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On August 1, 1914, the First World Warrior, unleashed by imperialist Germany, who revealed war first Russia, and then France and Belgium. Simultaneously with the actions of the army on the land fronts, the German fleet began action on the seas. Against the Russian Baltic Fleet, the significant naval forces of the Germans were sent, and against the Black Sea - Germans and Tour Ec.

The results of the Russian-Japanese war did not pass without a trace for the Russian Fleet. The efforts of the advanced part of Russian sea officers, and above all followers of the school of Admiral Makarov Fleet, starting in 1907, began to relatively quickly to restore and strengthen its fighting power. More advanced combat ships were built, the training and education system was updated and improved. The system of organizing the fleet management is perfect. Larger attention began to be given to the Fleet to study of littering opponents and developing war plans; The equipment of future theaters of hostilities has been deployed. As a result of all this, the Russian fleet was relatively well prepared for the First World War.

However, due to the technical and economic backwardness of the country and the lack of FINA. The construction of Linear Ships of the Dreadnought type began on the Baltic in 1909, and in the Black Sea - in 1941, and these ships came into operation only in the second year of war. The construction of coastal fortifications was also not completed by the beginning of the war. Germany, by the beginning of the war in the Baltic Sea, was accompanied by significant superiority in the power.

Russian sailors had to fight with a cunning and strong enemy. But excellent knowledge, the skillful use of military equipment and loyalty to military duty ensured them success in the fight against the German fleet.

On the day of the war announcement, the commander of the Baltic Fleet, the student and the follower of the school of Makarov, Admiral Essin, appealed to his personnel:

"Let each of you tense all your strength, spiritual and bodily. It will make your knowledge, experience and skill on the day of the battle, so that NATH shells would make death and destruction in the enemy pages :! and ships. "

Starting a warrior, the German fleet set it a goal to break into the Finnish bay, destroy the sea forces of Russia in the Baltic and hit Petrograd from the sea. In the first month of war, the German cruiser "Magdeburg" and "Augsburg", accompanied by the Ministry of Education and submarines, tried to penetrate the Finnish bay. When performing the operation "Magdeburg" sat onto the island of Opens-Holm. A detachment of Russian cruisers and the destroyer, who, causing "Magdeburg", was sent against enemy ships, who, causing Magdeburg, captured him. Cherry found on the cruiser and codes gave the opportunity to the allies to solve the intentions of the German command before the end of the war.

Especially major success, the Baltic was achieved in the conduct of active mine barrage at the enemy shores. Of all the warring States, Russia turned out to be the war most prepared for Miyion. Russian miner was horrified on German pirates. This is evidenced by the recognition of one German submariner.

"At the beginning of the war, he wrote," only one miner represented the danger - Mina Russkaya. None of the commanders who were "entrusted to England" - and we, in fact, were all so. - did not go eagerly to the Finnish Bay. "Many enemies - a lot of honor" - excellent saying. But near Russians with their mines the honor was too large. Germany, you need to say directly, there was nothing to do there. Each of us, if not forced to be forced, tried to avoid "Russian affairs".

Mine barriers were raised in broad sizes in the Perzha months of the war.

On October 31, 1914, a special purpose semi-division as part of the Squaded Mission "General Kondratenko", "Hunter". "Border Guard" and "Novik" under the cover of the four squadrons of the destroyers put a mine harness before the memel. Operation spent at night was not seen by the enemy. On November 5, a mine harness was put on the approaches to Memoncell and before Pillau. On November 17, the German armored cruiser "Friedrich-Karl" exploded on this mine outline. On the same day, he died here, having exploded in Mine, - the pilot steamer "Ellbing".

On November 19, in difficult meteorological conditions, the Mine Barrel "Amur" put the mine barrage on the ways of movement of the German fleet in the area between Bornholm Island and the Ts Stolpe. In this barrier in March 1915, German steamers "Königsberg" and "Bavaria" were killed. In mid-November, a large barrier was exhibited by Rurik and Admiral Makarov with the dunzing bay. In these mines in May 1915, two German travelers were injured.

At the end of December of the same year, 3 German steamers were injured on mines. Since all barrier operations were held secretly, then the few considered that: - ships n steamboats were swaming PSDV darities.

In order to save warships and commercial vessels, the German command was forced to reduce shipping. Swimming the most valuable warships was limited to the Gotland parallel. The German cruisers were relocated to the West - from Nephaharzasser on Swanneung.

As a result of the active operations of the Russian Baltic fleet, a normal message between Sweden and Germany was violated, which could not now receive a need for ore and cellulose used for the production of explosives and paper. All this could not\u003e not affect the military production of Germany.

Even more sensitive blows of P) German communications were inflicted by the Balticians in 1915. According to the cards found by our submariners on the German vapors, it was found that the courses of German ships run in the southern part of the combat bay. From Quartzna to Alandgaf, away from the shore. The following is Telio. It was possible to attack the German steamers, without disturbing the Szed neutrality.

In the combat bay, Russian submarines acted hard. On October 24, 1915, the Alligator's boat seized the German steamer and trunks him to the Aland archipelago, having passed it to the police officer "obedient."

On October 29, the submarine "Cayman", acting together with the cruisers, seized the German steamer "Shttin", on board who was military-obligated, and led him to Abo. For one year alone 1915, submarines of the Baltic fleet were destroyed and captured 15 German transports. During this year, they produced 51 attack on enemy ships.

Superwater "Ships led the active mini-pearly operations on the paths of the enemy fleet.

In January 1915, GSD Cruiser "Oleg" and "Admiral Makarov" under the cover of three other cruisers implemented mine production. Between the island of Bornholm and the Ts Stolpe 25 Jan, the German cruiser "Augsburg" was exploded on Mine. In Russian barrage, the Gazelle cruiser was injured at the Arcon's lighthouse, which received serious damage.

In April, the German steamer was killed in the same area. A special purpose semi-confinee as part of the five squadded destroyers put mines on the approaches to LNBAVE engaged in the Germans. The mine boards were also delivered by Window.

In November, a detachment consisted of four cruisers under the cover of the Linear ships "Petropavlovsk", "Gangeut" and the Squaded Mission "Novik" to the south of Gotland on German communications, a mine barrage from 56 min was supplied. On this barrier in the area of \u200b\u200bX "Borg injured the German cruiser< Данциг».

On December 6, the detachment of cruisers under the cover of the linear ships and the destroyer "Novik" was delivered a large mine harness in the southeast of Gotland. On January 13, 1916, the German cruiser "Lubeck" was killed here.

On December 16, three destroyers - Novik, the "winner" and "Zabi" - the North-west of Windows on the likely ways of German courts put 150 minutes. This area was under the permanent observation of enemy cruisers. To cause damage not only by the "large, but also small ships and vehicles of the enemy, mines were delivered with a little deepening. On December 17, at this mine, the cruiser" Bremen "was injured, which was accompanied by two destroyers. The first revenge on Ma. Squaded Minsnssist" V- 191 ". There was an explosion, and the ship went to the bottom. Saving the team of the deceased destroyer." Bremen "nose hid two mines. Two strong explosions followed, and the cruiser disappeared under water.

Being confident that "Bremen" and "V-19I" were victims of submarines, German ships and transport continued:! Enjoy old fairway. On December 23, Freya's watchdog cracked on Mine. German watchwalks arrived at the place of death and two destroyers found mines. Waving between them, they sought to get out of the area of \u200b\u200bmine barrage. Passing about five miles, the German Ministry of Emergency S-177 blew up and went to the bottom. After that, the order of the Commander of the German Baltic Fleet, the entire area of \u200b\u200bWindows "was banned for swimming; the permanent desarp was abolished by the same order between the island of Gotland and Windows.

In 1914-1915, the general are lost Germans with ships and transport amounted to 105 thousand tons. Lost Russians - 29 thousand tons.

Thus, a serious threat was created for German trade shipping in Baltik. Trading companies refused to send their ships to Sweden.

The lack of raw materials has adversely affected the work of the Military Industry of Germany. The needs of the German army in weapons and ammunition, as well as the requirements of industrial magnates who have received huge profits on military orders, forced the Germans to increase the import of iron ore, cellulose and forests. The German Higher Military Command was forced to transfer two light cruisers from the North Sea to Baltika and the Dze of Flootil Museum, which led to the weakening of the naval forces. acting against the British.

In the 1916 campaign, the Russian destroyers with the support of cruisers applied strikes on German communications, prohlude along the shores of Sweden.

On May 31, 1916, three Russians squadron meetrs - Novik. "Winner" p "Thunder" - "attacked the German convoy, who was in Norchepingscon Cove. As a result of the attack, the German auxiliary cruiser" German "and two armed convoy steamats were surrounded. These actions of Russian ships caused great damage to German trade.

Baltets entered into battle with the enemy under any conditions. The crew of the Squaded Mission "Novik" in a brutal battle with two German policemen showed decisiveness, fearlessness and contempt for the enemy - qualities that have shown almost all the sailors of the Baltic Fleet.

On August 17, 1915, Novik noted the silhouettes of two ships. These were the German Mission "V-99" and "V-Yoo", trying to break into the Nrbensky Bay.

Despite the fact that the Germans had a clear advantage in the power, the "Novika" commander Captain of the 2nd rank of Berenz decided NTTI for rapprochement with the German destroyers. The distance was quickly reduced. When 43 cable remained to the enemy, Novik opened fire. From the third volley was reserved, and from the fourth he switched to defeat. A few minutes later, a fire had a fire on the head destroy the Germans. The order of the fleet commander was given a high assessment of the Russian destroyer. "After six minutes of battle, as a result of an excellent shooting and skilled maneuvering" Novika "head of a destroyer, hit by projectiles, began a retreat." The artillery officers of the Russian Ministry of Justice enhanced the fire, encouraged by the first successes. On the Ministry of Internal Affairs "V-99" was shot down the middle pipe N arose fire on Utah. Novik suffered fire on the "V-100", which caused serious damage.

Trying to break away from the pursuing Russian ship, "V-99" got into a network barrier; When giving reverse, he jumped into Russian mines. Two deafening explosions rang out. After a few minutes, the enemy ship disappeared under water.

This success was possible due to the high combat training of the crew, the courage and the organization of all its members. The "Novika" commander of Berenz in the report in the name of the commander of the mine division wrote: "I consider it a debt to note the amazing calm and extract of the entire personnel. So, for example, the shooting was opened strictly on the team and after the signal "Fraction" did not make a single extra shot; It was also good to transition from the salvos to the runaway and back. Small damage, so characteristic to the tools, corrected soon, but without a turmoil. "

A major defeat of the German fleet suffered in the Baltic in a raid operation, which the German command decided to undertake in November 1916.

On November 10, the German fleet, which consisted of 11 newest high-speed destroyers "G-56", "S-57", "S-58", "S-59", "0-89", CG-90, "V-72 "," V-75 "," V-76 "," V-77 "," V-78 "with displacement of 1000 tons each and speed of 34 node, under the command of the extraction entered the sea.

Flotilla was tasked to find and attack lightweight

The Baltic Fleet, who defended the entrance to the Finnish Bay, and then make the shelling of the Baltic port, in which at that time there was a large number of cars with artillery weapons prepared for sending the 12th Army. The Germans wanted to show that Germany in Baltic has great strengths that can paralyze the actions of Russian linear ships, which have just come into operation, as well as create the flanking danger of the army.

Flotile was accompanied by a light cruiser "Strasbourg" to the advanced Russian mine friction. The destroyers went to fulfill their task, and the cruiser remained here before their return. The operation they decided to spend at night under the cover of darkness. The destroyers walked in a row of a brilliant column at a distance of about 1.5 cable from each other, forming a long straight line. From the head ship were visible only the first three minorities, who followed the Kilwater flagship.

The sea was calm. Low cloudy, closing the moon, bad visibility - all this favored ", the stealth of the flotilla actions. To 21 hours, she had to come to the island of Odensso-Holm, from which the search for Russians Hersbal was planned.

