Императорский флот России

Императорский флот России
Российский императорский флот
Эмблема Императорского флота России
Основан	1696
Распущен	1917 г.
Страна	Царство России Российская Империя
Тип	военно-морской
Покровитель	Святой Николай Чудотворец
Помолвки	Русско-турецкая война 1686–1700 гг. Великая Северная война Русско-персидская война 1722–1723 годов Русско-шведская война 1741–1743 годов Семилетняя война Русско-турецкая война 1768–74 годов Русско-шведская война 1788–1790 годов Русско-турецкая война 1787–92 годов Наполеоновские войны Руссо -Турецкая война 1828–1829 гг. Крымская война Русско-японская война Первая мировая война Гражданская война в России
Командиры
Министр военно-морского флота	Посмотреть список
Известные командиры	Петр Великий Федор Апраксин Григорий Спиридов Самуэль Грейг Василий Чичагов Федор Ушаков Дмитрий Сенявин Иван Крузенштерн Михаил Лазарев Павел Нахимов Владимир Корнилов Владимир Истомин Василий Завойко Геннадий Невельской Степан Макаров Иван Григорович Николай Эссен Александр Колчак
Знаки отличия
прапорщик
разъем
Вымпел

Императорский русский военно - морской флот ( Россия : Российский императорский флот ) работают в качестве военно - морского флота в Российской империи с 1696 до 1917. ^[1] Формально создано в 1696 году, это продолжалось до тех пор , пока растворено в волне Февральской революции 1917 г. Он развился из меньшие силы, которые существовали до того, как царь Петр Великий основал современный российский флот во время Второй Азовской кампании в 1696 году. Он расширился во второй половине 18 века и достиг своего пика к началу 19 века. , уступая только британскому и французскому флотам по размеру.

Императорский флот набирал своих офицеров из аристократии Империи, принадлежавшей к государственной Русской Православной Церкви . Молодых аристократов начали готовить к руководству в национальном военно-морском училище. С 1818 года только офицеры Императорского Российского флота назначались на должность Главного управляющего Русско-Американской компании , базирующейся в Русской Америке (современная Аляска ) для колонизации и развития пушного промысла. Хотя в начале Имперский флот первоначально нанимал наемных иностранных моряков, правительство начало набирать местных моряков в качестве призывников (как и мужчин для службы в армии). Служба на флоте была пожизненной. ^{[ необходима цитата ]}Многие флотские командиры и новобранцы прибыли из нерусских земель Императорской России с морскими традициями - из Финляндии и (особенно) из Прибалтики .

Российский флот перешел в период упадка из-за медленного технического и экономического развития Империи в первой половине XIX века. Это было возрождение в последней части века во время правления императора Николая II ( р . 1894-1917 ), но большую часть своего Тихоокеанского флота (наряду с Балтийским флотом направлен на Дальний Восток) был разрушен в унизительной Russo -Японская война 1904-1905 гг.

Военно-морской флот имел смешанный опыт во время Первой мировой войны : немцы в основном брали верх в Балтийском море , а русские взяли под свой контроль Черное море . Русская революция положила конец императорского флота; его офицеры в основном были на стороне императора , и моряки разделились, чтобы сражаться на обеих сторонах во время Гражданской войны в России 1917-1922 годов. ВМФ СССР , создано в качестве Красного флота в 1918 году после революции, приняли доступные уцелевшие корабли.

В стратегическом плане Императорский флот России столкнулся с двумя комплексными проблемами: использование незамерзающих портов и открытый доступ в открытое море. Санкт-Петербург и другие балтийские порты, а также Владивосток не могли работать зимой, поэтому Россия подталкивала к созданию военно-морских объектов на побережье Черного моря и (в конечном итоге) в Мурманске . И даже значительные военно-морские силы в Балтийском море оставались ограниченными из-за отсутствия свободного доступа к Атлантике через Эресунн , так же как Черноморский флот не всегда мог рассчитывать на проход через Босфор и Дарданеллы.. В результате отдельные военно-морские группировки развивались относительно изолированно на Балтике, Черном море, на Дальнем Востоке России и в Арктике.

Фон [ править ]

При царе Михаиле I ( Михаиле Федоровиче Романове) первый трехмачтовый корабль, построенный в России, был завершен в 1636 году. Датские кораблестроители из Гольштейна построили его в Балахне по современному европейскому образцу. Корабль назвали Фредериком ; во время своего первого плавания по Каспийскому морю корабль попал в сильный шторм и потерялся в море.

