarine force
• Naval aviation
• Coastal
• deck
• strategic
• Tactical
• Fleet Coastal Troops
• Marines
• Coastal Defense Troops

Navy today is one of the most important foreign policy attributes of the state. It is designed for security and protection of interests Russian Federation in peace and war time at ocean and sea frontiers.

It is very important to remember and know about such an important event for the history of Russia as the creation of the Russian Navy on October 30, 1696, as well as to feel a sense of pride in the achievements and successes of the Russian Navy in the light of today's events in the world.

Caspian Fleet in Syria

In the first half of the XIX century. The basis of progress in science, technology, and economics was the use of a new type of energy - steam energy. Further development fleet was due to achievements in the field of metallurgy and rolled metal products. Especially - the invention of armor plates for use in iron shipbuilding

At the beginning of the XIX century. in Russia began the construction of steam ships. The first such vessel in Russia, the Elizaveta, was designed and built in 1815 by Karl Byrd, the owner of an iron and copper foundry in St. Petersburg. With only 4 liters. With. power, the machine gave the steamboat (as the steamboat used to be called) a speed of about 9 miles per hour.

Russia's first steam ship "Elizaveta"

In 1823, about a dozen steamboats were built on the Volga, including those with two machines with a total capacity of up to 40 hp. With. And in 1843, in St. Petersburg, a steamship company "On the Volga" was formed, which had several steamships with machines of 250-400 hp. With. capacity ("Volga", "Hercules", "Samson", "Kama", "Oka", etc.), dozens of heavy barges. This society lasted until 1918.

Diesel ships

In 1903, the Sormovsky plant in Nizhny Novgorod built the first diesel motor ship for the Volga Shipping Company - a self-propelled tanker barge "Vandal" with a displacement of 1150 tons, with three diesel engines of 120 liters each. with., and diesel-electric transmission to the propellers. "Vandal" became the world's first diesel ship and diesel-electric ship at the same time.

The first motor ship in the world is the Vandal oil barge.

By 1913 in different countries There were more than 80 diesel ships in the world, 70 of them were in Russia. As for steamships, by 1913, through the efforts of all six shipping companies of the country and the government, their number was increased to 1016 (with a total displacement of 487 thousand tons), and sailboats became 2577 (257 thousand brt). The Russian fleet ranked 8th in the world after the fleets of England, Germany, the USA, Norway, France, Japan, and Italy. At the same time, own steamships, accounting for 65% of the commercial fleet of Russia, could provide only 8% of sea freight.

Creation of the Russian Society of Shipping and Trade (ROPiT)

In January 1856, the adjutant wing N.A. Arkas and well-known entrepreneur-shipowner N.A. Novoselsky. They proposed to create a commercial shipping joint-stock company on the Black Sea with a large number modern steamships for freight and passenger traffic, while specifying that in the event of war these steamships could be used for the military transport needs of the country.

On August 3, 1856, Emperor Alexander II approved the Charter of the ROPiT ( Russian Society shipping and trade). Thus was born what later became the largest Russian shipping company.

By 1860, the Society had more than 40 steamships, and 30 of them had great prospects: all of them were in operation for no more than 3 years.

Steamer ROPiT "Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna" stands at the pier in Saratov.
Approximately 1910 (Photo from the archive of Alexei Platonov)

Since 1863, the Society, replenishing the composition of the fleet, began to build new screw post-passenger steamers and wheeled cargo-passenger ships of mixed navigation. In addition to Lazarev, Kornilov, Nakhimov, Chikhachev, Grand Duke Mikhail, Grand Duchess Olga "and" General Kotzebue "by 1870, 11 more steam schooners for cargo transportation along the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov were put into operation.

With the construction of the Suez Canal (1869), new prospects opened up, and ROPiT ships began to sail to India, China, and the Far East (Vladivostok).

Creation of the "Volunteer Fleet"

In the period 1873–1883. sharply increased public attention to the needs of the fleet. In this regard, a Society was founded in Moscow to promote Russian commercial shipbuilding (for patriotic donations). The idea of ​​creating the "Voluntary Fleet" society appeared, caused by the results of the Russian-Turkish war of 1878.

All over the country, fundraising was held for an organization that would have fast and capacious ships, allowing them to quickly re-equip and arm them, making them auxiliary cruisers in case of war. About 4 million rubles were collected, and in 1878 the society was created.

First, Dobroflot purchased from the Germans cargo-passenger steamships, which immediately became registered in the navy as auxiliary cruisers: Moskva, Petersburg, Rossiya. Henceforth, a tradition was established: to call all new ships by the name of the centers of the provinces - "Nizhny Novgorod", "Ryazan", etc.

Since 1879, the charter of the Volunteer Fleet society provided for the possibility of using its ships for military purposes in case of war.

