The cruiser "Varyag" was considered one of the best ships of the Russian fleet. Built at an American factory in Philadelphia, it was launched in 1899 and entered service with the Russian fleet in 1901, arriving in Kronstadt. In 1902, the 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 6500 tons. The cruiser's main battery artillery consisted of twelve 152-mm (six-inch) guns. In addition, the ship carried twelve 75 mm guns, eight 47 mm quick-firing guns, and two 37 mm guns. The cruiser had six torpedo tubes. He could reach speeds up to 23 knots. However, the Varyag also had a number of serious shortcomings: steam boilers were very difficult to operate, the actual speed was much lower than the design speed, and there was no cover for gun servants from shell fragments. These shortcomings affected the transition from Kronstadt to Port Arthur, and then during the battle at Chemulpo.
The ship's crew consisted of 550 sailors, non-commissioned officers, conductors and 20 officers.
Captain 1st rank Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev, a native of the nobility of the Tula province, an experienced naval officer, took command of the cruiser on March 1, 1903. It was a difficult and stressful time. Japan was intensively preparing for a 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 Varyag cruiser 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 in the outer roadstead: At that time, Russian ships were in the inner roadstead - the cruiser "Varyag" and the seaworthy gunboat "Koreets", as well as a cargo-passenger ship "Sungari". There were also foreign warships.
Early in the morning on January 27, 1904 V.F. Rudnev received an ultimatum from Japanese Rear Admiral S. Uriu demanding to 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. The Varyag weighed anchor and headed for the exit from the bay. In the wake was the gunboat "Korean" (commander Captain 2nd Rank G.P. Belyaev). On the ships, a combat alarm was sounded.
At the exit from the bay, the Japanese squadron, exceeding the "Varyag" by more than five times in artillery weapons, and seven times in torpedoes, blocked the Russian ships from entering the open sea. Six Japanese cruisers - "Asama", "Naniva", "Takachiho", "Niitaka", "Akashi" and "Chyoda" took their starting positions in the bearing formation. Eight destroyers loomed behind the cruisers. The Japanese offered 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, followed by the entire enemy squadron opening fire. "Varangian" 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.
The fight was brutal. The Japanese concentrated all the force of fire on the Varyag. The sea boiled with explosions, splashing the deck with shell fragments and cascading water. Every now and then there were fires, holes opened. Under heavy enemy fire, sailors and officers fired at the enemy, brought down the plaster, patched up holes, and put out fires. V.F. Rudnev, wounded in the head and shell-shocked, continued to direct the battle. Many sailors fought heroically in this battle, among whom were our countrymen A.I. Kuznetsov, P.E. Polikov, T.P. Chibisov and others, as well as the ship's priest M.I. Rudnev.
Well-aimed fire from the Varyag brought results: the Japanese cruisers Asama, Chiyoda, and Takachiho were seriously damaged. When the Japanese destroyers rushed towards the Varyag, the Russian cruiser concentrated its fire on them and sank one destroyer.
Wounded, but not defeated, the Varyag returned to the port to make the necessary repairs and again go on a breakthrough. However, the cruiser lurched on board, the machines were out of order, most of the guns were broken. V.F. Rudnev made a decision: to remove the teams from the ships, to flood the cruiser, and to blow up the gunboat so that they would not get to the enemy. The council of officers supported their commander.
During the battle, which lasted for one hour, "Varyag" fired 1105 shells at the enemy, "Korean" - 52 shells. After the battle, the losses were counted. On the Varyag, out of a crew of 570 people, 122 were 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 sailors of the "Varyag" and "Koreets" returned to their homeland in several echelons, where they were enthusiastically received by the Russian people. The sailors were warmly welcomed by the residents of Tula, who filled the station square late at night. Large celebrations in honor of the heroes-sailors were held in St. Petersburg.
The crews of the "Varyag" and "Koreets" were awarded with high awards: the sailors were awarded St. George's crosses, and the officers were awarded the Order of St. George of the 4th degree. Captain 1st rank V.F. Rudnev was awarded the Order of St. George of the 4th degree, the rank of adjutant wing and was appointed commander of the 14th naval crew and the squadron battleship "Andrei the First-Called" under construction in St. Petersburg. The medal “For the Battle of the Varyag and the Korean” was established, which was awarded to 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 with a promotion to rear admiral. He left for the Tula province, where he settled in a small estate near the village of Myshenki, three versts from the Tarusskaya station.
July 7, 1913 V.F. Rudnev died and was buried in the village of Savino (now the Zaoksky district of the Tula region).
On September 30, 1956, a monument to the commander of the legendary cruiser was unveiled in Tula. And on February 9, 1984, the opening of the museum of V.F. Rudnev.
On August 9, 1992, a monument to V.F. Rudnev. In the summer of 1997, a monument to the commander of the "Varyag" was also erected in the city of Novomoskovsk, not far from which the family estate of the Rudnevs was located near the village of Yatskaya.
