Armored cruiser Rurik. Armored cruiser "Rurik" (1892). Ships of the Russian Imperial Fleet Armored cruiser Rurik 1892

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Rurik- armored cruiser of the 1st rank, according to the classification of ships of the Russian Imperial Navy was categorized as a "large cruiser of frigate rank". It was colloquially referred to as "armored", like other cruisers of the Russian Imperial Fleet, which had vertical side armor. Built in St. Petersburg at the Baltic Shipyard. Killed during the Russo-Japanese War.

The cruiser project was proposed to the Baltic Shipyard by Admiral Shestakov.

The cruiser became the first ship from the planned series (the subsequent cruisers Rossiya and Gromoboi turned out to be not of the same type, but successively intensified projects) of ocean-going armored cruisers of increased displacement (twice the displacement of the predecessor of the cruiser of the 1st rank "Memory of Azov"), among the requirements to the project - the possibility of intercepting British commercial ships in the event of a war with Great Britain, as well as the possibility of moving from the Baltic to the Far East without refueling with coal. After the construction of the cruiser, British experts noted that the cruiser looked outdated compared to British ships similar class [ ] .

Immediately after construction, the Rurik was sent to Vladivostok, on arrival it was slightly modernized during two repairs in Vladivostok by order of the commander of the Pacific Squadron, Admiral Dubasov. He managed to take part in the landing of an international landing force to suppress the unrest of the "Boxer Rebellion" in China and in the occupation of Port Arthur by Russian ships after the Sino-Japanese War. After the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War, he participated in several successful raider operations of the Vladivostok detachment of cruisers of the Pacific Squadron. He died in battle with Japanese ships, heroically resisting more modern and numerous enemy cruisers.

In 1881, the developed 20-year shipbuilding program (the program for the creation of the Pacific cruiser fleet), along with the creation of squadrons from seaworthy battleships, provided for the construction of 30 cruisers: 21 "small" - corvette - and 9 "medium and large" - frigate ranks. Cruisers, taking into account the tactical tasks they solved, were given preference. The implementation of this program marked the next stage in the development of armored cruisers and is characterized by the creation of more powerful, seaworthy sail-propeller cruisers with a metal hull, providing a significant reduction in its relative mass. The development of cruisers was still largely stimulated by the rivalry between Russia and England, which was in dire need of cruisers capable of reliably protecting its sea communications from possible Russian attempts to disrupt its trade with numerous colonies. Tactical requirements for cruisers: the ability to act independently in the absence of their own strongholds and supply bases, to deliver quick and tangible strikes without relying on external support, to achieve the effect not so much by coming into combat contact with single enemy ships, but by creating panic and moral threat to the enemy maritime trade - determined, until 1895, the main characteristics of both Russian and English cruisers: increased seaworthiness, high speed, autonomy, comfortable living conditions, saving crew strength on a long voyage, powerful weapons. Navigation and combat operations in the waters of the Pacific Ocean, in conditions of severe storms, debilitating temperature loads (almost 50-degree drops from tropical heat to cold ice waters), supply difficulties and the impossibility of making large repairs due to the extreme remoteness from their shores required the utmost human stress. forces and exceptionally reliable technology. Under these conditions, Russian and British cruisers were constantly mutually evaluated as potential opponents, constructively developed and improved in the direction of improving their tactical and technical characteristics. The British built cruisers in series, thereby ensuring numerical superiority.

Nevertheless, the vast expanses of the Pacific Ocean provided the Russian cruiser forces with practical elusiveness and the expediency of presence. In turn, the specialists of the Russian Maritime Technical Committee (MTK) formed the tactical and technical requirements for armored cruisers of the "frigate rank", mainly taking into account the advanced English experience in creating similar ships. In particular, the armored cruiser "Admiral Nakhimov" was built by the Baltic Shipyard on the instructions of the ITC on the model of the English armored cruiser "Empireuse". In this competition, the British achieved sustainable superiority, maintaining a monopoly in the creation of ship power plants (steam boilers and steam piston engines). Fulfilling exceptionally profitable Russian orders, English manufacturers deliberately underestimated their capabilities, and sold the most advanced models for their ships. In this regard, power plants ordered in England for Russian cruisers, as a rule, were inferior to British models in terms of power density, efficiency, and weight and size parameters. In addition, the British were the first to abandon sailing weapons on their cruisers due to the presence of several bases for replenishing fuel supplies, while the Russian cruisers had a single base - Vladivostok.