At 20 hours of 38 minutes, the head of the flotilla, which was on the * Mission "S-56", was transmitted that the three end ships were behind. Without paying attention to this, the dolting continued the Sast of Flotilla for the same course. Suddenly, the radio was obtained anxious message: one of the retired policemen "U-75" appeared for mine and blew up. Water quickly filled the boiler room, and the ship lost its move. The "S-57" was located near the Ministry of Message (S-57\u003e accepted the personnel with "V-75". After some time, the second\u003e mine exploded, and "V-75" went to the bottom. From a huge concussion on "S-57" was damaged steam pipeline, the destroyer lost its move; "G-89" took on board the team of the sinking ship and, take a reverse course, went on a connection with the cruiser "Strasbourg".

For more than two hours, Germans continued unsuccessful searches for Russian ships in the mouth of Finnish - the hospital. Having lost the two of their destroyers and not finding Russian ships, Vitning decided NTTN to the Baltic Port to fire him. On November 11, about 1 hour and 20 minutes, 8 German policemen approached the Bay Rogervik. Three destroyers allocated for the bombardment of the city and the port entered the bay; The remaining ships were at the entrance to the harbor. Freeding port and city by spotlights, the Germans began the shelling, which lasted about 20 minutes. Flooring was caused by destruction by several buildings and few civilians were killed. Having finished the shelling, the German destroyers went on the return course.

The death district of the first two destroyers decided was to get around the north.

At 3 o'clock 15 minutes, the third German Ministry of Finance "V-72" was injected, which went into the ranks in order. "V-77" took on board the team with "V-72" and Skilled the exploded police officer with artillery fire.

The commander of the flotilla, having heard the artillery shooting, decided that * the Russian ships made an attack on his end destroyers. Having made its head ship sequentially rotation 180 °, Vitelng rushed to the place of shooting. At 3 o'clock 20 minutes, immediately after turning, there was an explosion of deafening force under the "G-90", which followed the flagship ship. The ship began to sink. "S-59" removed the team with "G-90" and "V-78" released a torpedo to the sinking Ministry of Emergency. "G-90" in one moment disappeared under water. Stroy broken. Two destroyers - "S-58" and "S-59" - separated from the nucleus of flotilla. What happened around, Vitning could not understand 21 only when he received from the "V-72" "MM" signal ("I have a" mine hole ") realized that the Ministry of Justice is on the minefield and ordered the remaining ships to gather and leave the dangerous place. At 3 o'clock 58 minutes, the Martyr "S-58", which hurried to connect with the flagship, blew up on Mine. Near the explosion occurred, mines floating on the surface were found. In view of this, "S-59" to save the personal composition of the sinking ship could only send a boat. Having accepted the team, the destroyer began to lavish between mines, wanting to get out of the danger zone. Soon he exploded on Mine and he. Flagship Mission "S-56", having accepted the crew, Torpeda Skilled him. After 45 minutes, it was driving on Mine "V76". After the smoke scattered, there was no ship or people on the surface of the water. A few minutes have passed. Another explosion was very damaged by the boilers of the flagship ship.

Thus, as a result of this adventure operation, the Germans lost seven ships.

Within 11 months, after that, they did not dare to active actions. And in the fall of 1917, when the working class of Russia was preparing for an armed uprising in order to overthrow the temporary government, the German imperialists took a major operation to seize the Baltic Islands. The Germans hoped to break into the Gulf of Finland and hit the revolutionary Petrograd from the sea.

But the Baltic sailors led by the Bolsheviks caused

powerful strikes of the German fleet and crushed the enemy's insidious plans.

No less persistent struggle with the Germans and Turks led the Black Sea Fleet.

In October 1914, the German-Turkish fleet suddenly attacked Russian cities and ports of the Black Sea. Sevastopol were fired. Odessa, Kerch and Novorossiysk. However, all the attacks of the enemy Chernomorets beat off.

Soon the response actions of the Black Sea Fleet were followed.<0 ноября 1914 года русские корабли обстреляли турецкий порт

Zunguldak. Where did the enemy moved coal to Constantinople. At the same time, the Russian destroyers put mine barriers from Bosphorus. Returning to their bases, they sank three Turkish transport with troops.

On November 17, the Russian ships were fired by Trapezund, and then put a mine harness from the Anatolian coast. On another day, Cape Sarych, the Russian ships were fighting with the German Keben and Breslau cruisers, as a result of which "Gheben" received serious damage.

In 1915, the Black Sea Fleet conducted active cruising operations. In May, during one of them, "Gheben" was again chopped by artillery of Russian ships. In addition, surface ships and submarines put mines from the Turkish shores, which were undermined by enemy military vessels and transports. In April 1915, a Turkish-shop manager "Medzhidie" was injured on the minefield in the Odessa-Ochakov district, and in June - the cruiser "Breslau".

Skill and courageously acted on the Black Sea Russian submariners. On October 12, 1916, the submarine "Tylena" entered into battle with an armed steamer "Rhodes", captured him and led to Sevastopol.

In the 1916 campaign, the Black Sea Fleet supported SCR\u003e Caucasian army, who arrived at Trapezund.

As a result of active offensive actions, the Black Sea fleet for 1914-1917 "Skilled 102 enemy steamadee. 110 motor and about 5,000 sailing vessels. Successfully discouraged Russian sailors and the attacks of the Germans in the north, where the enemy sought to violate Russia's communications with its allies.

Such are the brief results of the combat activities of Russian Maikak, in the period of the first world war, their activity, knowledge and workshop using weapons caused crushing blows to the strongest enemy. In this war, the sailors * were unless they fought against the Germans, who tried to subordinate Russia to their politics and seize Russian lands, but at the same time the main part of the sailors did not want a victory to autocracy. The most immemorial part of the sailors under the leadership of Bolsheviks was preparing to resolutions, because only the overthrow of autocracy could ensure the preservation of the national independence of the state and its free development and strengthening. In their struggle for the transformation of the war imperialist war, civil revolutionary sailors relied on rich revolutionary traditions and especially the rich experience of the fight against tsarism under the leadership of the Big goat.

Race of marine arms

A stubborn rivalry in the extension of naval relics has developed before the First World War between Germany and England. England, whichowed by extensive colonies on all continents, ranked first in the world in the Military forces and the Fleet Fleet. Germany's Navy has significantly inferior to English, which is seen from the table.

Despite its naval superiority, England continued to increase naval forces. In 1889, the Parliament adopted a law that increased loans for the construction of the fleet. At the heart of this law, the principle was based on the Fleet of England was to exceed two fleet of the strongest other countries (137).

Table. Composition of fleets of England and Germany by 1897*

Types of ships	Number (including under construction)		Ratio
	England	Germany
Battleship I, II, III classes
Battleship of coastal defense
Bronnal cruiser
Cruiser I, II, III Classes
Mine Cruiser
Fighters of the Ministry of Education
Ministry of Justice

* "Comparative tables of the military fleets of England, Russia, France, Germany, Italy, Austria, USA and the republics of South America." St. Petersburg., 1897, p. 66 - 71. Only ships that had combat significance in 1897 are taken into account in the table.

German imperialists who have become in the last quarter of the XIX century. On the path of colonial seizures, they decided to develop their naval fleet intensively. Adopted in March 1898 by Reichstag Special "Fleet Law" provided a sharp increase in its increase. For six years (1898 - 1903), it was planned to build 11 squadron battleships, 5 large armored cruisers, 17 cruisers with armored deck and 63 minorities (138). Germany's shipbuilding programs have steadily expanded in 1900, 1906, 1908 and 1912. By law 1912, the number of the German fleet was supposed to bring up to 41 linear ship, 20 armored cruisers, 40 lung cruisers, 144 destroyers and 72 submarines (139). The pace of construction of line ships was especially accelerated. From 1908 to 1912, 4 linear ships were laid in Germany each year (instead of 2 in the previous period) and the corresponding number of cruisers and the destroyers (140).

The English bourgeoisie understood that the decisions of the German government in the field of the development of the Navy were threatened by the marine power of England. Not wanting to lose your championship on the seas, England also strengthened the Race of Naval Arms. She put a goal to have linear ships by 60% more than they were in the German fleet (141). In addition, the British government began in 1905. The construction of linear ships of a new type - "dreadnights", which had a significant advantage compared to the previous ships. The construction of Dreadnought England assumed to make a major leap in the development of his naval power and force Germany to admit that she could not shake the marine hegemony of England.
However, Germany sought not only to be equal to England in terms of the number of ships, but not to yield to her also in their quality and "build ships so that in the event of conflict they would at least equal to the enemy ships" (142). Therefore, as soon as the first dreadnought was built in England, began to build such ships and Germany. Already in 1908, England had 8 dreadnights (part of them was built), and Germany - 7. The ratio of the old type armadites was: 51 - in England and 24 - in Germany (143).

In view of the growing threat to the English sea power on the part of Germany, England adopted in 1909 the decision to build two ships for each newly laid German ship (144). Adopted in March 1909. The Naval Budget for 1909/10 was allowed to build up to eight dreadnights to the government, not counting a large number of smaller ships. In fact, the dreadnights were laid nine - one ship of this type was built on the means of New Zealand (145).
England sought her naval power to preserve and diplomatic means. After adoption in Germany of the Naval Law of 1906, the British government made a proposal to limit the construction of new warships. In the Hague Peace Conference in 1907, English diplomacy made a proposal to limit offshore arms (146). But this diplomatic step of England was rejected by Germany. German diplomacy is extremely sharp and rudely expressed against any restriction of weapons.
The competition in the construction of the Navy between Germany and England continued until the beginning of the First World War. By 1914, the German fleet firmly took second place among fleets of the largest marine powers.

Mad arms race, which was covered by England and Germany, marked the approach of war. V. I. Lenin, noting this in 1911 in the article "Congress of the British Social Democratic Party", wrote: "It is known that in recent years and England and Germany are armed with extremely effort. Competition of these countries in the global market is increasingly more and more. Military collision is increasing increasingly "(147). This scientific foresight V. I. Lenin came true three years later.
Other states (France, Russia, Italy, Austria-Hungary) also sought to increase their fleets due to the construction of new, more modern ships. However, the financial and economic possibilities of these countries did not fully implement the adopted shipbuilding programs. A characteristic example of this regard can be Russia.
The royal government, which lost during the Russian-Japanese war 1904-1905. Almost the entire Pacific Squadron and the best ships of the Baltic Fleet sent to the Far East, sent efforts to restore and the further development of the Navy. For this purpose, in the period from 1905 to 1914, several shipbuilding programs were developed, providing for the completion of previously embedded 4 squadron armored vehicles, 4 armored cruisers, 4 canoners and 2 submarines, 2 mine barrafficers and the construction of new 8 linear ships, 4 linear and 10 Lung cruisers, 67 squadrock destroyers and 36 submarines. However, by the beginning of the war, none of these programs were completed (148).

Classes of ships, battle and weapons

The experience of the first wars of the Epoch of Imperialism, especially the Russian-Japanese war, presented new requirements for various classes of ships, arms and combat facilities of naval fleets.

For linear ships, it was necessary to strengthen the artillery of the main caliber of 305 - 381 mm to 8 - 12 tools and a mine caliber of 120-150 mm to 14-18 guns due to the abandonment of the average caliber, enhancing the reservation of the main belt to 305 - 350 mm and expansion of the booking area In order to increase the vitality of the ship in battle, increasing displacement to 25 - 27 thousand tons and speeds of up to 23-25 \u200b\u200bnodes.
The first linear ship of a new type called "Dreadnought" was built in England (entered into operation in 1907) and in its tactical and technical data was sharply different from the squadrons of the Russian-Japanese war period. A visual view of this gives Table 10.

Table 10. Tactical and technical data of the Russian squadron armadapole "Borodino" and the English linear ship "Dreadnow" *

	"Borodino"	"Dreadnought"
Year of entry
Displacement, T.
Power machine, l. from.
Swimming distance, miles
Stroke speed, nodes
Armament:
artillery (quantity / caliber guns, mm)
torpedo (quantity / caliber of torpedo devices, mm)
Booking, mm.
on-board
tower
deck

* A. P. Shershov. The history of military shipbuilding from ancient times to the present day. M. - L., 1940, p. 144, 241-242, 346 - 347; S. P. Moiseyev. List of Russian steam and armored fleet ships (from 1861 to 1917). M., 1948, p. 58 - 59.

