Probably, there is not a single person in Russia who has not heard about the suicidal feat of the Varyag cruiser. Despite the fact that more than a hundred years have passed since the events described below, the memory of unheard-of heroism still lives in the hearts and memory of people. But at the same time, knowing in general terms the history of this legendary ship, we lose sight of many amazing details that are rich in its fate. The beginning of the 20th century was marked by a clash of interests between two rapidly developing empires - Russian and Japanese. The stumbling block was the territory in the Far East belonging to Russia, which the Japanese emperor slept and saw as belonging to his country. On February 6, 1904, Japan broke off all diplomatic relations with Russia, and on February 9 it blocked the port of Chemulpo, where the then unknown "Varyag" was located.
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 Russian-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 a whole Japanese squadron. Everything that is known about the "Varyag" - did not surrender to the enemy and preferred to be flooded than captured. However, the history of the ship is much more interesting. It is worth restoring historical justice and debunking some of the myths about the glorious cruiser Varyag.
The Varyag was built in Russia. The vessel 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 to serve in the domestic 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 prescribed 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. Even 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 trials. Steam boilers Niklossa faithfully served on other ships, without causing any complaints.
Varyag is a weak cruiser. In many sources there is an opinion that the "Varyag" was a weak enemy with a low military value. The lack of armor shields for main caliber guns caused skepticism. True, Japan in those years, in principle, did not have armored cruisers capable of fighting on an equal footing with the Varyag and his counterparts in the power of weapons: "Oleg", "Bogatyr" and "Askold". No Japanese cruiser of this class had twelve 152 mm guns. But the hostilities in that conflict developed in such a way that the crews of domestic cruisers did not have to fight with an enemy equal in number or class. The Japanese preferred to engage in battle, having an advantage in the number of ships. The first battle, but not the last, was the battle at Chemulpo.
"Varyag" and "Koreets" received a hail of shells. Describing that battle, Russian historians talk about a whole hail of shells that fell on Russian ships. True, nothing got into the Koreyets. But official data from the Japanese side refutes this myth. In 50 minutes of the battle, the six cruisers used up 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 was in command of the Varyag, the ship fired 1105 shells. Of these, 425 - caliber 152 mm, 470 - caliber 75 mm, another 210 - 47 mm. It turns out that as a result of that battle, the Russian artillerymen managed to show a high rate of fire. About fifty more shells were fired by the "Korean". So it turns out that two Russian ships during that battle fired three times more shells than the entire Japanese squadron. It is not entirely clear how this number was calculated. Perhaps it appeared based on a survey of the crew. And could a cruiser have fired so many shots, which by the end of the battle had lost three-quarters of its guns?
Rear Admiral Rudnev was in command of the ship. Returning to Russia after his resignation in 1905, Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev was promoted to Rear Admiral. And in 2001, a street in Yuzhny 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 annals of the Russian-Japanese war, Rudnev remained a captain of the first rank, the commander of the Varyag. As a rear admiral, he never showed himself anywhere. And this obvious mistake even crept into school textbooks, where the rank of the commander of the "Varyag" is incorrectly indicated. For some reason, no one thinks that the rear admiral is not by status to command an armored cruiser. The two Russian ships were opposed by fourteen Japanese ones. Describing that battle, it is often said that the cruiser Varyag and the gunboat Koreets were opposed by an entire Japanese squadron of Rear Admiral Uriu of 14 ships. It included 6 cruisers and 8 destroyers. Still, there are a few things worth clarifying. The Japanese did not take advantage of their huge quantitative and qualitative superiority. Moreover, initially there were 15 ships in the squadron. But the destroyer Tsubame ran aground during the maneuvers that prevented the Koreyets from leaving for Port Arthur. Was not a participant in the battle and the messenger ship "Chihaya", although it was located close to the battlefield. In fact, only four Japanese cruisers fought, two more occasionally entered the battle. The destroyers only indicated their presence.