As part of the Pacific Fleet of Russia, the guards missile cruiser with the proud name "Varyag" is serving.
The cruiser "Varyag" needs no introduction. Nevertheless, the battle at Chemulpo is still a dark page in Russian military history. Its results are disappointing, and there are still a lot of misconceptions about the participation of the Varyag in this battle.
"Varyag" - a weak cruiser
In popular publications, there is an assessment that the combat value of the Varyag was low. Indeed, due to poor-quality work performed during the construction in Philadelphia, the Varyag could not develop a contract speed of 25 knots, thereby losing the main advantage of a light cruiser.
The second serious drawback was the lack of armor shields for the main caliber guns. On the other hand, Japan during the Russo-Japanese War, in principle, did not have a single armored cruiser capable of withstanding the Varyag and the Askold, Bogatyr or Oleg similar to it in armament.
Not a single Japanese cruiser of this class had 12,152 mm guns. True, the fighting developed in such a way that the crews of Russian cruisers never had to fight an enemy equal in number or class. The Japanese always acted for sure, compensating for the shortcomings of their cruisers with a numerical superiority, and the first, but far from the last in this glorious and tragic list for the Russian fleet was the battle of the Varyag cruiser.
A hail of shells hit the Varyag and Koreets
In artistic and popular descriptions of the battle at Chemulpo, it is often said that the Varyag and the Korean (who did not receive a single hit) were literally bombarded with Japanese shells. However, official figures show otherwise. In just 50 minutes of the battle at Chemulpo, six Japanese cruisers used up 419 shells: Asama 27 - 203 mm. , 103 152 mm., 9 76 mm; "Naniva" - 14 152 mm; "Niitaka" - 53 152 mm., 130 76mm. Takachiho - 10 152 mm, Akashi - 2 152 mm, Chiyoda 71 120 mm.
In response, according to Rudnev's report, 1105 shells were fired from the Varyag: 425-152mm, 470-75mm, 210-47mm. It turns out that the Russian gunners have achieved the highest rate of fire. To this we can add 22 203 mm, 27 152 mm and 3 107 mm shells fired from the "Korean".
That is, in the battle at Chemulpo, two Russian ships fired almost three times more shells than the entire Japanese squadron. The question of how the account of spent shells was kept on the Russian cruiser or the figure was indicated approximately based on the results of a survey of the crew remains debatable. And could such a number of shells have been fired on a cruiser that had lost 75% of its artillery by the end of the battle?
Rear Admiral at the head of the Varyag
As you know, after returning to Russia and upon his retirement in 1905, the commander of the Varyag, Rudnev, received the rank of Rear Admiral. Already today, the name of Vsevolod Fedorovich was given to one of the streets in South Butovo in Moscow. Although, perhaps it would have been more logical to name Captain Rudnev, if necessary, to single out among his well-known namesakes in military affairs.
There is no mistake in the name, but this image needs clarification - in military history this man remained the captain of the 1st rank and the commander of the Varyag, but as a rear admiral he could no longer prove himself. But a clear mistake has crept into a number of modern textbooks for high school students, where the “legend” already sounds that it was Rear Admiral Rudnev who commanded the Varyag cruiser. The authors did not go into details and think that the rear admiral was in command of an armored cruiser of the 1st rank somehow out of rank.
Two against fourteen
The literature often indicates that the cruiser "Varyag" and the gunboat "Koreets" were attacked by the Japanese squadron of Rear Admiral Uriu, consisting of 14 ships - 6 cruisers and 8 destroyers.
Here it is necessary to make several clarifications.
Outwardly, the huge numerical and qualitative superiority of the Japanese, which the enemy did not take advantage of during the battle. It should be noted that on the eve of the battle at Chemulpo, the Uriu squadron consisted of not even 14, but 15 pennants - the Asama armored cruiser, the Naniva, Takachiho, Niytaka, Chiyoda, Akashi armored cruisers and eight destroyers and memo "Chihaya".
True, on the eve of the battle with the Varyag, the Japanese suffered non-combat losses. When the gunboat Koreets tried to proceed from Chemulpo to Port Arthur, the Japanese squadron began dangerous maneuvering (ending with the use of guns) around the Russian gunboat, as a result of which the destroyer Tsubame ran aground and did not participate directly in the battle. The messenger ship "Chihaya" did not participate in the battle, which, nevertheless, was in the immediate vicinity of the battlefield. In reality, the battle was fought by a group of four Japanese cruisers, two more cruisers participated only sporadically, and the presence of destroyers among the Japanese remained a presence factor.
"Cruiser and two enemy destroyers at the bottom"
When it comes to military losses, this issue often becomes the subject of heated discussions. The battle at Chemulpo was no exception, in which estimates of Japanese losses are very contradictory.
Russian sources point to very heavy losses of the enemy: a sunken destroyer, 30 killed and 200 wounded. They are based mainly on the opinion of representatives of foreign powers who observed the battle.
