February 9, 1904 is the day of the heroic deed and death of the cruiser "Varyag". This day became the starting point for Russia's immersion in a series of revolutions and wars. But in this century it also became the first day of unfading Russian military glory.
The cruiser "Varyag" entered service in 1902. In its class, it was the strongest and fastest ship in the world: with a displacement of 6,500 tons, it had a speed of 23 knots (44 km/h), carried 36 guns, of which 24 were large-caliber, as well as 6 torpedo tubes. The crew consisted of 18 officers and 535 sailors. The cruiser was commanded by Captain 1st Rank Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev, a hereditary sailor. By the beginning of the Russo-Japanese War, the Varyag was carrying out a mission to protect the Russian embassy in Seoul.
On the night of February 8-9, 1904, one Japanese officer left the following entry in his diary: “We will not declare war in advance, since this is a completely incomprehensible, stupid European custom” (compare the Russian prince Svyatoslav, who lived a whole thousand years before this, before the war he sent messengers to his opponents with a brief message “I’m coming to face 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 "Elbe" and the American gunboat "Vicksburg" located in Chemulpo received a Japanese notification the day before about the upcoming attack of its squadron on Russian ships.
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 accepted provisions of international law, the port of Chemulpo is neutral, then no nation has no right to attack the vessels of other nations in this port, and the power which transgresses this law is fully responsible for any injury done to life or property in this port. Therefore, we hereby vigorously protest against such violation of neutrality and will be glad to hear Your opinion on this subject."
The only thing missing from this letter was 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 one’s 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 daring, but I accept it. I do not shy away from battle, although I do not have an official message about the war from my government. I am sure of one thing: the crews of the Varyag and “The 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 entire team: “All of us, both “Varyag” and “Korean”, will defend our native St. Andrew’s flag, its glory, honor and dignity, realizing that the whole world is looking at us.”
At 11:10 a.m. on the Russian ships the command was heard: “Everyone up, weigh anchor!” - and ten minutes later “Varyag” and “Koreets” weighed anchor and set sail. As the English, French and Italian cruisers slowly passed by, the musicians of the Varyag performed the corresponding national anthems. In response, the sounds of the Russian anthem echoed from the foreign ships, on whose decks the teams were lined up.
“We saluted these heroes who walked so proudly to certain death!” - the commander of the Pascal, Captain 1st Rank Senes, later wrote.
The excitement was indescribable, some of the sailors were crying. Never had they seen a more sublime and tragic scene. On the bridge of the Varyag stood its commander, leading the ship to the last parade.
It was impossible to doubt the outcome of this battle. The Japanese opposed the Russian armored cruiser and the outdated gunboat with six armored cruisers and eight destroyers. Four 203 mm, thirty-eight 152 mm guns and forty-three torpedo tubes were preparing to fire against the Russians with two 203 mm, thirteen 152 mm guns and seven 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 its guns.
When the enemy ships saw each other on the open sea, the Japanese issued the signal “surrender to 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 to this, the commander of the Varyag gave the order to raise battle flags. At 11:45 a.m. The first shot rang out from the cruiser Asama, after which in just one minute the Japanese guns fired 200 shells - about seven tons of deadly metal. The Japanese squadron concentrated all its fire on the Varyag, initially ignoring the Korean. On the Varyag, broken boats were burning, the water around it was boiling from explosions, the remains of the ship's superstructures fell with a roar onto the deck, burying Russian sailors. The knocked out guns fell silent one after another, with the dead lying around them. Japanese grapeshot rained down, the deck of the Varyag turned into a vegetable grater. But, despite the heavy fire and enormous destruction, the Varyag still fired accurately at the Japanese ships from its remaining guns. “Korean” didn’t lag behind him either.
Even the wounded did not leave their combat posts. The roar was such that the sailors' eardrums literally burst. The commander's namesake, the ship's priest, Fr. Mikhail Rudnev, despite the constant threat of death, walked along the blood-stained deck of the Varyag and inspired the officers and sailors.
"Varyag" concentrated fire on "Asama". Within an hour, he fired 1,105 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 repairs took more than a year. Two other cruisers received equally heavy 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 perished along with their ships. The enemy was unable to either sink or capture the Russian ships - when the forces of the Russian sailors were running out, Rudnev decided to return to the port to save the surviving sailors.
This was a victory for the Russian fleet. The moral superiority of the Russians over any enemy forces was proven at a terrible price - but this price was paid easily.
When the mutilated Russian ships reached the port, the captain of the French cruiser Sanes climbed onto the deck of the Varyag: “I will never forget the stunning sight that presented itself to me. The deck is covered in blood, corpses and body parts are lying everywhere. Nothing escaped destruction.”
Of the 36 guns, only 7 remained more or less intact. Four huge holes were discovered in the hull. Of the crew on the upper deck, 33 sailors were killed and 120 were wounded. Captain Rudnev was seriously wounded in the head. In order to prevent the capture of unarmed ships by the Japanese, it was decided to blow up the gunboat "Koreets", and the kingstons were opened on the "Varyag".
The surviving Russian heroes were placed on foreign ships. The English Talbot took 242 people on board, the Italian ship took 179 Russian sailors, and the French Pascal placed the rest on board.