Varyag sank a cruiser and two enemy destroyers. The issue of military losses on both sides is always hotly debated. Likewise, the battle at Chemulpo is assessed differently by Russian and Japanese historians. Russian literature mentions large losses of the enemy. The Japanese lost a sunken destroyer, 30 people were killed, about 200 were wounded. But these figures are based on reports from foreigners who watched the battle. Gradually, one more destroyer began to be included in the number of those sunk, like the cruiser Takachiho. This version was included in the film "Cruiser" Varyag ". And if one can argue about the fate of the destroyers, the cruiser "Takachiho" passed the Russo-Japanese war quite safely. The ship with all its crew sank only 10 years later during the siege of Qingdao. The Japanese report says nothing 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? At Port Arthur, he was not, as well as in the squadron of Admiral Kammimura, who operated against the Vladivostok squadron of cruisers. But the hostilities were just beginning, the outcome of the war was unclear. It can only be assumed that the ship, at which the Varyag mainly fired, was nevertheless seriously damaged. But the Japanese decided to hide this fact in order to promote the effectiveness of their weapons. A similar experience was noted in the future during the Russian-Japanese war. The losses of the battleships Yashima and Hatsuse were also not immediately recognized. The Japanese quietly wrote off several sunken destroyers as unusable for repairs.
The history of the Varyag ended with its flooding. After the ship's crew switched to neutral ships, the Kingstones were opened on the Varyag. He sank. But in 1905, the Japanese raised the cruiser, repaired and commissioned it 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 in the fleet of the Arctic Ocean. 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 tsarist bills. The further fate of the ship is unenviable - in 1920 it was sold to the Germans for scrap. And in 1925, while being towed, he sank in the Irish Sea. So the ship is not resting off the coast of Korea.
The Japanese have modernized the ship. There is information that the boilers of Nikolos were replaced by the Japanese with the boilers of Miyabara. So the Japanese decided to modernize the former "Varyag". It's a delusion. True, the cars were not without repair. This allowed the cruiser to achieve a course of 22.7 knots during trials, which was less than the original one.
As a sign of respect, the Japanese left the cruiser a plate 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 construction of "Varyag" played a role. The coat of arms and the name were installed in the aft balcony, it was impossible to remove them. The Japanese simply cemented the new name, Soya, on either side of the balcony railing. No sentimentality - sheer rationality.
“The death of“ Varyag ”is a folk song. The feat of the "Varyag" became one of the bright spots of that war. It is not surprising that they wrote poems about the ship, wrote songs, painted pictures, and made a film. At least fifty songs were composed immediately after that war. But through the years, only three have come down to us. "Varyag" and "Death of the Varyag" are best known. These songs, with minor changes, are played throughout the entire feature film about the ship. For a long time it was believed that "The death of the Varyag" is 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." These words were set to music by the composer Benevsky. I must say that this melody was consonant with many military songs that appeared during that period. And who was the mysterious Y. Repninsky, it was not possible to establish. By the way, the text of "Varyag" ("Up, comrades, everyone is in their places") was written by the Austrian poet Rudolf Greinz. The well-known version appeared thanks to the translator Studenskaya.
The famous battle of the Varyag cruiser with the Japanese squadron has become a real legend, although this, in the opinion of many, contradicts logic and common sense.
In the history of the Russian fleet there were many glorious victories, and in the case of the "Varyag" we are talking about a lost battle of 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?
At the beginning of 1904, the Russian cruiser "Varyag" was not performing 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 situation that 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
At the beginning of the 20th century, the interests of two actively 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 term hoped to completely oust Russia from the Far East.
By the beginning of 1904, Japan 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 secret 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. Nevertheless, 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
On the night of February 9, 1904, Japanese destroyers attacked a Russian squadron in Port Arthur, knocking out two battleships and one cruiser.
At the same time, a Japanese squadron 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, including the Japanese cruiser Chiyoda, which on the night of February 9 went to 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-receipt of telegrams detained by Japanese agents who controlled the transmitting stations in Korea. Rudnev learned that Japan had severed diplomatic relations with Russia from the captains of foreign ships. In 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 torpedoed by Japanese ships and was forced to return to the roadstead.
