Where the cruiser Varyag was built. Armored cruiser "Varyag": device and history of the ship. Battle, death and further fate

The famous battle of the Varyag cruiser with the Japanese squadron has become a real legend, although this, according to many, is contrary to logic and common sense.

There were many glorious victories in the history of the Russian fleet, and in the case of the Varyag, we are talking about a lost battle of an ingloriously lost war. So what is it that lies in the history of the Varyag that makes the hearts of Russians beat faster in the 21st century?

The Russian cruiser "Varyag" at the beginning of 1904 did not carry out a military mission at all. In the Korean port of Chemulpo, the cruiser and the gunboat "Koreets" were at the disposal of Russian embassy in Seoul. Of course, the sailors knew about the current situation, which threatened to break out into war at any moment, but they did not expect an attack on February 9, 1904.

"Varyag" and "Korean" go into battle, February 9, 1904. Photo: Public Domain

The conflict of two empires

At the beginning of the 20th century on Far East the interests of two actively developing empires - Russian and Japanese - clashed. The parties fought for influence in China and Korea, the Japanese side also openly claimed the territories belonging to Russia, and in the long run hoped to completely oust Russia from the Far East.

By the beginning of 1904, Japan had completed the rearmament of the army and navy, in which the European powers, in particular Great Britain, played an important role, and was ready to resolve the conflict with Russia by force.

In Russia, on the contrary, they were clearly not ready for Japanese aggression. The equipment of the army left much to be desired, the underdevelopment of transport communications excluded the possibility of a quick transfer of additional forces to the Far East. At the same time, there was also a clear underestimation of the enemy by the ruling circles of Russia - too many did not take Japanese claims seriously.

On the night of February 4, 1905, at a meeting of the Privy Council and the government of Japan, it was decided to start a war with Russia, and a day later an order was issued to attack the Russian squadron in Port Arthur and land troops in Korea.

On February 6, 1904, Japan severed diplomatic relations with Russia. Nonetheless, Russian command did not expect decisive military action from the Japanese.

armored cruiser Varyag and a photograph of his captain Vsevolod Rudnev. Photo: Public Domain

Trap in Chemulpo

On the night of February 9, 1904, Japanese destroyers attacked the Russian squadron in Port Arthur, putting out of action two battleships and one cruiser.

At the same time, the Japanese squadron, consisting of six cruisers and eight destroyers, blocked the Varyag and the gunboat Koreets in the port of Chemulpo.

Since Chemulpo was considered a neutral port, there were ships of several powers in it, including the Japanese cruiser Chiyoda, which on the night of February 9 went to the open sea, as it turned out later, to join the main Japanese forces.

By this time, the Russian embassy in Seoul and the commander of the Varyag Captain 1st Rank Vsevolod Rudnev were actually in informational isolation due to the non-receipt of telegrams held up by Japanese agents who controlled the transmitting stations in Korea. The fact that Japan broke off diplomatic relations with Russia, Rudnev learned from the captains of foreign ships. Under these conditions, it was decided to send the "Korean" with reports to Port Arthur.

But on the night of February 9, the Korean, which left the port, was subjected to a torpedo attack by Japanese ships and was forced to return to the roadstead.

According to international law, the Japanese squadron did not have the right to attack Russian ships in a neutral port, as this endangered the ships of other states. On the other hand, the sailors of the "Varyag" could not take retaliatory action when landings began on the morning of February 9 from Japanese transport ships.

The cruiser after the battle, February 9, 1904. A strong list to the port side is visible. Photo: Public Domain

Russians don't give up

It became clear that the war had begun. After negotiations with the participation of the captains of the ships of the neutral powers, the commander of the Japanese squadron, Admiral Sotokichi Uriu, issued an ultimatum: by 12:00 on February 9, Russian ships must leave the port, otherwise they will be attacked directly in it.

The captain of the Varyag, Vsevolod Rudnev, decided to go to sea and take the fight, making an attempt to break through to Port Arthur. With this balance of power, there was practically no chance of success, but the captain's decision was supported by the crew.

When the "Varangian" and "Korean" left the port, the anthem began to be played on the ships of the neutral powers Russian Empire as a sign of respect for the courage of Russian sailors going to certain death.

After the Russian ships left the port, Admiral Uriu ordered the Varyag and the Korean to be handed over: we offer to surrender and lower the flag.

The Russian sailors refused, after which a battle ensued. The battle lasted about an hour. Japanese ships had better equipment, maneuverability and higher speed. With an overwhelming quantitative advantage, this, in fact, did not leave the Russians a chance. Japanese fire caused serious damage to the Varyag, including most of the ship's guns were disabled. In addition, due to their hit in the underwater part, the ship rolled to the port side. There was great damage to the stern, some hits caused fires, several people were killed by shrapnel in the conning tower and the captain was shell-shocked.

In the battle, 1 officer and 22 sailors of the Varyag were killed, ten more died of wounds, dozens of people were seriously injured. The "Korean", whose participation in the battle was limited, had no losses in the crew.

It is difficult to talk about Japanese losses. According to Captain Rudnev's report, one Japanese destroyer was sunk, and at least one Japanese cruiser was seriously damaged.

Japanese sources report that the ships of Admiral Uriu did not suffer any losses at all, and not a single Varyag shell reached its target.