It can be seen from the table that the English ship significantly exceeded the Russian battleship capacity of machines, speed speed, main caliber artillery and booking.
Following England, the construction of Linear ships of the Dreadnought type and other major sea powers were launched.
It should be noted that in the development of the class of linear ships, two trends were observed, which were most brightly manifested in the English and German fleets. They were explained by different operational tactical considerations. Germans, waiting for the attacks of a stronger, English fleet near their shores, the main attention paid to strengthen the armor and an increase in the number of tools, neglecting to a certain extent even speed. The British attached the primary value of the speed and caliber of the guns so that you could deprive the opponent of the initiative in choosing the time and place of battle. You can trace these trends when comparing the tactical and technical data of the English linear ship "Queen Elizabeth" and the German "Kenig" (Table 11), which were built at the same time (1911-1914).

Table 11. Tactical and technical details of the linear ships "Queen Elizabeth" and "Kenig"*

* F. Jane. Fighting Ships, 1915; IN. WEGER. Taschenbuch Der Kriegsflotten, 1914; X.Wilson. Linear ships in battle. Per with English. M., 1936, p. 414, 422; "Operational and tactical views of the German fleet." Digest of articles. M. - L., 1941, p. 16.

French and Italian linkers of the pre-war construction also had pretty good tactical and technical elements. The characteristic feature of the Italian linear ships was the advantage in the speed of the stroke with the same energy production and booking. Linear ships of the Austro-Hungarian fleet somewhat inferior to French and Italian.
The idea of \u200b\u200bcreating a new type of linear ship was first developed by Russian seamar scientists and shipbuilders S. O. Makarov, A.N Krylov, I. G. Bubnov. But because of the economic retardation of the Tsarist Russia and the cosiness of its ruling circles, this idea was not realized in a timely manner. The construction of new linear ships in Russia began with a lot of delay and was produced by a slow pace.
The first Russian ships-dreadnights ("Sevastopol", "Gangeut", Petropavlovsk and Poltava) were laid out in the summer of 1909. In the Baltic and Admiralty plants in St. Petersburg, in accordance with the 1908 shipbuilding program, they were tightened, and they entered To operation only in November - December 1914, i.e., after early World War (149). Linear vehicles of the type "Sevastopol", designed to meet the experience of the Russian-Japanese war and the achievements of the advanced Russian shipbuilding science, exceeded not only the first Dreadnotes of England, Germany and other states, but also linear ships of foreign fleets, built simultaneously with them or even later.
On the eve of the war, a new type of heavy cruiser was born - a linear cruiser, which had a lot of speed (almost 30 knots), severe artillery (up to 12,356 mm main caliber instruments) and powerful armor (up to 300 mm). The cruiser of this type had turbine engines and received a large amount of liquid fuel. For their combat qualities, they left far behind the old armor cruisers.
In Russia, linear cruiser (Izmail, Borodino, Navarine and Kinburn), intended for the Baltic Fleet (laid in December 1912), were the most powerful in the world in artillery armament. But by the beginning of the war remained unfinished (150).
In all fleets, much attention was paid to the development of light cruisers and the squadrons of the Ministry of Events. The increase in the speed and anti-mineral artillery of linear ships and cruisers demanded a significant increase in the speed of the course (up to 30 knots and above) and the strengthening of artillery and torpedo weapons of light cruisers and destroyers. The old types of these ships could no longer fulfill their tasks in a squadron battle.
In 1910, on the Putilovsky plant, the construction of new squadrocks such as Novik type began, and in 1913 - Svetlana's light cruisers, the first destroyer came into order in 1913, and the cruiser did not succeed in the course of the war (151) .
The experience of using mine weapons to the Russian-Japanese war revealed the need to create special ships for the production and trawling mines of barriers - minecraft and travelers

However, in all fleets, with the exception of the Russian fleet, the construction of such ships did not appeal. It was believed that with the beginning of the war under such ships it will be possible to equip commercial vessels. In Russia, after the war with Japan, two special mine bar "Amur" and "Yenisei" were built, and in 1910 the world's first underwater corrupter "Crab" was laid. The construction of special fans of the type "Pokal" began.
Not enough attention in Western European fleets in the pre-war years was paid to the construction of submarines. This was explained by two reasons. First, the naval doctrine of "possession of the sea" took the submarine one of the last places in the fight against the sea, since the victory was achieved, as she thought was linear forces in the general battle. Secondly, in the preceding wars, the submarine has not yet revealed their fighting. This happened during the First World War. As a result, by the beginning of the war, its participants had a small amount of submarines as part of their fleets. In France, there were 38, in Germany - 28, Russia - 23. And only England had 76 boats, but among them there were a lot of outdated. Some of the best submarines of pre-war projects were considered Russian submarines like "Bars", laid in 1912

In the pre-war years, work on the creation of hydrosapol began in the largest imperialist states. Several types of such machines were constructed and built, but almost all of them before the start of the war did not come out of the stage of experienced tests. Only during the war of the fleets began to act airplanes suitable for solving combat missions, among them "AVRO" (England), Borel (France), "Flugbot" (Germany) (154).
Otherwise, the case was in Russia. Russian Aviation Design D. P. Grigorovich in 1912-1913. Created several models of the type M (M-1, M-2, M-4, M-5) of the type M (M-5), which immediately found practical use in the fleet. Especially successful was the M-5 plane. He possessed high flight-tactical qualities (flight weight - 660 kg, payload - 300 kg, ceiling - 4450 m, speed - 128 km / h). In 1914 he was applied for the fleet as a seabed. He remained in the composition of the hydroaviation until 1921. Higher flight-tactical data had an M-9 plane created by Grigorovich in 1916.

Russian engineers took care of the special ships of the carriers of the hydraulic agents. In 1913, the Shishkov engineer designed the speed transport, which could take to seven aircraft. With the beginning of the war on the Black Sea Fleet, several such air transportians were equipped, the airplanes of which led the air intelligence and covered the ships of the air escorders in remote areas of the sea.
The development of various classes of ships, an increase in the number of submarines in the composition of fleets and their fighting, as well as the origin of maritime aviation demanded further improvement of all types of weapons and creating new means of struggle. Special attention was paid to improving the tactical and technical data of marine artillery, as it continued to remain the main weapon of the fleet. By the beginning of World War II, the caliber of heavy guns increased to 356 - 381 mm, anti-mining artillery - up to 152 mm; There were anti-aircraft guns by caliber up to 76 mm. The initial speed of the shells has also increased - up to 950 m / s, the rate of large guns - up to two shots per minute, firing range - up to 120 cable (156).
At the same time, the relative weight of the shells increased, their punching and fugasic effects increased, since shells began to start stronger explosives; Improved methods for managing artillery fire. The art of fire management has always been an essential factor in the battle of surface ships.

Speaking of this, it should be noted that the English fleet entered the First World War is less prepared for the conduct of artillery battle than the German fleet. By range, the British and German gunners of the main calibers were approximately the same. But the fugasic shells of the British, who had sensitive fuses, did not penetrate the armor of German ships, and in the case of penetration they did not cause major damage. The German shells pierced the weaker armor of the English ships and produced severe destruction. The British could not also develop before the war of their own artillery fire management system. Already during the war, they decided that they were behind in this matter, and used a lot of Russian shooting techniques (157).
A large contribution to the development of artillery weapons was made by Russian engineers and seamen artilleryrs. Before the war in Russian factories, the production of improved samples of sea guns of caliber 356, 305, 130 and 100 mm (158) was mastered. It began to manufacture also three-Russian ship towers. In 1914, the Engineer of the Putil Plant F. F. Lender and Artillers V. V. Tarnowsky were pioneers in creating a special anti-aircraft gun by a caliber of 76 mm (159).

The Russian-Japanese war was especially important for the development of torpedo and mine weapons. The improvement of the torpedo passed along the line of increasing its destructive strength, the range of shooting and speed of the course. The most common in all fleets was 450-mm torpedo, having a 16 cable shooting range (about 3000 m) at a speed of 29 nodes. In some fleets during the war, the ships were armed with torpedoes of larger calibers (500, 530 and 550 mm), at a speed of 45 nodes at a distance of 15 cable.
In Russia, three new samples of Torpeda were developed in the pre-war period (1908, 1910 and 1912), which exceeded the same type of torpedoes of foreign fleets in speed and distance, despite the fact that they had a slightly smaller total weight and charge weight (160) .
Before the war, multi-tube torpedo devices appeared. The first such (three-pipe) apparatus was released in 1913 on the Putilovsky factory in St. Petersburg. He provided a volley shooting by the fan, the methods of which were developed and mastered by Russian torpedys before the start of the war.
The development of mine weapons was characterized by an increase in the charge of mines up to 150 kg, consisting of a stronger explosive (tool), an improvement in fuses, an increase in the speed and depth of the formulation. On the eve of the war, fleets were in service with drum and galvanic mines. During the war, antenna mines appeared, and at the very end it is magnetic mines.

The first place in the development of mine weapons was held by the Russian fleet. In front of the world war in Russian fleet, galvanic and shock-mechanical mines of the 1908 sample were developed and the sample of 1912. According to tactical and technical data, these mines are much surpassed foreign, especially in the reliability of action. In 1913, a floating mine "P-13" was designed, which was kept under water at a certain depth due to the action of the electrical diving device. Mines of old samples of this type were kept under water using buoys that do not ensure mines, especially in stormy weather. "P-13" had an electric fuse, charge 100 kg of tool and could stay on a given deepening for three days. None of the foreign fleets had such a min. Russian miners created the world's first river mine "P" ("Fish").
Russian constructors of mine weapons and miners practices at the beginning of the war have provided great help to the Union English fleet in the organization of the production of mines and training personnel by the use of mine weapons, as the British in this matter have greatly lagged. At the request of the English Admiralty in England, a group of miners was sent with a reserve of mines in 1000 pieces.

The Russian fleet walked ahead of foreign fleets also in the creation of more advanced samples of trawling weapons. In 1911, weaponing snakes and boat trawl were admitted. The use of these trawls significantly reduced the deadlines of the trawling work, since the mines sicked and overlooking the surface were immediately destroyed. Previously, spent mines needed to be towed in a small place and destroy there, what a lot of time left.
The Russian fleet was the cradle of the radio. The radio has become a common means of communication on the fleet. In general, and in particular, widespread use in control of the forces in battle. In front of the war, Russian radio engineers were created by radio finders, which made it possible to apply radio as a means of intelligence.

Organization and management

The naval forces of the largest imperialist states (England, Germany, France, Russia, etc.) consisted of fleets (fleets) located on different nautical theaters. The fleet (the sea forces of the theater) was the highest operational association, which, depending on the composition of his forces, goals and nature of the war, could solve not only operational, but also strategic tasks.

The main operational connection of the linear forces (linear ships, linear and armored cruisers) in all fleets, with the exception of Turkish, was a squadron. The squadrons could be homogeneous who consisted of one class ships (for example, battleships or cruisers), and mixed, which included ships of different classes (battleships, cruisers, destroying destroyers). If there are several squaders on the same theater, they were reduced to major operational associations (for example, the British 1st, 2nd and 3rd fleets). From the light surface forces (light cruisers, the squadrous destination destination (miners), the Special Forces and Special Forces (mine barrels, trawls, guard ships, canoners, etc.) were created homogeneous or mixed (again depending on the availability of classes data ships ) Operational and tactical compounds - flotilla, divisions, brigades, divisions, detachments. At the same time, it should be noted that the same type of connections in different fleets wore various names. For example, the compounds of the destroyer destroyers and the destroyers in English, German, French and Austro-Hungarian fleets were called flotes, in Russian-divisions, and in Italian - brigades, regardless of the number of ships in them. The numerical composition of associations and compounds was the most diverse.

The organization of the command of naval forces in different countries was also different. In England, the chief control body of the fleet was the Admiralty, which in the fall of 1911 he headed U. Churchill as the first Lord of Admiralty (maritime minister). Admiralty was engaged in the planning of the construction of the fleet and its combat training, the development of plans for operations and the management of combat actions of an operational-strategic scale. In the English sea forces there were still the post of the first marine lord, that is, the commander-in-chief of all Fleets. This post since October 1914 held Admiral Lord Fisher. In 1912, marine general headquarters was created, but he did not find his place before the war in the fleet management system. The head of the Maritime General Staff at the beginning of the war was Vice Admiral Stardi, and from November 1, 1914 - Council Admiral Oliver (163). The rights and obligations of commander of individual fleets were limited to the development and conduct of hostilities of an operational-tactical scale, combat training of the personnel of ships and compounds and their content in a combat-ready state.