Admired by the valor of the Russians, the German Rudolf Greinz composed a poem, to the words of which (translated by E. Studenskaya) the musician of the 12th Astrakhan Grenadier Regiment A. S. Turishchev, who took part in the solemn meeting of the heroes “Varyag” and “Korean”, wrote a well-known song - “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 more like a hymn was sung:
Up, you, comrades, with God, hurray!
The last parade is coming.
Our proud "Varyag" does not surrender to the enemy
Nobody wants mercy!
All the pennants are waving and the chains are rattling,
Raising the anchors up,
The guns are preparing for battle in a row,
Sparkling ominously in the sun!
It whistles and thunders and rumbles all around.
The thunder of guns, the hiss of shells,
And our immortal and proud “Varyag” became
Like absolute hell.
Bodies tremble in their death throes,
The thunder of guns, and smoke, and groans,
And the ship is engulfed in a sea of fire,
The moment of farewell has come.
Farewell, comrades! With God, hurray!
The boiling sea is below us!
Brothers, you and I didn’t think yesterday,
That today we will die under the waves.
Neither the stone nor the cross will tell where they lay down
For the glory of the Russian flag,
Only the waves of the sea will glorify alone
Heroic death of the "Varyag"!
After some time, the Japanese raised the Varyag, repaired it and introduced it into their fleet under the name Soya. On March 22, 1916, the ship was bought by the Russian Tsar and enlisted in the Baltic Fleet under the same name - "Varyag".
A year later, the worn-out cruiser was sent to allied England for repairs. The Russian fleet was waiting for the glorious cruiser to return to participate in the war with Germany, but the October coup occurred, 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 its future anchorage, 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. This is how the most famous cruiser of the Russian fleet ended its existence.
Captain Rudnev died in Tula in 1913. In 1956, a monument was erected to him in his small homeland. Monuments to the heroes of the Varyag were erected in the port of Chemulpo and at the Marine Cemetery of Vladivostok.
Glory to Russian heroes! Eternal memory to them!
On February 9, Varyag and Koreets accomplished their feat. How it wasUp, comrades, everything is in place!
The last parade is coming!
Our proud “Varyag” does not surrender to the enemy,
Nobody wants mercy!
IN
That day, "Varyag" and "Koreets" had an unequal battle with the Japanese squadron.
It became known to the whole world as the battle with the Japanese squadron near the port of Chemulpo, after which Russian sailors sank their ship, but did not surrender to the enemy. The feat was accomplished in front of the eyes of sailors from all over the world. It is in this case that you understand the truth of our saying, “In peace and death is red.” It was thanks to these numerous witnesses and the press of their countries that this battle became known.
The feat of the Russian cruiser Varyag and its commander V.F. will forever go down in the history of the Russo-Japanese War. Rudneva. Having withstood an unequal battle with the Japanese squadron and not lowering the flag in front of the enemy, the Russian sailors themselves sank their ship, deprived of the opportunity to continue the battle, but did not surrender to the enemy.
The cruiser "Varyag" was considered one of the best ships of the Russian fleet. In 1902, "Varyag" became part of the Port Arthur squadron.
It was a four-pipe, two-masted, armored cruiser of the 1st rank with a displacement of 6,500 tons. The cruiser's main caliber artillery consisted of twelve 152-mm (six-inch) guns. In addition, the ship had twelve 75 mm guns, eight 47 mm rapid-fire cannons and two 37 mm cannons. The cruiser had six torpedo tubes. It could reach speeds of up to 23 knots.
The ship's crew consisted of 550 sailors, non-commissioned officers, conductors and 20 officers.
Captain 1st Rank Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev, a native of the nobility of the Tula province, an experienced naval officer, took command of the cruiser on March 1, 1903. It was a difficult and tense time. Japan was intensively preparing for war with Russia, creating a significant superiority in forces here.
A month before the start of the war, the Tsar's governor in the Far East, Admiral E.I. Alekseev sent the cruiser "Varyag" from Port Arthur to the neutral Korean port of Chemulpo (now Incheon).
On January 26, 1904, a Japanese squadron of six cruisers and eight destroyers approached Chemulpo Bay and stopped at the outer roadstead in a neutral port: In the inner roadstead at that time there were Russian ships - the cruiser "Varyag" and the seaworthy gunboat "Koreets", as well as cargo and passenger ship "Sungari". There were also foreign warships.
On February 8, 1904, the Japanese squadron under the command of Rear Admiral Uriu (2 armored cruisers Asama and Chiyoda, 4 armored cruisers Naniwa, Niitaka, Takachiho, Akashi; 8 destroyers) blocked Chemulpo, having the goal was to cover the landing (about 2 thousand people) and prevent the intervention of the Varyag. On the same day, the “Korean” went to Port Arthur, but upon leaving the port it was attacked by destroyers (two fired torpedoes missed the target), after which it returned to the roadstead.
Early in the morning of January 27, 1904, V.F. Rudnev received an ultimatum from Japanese Rear Admiral S. Uriu demanding that he leave Chemulpo before 12 noon, otherwise the Japanese threatened to open fire on Russian ships in a neutral port, which was a gross violation of international law.
