Towards the middle XIX century The contradictions between Russia and Turkey have intensified significantly. England and France did not want Russia and its fleet to have free access to the Mediterranean Sea, and pushed Ottoman Empire to restore dominance in Crimea and the northern coast of the Black Sea. Taking advantage of the favorable international situation, Turkey declared war on Russia on October 15, 1853, which soon escalated into a war between Russia and a coalition of states (Turkey, England, France and Sardinia). This war became retribution for the tsarism’s failure to understand the importance of the fleet and for its underestimation, both as a political instrument and as an armed force.
Important role The fleets had to play in this war. For them, this was a period of transition from sailing ships to steam ships with an armored hull, screw propulsion and powerful artillery weapons. The Anglo-French naval forces, compared to the Russian fleet, had superiority in battleships, frigates, and especially steam ships. The Black Sea Fleet then had only 7 wheeled steam frigates.
At the very beginning of the war, ships of the Black Sea Fleet began to actively operate off the coast of Turkey, trying to disrupt the enemy’s military transportation. The sailing squadron of Vice Admiral P. S. Nakhimov was located off the Anatolian coast, and a detachment of steam frigates, led by the chief of staff of the Black Sea Fleet, Vice Admiral V. A. Kornilov, operated in the southwestern sector of the Black Sea, at the mouth of the Danube and near the Bosphorus. The flagship ship of this detachment was the 11-gun steam frigate "Vladimir". He was commanded Captain-Lieutenant G. I. Butakov, a talented and proactive officer.
At the beginning of November 1853, after cruising off Cape Kaliakria, "Vladimir" headed to the Anatolian coast to join the squadron of P. S. Nakhimov. In the Penderaklia area on the morning of November 5, smoke was seen from a steamship heading towards Sevastopol. Our ship began to approach. The unknown ship first tried to leave, but then turned to the Vladimir and raised the Turkish flag. It was a 10-gun steamer "Pervaz-Bahri" ("Lord of the Seas").
During the battle, Butakov established that the Turkish steamer did not have guns in the stern, and, taking advantage of the advantage in speed, maneuvered in such a way that his ship was constantly kept in the stern heading angles of the enemy. In addition, several guns on the Vladimir were moved to the bow, which enhanced its combat capabilities (7 bomb guns fired). With well-aimed shots, the Russian gunners disabled the steering of the enemy steamer, destroyed the navigation bridge, and damaged most of the guns. Then, getting closer to half a cable, "Vladimir" opened fire with grapeshot. The commander of "Pervaz-Bahri", a Mameluke from the Circassians, turned out to be a worthy opponent. He held on resolutely until he himself was struck by a cannonball. After a three-hour battle, Pervaz-Bahri was forced to lower the flag. The Turks lost 58 people (including the commander). Russian losses were two killed and three wounded.
Already the first fight steam ships demonstrated their significant advantages over sailing ones. During the battle, the Turkish and two Russian squadrons were nearby, they heard the sounds of shots, but could not take part in the battle due to calmness.
On November 7, 1853, the Vladimir entered the Sevastopol roadstead, towing the Pervaz-Bahri, on the mast of which the Russian flag fluttered above the lowered Turkish flag.
For this victory, Butakov was promoted to captain of the 2nd rank and awarded the order St. George 4th degree. And Admiral Nakhimov, in order not to wait for the order to be sent from St. Petersburg, presented Grigory Ivanovich with his order, received for the Battle of Navarino.
Vice Admiral V.A. Kornilov highly appreciated the actions of the crew: “The captain, officers and crew of the steamship “Vladimir” behaved in the most dignified manner. Lieutenant Commander Butakov gave orders as if on maneuvers; the artillery actions were both fast and accurate, which the best proof serves as the destruction they caused on the enemy ship."Having summarized the experience of using steam frigates in the Crimean War, G. I. Butakov created the work “New Foundations of Steamship Tactics,” which served as the main document for sailors of the Russian Navy when using steam and armored ships.
Documentation:
Kondakov N. "Vladimir". Almanac "Monuments of the Fatherland" No. 35 1996
Gorshkov S. G. Sea power states. Moscow. 1979
Zalessky N.A. "Odessa" goes to sea. Leningrad 1987
Dotsenko V.D. Myths and legends Russian fleet. Saint Petersburg. year 2000.
Websites:
fleet.com
clipper2.ru
Steamships appeared in several countries at once shortly after the end Napoleonic Wars. But their use in combat was hampered by technical problems. And only in 1853 year, two military ships came into conflict for the first time, Turkish "Pervaz-Bahri" against Russian "Vladimir".
At first, the ships had wheels of impressive size on the sides, which made it impossible to place a large number of artillery.
It was possible to attach a maximum of 15 guns at the bow and stern. Such ships were called steam frigates. For comparison: on sailing battleships and frigates the number of guns was in the dozens, and sometimes exceeded a hundred.
British creation
IN 1841 the first screw steamers were built "Amphion" from the British and "Pomona" from the French. Russian screw frigate "Archimedes" with 52 guns was built in 1848 year.
Commander of the steam frigate "Vladimir" Grigory Ivanovich Butakov
By the beginning of the Crimean War, the steam frigate was considered the best in the Black Sea Fleet "Vladimir", built in 1848 in England. The British protected their military technology from potential enemies, so the Russian Navy Ministry initially negotiated with the shipbuilder Pitcher about the construction of a civilian steamship. But thanks to the advances, Pitcher began to look at things more broadly and, ignoring government restrictions, built as many as four steam frigates. “Vladimir” summed up all the best features of its predecessors, and its military purpose was so obvious that the British authorities tried to torpedo the project. However, after visiting London Nicholas I , relations between the countries warmed up a little, and the ship was still safely completed under the supervision of a 1st rank captain specially arrived from Russia Vladimir Kornilov .
The ship was equipped with two of the latest 10-inch bomb guns. Other artillery included three 68-pounder cannons and six 24-pounder carronades. Steam engine 400 l. With. allowed to reach speeds of up to 12 knots (22.2 km/h). In addition to two paddle wheels, the Vladimir also had sails. The displacement was 1200 tons, length 61 m, width 10.9 m.
When in 1853 there was a smell of war in relations between Russia and Turkey, the role of the actual commander of the fleet went to the “namesake” and one of the creators of the steamship frigate, Vladimir Kornilov, who was already a vice admiral at that time.
For the fleet, the war began with the successful transfer of a division to the Caucasian coast, after which the Russian ships, divided into two squadrons (Kornilov and Nakhimov), began to scour the Black Sea in search of the enemy.