Во время русско-шведской войны 1656–1658 годов русские войска захватили шведские крепости Дюнабург и Кокенхузен на Западной Двине . Первый переименовали в Борисоглебск, а второй в Цесаревич-Дмитриев . Боярин по имени Афанасий Ордин-Нащокин основал верфь в Царевич-Дмитриев крепости и начал строить суда для плавания в Балтийском море. Однако в 1661 году Россия потеряла эту и другие захваченные территории по Кардисскому миру. Россия согласилась передать Швеции все захваченные территории и приказала уничтожить все суда, построенные у Цесаревича-Дмитриева.

Боярин Ордин-Нащокин обратил внимание на Волгу и Каспийское море. С согласия царя боярин привез голландских кораблестроителей в город Дединово, недалеко от слияния рек Оки и Волги. Судостроение началось зимой 1667 года. За два года было построено четыре судна: одна 22-пушечная галера, получившая название Орёл («Орёл»), и три меньших корабля. Орёл был первым в России собственным трехмачтовым парусным судном европейской конструкции. Его захватили в Астрахани мятежные казаки во главе со Степаном Разиным . Казаки разграбили Орёл и бросил его, наполовину затопленный, в устье Волги.

На протяжении большей части XVII века независимые русские купцы и казаки на лодках- кочах пересекали Белое море , исследуя реки Лена , Колыма и Индигирка , и основывали поселения в районе верхнего Амура . Самым знаменитым русским исследователем был Семен Дежнев, который в 1648 году проплыл по всему северному пространству современной России через Северный Ледовитый океан . Обогнув Чукотский полуостров , Дежнев прошел через Берингово море и вышел в Тихий океан.

Правление Петра Великого [ править ]

Петр Великий создал современный российский флот. Во время Второй Азовской кампании 1696 года против Турции русские впервые использовали 2 боевых корабля, 4 боевых корабля , 23 галеры и 1300 штурмов , построенных на реке Воронеж . После занятия Азовской крепости Боярская дума ознакомилась с отчетом Петра об этом военном походе. 20 октября 1696 г. был издан указ о начале строительства военно-морского флота. Эта дата считается официальной датой основания Императорского флота России.

Во время Северной войны 1700–1721 гг. Русские построили Балтийский флот . Строительство весельного флота (галерного флота) происходило в 1702–1704 годах на нескольких верфях ( устья рек Сясь , Луга и Олонка ). Чтобы защитить завоеванную береговую линию и атаковать морские коммуникации противника в Балтийском море , русские создали парусный флот из кораблей, построенных в России, и других, ввезенных из-за границы.

С 1703 по 1723 год главная военно-морская база Балтийского флота располагалась в Санкт-Петербурге, а затем в Кронштадте . Базы были также созданы в Ревеле ( Таллинне ) и в Выборге после того, как его уступила Швеция после русско-шведской войны (1741-1743) . Владимирский приказ был первой организацией, занимавшейся судостроением. Позже эти функции были переданы Адмиралтейскому приказу (адмиралтейство в Санкт-Петербурге).

В 1745 году в составе русского флота было 130 парусных судов, в том числе 36 линейных кораблей, 9 фрегатов , 3 шнява ( шнява - легкий двухмачтовый корабль, служивший для разведки и посыльного), 5 кораблей-бомбардиров и 77 вспомогательных судов. Весельный флот состоял из 396 судов, в том числе 253 галеры и полугалеры (называемые скампавеи , или scampavei ; легкая высокоскоростная галера) и 143 бригантины . Корабли строились на 24 верфях, в том числе в Воронеже , Казани , Переяславле , Архангельске , Олонецке , Петербурге и Петербурге.Астрахань .

The naval officers came from dvoryane (noblemen, aristocrats who belonged to the state Russian Orthodox Church). The regular sailors were conscripts, drafted into military service. The service in the navy was lifelong. Children of noblemen were educated for naval service at the School for Mathematical and Navigational Sciences, which had been founded in 1701 in Moscow's Sukharev Tower. Students were often sent abroad for training in foreign fleets. The Navy also hired foreign nationals, with significant naval experience, to serve in the Russian Navy, such as the Norwegian-Dutch Cornelius Cruys, the Greek Ivan Botsis, or the Scotsman Thomas Gordon. In 1718, the Admiralty Board (Адмиралтейств-коллегия) was established as the highest naval authority in Russia.