V.F. Rudnev announced to the crew that Japan had begun military operations against Russia and announced the decision to fight their way to Port Arthur, and in case of failure, blow up the ships.
Varyag's command room.
"Varyag" weighed anchor and headed towards the exit from the bay. In the wake was the gunboat "Koreets" (commanded by Captain 2nd Rank G.P. Belyaev). The ships sounded the combat alarm.
At the exit from the bay there is a Japanese squadron, superior to the Varyag in artillery weapons by more than five times, and torpedoes by seven times. She reliably blocked Russian ships from entering the open sea.
Japanese plans and their squadron
Japanese ships: Asama in 1898
Akashi on the roadstead in Kobe, 1899
Naniwa in 1898
The Japanese side had a detailed battle plan, communicated by order from Uriu to the ship commanders at 9:00 on February 9. It provided for two scenarios for the development of events - in the event of an attempt to break through by Russian ships and in the event of their refusal to break through. In the first case, given the tightness of the fairway, Uriu identified three lines for intercepting Russian ships, each of which had its own tactical group to operate:
Asama was appointed to the first group
second - Naniwa (flagship Uriu) and Niitaka
in the third - Chiyoda, Takachiho and Akashi.
Asama, as the most powerful ship of the squad, played a major role. If the Russian ships refused to break through, Uriu planned to attack them in the port with torpedoes by the forces of the 9th destroyer detachment (if the neutral ships had not left their anchorages), or with artillery and torpedoes by the forces of the entire squadron.
If Russian ships do not leave the anchorage before 13:00 on February 9, then all ships will take up positions next to the flagship.
- if the ships of neutral powers remain at anchor, a torpedo attack is carried out in the evening;
- if there are only Russian ships and a small number of foreign ships and vessels at the anchorage, then an artillery attack is carried out by the entire squadron.
Progress of the battle
Six Japanese cruisers - Asama, Naniwa, Takachiho, Niitaka, Akashi and Chiyoda - took their starting positions in the bearing formation. Eight destroyers loomed behind the cruisers. The Japanese invited the Russian ships to surrender. V.F. Rudnev ordered that this signal be left unanswered.
The first shot was fired from the armored cruiser Asama, and after it the entire enemy squadron opened fire. "Varyag" did not answer, he was moving closer. And only when the distance was reduced to a sure shot, V.F. Rudnev ordered to open fire.
Varyag and Korean go to the last battle. Rare photo.
The fight was brutal. The Japanese concentrated all the force of their fire on the Varyag. The sea boiled with explosions, showering the deck with shell fragments and cascades of water. Every now and then fires broke out and holes opened. Under hurricane fire from the enemy, sailors and officers fired at the enemy, applied plaster, sealed holes, and put out fires. V.F. Rudnev, wounded in the head and shell-shocked, continued to lead the battle. Many sailors fought heroically in this battle, among whom were our fellow countrymen A.I. Kuznetsov, P.E. Polikov, T.P. Chibisov and others, as well as the ship’s priest M.I. Rudnev.
Accurate fire from the Varyag brought results: the Japanese cruisers Asama, Chiyoda, and Takachiho received serious damage. When the Japanese destroyers rushed towards the Varyag, the Russian cruiser concentrated its fire on them and sank one destroyer.
6-inch guns - XII and IX - knocked out; 75 mm - No. 21; 47 mm - No. 27 and 28. The battle main top was almost demolished, the rangefinder station No. 2 was destroyed, guns No. 31 and No. 32 were knocked out, and a fire was started in the lockers and in the armored deck, which was soon extinguished. While passing abeam the island of Iodolmi, one of the shells broke the pipe in which all the steering gears pass, and at the same time, fragments of another shell that flew into the conning tower, the cruiser commander was shell-shocked in the head, and the bugler and drummer standing on both sides of him were killed outright, the steering sergeant major standing nearby was wounded in the back (he did not report his wound and remained at his post throughout the battle); At the same time, the commander's orderly was wounded in the arm. Control was immediately transferred to the tiller compartment on the hand wheel. With the thunder of shots, orders to the tiller compartment were hard to hear, and it was necessary to control the vehicles mainly, despite this, the cruiser still did not obey well.
At 12:15, wanting to get out of the sphere of fire for a while in order to correct the steering drive and put out the fires if possible, they began to turn their cars around, and since the cruiser did not obey the steering wheel well and due to the proximity of the island of Iodolmi, they reversed both cars (the cruiser set into this position at a time when the steering drive was interrupted with the steering wheel in the left-hand position). At this time, the Japanese fire intensified and the hits increased, since the cruiser, turning around, turned its left side towards the enemy and did not have much speed.
At the same time, one of the serious underwater holes was received in the left side, and the third stoker began to quickly fill with water, the level of which approached the fireboxes; they applied the plaster and began to pump out the water; then the water level subsided somewhat, but nevertheless the cruiser continued to list rapidly. A shell that passed through the officers' cabins, destroyed them and pierced the deck, ignited flour in the provision department (the fire was extinguished by midshipman Chernilovsky-Sokol and senior boatswain Kharkovsky), and another shell smashed the bed nets on the waistcoat above the infirmary, and fragments fell into the infirmary, and the grid caught fire, but was soon extinguished. Serious damage forced us to leave the sphere of fire for a longer time, which is why we went at full speed, continuing to fire back with the left side and stern guns. One of the shots from the 6-inch gun No. XII destroyed the aft bridge of the cruiser Asama and started a fire, and the Asama stopped firing for a while, but soon opened again.