The Turks sat in the harbors, and on November 4, 1853, Kornilov, having handed over command to Rear Admiral Novosilsky , moved to the Vladimir, deciding to “fly” to Sevastopol.
When the stern is not covered
The next day at 6:45 am, observers saw smoke from an unknown ship on the horizon. Kornilov ordered to change course in his direction, to the northwest, not yet understanding whether he was dealing with the enemy. The unknown ship was heading towards it, but two hours later it changed course. Kornilov ordered to cross his path and raise the Russian naval flag. Realizing that it would be impossible to avoid the rendezvous, the ship, which turned out to be the Turkish steam frigate Pervaz-Bahri, raised the flag of the Ottoman Empire.
Alexey Bogolyubov. The battle of the frigate “Vladimir” with the Turkish-Egyptian military steamer “Pervaz-Bahri”, 10/5/1853. At 10 o'clock the first shot was fired from the Vladimir: the cannonball threw up water in front of the enemy's nose. Then a salvo was fired from the starboard guns, then a turn and a new salvo from the left side artillery. The Turks managed to respond with only one broadside salvo.
Both steam frigates were built in England, both had two wheels and were served by crews of approximately the same size. The superiority of the Vladimir in artillery with just one more gun also looked insignificant. The difference in speed was two or three knots, and it would seem not fatal. But Kornilov and the captain of the Vladimir, Grigory Butakov, who directly led the battle, correctly identified the weak spot of the Pervaz-Bahri. All of its artillery was concentrated at the bow and along the sides, so that the space behind the stern actually ended up in a “dead zone.” Taking advantage of its superior speed, “Vladimir” tried to stay in the enemy’s wake and at the same time spin, firing either its bow or side guns.
Already with the third shot, the flagpole was shot down from the enemy ship, although a new banner immediately flew up on the gaff. The captain, a native of the Mamluks and a Circassian by nationality, Saidpasha, turned out to be a worthy opponent. The British head of the engine room was also a good professional. In preparation for battle, the Ottomans took out sacks of coal and made barricades across the ship and between the guns. Periodically, the Pervaz-Bahri tried to throw the Vladimir off its tail, either sharply slowing down or turning around for broadside salvos. Sometimes something worked, but then Butakov again settled into the wake, and the Russian guns rained down another batch of bombs and cannonballs on the enemy.
By 11 o'clock on the Pervaz-Bahri, the spars and all the boats were destroyed, and its chimney and hull were gaping with holes. Around noon, another Russian volley demolished the captain's bridge along with Said Pasha standing on it. The result of the battle was no longer in doubt. Apparently, considering that the job was done, the Vladimir crew relaxed somewhat. The enemy ship, which no longer seemed dangerous, snapped with grapeshot, hitting the bugler and Lieutenant Zheleznov, who was in the boat.
At 12:45, having closed in cable length, “Vladimir” showered the enemy with bombs from its bow guns and, coming within pistol shot, finished it off with a broadside salvo. At about one o'clock in the afternoon the flag on the enemy ship was lowered.
On the defense of Sevastopol
The prize team headed by midshipman Popandopulo went to the Pervaz-Bahri and found a picture of complete destruction. In addition to the captain and two officers, the Turks killed more than fifty sailors. 93 people were taken prisoners. On the Vladimir, besides the dead midshipman and bugler, there were only two wounded.
From Kornilov's report:
“On the taken steamer, the car survived, except for holes in the steam engines and the pipe, but the hull was beaten to the point of destruction, in the aft part entire boards were torn out, the steering head was knocked off, the compasses were destroyed, the inside of the bulkhead was completely destroyed from exploding bombs; in general, the damage was numerous, so that to bring he was able to stay on the water, we were busy until 4 o’clock.”
The captive "Pervaz-Bahri" was nevertheless dragged in tow to Sevastopol, where two days later it sank during a storm. The trophy was raised, repaired and included in the fleet, renaming it “Kornilov”.
The first battle of warships in history caused a great resonance in the world. The head of the naval department, Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich, stated that this battle “will remain memorable in the annals of the Russian fleet,” and Butakov was promoted to captain of the 2nd rank and awarded the order St. George IV degree.
Due to repairs to the boilers, the Vladimir was unable to take part in the Battle of Sinop, but during the defense of Sevastopol, the steam frigate showed itself in all its glory. During the first bombardment of the city by the Allied fleet on October 5, 1854, Butakov artificially increased the ship's roll to seven degrees, which made it possible to return fire at a distance of up to 5 km.
Later, the Vladimir's gun carriages were improved and the tactics of adjusting artillery fire from the shore were worked out, which made it possible to fire at enemy coastal positions on the move. From the memories of a defense participant:
“This beautiful ship was a wonderful sight! It walks majestically along the bays from the Pavlovsky toe, occasionally firing a grenade from the bow gun, fighting off the French battery, as if from an annoying fly... Having caught up with Kilenbalka, it fires from the guns of the whole side and slowly turns to the other side... fires a salvo again and quietly moves away, loading their guns and firing back.”
Both participants in the first battle of the steamships “Vladimir” and “Kornilov” were sunk by their crews when leaving Sevastopol. By that time, Admiral Vladimir Kornilov himself was resting in the grave.
And the commander of the Vladimir, Grigory Butakov, created a new tactics for combat operations at sea. His essay “New Foundations of Steamship Tactics” became a major contribution to the theory of naval art, and the “Rules of Maneuver of a Steam Ship” developed by him found recognition and application in all fleets of the world.
Maxim Lukoshkov
Even more interesting articles
On November 17, 1853, during the Crimean War, the first battle of steam ships took place, when the Russian frigate Vladimir forced the surrender of the Turkish steamer Pervaz-Bahri. Let us remember the military exploits of the steamships of the Russian fleet.
"Meteor"
The first steam ship on the Black Sea was the 14-gun steamship Meteor, built in Nikolaev in 1826. The steamer had a displacement of 261 tons and reached a speed of up to 6.5 knots. The ship was used during the Russian-Turkish War of 1828-1829. during the landing of landing parties near Anapa and shelling of the fortress, where the raid, which was replete with shoals, did not allow large sailing ships to actively operate. This was the first combat use of steam ships in Russia. In 1839, Meteor was excluded from the fleet and dismantled.