The organizational principles of the Russian Navy, educational and training methods for preparing future staff, and methods for conducting military action were all summarized in the Naval Charter (1720), written by Peter I himself.^[2] Peter the Great, Feodor Apraksin, Alexey Senyavin, Naum Senyavin, Admiral Mikhail Golitsyn and others are generally credited for the development of the Russian art of naval warfare. The main principles of naval warfare were further developed by Grigory Spiridov, Feodor Ushakov, and Dmitry Senyavin.

Between 1688 and 1725, a period spanning most of Peter's reign, some 1,260 seagoing vessels were built in Russian shipyards for the Imperial Russian Navy. Fleets were launched successively on the White Sea, the Sea of Azov (with access to the Black Sea), the Baltic Sea, and the Caspian Sea (Russo-Persian War of 1722-1723).^[3] In 1700, the majority of sailors in the Imperial Russian Navy were foreigners at the start of the Great Northern War. But by 1721, at the end of the same war, the navy had 7,215 native-born sailors.^[3]

18th century[edit]

In the second half of the 18th century, the Russian Navy was built up to support the government's foreign policy. The nation conducted the Russo-Turkish wars for supremacy in the Black Sea. For the first time, Russia sent its squadrons from the Baltic Sea to distant theaters of operations (see Archipelago expeditions of the Russian Navy). Admiral Spiridov's squadron gained supremacy in the Aegean Sea by destroying the Turkish fleet in the Battle of Chesma in 1770. In 1771, the Russian army conquered the coasts of the Kerch Strait and fortresses of Kerch and Yenikale.

After having advanced to the Danube, the Russians formed the Danube Military Flotilla for the purpose of guarding the Danube estuary. In 1771 they were guests to the Republic of Ragusa.^[4] The Beluga caviar from the Danube was famous, and merchants from the Republic of Ragusa dominated the import-export business in Serbia with the Habsburg Monarchy.^[5]

In 1773 the vessels of the Azov Flotilla (created anew in 1771) sailed into the Black Sea. Russia defeated Turkey in the Russo-Turkish War of 1768–1774, gaining control of the Sea of Azov and a part of the Black Sea coastline between the rivers Bug and Dniester. The Crimea was pronounced independent under Russia's protectorate and was annexed by Russia in 1783. In 1778, the Russians founded the port of Kherson. The first battleship of the Black Sea Fleet was commissioned here in 1783. A year later, a squadron had been developed.

19th century[edit]

By the second half of the 18th century, the Russian Navy had the fourth-largest fleet in the world after Great Britain, Spain and France. The Black Sea Fleet possessed five line-of-battle ships and 19 frigates (1787), and the Baltic Fleet had 23 ships of the line and 130 frigates (1788). In the early 19th century, the Russian Navy consisted of the Baltic and Black Sea Fleets, Caspian Flotilla, White Sea Flotilla and Okhotsk Flotilla.

During the Napoleonic Wars, the Russian Navy had limited sea-going capability, with the 1802 Committee to Improve the Condition of the Navy concluding that the dire state of the ships of the Baltic Fleet, suffering as they did from extensive rot and a lack of copper plating, was incapable of defending Kronstadt and St Petersburg. The Committee's chairman, Vorontsov, concluded that "It is impossible for Russia to be considered a major naval power, but there is no predictable need or advantage in this status."^[6] Consequently, the Committee recommended nothing more than limited measures to rectify the state of the fleets, and the Russians retained limited capability at sea thereafter, relying on their land power to defeat Napoleon. In 1802, the Ministry of Naval Military Forces was established (renamed to Naval Ministry in 1815).^[7]

This attitude changed with the accession of Nicholas I in 1825, who less than a month into his reign declared that "Russia must become the third naval power after England and France and must be more powerful than any coalition of secondary naval powers."^[8] As a consequence, the 1825 Committee to Organise the Fleet was formed, which outlined an ambitious shipbuilding project which aimed to create the third largest navy in Europe.

The growth of the Navy in the years after this greatly bolstered Russian naval capability, expanding both the Baltic and Black Sea Fleets. A Russian squadron under the Dutch Admiral Lodewijk van Heiden fought at the Battle of Navarino in 1827. The Navy was used to great effect during the subsequent Russo-Turkish War (1828-29), utilising the Mediterranean squadron and the Black Sea Fleet to gain command of the Sea from the Ottomans, which contributed to Russian victory and the signing of the Treaty of Adrianople in 1829.

In 1826 the Russians built their first armed steamboat Izhora (73.6 kW (98.7 hp)), equipped with eight cannons. In 1836, they constructed the first paddle steam frigate of the Russian Navy called Bogatyr (displacement — 1,340 t (1,320 long tons), power — 177 kW (237 hp), armament — 28 cannons).