Its rear turret was apparently damaged, since it was no longer operational until the end of the battle. Only when the cruiser was passing to the anchorage and when the Japanese fire could be dangerous for foreign ships, they stopped it, and one of the cruisers pursuing us returned to the squadron, which remained in the fairway behind Iodolmi Island. The distance increased so much that it was useless for us to continue the fire, and therefore the fire was stopped at 12 hours 45 minutes
day.
Results of the battle
During the battle, which lasted for one hour, the Varyag fired 1,105 shells at the enemy, and the Koreets - 52 shells. After the battle, the losses were counted. On the Varyag, out of a crew of 570 people, there were 122 killed and wounded (1 officer and 30 sailors were killed, 6 officers and 85 sailors were wounded). In addition, more than 100 people were slightly injured.
The wounded but not defeated "Varyag" (above in the photo "Varyag" after the battle) returned to the port to make the necessary repairs and again go for a breakthrough.
According to the report of the commander of the Varyag, one Japanese destroyer was sunk by the cruiser’s fire and the cruiser Asama was damaged, and the cruiser Takachiho sank after the battle; the enemy supposedly lost at least 30 people killed.
In this battle, it is common to forget about “Korean”. I read some interesting information in one of the documents. Before the battle, the commander of the ship, captain 2nd rank G.P. Belyaev ordered the ship's masts to be shortened. It was a military stratagem. He knew that the Japanese knew the detailed characteristics of our ships and understood that rangefinders would measure the distance to the Korean by the height of the masts. Thus, all the shells of the Japanese ships flew safely through the Russian ship.
Korean with masts before and after the battle.
Meanwhile, during the battle, “Korean” fired 52 shells at the enemy, and the only damage was the ram compartment, pierced by a fragment of a Japanese shell. There were no losses at all.
The "Varyag" tilted to the side, the vehicles were out of order, most of the guns were broken. V.F. Rudnev made a decision: remove the crews from the ships, sink the cruiser, and blow up the gunboat so that they do not fall to the enemy. The council of officers supported their commander.
After the crew was transported to neutral ships, the “Varyag” was sunk by opening the kingstons, and the “Korean” was blown up (the explosion of the Korean is shown above in the photo). The Russian steamship Sungari was also sunk.
"Varyag" after flooding, during low tide.
Russian heroes were placed on foreign ships. The English Talbot took 242 people on board, the Italian ship took 179 Russian sailors, and the French Pascal placed the rest on board.
The commander of the American cruiser Vicksburg behaved absolutely disgustingly in this situation, flatly refusing to place Russian sailors on his ship without official permission from Washington.
Without taking a single person on board, the “American” limited himself to only sending a doctor to the cruiser.
French newspapers wrote about this: " Obviously, the American Navy is too young to have those high traditions that inspire all the navies of other nations."
After the Russo-Japanese War, the Japanese government created a museum in Seoul in memory of the heroes of the Varyag and awarded Rudnev the Order of the Rising Sun.
The sailors of the "Varyag" and "Koreyets" returned to their homeland in several echelons, where they were enthusiastically greeted by the Russian people.
General Baron Kaulbars greets the sailors of the Varyag and the Korean upon their arrival in Odessa.
The sailors were warmly greeted by the residents of Tula, who filled the station square late at night. Large celebrations in honor of the sailor heroes took place in St. Petersburg.
The crews of the "Varyag" and "Korean" were awarded high awards: the sailors were awarded the Cross of St. George, and the officers were awarded the Order of St. George, 4th degree. Captain 1st Rank V.F. Rudnev was awarded the Order of St. George, 4th degree, the rank of adjutant, and was appointed commander of the 14th naval crew and the squadron battleship "Andrei Pervozvanny" being built in St. Petersburg. A medal was established “For the battle of “Varyag” and “Korean””, which awarded all participants in the battle.
In November 1905, for refusing to take disciplinary measures against the revolutionary-minded sailors of his crew, V.F. Rudnev was dismissed and promoted to rear admiral.
He went to the Tula province, where he settled in a small estate near the village of Myshenki, three miles from Tarusskaya station.
July 7, 1913 V.F. Rudnev died and was buried in the village of Savina (now Zaoksky district of the Tula region).
The further fate of the cruiser "Varyag"
In 1905, the cruiser was raised by the Japanese, repaired and commissioned on August 22 as a 2nd class cruiser called Soya (Japanese: 宗谷).
During World War I, the Russian Empire and Japan became allies. In 1916, the cruiser Soya (together with the battleships Sagami and Tango) was bought by Russia.
On April 4, the Japanese flag was lowered and on April 5, 1916, the cruiser was transferred to Vladivostok, after which, under the former name “Varyag”, it was included in the Arctic Ocean flotilla (it made the transition from Vladivostok to Romanov-on-Murman) as part of the Special Purpose Vessels Detachment under the command of Rear Admiral Bestuzhev-Ryumin.