First battle of steam ships
On November 17, 1853, the steam frigate “Vladimir” under the command of G.I. Butakov attacked the Turkish military steamer “Pervaz-Bahri”. Butakov quickly noted that the Pevaz-Bahri did not have guns at the stern and, skillfully maneuvering, tried to keep his ship out of the firing range of most enemy guns. Butakov described his actions as follows: “Seeing that my enemy did not have stern and bow defenses, I directed two 68-pound guns in the direction of my bowsprit and began to hold it in his wake, dodging little by little in one direction and the other, so that it would be more convenient to aim each one by one. When, in order to be able to aim his side guns, he tried to take a direction across my course, I dodged in the same direction and smashed him with five guns on my side, namely two 84-pounder, one 68-pounder and two 24-pounder guns - carronades." After a three-hour battle, “Pervaz-Bahri lowered the flag. The trophy was towed to Sevastopol, renamed “Kornilov” and, after repairs, introduced into the Black Sea Fleet. The reasons for the victory in the first battle of steam ships were competent maneuvering, better preparation crew and the presence on the Russian steamship of heavy guns on rotary platforms. Subsequently, “Vladimir” was actively used in the defense of Sevastopol and the Battle of Inkerman, supporting the actions of ground forces with fire. For the first time, mounted firing from a ship was practiced at an invisible target, when the fire was adjusted from the shore. "Vladimir" was scuttled by its crew on September 15, 1855 while leaving Sevastopol, providing fire support to the troops almost until the last days.
"Vesta"
The steamship was built in 1858. With the beginning of the Russian-Turkish War, Vesta was turned into an auxiliary cruiser. The ship was supposed to operate on enemy communications. On July 11, 1877, near Constanta, Vesta was forced to engage in battle with the Turkish armored frigate Fehti Buland. The 5-hour battle was a chase, as a result of which the Russian steamer managed to avoid fatal damage and escape from more powerful enemy. The descriptions of individual details of the battle differ significantly, but the very fact that the armed steamer managed to avoid death in a battle with an enemy armored frigate is a feat. On the Vesta, 12 people were killed and 28 were injured. After the end of the war, the ship was disarmed and used for civilian transport. On November 17, 1887, Vesta was lost in a shipwreck off Cape Tarkhunkut.
"Grand Duke Constantine"
The steamship was built in 1858 in France, and during the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-1878. under the leadership of Lieutenant S. O. Makarov, it was converted into a mine transport. The ship carried several guns and four steam launches equipped with pole mines and later Whitehead mines (torpedoes). Total " Grand Duke Konstantin" made five military campaigns. Boats from the Konstantin carried out a number of mine attacks, including a successful one, when on January 14, 1878, the Turkish armed steamer Intibah was sunk in the Batum roadstead. This was the first successful torpedo attack, which ended in the destruction of an enemy ship. After the end of the Russian-Turkish war, “Grand Duke Constantine” long time It was used for transportation and was scrapped only in 1896.
"Kamchatka"
The Kamchatka transport workshop went into operation in 1904 and was supposed to support the march of Rear Admiral Z. P. Rozhdestvensky’s squadron to the Far East. The participation of "Kamchatka" in the campaign of the 2nd Pacific Squadron was marked by numerous breakdowns, incidents and incidents, the most famous of which was the Gull incident at Dogger Bank, when, after a message from "Kamchatka" about the appearance of destroyers, the Russian squadron opened fire, as a result of which one English fishing vessel was sunk and two others were seriously damaged. In addition, the cruiser Aurora, which was traveling on a parallel course, received 5 hits. In the Battle of Tsushima on May 14, 1905, the transport workshop represented a huge target, having only six 47 mm rapid-firing guns. We must pay tribute to the crew of the "Kamchatka", who on the evening of May 14 covered the damaged flagship battleship "Prince Suvorov" with fire from their guns from the attacks of Japanese destroyers. "Kamchatka" died at 19:30, coming under fire from Japanese armored cruisers. When on a sinking ship, one of the mechanics suggested that the senior officer raise a white flag to save the crew; Lieutenant V.V. Nikanov, who was dying from his wounds, replied: “Whatever you want, but not the flag.”
"Kursk"
The steamship was built in 1911 in England at the expense of residents of the Kursk province and had a displacement of 8,720 tons and a speed of 11.5 knots. During the First World War, he made flights from England to Arkhangelsk. In 1920-1930 operated on the Odessa-Vladivostok and Leningrad-Vladivostok lines. In the fall of 1936, the Kursk was delivered to Spain, where it was underway Civil War, aviation gasoline and military specialists, withstanding the attacks of surface ships and aircraft of the Francoists. During the Great Patriotic War was actively used in the defense of Odessa, Sevastopol and Tuapse. During the war, the Kursk traveled over 15 thousand miles, making 59 flights, and landed troops in Feodosia, Kerch, Kamysh-Burun, and Myskhako. In the first two years of the war alone, the Kursk transported about 66 thousand people. The ship withstood more than 60 air attacks, receiving significant damage. In total, there were about 4,800 holes in the Kursk hull. In 1953, it was expelled from the fleet and scrapped.
"Alexander Sibiryakov"
In 1915, the steamer Bellaventure was purchased in England and renamed Alexander Sibiryakov. During the First World War, the ship provided transportation in the White Sea. In the summer of 1932, “Sibiryakov” with an expedition led by O. Yu. Schmidt, with great difficulties, for the first time passed the Northern by sea. "Alexander Sibiryakov" was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor.
During the Great Patriotic War, the ship was included in the White Sea military flotilla. On August 25, 1942, the Sibiryakov was attacked by the German “pocket battleship” Admiral Scheer. The outcome of such a battle was predetermined: two 76 mm and two 45 mm guns of the Russian steamer, given the distance and armor of the German battleship, in principle could not cause harm to the enemy ... Having been hit by heavy shells, the Sibiryakov sank. Of the 105 people, only 18 were picked up by the German raider. Fireman P.I. Vavilov managed to get to Belukha Island, from where he was evacuated 32 days later. In 1965, the coordinates of the battle and death of the steamship "Alexander Sibiryakov" were declared a place of military glory.
This day in history:
1853 Another one has begun Russian-Turkish war. Also called Crimean, or Eastern. The peculiarity of this war was that this war turned out to be the last war sailing fleets. The age of sail gave way to the age of steam. The beautiful sailing ships “running on the waves” were replaced by the smoky, smoking “irons” of armadillos. Time will pass and the sea will again see the perfect outlines of cruisers, the light silhouettes of destroyers. But for now, the “ugly ducklings” have taken to the sea.
It is no coincidence that it was during this war that the first battle of steam ships took place.