Over time, two destroyers and the cruiser Takachiho turned out to be “sunk” (by the way, these data got into the thin film “Cruiser Varyag”). And if the fate of some Japanese destroyers raises questions, then the Takachiho cruiser safely survived the Russo-Japanese War and died 10 years later with the entire crew during the siege of Qingdao.
The reports of all the commanders of the Japanese cruisers indicate the absence of losses and damage on their ships. Another question: where, after the battle in Chemulpo, did the main enemy of the Varyag, the armored cruiser Asama, "disappear" for two months? Neither Port Arthur nor the squadron of Admiral Kammamura operating against the Vladivostok cruiser detachment was present. And this was at the very beginning of the war, when the outcome of the confrontation was far from being decided.
It is likely that the ship, which became the main target of the Varyag guns, was seriously damaged, but at the beginning of the war, for propaganda purposes, it was undesirable for the Japanese side to talk about this. From the experience of the Russo-Japanese War, it is well known how the Japanese tried to hide their losses for a long time, for example, the death of the battleships Hatsuse and Yashima, and a number of destroyers that apparently ended up at the bottom were simply written off after the war as beyond repair.
Legends of Japanese Modernization
A number of misconceptions are associated with the service of the "Varyag" in the Japanese fleet. One of them is related to the fact that the Japanese, after the rise of the Varyag, retained the Russian state emblem and the name of the cruiser as a sign of respect. However, this was more likely due not to the desire to pay tribute to the crew of the heroic ship, but to the design features - the coat of arms and the name were mounted in the aft balcony and the Japanese fixed the new name of the Soya cruiser on both sides on the lattice of the balcony. The second misconception is the replacement of Nikoloss boilers with Miyabar boilers on the Varyag. Although a thorough repair of the machines still had to be made, the cruiser showed a speed of 22.7 knots during tests.
Songs that have become popular
The feat of the cruiser "Varyag" is widely reflected in literature, music and feature cinema. At least 50 songs about the Varyag appeared after the Russo-Japanese War. Only three have survived to this day. Two of them, "The Varyag" and "The Death of the Varyag" gained wide popularity - with a slightly modified text, they go through the entire film "Cruiser" Varyag ", and" The Death of the "Varyag" was considered popular for a long time, although this is not so. Repninsky's poems "Varyag" ("Cold Waves Are Splashing") were published less than a month after the legendary battle in the newspaper "Rus", and then set to music by the composer Benevsky, and the melody is also consonant with a number of Russian military songs of the period of the Russo-Japanese War
At the end of the 19th century, the naval ministry of the Russian Empire ordered the construction of a light armored cruiser in the United States. The contract was signed on April 11, 1898, and the shipyards of the American Company William Cramp & Sons on the Delaware River in Philadelphia were chosen as the construction site.
Despite the American "origin", all the armament of the cruiser "Varyag" was made in Russia. Guns - at the Obukhov plant, torpedo tubes - at the Metal Plant in St. Petersburg. Izhevsk plant manufactured equipment for the galley. But the anchors were ordered in England.
Specifications
For its time, the Varyag was one of the highest class ships. It was a four-pipe, two-masted, armored cruiser of the 1st rank with a displacement of 6500 tons. The cruiser's main battery artillery consisted of twelve 152-mm (six-inch) guns. In addition, the ship carried twelve 75 mm guns, eight 47 mm quick-firing guns, and two 37 mm guns. The cruiser had six torpedo tubes. He could reach speeds up to 23 knots.
Such equipment was not the only strength of the cruiser. It differed from the ships built earlier by a significantly larger number of devices and mechanisms powered by electricity.
In addition, all the furniture of the cruiser was made of metal. This significantly increased the safety of the ship in battle and during a fire: before, the furniture was made of wood and, as a result, it burned very well.
The cruiser "Varyag" was also the first ship of the Russian fleet, on which telephone sets were installed in almost all service premises, including gun posts.
The crew of the ship consisted of 550 sailors, non-commissioned officers, conductors and 20 officers.
With all the advantages, it was not without drawbacks: the boilers installed on the cruiser, after several years of operation, no longer provided the necessary capacities, and in 1901 there was even talk of repairs. However, on tests in 1903, before leaving Kronstadt for the port of registry, the Varyag showed excellent driving performance, close to the maximum possible.
Launching and way to the port of registry
The cruiser "Varyag" would have been launched on October 19, 1899. Until January 1901, the team that arrived from Russia carried out work on arming and equipping the vessel. In mid-January, the equipment was completed and the ship was officially accepted into the Navy of the Russian Empire.
On the morning of May 3, 1901, the Varyag anchored on the Great Kronstadt roadstead. The cruiser spent quite a bit of time in Kronstadt: after two reviews, one of which was personally carried out by Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich, the Varyag was assigned to Port Arthur to reinforce the 1st Pacific Squadron. There were not so many ships in this squadron and they were scattered over all ports: Vladivostok, Port Arthur, Dalniy, Chemulpo, near Seoul, off the coast of Korea.