According to international law, the Japanese squadron had no 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 actions when the landing of the landing began from the Japanese transport ships on the morning of February 9.
Cruiser after the battle, February 9, 1904. A strong list to the left side is visible. Photo: Public Domain
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, issued an ultimatum: before 12:00 on February 9, Russian ships must leave the port, otherwise they will be attacked directly in it.
The captain of "Varyag" Vsevolod Rudnev decided to go to sea and take battle, making an attempt to break through to Port Arthur. With this 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 Russian sailors going to certain death.
After the Russian ships left the port, Admiral Uriu ordered to hand over to "Varyag" and "Koreyets": 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 advantage, this, in fact, did not leave the Russians a chance. The fire of the Japanese caused serious damage to the Varyag, including the destruction of most of the ship's guns. In addition, due to their hitting the underwater part, the vessel gave a list to the port side. There was great destruction at the stern, some hits caused fires, shrapnel in the conning tower killed several people and the captain was shell-shocked.
One officer and 22 sailors of the Varyag perished in the battle, ten more died of wounds, and dozens of people were seriously injured. "Korean", whose participation in the battle was limited, had no losses in the crew.
It is difficult to talk about Japanese losses. According to the report of Captain Rudnev, one Japanese destroyer was sunk, 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
After returning to the port, Captain Rudnev was faced with the question: what to do next? Initially, he intended to resume the fight after the damage was repaired, but it quickly became apparent that there was no possibility for this.
As a result, it was decided to destroy the ships in order to avoid them falling into the hands of the enemy. The wounded sailors were transferred to neutral ships, after which the crews left the Varyag and Koreets. The Varyag was flooded by the opening of the Kingstones, and the Korean was blown up.
After negotiations with the Japanese side, an agreement was reached that Russian sailors would not be considered prisoners of war, but would receive the right to return to their homeland, subject to the 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 crew of the Varyag was awarded a solemn reception by Nicholas II, and all participants in the battle were awarded awards.
This still causes bewilderment among many: 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 the Varyag was bought out and returned to Russia.
The cruiser "Soya". Photo: Public Domain
The most amazing thing is that the act of the Russian sailors was considered heroic and 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 resilience, using the crews of the Varyag and Koreets 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 life can be measured by such logic.
Duty to the Motherland and the honor of a sailor sometimes cost more than their own lives. Accepting an unequal and hopeless battle, the sailors of the Varyag showed the enemy that there would not be an easy victory in the war with Russia, that every warrior would stand up to the end and would not retreat to the last.
It was by their perseverance, courage and readiness for self-sacrifice that Soviet soldiers forced the well-oiled machine of the Hitlerite Wehrmacht to break down. For many of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War, the heroic deed of "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 "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.
November 1 marks 110 years since the day 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). He stepped off the docks in Philadelphia on November 1 (October 19 O.S.) 1899.
In terms of technical characteristics, the Varyag was unmatched: equipped with powerful cannon and torpedo armament, it was also the fastest cruiser in Russia. In addition, "Varyag" was telephoned, electrified, equipped with a radio station and steam boilers of the latest modification.
After trials in 1901, the ship was presented to the Petersburgers.
In May 1901, the cruiser was sent to the Far East to reinforce the Pacific squadron. In February 1902, the cruiser, having circled half the world, anchored in the roadstead of Port Arthur. From that moment on, 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. In the roadstead, in addition to the Varyag, there were ships of the international squadron. 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 roadstead of Port Arthur. The Russo-Japanese War began (1904-1905), which lasted 588 days.
The cruiser "Varyag" and the gunboat "Koreets", which were in the Korean bay of Chemulpo, were blocked by the 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 the Japanese squadron, which included 14 destroyers.
During the first hour of the battle in the Tsushima Strait, the crew of the Russian cruiser fired over 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 flooded and the Korean was blown up. This feat became a symbol of courage and courage 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 St. George Cross. After the celebrations, the Varyag crew was disbanded, the sailors entered service on other ships, and the commander Vsevolod Rudnev was awarded, promoted, and dismissed.