On November 5 (17), 1853, the Russian steam frigate Vladimir attacked and after the battle captured the steamer Pervaz Bahri. The fact itself is very interesting and significant. However, over time, many descriptions and assessments have appeared around this fact, which often have practically diametrical points vision. Very often this battle is made into an almost epic feat. The author of this material (more precisely, the collector of it) does not claim to be the truth in last resort. Moreover, he is not trying to win the “laurels” of “destroyer”, “dispeller” of myths. I just want to draw the readers' attention to something really interesting. historical event. And also look at some details of this event and other events that happened at the same time in the same war.
I don’t want to rely on the works of my contemporaries; I will try to turn to the documents and descriptions closest to the event (in terms of publication time). It seemed to me that the following sources are of greatest interest.
1. Reports on the battle compiled by the captain of the Vladimir, Lieutenant Commander G.I. Butakov and Vice Admiral Kornilov.
2. Materials contemporary to the battle of Sinop and the defense of Sevastopol, published in Sevastopol, by the Sparo printing house, in 1903.
Bogolyubov’s painting “Vladimir’s fight with the Egyptian steamship”
First, let's look at the fight itself. Obviously, the further the description is from the event, the more colorful the details are in this description, but the less close it is to the truth. Therefore, let’s look at the description from 1872 (we’ll just replace the alphabet with a modern one, for the convenience of the reader).
“On November 5, early in the morning, from the steamer “Vladimir”, on which Adjutant General Kornilov himself was, the smoke of the steamer was seen in the distance - it was, as it later turned out, Turkish-Egyptian (footnote: Egypt, although it is a separate state, controlled by the viceroy, but considered subject to Turkey; therefore, the Egyptians acted during this war together with the Turks) 10-gun steamer "Pervaz-Bahre" with 220 forces. When both ships approached one another, within the distance of a cannon shot, Adjutant General Kornilov ordered the Russian military flag to be raised on his steamer. The enemy responded by raising his national, Turkish-Egyptian flag. Seeing that the enemy was not surrendering, the steamship Vladimir began firing cannonballs at it. The first shots shot down the flag from the mast of the Egyptian steamer, then the enemy immediately raised the flag on another mast and continued to stubbornly defend itself. But the forces of the opponents were unequal, and the resistance could not last long. Less than an hour had passed before the entire side of the Egyptian steamer was holed. The commander of the steamship, Cherkes Said Pasha, was killed by a cannonball, but the Pervaz-Bahre still fired back, trying to reach the shore. To end the battle, “Vladimir” approached his enemy with a pistol shot and began using cannonballs and buckshot. All our cannonballs penetrated the hull of the steamer; grenades, exploding, destroyed the internal parts of the ship. Seeing that further resistance was impossible, the flag was lowered on the Pervaz-Bakhre steamer as a sign of surrender. The “Vladimir” was also called off and Captain Ilyinsky was sent on a boat to take possession of the prize and raise the Russian flag on it. Another boat was sent to pick up the prisoners, numbering 93, including 9 officers.
The enemy's loss was very significant; killed: 3 officers, 19 sailors, 18 people wounded. On the ship "Vladimir" killed: 1 officer and 1 private, 1 non-commissioned officer and 2 sailors were wounded...
The Turkish-Egyptian steamer "Pervaz-Bahre" taken from the battle, the Sovereign Emperor ordered to name "Kornilov" in honor of the feat of the brave adjutant general Kornilov, and all officers and lower ranks who participated in the battle were given generous rewards."
As a comparison, here is another piece of evidence. The mentioned materials were published for the 50th anniversary of the start of the war, in 1903. However, despite the later date of publication, these materials are a collection of documents, not “history,” so the description of the battle is more detailed and seems more accurate. All we have to do is “translate” it into modern Russian. Those. “remove yati.”
“On November 5, at dawn, from the steamer we saw the Anatolian coast between the port of Amastro and Cape Kemerpe and steamship smoke towards Sevastopol, which is why Adjutant General Kornilov ordered to take a course towards the visible steamer... at 8 o’clock the spar and the chimney opened. At 8 ¾ o'clock the steamer changed course towards the shore, the steamer "Vladimir" changed its course to cross it. At 9 o'clock the steamer, having probably looked at it, again changed its course to the sea, "Vladimir" followed it and also changed its heading. At 9 ¼ o'clock the identification signal was raised, but there was no response, then the spar and the Russian flag were raised; at 9 and a half o'clock the pursued steamer headed straight for the Vladimir and raised the Turkish flag, but, having passed a short distance, again changed direction; in this direction the steamships soon approached each other. Seeing that the enemy was weaker than the steamship "Vladimir", Adjutant General Kornilov ordered a cannonball to be fired under his nose, he responded with a salvo from the side, then it was ordered to start firing, as the cannonballs reached, soon, going side by side, they got closer so that the enemy cannonballs and grenades flew over our steamer, and one of ours knocked down a flagpole with a flag, the last one was immediately replaced by the Turks with another. Seeing that the enemy does not have stern guns, so that, holding on to his stern, you can shoot him down with impunity and thereby force him to surrender, the steamer "Vladimir" positioned himself in his wake, the enemy first brought in a response and, having fired a salvo, again changed heading towards the shore. This way the battle lasted 3 hours and ended with the fact that “Vladimir”, although it was easier to beat people and destroy the hull of the steamer, without incurring any losses on his part, because his cannonballs and grenades continued at the moments that he brought for a salvo. fly through the steamer, but he decided to put an end to the matter and approach the grape shot; Several of these salvos from the steamer "Vladimir" killed the Turkish captain and caused such destruction that their ship surrendered, but the latter did not happen without a victim - enemy grapeshot killed the adjutant of Vice Admiral Kornilov, Lieutenant Zheleznov, a bugler, and wounded 3 lower ranks one had his arm torn off, another his leg, the third easily. The enemy steamer turned out to be of 220 strength, 10 guns, Egyptian, "Pervas Bahri", taking letters to Sinop and returning to Penderaklia, where a fleet of frigates was scheduled to wait. The crew on it was 132 people, of whom were killed: the Circassian captain Said Pasha, the admiral of the Egyptian fleet (as in the text of the document A.I.), 2 officers, 16 lower ranks, 3 mortally wounded and already dead, 18 non-fatally wounded. "
Battle scheme
Butakov himself wrote in his report on the battle as follows: “Seeing that my enemy did not have stern and bow defenses, I directed two 68-pound guns in the direction of my bowsprit and began to hold it in its wake, dodging little by little in one direction and the other so that it was more convenient to aim each one in turn. When, in order to be able to aim his side guns, he tried to take a direction across my course, I dodged in the same direction and smashed him with five guns on my side, namely two 84-pounders, one 68-pounder. pound and two 24-pound carronade guns."