The Imperial Russian Navy sent out exploratory expeditions. Between 1803 and 1855, their ships undertook more than 40 circumnavigations and long-distant voyages, most of which were in support of their North Americans colonies in Russian America (Alaska) and Fort Ross in northern California, and their Pacific ports on the eastern seaboard of Siberia. These voyages produced important scientific research materials and discoveries in Pacific, Antarctic and Arctic theatres of operations.

In 1863, during the American Civil War, the Russian Navy's Atlantic and Pacific fleets wintered in the American ports of New York and San Francisco, respectively. Some historians credit this visit as a major factor in deterring France and the UK from entering the war on the Confederate side.^[9] Delahaye states that besides supporting the Union, Russia was also preparing for a war with France and the UK should they intervene in the Polish insurrection of 1863. The Russian Navy was weak and could easily be blockaded in its home ports, but if it was in the US when the war started it could more easily attack British and French commerce.^[10][11]

The Imperial Russian Navy continued to expand in the later part of the century becoming the third largest fleet in the world after the UK and France. The expansion accelerated under Emperor Nicholas II who had been influenced by the American naval theoretician Alfred Thayer Mahan. Russian industry, although growing in capacity, was not able to meet the demands and some ships were ordered from the UK, France, Germany, USA, and Denmark. French naval architects in particular had a considerable influence on Russian designs.

Crimean War and aftermath[edit]

Russia's slow technical and economic development in the first half of the 19th century caused her to fall behind other European countries in the field of steamboat construction. By the outbreak of the Crimean War in 1853, Russia had the Baltic and Black Sea Fleets, Arkhangelsk Flotilla, Caspian Flotilla and Okhotsk Flotilla (altogether, 40 battleships, 15 frigates, 24 corvettes and brigs, 16 steam frigates etc.).

The combined number of staff of all the fleets equaled 91,000 people. Despite all this, the reactionary serfdom system had an adverse effect on the development of the Russian Navy. It was especially typical of the Baltic Fleet, which was known for its harsh military drill.

Thanks to admirals Mikhail Lazarev, Pavel Nakhimov, Vladimir Kornilov, and Vladimir Istomin, the sailors of the Black Sea Fleet were taught the art of warfare and upholding of military traditions of the Russian Navy, formed in the times of Admiral Ushakov.

The Battle of Sinop in 1853 the Black Sea Fleet under Nakhimov made a number of tactical innovations. During the Siege of Sevastopol in 1854–1855, the Russian sailors used all means possible to defend their base from land and sea. In accordance with the Treaty of Paris, Russia lost the right to have a military fleet in the Black Sea. In the 1860s, the Russian fleet which had relied upon sails lost its significance and was gradually replaced by steam.

After the Crimean War, Russia commenced construction of steam-powered ironclads, monitors, and floating batteries. These vessels had strong artillery and thick armor, but lacked seaworthiness, speed and long-distance abilities. In 1861, they built the first steel-armored gunship Opyt (Опыт). In 1869, the Russians began the construction of one of the first seafaring ironclads, Petr Veliky (Пётр Великий).

Russo-Japanese War[edit]

On the night of 8 February 1904, the Japanese naval fleet under Admiral Heihachiro Togo opened the war with a surprise attack by torpedo boat destroyers^[12] on the Russian ships at Port Arthur, badly damaging two Russian battleships. The attacks developed into the Battle of Port Arthur the next morning. A series of indecisive naval engagements followed, in which the Japanese were unable to attack the Russian fleet successfully under shore batteries (coastal guns)^[13] of the harbor and the Russians declined to leave the harbor for the open seas, especially after the death of Admiral Stepan Osipovich Makarov on 13 April 1904.

After the attack on Port Arthur, the Japanese attempted to deny the Russians use of the port. On the night of 13/14 February, the Japanese attempted to block the entrance to Port Arthur by sinking several cement-filled steamers in the deep water channel to the port.^[14] But the steamers, driven off course by Russian gunfire were unable to sink them in the designated places, rendering them ineffective. Another attempt to block the harbor entrance on the night of 3/4 May with blockships also failed.

Mine-laying[edit]

In March, the energetic^[15] Vice Admiral Stepan Makarov (1849–1904) took command of the First Russian Pacific Squadron with the intention of making plans to break out of the Port Arthur blockade. By then, both sides began a policy of tactical offensive mine-laying by laying mines in each other's ports. This was the first time in warfare that mines were used for offensive purposes. In the past, mines were used as purely defensive purposes by keeping harbors safe from invading warships.