Fragment of the painting "Cruiser Varyag" by Pyotr Maltsev. Photo: www.russianlook.com

Rewards for defeat

After returning to the port, the question arose before Captain Rudnev: what to do next? Initially, he intended to resume the fight after repairing the damage, but it quickly became clear that there was no way for this.

As a result, it was decided to destroy the ships in order to prevent them from falling into the hands of the enemy. The wounded sailors were transferred to neutral ships, after which the crews left the Varyag and Koreets. "Varyag" was flooded by opening the kingstones, and "Korean" was blown up.

After negotiations with the Japanese side, an agreement was reached that the Russian sailors would not be considered prisoners of war, but would be entitled to return to their homeland, subject to the obligation not to participate in further hostilities.

In Russia, the Varyag sailors were greeted as heroes, although many of the crew expected a completely different reaction: after all, the battle was lost, and the ships were lost. Contrary to these expectations, the crew of the "Varyag" was awarded a solemn reception by Nicholas II, and all participants in the battle were awarded.

This still causes confusion among many: why? The Japanese squadron defeated the Russians to smithereens. Moreover, the flooded "Varyag" was soon raised by the Japanese and included in the fleet under the name "Soya". Only in 1916 "Varyag" was redeemed and returned to Russia.

Cruiser Soya. Photo: Public Domain

Stay to the last

The most surprising thing is that the act of Russian sailors was considered heroic and their opponents were the Japanese. Moreover, in 1907, Captain Vsevolod Rudnev was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun by the Japanese Emperor in recognition of the heroism of Russian sailors. Young Japanese officers were taught courage and stamina, using as an example the crews of the Varyag and Koreets.

There is no logic in all this, only if you think pragmatically. But the fact of the matter is that not everything in our lives can be measured by such logic.

Duty to the Motherland and the honor of a sailor are sometimes more expensive own life. Accepting an unequal and hopeless battle, the Varyag sailors showed the enemy that there would be no easy victory in the war with Russia, that every warrior would stand to the end and not retreat to the last.

It was with steadfastness, courage and readiness for self-sacrifice that Soviet soldiers forced the well-oiled machine of the Nazi Wehrmacht to break down. For many of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War, the feat of the Varyag was an example.

In 1954, already in the Soviet Union, the 50th anniversary of the battle at Chemulpo was widely celebrated. The surviving sailors of the "Varyag" were assigned personal pensions, and 15 of them received medals "For Courage" from the hands of the Commander-in-Chief of the USSR Navy, Admiral Kuznetsov.

February 9, 1904 - the day of the feat and the death of the cruiser "Varyag". This day became the starting point for Russia's plunge into a series of revolutions and wars. But in this century it also became the first day of unfading Russian military glory.
The cruiser Varyag entered service in 1902. In its class, it was the strongest and fastest ship in the world: with a displacement of 6500 tons, it had a speed of 23 knots (44 km / h), carried 36 guns, 24 of them large-caliber, and 6 torpedo tubes. The crew consisted of 18 officers and 535 sailors. The captain of the 1st rank Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev, a hereditary sailor, commanded the cruiser. By the beginning of the Russo-Japanese War, the Varyag was on a mission to protect the Russian embassy in Seoul.
On the night of February 8-9, 1904, a Japanese officer left the following entry in his diary: "We will not declare war in advance, as this is a completely incomprehensible, stupid European custom" (compare the Russian prince Svyatoslav, who lived a whole thousand years before this, before the war he sent messengers to his opponents with brief message"I'm coming for you").
On the night of January 27 (old style), Rudnev was given an ultimatum from the Japanese Rear Admiral Uriu: "Varyag" and "Korean" must leave the port before noon, otherwise they will be attacked in the roadstead. The commanders of the French cruiser Pascal, the English Talbot, the Italian Elba, and the American gunboat Vicksburg, who were in Chemulpo, received a Japanese notification of the upcoming attack of his squadron on Russian ships the day before.
To the credit of the commanders of three foreign cruisers - the French "Pascal", the English "Talbot" and the Italian "Elba", they expressed a written protest to the commander of the Japanese squadron: "... since, on the basis of generally recognized provisions of international law, the port of Chemulpo is neutral, then no nation has no right to attack the ships of other nations in this port, and the power that transgresses this law is fully responsible for any harm done to life or property in this port. Therefore, by this letter, we protest vigorously against such a violation of neutrality and will be glad to hear What is your opinion on this subject?
Under this letter, there was only the signature of the commander of the American Vicksburg, Captain 2nd Rank Marshall. As you can see, the practice of remembering international law only depending on its own benefit has a long tradition among Americans.
Meanwhile, Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev announced an ultimatum to the crew with the words: “The challenge is more than impudent, but I accept it. I do not shy away from battle, although I do not have an official report from my government about the war. "Koreans" will fight to the last drop of blood, showing everyone an example of fearlessness in battle and contempt for death."
Midshipman Padalko answered for the whole team: "All of us, both the Varyag and the Korean, will defend our native St. Andrew's flag, its glory, honor and dignity, realizing that the whole world is watching us."