Even the enemy was amazed by the actions of the Varyag during the battle - after the Russian-Japanese war, the Japanese government created a museum in memory of the heroes of the Varyag in Seoul and awarded its commander Vsevolod Rudnev the Order of the Rising Sun.
After the legendary battle in the Chemulpo bay, the Varyag lay at the bottom of the Yellow Sea for over a year. Only in 1905 the sunken ship was raised, repaired and entered into the composition of the Imperial Japanese Navy under the name "Soya". For more than 10 years the legendary ship served as a training vessel for Japanese sailors, however, out of respect for its heroic past, the Japanese kept the inscription on the stern - "Varyag".
In 1916, Russia acquired from its already ally Japan the former Russian warships Peresvet, Poltava and Varyag. After the payment of 4 million yen, the Varyag was enthusiastically received in Vladivostok, and on March 27, 1916, the St. Andrew's flag was raised on the cruiser. The ship was enlisted in the Guards crew and was sent to reinforce the Kola detachment of the Arctic Fleet. On November 18, 1916, the cruiser Varyag @ was solemnly greeted in Murmansk, where she was appointed the flagship of the Kola Bay Naval Defense Forces.
However, the vehicles and boilers of the cruiser required immediate overhaul, and the artillery required rearmament. Just a few days before the February Revolution, the Varyag left for England, to the Liverpool docks. The Varyag stood at the Liverpool dock from 1917 to 1920. The necessary funds for its repair (300 thousand pounds) have not been allocated. After 1917, the Bolsheviks permanently deleted the Varyag as a hero of the "tsarist" fleet from the history of the country.
In February 1920, sailing in tow across the Irish Sea to Glasgow (Scotland), where she was sold for scrap, the cruiser was caught in a severe storm and sat on the rocks. All attempts to save the ship were unsuccessful. In 1925, the cruiser was partially dismantled on the spot, 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 feat of" Varyag ", 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 heroes -" Varangians "were medals "For Courage" were awarded. ”Anniversary celebrations were held in many cities of the country.
On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the heroic battle in 2004 in the Chemulpo bay, the Russian delegation erected a monument to the Russian sailors "Varyag" and "Koreyets". 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 (the former city of Chemulpo).
The current "Varyag" - the successor of the legendary first-generation ship of the same name - is armed with a powerful multipurpose strike missile system, which allows it to engage surface and ground targets at a considerable distance. Also in his arsenal are rocket launchers, torpedo tubes and several artillery installations of various calibers and purposes. Therefore, in NATO, Russian ships of this class are figuratively called "aircraft carrier killers."
In 2007, in Scotland, where the legendary Varyag found his last 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 the Russian maritime traditions, became the first memorials to the Russian military spirit abroad and an eternal symbol of gratitude and pride of descendants.
In 2009, to the 105th anniversary of the legendary battle with the Japanese squadron, a unique international exhibition project "Cruiser" Varyag "was created. The acquisition of relics, including genuine rarities from the legendary ship and gunboat" Koreets "from the funds of Russian and Korean museums. , showing the relics of the Russian fleet has not yet been in Russian history.
The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources
On May 10, 1899, at the Crump and Sons shipyard in Philadelphia, the official ceremony of laying down a rank 1 armored cruiser for the Russian fleet took place. The ship was largely experimental - in addition to the new Nikloss boilers, its design contained a large number of innovations. Of the Russian Admiralty, finally on October 31, 1899, the Varyag was solemnly launched, an orchestra began to play, 570 Russian sailors from the crew of the new cruiser burst out: "Hurray!" American engineers, having learned that the ship would be baptized according to the Russian custom, shrugged their shoulders and opened a bottle of champagne. The one that, according to American tradition, should have been smashed against the ship's hull. The head of the Russian commission E.N. Schensnovich told his superiors: "The descent went well. No hull deformations were found, the displacement coincided with the calculated one."