The Japanese mine-laying policy was effective at restricting the Russian movement of its ships outside Port Arthur when on 12 April 1904, two Russian battleships; the flagship, Petropavlovsk, and Pobeda ran into a Japanese minefield off Port Arthur with both striking mines.^[16] Petropavlovsk sank within an hour, while Pobeda had to be towed back to Port Arthur for extensive repairs. Makarov died on Petropavlovsk.

However, the Russians soon learned the Japanese tactic of offensive minelaying and decided to play the strategy too. On 15 May, two Japanese battleships — Yashima and Hatsuse, were both lured into a recently laid Russian minefield off Port Arthur, both striking at least two mines. Hatsuse sank within minutes taking 450 sailors with her, while Yashima sank under tow a few hours later.^[17]

The Russian fleet attempted to break out from Port Arthur and proceed to Vladivostok, but they were intercepted and dispersed at the Battle of the Yellow Sea.^[18] The remnant of the Russian fleet remained in Port Arthur, where the ships were slowly sunk by the artillery of the besieging army. Attempts to relieve the city by land also failed, and after the Battle of Liaoyang in late August, the Russians retreated to Mukden (Shenyang). Port Arthur finally fell on 2 January 1905, after a series of brutal, high-casualty assaults.

Russian submarines[edit]

By 25 June, the Imperial Russian Navy had purchased (in secrecy) its first naval submarine (known as Madam) from Isaac Rice's Electric Boat Company. This submarine was (originally) built under the direction of Arthur Leopold Busch as the American torpedo boat Fulton. It was a prototype of the (Holland Type 7 Design) known as the Adder-class/ Plunger-class submarines. By 10 October, this first Russian submarine was (officially) commissioned into service (and shipped to) the eastern coast near Vladivostok Russia and was renamed Som or (Catfish). This first Russian submarine was not ready in time for the Russo-Japanese War. The reason behind this delay was partly due to a (late) shipment of torpedoes (that was) originally ordered from Germany in early 1905. Russia soon ordered more submarines (of the same basic design) and they were built under contract with the Holland Company by the Neva Shipbuilding Company located in St. Petersburg, Russia.

In 1903, the German ship building firm Germaniawerft at Kiel completed Germany's first fully functioning engine powered submarine; Forelle. The submarine was toured (inspected) by Kaiser Wilhelm II, and Prince Heinrich of Prussia was given a brief cruise in the vessel.^[19] In April 1904, the Imperial Russian Navy purchased Forelle, and ordered two more submarines of the Karp class.^[20] These vessels, as well as Forelle were transported along the Trans-Siberian Railway^[21] en route to the war zone.

Germaniawerft, under the supervision of Spanish naval architect Raymondo Lorenzo d'Euevilley-Montjustin, continued his work on the Karp-class submarines, improving and modifying one into Germany's first U-boat, U-1, which was commissioned into the Imperial German Navy on 14 December 1906.^[22] U-1 was retired in 1919, and is currently on display at the Deutsches Museum in Munich.^[23]

Due to the ongoing blockade of Port Arthur in 1904, the Imperial Russian Navy dispatched their remaining submarines to Vladivostok, and by the end of 1904 the last of seven subs had reached their new base there. Using the seven boats as a foundation, the Imperial Russian Navy created the world's first operational submarine fleet at Vladivostok on 1 January 1905. On 14 February 1905 the new submarine fleet sent out its first combat patrol consisting of the vessels Som and Delfin. With patrols varying from 24 hours to a few days, the sub fleets first enemy contact occurred on 29 April 1905 when Imperial Japanese Navy torpedo boats fired upon Som, withdrawing after failing to score a hit. On 1 July the Russian submarine Keta made contact with two Japanese torpedo boats in the Tartar Strait. Keta could not submerge quick enough to obtain a firing position and both adversaries broke contact.^[24]

Battle of Tsushima[edit]

The Russians had already been preparing to reinforce their fleet the previous year by sending elements of the Baltic Sea fleet (The Second Pacific Squadron) under Admiral Zinovy Rozhestvensky around the Cape of Good Hope to Asia, a voyage of over 18,000 mi (16,000 nmi; 29,000 km). On 21 October 1904, while passing by the United Kingdom (an ally of Japan but neutral in this war), they nearly provoked a war in the Dogger Bank incident by firing on British fishing boats that they mistook for Japanese torpedo boats.