At 11:10 a.m. on the Russian ships a command was sounded: "All up, anchor off!" - and ten minutes later "Varyag" and "Korean" weighed anchor and set sail. With the slow passage of the English, French, Italian cruisers, the musicians of the Varyag sang the corresponding national anthems. In response, from the foreign ships, on the decks of which the teams lined up in front, the sounds of the Russian anthem rushed.
"We saluted these heroes who marched so proudly to certain death!" - later wrote the commander of the "Pascal" captain of the 1st rank Senes.
The excitement was indescribable, some of the sailors were crying. They had never seen a more sublime and tragic scene. On the bridge of the Varyag was its commander, leading the ship to the last parade.
There was no doubt about the outcome of this battle. Russian armored cruiser and obsolete gunboat the Japanese countered with six armored cruisers and eight destroyers. Against the Russians, two 203-mm, thirteen 152-mm guns and seven torpedo tubes were preparing to fire four 203-mm, thirty-eight 152-mm guns and forty-three torpedo tubes. The superiority was more than triple, despite the fact that the "Varyag" had no side armor at all and even armored shields on the guns.
When the enemy ships saw each other on the high seas, the Japanese issued a signal to "surrender at the mercy of the winner", hoping that the Russian cruiser, in the face of their overwhelming superiority, would surrender without a fight and become the first trophy in this war. In response, the commander of the "Varyag" gave the order to raise the battle flags. At 11:45 a.m. the first shot was fired from the Asama cruiser, followed by 200 shells fired by the Japanese guns in just one minute - about seven tons of deadly metal. The Japanese squadron concentrated all fire on the Varyag, at first ignoring the Korean. Broken boats burned on the Varyag, the water around it boiled from explosions, the remains of the ship's superstructures fell on the deck with a roar, burying Russian sailors under them. One after another, the wrecked guns fell silent, around which the dead lay. Japanese buckshot rained down, the deck of the Varyag turned into a vegetable grater. But, despite the heavy fire and huge destruction, the Varyag still fired aimed at the Japanese ships from the remaining guns. The "Korean" did not lag behind him either.

Even the wounded did not leave their combat posts. The roar was such that the sailors in the literal sense of the word burst eardrums. Commander's namesake, ship's priest Fr. Mikhail Rudnev, despite the constant threat of death, walked along the blood-drenched deck of the Varyag and inspired the officers and sailors.
"Varangian" concentrated fire on "Asama". Within an hour, he fired 1105 shells at the Japanese, as a result of which a fire started on the Asama, the captain's bridge collapsed and the ship's commander was killed. The cruiser "Akashi" received such heavy damage that its subsequent repair lasted more than a year. Two other cruisers received no less severe damage. One of the destroyers sank during the battle, and the other on the way to the port of Sasebo. In total, the Japanese brought ashore 30 dead and 200 wounded, not counting those who died with their ships. The enemy could neither sink nor capture the Russian ships - when the forces of the Russian sailors were running out, Rudnev decided to return to the port in order to save the surviving sailors.
It was a victory for the Russian fleet. The moral superiority of the Russians over any enemy force was proved at a terrible price - but this price was paid easily.
When the mutilated Russian ships reached the port, the captain of the French cruiser Senes climbed onto the deck of the Varyag: "I will never forget the amazing sight that presented itself to me. The deck is covered in blood, corpses and body parts are everywhere. Nothing has escaped destruction."
Of the 36 guns, only 7 remained more or less intact. Four huge holes were found in the hull. Of the crew on the upper deck, 33 sailors were killed and 120 were injured. Captain Rudnev was severely wounded in the head. In order to prevent the capture of unarmed ships by the Japanese, it was decided to blow up the gunboat "Koreets", and kingstones were opened on the "Varyag".
The surviving Russian heroes were placed on foreign ships. The English "Talbot" took on board 242 people, the Italian ship took 179 Russian sailors, the rest was placed on board the French "Pascal".
Admired by the valor of the Russians, the German Rudolf Greinz composed a poem, to the words of which (in the translation of E. Studenskaya) the musician of the 12th Astrakhan Grenadier Regiment A.S. - "Our proud Varyag does not surrender to the enemy.
On April 29, 1904, in the Winter Palace, Nicholas II honored the sailors of the Varyag. On this day, for the first time, a song sounded more like a hymn:

Upstairs, you, comrades, are with God, hurray!
The last parade is coming.
Our proud Varyag does not surrender to the enemy
Nobody wants mercy!
All pennants curl and chains rattle,
Lifting the anchor up
Prepare for battle guns in a row,
Shining ominously in the sun!
It whistles and rumbles and rumbles all around.
The thunder of cannons, the hiss of shells,
And our immortal and proud "Varangian" became
It's like pure hell.
Bodies tremble in death throes,
The thunder of guns, and smoke, and moaning,
And the ship is engulfed in a sea of ​​fire,
It's time to say goodbye.
Farewell, comrades! With God, cheers!
The boiling sea below us!
Didn't think, brothers, we are with you yesterday,
That now we will die under the waves.
Neither stone nor cross will tell where they lay down
To the glory of the Russian flag,
Only sea waves will glorify alone
Heroic death "Varyag"!

After some time, the Japanese raised the Varyag, repaired it and introduced it into their fleet under the name Soya. March 22, 1916 the ship was bought by the Russian tsar and enlisted in the Baltic Fleet under the former name - "Varangian".
A year later, the worn-out cruiser was sent for repairs to allied England. The Russian fleet was waiting for the return of the glorious cruiser to participate in the war with Germany, but the October coup happened, and the British military authorities disarmed the Varyag and sent the crew home, and the ship itself was sold in 1918 to a private entrepreneur. When they tried to tow the Varyag to the place of the future parking, near the town of Lendalfoot, a storm broke out, and the cruiser was thrown onto the rocks. In 1925, the British dismantled the remains of the Varyag for metal. Thus ended the existence of the most famous cruiser of the Russian fleet.
Captain Rudnev died in Tula in 1913. In 1956, a monument was erected to him in his small homeland. Monuments to the heroes of the "Varyag" were erected in the port of Chemulpo and at the Marine Cemetery in Vladivostok.