The Supreme Command of the Sea Forces in Germany was undilly belonged to the Kaiser, who was obeyed: the Maritime Ministry (State Secretariat of the Imperial Maritime Directorate), headed by Gross Admiral Tyrpitz, the Cabinet of Kaiser, who was headed by Admiral Müller, and Admiral Staff (Sea General Staff) led by an admiral field. The maritime ministry led the organization, management and material support of the fleet. Direct influence on the leadership of the fleet's combat activity during the war it did not provide. The sea office was mainly engaged in the acquisition and passage of the officer's service. Admiral-Headquarters, as the authority of the Supreme Commander (Kaiser), carried out the development of plans for operations, the distribution of forces on marine theaters in accordance with the tasks set before the fleet. The commander forces on the North and Baltic seas were directly subordinate to the Kaiser. They were responsible for combat training, picking, technical condition of the ship's composition, and in wartime and for the conduct of hostilities of their fleets (164). As can be seen from the above structure of the fleet control bodies and the functions performed, in Germany actually did not exist with the highest maritime command, which would be fully responsible for conducting war on the sea. This circumstance is extremely adversely affected by fleet's combat activities.

The head of the Marine Forces of France stood Maritime Minister with its operational authority - the maritime general headquarters. He was directly subordinate to the commander of the Mediterranean fleet and the commander of the canal by the marine forces. General Staff Developed Operation Plans and led them.

Commander-in-Chief of the Italian Fleet (he is the first squadron commander) Duke Abrucksky was subordinate to the head of the Sea General Staff Admiral Di Rivel, who carried out the top management of the Fleet's combat activities. The Marine Ministry with its own departments and departments was shipping, the acquisition of personnel and mobilization, all types of weapons, the development of coastal defense, as well as the equipment of naval databases and ports and the material and technical supply of the fleet, i.e., all of what belonged to overall preparation of the fleet to war (166).
In Austro-Hungary, the fleet was subordinate to the commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces. The maritime ministry did not exist. Its functions carried out the Maritime Department of the Military Ministry. The chief of this department had greater independence and could personally report to the emperor on all the most important issues of construction, content and control of the fleet.

In Turkey, the fleet control system before the start of hostilities on the Black Sea was broken. With the arrival of the German cruisers "Gheben" and "Breslau" the commander of the sea forces was the German Admiral Sushon, who often gave orders through the head of the Maritime Minister Ahmet Gemal.
The governing body of the Navy forces in Russia as a whole was the maritime ministry, which from 1911 he headed Admiral I. K. Grigorovich. The Maritime Ministry was part of the Admiralty Council, the chairman of which was directly Maritime Minister, the Chief Marine Headquarters, the Chief Naval Court, the main shipbuilding department, the main hydrographic management, the Main Maritime Management and other management, Departments and divisions (169).

In 1906, the marine general headquarters was created, which was given to the solution of strategic problems, planning the construction of the fleet, carrying out its mobilization, the leadership of the overall preparation of the sea for war. The establishment of the maritime general staff was a positive factor in the restoration of Russia's naval forces. With its creation, the functions of the Main Maritime Staff were significantly changed, in the conduct of which now was the personal composition of the fleet, the construction, the administrative and military school part, as well as the legislative part of the Maritime Agency (170).
The Sea Command in England, Germany and Italy, in addition to the Fleet associations and compounds, the coastal defense of the country, including sea fortresses, naval databases and military ports with their garrisons, was completely subordinated.

It had a positive effect on the organization and management of the coastal defense in these countries. In other states it was not. In France, for example, a double coastal defense system existed. The entire coast of the country was divided into sea districts, each of which was divided into several sectors. At the head of the district stood the Marine Head, but in relation to the command of the land forces of his district, he submitted directly to the military minister. The chiefs of the sectors were appointed naval or army officers, depending on what the forces were prevailed there. In Austro-Hungary, the coastal defense was under the jurisdiction of the military ministry. As for Russia, until the beginning of the war, the Unified Coastal Defense system was established on the scale of the country. The land defense of most sea fortresses and naval databases and ports was under the jurisdiction of the military ministry. Commanders of naval databases (ports) and the chiefs of their garrisons (commandants) were independent of each other. Only in one Sevastopol, the Commandant of the Fortress was subordinate to the chief commander of the port (171).
Packing system
Unified system of picking by an ordinary component of fleets did not exist. In some countries, it was carried out by free hiring (recruitment), in others - for military service, and in the third - on the mixed system, partly by recruitment, partly by military service.
In England, the ordinary composition of the fleet was completed by free hiring. The desired serve on the fleet signed a contract for 5 or 12 years, followed by a continuation of the service with positive certification for another 6 years for the first and 10 years for the second. Executable, the contract for 5 years was immediately directed to the sailors of the 2nd article by the sailors, and those who had a contract for 12 years came to the Jung schools, at the end of which were sent to the courts and continued to service with sailors, receiving an increase in articles. The best of them were produced in nonsense officers. To prepare the younger specialists of artillery and mineralized specialties, existed schools of foremen, where those who graduated schools of Jung were taken. For other specialties, no schools for elders exist. Frames on them were preparing in a practical way, right on the ships. After passing the relevant exams, non-commissioned officers were made to officers. To improve the qualifications of -Artlerists, miners and navigators existed special classes. In England, there was a naval academy, but with a very short learning date - only 4 months. She was taken by senior officers and admirals.

The system of completing the fleet adopted in England had the positive side that as a result of the long service, the personnel received great experience and good marine learning. But this system did not provide the accumulation of the reserve. That is why during the war the British were forced to partially introduce military service.
The German fleet was completed on military service, as well as at the expense of Jung and Olrous-determining. The service life on the fleet was set by a three-year, after which he was credited to the reserve of various degrees to 40 years of age. The junior teamwork and fleet specialists have completed from the Sung and solid-defining school after appropriate training. The mechanical engineer for the fleet was prepared from those who graduated from the Middle Technical Schools and had experience in practical work on shipbuilding factories. They were sent to serve on the ships, and then after one year training in the class of marine engineers, they carried out on the exam in the mechanics engineer of the fleet. The Naval Academy of Germany had a two-year learning time.

The officer of the English and German fleets was completed on the class principle - from the nobles and the bourgeoisie. Only the mechanics engineer of the fleet of Germany could be out of other classes.
In France, the cleaning system of the fleet was quite complicated. An ordinary fleet was completed on the basis of the so-called maritime record, recruitment of "hunters" and the common military service. The "maritime record" consisted that all the male population of the seaside band of France aged 18 to 50 years in relation to military service was fixed behind the fleet. However, in practice, "recorded" served on a fleet not over 45 months, and then they could, if desired, or continue the service, or dismiss in stock. "Recorded" enjoyed a number of privileges in obtaining pensions, awards and maritime fishing. In 1912, the period of the mandatory service was reduced to 2 years. Those who remained to serve continue to have the right to enter the school of the Flot specialists in their choice and to advance the service until the officers.
When recruiting "hunters", a contract was concluded for 5 years on chosen by the Flot specialty themselves. The missing number of recruits after receiving "recorded" and "hunters" was replenished by military service with a maximum service life of 2 years. In the French fleet, as in other fleets, there was a Jung School that gave the main contingent for schools of junior fleet specialists.

The Austro-Hungarian and Italian fleets were completed on military service from the population of seaside districts or persons who had some attitude towards the sea (trading sailors, fishermen) or a fleet (shipbuilders). In the Italian fleet, in addition, the Jung school existed. Service time: in the Austro-Hungarian fleet - 12 years old, of which 4 years in the actual service, 5 years in stock and 3 years in the militia; In Italian - 4 years in the actual service and 8 years in stock. To prepare younger professionals and officer personnel, there were relevant schools and schools (175).
The officer corps of the Austro-Hungarian fleet was formed taking into account not only class, but also the national principle. The overwhelming majority were Austrian Germans.

The ordinary composition was completed except Germans, from Hungarians, Italians and representatives of Slavic peoples.
The system of recruiting the Russian fleet was almost completely based on military service. According to the Regulation approved in 1912, the service on the fleet was necessarily attracted to achieving a recipient age and affected by all the persons who had the forthcoming titles and the title of ship mechanics, as well as sailors on shopping ships by sailors, steering and stamps. Further, preference was given to recruits from factory workers who had specialties on a fitting-assembly, turning, boiler and blacksmith, motorists, electrical atoms, telegraphists and other specialists.

Therefore, among the ordinary composition of the fleet there was always a significant layer of factory workers, which created favorable conditions for the development of the revolutionary movement on the fleet. The missing part of the ordinary composition was recruited from residents of the seaside and pruring regions of the country.
The total service life for the ordinary composition of the fleet was set 10 years, of which 5 years of valid service and 5 years in reserve (177).
In the pre-war years, the Jung school was opened in Kronstadt for the Baltic Fleet. Creating it, the maritime ministry not only meant the improvement of the quality of preparing the personnel of the fleet, but also pursued political goals. Through the Jung School, it was calculated to prepare the devotees to the royal autocracy of the servants, which could be used in the fight against the revolutionary motion on the fleet. However, the calculations of the royal authorities did not justify in this matter. Despite the brutal repressions and attempts to create a certain interlayer of trustworthy among personnel, the revolutionary movement on the fleet has increasingly increasingly.

For the preparation of non-commissioned specialists in the Baltic and Black Sea, educational detachments existed, which included artillery and mine schools. In addition, various schools, classes and training teams were created, which were not part of training squads: Machine schools and schools of steering and signals of the Baltic and Black Sea fleets, scuba diving school (total for both fleets), Baltic Fleet Diving School, Feldsher Schools in Kronstadt and Nikolaev, educational teams of the Unthly Baltic and Black Sea Fleets, etc.

The officer of the fleet was completed from children of nobles, bourgeoisie, and officials. Suites from other segments of the population were taken to engineering schools. The preparation of officer personnel was carried out in the sea corps, special classes and the maritime academy.
During World War II, in many countries, the system of recruitment of fleets in ordinary and officers has undergone significant changes. The war caused a large flow of the fleet. The set and training of replenishment could not be conducted on pre-war standards and principles. The preparations were reduced, some valuable restrictions in the passage of the service of the officer composition were canceled, the admission to the officer case for immigrants from small-bourgeois layers was abolished.

Combat training

In the English and German fleets, combat training was carried out practically all year round. It usually began with single preparation of the ship, then followed the tactical teachings of homogeneous and heterogeneous compounds, and as a result, the final maneuvers of major compounds and associations were carried out. In England, maneuvers were mainly operational; In Germany, bilateral tactical and operational maneuvers were conducted.
In the German fleet, much attention was paid to artillery shooting, which was carried out at large distances on ships on the ships area. In terms of artillery training, the British fleet significantly inferior German. The famous English Military Historian X. Wilson then admitted that "in the first period of war, the British ships ... found a significant and very dangerous weakness in comparison with German."

In both Fleets, the Ministry of Floods conducted volleak torpedo shootings, and the German destroyers, in addition, were practiced in daytime torpedo attacks. The Germans put training mine harnesses, and then they were handled by trawls equipped with outdated destroyers.
In the English and German fleets, great importance was attached to the maritime training of personnel and training of compounds in joint swimming. A large drawback in combat training of the other fleet was that they were not prepared for joint action with ground troops. If we talk about the level of combat training as a whole, then in the German Fleet, it was somewhat higher than in English, especially in the field of tactics and the use of weapons. In other Western European fleets, combat training did not have any significant differences, unless it was conducted at a lower level compared to the fleets of Germany and England.

A special situation in relation to combat training was occupied by the Turkish fleet. The ordinary composition of the fleet was completed mainly due to the peasants of the Muslim religion. Frames of the younger specialists of the fleet and Unter- did not prepare. The states of the officer on ships and in parts were incredibly inflated. On 10 sailors to the beginning of the war accounted for 8.
According to the German officer, German officer Lorea, who served during the war in the Turkish fleet, the warships of Turkey were "mainly" floating barracks ", and the life of them came down to food, outfit and theoretical training ... Only a small part of the personnel was on ships, but And she did not swim, but spent the time in the inaction in the sheltered harbors "(180). After the war with Russia, 1877 - 1878. Turkish ships did not leave the Bosphorus in the Black Sea, right up to the Balkan Wars (1912-1913). "... Therefore," continues Lorea, "the personnel is not used to the sea and there was no maritime experience" (181).