“Those sent to take possession of the prize,” wrote Butakov, “found on it a terrible picture of destruction and death: fragments of the steering wheel, compasses, hatches, spars and broken tackle, mixed with weapons, corpses, human limbs, wounded, blood and coal, with which his deck was littered in order to have a large supply! And several bombs exploded below. In the bow cabin, an officer who went down to extinguish the fire caused by the bomb was torn apart by a cannonball; in the stern - the helmsman, who was there for a similar purpose. Not a single bulkhead that was intact! The sides, casings, and battered booths! Steam and chimneys are like a sieve! The two halves of the rudder, broken near the water, barely held together and soon broke off from one another! More than three-quarters of its thickness was chipped off the mainmast in two places and it could barely hold on!”
The damage to the “trophy” was so serious that 2 days after arriving in Sevastopol, the ship sank in the roadstead. But due to its value, it was not abandoned, but raised and drained. Subsequently, this steamer was repaired at the Sevastopol shipyard and became part of the Black Sea Fleet under the name "Kornilov", but upon the surrender of Sevastopol it had to be burned.
This was the first battle of steam ships in history. All officers of "Vladimir" received the following ranks, and Grigory Ivanovich Butakov received the Order of St. George, 4th degree. Non-commissioned officers received ten rubles, and privates five rubles. The team was given six St. George's Crosses. After some time, the emperor awarded Lieutenant Popandopulo the Order of St. Vladimir, 4th degree with a bow, Lieutenant Prince Baryatinsky with a golden weapon, and gave four more to the command St. George's Cross. On December 18 (30), 1853, Butakov was promoted to captain of the 2nd rank.
Captain 2nd Rank G.I. Butakov
Admiral General Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich sent a letter to the father of the deceased Lieutenant Zheleznov with the following content:
"Ivan Grigorievich!
It is very unfortunate for me that the first time I happen to write to you, I have to talk about the misfortune that has befallen you. The glorious death of your son, who fell during the capture of the Egyptian steamer "Pervaz-Bahri" by our steamer, saddened me all the more because I knew Lieutenant Zheleznov as a cadet, at the very beginning of his service, and then had him on the account of our most excellent naval officers, who could be very useful with their abilities, diligence and excellent direction. Your parental heart will find relief from its grief in warm prayer to the Lord for the one killed in battle; and as a Russian and a loyal subject, you will, of course, be consoled by the thought that your son fell with honor under the Russian flag in a battle that will remain memorable in the annals of the Russian fleet.
I ordered the name of Lieutenant Zheleznov to be placed on a marble plaque in the Church of the Naval Cadet Corps, so that our naval officers from childhood would get used to pronouncing it with respect.
I ask you to believe in My sincere sympathy for your grief and remain always benevolent."
Lieutenant Zheleznov
Here's the story. A fact is a fact, victory is victory!
But let's look at other facts that seemed interesting to the author of these lines.
Illustration for the battle between “Vladimir” and “Pervaz Bahri” from Zayonchkovsky’s book.
First, about the ships participating in the battle. Very often they write about the battle of “steam frigates”. Let me note right away that I am not a good expert sailing ships. But somehow, from childhood, it was ingrained that a frigate is a three-masted warship with guns located both closed - on the cannon deck, and open - on the upper deck. From the drawings of the ships it can be seen that the Vladimir has three masts, but all its guns are on the deck. What we get, it seems, is a corvette (a three-decker ship with an open battery). Although I can’t argue with the primary sources here. At first, Russian steam ships in the navy were actually called “steam frigates.” However, apparently the sailors themselves did not really like this term. In the sources of the battle, please note, “Vladimir” is persistently called a “steamer”. Then the name “steam-corvette” appeared in the Russian fleet. Used for relatively small ships.
But with the “Turk” - everything is clear. What kind of “frigate” is it with two masts and an obviously oblique sail on the second mast?! The type of sail on the first mast is difficult to assess, so it can be classified as either a brig (with a straight sail) or a schooner (with a forward rig). But certainly not a frigate!
Further. Both of the above sources honestly state that the ships are not “equals.” But some authors call this battle “the feat of the steam frigate Vladimir”! Is the word “victory” not enough? Let's look at the characteristics.
Vladimir (from the same “materials” of 1903, where all the ships of the Black Sea Fleet are listed):
“56) The military steamer “Vladimir”, which began the campaign on March 21 and continued on January 1, 1854. The artillery on it was: cast iron guns - two 10-inch bombs, two 68-pound bombs, one long 68-pound gun, cast iron. 18- pound. two carronades, four 24-pound cannon carronades, - 11 guns in total.”
Steam frigate "Vladimir"
Sometimes “sources” mention 9 or even 7 guns! To “bring together” the characteristics?
About “Pervaz Bahri” they most often write “10 guns”, “modestly” keeping silent about their caliber.
It was difficult to discover the following.
"Steamboat "Kornilov". Former Turkish steamship "Pervaz Bahri". Captured by the frigate "Vladimir" on November 5, 1853. Sank in a storm on November 9, 1853 at the Admiralty pier in Sevastopol.
The Turks are armed with ten 6-pound cannons.”
Former "Pervaz Bahri"
And this is where the fun begins! It would seem, what a horror, the Russians have three guns of 68 pounds and two of as much as 82, and the poor “Turk” has only 6 pounds. There are many people who like to compare millimeters and kilometers per hour. You just need to be able to compare them. The most famous “6-pounder” is an English tank (and anti-tank gun) gun, “for our money” this translates into 57 mm. But then - Russian 68 pounds will turn into about 650 millimeters, and 82 pounds - into 780! The battleship "Yamato" nervously smokes in the harbor, afraid of running into the only shell of such a monster! Where is the ambush?
Everything is very simple. A “simple” cannon fired a spherical (well, almost) cannonball, the caliber in pounds is the weight of the cannonball, and weight, as is known, is non-linearly related to the diameter. A 6-pounder gun in the Russian navy meant a caliber of approximately 3.7 inches (about 90 mm), while a 12-pounder, for example, meant only 4.5 inches (116 mm). Total - 68 lb bomb gun and turned into 8 inch, and 82 lb - into 10 inch... As far as I know, there simply was no bomb gun caliber smaller than 68 lb.
Bomb Cannon (Peksan Cannon)
True, the difference is still great. But there is one more thing to remember. The bomb gun fired a hollow shell filled with gunpowder. Of course, at that time it was considered a terrible weapon. And the result of the same Battle of Sinop was obtained precisely thanks to them. But they were not absolute weapons. Ballistics, frankly speaking, are not very good. Explosive action (gunpowder!) - too. The punching effect is almost absent (although for a thin side of a steamer it is enough!). One 8dm "model" projectile Russo-Japanese War simply smashed the Pervaz Bahri-class ship to pieces. Moreover, he would have been shot from beyond the reach of his guns. And here - three hours of battle!