The duration of the Baltic Fleet's journey meant that Admiral Togo was well aware of the Baltic Fleet's progress, and he made plans to meet it before it could reach port at Vladivostok. He intercepted them in the Tsushima Strait between Korea and Japan, in the early morning of 27 May 1905. Although both battleship fleets were on nearly equal footing in regards to the latest in battleship technology, with the British warship designs representing the Imperial Japanese Navy, and predominately the French designs being favored by the Russian fleets;^[25] it was the combat experience that Togo had accrued in the 1904 naval battles of Port Arthur and the Yellow Sea, that gave him the edge over the un-tested Admiral Rozhestvensky during the Battle of Tsushima on 27 May.^[26] By the end of the day on 27 May, nearly all of Rozhestvensky's battleships were sunk, including his flagship, Knyaz Suvorov; and on the following day, Admiral Nebogatov, who had relieved Rozhestvensky due to his wounds, surrendered the remainder of the fleet to Admiral Togo.

Reconstruction prior to World War I[edit]

At the end of the Russo-Japanese War in 1905, Russia fell from being the third greatest naval power to sixth place. The focus of Russian naval activities shifted back from the Far East to the Baltic. The task of the Baltic Fleet was to defend the Baltic Sea and Saint Petersburg from the German Empire.

Tsar Nicholas II created a Naval General Staff in 1906. At first, attention was directed to creation of mine-laying and a submarine fleet. An ambitious expansion program was put before the Duma in 1907-1908 but was voted down. The Bosnian Crisis of 1909 forced a strategic reconsideration, and new Gangut-class battleships, cruisers, and destroyers were ordered for the Baltic Fleet. A worsening of relations with Turkey meant that new ships including the Imperatritsa Mariya-class battleships were also ordered for the Black Sea Fleet. The total Russian naval expenditure from 1906-1913 was $519 million, in fifth place behind Britain, Germany, the United States and France.

The re-armament program included a significant element of foreign participation with several ships (including the cruiser Rurik) and machinery ordered from foreign firms. After the outbreak of World War I, ships and equipment being built in Germany were confiscated. Equipment from Britain was slow in reaching Russia or was diverted to the Western Allies' own war effort.

World War I[edit]

Baltic Sea[edit]

In the Baltic Sea, Germany and Russia were the main combatants, with a number of British submarines sailing through the Kattegat to assist the Russians, including E9 commanded by Max Horton. With the German fleet larger and more modern (many High Seas Fleet ships could easily be deployed to the Baltic via the Kiel Canal when the North Sea was quiet), the Russians played a mainly defensive role, at most attacking convoys between Germany and Sweden and laying offensive minefields. Russian and British submarines attacked German shipping sailing between Sweden and Germany.

With heavy defensive and offensive mining on both sides, fleets played a limited role on the Eastern Front. The Germans mounted major naval attacks on the Gulf of Riga, unsuccessfully in August 1915 and successfully in October 1917, when they occupied the islands in the Gulf (Operation Albion) and damaged Russian ships departing from Riga (Battle of Moon Sound), which had recently been captured by Germany.

By March 1918, the Russian Revolution and the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk made the Germans masters of the Baltic sea and German fleets transferred troops to support newly independent Finland and to occupy much of Russia, halting only when defeated in the West. The Russians evacuated the Baltic fleet from Helsinki and Reval to Kronstadt during the Ice Cruise of the Baltic Fleet in March 1918.

Black Sea[edit]

The Black Sea was the domain of both the Russian and Ottoman Empires but the Russian fleet dominated the sea. It possessed a large fleet based in Sevastopol and it was led by two skilled commanders: Admiral Eberhart and Admiral Kolchak (who took over in 1916).

The war in the Black Sea started when the Ottoman fleet bombarded several Russian cities in October 1914. The most advanced ships in the Ottoman fleet consisted of just two German ships: the battlecruiser SMS Goeben and light cruiser SMS Breslau, both under the command of Admiral Wilhelm Souchon. Goeben was damaged on at least four occasions and was usually chased back to port by the superior Russian Navy. By the end of 1915, the Russian fleet had nearly complete control of the sea.

The Black Sea fleet was used mainly to support General Yudenich in his Caucasus Campaign. For example, in August 1915, a Russian submarine and two Russian destroyers attacked a Turkish convoy of four transports escorted by a cruiser and two destroyers. The Russian ships sank all four transports without losing a ship. Later, during the summer of 1916, the Ottoman army, under, Vehip Pasha, was ordered to re-take Trebizond. The Ottoman forces tried to march along the coast in June but the Russian fleet was able to reduce the speed of their advance to a crawl using naval bombardment to harass marching troops and destroy their supply columns. Eventually the Ottoman army gave up and withdrew.