Further, he marks large disadvantages in organizing certain types of combat training (artillery and torpedo shooting, providing the ship's survivability in battle, the navigator business, etc.), poor support of the fleet by combat reserve, fuel and other types of supply. Finishing the characteristic of the Turkish fleet by the beginning of the war, Lorea writes that "By the time of the arrival of German ships, mobilization was in full swing, but neither on ships nor the shipyards had noticeable preparations for military action" (182). In many ways, Laura was, of course, right. However, it is impossible not to take into account the fact that Lorea and other Germans who arrived in the Turkish fleet with "Geben" and "Breslau" or later, tried after the war in every way to inflate their role in the "transformation" of Turkey's fleet. The fighting on the Black Sea during the war showed that if we exclude the German ships included in the Turkish fleet, the latter moved very slightly forward in its combat capability.
It should be somewhat in more detail on combat training of the Russian fleet, as it had some characteristic features. The advanced Russian fleet officers were hard to experience the tragedy of the Tsushima. They drew attention primarily on combat training personnel. And, I must say, reached in this direction, considerable results, especially in the Baltic Fleet.

On the Baltic Sea of \u200b\u200bcombat training, the fleet was led by Vice Admiral N. O. Essen, who largely adhered to the views of S. O. Makarov. Since 1906, he commanded the 1st Minut Fleet Division, based on the non-freezing port of Libava. The division ships flooded all year round regardless of meteorological conditions, which contributed to the work on the personnel of stamina, courage, initiatives and perseverance in achieving the goal, that is, those combat qualities that were required in the war. The 1st mine division became a combat training school, many commanders of ships and fleet compounds (183) passed through it in the pre-war years. In November 1908, N. O. Essen was appointed head of the United Natives of the Baltic Sea. The first important event that he spent on the scale of the fleet was to reduce the previously ships and detachments into compounds that could solve operational and tactical tasks.

A large drawback in combat training of the Russian Fleet for a long period was the practice of predominantly raid teachings. Due to the savings of material resources, the ships went out into the sea, as a rule, only in the summer, and even that briefly. Now in organizing combat training, fundamental changes were made. The system of phased training was introduced: first the single ship was prepared, then the tactical compound (division, brigade of ships) was carried out, then a large compound (ship division) and, finally, in the outcome of the campaign - the maneuvers of the entire fleet.
Much attention on the Baltic Fleet was addressed to artillery training. Russian ships of the pre-war period in the relics of their artillery weapons were somewhat inferior to the same type of German fleet ships (184). Therefore, it was possible to achieve equality or superiority over the enemy only due to the art of artillery shooting. The number of practical shooting was significantly increased, improved their ammunition. In 1910, special devices were introduced for learning artilleryrs to control the fire of a single ship and a fixture for rapidly charge guns.

An important place in terms of war in the Baltic Sea was given to defensive mine productions. For their implementation, they needed advanced and thorough preparation, especially since the Baltic Fleet did not have enough special charge. In the fall of 1909, a detachment of mine barrafficers was formed, which since the spring of next year began enhanced combat training aimed at performing mine productions defined by the war plan. The ships of the detachment and the squadrock policemen of the 1st mine division were practiced in the formulation of educational mines in the areas of future defensive mine barrage.
It was not less seriously organized on a fleet preparation for the use of torpedo weapons in the future war. For weapons, torpedoes were adopted by new samples (1908, 1910, 1912), which demanded a comprehensive test. Other steels and carriers of torpedo weapons - Mortar Rights and submarines. It was necessary to develop more advanced methods of torpedo firing. The center of combat training on the use of torpedo weapons was the 1st Minut Fleet Division. Here, new torpedoes were tested and a method of salval shooting was developed in the area from three dust-testers armed with three single-tube devices. Since 1910, combat training on the use of torpedo weapons also unfolded in the brigade of submarines of the Baltic Fleet.

Our books guide About the First World War "Rock War of Russia", Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Baskov, entered the short list of the contest ASKI "The best books of the year"! In honor of this, the author sent specifically for another chapter from the book.

Leaving the foam
Mina snapped riser.
Broken like a toy
The cruiser went to the bottom.

Floored on the surface
Gray submarine
And cuts proudly
Little wave.

Verse, reassured deep
Warthoth funnels.
Sea ruled cheekbones
Blue depths of their own.

Terrible corpses pop up,
Sorry sails,
Furious sharks
Splash between them ...
Arseny Nesmelov. Episode

Former head of the Russian Foreign Ministry S.D. Sazonov in their "Memories" Writes:

The Great War began on the Eastern Front Bombardment of Libava by the German fleet ... (p. 242).

It happened that the first world began for Russia to the sea and there, in the Baltic Sea, the heroic defense of the Moonzund Archipelago in October 1917, it ended. At the same time, the main bloody battles occurred, of course, in the land theaters of hostilities, where the Russian army lost two million killed and died from the Russian wounds during the war years. For comparison:

The participation of the Russian Navy in the First World War was mainly coastal defensive. At the same time, 32 warships were lost, and human losses were (together with injured and captured) 6063 people.

Russia and the USSR in the wars of the 20th century: the loss of the armed forces :
stat. Research / Under total. ed. G. Krivosheeva. M., 2001. P. 103.

To begin with, we call a number of general publications containing systematic information about the hostilities at the sea to the First World War:

Combat Chronicle of the Russian Fleet: Chronicle of the most important events of the military. Stories Rus. Fleet with IX century. to 1917 / Ed. Dr. Military. Science Cap. 1st Rang N.V.Novikova; Cost. V.A.Divin; Acad. Sciences of the USSR. In-t history. M.: Milivdat, 1948. 490 s., Maps.

In 2 tons / ed. N.B. Pavlovich. M.: Milivdat, 1964. T. I; 647 p. T. II. 383 s.

V.A. Zolotarev, I.A.Kozlov. Three centuries of the Russian fleet, 1914-1941. M.: AST; Spb. : Polygon, 2004. 750 p. : Il., Port. (Military Historical Library).

This is the third volume of the same four-stroke edition (1st Tom dedicated to the history of the domestic fleet of the 18th century; the 2nd volume covers the period from the beginning of the XIX century to the beginning of the First World War; the 4th volume tells about the history of the fleet in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 , on the exploits of Soviet sailors at sea and on land).

A.A. Kershnovsky In the final, the 4th volume of its "History of the Russian Army" [Kershnovsky A.A. History of the Russian Army: in 4 tons / comments. S.G.Nelipovich. M.: Voice, 1992-1994. T. 4. 1915-1917 M., 1994. 368 p.] Accident, "At least in the most common features, to outline work" during the world war of the Russian Fleet. As always, impartially in relation to the Supreme Command Rate:

The leadership of the sea forces was concentrated in the bet. The fleet was commanded for a thousand worst of Woodland swamps and commanded in a swamp.

The rate banned all the activity of the Baltic fleet, despite the insignificance of the German Prince Heinrich forces, which consisted exclusively from the old ships. All the war at our disposal was the German Sea Shipper, thanks to which all the intentions of the enemy were known to us in advance. This cipher got this when destroying at the very beginning of the war cruiser "Magdeburg". Germans about this our find and were not suspected. We immediately shared this our most valuable discovery with the British. Having such an unprecedented trump card, we could act the war to act attaciently, thundering the German Baltic forces, evading the fleet of the open sea.

But the fleece in Baranovichi-Mogilev was not, as it was not a commander. About the marine strategy there also did not have concepts, as about the land. All orders of the margin of maritime part were imbued with fear of "losing ships". The fleet was led to inaction and inevitable demoralization ... It was afraid to lose one or two ships, the rate ruined the entire Russian sea strength. Our four "ganguta" provided us with an overwhelming superiority of Prince Heinrich. Having a squadron course of up to 24 knots (speed over contractual) and armed with more long-range guns than the Germans, they could fight excellent success with the parts of the open sea fleet, which were in the Baltic and had a sudden speed of not over 18 nodes. Two-time sad experience of controlling the fleet from the shore - Menshikov in 1854, the governor of Alekseeva in 1904, both times the fleet to death, disappeared completely in vain ...

Admiral Essen who commanded the Baltic fleet untimely died in the spring of 1915 - just before the introduction of new ships. His successor Admiral Nezarin, with all his outstanding qualities, did not have enough authoritative in the eyes of the bet and had to obey it hopelessly passive directives. An exploration organized by the admiral caused huge harm to the enemy - the British fleet was used by its fruits: all English operations on the sea - the results of Russian intelligence. The Russian fleet was the brain of the British. The German Maritime Command guessed in non-penette and his highly qualified officers of his most dangerous enemies.<…>

With all this, the Baltic fleet supplied to him more than modest tasks performed quite successfully. The Black Sea Fleet was not so successfully worked, which showed higher battle qualities, but the much worst leader in the face of Ebergardta Admiral. In general, if the army demanded moreover that she could give without donor, then all the features of the fleet did not use (p. 233-235).

Osip Mandelstam. From the poem "Petropol"
May 1916 (Published in)

From the above-mentioned book "Battle Chronicle of the Russian Fleet":

The first period of the war in the Baltic Sea passed under the sign of the offensive operation of the Germans to the Finnish bay ...
It was assumed that the offensive of the Germans may follow before the announcement of the war, the production of the barrier across the Finnish bay, which ceased to the freedom of navigation on a busy trading path, was in itself an event conjugate with major consequences. The uncertainty of the situation and the overall confusion, which accompanied the days of July 30-31, instilled insecurity into the solution of this most important issue for defense. Essen's fleet commander telegraphed several times to St. Petersburg with a request for instructions: to put a barrage or not? Without receiving permissions, worrying for ensuring the deployment of the fleet, he eventually sent a telegram, with a warning that if he does not receive a certain response about a political situation, then in the morning of the 31st he himself will put mine barrage. The positive answer came when the fleet was ready to act with anchor for performing and covering this operation.

After a few hours, the barrier was delivered. On the same day, the fleet finished his deployment. The sentient cruiser cruisers was exhibited in the sea back on the night from 25 to July 26.

Order of the fleet commander of the Baltic Sea, July 19, 1914, No. 2:
The will of the emperor's sovereign today is declared war.
Congratulations to the Baltic Fleet with the Great Day for which we live we were waiting for and to which they were preparing.
Officers and teams!
From this day, each of us should forget all their personal affairs and focus all their thoughts and will to one goal - to protect their homeland from encroaching enemies and enter into battle with them without hesitation, thinking only about applying the enemy of the greatest blows, which only for us possible.<…>
Remember that the only help that should be to each other in battle is the effort of an enemy attack, voltage in order to apply the strongest blows to him. Using all your strength and battle for this.
May each of us will fulfill the greatest debt in front of the Motherland - the life of His integrity - and may follow the example of those that, two hundred years ago, with the great emperor, their feats and blood laid the beginning of our fleet in these waters.
Admiral von Essen (p. 13-14).

This order is reproduced in the book: G.G.graph. Fleet and War: Baltic fleet in the first world. M.: Veva, 2011. 320 p. : IL. (Sea chronicle * ).

[* 94 books of the Sea Chronicle series are stored in the RGB, of which 28 digitized Scroll through their first pages (1/10 volume) can be directly in the RGB electronic catalog according to the links "More details", and full electronic versions can receive registered readers Nab..]

Its author is Garald Karlovich Count (1885-1966), Senior Officer of the Squaded Mission "Novik", captain of the 2nd rank, participant in the Russian-Japanese, First World and Civil Wars, an emigrant since 1921. The book is the first part of His Large Labor - "On Novika": the Baltic Fleet in the War and Revolution ", published in Germany in 1922. This edition describes the period from the beginning of the First World War until the end of 1916.

As the author notes, the Squaded Mission "Novik" was built on Putilovskaya shipyard in St. Petersburg for the funds of the Committee on the collection of voluntary donations on the strengthening of the Russian Military Fleet. He brilliantly fulfilled all the requirements of the latest marine equipment, and in its artillery and mine armament, as well as the move was one of the best courts of this class in the world. (p. 15).