The continuous and clearly expressed rivalry between England and Russia in the creation of ocean cruisers with high speed and autonomy of navigation, by the mid-1880s, reached a qualitative level. new level, in connection with the creation of first-class transatlantic commercial steamships, which, with a displacement of more than 12,000 tons and a hull length of up to 152 m, usually made ocean crossings from average speed up to 18.5-19 knots. At this speed and hull length, approximately one and a half times the average ocean wave length - 103 m, these steamers, having pointed contours and a large elongation of the hull with unloaded extremities, a closed forecastle to the middle of the length - did not rise to the oncoming wave, but cut through it. At the same time, the latest armored ocean cruiser types: empire" (96 m, 16.7 knots), its Russian counterpart " Admiral Nakhimov"(101.5 m, 16.38 knots)," Orlando"(91.44 m, 18.5 knots) could develop design speeds only in calm water, and in stormy conditions these" armored shorties "(relatively short, wide and low-sided) hopelessly lost their speed qualities (developing no more than 5 knots) and could not pursue fast "merchants". In this regard, the British, having excellently studied the features of the construction of ocean-going steamships, stubbornly resisting the extremist calls of E. Reid, eventually came to certain conclusions. According to British experts, long commercial steamships, due to the peculiarities of their structural layout (unloaded bow ends, horizontal decks and platforms remote from the neutral axis of the “equivalent beam”), are similar to armored cruisers in terms of loading conditions. Deck armor, lying on the beams with its entire mass like internal cargo, does not create destructive stresses in the hull structure, while side armor, in the event of a significant increase in the length of the hull, will certainly cause additional stresses in the structure and require its strengthening, and hence an increase in displacement in damage to weight limits on weapons and fuel reserves. The works of White, Reed, Norman theoretically determined the comparative, average values of the relative weight of the hulls for ocean-going steamships within 39-40% of the displacement and for an armored cruiser of great length (more than 103 m) - 41-42% of the displacement. As a result, British experts considered such a high increment in the relative mass of the hull structure to be an excessively large price to pay for high speed to the detriment of the cruiser's combat elements.

“to take an example from long transatlantic steamers when building cruisers”

Russian cruiser "Rurik" (1892) from the book by Frederick T. Jane (1865-1916) "The Imperial Russian Navy..."

Recognizing the unsatisfactory seaworthiness and speed of the armored cruiser "Admiral Nakhimov", which, in terms of the relative elongation of the hull, the booking system, is more of an "armadillo with cruising weapons", the Russian shipbuilders of the Baltic Shipyard made an attempt to achieve an increase in seaworthiness and speed for the promising cruiser while maintaining side armor. Taking into account the French experience in creating armored cruisers, a “semi-armored frigate” was designed - “ Memory of Azov". In terms of displacement and power of the machines, it corresponded to the category of "medium cruiser of the frigate rank". Surpassing its predecessor "Admiral Nakhimov" in absolute hull length by 14 m, and relative elongation of the hull 7.57 versus 5.46, this project assumed a significantly lower design displacement - 6000 tons versus 8500 tons. Due to the increase in the absolute length and relative elongation of the hull, it was supposed to use a less powerful (4000 versus 8000 hp) and, accordingly, a lightweight and economical power plant, which could provide an increase in speed in storm conditions up to 18 knots, and with a supply of fuel 1000 tons, acceptable cruising range - 3000 miles. However, at the stage of detailed design and construction of the cruiser, the actual displacement significantly exceeded the design one, largely according to the parameters ordered in England power plant, which exceeded the established weight and size limits. In this regard, even at the stage of completing the construction of the cruiser "Memory of Azov", it was concluded that, subject to the preservation of onboard armor protection, in order to ensure high speed and long cruising range (increase in coal reserves), it is necessary to further increase the absolute length of the hull, which will inevitably lead to a significant increase in displacement and, accordingly, will require a more powerful power plant.