Glory to Russian heroes! Eternal memory to them!

Preparing for war with Russia, Japan had first of all and at any cost to gain dominance at sea. Without this, all her further struggle with her mighty northern neighbor became absolutely meaningless. A small island empire, deprived of mineral resources, would not only not be able to transfer troops and reinforcements to the battlefields in Manchuria in this case, but would not be able to protect its own naval bases and ports from bombardment by Russian ships, would not be able to and ensure normal shipping, and the work of the entire Japanese industry depended on the regular and uninterrupted delivery of goods. The Japanese could protect themselves from a very real threat from the Russian fleet only by inflicting a preemptive, unexpected strike on the places where enemy ships were concentrated. Such strikes, even before the official declaration of war, began hostilities in the Sea of ​​Japan.

On the night of January 27, 1904, 10 Japanese destroyers suddenly attacked the Russian squadron of Vice Admiral Stark, stationed on the outer roads of Port Arthur and torpedoed the battleships Retvisan and Tsesarevich, as well as the cruiser Pallada. The damaged ships were out of action for a long time, providing Japan with a tangible superiority in forces.

The second blow of the enemy was inflicted on the armored cruiser "Varyag" (commanded by Captain 1st Rank Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev) and the gunboat "Koreets" (commander Captain 2nd Rank Grigory Pavlovich Belyaev) located in the Korean port of Chemul. Against two Russian ships, the Japanese threw a whole squadron of Rear Admiral Sotokichi Uriu, which included a heavy armored cruiser"Asama", 5 armored cruisers ("Tieda", "Naniva", "Niitaka", "Takachiho" and "Akashi"), advice note "Chihaya" and 7 destroyers.

On the morning of January 27, the Japanese issued an ultimatum to the commanders of Russian ships demanding that they leave the neutral port by 12 noon, threatening to attack the Varyag and Koreets right in the roadstead if they refused. The commanders of the French cruiser Pascal, the English Talbot, the Italian Elba, and the American gunboat Vicksburg, who were in Chemulpo, received a Japanese notification of the upcoming attack of his squadron on Russian ships the day before. Their protest against the violation of the neutral status of the port of Chemulpo by the commander of the Japanese squadron was not taken into account. The commanders of the ships of the international squadron did not intend to protect the Russians by force of arms, and informed V.F. Rudnev, who answered bitterly: “So my ship is a piece of meat thrown to the dogs? Well, they will impose a fight on me - I will accept it. I'm not going to give up, no matter how big the Japanese squadron is." Returning to the Varyag, he announced to the team. "The challenge is more than bold, but I accept it. I do not shy away from the battle, although I do not have an official report on the war from my government. I am sure of one thing: the Varyag and Koreets teams will fight to the last drop of blood, showing everyone an example of fearlessness in battle and contempt for death."

At 11 o'clock. 20 minutes. the cruiser "Varyag" and the gunboat "Koreets" raised anchors and headed for the exit from the roadstead. The Japanese squadron guarded the Russians at the southern tip of Philip Island. Closest to the exit from the raid was "Asama", and it was from her that the "Varangian" and "Korean" who were going towards them were found. Admiral Uriu ordered the anchor chains to be riveted, as there was no time to raise and clean the anchors. The ships began to hastily stretch out onto the stretch, reorganizing themselves into battle columns on the move, according to the disposition received the day before.

When Russian ships were found on the masts of the Naniva, signal flags were raised with a proposal to surrender without a fight. But Rudnev decided not to answer the signal and went to approach the enemy squadron. "Korean" was a little to the left of "Varyag".

At a distance of 10 miles from Chemulpo, a battle took place near the island of Yodolmi, which lasted about 1 hour. The Japanese cruisers moved in a converging course, pressing the Russian ships to the shallows. At 11 o'clock. 44 min. on the masts of the flagship "Naniva" a signal was raised to open fire. A minute later, the Asama armored cruiser began firing from the bow turret guns.

The first volley lay ahead of the Varyag with a short flight. To the surprise of the Russians, the Japanese shells exploded even on impact with the water, raising huge columns of water and puffs of black smoke.

"Varyag" and "Korean" returned fire. True, the very first volleys from the gunboat gave a large undershot, and in the future, the Russian cruiser fought an artillery duel with the enemy almost alone. Meanwhile, the density of fire from the enemy increased: the ships of the second group entered the battle. The Russian cruiser was completely hidden behind huge water columns, which, with a roar, now and then took off to the level of combat mars. The superstructures and the deck were doused with a hail of fragments. Despite the loss of life, the Varyag energetically responded to the enemy with frequent fire. The main goal of his gunners was Asama, which soon managed to disable him. Then an enemy destroyer went on the attack on the cruiser, but the very first salvo from the Varyag sent it to the bottom.