The work of Dobroflot began with the transportation of Russian troops from Varna and Burgas, participating in Russian-Turkish war 1878 Then regular flights to the Far East began. Soon the management came to the conclusion that it was necessary not to buy, but only to build ships for society - this is more profitable. True, to build not only at their own factories, but also abroad. The first steamship - "Yaroslavl" according to the drawings of the English cruiser "Iris" was ordered in 1880 in France.

Until 1896, a series of 6 ships of 4500-5600 tons with a displacement came from England to Russia. As a result, before the Russo-Japanese war, Dobroflot moved into second place after ROPiT. Its cargo turnover reached 196,000 tons per year.

Postcards from the early 1910s dedicated to passenger and freight
steamships "Dobroflot": "Simbirsk" and "Ryazan".

By the beginning of the First World War, the navy of tsarist Russia was a very formidable force, but it could not be noted more or less significant victories or even defeat. Most of the ships did not participate in combat operations or even stood at the wall waiting for orders. And after Russia left the war, the former power of the imperial fleet was generally forgotten, especially against the backdrop of the adventures of crowds of revolutionary sailors who went ashore. Although initially everything was more than optimistic for the Russian Navy: by the beginning of World War I, the fleet, which suffered huge losses during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, was largely restored and continued to be modernized.

Sea versus land

Immediately after the Russo-Japanese War and the accompanying first Russian revolution of 1905, the tsarist government was deprived of the opportunity to take up the restoration of the Baltic and Pacific fleets, which were practically destroyed. But by 1909, when the financial position of Russia was stabilized, the government of Nicholas II began to allocate significant sums for the rearmament of the fleet. As a result, in terms of total financial investments, the naval component of the Russian Empire took third place in the world after Great Britain and Germany.

At the same time, the effective rearmament of the fleet was largely hampered by the traditional for the Russian Empire disunity of interests and actions of the army and navy. During 1906-1914. the government of Nicholas II did not actually have a single program for the development of the armed forces agreed between the army and naval departments. The Council of State Defense (SGO), created on May 5, 1905 by a special rescript of Nicholas II, was supposed to help bridge the gap between the interests of the departments of the army and the navy. The SGO was headed by the inspector general of the cavalry, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich. However, despite the presence of a supreme conciliatory body, the geopolitical tasks that the Russian Empire was going to solve were not adequately coordinated with specific plans for the development of land and sea forces.

The difference in views on the strategy of rearmament of the land and naval departments was clearly manifested at a meeting of the Council of State Defense on April 9, 1907, where a heated argument flared up. Chief of the General Staff of Russia F.F. Palitsyn and Minister of War A.F. Rediger insisted on limiting the tasks of the navy, and they were consistently objected to by the head of the Naval Ministry, Admiral I.M. Dikov. The proposals of the "landers" came down to limiting the tasks of the fleet to the Baltic region, which naturally caused a decrease in funding for shipbuilding programs in favor of strengthening the power of the army.

Admiral I.M. Dikov, on the other hand, saw the main tasks of the fleet not so much in helping the army in local conflict in the European theater, as much in geopolitical opposition to the leading powers of the world. "A strong fleet of Russia is necessary as a great power," the admiral said at the meeting, "and she must have it and be able to send it where her national interests require." The head of the Naval Ministry was categorically supported by the influential Minister of Foreign Affairs A.P. Izvolsky: "The fleet should be free, not bound by the private task of defending this or that sea or gulf, it should be where politics dictates."

Taking into account the experience of the First World War, it is now obvious that the "ground troops" at the meeting on April 9, 1907 were absolutely right. Huge investments in the oceanic component of the Russian fleet, primarily in the construction of battleships, which devastated the military budget of Russia, gave an ephemeral, almost zero result. The fleet seemed to have been built, but it stood at the wall for almost the entire war, and the many thousands of military sailors overwhelmed by idleness in the Baltic became one of the main forces new revolution, which crushed the monarchy, and after it the national Russia.

But then the SGO meeting ended with the victory of the sailors. After a short pause, on the initiative of Nicholas II, another meeting was convened, which not only did not reduce, but, on the contrary, increased the financing of the Navy. It was decided to build not one, but two full squadrons: separately for the Baltic and Black Seas. In the final approved version, the "Small Program" of shipbuilding provided for the construction of four battleships (of the Sevastopol type), three submarines and a floating base for naval aviation for the Baltic Fleet. In addition, it was planned to build 14 destroyers and three submarines on the Black Sea. It was planned to spend no more than 126.7 million rubles on the implementation of the "Small Program", however, due to the need for a radical technological reconstruction of shipyards, the total costs approached increased to 870 million rubles.