By this time, the British managed to create an unusually powerful, economical and compact steam power plant, which opens up new opportunities for a promising high-speed ocean cruiser, but on condition that side armor is abandoned. Taking into account these circumstances, the development of the project of the world's longest armored ocean cruiser of the type "Blake", with a design displacement of 9000 tons, having dimensions of 121.94 × 19.81 × 7.32 m, the total capacity of the power plant is 13,000 hp. under natural draft and 20,000 hp. with artificial (forced) flue gas draft, providing it with a design speed of 20-22 knots and a maximum cruising range of 10,000 miles at an economic speed of 10 knots. It is noteworthy that the British Admiralty considered this project so successful that they generally abandoned the construction of armored cruisers of the 1st class for the English fleet for an indefinite period. In fact, this period expired only in 1900, due to qualitative achievements in the development of naval technology, weapons and tactical requirements for a promising cruiser.

The originality of the project of the highly autonomous and highly seaworthy ocean cruiser "Rurik" was predetermined by the initiative of its development by the Baltic Shipyard, without receiving a technical assignment from the Marine Technical Committee (MTC), on the basis of the personal sanction of the head of the Naval Ministry - Admiral N. M. Chikhachev. The project was developed by a ship engineer, senior assistant shipbuilder - N. E. Rodionov, in contrast to the Blake-class high-speed cruisers that were started in England. The project was a constructive development of the cruiser "Memory of Azov". Project features: armored deck, partial side armoring over 85 m long, 203 mm thick; the relative length of the armorless hull extremities - up to 20%, for the first time in shipbuilding practice, in order to unload the hull extremities - protected by rubber dams filled with cellulose; increased side height, closed elongated forecastle; design displacement - up to 9000 tons; full length - 131 m; length according to design waterline - 128 m - surpassed all warships existing at that time; body elongation - 6.88; two steam engines (developed by the Baltic Plant) with a total capacity of 12,600 hp to ensure the design design speed - 18.5 knots; full supply of coal - 2000 tons, to ensure a cruising range of up to 20,000 miles at a speed of 9 knots; armament: 16 - 152-mm, 13 - 37- and 47-mm guns.

On June 14, 1888, the project was submitted for consideration to Admiral N.M. Chikhachev and in July of the same year - to the MTK.

The conclusion of the ITC was based on the opinion of N. A. Subbotin, acting chief ship engineer of the St. Petersburg port, supported by a number of additional considerations. Subbotin positively assessed the desire for high design characteristics of the cruiser: but at the same time, referring to the practice of English cruiser building, he objected to an excessive increase in the length and elongation of the hull, due to the need, in this case, to significantly strengthen the hull structure and, as a result, an increase in its relative mass, to the detriment of the combat elements of the cruiser. Additional arguments of the MTC specialists: limited docking capabilities of the 130-meter cruiser - the only dry dock in Yokohama, difficulties in maneuvering in cramped roads, the harmful effect of water-pierced cofferdam compartments, increased friction resistance, excessive roll and insufficient stability of the narrowed hull of high elongation. The MTC categorically objected to the partial armoring of the side, pointing out the inevitability of an increase in the weight of the armor due to the increase in the length of the hull. As a result, the MTK proposed to rework the project, without going beyond the limits of a displacement of 9000 tons, taking into account all the comments.

“The project meets the needs of our Russians. He is so tempting, so exciting and so, really desirable for the Russian fleet.