However, Japanese shells continued to torment the Russian ship. At 12 o'clock. 12 min. on the surviving halyards of the foremast of the cruiser, the signal "P" ("Peace") was raised, which meant "I'm turning right." This was followed by several events that hastened the tragic denouement of the battle. First, an enemy shell broke the pipe in which all the steering gears were laid. As a result, the uncontrolled ship moved to the rocks of Yodolmi Island. Almost simultaneously, another shell exploded between Baranovsky's landing gun and the foremast. At the same time, the entire crew of gun No. 35 was killed. Fragments flew into the passage of the conning tower, mortally wounding the bugler and drummer; the cruiser commander escaped with a slight wound and shell shock. Further control of the ship had to be transferred to the aft steering compartment.

Suddenly there was a rattle, and the ship, shuddering, stopped. In the conning tower, instantly assessing the situation, they gave the car the fullest back, but it was too late. Now the Varyag, which turned to the enemy with its left side, was a stationary target. The Japanese commander, noticing the plight of the Russians, raised the signal "Everyone turn to approach the enemy." The ships of all groups lay down on a new course, simultaneously firing from bow guns.

The Varyag's position seemed hopeless. The enemy was rapidly approaching, and the cruiser sitting on the rocks could not do anything. It was at this time that he received the most severe injuries. A large-caliber shell, breaking through the side under water, exploded in coal pit No. 10, at 12.30 an eight-inch shell exploded in coal pit No. 12. Water began to rise to the fireboxes, the crew immediately began to pump it out with all available means. Under enemy fire, emergency parties began to bring patches under these holes. And here a miracle happened: the cruiser itself, as if reluctantly, slid aground and moved away from the dangerous place in reverse. No longer tempting fate, Rudnev ordered to lie down on the return course.

However, the situation was still very difficult. Although the water was pumped out by all means, the Varyag continued to roll to the port side, and a hail of enemy shells showered it. But, to the surprise of the Japanese, the Varyag, having increased its speed, confidently left in the direction of the raid. Due to the narrowness of the fairway, only the Asama and Chiyoda cruisers could pursue the Russians. “Soon, the Japanese had to cease fire, as their shells began to fall near the ships of the international squadron. The Italian cruiser Elba even had to go deep into the raid because of this. At 12.45 the Russian ships also ceased fire. The fight is over.

In total, during the battle, the Varyag fired 1105 shells: 425 152-mm, 470 75-mm and 210 47-mm. In the surviving Varyag logbook, it is noted that its gunners managed to sink an enemy destroyer and inflict serious damage on 2 Japanese cruisers. According to foreign observers, after the battle, the Japanese buried 30 dead in A-san Bay and had more than 200 wounded on their ships. According to an official document (a sanitary report for the war), the losses of the Varyag crew amounted to 130 people - 33 killed and 97 wounded. In total, 12-14 large high-explosive shells hit the cruiser ..

Rudnev, on a French boat, went to the English cruiser Talbot to arrange for the transportation of the crew of the Varyag to foreign ships and report on the alleged destruction of the cruiser right on the roadstead. Bailey, the commander of the Talbot, objected to the explosion of the Varyag, motivating his opinion by the large crowding of ships in the roadstead. At 13 o'clock. 50 min. Rudnev returned to the Varyag. Hastily gathering nearby officers, he informed them of his intention and obtained their support. They immediately began transporting the wounded, and then the entire crew, to foreign ships. At 15 o'clock. 15 minutes. the commander of the "Varyag" sent midshipman V. Balka to the "Korean". G.P. Belyaev immediately gathered a military council, at which the officers decided: “The upcoming battle in half an hour is not equal, it will cause unnecessary bloodshed ... without harming the enemy, and therefore it is necessary ... to blow up the boat ... ". The crew of the "Korean" switched to the French cruiser "Pascal". At 15 o'clock. 50 min. Rudnev with the senior boatswain, bypassing the ship and making sure that no one was left on it, got off it together with the owners of the hold compartments, who opened the kingstones and flood valves. At 16 o'clock. 05 min. "Korean" exploded, at 18 o'clock. 10 min. lay down on the port side and disappeared under the water "Varyag", at 20 o'clock. The ship "Sungari" was blown up.

The formal declaration of war on Russia by Japan followed only on January 28 (February 10), 1904. Blocking the Russian fleet on the roadstead of Port Arthur, the Japanese landed their troops in Korea and on the Liaodong Peninsula, which advanced to the border of Manchuria and, at the same time, began the siege of Port - Arthur with sushi. For Russia, a big problem was the remoteness of the theater of operations from its main territory. - The concentration of troops was slow, due to the incomplete construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway. With the numerical superiority of its armed forces, equipped with the most modern models military equipment, the Japanese inflicted a number of heavy defeats on the Russian troops.

On April 18 (May 1), 1904, the first big battle took place between Russian and Japanese troops on the river. Yalu (Chinese name Yalujiang, Korean name - Amnokkan). The Eastern Detachment of the Russian Manchurian Army under the command of Major General M.I. Zasulich, having lost Gen. T. Kuroki more than 2 thousand people. killed and wounded, 21 guns and all 8 machine guns were forced to retreat to the passes of the Fyn-Shuilinsky ridge.

On May 13 (26), 1904, units of the 2nd Japanese Army, General. Ya. Oku captured the city of Jinzhou, cutting off the garrison of Port Arthur from the Russian Manchurian army. To assist the besieged Port Arthur, the 1st Siberian Corps of Gen. I.I. Stackelberg. On June 1-2 (13-14), 1904, his troops entered into battle with units of the 2nd Japanese Army near the Wafangou station. As a result of a two-day stubborn battle, the troops of General Oku, who had a significant superiority in infantry and artillery, began to bypass the right flank of the corps of General Stackelberg and forced him to retreat to join the main forces of the Russian army (in Pasichao). The main formations of the 2nd Japanese Army launched an offensive against Liaoyang. For the siege of Port Arthur, the 3rd Japanese Army was formed under the command of General M. Noga.