This cannot be called a simple execution either. The reports say that Turkish cannonballs “flew” through Vladimir. The fact is that a “regular” cannonball from a “regular” cannon flew 2 times further than a bomb cannon shell precisely due to the better ballistics of a solid projectile. Well, such a cannonball could knock down a pipe or pierce a boiler. After which the outcome of the battle became clear. That is why, obviously, the captain of “Pervaz Bahri” did not give up, you couldn’t deny him courage, and he had chances, although small. This obviously affected better control on the part of the Vladimir command (he was able to take advantage of the disadvantages of the location of the Turk’s guns) and the poor training of the Pervaz Bahri artillerymen. They were only able to hit him at point-blank range with buckshot.
Another interesting fact. For the sake of simplicity, I have already called “Pervaz Bahri” “Turk” several times, but I stubbornly include this word in quotation marks. The fact is that this ship was Egyptian, not Turkish. There are very good book"The Ottoman Steam Navy 1828-1923". A very detailed guide with lots of photos and diagrams. On the third page there is a mention of the capture of Pervaz Bahri by “Vladimir”. The ship itself is not in the reference book! He was not part of the Turkish fleet. This doesn't really change anything, of course. “We shot, they shot at us.” Well, not a Turk, but an ally. But we must take into account that he could not carry out a combat mission at sea, and the training of crews in Egypt should be expected to be lower than in the Turkish fleet. By the way, the transfer of the name is also interesting. To put it mildly, I’m not good at Turkish. I met both “Sea Loach” and “Lord of the Seas”. The only thing I can firmly say is “Bahri” - “sea”…. I think there will be experts who will have their say in the comments.
There are nuances in the battle design. In itself, firing by “Vladimir” from the stern corners of the “Pervaz Bariya”, not covered by its artillery, is justified and tactically competent. A detailed description of the battle (and its diagram) shows that the battle did not go this way from the very beginning. The opponents exchanged their first shots at 9 ¾ - 10 o'clock. The drawing of “Vladimir” following in the wake of the “Turk” corresponds to 11 o’clock. That is, for about an hour the battle went on “fairly” - side to side. This is understandable - in order to find out the fact that there were no guns at the stern, time was needed. The fact that Pervaz was not a “regular” warship Turkish fleet excluded the possibility of advance “acquaintance” of the Russians with its characteristics. Somewhat more strangely, “Vladimir” did not try to “break” the distance and increase the distance to the enemy, in order to provide the advantage of the larger caliber of its guns and shoot the “Turk” from beyond the range of its guns. This fact gives us a hint that the range of the opponents’ guns was comparable; neither Butakov nor Kornilov were “preparers” and would not refuse to use such an advantage. They didn’t consider it “shameful” to shoot “at the stern”?! But the last tactical move did not last that long, despite it being highlighted by all sources and Kornilov’s report on the three-hour battle, which was later replicated in “histories.” The diagram shows that at 12 ¼ the ships are again side by side. Obviously, they switched to grapeshot and the battle went bone to bone. I wonder why?
“Stories” often write that this was Kornilov’s initiative. They say the battle is on three hours, and still no result is visible, the “Turk” may leave. Kornilov expresses displeasure to Butakov with such an indecisive conduct of the battle, Butakov says “full speed ahead!” Further – everything is clear. In principle, it is very similar to the truth. Both from Kornilov’s report and from recent descriptions it is quite clear that Butakov was in charge of the ship, but the main “ideas” clearly came from Kornilov. Another thing is that the description of three hours of battle (according to tactics beneficial to the Russians) is a clear exaggeration - according to the drawing, it turns out to be about an hour! And the “Turk” clearly could not leave. And, judging by the diagram, he was still at least 2 hours away from the shore, if not more (the shore itself is not shown on the diagram).
Why was the battle pattern changed? I “see” this picture. It is believed that the training of the Black Sea Fleet artillerymen was excellent. In Sinop, bomb guns fired at a rate of up to 2 minutes per shot. For those times - excellent. But this is on the spring, point blank. Loaded, rolled the gun, fired. Judging by the studies I came across, the rate of fire Baltic Fleet at the same time it was one shot every 4.5 - 7 minutes. I think this figure can be taken as the basis for the calculation, especially taking into account the fact that “Vladimir” was maneuvering, which further slowed down the rate of fire. This means that in an hour of battle, “Vladimir” could fire a dozen salvoes with running guns. Even more late times, with a much more advanced gun guidance system, the hit percentage rarely exceeded 1-5%. In total we have 1-2 hits, plus luck. And under such conditions, Kornilov’s impatience becomes more understandable. In addition, one hit in a pipe or car and the enemy is doomed, but capturing such a “trophy” is pointless. Then the decision is made - “checkers drawn!”, or rather, fire with buckshot at point-blank range. True, judging by the picture, in one gulp, as many “stories” write, this did not happen and it was at this stage that the Russians suffered losses. Whether they were worth this trophy will remain a question addressed to Kornilov.
This question is all the more interesting because the design of the battle, realizing the superiority of “Vladimir,” was by no means Butakov’s impromptu, “born” during the battle itself. Let us pay attention to the order of Kornilov himself to the ships that were cruising, given by him on October 24 (also from the “materials” of 1903, with replacement by “modern” Russian):
“c) if there are cruisers: sailing ships, or steamships or individual steamboats, then the same signal will be made to all steamships; and another one may be raised ... to attack the enemy." It is difficult to prescribe rules for attacking both sailing ships and steamships, but I hope that you will not find it difficult in a new task for everyone - attacking a sailing ship or steamship with a steamer, and you will be able to agree with the knightly desire for close combat, with the advantages for large-caliber guns, well-controlled, distant firing, as well as with the need to avoid side-to-side combat, which is always disadvantageous for steamships, because steamships are weak with side guns and must take all measures to save the machine from damage. ... »
Everything is clear here - no linear tactics, no point-blank shooting, you have big guns, gentlemen, so use them wisely! Everything was correct and correct, and suddenly I couldn’t resist, it’s okay that they didn’t go on board!
This is where the description of the battle and the accompanying circumstances can end. The age of steam was coming into its own. Sinop put an end to the age of sail. The fight of “Vladimir” is the red line that started new chapter naval history. The following “paragraphs” are already 1862, the battle of the Monitor and the Merrimack, and 1864, the battle of the Kearsarge and the Alabama, by the way, steamship corvettes...