After Admiral Kolchak took command (August 1916), the Russian fleet mined the exit from the Bosporus, preventing nearly all Ottoman ships from entering the Black Sea. Later that year, the naval approaches to Varna were also mined. The greatest loss suffered by the Russian Black Sea fleet was the destruction of the modern dreadnought Imperatritsa Mariya, which blew up in port on 7 October 1916, just one year after it was commissioned. The sinking of Imperatritsa Mariya was never fully explained; it could have been sabotage or a terrible accident.^[27]

Revolution and Civil War[edit]

The Revolution and subsequent civil war devastated the Russian Navy. Only the Baltic fleet based at Petrograd remained largely intact, although it was attacked by the British Royal Navy in 1919. Foreign Interventionists occupied the Pacific, Black Sea and Arctic coasts. Most of the surviving Black Sea Fleet warships, with crews loyal to the White Russian movement, became part of Wrangel's fleet under the control of commander Pyotr Nikolayevich Wrangel and after evacuating White forces and civilians from the Crimea were eventually interned in Bizerta, Tunisia. Russian sailors fought on both sides in this bloody conflict. The sailors of the Baltic fleet rebelled against harsh treatment by the Soviet authorities in the Kronstadt rebellion of 1921.

The surviving ships formed the core of the Soviet Navy on its 1918 establishment, though the remnants of Wrangel's fleet never returned to Russia.

Ranks of the Imperial Navy (English translation)[edit]

Beginning in the second half of the 19th century, ranks of the IRN were divided according to speciality and branch.

Deck ranks and rates[edit]

Seamen and NCO's

• Seaman
• First Seaman
• Quartermaster Seaman
• Petty Officer 3rd Class (Boatswain's mate, Third mate, Skipper's mate, Stuurman's mate)
• Petty Officer 2nd Class (Boatswain, Second mate, Schooner skipper)
• Petty Officer 1st Class (Unteroffizier) (Constable)
• Chief Petty Officer (Skipper)
• Senior Chief Petty Officer (Senior Unteroffizier) (Chief mate, Conductor)
• Fleet Chief Petty Officer (Senior Boatswain)

Officers

• Brevet Midshipman/Garde-Marine (1827-1884)
• Midshipman
• Ship Secretary (until 1834), Sub-lieutenant (1834–84)
• Lieutenant (formerly Second Lieutenant 1724-1884)
• First Lieutenant (from 1907 onward)
• Captain Lieutenant (formerly Captain 3rd Rank until 1730, abolished 1909)
• Captain 2nd Rank
• Captain 1st Rank
• Captain-Commodore (until 1764 and 1798 to 1826, from 1764 to 1798 "Captain-Brigadier")
• Counter Admiral, Rear Admiral
• Vice Admiral
• Admiral
• General Admiral

Naval Infantry and ground service troops ranks[edit]

Ranks of these troops mirrored those of the Imperial Russian Army from Private to General, and were distinguished from those in the army.

Marine enlisted and NCOs

• Marine Private, Marine
• Marine Gefreiter
• Marine Junior Unteroffizier (formerly Marine Corporal)
• Marine Senior Unteroffizier
• Marine Feldwebel (formerly Marine Sergeant)
• Marine Junior Ensign
• Marine Acting Ensign (from 1884 onward)

Marine officers

• Admiralty Ensign
• Admiralty Sub-lieutenant
• Admiralty Lieutenant
• Admiralty Captain Lieutenant (1907–13)
• Admiralty Staff Captain
• Admiralty Captain
• Admiralty Second Major (1780-1829)
• Admiralty First Major (1780-1829)
• Admiralty Major (1830-1884)
• Admiralty Lieutenant Colonel
• Admiralty Colonel
• Admiralty Brigadier (until 1830)
• Fleet Major General
• Fleet Lieutenant General
• Fleet General

Ranks of the Naval Artillery[edit]

Marine enlisted and NCOs

• Marine Private, Marine
• Marine Gefreiter
• Marine Junior Gunner (formerly Marine Corporal)
• Marine Senior Gunner
• Marine Feldwebel (formerly Marine Sergeant)
• Marine Junior Ensign
• Marine Acting Ensign (from 1884 onward)

Officers

• Ensign
• Sub-lieutenant
• Lieutenant
• Captain Lieutenant (1907–13)
• Staff Captain
• Captain
• Second Major (1780-1829)
• First Major (1780-1829)
• Major (1830-1884)
• Lieutenant Colonel
• Colonel
• Brigadier (until 1830)
• Marine Artillery Major General
• Marine Artillery Lieutenant General
• General of Marine Artillery

Engineering ranks[edit]

Until 1905 the Naval Mechanical Engineers Corps and the Fleet Engineers Corps had unique ranks. Both changed to ground-based ranks that year and in 1912 the former changed its ranks again to naval based ranks.