In February 1917, it went to Great Britain for repairs, where it was confiscated by the British because the Soviet government refused to pay the debts of the Russian Empire.
In 1920 it was resold to German companies for scrapping. In 1925, while being towed, the ship encountered a storm and sank offshore in the Irish Sea. Some of the metal structures were then removed by local residents. Was subsequently blown up.
In 2003, the first Russian expedition took place to dive into the wreckage area, and some small parts were recovered. The grandson of Captain Rudnev, who lives in France, took part in the dive...
After the feat of the crew of the cruiser "Varyag", the Austrian writer and poet Rudolf Greinz wrote the poem "Der "Warjag"" dedicated to this event. You can read the full story of the song and the original test
“Song about the exploit of the Varyag” (translated by Greinz) became the anthem of Russian sailors
On October 29, 1955, the battleship Novorossiysk exploded and capsized in Sevastopol Bay, burying hundreds of sailors. Veteran of the USSR Armed Forces, retired officer M. Pashkin recalls: “ Below, in the armored belly of the battleship, the walled up and doomed sailors sang, they sang “Varyag”. This was not audible at the bottom, but when approaching the speaker, one could make out the barely audible sounds of a song. It was a stunning experience; I had never experienced such a state. No one noticed the tears, everyone looked down at the bottom, as if trying to see the sailors singing below. Everyone stood without hats, there were no words».
On April 7, 1989, the K-278 Komsomolets submarine sank due to a fire on board after a 6-hour struggle by the crew for the buoyancy of the vessel. Sailors in the icy waters of the Norwegian Sea said goodbye to their commander and ship by singing the song “Varyag”...
Info and photos (C) different places on the Internet... I added new photos and corrected my post from last year.
November 1 marked 110 years since the legendary cruiser Varyag was launched.
The cruiser "Varyag" was built by order of the Russian Empire at the William Crump and Sons shipyard in Philadelphia (USA). It left the Philadelphia docks on November 1 (October 19, O.S.), 1899.
In terms of technical characteristics, the Varyag had no equal: equipped with powerful cannon and torpedo weapons, it was also the fastest cruiser in Russia. In addition, the Varyag was equipped with telephones, electrification, and a radio station and steam boilers of the latest modification.
After testing in 1901, the ship was presented to St. Petersburg residents.
In May 1901, the cruiser was sent to the Far East to strengthen the Pacific squadron. In February 1902, the cruiser, having sailed halfway around the world, dropped anchor in the Port Arthur roadstead. From that moment his service began as part of the squadron. In December 1903, the cruiser was sent to the neutral Korean port of Chemulpo to serve as a stationary vessel. In addition to the Varyag, there were ships of the international squadron on the roadstead. On January 5, 1904, the Russian gunboat "Koreets" arrived at the roadstead.
On the night of January 27 (February 9, new style), 1904, Japanese warships opened fire on the Russian squadron, which was stationed in the Port Arthur roadstead. The Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905) began, lasting 588 days.
The cruiser "Varyag" and the gunboat "Koreets", located in the Korean Bay of Chemulpo, were blocked by a Japanese squadron on the night of February 9, 1904. The crews of Russian ships, trying to break through from Chemulpo to Port Arthur, entered into an unequal battle with a Japanese squadron, which included 14 destroyers.
During the first hour of the battle in the Tsushima Strait, the crew of the Russian cruiser fired more than 1.1 thousand shells. "Varyag" and "Koreets" disabled three cruisers and a destroyer, but they themselves received heavy damage. The ships returned to the port of Chemulpo, where they received an ultimatum from the Japanese to surrender. Russian sailors rejected him. By decision of the officers' council, the Varyag was sunk and the Koreets was blown up. This feat became a symbol of the courage and bravery of Russian sailors.
For the first time in Russian history, all participants in the battle (about 500 people) were awarded the highest military award - the Cross of St. George. After the celebrations, the Varyag crew was disbanded, the sailors entered service on other ships, and commander Vsevolod Rudnev was awarded, promoted, and retired.
The actions of the "Varyag" during the battle delighted even the enemy - after the Russian-Japanese War, the Japanese government created a museum in Seoul in memory of the heroes of the "Varyag" and awarded its commander Vsevolod Rudnev the Order of the Rising Sun.
After the legendary battle in Chemulpo Bay, the Varyag lay at the bottom of the Yellow Sea for more than a year. It was not until 1905 that the wreck was raised, repaired, and commissioned into the Imperial Japanese Navy under the name Soya. For more than 10 years, the legendary ship served as a training vessel for Japanese sailors, but out of respect for its heroic past, the Japanese kept the inscription on the stern - “Varyag”.
In 1916, Russia acquired former Russian warships Peresvet, Poltava and Varyag from its now ally Japan. After paying 4 million yen, the Varyag was enthusiastically received in Vladivostok and on March 27, 1916, the St. Andrew's flag was raised again on the cruiser. The ship was enlisted in the Guards crew and sent to reinforce the Kola detachment of the Arctic Fleet. On November 18, 1916, the cruiser Varyag was solemnly welcomed in Murmansk. Here she was appointed the flagship of the Kola Bay Naval Defense Forces.