But there were two more, it seems to me interesting facts, which are also important as an illustration of the “change of milestones” in this story.
The most interesting thing is that the “case” of “Vladimir,” while certainly remaining the first battle of steam ships, was not the first combat clash of steam ships in history. Just a day before the event described, another one happened.
“But Nakhimov stopped only observing the Turkish ships passing by him, and the result of the acquired right to act offensively was the capture on November 4 near Cape Keremp by our steamship Bessarabia of the Turkish transport ship of 200 forces, Medjari-Tedjareta. "Bessarabia" while cruising along the coast to inspect merchant ships, saw a Turkish steamer coming from Sinop. Having initially hidden itself with sails and allowed the enemy closer to us, our steamer chased after him. After the second shot, the Turkish steamer lowered the boats, on which the captain and part of the crew managed to escape to the shore. The captured prize was delivered in full order to Sevastopol.” (Archive of the Naval Min. Insp. Department, 1st department, 2nd Art., 1853, No. 383. Commander of the Sevastopol port to the chief commander of the Black Sea Fleet November 9, 1853, No. 900. Nikolaev Central Archive, book . op. 23, op. 1764, St. 61. Journal “Bessarabia” for 1853. Archive.
Subsequently, the captured steamer was named "Turk". Yes, there was no battle here, the Turkish ship immediately surrendered, but nevertheless...
This ship is Turkish, it is precisely in the English directory mentioned earlier and its data is known.
"Midar-i-Ticaret", armed steamer, built in London, displacement 426 tons, wooden, wheeled, two cylinders, 1 boiler, 200 hp, crew 63 people, armament - 4 guns. The caliber is not specified, in the Russian fleet there were 4 pounders (about 3-3.5 inches, 80 mm), I think this is still “from Turkish times”.
In the Russian fleet it was first called “Shchegolem”, then “Turk”. Sunk on September 11, 1855, raised in 1958, used until January 13, 1891, when it seems to have died in a disaster (or “broke” - difficulties in English translation).
Unfortunately, there are no images. Obviously, not the Bismarck, a merchant (albeit armed) steamer. It’s true that “Bessarabia” is not only not “Rodney” (by analogy with “Bismarck”), but also not “Vladimir”!
The military steamer "Bessarabia", which began the campaign on February 3 and ended on November 21. The artillery on it was: cast iron guns - one 10-inch bomb, 56 lb. one, cast iron. 24 lb. cannon-carronade four, - a total of 6 guns (each the same collection of materials from 1903).
Steamship "Bessarabia"
Also, it is clearly not a steam frigate. The Turkish merchant captain decided to surrender (or rather, he even abandoned the ship), well, that was his decision.
And one more event. The generally accepted point of view is that the advent of steam ships immediately equated sailing ships with “firewood”. That is why the Black Sea Fleet had no other choice but to self-flood. In no way do I pretend to have greater strategic talent compared to the Black Sea Fleet command, but still, let’s see?
I take a description of the “case” based on the “history” of Zayonchkovsky, big difference the sources I mentioned are not included in the assessments, but there is no need to mess around with “yats”, they have already been translated.
“Almost at the same time, off the eastern shores of the Black Sea, an unprecedented and very flattering fact for the Russian fleet occurred in the successful battle of our sailing frigate with three Turkish steam frigates. The frigate "Flora" was traveling from Sevastopol to Sukhum-Kale and on the night of November 5-6 unexpectedly met at the height of the Pitsunda fortification with three double-battery Turkish steamships, each having 16 ports and armed with bomb guns; of these, one was under the vice admiral's flag. But all this was explained later, at dawn. At night, in response to the identification signals of the Flora, the steamships, hiding their lights, lined up and went against our frigate. Having converged on the firing range, the steamships opened fire, to which the Flora was not slow in responding. The battle continued intermittently for four hours, and the Turkish steamers tried to stand opposite the bow of our frigate in order to beat it with impunity, and this latter, with successful maneuvers, stood sideways to them and fired battle fire.
The whole purpose of the Flora's maneuvers was to keep the steamers against her side and not give them the opportunity to surround her from different sides. Thanks to the skill of the commander of the Flora, Lieutenant-Commander Skorobogatov, and the youth of the crew, this goal was achieved brilliantly, and the steamships, having received damage to their hulls, were forced to leave the range of our frigate’s shots.
When dawn broke, our schooner “Dart” appeared on the horizon, rowing towards the shore. Two of the Turkish steamers immediately rushed in pursuit of this cheap prize, while the third continued to cling to the stern of the frigate. Skorobogatov, in order to save the schooner, stood alongside the steamer and opened fire on it. Then two other ships abandoned their pursuit and joined the one being fired upon. The frigate's fire was so strong that the steamships no longer dared to separate, but stuck together, thanks to which the Flora could cause enormous harm to them.
At nine o'clock in the morning the steamers could no longer withstand the artillery fire of our frigate and retreated in disorder to the west, with a steamer in tow under the vice-admiral's flag. This ship, from which the entire course of the matter was controlled and which acted better than others, had, according to Skorobogatov’s testimony, on top all the people who were not dressed in Turkish uniforms.”
Battle of the frigate "Flora"
As you can see, the sailing frigate was able to win the battle with three armed enemy steamships. Moreover, this happened in a light wind (Flora’s speed was about 2 knots, which gave the enemy a clear initiative in the maneuver!).
There are also many “researches” about this battle, ranging from epically enthusiastic to very malicious, almost proving that there was no battle at all, and the Russian sailors dreamed of the Turks. But the research is pure technical points allows you to supplement the quote with the following data.
The battle lasted a total of 6.5 hours (the total duration of the “fire contact”; with breaks, the “deal” went on longer). The Turks left without being able to “offend” the “Flora” and without damaging the civilian ship that “came under attack.” During the battle, 437 cannonballs were fired from the Flora. The frigate received two surface holes; there were no casualties among the crew.
44 gun frigate "Flora" who began the campaign on May 15 and continued it on January 1, 1854. The artillery on them was: 26 cast iron, 24 lb. guns, 2 copper 3/4 lbs. guns; cast iron. carronade: one 18 pound; one 12 pound, two 8 pound; 2 copper 8 lb. carronades, 18 cast iron. 24 lb. cannon-carronade and 2 copper. 3 lb. unicorn - a total of 54 guns.
The opponents of “Flora” are “Taif” (yes, yes, the same one, the only survivor in Sinop who was able to break through and escape from the Russian squadron!), “Feyzi-Bahri” and “Saik-Ishade”.
Feyzi-Bahri, Turkish steam frigate.