Rank insignia 1911-1917[edit]

See for a more detailed history, ranks and rank insignia

Unlike other navies of its time, the Imperial Russian Navy sported only shoulder rank insignia for officers and ratings.

See also[edit]

• Heads of Imperial Russian Navy
• List of Russian admirals
• List of Russian battleships
• List of Russian cruisers
• List of Russian destroyers
• List of Russian sail frigates
• List of ironclads of Russia
• List of Russian ships of the line
• List of Russian steam frigates
• Russian Hydrographic Service

References[edit]

Sources[edit]

• Beskrovny, L. G. The Russian Army and Fleet in the Nineteenth Century. (1996). Gulf Breeze.
• Boyevaya letopis' russkogo flota. Khronika vazhneishikh sobytii voyennoi istorii russkogo flota s IX veka po 1917 god. - Voyenizdat, Moskva, 1948. (Combat Annales of the Russian Navy. Chronicle of the Most Important Events of the Russian Navy History from the 9th century up to 1917)
• Corbett, Julian, Sir. Maritime Operations in the Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905. (1994). ISBN 1-55750-129-7
• Cracraft, James (2009). The Revolution of Peter the Great. Harvard University Press. p. 47. ISBN 978-0674029941.
• Forczyk, Robert. Russian Battleship vs Japanese Battleship, Yellow Sea 1904-05. (2009) Osprey. ISBN 978-1-84603-330-8.
• Grant, R. Captain. Before Port Arthur in a Destroyer; The Personal Diary of a Japanese Naval Officer. London, John Murray; first and second editions published in 1907.
• Lebedev A.A. To march and battle ready? The combat capabilities of naval squadrons Russian sailing fleet XVIII - mid XIX centuries. from the point of view of the status of their personnel. SPb, 2015. ISBN 978-5-904180-94-2
• Olender, Piotr. Russo-Japanese Naval War 1904-1905, Vol. 2, Battle of Tsushima. (2010); Published by Stratus s.c., Sandomierz, Poland. ISBN 978-83-61421-02-3.
• Pleshakov, Constantine. The Tsar's Last Armada: The Epic Voyage to the Battle of Tsushima. (2002). ISBN 0-465-05792-6
• Semenov, Vladimir, Capt. The Battle of Tsushima. Originally published in 1907. (1912) E. P. Dutton & CO.
• Showell, Jak M. The U-Boat Century; German Submarine Warfare 1906-2006. (2006); Chatham Publishing, Great Britain. ISBN 1-86176-241-0.
• Russian Warships in the Age of Sail, 1696-1860: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. John Tredrea and Eduard Sozaev. Seaforth Publishing, 2010. ISBN 978-1-84832-058-1.

Further reading[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Imperial Russian Navy.

• (in Russian) Elagin Sergei Ivanovich. (1864) History of the Russian fleet. Period of Azov (История русского флота. Период Азовский) DjVu and PDF formats at Runivers.ru
• (in Russian) Viskovatov A. A brief historical overview of sea voyages of Russian and shipping them at all until the outcome of the 17th century (1864) DjVu format at Runivers.ru
• (in Russian) Veselago Theodosius F. List of Russian warships from 1668 to 1869 (1872) DjVu and PDF formats at Runivers.ru
• (in Russian) Veselago Theodosius F. Essays on Russian naval history (1875) DjVu and PDF formats at Runivers.ru
• (in Russian) Veselago Theodosius F. Brief information about the Russian naval battles in two centuries from 1656 to 1856 (1871) DjVu and PDF formats at Runivers.ru
• (in Russian) Belavenets Peter Ivanovich. Do We Need a fleet and its significance in the history of Russia (1910). DjVu format at Runivers.ru
• (in Russian) Arens, Evgeniy. Russian Navy (1904). DjVu and PDF formats at Runivers.ru

External links[edit]

• Russian Submarine forces history
• History of the Russian Navy
• Web site focusing on submarine history and the works of Irish-American inventor, John Philip Holland and his company which was known as The Holland Torpedo Boat Company. See Fulton and look under Russian submarines (Som Class) Type 7-P.
• Russian submarine history can be located on this site.