The Japanese offensive against Liaoyang, launched in July 1904, forced the Russian command to engage them in battle. August 11 (24) - August 21 (September 3), 1904, the battle of Liaoyang took place. Started successfully for the Russian troops, it, due to the erroneous actions of the gene. A.N. Kuropatkin, ended with the defeat of his army, forced to retreat to the city of Mukden. Russian troops lost 16 thousand people in this 11-day battle, Japanese - 24 thousand people.

The arrival of new troops replenished the Manchurian army, whose strength by the autumn of 1904 reached 214 thousand people. With a numerical superiority over the enemy (170 thousand people), part of whose troops were distracted by the ongoing siege of Port Arthur, the Russian command decided to go on the offensive. September 22 (October 5) - October 4 (17), 1904 on the Shahe River there was a head-on battle between the Russian and Japanese armies, which ended inconclusively for both sides. For the first time in the entire war, opponents who suffered heavy losses (the Russians - over 40 thousand people, the Japanese - 20 thousand people) were forced to switch to positional military operations. However, the stabilization of the front line on the river. Shahe had disastrous consequences for the besieged Port Arthur. After the capture by the Japanese of Mount High, a key point of the Russian defense, and the destruction of the squadron stationed in the inner roadstead by the fire of their batteries, the commandant of the Kwantung Fortified Region, Gen. A.M. On December 20, 1904 (January 2, 1905), Stessel signed an agreement with representatives of the Japanese command on the surrender of the fortress and the surrender of the Port Arthur garrison.

On the Manchurian front, a new and largest clash of the Russian and Japanese armies in the entire war took place near Mukden on February 6 (19) - February 25 (March 10). The Russian army, having suffered a heavy defeat, retreated to the city of Telin. The losses of Russian troops in this battle reached 89 thousand people. killed, wounded and captured. The Japanese lost 71 thousand people killed and wounded, which turned out to be very high for the army of a small island state, whose government soon after this victory was forced to agree to the beginning of peace negotiations with Russia through the mediation of US President T. Roosevelt. Another consequence of the Mukden defeat was the resignation of Gen. A.N. Kuropatkin from the post of commander-in-chief of the armed forces in the Far East. He was succeeded by Gen. N.P. Linevich. The new commander-in-chief refused to take active steps, doing only engineering support Sipingai positions 175 km. sowing Mukden. The Russian army remained on them until the end of the war

At sea, the last hopes of the Russian command perished after the rout. in the Tsushima Strait by the Japanese fleet of Admiral H. Togo of the Russian squadron of Vice Admiral Z.P. Rozhdestvensky, directed from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean (May 14-15 (27-28), 1905).

During the hostilities, Russia lost approx. 270 thousand people, incl. OK. 50 thousand people - killed, Japan - also approx. 270 thousand people, but approx. 86 thousand people

Aviso is a small warship used for messenger service.

Only the commander of the American Vicksburg, Captain 2nd Rank Marshall, did not join the protest of the commanders of foreign ships.

The Varyag was sunk at a shallow depth - at low tide the ship was exposed almost to the diametrical plane by 4 m. The Japanese decided to take possession of it and began lifting work. In 1905 "Varyag". was raised and sent to Sasebo. There, the cruiser was repaired and then commissioned by the squadron of Vice Admiral Uriu under the name "Soya", but on the stern, under Japanese hieroglyphs, by the decision of Emperor Mutsuhito, an inscription was left in golden Slavic script - "Varyag". On March 22, 1916, Russia bought out its illustrious cruiser, which was returned to its former name. In 1917, the ship was under repair in the UK and after the October Revolution was sold for scrap. However, fate and the sea were against such an end of the Varyag - in 1922, during his last campaign, he sank off the coast of Scotland, 60 miles south of Glasgow.

V.A. Volkov

The cruiser "Varyag" needs no introduction. Nevertheless, the battle at Chemulpo is still the dark page of the Russian military history. Its results are disappointing, and there are still a lot of misconceptions about the participation of the Varyag in this battle.

"Varyag" - a weak cruiser

In popular publications, there is an assessment that the combat value of the Varyag was low. Indeed, due to poor-quality work performed during the construction in Philadelphia, the Varyag could not develop a contract speed of 25 knots, thereby losing the main advantage of a light cruiser.

The second serious drawback was the lack of armor shields for the main caliber guns. On the other hand, Japan during the Russo-Japanese War, in principle, did not have a single armored cruiser capable of withstanding the Varyag and the Askold, Bogatyr or Oleg similar to it in armament.

Not a single Japanese cruiser of this class had 12,152 mm guns. Truth, fighting developed in such a way that the crews of Russian cruisers never had to fight with an enemy equal in number or class. The Japanese always acted for sure, compensating for the shortcomings of their cruisers with a numerical superiority, and the first, but far from the last in this glorious and tragic list for the Russian fleet was the battle of the Varyag cruiser.