Judging by English reference book, all three are sister ships (a total of 4 ships of the Mesidiye type, commissioned in 1847-48, built in Istanbul, displacement about 1450 tons, 1 2-cyl steam engine, 2 boilers, speed - 9 knots, 320 people crew, armament - 2 long steel 10dm Peksan guns, 4 32 pounders on the upper deck and from 14 to 24 (differently) 32 pounders on the battery deck. Each of them has at least 20 guns, i.e. each of them is seriously. stronger than that aka “Vladimir”. This is what a “steam frigate” is!
The further fate of "Vladimir".
He took part in the defense of Sevastopol, fired at enemy ships and ground forces. The small elevation angle of the deck guns did not allow them to fire at ground targets. Butakov came up with a way out of the situation: the ship was partially sunk with a list on board, opposite direction shooting. The range increased, it was possible to fire at targets on elevated surfaces. Here are some episodes of “life and death” of the steamship “Vladimir” and other ships of the Black Sea Fleet.
In the early morning of October 5, the bombing of Sevastopol began, which was to be followed by an assault on the city. 126 enemy guns opened fire on the city’s fortifications. The defenders responded with 118 guns; the battleships Gabriel and Yagudiel and the steam frigates Vladimir, Crimea and Chersonese also fired at the enemy. As a result of a four-hour duel, all enemy batteries were suppressed.
By 12 o'clock in the afternoon, with an obvious delay, a large Allied fleet approached Sevastopol. 29 battleships (English - 4 screw and 9 sailing; French - 5 screw and 9 sailing and 2 Turkish sailing) and 21 steam frigates opened fire on coastal fortifications and ships. The Sevastopol residents could counter the 1,340 enemy guns with only 115 guns from coastal batteries and the artillery of the steam frigates Odessa and Bessarabia. After a five-hour bombardment, the allied fleet, having spent more than 50 thousand shells, retreated to starting positions. A number of Allied ships were damaged and disabled by the return fire of the Russian batteries. Thus, the English ship "Albion" received 93 holes and lost all three masts, the French ship "Paris" - 50 holes, 3 of them underwater, and fires broke out on many ships. Due to severe damage, two ships were taken to Constantinople for repairs. The damage received by the ships forced the allied naval command refuse to continue the bombardment and withdraw with the fleet to their bases, as a result of which further shelling of Sevastopol was carried out only from land.
A large role in the defense of the city was played by a detachment of steam frigates under the command of Captain 2nd Rank G.I. Butakova. They rained down hurricane fire on enemy positions. On November 24, “Vladimir” and “Khersones”, leaving the Sevastopol roadstead at sea, attacked the French steamer, and then fired at the enemy steamers stationed in Streletskaya Bay.
On the night of February 12, 1855, the enemy attempted to capture the Selenga and Volyn redoubts. The battleship "Chesma" and the steam frigates "Vladimir", "Khersones" and "Gromonosets" took part in repelling the attack. The enemy retreated in disorder.
On August 28–30, the last ships of the Black Sea Fleet were sunk in the Northern Bay: the battleships “Grand Duke Konstantin”, “Paris”, “Brave”, “Chesma”, Yagudil “Empress Maria”, the frigate “Kulevchi”, the corvette “Calypso”, brigs “Argonaut”, “Endymion”, “Jason”, “Theseus”, “Aeneas”, steam frigates “Vladimir”, “Gromonosets”, “Bessarabia”, “Crimea”, “Odessa”, “Chersonese”, “Elborus”, “Danube”, “Grozny”, “Turk” and “Gagra” transport. Fortifications, shipyards and warehouses South side were blown up.
Well, in conclusion - a beautiful but tragic legend. The reliability, of course, is doubtful, but I couldn’t resist, forgive me, if anything...
N.A. Obninsky tells in his notes from the words of Butakov (Russian Archive. 1891. Book 3) the following legend about the death of Zheleznov, and subsequently of Kornilov himself: During his stay in the Caucasus, Zheleznov bought himself an excellent saber for a very cheap price and In response to the surprise expressed by Vladimir Alekseevich about this, he explained that he got the saber so cheaply because it had a bad reputation that everyone who put it on in battle was killed.
Zheleznov died in the first case. Kornilov, despite the requests of those around him, took the saber of his beloved adjutant for himself, and on October 5, 1854 (the first time he was under fire after that incident), he died. The wonderful blade, which was then kept by the widow of the famous admiral, was also broken in half. Now it is in the Sevastopol Museum.
A copy of someone else's materials
Lis naval battle of 1866, a battle between the Italian and Austrian fleets during the Austro-Italian War of 1866, which took place on July 20 near the island. Lissa (now the island of Vis in Yugoslavia) in the Adriatic Sea. This is the first major battle steam armored ships. July 16 Italian squadron consisting of 11 battleships, 5 frigates, 3 gunboats under the command of Admiral K.P. Persano left Ancona for the sea with the goal of taking possession of the landing route about. Lissa, which housed the fortified base of the Austrian fleet (on Lissa Island there were 9 long-term fortifications, 11 batteries with 88 guns, the island’s garrison was about 3 thousand people). Attack o. Lissa on July 18-19 was organized unsuccessfully. The Italians met staunch resistance from the garrison, about which they did not have the necessary information. On the morning of July 20, the Austrian fleet, consisting of 7 battleships, 7 gunboats, 1 sailing ship, came to the aid of the island garrison. battleship, 5 frigates, 1 corvette under the command of Rear Admiral V. von Tegetthof. The Austrians suddenly attacked the Italian fleet, concentrating fire on the ships of the center. However, the gun duel between the battleships was unsuccessful. The outcome of the battle was decided by the ramming attack of the flagship battleship of the Austrians "Archduke Ferdinand Max" on the battleship of the Italians "Re d'Italia", which, together with its crew of 400 people, was sunk. Another Italian ship“Palsstro” caught fire after the shelling, malfunctioned and exploded. After this, the Italians retreated. The defeat of the Italians is explained by the weakness of their intelligence, the lack of a battle plan, poor communications, and the indecisiveness of Admiral Persano. L.m.s. showed the insufficient effectiveness of artillery against armored ships, the high maneuverability of steam ships, and their ability to quickly rearrange into various battle formations.
I. A. Bobkov.
Materials used were from the Soviet military encyclopedia in 8 volumes, volume 5.
Literature:
Marine atlas. T. 3. Part 1. Descriptions of the cards. M., 1959, p. 559-560. Bibliography: p. 562;
History of naval art. T. 2. M., 1954;
Review of the War of 1866 in Germany and Italy. Per. from French St. Petersburg, 1891, p. 302-314.