G.K.Graf talks in detail about the hostilities in which Novik participated, about the operations of the entire Baltic Fleet, the service and everyday life of Russian maritime officers. The author gives high assessment by the Commander of the Baltic Fleet Admiral Essen, who knew since the Russian-Japanese war:

The activities of N.O. Essen in Port Arthur did not pass unnoticed. Arthur put forward him and gave the right to be considered one of the most prominent officers of our fleet ...

In 1906 he entrusted to the detachment of mine cruisers. Under his talented command, this detachment becomes the core of the recreated fleet, and it grows a number of excellent commanders and young officers. The school of Essen is created, just as once - School of Lazarev, Buttakov, Makarova ...

In 1908, the counter-admiral, N.O. Essen is appointed by the head of the Baltic Sea Labor, and then approved by the fleet commander and in this position it remains until the last day of his life.

For seven, with a small years, he literally revived the fleet and destroyed the routine, which had already been deeply rooted (p. 96-97).

The life of the destroyer became becoming richer and full:

By seas, playing, worn
with the destroyer of the Ministry of Justice.

Flames, as if to the middle of the village,
to the destroyer of the destroyer.
…………………………
And what it is unnecessary to us
peace in the family of the Ministry of Justice?
Vladimir Mayakovsky. From poem
1915

Mission! Who loved them, he is fascinated forever.
Big speeds - because sharp and bold people.
Help in battle by him there is no place - there is no armor here.
"I know by myself," said Artev, laughing. - Well, where to hide on our bridge? One defense is a crack-savage. And when the ripple nearby, I will definitely dive under the tarpaulin, and it seems you have already become immortal ...
In a small team, it is difficult to hide my weaknesses. This is not a battleship you, where a person is lost, as if passerby in Nevsky. Here, any scoundrel will immediately declare itself that he is scounded ...

V.Pikul. Moison (p. 153; more about this book later).

The book is particularly interested in the work of the Ministry of Education: L.G.G. Thycharov, B.A. Denisov. Use mines to world imperialist war 1914-1918. M.; L.: Voarmorizdat, 1940. 176 p. : IL. schemes.

From Preface: During the war, 1914-1918. Mines as a means of struggle to the sea were first applied in mass quantities. The scale of the maintenance of the mine war was so big that all preliminary calculations have surpassed. The most experience of mine war, giving examples of the use of mines in various cases of the marine situation, deserves deep study and analysis. Some reasons for the use of mines will definitely find the use in the modern war on the sea.

This work is the first attempt to systematic presentation of extensive actual material on the use of mines during the imperialist war of 1914-1918. Fleets of all fought states.

After hanging
lighthouse
from behind the mountains
through oceans cried;
and in the oceans
squaders perekovsed
mine planted on the count.
Vladimir Mayakovsky.
1915-1916

By the Century of Russian Scuba Diving Military Archives, Historians, publishers timed V.M. Merkushova "Submarine Notes, 1905-1915" (Sost. and scientific. Ed. V.V.Lobitsyn. M.: Consent, 2004. 622 p.: Il., Port.).

Hero of the Soviet Union, the submarine commander of three projects, commander of the northern fleet of nuclear submarine cruisers of the Northern Fleet Vice Admiral Lev Matushkin speaks in contacting the reader:

We are rightfully proud of our modern underwater fleet that serves service in the oceans who make hiking in the ice of the Arctic. But this was preceded by a centenary story - the first Russian combat submarine in 1903 was enrolled in the fleet as "Mission-Mission No. 150", and in June 1904, having received the name "Dolphin", became a training jet for training crews. In 1906, submarines were highlighted in a special class of military courts, and this date was decided to consider the beginning of Russian scuba diving.

The book that you keep in your hands is written by one of the first Russian submariner officers - Vasily Aleksandrovich Merkyshov, who began service at a submarine in April 1905. Its author resurrects the time when everything was first in Russian underwater swimming. At the same time, the traditions of the Russian subposition were developing and a new type of FLOT officers was developed. The main thing for them was the interests of the service that required fearlessness and exceptional endurance ... No wonder the selection of personnel for service on submarines was special: they were completed exclusively from volunteers.

V.M. Merkorshov (in the pre-revolutionary lists, his signed Merkushev was written) In November 1912, he received the Okun submarine in November 1912, at which he began the first world war and became one of the most famous submariner commander of the Baltic Fleet. For two torpedo attacks of German ships (May 21 and June 15, 1915), the Okun boat commander was awarded according to the Order of St. George 4th degree (he became the first officer of the Baltic Fleet, which received this high combat award during World War II) , he was awarded by the George weapon and the Kavarian cross of the French Order of the Honorary Legion.

After October - a white officer, served on the Black Sea Fleet. From January 1920, he was at the headquarters of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the South of Russia. In March 1920, he was appointed a tempoge chaison commandant, in November evacuated from Kerch Don Cossacks. May 19, 1920 was produced in the captains of the 1st rank. In November 1922, the commander of the "Scythian" towing, participated in the ranks of Russian ships retired by the French government, from Constantinople to Marseille. Then settled in Paris. He died on December 4, 1949, was buried at the Saint Geneviev de Boua cemetery. On his tombstones, the inscription: "Okun submarine commander, Georgievsky Cavalier Captain 1 rank V.A. Merkushov 1884-1949."

At the same time, he was also a talented maritime writer, the chronicler of the Russian fleet. In the book "Note of the submariner, 1905-1915" in thirty-two novellah V.M. Merkushova describes the formation of a new class of ships, which in future wars on the sea was to play one of the main roles. About what this exciting reading will give a presentation of excerpts from the story "The death of Cruiser Pallada" September 28, 1914 ":

Bronnal cruiser "Pallada"

The highest look at the cruiser "Pallada". Revel, 1913 g:

Soon after the lunch break on the Admiralty basin, where the "perch" stood, a terrible message was separated about the death of the Pallada cruiser, blown out by the German submarine in Finnish bay. This news shocked everyone, and some rushed to the harbor hoping to find out the details from the accidentally survived or wounded when they were delivered to the pier, but there were no such ...

Subsequently, from conversations with officers Cruiser "Bayan" and other ships who witnessed the explosion of the cruiser "Pallada", it turned out the following.

Despite the formidable warning in the form of an unsuccessful attack "Admiral Makarov" by the German submarine, the next morning, September 28 / October 11, Pallada cruiser and "Bayan" preceded by the destroyer "Slender", came out from Raid Ere to the Watch at the mouth of Finnish bay. The first crew cruisers finished their duty, and both ships were now in the last cruiser (p. 262).

12 h. 14 m. The Bayan's Watchman Lieutenant Selyanin remarked three outbreaks as if three minutes from the explosion of three min. Following this, the clubs of brown smoke, mixed with steam, and rose water columns, hiding an unhappy ship from foreign explosion. There was a terrible explosion. Probably, mine from the German submarine fell into the bomb cellar or to a mine cellar, who were constructed - at the same time, the former eighteen boilers exploded with them, which was the reason for the instant death of the cruiser.

The watchman immediately stroked the "Bayan" cars immediately and struck the fighting alarm, and the commander who swamped on the bridge gave full reverse. After a half and a half, two minutes, the smoke raised from the water, and on the site of the Pallada cruiser with a displacement of 7835 tons, armed with two 8-inch, eight 6-inch and twenty-two 75 mm tools, floated some small fragments, and was not visible Not a single person ...

The spectacle was so amazing that the officers and the Bayan team, who jumped into the upper deck right because of the dining tables, as if they froze in their places, and the ship doctor immediately fell into a quiet insanity (the doctor was written off ashore and gradually recovered) .

The height of the water column, steam and smoke, by definition from the cruiser "Aurora", was 3,000 feet (914.4 m), the top treated him somewhat to the side, forming a giant letter "g". Smoke lasted in the air about seven minutes and was visible from different ships and coastal posts at a distance of thirty miles ...

This is how the Bayan Cruiser Cruiser is talking about this Lieutenant Lemishevsky, only at noon replaced from the watch and descended into the cabin to change clothes.

"I did not have time to do it, as I heard the sounds of the pistol shot. Putting on the goer and binoculars, jumped into the upper deck. In front of me stood a brown smoke post, mixed with steam. When the smoke raised, there was no one on the spot "Pallades".

At that moment, "Bayan" was 1-1.5 Cablet from the place of death. Flying caps, paper and different trifles were visible to the binoculars. The cruiser stopped and slowly moved back ... (p. 263-264).

After receiving a report on the death of the cruiser, the commander of the Baltic Fleet immediately sent all the free destroyers to the sea, which for two days in a row shared the mouth of the Finnish bay, but did not see the German boat.

From the official German edition of "War in the Baltic Sea", Tom first, learn the following. "U-26 submarine at 10 am 30 m. The morning saw both of our cruisers at the East and, after going to the line of their course, went to meet the Weest course. During the attack to the right of the boat, in 10-20 cable, was the same course a large Russian dancer. The rapprochement went fast. Shortly after 11 hours, the submarine, being in 20-30 cable from the head cruiser and going with a small move, turned to the right to shoot from the feed mine machine. The speed of the cruisers believed in 15 knots. At 11 h. 10 m. Dan shot on the head four-pipe cruiser from a distance of 530 m. Mina hit the middle of the cruiser. The U-26 commander saw a drop in flue pipes into the periscope, after which it should be to leave for 20 meters, since he was fired by the accompanying cruiser of the destroyer "...<…>

As you know, not a single destroyer with our ships, unfortunately, was not (for the lack of them), "Bayan", according to the testimony of Lieutenant Lemishevsky, opened fire ten minutes after the explosion "Palley". Thus, the deaf blows taken on the German submarine, taken for the shell breakdowns, were actually nothing but a hail of large and small wreckage of an unfortunate ship that have fallen around U-26, as well as a number of separate, consecutive explosions inside the tough "Pallas " Due to the short distance between opponents - about 3 cable - the effect of such a terrible explosion was to be very large on the submarine, that's why her commander gave a complete move, went to the depth of 20 meters and was not shown on the surface for twenty minutes. Although in its official description of the war on the sea, the Germans often do not stop before the distortion of truth, it seems that they say the truth ...

It was some kind of saving, because there was not only a single living person, but not a single corpse on the spot. It is explained by the fact that the entire personnel, except for the Watching Department, at the time of the explosion of mines dined in the inner premises of the ship and did not have time to jump onto the upper deck.

A few days later, the Kokscher island found the ship image of the Pallada cruiser - the Savior of the Husband, who did not only have no damage, but even scratching. The image was handed over to the waters in Petrograd, built into the memory of sailors who died in the war of 1904-1905.
On October 8/21, 1914, the body of a senior artillery officer "Pallades" Lyutenanta L.A. Gavrilova, who was tied to some tree and without boots, naved in the Ganges. When he managed to remove boots, get a tree and tie himself to him, left forever a mystery. It was the only corpse that was thrown by the sea, from the entire personnel of the ship in 25 officers and 572 people of the team ... (p. 265-266).

The effect made by the death of "Pallades" turned out to be stunning. An ironic attitude to submarine as it did not happen. How did it happen? - they said everything. How to secure ships from submarine attacks? How to be? Here are the constant topics of conversations in the cabins.

Panic was not, but the mood of the spirit is very depressed.<…>

In order of October 27 / November 9, 1914, Admiral von Essen had civilian courage to admit to their and the whole personnel of the Baltic Fleet of Errors. Here is this penal order.

"The last weeks of the war clearly indicated that in some nautical theaters, to which the Baltic, submarines, the mines of the barriers and the aeronautical apparatus are of great importance.
All these factors were not sufficiently studied before the war, so I draw the attention of all GG. officers for the desirability of serious acquaintance with issues related to scuba diving, mine barrage and aeronautics, as knowledge of the case not only can clarify many delusions and incorrect ideas, but also causes the proposal of various ways to actively and passive struggle with these elements of the marine war "(with . 267-268).

The death of the enemy is Lichoe
Heart is always courtesy:
No compassion place -
Fear one of everyone! ..

The sailors are rejoiced
And on the back of the iron
Iron Fish this -
Jokes, harmonica, laughter.

But the propeller gone -
Rush steel bird,
The bomb of the uranial drop
In the paw hangs it.