The cruiser reached its home port across half the world: first, the course lay through the Baltic and North Seas, then across the English Channel to the Atlantic Ocean, then around Africa to the Indian Ocean. The entire voyage took about six months, and on February 25, the Varyag cruiser anchored in the outer roadstead of Port Arthur.
Battle, death and further fate
"Varyag" took part in one of the most dramatic naval battles in history. It was during the Russo-Japanese War, literally a month before the start of which the tsar's governor in the Far East, Admiral E.I. Alekseev sent the Varyag cruiser from Port Arthur to the neutral Korean port of Chemulpo (modern Incheon).
- On January 26 (February 8), 1904, the Japanese squadron of Rear Admiral Uriu blocked the port of Chemulpo in order to cover the landing and prevent the Varyag from interfering.
- On January 27 (February 9), the captain of the Varyag, Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev, received an ultimatum from Uriu: leave the port before noon, otherwise Russian ships would be attacked in the roadstead. Rudnev decided to break through with a fight to Port Arthur, and in case of failure, blow up the ships.
At noon, the Varyag and the gunboat Koreets left the port and at a distance of 10 miles met the Japanese squadron, which was occupying a position behind the island of Yodolmi. The fight lasted only 50 minutes. During this time, "Varyag" fired 1105 shells at the enemy, "Korean" - 52 shells.
During the battle, the Varyag received 5 holes below the waterline and lost three 6-inch guns. According to Rudnev, the ship was unable to continue the battle, and it was decided to return to the port of Chemulpo.
In the port, after assessing the severity of the damage, the remaining guns and equipment on it were destroyed, if possible, the cruiser itself was flooded, and the Koreyets was blown up. However, this is not the end of the history of the legendary cruiser.
- In 1905, the Japanese raised and repaired the Varyag. The ship received a new name "Soya" and for the next few years served as a training ship for Japanese sailors.
- In 1916, Russia bought the ship from Japan, and in 1917 the ship sailed to the British docks for repairs. After the revolution, the Soviet government did not have the opportunity to pay for repairs and the ship remained with the British.
- In 1920, the British authorities sold the cruiser for scrap to Germany.
- In 1925, while being transported, the Varyag got into a storm and ran aground near the Irish coast, not far from the village of Lendalfoot. There, the legend of the navy found its last berth: the ship was blown up so that the hull would not interfere with fishing and shipping.
- In 2004, the place of the cruiser's sinking was precisely determined. Now all that remains of the ship lies on the seabed at a depth of 8 meters, a few hundred meters from the shore.
Today, museums and memorials dedicated to the memory of the Varyag cruiser have been opened in the Far East, Ireland and Korea. The songs "Our proud Varyag does not surrender to the enemy" and "Cold waves are splashing" are dedicated to the feat of the crews of the ships, in addition, in 1972 a commemorative postage stamp with the image of a cruiser was issued in the USSR.
Preparing for war with Russia, Japan had first of all and at any cost to gain dominance at sea. Without this, all her further struggle with her mighty northern neighbor became absolutely meaningless. A small island empire, deprived of mineral resources, would not only not be able to transfer troops and reinforcements to the battlefields in Manchuria in this case, but would not be able to protect its own naval bases and ports from bombardment by Russian ships, would not be able to and ensure normal shipping, and the work of the entire Japanese industry depended on the regular and uninterrupted delivery of goods. The Japanese could protect themselves from a very real threat from the Russian fleet only by inflicting a preemptive, unexpected strike on the places where enemy ships were concentrated. Such strikes, even before the official declaration of war, began hostilities in the Sea of Japan.
On the night of January 27, 1904, 10 Japanese destroyers suddenly attacked the Russian squadron of Vice Admiral Stark, stationed on the outer roads of Port Arthur and torpedoed the battleships Retvizan and Tsesarevich, as well as the cruiser Pallada. The damaged ships were out of action for a long time, providing Japan with a tangible superiority in forces.
The second blow of the enemy was inflicted on the armored cruiser "Varyag" (commanded by Captain 1st Rank Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev) and the gunboat "Koreets" (commander Captain 2nd Rank Grigory Pavlovich Belyaev) located in the Korean port of Chemul. Against two Russian ships, the Japanese threw a whole squadron of Rear Admiral Sotokichi Uriu, which included the Asama heavy armored cruiser, 5 armored cruisers (Tieda, Naniwa, Niitaka, Takatiho and Akashi), advice note "Chihaya" and 7 destroyers.