However, the cruiser's engines and boilers required immediate overhaul, and the artillery required rearmament. Just a few days before the February Revolution, the Varyag left for England, to the ship repair docks of Liverpool. The Varyag remained in the Liverpool dock from 1917 to 1920. The necessary funds for its repair (300 thousand pounds) were never allocated. After 1917, the Bolsheviks permanently erased the Varyag as a hero of the “tsarist” fleet from the history of the country.
In February 1920, while being towed through the Irish Sea to Glasgow (Scotland), where it was sold for scrap, the cruiser was caught in a strong storm and sat on rocks. All attempts to save the ship were unsuccessful. In 1925, the cruiser was partially dismantled on site, and the 127-meter hull was blown up.
In 1947, the feature film “Cruiser “Varyag”” was shot, and on February 8, 1954, on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the “Varyag” feat, a gala evening was held in Moscow with the participation of veterans of the Battle of Chemulpo, where, on behalf of the Soviet government, the “Varangian” heroes received medals “For Courage” were awarded.Anniversary celebrations took place in many cities of the country.
On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the heroic battle in 2004, the Russian delegation erected a monument to the Russian sailors "Varyag" and "Koreyts" in Chemulpo Bay. The flagship of the Russian Pacific Fleet, the guards missile cruiser Varyag, was present at the opening of the memorial in the port of Incheon (formerly the city of Chemulpo).
The current Varyag, the successor to the legendary first-generation ship of the same name, is armed with a powerful multi-purpose strike missile system that allows it to hit surface and ground targets at a considerable distance. Also in its arsenal are rocket launchers, torpedo tubes and several artillery installations of various calibers and purposes. Therefore, NATO figuratively calls Russian ships of this class “aircraft carrier killers.”
In 2007, in Scotland, where the legendary "Varyag" found its final refuge, a memorial complex was opened, which was attended by the large anti-submarine ship (BOD) of the Russian Navy "Severomorsk". These monuments, made in Russian maritime traditions, became the first memorials to the Russian military spirit outside Russia and an eternal symbol of gratitude and pride for descendants.
In 2009, on the occasion of the 105th anniversary of the legendary battle with the Japanese squadron, a unique international exhibition project “Cruiser “Varyag” was created. The discovery of relics, including genuine rarities from the legendary ship and gunboat “Koreets” from the collections of Russian and Korean museums. A similar exhibition , demonstrating relics of the Russian fleet has never been seen in Russian history.
The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources
The famous battle between the cruiser Varyag and the Japanese squadron has become a real legend, although this, according to many, contradicts logic and common sense.
There have been many glorious victories in the history of the Russian fleet, but in the case of the Varyag we are talking about a lost battle in an ingloriously lost war. So what is it about the history of “Varyag” that makes the hearts of Russians beat faster in the 21st century?
The Russian cruiser Varyag at the beginning of 1904 was not carrying out a military mission. In the Korean port of Chemulpo, the cruiser and gunboat "Koreets" were at the disposal of the Russian embassy in Seoul. Of course, the sailors knew about the current situation, which threatened to break out into war at any moment, but they did not expect the attack on February 9, 1904.
"Varyag" and "Koreets" go into battle, February 9, 1904. Photo: Public Domain
Conflict of two empires
At the beginning of the 20th century, the interests of two actively developing empires - Russian and Japanese - collided in the Far East. The parties fought for influence in China and Korea, the Japanese side also openly laid claim to territories belonging to Russia, and in the long term hoped to completely oust Russia from the Far East.
By the beginning of 1904, Japan had completed the rearmament of its army and navy, in which 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 quickly transferring 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 Japanese government, a decision was made 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 broke off diplomatic relations with Russia. However, the Russian command did not expect decisive military action from the Japanese.
Armored cruiser Varyag and a photograph of its captain Vsevolod Rudnev. Photo: Public Domain
Trap in Chemulpo
On the night of February 9, 1904, Japanese destroyers attacked the Russian squadron in Port Arthur, disabling two battleships and one cruiser.
At the same time, a 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, it housed ships of several powers, including the Japanese cruiser Chiyoda, which on the night of February 9 went out to the open sea, as it later turned out, 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 information isolation due to the non-arrival of telegrams delayed by Japanese agents who controlled transmitting stations in Korea. Rudnev learned that Japan had severed diplomatic relations with Russia 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”, leaving the port, was subjected to a torpedo attack by Japanese ships and was forced to return to the roadstead.
According to international laws, the Japanese squadron did not have the right to attack Russian ships in a neutral port, since this endangered the ships of other states. On the other hand, the Varyag sailors could not take retaliatory action when the landing began from Japanese transport ships on the morning of February 9.
The cruiser after the battle, February 9, 1904. A strong list to the left side is visible. Photo: Public Domain
Russians don't give up
It became obvious that the war had begun. After negotiations with the participation of captains of ships of neutral powers, the commander of the Japanese squadron, Admiral Sotokichi Uriu, presented 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, attempting to break through to Port Arthur. Given the balance of forces, there was practically no chance of success, but the captain’s decision was supported by the crew.
When the “Varyag” and “Koreets” left the port, the ships of the neutral powers began to sing the anthem of the Russian Empire as a sign of respect for the courage of the Russian sailors going to certain death.