The boat went to the Pochin
And under water lighted,
Circling above the bird
The predatory shadow is watching.

Bomb rattles for the bomb;
Like whales, fountains
Alcohol they take up
Root and deep and bottom ...

Injured submarine,
And from the deployment of the wound
Rainbow pop up
Oil stain.

Sea deserted. Waves
Go slowly
Seagulls, whistling wings,
Moan on all sides ...

Someone blonde
Quietly goes on the waters,
Metrogen on green
White Hiton.
Arseny Nesmelov. Episode

Several books of the Deputy Head of the Institute of Military History of the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Russian Federation, Vice President of the Russian Association of Historians of the First World War, Candidate of Historical Sciences are devoted to combat operations of the Russian Baltic Fleet D.Yu.Kozlova. The first one is MEMELSKAYA OPERATION "of the fleet of the Baltic Sea. June 1915 " (M.: Tseykhgauz, 2007. 48 p.: Il. (Battle of the Great War ) ) I will introduce the reader with an operation, the meaning of which still does not defeat the disputes of historians. In conditions of lesions and the retreat of Russian armies in 1915, the success of this operation was primarily political importance.

The higher authorities did not get tired of reminding the Baltic team that his main task is to prevent the breakthrough of superior German sea forces into the eastern part of the Finnish bay to land the landing at the gates of the capital of the Empire, and demanded to protect the fleet from the slightest risk and maintain it for a decisive battle on the central mino-artillery Position. However, such close attention rates were initiated by the commander of the fleet by Admiral N.O. Background Essen, who in the first days of the war on his own initiative, almost provoked the war with neutral Sweden. At the same time, the Supreme Commander, who has time to stop Escapada Nikolai Ottovich, literally at the last moment, invalid the action of the admiral with an act and undeserved insult to the Swedes, loyal to Russia.

In October 1914, the commander was deprived of the right to use at his discretion the basic strength of the fleet entrusted to him (linear ships), and all active actions in the middle and southern parts of the sea were exclusively cruiser, the Missoros and partly submarines (p. 3).

Do not agree with a commodity point of view, according to which the events of June 19 (July 2), 1915 are no more than "one of the combat episodes" and "can not even be considered as a noticeable stage in the general course of the events of the war in the Baltic Sea" (M .A.Petrov).

In this sense, it is very significant that the authors of the official retrospective essay "twice the Red Banner Baltic Fleet" (1978) did not consider it necessary to mention the only marine battle in the open part of the Baltic in the Great War. It seems to us that the success of Russians in the battle at the Gotland Island is a very significant event in the Baltic standards - had serious consequences. For defeats from the British in the battles at Gelgoland (August 1914) and the Dogger Bank (January 1915) followed the next failure of the German "Minor Sea War" - this time the annoying confulance from the "inert", "locked", "badly trained "," Cowardly ", etc. Russian fleet on the Baltic (p. 46-47).

After the fight on June 19 (July 2), 1915, Admiral-Headquarters immediately sent a small cruiser Bremen to strengthen the sea forces of the Baltic Sea and the new destroyer "V-99", comparable for strength and speed with Russian "Novikom". However, both German ships, as it turned out, came here to meet with their ambulance: The Bremen cruiser died in the Russian mines from Window 4 (17) December 1915, having with them 250 crew members, and "V-99" jumped stranded Lisubort after an inglorious defeat from Novika in combat 4 (17) of August, having lost 43 people killed and injured (p. 47).

Riga case is a good illustration
to a stagnicker reigning in our fleet.
We made a jump in the emptiness, and the Russians
big marine victory won.

Gross Admiral Alfred Friedrich von Tirpitz

These words of the main creator and commander of the German Navy D.Y.Kozlov Put as an epigraph to another book - "The battle for the Riga Bay. Summer 1915 " (M.: Tseykhgauz, 2007. 64 p.: Il. (Battle of the Great War ) ).

After the bloody victories in the Carpathian passes in the early 1915, the latest strategic reserves of ammunition and the last reserves were thrown into battle, the Russian imperial army has endured one defeat after another, leaving not only Galicia, conquered as expensive price, But the Earth of the Empire: Poland, Kurland and others. Against the background of heavy failures, victory over the German fleet in the battle for the Riga Bay is particularly vividly. The victory in this battery did not demonstrate the brilliant genius of Russian fleets, but legally got the same side that he made the smallest number of errors. After the failure of the Irbensk operation in the Riga Gulf, the active actions of the German fleet in the Baltic Sea ceased more than two years. Only in October 1917, when the demoralized Russian army passed the Germans to the Germans, the Open Sea fleet squadron will appear in the Moison Islands.<…>

The August events were deprived of the command of the Baltic Fleet of Illusions of the relative readiness of the British fleet at the right time to assist the Russian allies of active actions in the North Sea. Since the Germans, without fear of superior English fleet, could focus in the Baltic Sea at a promptly significant period of time half of their sea forces (including the squadron of the most modern Linkornov-dreadnights), the Russian command had to be reckoned with the possibility of actions of the enemy not only against Riga, but also against Finnish bays (p. 60).

Ending

Book Vyacheslav Meskkova can be purchased in the RGB assortment office (the open door is immediately left from the main entrance, to the turnstiles) or

Commander

Forces side

World War I (July 28, 1914 - November 11, 1918) - one of the largest armed conflicts in the history of mankind. The first global armed conflict of the XX century. As a result of the war, four empires ceased their existence: Russian, Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman and German. The participating countries lost more than 10 million people killed soldiers, about 12 million killed civilians, about 55 million were injured.

Military actions to the sea in the First World War

Participants

The main participants of the First World War:

Central powers: German Empire, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, Bulgaria.

Entente: Russian Empire, France, United Kingdom.

Full list of participants See: First World War (Wikipedia)

Background conflict

The naval arms race between the British Empire and the German Empire was one of the most important causes of World War II. Germany wanted to increase her military fleet to magnitude, which would allow German Overseas Trade to independently depend on the goodwill of Britain. However, the increase in the German fleet to magnitude comparable to the British fleet inevitably raised the very existence of the British Empire.

Campaign 1914.

Breakthrough of the German Mediterranean Division to Turkey

On July 28, 1914, Austria-Hungary declared War of Serbia. Mediterranean Squades of Kaiserovskaya Navy under the command of the counter-admiral Wilhelm Sushon (Linear Cruiser Goeben. and light cruiser Breslau.), not wanting to be captured in the Adriatic, reached Turkey. The German ships escaped the clashes with the superior enemy forces and, passing through Dardanelles, came to Constantinople. The arrival of the German squadron to Constantinople became one of the factors that pushed the Ottoman Empire to join the first world war on the side of the Thieves Union.

Actions in the North Sea and in the Strait of La Mans

Far Blocade of the Fleet Germany

The British fleet intended to solve its strategic tasks by means of a long blockade of German ports. The German fleet, gave way to the British forces, chose a defensive strategy and began the production of mineral offices. In August 1914, the British fleet carried out the transfer of troops to the continent. During the shelter, the transfer occurred in the Gelgoland Bay.

Both sides actively used submarines. The German submarines acted more successfully, so on September 22, 1914, U-9 sank 3 English cruisers at once. In response, the British fleet began to enhance anti-submarine defense, the Northern Patrol was created.

Actions in the Barents and the White Sea

Actions in the Barents Sea

In the summer of 1916, the Germans, knowing that an increasing number of military cargo enters Russia with the Northern Sea Path, sent their submarines in the waters of Barents and White Seas. They sink 31 allies ship. For confrontation, they created the Russian fleet of the Arctic Ocean.

Actions in the Baltic Sea

Plans of both parties for 1916 did not provide for any major operations. Germany held minor forces in Baltik, and the Baltic Fleet constantly increased its defensive positions by the device of new minefields and coastal batteries. Actions have brought to raid operations of light strength. In one of these operations, on November 10, 1916, the German 10th fleet of the "Esmintsev" lost 7 ships at the minefield at once.

Despite the defensive nature of the action of both parties, losses in the ship's composition in 1916 were essential, especially in the German fleet. The Germans lost 1 auxiliary cruiser, 8 Squaded Mission, 1 submarine, 8 trawls and small ships, 3 military transports. Russian fleet lost 2 squadrocks, 2 submarines, 5 travelers and small ships, 1 Military transport.

Campaign 1917.

Dynamics of loss and reproduction of the tonnage of the Allied countries

Actions in Western European waters and in the Atlantic

April 1 - it was decided to introduce the convoy system on all messages. With the introduction of the convoy system and an increase in the forces and means of anti-submarine defense losses in the trading tonnage began to decline. Other measures were introduced to enhance the fight against boats - the mass installation of guns to commercial vessels was launched. During 1917, the guns were installed on 3,000 English courts, and by the beginning of 1918 weapons had up to 90% of all large-tonnant British shopping ships. In the second half of the campaign, the British began to mass production of anti-submarine minebones - in just 1917 they put 33,660 min in the North Sea and Atlantic. For 11 months of unlimited underwater war, she lost only in the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean of 1037 vessels with a total tonnage of 2 million 600 thousand tons. In addition, allies and neutral countries lost 1085 vessels with a capacity of 1 million 647 thousand tons. During 1917, Germany built 103 new boats, and losses were 72 boats, of which 61 were killed in the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

Cruiser campaign Wolf.

Raid German cruisers

On October 16 - 18 and 11-12, the German lightweight cruisers and the squadrock destroyers committed attacks on the "Scandinavian" convoys and achieved major success - they were allowed to go to the bottom of 3 English convoyed destroyers, 3 trawlera, 15 steamats and damaged 1 destroyer. Germany in 1917 completed to act on the communications of the Entente with surface raiders. The last raid made a raider Wolf. - He swelling 37 vessels with a total tonnage of about 214,000 tons. The fight against the navigation of the Entente has passed solely on submarines.

Actions in the Mediterranean and Adriatic

Outrantky Barrage

The fighting at the Mediterranean coated down mainly to unlimited actions of the German boats on the enemy's marine messages and the anti-submarine defense of the allies. For 11 months of unlimited underwater war on the Mediterranean Sea, the German and Austrian boats were sinking 651 vessels of allies and neutral countries with a total tonnage of 1 million 647 thousand tons. In addition, in the mines supplied by boat-barriers, over hundreds of courts were died and died with a total displacement of 61 thousand tons. Large losses from boats in 1917 suffered the naval forces of the Allies on the Mediterranean Sea: 2 linear ships (English - Cornwallis, French - Danton.), 1 cruiser (French - Châteaurenault), 1 Barrier, 1 monitor, 2 destroyers, 1 submarine. The Germans lost 3 boats, Austrians - 1.

Actions in Baltic

Defense of the Moonzund Archipelago in 1917

The February and October revolutions in Petrograd completely undermined the combat capability of the Baltic Fleet. On April 30, the Matosan Central Committee of the Baltic Fleet (Centrobalt) was established, which controlled the activities of officers.

From September 29 to October 20, 1917, using a quantitative and qualitative advantage, the German Navy and land forces conducted an Operation "Albion" to master the Moonzund Islands in the Baltic Sea. In the operation, the German fleet lost 10 destroyers and 6 trails, defending - 1 armor, 1 destroyer, 1 submarine, up to 20,000 soldiers and sailors were captured. The Moonzund Archipelago and the Riga Bay were left by Russian forces, the Germans managed to create a direct threat to a military attack for Petrograd.

Actions in the Black Sea

Since the beginning of the year, the Black Sea Fleet continued to carry out the blockade of the Bosphorus, as a result of which the Turkish fleet ended the coal and his ships stood in the databases. The February events in Petrograd, the renunciation of the emperor (March 2) sharply undermined the morale and discipline. Fleet's actions in the summer - autumn 1917 were limited to the raids of the destroyers, which were still disturbed by the Turkish coast.

During the entire campaign of 1917, the Black Sea Fleet led to the preparation for a large landing operation on the Bosphorus. It was assumed to plant 3-4 rifle cases and other parts. However, the timing of the landing operation was repeatedly postponed, in October the rate decided to transfer the Bosphorus operation to the next campaign.

Campaign 1918.

Events in Baltic, on the Black Sea and in the north

On March 3, 1918, a peaceful treaty was signed in Brest Litovsk by representatives of Soviet Russia and the central powers. Russia came out of World War II.