On the morning of January 27, the Japanese issued an ultimatum to the commanders of Russian ships demanding that they leave the neutral port before 12 o’clock, threatening to attack the Varyag and Koreets right in the roadstead if they refused. The commanders of the French cruiser Pascal, the English Talbot, the Italian Elba, and the American gunboat Vicksburg, who were in Chemulpo, received a Japanese notification of the upcoming attack of his squadron on Russian ships the day before. Their protest against the violation of the neutral status of the port of Chemulpo by the commander of the Japanese squadron was not taken into account. The commanders of the ships of the international squadron did not intend to protect the Russians by force of arms, and informed V.F. Rudnev, who answered bitterly: “So my ship is a piece of meat thrown to the dogs? Well, they will impose a fight on me - I will accept it. I'm not going to give up, no matter how big the Japanese squadron is." Returning to the Varyag, he announced to the team. "The challenge is more than bold, but I accept it. I do not shy away from the battle, although I do not have an official report on the war from my government. I am sure of one thing: the Varyag and Koreets teams will fight to the last drop of blood, showing everyone an example of fearlessness in battle and contempt for death."
At 11 o'clock. 20 minutes. the cruiser "Varyag" and the gunboat "Koreets" raised anchors and headed for the exit from the roadstead. The Japanese squadron guarded the Russians at the southern tip of Philip Island. Closest to the exit from the raid was "Asama", and it was from her that the "Varangian" and "Korean" who were going towards them were found. Admiral Uriu ordered the anchor chains to be riveted, as there was no time to raise and clean the anchors. The ships began to hastily stretch out onto the stretch, reorganizing themselves into battle columns on the move, according to the disposition received the day before.
When Russian ships were found on the masts of the Naniva, signal flags were raised with a proposal to surrender without a fight. But Rudnev decided not to answer the signal and went to approach the enemy squadron. "Korean" was a little to the left of "Varyag".
At a distance of 10 miles from Chemulpo, a battle took place near the island of Yodolmi, which lasted about 1 hour. The Japanese cruisers moved in a converging course, pressing the Russian ships to the shallows. At 11 o'clock. 44 min. on the masts of the flagship "Naniva" a signal was raised to open fire. A minute later, the Asama armored cruiser began firing from the bow turret guns.
The first volley lay ahead of the Varyag with a short flight. To the surprise of the Russians, the Japanese shells exploded even on impact with the water, raising huge pillars of water and puffs of black smoke.
"Varyag" and "Korean" returned fire. True, the very first volleys from the gunboat gave a big shortfall, and in the future the Russian cruiser fought an artillery duel with the enemy almost alone. Meanwhile, the density of fire from the enemy increased: the ships of the second group entered the battle. The Russian cruiser was completely hidden behind huge water columns, which, with a roar, now and then took off to the level of combat mars. The superstructures and the deck were doused with a hail of fragments. Despite the loss of life, the Varyag energetically responded to the enemy with frequent fire. The main goal of his gunners was Asama, which soon managed to disable him. Then an enemy destroyer went on the attack on the cruiser, but the very first salvo from the Varyag sent it to the bottom.
However, Japanese shells continued to torment the Russian ship. At 12 o'clock. 12 min. on the surviving halyards of the foremast of the cruiser, the signal "P" ("Peace") was raised, which meant "I'm turning right." This was followed by several events that hastened the tragic denouement of the battle. First, an enemy shell broke the pipe in which all the steering gears were laid. As a result, the uncontrolled ship moved to the rocks of Yodolmi Island. Almost simultaneously, another shell exploded between Baranovsky's landing gun and the foremast. At the same time, the entire crew of gun No. 35 was killed. Fragments flew into the passage of the conning tower, mortally wounding the bugler and drummer; the cruiser commander escaped with a slight wound and shell shock. Further control of the ship had to be transferred to the aft steering compartment.
Suddenly there was a rattle, and the ship, shuddering, stopped. In the conning tower, instantly assessing the situation, they gave the car the fullest back, but it was too late. Now the Varyag, which turned to the enemy with its left side, was a stationary target. The Japanese commander, noticing the plight of the Russians, raised the signal "Everyone turn to approach the enemy." The ships of all groups lay down on a new course, simultaneously firing from bow guns.
The Varyag's position seemed hopeless. The enemy was rapidly approaching, and the cruiser sitting on the rocks could not do anything. It was at this time that he received the most severe injuries. A large-caliber shell, breaking through the side under water, exploded in coal pit No. 10, at 12.30 an eight-inch shell exploded in coal pit No. 12. Water began to rise to the fireboxes, the crew immediately began to pump it out with all available means. Under enemy fire, emergency parties began to bring patches under these holes. And here a miracle happened: the cruiser itself, as if reluctantly, slid aground and moved away from the dangerous place in reverse. No longer tempting fate, Rudnev ordered to lie down on the return course.
However, the situation was still very difficult. Although the water was pumped out by all means, the Varyag continued to roll to the port side, and a hail of enemy shells showered it. But, to the surprise of the Japanese, the Varyag, having increased its speed, confidently left in the direction of the raid. Due to the narrowness of the fairway, only the Asama and Chiyoda cruisers could pursue the Russians. “Soon, the Japanese had to cease fire, as their shells began to fall near the ships of the international squadron. The Italian cruiser Elba even had to go deep into the raid because of this. At 12.45 the Russian ships also ceased fire. The fight is over.