After the Russian ships left the port, Admiral Uriu ordered to convey to the “Varyag” and “Korean”: we propose 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 superiority, this, in fact, left the Russians no chance. The Japanese fire caused serious damage to the Varyag, including the destruction of most of the ship's guns. In addition, due to them hitting the underwater part, the ship tilted to the left side. There was great destruction at 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 from wounds, and dozens of people were seriously injured. The “Korean,” whose participation in the battle was limited, had no crew losses.
It is difficult to talk about Japanese losses. According to the report of Captain Rudnev, one Japanese destroyer was sunk, and at least one Japanese cruiser was seriously damaged.
Japanese sources report that Admiral Uriu's ships did not suffer any losses at all, and not a single Varyag shell reached the target.
Fragment of the painting “Cruiser Varyag” by Pyotr Maltsev. Photo: www.russianlook.com
Rewards for defeat
After returning to the port, Captain Rudnev was faced with the question: what to do next? Initially, he intended to resume the battle after repairing the damage, but it quickly became obvious that this was not possible.
As a result, a decision was made to destroy the ships to prevent them from falling into enemy hands. The wounded sailors were transported to neutral ships, after which the crews left the Varyag and Koreets. "Varyag" was sunk by opening the kingstons, 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 receive the right to return to their homeland, subject to an obligation not to participate in further hostilities.
In Russia, the sailors of the Varyag 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 Varyag crew was given a ceremonial reception by Nicholas II, and all participants in the battle were awarded awards.
This still puzzles many people to this day: why? The Japanese squadron crushed the Russians to smithereens. Moreover, the sunken Varyag was soon raised by the Japanese and included in the fleet under the name Soya. Only in 1916 “Varyag” was purchased and returned to Russia.
Cruiser "Soya". Photo: Public Domain
Stand until the last
The most surprising thing is that the act of the Russian sailors was considered heroic by their opponents, 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 perseverance, using the crews of the Varyag and the Korean as examples.
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 worth more than one’s own life. Taking on an unequal and hopeless battle, the sailors of the Varyag showed the enemy that there would be no easy victory in the war with Russia, that every warrior would stand until the end and would not retreat until the last.
It was precisely through resilience, courage and readiness for self-sacrifice that Soviet soldiers forced the well-oiled machine of Hitler’s Wehrmacht to break down. For many of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War, the example was precisely the feat of the “Varyag”.
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.
The cruiser "Varyag" has become a truly legendary ship in Russian history. It became famous due to the battle at Chemulpo, at the very beginning of the Russo-Japanese War. And although the cruiser “Varyag” has already become almost a household name, the battle itself is still unknown to the general public. Meanwhile, for the Russian fleet the results are disappointing.
True, then two domestic ships were immediately opposed by an entire Japanese squadron. All that is known about the “Varyag” is that it did not surrender to the enemy and preferred to be flooded rather than captured. However, the history of the ship is much more interesting. It is worth restoring historical justice and debunking some myths about the glorious cruiser “Varyag”.
The Varyag was built in Russia. The ship is considered one of the most famous in the history of the Russian fleet. It is obvious to assume that it was built in Russia. Nevertheless, the Varyag was laid down in 1898 in Philadelphia at the William Cramp and Sons shipyards. Three years later, the ship began serving in the Russian fleet.
Varyag is a slow ship. Poor quality work during the creation of the vessel led to the fact that it could not accelerate to the 25 knots specified in the contract. This negated all the advantages of a light cruiser. After a few years, the ship could no longer sail faster than 14 knots. The question of returning the Varyag to the Americans for repairs was even raised. But in the fall of 1903, the cruiser was able to show almost the planned speed during testing. Nikloss steam boilers served faithfully on other ships without causing any complaints.
Varyag is a weak cruiser. In many sources there is an opinion that “Varyag” was a weak enemy with low military value. The lack of armor shields on the main caliber guns caused skepticism. True, Japan in those years, in principle, did not have armored cruisers capable of fighting on equal terms with the Varyag and its analogues in terms of weapon power: “Oleg”, “Bogatyr” and “Askold”. No Japanese cruiser of this class had twelve 152 mm guns. But the fighting in that conflict was such that the crews of domestic cruisers did not have the opportunity to fight an enemy of equal size or class. The Japanese preferred to engage in battle with an advantage in the number of ships. The first battle, but not the last, was the battle of Chemulpo.
"Varyag" and "Koreets" received a hail of shells. Describing that battle, domestic historians talk about a whole hail of shells that fell on Russian ships. True, nothing hit the “Korean”. But official data from the Japanese side refutes this myth. In 50 minutes of battle, the six cruisers spent a total of 419 shells. Most of all - "Asama", including 27 caliber 203 mm and 103 caliber 152 mm. According to the report of Captain Rudnev, who commanded the Varyag, the ship fired 1,105 shells. Of these, 425 are 152 mm caliber, 470 are 75 mm caliber, and another 210 are 47 mm. It turns out that as a result of that battle, the Russian artillerymen managed to demonstrate a high rate of fire. The Koreets fired about fifty more shells. So it turns out that during that battle, two Russian ships fired three times more shells than the entire Japanese squadron. It remains not entirely clear how this number was calculated. It may have been based on a survey of the crew. And could a cruiser, which by the end of the battle had lost three quarters of its guns, fire so many shots?