All subsequent fighting, which occurred on these theaters of hostilities, is historically belong to

The Black Sea Fleet was not affected by the Russian-Japanese war. He had 8 supar armadiors, 2 cruisers and 4 mine cruisers.

Recreation of naval forces remained one of the priority problems for Russia. To her decision were attracted by prominent domestic shipbuilders A.N. Krylov, N.N. Kuteikov, I.G. Bubnov and others. For the needs of the fleet declared voluntary fundraising funds. Established "Committee on Fleet Strengthening Voluntary Donations." For five years, the Committee collected a solid amount - 17 million rubles. It was decided for these funds to build 20 Squaded Mission-General Type "General Kondratenko" and "Ukraine". They laid the beginning of a new fleet. In 1913, a significant event occurred in the development of the class of domestic destroyers. On September 4, in St. Petersburg, Putilovsky became a fleet of the head squadron Mission "Novik", which brought the deserved glory to military shipbuilding of Russia. For several years, Novik was the fastest ship in the world (37.5 nk.).

The Novika project was created in accordance with the specifications developed by the Maritime Technical Committee under the direction of A.N. Krylova, I.G. Bubnova, and G.F. Schlesinger.

The construction of serial ships with some elements of improving was followed by the head. They were built by three plants in St. Petersburg, as well as plants in Rive, Riga and Nikolaev. By the beginning of the First World War, 75 destroyers of different types were numbered on all Fleets of Russia and completed 11. In addition, fleets had 45 Municipal Mortgies of the earlier building. In total for 1913-1917. The Baltic Fleet entered 17, and the Black Sea Fleet - 14 Municipal Mission of the Novik type.

Experience of war with Japan showed an important role of cruisers in the squadrons. The need to have the need for a full increase in their speed and maneuverability, as well as strengthening artillery weapons. In overseas fleets appeared subclass of linear cruisers. In Russia, they were proceeded to their construction only in 1913-1915, when the cruiser "Izmail", "Kinburn", "Borodino" and "Navarin" were laid, but the override world war did not allow them to complete them.

And immediately after the end of the Russian-Japanese war on domestic and foreign shipyards for the Russian fleet, a cruiser was built, the prototype of which was "bayan", which has proven himself in the role of a squadron cruiser and who showed a high vitality of combat and technical means. So, the cruiser "Admiral Makarov" was built in France, the new "Bayan" and "Pallada" - in St. Petersburg, the cruiser "Rurik", built in England, was distinguished from the Bayan cruiser in the main caliber (instead of two 203-mm guns were installed Four 254-mm guns).

In 1913, 6 light cruisers like "Svetlana" with displacement of 6800-7800 tons armed with fifteen 130-mm guns were laid. Of these were completed (in the Soviet period) only three cruisers ("Svetlana", "Admiral Nakhimov" and "Admiral Lazarev").

By the beginning of the war, the Russian fleet had 14 cruisers of various types.

From the defeat of the Russian fleet in the Tsushim battle, and, above all, out of the circumstances and the causes of the death of the squadron armor, the first concluded the conclusion of England. Already at the end of 1905, English shipbuilders began building the original armadid ship "Dreadnought" with a displacement of about 13,000 tons, with steam turbines, assigned to the class of linear ships. Artillery of the main caliber on the "Dreadnote" was ten 305-mm guns located in the two-handed towers. In the onboard vollee of Linkar, both four towers managed from one central post could participate. The board of the ship was fully book.

Russian shipbuilders built linkers - dreadnights on the project I.G. Bubnova and with the participation of A.N. Krylov, which in many respects surpassed the English prototype. In 1909, the Linear Ships "Sevastopol", "Gangut", Poltava and Petropavlovsk were laid at Petersburg shipyards.

The linear arrangement of twelve 305-mm guns placed in three-Russian towers allowed fire from any side simultaneously with all the trunks. If the weight of a volley of one of the first English dreadnights "Vengard" was 3003 kg, then he reached 5650 kg on "Sevastopol". For one minute, the domestic battleship produced up to 11.5 tons of metal and explosives. The main armor belt had a thickness of 225 mm. For the Black Sea in Nikolaev in 1915-1917. Linkory-dreadnights "Empress Mary", "Emperor Alexander III" and "Ekaterina II" were also built. The fourth battleship "Emperor Nicholas 1", laid in 1915, was not completed.

The Marine Ministry of Russia in connection with the construction of the battleships noted that the result of the tests of these ships showed the full readiness of our factories, for the first time, the courts of such significant displacement, as well as highly powerful mechanisms of turbine type.

Linear ships of the dondreated type "Andrei Varozvannaya", "Emperor Paul 1", laid down during the Russian-Japanese War, became part of the Baltic fleet in 1912. In the course of their construction, a number of significant changes were made to the initial project, which takes into account the experience of the Russian Japanese war.

The use of mine weapons in the Russian-Japanese war and its further development required from the fleet of adopting effective measures to ensure anti-mining defense. First of all, the fleet needed ships equipped with trawl devices. Such ships were envisaged to a small shipbuilding program. The world's first travelers of a special building "Migrep" and "Explosion" were laid at the Izhora factory in 1909. In accordance with the tactical and technical requirements of the travelers had a displacement of 150 tons. The main weapons of the ship were tralas Schulz (snake and boat). There was also one 57 mm gun. The ships came into order in 1911 before the First World War and during the war years were built travelers a little greater displacement of the type "Klyus" (190 tons) and "Capsul" (248 tons).

In 1909-1910. Two ships have come into operation, specially intended for the production of mines. These are Mine Cups "Amur" and "Yenisei" with a displacement of 2926 tons. They could take on board 324 mines. Artillery included five 120-mm guns and two 75 mm anti-aircraft guns.

Caspian and river fleets were built canoner boats with displacement of 600-400 tons with an artillery of 120-152-mm caliber.

Picky pace and underwater shipbuilding. The first battle boat "Dolphin", designed under the leadership of I.G. Bubnova, entered into account in 1904. I.G. Bubnov was also designed and a submarine "Shark", which was built at the Baltic Plant (1910). The submarine was in service with eight torpedo devices.

After the "shark" in the Russian fleet included submarines of the squid type (on the American project), "Midhog" (displacement 123/150 tons) and "Morzha" (displacement 630/790 ton).

However, the main core of the underwater fleet of Russia amounted to submarines of the type "Bars" - also the designs of I.G. Bubnova. Their construction began in 1913-1914. In St. Petersburg and Roer. Superwater displacement "Barca" was 650 tons, underwater - 782 tons. Two diesel engines with a total capacity of 3000 hp Allowed to develop an underwater ship in the surface position 18 tons., its swimming range was within 2250 miles. In the underwater position, the total speed reached 9.6 bonds. It ensured the operation of two electric motors with a capacity of 900 hp This velocity, the submarine could pass 25 miles under water. The working depth of the immersion was limited to 50 m, the limit -100 m. The arms consisted of four torpedo devices (two in the nose and stern) and two cannons of 57-mm and 37-mm calibers.

A special place in the world's underwater shipbuilding is occupied by the first underwater mine bar of "Crab" design M.P. Notekova. The development of its creation, started by the designer in Port Arthur, were interrupted by the Russian-Japanese war. However, after the war, the work was continued on the Nikolaev shipbuilding shipyards, and in August 1912 the ship was laid on the water, and in June 1915 he was accepted into the Black Sea Fleet. On board the "crab" was taken up to 60 minutes. As part of the armament - two nasal torpedo apparatus and 76 mm gun.

In July 1915, Crab made his first combat campaign. Near Bosphor, they were exposed to a mine harness on which the enemy cruiser "Breslau" was undermined.

Under the type of "crab" for the Baltic fleet, underwater barriers "ERS" and "Trout" were built, and there were also three stabbers of smaller displacement. By the beginning of World War II, there were 15 combat submarines in the Russian fleet.

The main marine theaters of hostilities for Russia during the First World War were the Baltic and Black Sea. Since the beginning of war, the Baltic Fleet has been equipped with central mino-artillery position Ngengen - Pokcalla-UDD in order to prevent the enemy's breakthrough to the Finnish Bay. The entrance to the Riga Bay was covered with another mining-artillery position. With the help of mine productions in the southern part of the Baltic Sea, the enemy's sea communications was disturbed, damage to the German fleet was caused. It was especially important to limit the functioning of the sea route, according to which strategic raw materials were brought from Sweden to Germany.

The mine threat created by the Russians in the Baltic turned out to be so effective that the Germans, having lost a large number of warships and transportation vessels, at the end of 1914 they were abandoned from the conduct of marine fighting. During the First World War, about 40 thousand mines were exhibited by the Baltic Fleet. The important task of the fleet was also to assist the groupings of the ground forces in the seaside flanks, which he successfully solved.

In 1915, the Black Sea Fleet inferior in combat power to the Turkish fleet, an enhanced German linear cruiser "Gheben" and the cruiser "Breslau". However, in the future, replenished with new linkers, he managed to block the German-Turkish fleet in the Bosphorus and dramatically reduce the sea transport of the enemy. Acting on seaside flanks. The Black Sea Fleet provided a substantial assistance to the army with artillery fire, supported her landing landing, ensured the transport of troops and equipment. During the war years, more than 13 thousand mines were exhibited by its ships.

During the First World War, the Russian fleet did not participate in large sea battles like the Yutland. At the same time, there were numerous combat clashes with an opponent of individual compounds and ships of the Baltic and Black Sea Fleets (fighting at Cara Sarych and O-Va Gotland, Moison operation, etc.).

Established in September 1916, the Northern Ocean flotheus provided sea transportation with the allies, led the fight against enemy's submarines and mine danger. After the October events of 1917, Russia came out of the war.

On March 3, 1918, a peace treaty was concluded between Soviet Russia on one side and Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey and Bulgaria - on the other. According to the contract, all Russian ships were to be transferred to domestic ports or disarmament in place. Ships and trial of the Baltic Fleet, who were in Finland, had to stay there before the start of navigation. So there was a threat to the loss of marine forces on this sea theater, the main core of which was concentrated in Helsingfors.

The leadership of Soviet Russia was decided, despite the heavy ice environment in the Gulf of Finland, to translate all ships to Kronstadt.

During March-April 1918, the legendary ice campaign of the ships of the Baltic Fleet was held. 226 ships and ships were saved for Russia, including 6 battleships, 5 cruisers, 59 destroyers and the destroyers, 12 submarines. In addition, two brigades of the air fleet, various military equipment were exported by ships and vessels.

In May 1918, the German command, threatening to disrupt the Brest world, demanded from Russia to passing her ships of the Black Sea Fleet. To prevent this, by order V.I. Lenin in June 1918 in the districts of Novorossiysk and Tuapse were flooded, which had passed here from Sevastopol, a linear ship "Free Russia" (former "Ekaterina II"), 11 destroyers and the destroyers, 6 transports.

With the beginning of the Civil War and Foreign Intervention, the revolutionary part of the sailors, younger commanders, officers and admirals fleet moved to the side of the new government, the other part, above all the admirals and officers, moved to the side of the White Army. Former commander of the Black Sea Fleet Admiral A.V. Kolchak In November 1918, he was self-proclaimed himself by the Supreme Ruler of Russia, heading the counter-revolutionary struggle in Siberia. Most ports and bases of the domestic fleet turned out to be in the hands of the interventory from the countries of the Entente and Japan. Russia's naval forces have almost ceased to exist. To promote the land forces of the command of the opposing parties in the Civil War of the Parties, they created river and lake floties, which were active fighting. The flotilla, as a rule, included converted from steamboats, armed with two-four-four-75-130 mm gunners, and armed tugs, floating batteries, messengers and boats. In some cases, flotilla was replenished with ships translated from fleets on the inner waterways. Flotillas applied strikes on the flanks and the reasons of the enemy, ships and ships, defended or destroyed the crossings, landed the landings, provided transportation.

After the defeat of the White Army, Lieutenant General P.M. Wrangel in the Crimea in 1920. The bulk of ships and ships of the Black Sea fleet (33 pennant) under the command of Vice-Admiral M.A. Kedrov went to the French naval base Bizeta (Tunisia).

Andreev flags on these ships were lowered on October 24, 1924 after recognition of the USSR by the Government of France. Russian sailors switched to the position of refugees.