The ship engineers present at the meeting did not agree with the verdict of the ITC: N. E. Titov, N. E. Rodionov - the author of the project, and M. I. Kazi - the manager of the Baltic Shipyard. The general position of the dissenters was expressed by M.I. Kazi in a letter to the chairman of the ITC dated November 18, 1888, in which he cited the following arguments:

But the MTC "bit the bit", leaving all Kazi's arguments unanswered. In the magazine No. 149 dated 11/28/1888, MTK - repeated all its objections against - excessive elongation of the cruiser hull, since the armored cruiser "Memory of Azov", which is being completed, has not yet proven its strength in practical navigation. The MTC warned the "higher naval authorities" that if they nevertheless agree with the project of the Baltic Shipyard, then the weight of the hull "with all accessories, to achieve a proper fortress" will increase to 42% displacement, instead of the design 34%, which will lead to an increase in displacement up to 10,000 tons. As a result, by order of the General-Admiral - Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich (brother of Emperor Alexander III), the initiative project of the Baltic Shipyard was rejected and the development of the project was entrusted to the MTC.

In fact, having intercepted the initiative of the Baltic Shipyard, the ITC, under the leadership of N. E. Kuteynikov, began processing the preliminary design, in variants with a displacement of 9,000 and 10,000 tons. By mid-January 1889, the project was completed and on January 17, 1889, its first discussion took place, in the presence of invited representatives of the floating fleet. On May 25, 1889, at the final discussion, the main design characteristics of the cruiser were approved. In comparison with the rejected project of the Baltic Shipyard, the MTK project had the following distinctive features:

July 1, 1889, ten drawings of the cruiser (preliminarily approved by the emperor Alexander III) were sent to the Main Directorate of Shipbuilding and Supply (GUK and C) to place an order for construction. On July 20, 1889, the specification was prepared.

The design of the cruiser was based on the traditional desire for Russian armored cruisers to increase autonomy and seaworthiness to the detriment of other characteristics, including speed. This was justified by the fact that, according to the views of the Russian Admiralty, armored cruisers were supposed to serve as raiders in the Pacific Ocean, where, with the exception of Vladivostok and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (which could be easily blocked), there were no other friendly parking lots. The probability of meeting with a strong enemy ship in the Pacific Ocean was relatively small: therefore, the speed and power of weapons could be sacrificed in favor of cruising range and security.

"Rurik" was one of the last large ships that still had an anachronistic sail spars. It was assumed that due to the use of sails, it would be possible to save coal on long-distance crossings: in practice, the sails turned out to be completely useless and they were abandoned on subsequent ships. The cruiser had a high side with a raised forecastle for better ascent to the wave. Its seaworthiness was rated by the crew as excellent. At the same time, the cruiser's steam engine was not powerful enough, and the speed was only 18 knots.

Along the waterline, the central part of the cruiser's hull was covered with an armor belt made of steel-nickel armor with a thickness of 127 to 254 mm. The belt rested on a convex armored deck 37 mm thick, covering the underwater part. From the ends of the belt, the citadel was covered by armored traverses 203 mm thick.

Outside the citadel, the hull had no armor (excluding the conning tower). The cruiser's artillery armament - four 203 mm / 35, sixteen 152 mm and six 120 mm guns - was located in unprotected installations on the main deck. At the same time, the armament layout was outdated: 203-mm guns were located along the sides in protruding sponsons, and 152-mm guns were in the battery. Neither the gun servants nor the guns themselves were completely protected by anything, and one successful hit could lead to dire consequences. The ship also had a ram and six 381 mm torpedo tubes.