A hail of shells hit the Varyag and Koreets

In artistic and popular descriptions of the battle at Chemulpo, it is often said that the Varyag and the Korean (who did not receive a single hit) were literally bombarded with Japanese shells. However, official figures show otherwise. In just 50 minutes of the battle at Chemulpo, six Japanese cruisers used up 419 shells: Asama 27 - 203 mm. , 103 152 mm., 9 76 mm; "Naniva" - 14 152 mm; "Niitaka" - 53 152 mm., 130 76mm. Takachiho - 10 152 mm, Akashi - 2 152 mm, Chiyoda 71 120 mm.

In response, according to Rudnev's report, 1105 shells were fired from the Varyag: 425-152mm, 470-75mm, 210-47mm. It turns out that the Russian gunners have achieved the highest rate of fire. To this we can add 22 203 mm, 27 152 mm and 3 107 mm shells fired from the "Korean".

That is, in the battle at Chemulpo, two Russian ships fired almost three times more shells than the entire Japanese squadron. The question of how the account of spent shells was kept on the Russian cruiser or the figure was indicated approximately based on the results of a survey of the crew remains debatable. And could such a number of shells have been fired on a cruiser that had lost 75% of its artillery by the end of the battle?

Rear Admiral at the head of the Varyag

As you know, after returning to Russia and upon his retirement in 1905, the commander of the Varyag, Rudnev, received the rank of Rear Admiral. Already today, the name of Vsevolod Fedorovich was given to one of the streets in South Butovo in Moscow. Although, perhaps it would have been more logical to name Captain Rudnev, if necessary, to single out among his well-known namesakes in military affairs.

There is no mistake in the name, but this image needs clarification - in military history this man remained the captain of the 1st rank and the commander of the Varyag, but as a rear admiral he could no longer prove himself. But a clear mistake has crept into a number of modern textbooks for high school students, where the “legend” already sounds that it was Rear Admiral Rudnev who commanded the Varyag cruiser. The authors did not go into details and think that the rear admiral was in command of an armored cruiser of the 1st rank somehow out of rank.

Two against fourteen

The literature often indicates that the cruiser "Varyag" and the gunboat "Koreets" were attacked by the Japanese squadron of Rear Admiral Uriu, consisting of 14 ships - 6 cruisers and 8 destroyers.

Here it is necessary to make several clarifications.

Outwardly, the huge numerical and qualitative superiority of the Japanese, which the enemy did not take advantage of during the battle. It should be noted that on the eve of the battle at Chemulpo, the Uriu squadron consisted of not even 14, but 15 pennants - the Asama armored cruiser, the Naniva, Takachiho, Niytaka, Chiyoda, Akashi armored cruisers and eight destroyers and memo "Chihaya".

True, on the eve of the battle with the Varyag, the Japanese suffered non-combat losses. When the gunboat Koreets tried to proceed from Chemulpo to Port Arthur, the Japanese squadron began dangerous maneuvering (which ended with the use of guns) around the Russian gunboat, as a result of which the destroyer Tsubame ran aground and did not participate directly in the battle. The messenger ship "Chihaya" did not participate in the battle, which, nevertheless, was in the immediate vicinity of the battlefield. In reality, the battle was fought by a group of four Japanese cruisers, two more cruisers participated only sporadically, and the presence of destroyers among the Japanese remained a presence factor.

"Cruiser and two enemy destroyers at the bottom"

When it comes to military losses, this issue often becomes the subject of heated discussions. The battle at Chemulpo was no exception, in which estimates of Japanese losses are very contradictory.

Russian sources point to very heavy losses of the enemy: a sunken destroyer, 30 killed and 200 wounded. They are based mainly on the opinion of representatives of foreign powers who observed the battle.

Over time, two destroyers and the cruiser Takachiho turned out to be “sunk” (by the way, these data got into the thin film “Cruiser Varyag”). And if the fate of some Japanese destroyers raises questions, then the Takachiho cruiser safely survived the Russo-Japanese war and died 10 years later with the entire crew during the siege of Qingdao.

The reports of all the commanders of the Japanese cruisers indicate the absence of losses and damage on their ships. Another question: where, after the battle in Chemulpo, did the main enemy of the Varyag, the armored cruiser Asama, "disappear" for two months? Neither Port Arthur nor the squadron of Admiral Kammamura operating against the Vladivostok cruiser detachment was present. And this was at the very beginning of the war, when the outcome of the confrontation was far from being decided.

It is likely that the ship, which became the main target of the Varyag guns, was seriously damaged, but at the beginning of the war, for propaganda purposes, it was undesirable for the Japanese side to talk about this. From the experience of the Russo-Japanese War, it is well known how the Japanese tried to hide their losses for a long time, for example, the death of the battleships Hatsuse and Yashima, and a number of destroyers that apparently ended up at the bottom were simply written off after the war as beyond repair.

Legends of Japanese Modernization

A number of misconceptions are associated with the service of the "Varyag" in the Japanese fleet. One of them is related to the fact that the Japanese, after the rise of the Varyag, retained the Russian state emblem and the name of the cruiser as a sign of respect. However, this was more likely due not to the desire to pay tribute to the crew of the heroic ship, but to design features - the coat of arms and the name were mounted in the aft balcony and the Japanese fixed the new name of the Soya cruiser on both sides on the lattice of the balcony. The second misconception is the replacement of Nikoloss boilers with Miyabar boilers on the Varyag. Although a thorough repair of the machines still had to be made, the cruiser showed a speed of 22.7 knots during tests.