There are shameful defeats, but there are those that are dearer than any victory. Defeats, tempering the military spirit, about which songs and legends are composed. The feat of the cruiser Varyag was a choice between shame and honor.
On February 8, 1904, at 4 pm, the Russian gunboat "Koreets" was fired upon by the Japanese squadron when leaving the port of Chemulpo: the Japanese fired 3 torpedoes, the Russians responded with a 37 mm revolver cannon. Not becoming further involved in the battle, the "Korean" hastily retreated back to the Chemulpo raid.
The day ended without incident. On the cruiser Varyag, the military council spent the whole night deciding what to do in this situation. Everyone understood that war with Japan was inevitable. Chemulpo is blocked by a Japanese squadron. Many officers spoke out in favor of leaving the port under cover of night and breaking through to their bases in Manchuria. In the dark, a small Russian squadron would have a significant advantage than in a daytime battle. But Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev, the commander of the Varyag, did not accept any of the proposals, expecting a more favorable development of events.
Alas, in the morning at 7 o'clock. 30 minutes, the commanders of foreign ships: English - Talbot, French - Pascal, Italian - Elba and American - Vicksburg received a notification indicating the time of delivery of the notification from the Japanese admiral about the beginning of hostilities between Russia and Japan, and that the admiral suggested that the Russian ships leave the raid before 12 hours days, otherwise they will be attacked by the squadron in the roads after 4 o'clock. the same day, and foreign ships were asked to leave the raid at this time, for their safety. This information was delivered to the Varyag by the commander of the cruiser Pascal. At 9:30 am on February 9, on board the HMS Talbot, Captain Rudnev received a notification from the Japanese admiral Uriu, announcing that Japan and Russia were at war and demanding that the Varyag leave the port by noon, otherwise, at four o'clock Japanese ships will fight right on the roadstead.
At 11:20 the Varyag and the Korean weighed anchor. Five minutes later, a combat alarm was played on them. The English and French ships greeted the passing Russian squadron with the sounds of an orchestra. Our sailors had to fight through a narrow 20-mile fairway and break out into the open sea. At half past eleven, an offer was received from the Japanese cruisers to surrender at the mercy of the winner, the Russians ignored the signal. At 11:45 am the Japanese opened fire ...
For 50 minutes of an unequal battle, "Varyag" fired 1105 shells at the enemy, of which 425 were large-caliber (although, according to Japanese sources, no hits were noted on Japanese ships). It is hard to believe this data, because a few months before the tragic events of Chemulpo, "Varyag" participated in the exercises of the Port Arthur squadron, where it hit the target three times out of 145 shots. In the end, the accuracy of the Japanese was also simply ridiculous - 6 cruisers achieved only 11 hits in an hour on the Varyag!
Broken boats burned on board the Varyag, the water around it boiled from explosions, the remnants of ship superstructures crashed onto the deck, burying the Russian sailors under them. One after another the knocked-out guns fell silent, around which the dead lay. Japanese buckshot rained down, the deck of the Varyag turned into a terrible sight. But, despite heavy fire and enormous destruction, the Varyag nevertheless conducted aimed fire at the Japanese ships from the remaining guns. "Korean" did not lag behind him either. Having received critical damage, the Varyag described wide circulation in the Chemulpo fairway and was forced to return to the roadstead an hour later.
Legendary cruiser after the battle
“… I will never forget this stunning sight that presented itself to me,” later recalled the commander of the French cruiser, who witnessed an unprecedented battle, “the deck is covered with blood, corpses and body parts are scattered everywhere. Nothing escaped destruction: in the places where the shells exploded, the paint was charred, all the iron parts were punctured, the fans were knocked down, the sides and bunks were burned. Where so much heroism was shown, everything was rendered useless, broken into pieces, riddled; the remains of the bridge hung deplorably. Smoke was coming from all the holes in the stern, and the roll to the port side was increasing ... "
Despite such an emotional description of the Frenchman, the position of the cruiser was by no means so hopeless. The surviving sailors selflessly extinguished the fires, emergency crews put a plaster under a large hole in the underwater part of the left side. Of the 570 crew members, 30 sailors and 1 officer were killed. The gunboat "Koreets" had no casualties among its personnel.