Russian ships entered into battle with the Japanese, but in view of the obvious superiority of the Japanese in firepower, it was decided to withdraw the ships to Vladivostok. Around 05:30 "Rurik" received a hole in the stern below the waterline, slowed down and went out of wake formation. At 06:28, in response to the request of the flagship, he raised the signal: "The rudder is not working." "Rurik", having received several Japanese shells in the stern, had the tiller and steering compartments flooded, and the steering gears were broken. At first, an attempt to restore control was successful, but by an unfortunate coincidence, after a few minutes, another Japanese shell jammed the steering blade to the starboard side, and at least it was not possible to return it to a straight position. The cruiser tried to stay on course, slowing down the left vehicle or even backing it up, but could no longer keep up with the other ships of the detachment. By order of Admiral Jessen, Russia and Gromoboi repeatedly attempted to cover the cruiser, push Japanese ships away from Rurik and divert fire towards themselves, but as a result, under heavy Japanese fire, with heavy damage and casualties among crew members, they were forced to leave from the battlefield. At 8:20 on the flagship they decide to go to Vladivostok, pulling the Japanese armored cruisers towards themselves, in the hope that the Rurik will be able to fight off the light armored cruisers, repair the damage and continue sailing on their own, reach Vladivostok, or at least jump onto the Korean coast. The departed ships were pursued by the Japanese, but when they began to run out of shells, at 10:04 Kamimura ordered to turn back.

In the battle with Japanese light cruisers, Rurik, having lost steering control, maneuvered by varying the speed of the left and right vehicles, which made it possible to change the speed and radius of circulation. Since the cruiser's fire was significantly weakened, the Japanese ships approached the Rurik, continuing to methodically finish it off. At this time, the Russian cruiser, sharply increasing its speed, on the next circulation tried to ram one of the enemy ships, simultaneously firing a second torpedo from the last serviceable torpedo tube. Having evaded these maneuvers, the Japanese cruisers retreated to a long distance and no longer made attempts to rendezvous until the Rurik began to sink. This was one of the only cases in history of the use of torpedo weapons by a large surface ship in a real battle, as well as one of the last cases of an attempted ramming by a large ship using an underwater bow "ram protrusion" specially made for this purpose.

The commander (captain of the 1st rank) Evgeny Alexandrovich Trusov and the senior officer were mortally wounded at the very beginning of the battle. Of the 22 officers, 6 were killed and died of wounds, 9 were wounded, 7 remained unharmed. Of the 800 people of the team, 200 were killed, seriously and lightly wounded 278. By the time the five-hour battle ended, only one lieutenant Ivanov remained alive on the Rurik 13th (according to the numbering of namesakes adopted then in the Russian fleet), only one 47-mm gun remained in service, which shot all the ammunition. Returning with the main forces, Admiral Kamimura was waiting for the surrender of the Rurik, about which the Japanese ships signaled several times. Convinced that all means of resistance had been exhausted, Ivanov-Thirteenth gave the order to destroy the cruiser. Since the demolition charges were damaged, the kingstones were opened. The cruiser's stern gradually sank into the water; at 10:20 the roll intensified, and the cruiser capsized to the port side, the ram was exposed for a moment, and at 10:42 the cruiser finally sank near the island of Ulsan.

The battle of the outdated and poorly armored "Rurik", first in general formation with two other Russian cruisers against the armored cruisers of Kamimura, and then in an already helpless state, without a rudder, with the cruisers "Naniva" and "Takachiho" was evaluated as a model of valiant behavior not only by Russians , but also by a number of foreign, including Japanese authors.

The armored cruiser "Rurik" was created within the framework of the traditional raider doctrine of Russian armored cruisers. Considered primarily as a strategic weapon in case of war with Great Britain, the cruisers were created for long-term autonomous cruising in the Pacific Ocean.