Probably, there is not a single person in Russia who has not heard about the suicidal feat of the Varyag cruiser. Despite the fact that more than a hundred years have passed since the events described below, the memory of unheard-of heroism still lives in the hearts and memory of people. But at the same time, knowing in general terms the history of this legendary ship, we lose sight of many amazing details with which its fate is rich. The beginning of the 20th century was marked by a clash of interests between two rapidly developing empires - the Russian and Japanese. The stumbling block was the territories belonging to Russia in the Far East, which the Japanese emperor slept and saw as belonging to his country. On February 6, 1904, Japan severed all diplomatic relations with Russia, and already on February 9, it blocked the port of Chemulpo, where the Varyag, unknown at that time, was located.

Made in USA

The armored cruiser of the 1st rank was laid down in 1898. Construction was carried out at the William Cramp and Sons shipyards in Philadelphia. In 1900, the cruiser was transferred Navy Russian Empire. According to the commander of the cruiser Rudnev, the ship was delivered with many construction defects, due to which, as expected, it would not be able to reach speeds above 14 knots. "Varyag" was even going to be returned back for repairs. However, during trials in the fall of 1903, the cruiser developed a speed almost equal to that shown in the initial trials.

Diplomatic mission "Varyag"

From January 1904, the famous cruiser was at the disposal of the Russian embassy in Seoul, stood in the neutral Korean port of Chemulpo and did not take any military action. By an evil irony of fate, the "Varyag" and the gunboat "Korean" had to enter into a losing battle, the first in an ingloriously lost war.

Before the fight

On the night of February 8, the Japanese cruiser Chiyoda secretly sailed from the port of Chemulpo. His departure did not go unnoticed by Russian sailors. On the same day, the "Korean" went to Port Arthur, but at the exit from Chemulpo was subject to a torpedo attack and was forced to return back to the raid. On the morning of February 9, Captain First Rank Rudnev received an official ultimatum from the Japanese Admiral Uriu: to surrender and leave Chemulpo before noon. The exit from the port was blocked by the Japanese squadron, so the Russian ships were trapped, from which there was not a single chance to get out.

"No Talk of Surrender"

At about 11 a.m., the commander of the cruiser addressed the crew with a speech. From his words it followed that he did not intend to surrender to the enemy so easily. The sailors fully supported their captain. Shortly thereafter, the Varyag and the Koreets withdrew from the raid to go to their last battle, while the crews of foreign warships saluted the Russian sailors and sang national anthems. As a sign of respect, the brass bands on the Allied ships played the national anthem of the Russian Empire.

Battle of Chemulpo

"Varyag" almost alone (a short-range gunboat does not count) went against the Japanese squadron, numbering 6 cruisers and 8 destroyers, equipped with more powerful and modern weapons. The very first hits showed all the vulnerabilities of the Varyag: due to the lack of armored turrets, the gun crews suffered heavy losses, and the explosions caused the guns to malfunction. For an hour of battle, the Varyag received 5 underwater holes, countless surface holes and lost almost all the guns. In the conditions of a narrow fairway, the cruiser ran aground, representing a seductive motionless target, but then by some miracle, to the surprise of the Japanese, he managed to get off it. During this hour, the Varyag fired 1105 shells at the enemy, sank one destroyer and damaged 4 Japanese cruisers. However, as the Japanese authorities later claimed, not a single shell from the Russian cruiser reached its target, and there were no damages or losses at all. On the Varyag, the losses among the crew were large: one officer and 30 sailors were killed, about two hundred people were injured or shell-shocked. According to Rudnev, there was not a single opportunity to continue the battle in such conditions, so it was decided to return to the port and flood the ships so that they would not go to the enemy as trophies. Teams of Russian ships were sent to neutral ships, after which the Varyag was flooded by opening the kingstones, and the Korean was blown up. This did not prevent the Japanese from getting the cruiser from the bottom of the sea, repairing it and including it in a squadron called Soya.

Medal for defeat

In the homeland of the heroes of Chemulpo, great honors awaited, despite the fact that the battle was actually lost. The crew of the Varyag was honored with a solemn reception by Emperor Nicholas II and received many awards. The crews of the French, German and English ships stationed in the roadstead during the battle in Chemulpo also enthusiastically responded to the brave Russians. Another thing is surprising: the heroic deed of the Russian sailors was also considered by their opponents - the Japanese. In 1907, Vsevolod Rudnev (who by that time had fallen out of favor with Nicholas II) became the Emperor of Japan. awarded the order The rising sun as a tribute to the courage and resilience of Russian sailors.

The further fate of the Varyag

After the Russo-Japanese War, the Japanese government established in Seoul memorial museum heroes of the Varyag. After ten years of captivity, the Varyag was redeemed from Japan in 1916, along with other Russian ships captured as war trophies. After the October Revolution, the British government ordered the arrest of all Russian ships in their ports, among which was the Varyag. In 1920, it was decided to scrap the cruiser to pay off debts. tsarist Russia, but on the way to the plant, he got into a storm and hit the rocks near the Scottish coast. Everything looked as if the "Varangian" had his own will and, wanting to complete his fate with honor, committed hara-kiri. Which is not surprising, given that he spent 10 years in Japanese captivity. More than once, they tried to get the stuck ship from the rocks, but all attempts ended in failure, and now the remains of the legendary cruiser rest at the bottom of the Irish Sea. On July 30, 2006, a memorial plaque appeared on the Scottish coast, not far from the site of the death of the Varyag, perpetuating the memory of the most famous ship in the history of the Russian Navy.