Empire breaks into the sea

Appetite, as they say, comes with eating. And after the ocean battleships Gangut and Poltava were laid down at the Admiralty Shipyard on June 30, 1909, and Petropavlovsk and Sevastopol at the Baltic Shipyard, the Naval Ministry submitted a report to the emperor justifying the expansion of the shipbuilding program.

It was proposed to build eight more battleships, four battleships (heavily armored) cruisers, 9 light cruisers, 20 submarines, 36 destroyers, 36 skerry (small) destroyers for the Baltic Fleet. It was proposed to strengthen the Black Sea Fleet with three battlecruisers, three light cruisers, 18 destroyers, and 6 submarines. The Pacific Fleet, according to this program, was to receive three cruisers, 18 squadron and 9 skerry destroyers, 12 submarines, 6 minelayers, 4 gunboats. To carry out such an ambitious plan, including the expansion of ports, the modernization of shipyards and the replenishment of the ammunition bases of the fleets, 1,125.4 million rubles were requested.

This program, if implemented, would immediately bring the Russian navy to the level of the British fleet. However, the plan of the Naval Ministry was incompatible not only with the military, but with the entire state budget of the Russian Empire. Nevertheless, Tsar Nicholas II ordered that a Special Meeting be convened to discuss it.

As a result of long discussions and sobering criticism from army circles, the expansion of shipbuilding was somehow coordinated with the real state of affairs in the Russian Empire. In the "Program of enhanced shipbuilding 1912-1916" approved by the Council of Ministers in 1912. In addition to the four battleships already under construction, it was planned to build four armored and four light cruisers, 36 destroyers and 12 submarines for the Baltic Fleet. In addition, it was planned to build two light cruisers for the Black Sea and 6 submarines for the Pacific Ocean. The proposed appropriations were limited to 421 million rubles.

Failed resettlement in Tunisia

In July 1912, Russia and France concluded a special maritime convention in order to strengthen their military-strategic partnership. It provided for the joint actions of the Russian and French fleets against potential adversaries, which could only be the countries of the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy) and Turkey. The convention was focused primarily on the coordination of the Allied naval forces in the Mediterranean basin.

Russia regarded Turkey's plans to strengthen its fleet in the Black and Mediterranean Seas with concern. Although the Turkish fleet, which in 1912 included four old battleships, two cruisers, 29 destroyers and 17 gunboats, did not seem to pose too much of a threat, nevertheless, the tendencies to strengthen Turkish naval power looked alarming. By this period, Turkey twice generally closed the Bosporus and Dardanelles for the passage of Russian ships - in the fall of 1911 and in the spring of 1912. The closure of the straits by the Turks, in addition to certain economic damage, caused public opinion Russia had a significant negative resonance, since the ability of the Russian monarchy to effectively defend national interests was called into question.

All this brought to life the plans of the Naval Ministry to set up a special base for the Russian fleet in French Bizerte (Tunisia). This idea was actively defended by the new Minister of Marine I.K. Grigo Rovich, who proposed to relocate a significant part of the Baltic Fleet to Bizerte. Russian ships in the Mediterranean could then, in the opinion of the minister, solve tasks of a strategic nature with much greater efficiency.

The outbreak of the First World War immediately curtailed all work on the preparation of the relocation of the fleet. Since, in general, the potential of the Russian fleet could not even be remotely compared with the potential of the German High Seas fleet, with the very first shots fired at the border, another task became much more urgent: to physically save the existing ships, especially the Baltic Fleet, from sinking by the enemy.

Baltic Fleet

The Baltic Fleet reinforcement program was only partially completed by the beginning of the war, primarily in terms of building four battleships. The new battleships "Sevastopol", "Poltava", "Gangut", "Petropavlovsk" belonged to the type of dreadnoughts. Their engines included a turbine mechanism, which made it possible to reach a high speed for ships of this class - 23 knots. A technical innovation was the three-gun turrets of the main 305-mm caliber, used for the first time in the Russian fleet. The linear arrangement of the towers provided the possibility of a volley of all the artillery of the main caliber from one side. The two-layer armor system of the sides and the triple bottom of the ships guaranteed high survivability.

The classes of lighter warships of the Baltic Fleet consisted of four armored cruisers, 7 light cruisers, 57 mostly obsolete destroyers, and 10 submarines. During the war, an additional four battle (heavy) cruisers, 18 destroyers and 12 submarines entered service.

The destroyer Novik, a ship of a unique engineering project, stood out with especially valuable combat and operational characteristics. According to its tactical and technical data, this ship approached the class of armorless cruisers, referred to in the Russian fleet as cruisers of the 2nd rank. On August 21, 1913, at a measured mile near Eringsdorf, the Novik reached a speed of 37.3 knots during tests, which became an absolute speed record for military ships of that time. The ship was armed with four triple torpedo tubes and 102-mm naval guns, which had a flat firing trajectory and a high rate of fire.