In total, during the battle, the Varyag fired 1105 shells: 425 152-mm, 470 75-mm and 210 47-mm. In the surviving Varyag logbook, it is noted that its gunners managed to sink an enemy destroyer and inflict serious damage on 2 Japanese cruisers. According to foreign observers, after the battle, the Japanese buried 30 dead in A-san Bay and had more than 200 wounded on their ships. According to an official document (a sanitary report for the war), the losses of the Varyag crew amounted to 130 people - 33 killed and 97 wounded. In total, 12-14 large high-explosive shells hit the cruiser ..
Rudnev, on a French boat, went to the English cruiser Talbot to arrange for the transportation of the crew of the Varyag to foreign ships and report on the alleged destruction of the cruiser right on the roadstead. Bailey, the commander of the Talbot, objected to the explosion of the Varyag, motivating his opinion by the large crowding of ships in the roadstead. At 13 o'clock. 50 min. Rudnev returned to the Varyag. Hastily gathering nearby officers, he informed them of his intention and obtained their support. They immediately began transporting the wounded, and then the entire crew, to foreign ships. At 15 o'clock. 15 minutes. the commander of the "Varyag" sent midshipman V. Balka to the "Korean". G.P. Belyaev immediately gathered a military council, at which the officers decided: “The upcoming battle in half an hour is not equal, it will cause unnecessary bloodshed ... without harming the enemy, and therefore it is necessary ... to blow up the boat ... ". The crew of the "Korean" switched to the French cruiser "Pascal". At 15 o'clock. 50 min. Rudnev with the senior boatswain, bypassing the ship and making sure that no one was left on it, got off it together with the owners of the hold compartments, who opened the kingstones and flood valves. At 16 o'clock. 05 min. "Korean" exploded, at 18 o'clock. 10 min. lay down on the port side and disappeared under the water "Varyag", at 20 o'clock. The ship "Sungari" was blown up.
The formal declaration of war on Russia by Japan followed only on January 28 (February 10), 1904. Blocking the Russian fleet on the roadstead of Port Arthur, the Japanese landed their troops in Korea and on the Liaodong Peninsula, which advanced to the border of Manchuria and, at the same time, began the siege of Port - Arthur with sushi. For Russia, a big problem was the remoteness of the theater of operations from its main territory. - The concentration of troops was slow, due to the incomplete construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway. With the numerical superiority of their armed forces, equipped with the most modern models of military equipment, the Japanese inflicted a number of heavy defeats on the Russian troops.
On April 18 (May 1), 1904, the first big battle took place between Russian and Japanese troops on the river. Yalu (Chinese name Yalujiang, Korean name - Amnokkan). The Eastern Detachment of the Russian Manchurian Army under the command of Major General M.I. Zasulich, having lost Gen. T. Kuroki more than 2 thousand people. killed and wounded, 21 guns and all 8 machine guns were forced to retreat to the passes of the Fyn-Shuilinsky ridge.
On May 13 (26), 1904, units of the 2nd Japanese Army, General. Ya. Oku captured the city of Jinzhou, cutting off the garrison of Port Arthur from the Russian Manchurian army. To assist the besieged Port Arthur, the 1st Siberian Corps of Gen. I.I. Stackelberg. On June 1-2 (13-14), 1904, his troops entered into battle with units of the 2nd Japanese Army near the Wafangou station. As a result of a two-day stubborn battle, the troops of General Oku, who had significant superiority in infantry and artillery, began to bypass the right flank of the corps of General Stackelberg and forced him to retreat to join the main forces of the Russian army (in Pasichao). The main formations of the 2nd Japanese Army launched an offensive against Liaoyang. For the siege of Port Arthur, the 3rd Japanese Army was formed under the command of General M. Noga.
The Japanese offensive against Liaoyang, launched in July 1904, forced the Russian command to engage them in battle. August 11 (24) - August 21 (September 3), 1904, the battle of Liaoyang took place. Started successfully for the Russian troops, it, due to the erroneous actions of the gene. A.N. Kuropatkin, ended with the defeat of his army, forced to retreat to the city of Mukden. Russian troops lost 16 thousand people in this 11-day battle, Japanese - 24 thousand people.
The arrival of new troops replenished the Manchurian army, whose strength by the autumn of 1904 reached 214 thousand people. With a numerical superiority over the enemy (170 thousand people), part of whose troops were distracted by the ongoing siege of Port Arthur, the Russian command decided to go on the offensive. September 22 (October 5) - October 4 (17), 1904 on the Shahe River there was a head-on battle between the Russian and Japanese armies, which ended in vain for both sides. For the first time in the entire war, opponents who suffered heavy losses (the Russians - over 40 thousand people, the Japanese - 20 thousand people) were forced to switch to positional military operations. However, the stabilization of the front line on the river. Shahe had disastrous consequences for the besieged Port Arthur. After the capture by the Japanese of Mount High, a key point of the Russian defense, and the destruction of the squadron stationed in the inner roadstead by the fire of their batteries, the commandant of the Kwantung Fortified Region, Gen. A.M. On December 20, 1904 (January 2, 1905), Stessel signed an agreement with representatives of the Japanese command on the surrender of the fortress and the surrender of the Port Arthur garrison.