The British fleet from the Chinese Station, of course, could easily block Vladivostok and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky - the main bases of the Russian fleet in the Pacific Ocean. But in the vast expanses of the Pacific and Indian Ocean, the likelihood of a Russian raider meeting with heavy British ships was extremely small. The most likely enemy for Russian cruisers would be British armored cruisers of the 1st and 2nd rank, over which the Rurik would have an advantage due to its powerful artillery and belt armor. At the same time, Rurik was not designed to collide with armored cruisers of the "traditional" type, which had an advantage in speed and well-protected artillery. This led to the death of the cruiser in battle, when - due to the limited scale of Japanese shipping - Russian cruisers were forced to operate in relative proximity to Japan, which was not expected during their construction. However, it is worth noting that the death itself was due to a combination of a number of circumstances, which include both technical (obtaining a hole that reduced speed) and managerial (earlier "Rurik", the slowest of the Vladivostok cruisers, tried not to take on risky campaigns and only requests Witgeft persuaded Jessen to take such a risky step).

It was built in England according to Russian technical requirements who took into account the experience Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905. The process of developing the design of the ship incorporated a whole series of advanced ideas.
January 12, 1904 Emperor Nicholas II approved the draft of a new shipbuilding program for 1904-1914. In the same year, the MTK issued a tactical and technical assignment (TTZ) for the development of a new armored cruiser for the Baltic Fleet. TTZ stipulated mixed main caliber in tower installations, anti-mine caliber in casemates and on superstructures, full speed of at least 21 knots, displacement from 12,000 tons to 14,000 tons and a propulsion system of the "Gromoboy" type.
In March 1905 The ITC adopted T.J. Owens-Thurston, who was represented by the English company Vickers. Moreover, the Vickers company undertook to build a ship with full armament and machinery, on a turnkey basis in 20 months, determining the total cost of 1,500,000 pounds sterling.
May 28, 1905 Vickers presented to the ITC a completely revised project of an armored cruiser, where all the wishes of the Russian customer were taken into account.
June 24, 1905 a preliminary agreement was concluded between the Maritime Ministry and the representative of the Vickers company, V.V., responsible for work with Russia. Zakharov. They approved the preliminary drawings and specifications of the armored cruiser.
January 10, 1906 the parties signed an official contract with the British company Vickers. In accordance with the contract, the cruiser was to have a displacement of 15,000 tons, a maximum length of 161.2 meters, a width amidships of 22.9 meters, a deepening at full draft of 7.9 meters, armor for the lower and middle decks, casemates, artillery and waterline belts. , a design speed of 21 knots, the use of Belleville water-tube boilers and the installation of a lightweight mast. To build an armored cruiser, it was entrusted to the Vickers shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness. The construction period is no more than 26 months with a 3-month period for testing and acceptance of the ship to the treasury. The ship engineer, senior assistant to the shipbuilder K.A., became the supervisor of the construction. Tennyson, the mechanisms were accepted by the mechanical engineer Lieutenant Colonel T.R. Neiman, artillery - Colonel V.L. Golubtsov, for mine weapons - Lieutenant A.V. Delivery.
August 09, 1905 the laying of the first sheet of the horizontal keel of the armored cruiser "Rurik II" took place.