It is important to note that, despite the obvious successes in preparing for the war, the Naval Ministry took care of providing the advancing component of the Baltic Fleet too late. In addition, the main fleet base in Kronstadt was very inconvenient for the operational combat use of ships. They did not manage to create a new base in Reval (now Tallinn) by August 1914. In general, during the war years, the Russian Baltic Fleet was stronger than the German squadron in the Baltic, which consisted of only 9 cruisers and 4 submarines. However, in the event that the Germans transferred at least part of their newest battleships and heavy cruisers from the High Seas Fleet to the Baltic, the chances of Russian ships to resist the German armada became illusory.

Black Sea Fleet

For objective reasons, the Naval Ministry began to strengthen the Black Sea Fleet even more late. Only in 1911, due to the threat of strengthening the Turkish fleet with two newest battleships ordered in England, each of which, according to the Naval General Staff, would surpass “our entire Black Sea Fleet” in terms of artillery strength, it was decided to build three battleships on the Black Sea , 9 destroyers and 6 submarines with a completion date of construction in the period 1915-1917.

The Italo-Turkish war of 1911-1912, the Balkan wars of 1912-1913, and most importantly, the appointment of General Otto von Sanders as head of the German military mission in the Ottoman Empire heated the situation in the Balkans and the Black Sea straits to the limit. Under these conditions, on the proposal of the Foreign Ministry, an additional program for the development of the Black Sea Fleet was urgently adopted, which provided for the construction of another battleship and several light ships. Approved a month before the start of the First World War, it was to be completed in 1917-1918.

By the beginning of the war, the previously adopted programs for strengthening the Black Sea Fleet had not been implemented: the percentage of completion of three battleships ranged from 33 to 65%, and two cruisers, which the fleet badly needed, were only 14%. However, the Black Sea Fleet was stronger than the Turkish fleet in its theater of operations. The fleet consisted of 6 squadron battleships, 2 cruisers, 20 destroyers and 4 submarines.

At the very beginning of the war, two modern German cruisers Goeben and Breslau entered the Black Sea, which greatly strengthened the naval component of the Ottoman Empire. However, even the combined forces of the German-Turkish squadron could not directly challenge Black Sea Fleet, which included such powerful, albeit somewhat outdated battleships as Rostislav, Panteleimon, and Three Saints.

northern flotilla

With the outbreak of the First World War, a significant delay was revealed in the deployment of the Russian defense industry, which was aggravated by its technological backwardness. Russia was in dire need of components, some strategic materials, as well as small arms and artillery weapons. For the supply of such cargoes, it became necessary to ensure communication with the allies through the White and Barents Seas. Ship convoys could only protect and escort the special forces of the fleet.

Russia was deprived of any opportunity to transfer ships from the Baltic or Black Seas to the North. Therefore, it was decided to transfer some ships of the Pacific squadron from the Far East, as well as to purchase from Japan raised and repaired Russian ships that the Japanese got as trophies during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905.

As a result of negotiations and a generous price offered, it was possible to buy from Japan the squadron battleship Chesma (formerly Poltava), as well as the cruisers Varyag and Peresvet. In addition, two minesweepers were jointly ordered from England and the United States, a submarine from Italy, and icebreakers from Canada.

The order to form the Northern Flotilla was issued in July 1916, but the real result did not follow until the end of 1916. At the beginning of 1917, the flotilla of the Arctic Ocean included battleship"Chesma", cruisers "Varyag" and "Askold", 4 destroyer destroyers, 2 light destroyers, 4 submarines, a minelayer, 40 minesweepers and minesweepers, icebreakers, and other auxiliary vessels. From these ships, a detachment of cruisers, a trawling division, detachments for the defense of the Kola Bay and protection of the Arkhangelsk port area, observation and communication groups were formed. The ships of the Northern Flotilla were based in Murmansk and Arkhangelsk.

The programs for the development of the naval forces adopted in the Russian Empire were lagging behind the beginning of the First World War by about 3-4 years, and a significant part of them turned out to be unfulfilled. Some positions (for example, the construction of four battleships for the Baltic Fleet at once) look clearly redundant, while others that showed high combat effectiveness during the war years (destroyers, underwater minelayers and submarines) were chronically underfunded.

At the same time, it should be recognized that the Russian naval forces very carefully studied the sad experience of the Russo-Japanese War, and basically drew the right conclusions. The combat training of Russian sailors, in comparison with the period of 1901-1903, was improved by an order of magnitude. Nautical General base carried out a major reform of fleet management, dismissing a significant number of “armchair” admirals to the reserve, abolished the qualification system for serving, approved new standards for artillery firing, and developed new charters. With the forces, means and combat experience that the Russian navy had at its disposal, it was possible with a certain degree of optimism to expect the final victory of the Russian Empire in the First World War.