On the Manchurian front, a new and largest clash of the Russian and Japanese armies in the entire war took place near Mukden on February 6 (19) - February 25 (March 10). The Russian army, having suffered a heavy defeat, retreated to the city of Telin. The losses of Russian troops in this battle reached 89 thousand people. killed, wounded and captured. The Japanese lost 71 thousand people killed and wounded, which turned out to be very high for the army of a small island state, whose government soon after this victory was forced to agree to the beginning of peace negotiations with Russia through the mediation of US President T. Roosevelt. Another consequence of the Mukden defeat was the resignation of Gen. A.N. Kuropatkin from the post of commander-in-chief of the armed forces in the Far East. He was succeeded by Gen. N.P. Linevich. The new commander-in-chief refused active actions, being engaged only in engineering support of the Sypingai positions 175 km away. sowing Mukden. The Russian army remained on them until the end of the war
At sea, the last hopes of the Russian command perished after the rout. in the Tsushima Strait by the Japanese fleet of Admiral H. Togo of the Russian squadron of Vice Admiral Z.P. Rozhdestvensky, directed from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean (May 14-15 (27-28), 1905).
During the hostilities, Russia lost approx. 270 thousand people, incl. OK. 50 thousand people - killed, Japan - also approx. 270 thousand people, but approx. 86 thousand people
Aviso is a small warship used for messenger service.
Only the commander of the American Vicksburg, Captain 2nd Rank Marshall, did not join the protest of the commanders of foreign ships.
The Varyag was sunk at a shallow depth - at low tide the ship was exposed almost to the diametrical plane by 4 m. The Japanese decided to take possession of it and began lifting work. In 1905 "Varyag". was raised and sent to Sasebo. There, the cruiser was repaired and then commissioned by the squadron of Vice Admiral Uriu under the name "Soya", but on the stern, under Japanese hieroglyphs, by the decision of Emperor Mutsuhito, an inscription was left in golden Slavic script - "Varyag". On March 22, 1916, Russia bought out its illustrious cruiser, which was returned to its former name. In 1917, the ship was under repair in the UK and after the October Revolution was sold for scrap. However, fate and the sea were against such an end of the Varyag - in 1922, during his last campaign, he sank off the coast of Scotland, 60 miles south of Glasgow.
V.A. Volkov
The famous battle of the Varyag cruiser with the Japanese squadron has become a real legend, although this, according to many, is contrary to logic and common sense.
There were many glorious victories in the history of the Russian fleet, and in the case of the Varyag, we are talking about a lost battle of an ingloriously lost war. So what is it that lies in the history of the Varyag that makes the hearts of Russians beat faster in the 21st century?
The Russian cruiser "Varyag" at the beginning of 1904 did not carry out a military mission at all. In the Korean port of Chemulpo, the cruiser and the gunboat "Koreets" were at the disposal of 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 an attack on February 9, 1904.
"Varyag" and "Korean" go into battle, February 9, 1904. Photo: Public Domain
The conflict of two empires
At the beginning of the 20th century, the interests of two rapidly developing empires, Russian and Japanese, clashed in the Far East. The parties fought for influence in China and Korea, the Japanese side also openly claimed the territories belonging to Russia, and in the long run hoped to completely oust Russia from the Far East.
By the beginning of 1904, Japan had completed the rearmament of the army and navy, in which the European powers, in particular Great Britain, played an important role, and was ready to resolve the conflict with Russia by force.
In Russia, on the contrary, they were clearly not ready for Japanese aggression. The equipment of the army left much to be desired, the underdevelopment of transport communications excluded the possibility of a quick transfer of additional forces to the Far East. At the same time, there was also a clear underestimation of the enemy by the ruling circles of Russia - too many did not take Japanese claims seriously.
On the night of February 4, 1905, at a meeting of the Privy Council and the government of Japan, it was decided to start a war with Russia, and a day later an order was issued to attack the Russian squadron in Port Arthur and land troops in Korea.
On February 6, 1904, Japan severed diplomatic relations with Russia. 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, putting out of action two battleships and one cruiser.
At the same time, the Japanese squadron, consisting of six cruisers and eight destroyers, blocked the Varyag and the gunboat Koreets in the port of Chemulpo.
Since Chemulpo was considered a neutral port, there were ships of several powers in it, including the Japanese cruiser Chiyoda, which on the night of February 9 went to the open sea, as it turned out later, to join the main Japanese forces.