Squadron battleship "Eagle" after the battle of Tsushima
For comparison, in the Tsushima battle, out of 900 people from the command of the battleship Alexander III, no one was saved, and out of 850 people from the command of the battleship Borodino, only 1 sailor was saved. Despite this, in the circles of military enthusiasts, respect for these ships remains. "Alexander III" for several hours led the entire squadron under fierce fire, skillfully maneuvering and periodically knocking down the Japanese sight. Now no one will say who competently controlled the battleship in the last minutes - whether it was the commander or any of the officers. But the Russian sailors did their duty to the end - having received critical damage in the underwater part of the hull, the flaming battleship capsized at full speed without lowering the flag. Not a single person escaped from the crew. A couple of hours later, his feat was repeated by the battleship Borodino. Further the Russian squadron was led by "Oryol". The same heroic battleship that received 150 hits, but partially retained its combat capability until the very end of the Tsushima battle. Here is such an unexpected remark. Blessed memory of the heroes.
Nevertheless, the position of the Varyag, which was hit by 11 Japanese shells, remained serious. The controls on the cruiser were damaged. In addition, the artillery was seriously damaged, only seven of the 12 six-inch guns survived.
V. Rudnev went on a French steam boat to the English cruiser Talbot to agree on the transportation of the Varyag crew to foreign ships and to report the alleged destruction of the cruiser right on the roadstead. The Talbot commander Bailey objected to the explosion of the Russian cruiser, explaining his opinion by the large crowding of ships in the roadstead. At 13 o'clock. 50 minutes Rudnev returned to the Varyag. Hastily gathering the officers nearby, he informed them of his intention and received their support. Immediately, they began to transport the wounded, and then the entire crew, ship documents and the ship's cash desk to foreign ships. The officers destroyed valuable equipment, smashed the surviving instruments, pressure gauges, disassembled gun locks, throwing parts overboard. Finally, the Kingstones were opened, and at six o'clock in the evening the Varyag lay down on the port side.
Russian heroes were placed on foreign ships. The English Talbot took on board 242 people, the Italian ship took 179 Russian sailors, the rest were placed on board by the French Pascal. The commander of the American cruiser Vicksburg behaved absolutely disgustingly in this situation, who flatly refused to accommodate Russian sailors on his ship without the official permission of Washington. And without taking on board a single person, the "American" limited himself to sending a doctor to the cruiser. French newspapers wrote about this: "Obviously, the American navy is too young to have those high traditions that inspired all the fleets of other nations."
The crew of the gunboat "Koreets" blew up their ship
The commander of the gunboat "Koreets", captain of the 2nd rank G.P. Belyaev turned out to be a more decisive person: despite all the warnings of the British, he blew up a gunboat, leaving only a pile of scrap metal to the Japanese.
Despite the immortal feat of the Varyag crew, Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev still should not have returned to the port, but should have sunk the cruiser in the fairway. Such a decision would significantly complicate the use of the port for the Japanese, and make it impossible to lift the cruiser. Most importantly, no one would have been able to say that the Varyag had retreated from the battlefield. After all, now many "democratic" sources are trying to turn the feat of Russian sailors into a farce, tk. allegedly the cruiser did not die in battle.
In 1905, the Varyag was raised by the Japanese and entered into the Japanese Imperial Navy under the name Soya, but in 1916 the Russian Empire bought the legendary cruiser.
Finally, I want to remind all "democrats" and "truth seekers" that after the conclusion of the armistice, the Japanese government found it possible to reward Captain Rudnev for the feat of the "Varyag". The captain himself did not want to accept the reward from the opposing side, but the Emperor personally asked him to do so. In 1907 Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun.
Bridge of the cruiser "Varyag"
Map of the battle at Chemulpo from the Varyag logbook