The ship was commanded by Rear Admiral Rudnev. Returning to Russia after retirement in 1905, Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev received the rank of rear admiral. And in 2001, a street in South Butovo in Moscow was named after the brave sailor. But it is still logical to talk about the captain, and not about the admiral in the historical aspect. In the chronicles of the Russian-Japanese War, Rudnev remained a captain of the first rank, commander of the Varyag. He did not show himself anywhere or in any way as a rear admiral. And this obvious mistake even crept into school textbooks, where the rank of the Varyag commander is incorrectly indicated. For some reason, no one thinks that a rear admiral is not qualified to command an armored cruiser. Fourteen Japanese ships opposed two Russian ships. Describing that battle, it is often said that the cruiser “Varyag” and the gunboat “Koreets” were opposed by the entire Japanese squadron of Rear Admiral Uriu of 14 ships. It included 6 cruisers and 8 destroyers. But it’s still worth clarifying something. The Japanese never took advantage of their huge quantitative and qualitative advantage. Moreover, initially there were 15 ships in the squadron. But the destroyer Tsubame ran aground during maneuvers that prevented the Korean from leaving for Port Arthur. The messenger ship Chihaya was not a participant in the battle, although it was located close to the battle site. Only four Japanese cruisers actually fought, with two more sporadically engaging in combat. The destroyers only indicated their presence.
Varyag sank a cruiser and two enemy destroyers. The issue of military losses on both sides always causes heated discussions. Likewise, the battle at Chemulpo is assessed differently by Russian and Japanese historians. Domestic literature mentions heavy enemy losses. The Japanese lost a scuttled destroyer, killing 30 people and wounding about 200. But these data are based on reports from foreigners who observed the battle. Gradually, another destroyer began to be included in the number of those sunk, as well as the cruiser Takachiho. This version was included in the film “Cruiser “Varyag”. And while the fate of the destroyers can be debated, the cruiser Takachiho went through the Russo-Japanese War quite safely. The ship with its entire crew sank only 10 years later during the siege of Qingdao. The Japanese report does not say anything at all about the losses and damage to their ships. True, it is not entirely clear where, after that battle, the armored cruiser Asama, the main enemy of the Varyag, disappeared for two whole months? He was not present at Port Arthur, as well as in the squadron of Admiral Kammimura, which acted against the Vladivostok detachment of cruisers. But the fighting had just begun, the outcome of the war was unclear. One can only assume that the ship, which the Varyag mainly fired at, was still seriously damaged. But the Japanese decided to hide this fact in order to promote the effectiveness of their weapons. Similar experiences were observed in the future during the Russo-Japanese War. The losses of the battleships Yashima and Hatsuse were also not immediately recognized. The Japanese quietly wrote off several sunken destroyers as being beyond repair.
The story of the Varyag ended with its sinking. After the ship's crew switched to neutral ships, the Varyag's seams were opened. It sank. But in 1905, the Japanese raised the cruiser, repaired it and put it into service under the name Soya. In 1916, the ship was bought by the Russians. The First World War was going on, and Japan was already an ally. The ship was returned to its former name “Varyag”, it began to serve as part of the Arctic Ocean flotilla. At the beginning of 1917, the Varyag went to England for repairs, but was confiscated for debts. The Soviet government had no intention of paying the tsar's bills. The ship's further fate was unenviable - in 1920 it was sold to the Germans for scrapping. And in 1925, while being towed, it sank in the Irish Sea. So the ship is not resting off the coast of Korea.
The Japanese modernized the ship. There is information that the Nicoloss boilers were replaced by the Japanese with Miyabara boilers. So the Japanese decided to modernize the former Varyag. It's a delusion. True, the car could not be repaired without repairs. This allowed the cruiser to achieve a speed of 22.7 knots during testing, which was less than the original.
As a sign of respect, the Japanese left the cruiser a sign with his name and the Russian coat of arms. This step was not associated with a tribute to the heroic history of the ship. The design of the Varyag played a role. The coat of arms and name were mounted in the aft balcony; it was impossible to remove them. The Japanese simply fixed the new name, "Soya", on both sides of the balcony grille. No sentimentality - complete rationality.
“The Death of the Varyag” is a folk song. The Varyag's feat became one of the bright spots of that war. It is not surprising that poems were written about the ship, songs were written, pictures were written, and a film was made. At least fifty songs were composed immediately after that war. But over the years, only three have reached us. “Varyag” and “Death of Varyag” are best known. These songs, with slight modifications, are played throughout the entire feature film about the ship. For a long time it was believed that “The Death of the Varyag” was a folk creation, but this is not entirely true. Less than a month after the battle, Y. Repninsky’s poem “Varyag” was published in the newspaper “Rus”. It began with the words “Cold waves are splashing.” Composer Benevsky set these words to music. It must be said that this melody was in tune with many war songs that appeared during that period. And who the mysterious Ya. Repninsky was was never established. By the way, the text of “Varyag” (“Up, oh comrades, everything in its place”) was written by the Austrian poet Rudolf Greinz. The version known to everyone appeared thanks to the translator Studenskaya.