By this time, the Russian embassy in Seoul and the commander of the Varyag Captain 1st Rank Vsevolod Rudnev were actually in informational isolation due to the non-receipt of telegrams held up by Japanese agents who controlled the transmitting stations in Korea. The fact that Japan broke off diplomatic relations with Russia, Rudnev learned from the captains of foreign ships. Under these conditions, it was decided to send the "Korean" with reports to Port Arthur.
But on the night of February 9, the Korean, which left the port, was subjected to a torpedo attack by Japanese ships and was forced to return to the roadstead.
According to international law, the Japanese squadron did not have the right to attack Russian ships in a neutral port, since this endangered the ships of other states. On the other hand, the sailors of the "Varyag" could not take retaliatory action when landings began on the morning of February 9 from Japanese transport ships.
The cruiser after the battle, February 9, 1904. A strong list to the port side is visible. Photo: Public Domain
Russians don't give up
It became clear that the war had begun. After negotiations with the participation of the captains of the ships of the neutral powers, the commander of the Japanese squadron, Admiral Sotokichi Uriu, issued an ultimatum: by 12:00 on February 9, Russian ships must leave the port, otherwise they will be attacked directly in it.
The captain of the Varyag, Vsevolod Rudnev, decided to go to sea and take the fight, making an attempt to break through to Port Arthur. With this balance of power, there was practically no chance of success, but the captain's decision was supported by the crew.
When the "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 Russian sailors going to certain death.
After the Russian ships left the port, Admiral Uriu ordered the Varyag and the Korean to be handed over: we offer to surrender and lower the flag.
The Russian sailors refused, after which a battle ensued. The battle lasted about an hour. Japanese ships had better equipment, maneuverability and higher speed. With an overwhelming quantitative advantage, this, in fact, did not leave the Russians a chance. Japanese fire caused serious damage to the Varyag, including most of the ship's guns were disabled. In addition, due to their hit in the underwater part, the ship rolled to the port side. There was great damage to the stern, some hits caused fires, several people were killed by shrapnel in the conning tower and the captain was shell-shocked.
In the battle, 1 officer and 22 sailors of the Varyag were killed, ten more died of wounds, dozens of people were seriously injured. The "Korean", whose participation in the battle was limited, had no losses in the crew.
It is difficult to talk about Japanese losses. According to Captain Rudnev's report, one Japanese destroyer was sunk, and at least one Japanese cruiser was seriously damaged.
Japanese sources report that the ships of Admiral Uriu did not suffer any losses at all, and not a single Varyag shell reached its target.
Fragment of the painting "Cruiser Varyag" by Pyotr Maltsev. Photo: www.russianlook.com
Rewards for defeat
After returning to the port, the question arose before Captain Rudnev: what to do next? Initially, he intended to resume the fight after repairing the damage, but it quickly became clear that there was no way for this.
As a result, it was decided to destroy the ships in order to prevent them from falling into the hands of the enemy. The wounded sailors were transferred to neutral ships, after which the crews left the Varyag and Koreets. "Varyag" was flooded by opening the kingstones, and "Korean" was blown up.
After negotiations with the Japanese side, an agreement was reached that the Russian sailors would not be considered prisoners of war, but would be entitled to return to their homeland, subject to the obligation not to participate in further hostilities.
In Russia, the Varyag sailors were greeted as heroes, although many of the crew expected a completely different reaction: after all, the battle was lost, and the ships were lost. Contrary to these expectations, the crew of the "Varyag" was awarded a solemn reception by Nicholas II, and all participants in the battle were awarded.
This still causes confusion among many: why? The Japanese squadron defeated the Russians to smithereens. Moreover, the flooded "Varyag" was soon raised by the Japanese and included in the fleet under the name "Soya". Only in 1916 "Varyag" was redeemed and returned to Russia.
Cruiser Soya. Photo: Public Domain
Stay to the last
The most surprising thing is that the act of Russian sailors was considered heroic and their opponents were the Japanese. Moreover, in 1907, Captain Vsevolod Rudnev was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun by the Japanese Emperor in recognition of the heroism of Russian sailors. Young Japanese officers were taught courage and stamina, using as an example the crews of the Varyag and Koreets.
There is no logic in all this, only if you think pragmatically. But the fact of the matter is that not everything in our lives can be measured by such logic.
The duty to the Motherland and the honor of a sailor are sometimes more valuable than their own lives. Accepting an unequal and hopeless battle, the Varyag sailors showed the enemy that there would be no easy victory in the war with Russia, that every warrior would stand to the end and not retreat to the last.
It was with steadfastness, courage and readiness for self-sacrifice that Soviet soldiers forced the well-oiled machine of the Nazi Wehrmacht to break down. For many of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War, the feat of the Varyag was an example.
In 1954, already in the Soviet Union, the 50th anniversary of the battle at Chemulpo was widely celebrated. The surviving sailors of the "Varyag" were assigned personal pensions, and 15 of them received medals "For Courage" from the hands of the Commander-in-Chief of the USSR Navy, Admiral Kuznetsov.