The hull of the armored cruiser was made, under the conditions of the British Admiralty, from sheet and profiled mild shipbuilding steel, by riveting, and for the most critical parts, high-resistance steel was used with a relative elongation for both types of at least 20%. The ship had vertical and horizontal keels, stringers, fore and sternposts, an extended forecastle, upper, middle (armored) and lower (carapace armored) decks, two platforms in the bow and one platform in the stern, a hold and a double bottom. A vertical flat keel 102 cm high and 16 mm thick in the middle part, decreased to 12 mm towards the ends and attached to a horizontal keel, which was assembled from several sheets of steel. The stem and stern, which formed the bow and stern ends, were made of steel castings. The stem height reached the middle armored deck, above which the bow was made of a curved sheet of steel 18 mm thick, and the underwater part protruded forward, forming a ram. The double bottom was divided by floors and stringers from each side into independent compartments, which in the area of engine rooms had necks measuring 580x380 mm. Two continuous keel stringers 102 cm high and 12 mm thick at the ends protruded over the transverse set and were made from a Z-shaped profile 254 mm high. The frames were made of sheet steel with a thickness of 10 mm and from 8 to 222 had a spacing of 1.219 meters, and at the ends - 0.914 meters, from the keel to the hold longitudinal bulkhead they were reinforced on both sides with squares 76x89x5-mm and 76x76x4-mm. The sheets of the five bottom belts of the outer plating, starting from the keel, were made of high-resistance steel sheets 6 meters long, with the first belt at the keel having a thickness of 25 mm, and the remaining four to the lower deck - 22 mm and interconnected by a double row of flush rivets . Grooves and joints were minted on the outside to ensure complete water tightness. The cruiser's armor protection system included the main vertical belt along the waterline, citadels, two armored decks, 120-mm artillery casemates, two conning towers with rangefinder posts, and main and auxiliary caliber turrets. The main vertical armor belt was made of side belt armor plates along the waterline, which fell 1.5 meters below it and rose to the middle armor deck, limited in the stern by an inclined armor traverse 76 mm thick. The side armor along the waterline had a thickness of 152 mm in the middle part of the hull (from the bow to the stern towers of the 254 mm main caliber), decreasing to the lower edge to 102 mm, to the bow 102-76 mm and to the stern to 76- mm. In the nose, the armor plates of the main belt converged on the stem, connecting with the armor plates of the opposite side. The armor was attached directly to the 22 mm thick steel side plating with mild steel bolts, one bolt per 0.65 square meter of the armor plate surface. The places where the bolts passed through the skin were minted with rings of white hemp impregnated with red lead, after which the bolts were tightened through wide steel washers with rubber gaskets. In addition, the outer part of the skin and the inside of the armor plates were covered with a thick layer of a thick mixture of red lead and lead white, which provided additional good water resistance. From above, the main armor belt was covered with a medium armored deck made of chromium-nickel armor 38 mm thick throughout, with the exception of the aft casemate for 120 mm guns 7 and 8 plutongs, where the thickness of the armor plates was 25 mm. The armor plates of the middle deck were laid on deck decking from sheets of shipbuilding steel 13 mm thick. The lower armored carapace deck was covered with plates of chromium-nickel armor 25 mm thick, laid on deck decking made of sheets of shipbuilding steel 13 mm thick, and the bevels to the sides of the main armor belt were covered with armor plates 38 mm thick. Above the middle armor deck to the upper deck, there were central and aft "citadels", which covered the sides with armor plates 76 mm thick. This armor was mounted on top of the outer skin of steel sheets 19 mm thick. The central citadel was limited by a 184-mm thick bow armored beam (frame area 62) and a 76-mm thick aft beam (frame area 159), covering the casings of the engine and boiler rooms. The aft citadel was limited to a 76-mm bow armored beam (frame area 228) and a 76-mm thick aft beam (frame area 243), covering the stern 120-mm guns. In addition, the aft citadel was divided into two casemates by a transverse bulkhead made of armor plates 25 mm thick and covered from above with armor plates 25 mm thick along the upper deck flooring made of steel sheets 10 mm thick. Above the upper deck to the forecastle deck, there were casemates of 120-mm artillery, which were covered with side armor 76-mm thick. There was no shirt behind the armor plates and the armor plates were interconnected by docking straps, and they were attached to the forecastle and upper deck using 114x114-mm squares. The casemates were limited to a bow armor traverse 184 mm thick (area 62 of the frame) and aft armor traverse 76 mm thick (area 159 of the frame). The composition of the internal elements of the armor protection of the casemates included longitudinal armored bulkheads and separating traverses between guns 25 mm thick on the upper deck. Two longitudinal bulkheads ensured the separation of the 120-mm guns of the central battery from the internal space under the forecastle. Turrets of 254-mm guns of the main caliber had frontal and side armor 203 mm thick, the back side was protected by armor plates 152 mm thick, the roof was 64 mm thick, the overhang filing was 76 mm, and the barbettes in the open part were 184 mm . The rotating part of the 203 mm turrets was covered with armor plates 178 mm thick, the roof and overhang filing were 51 mm thick, and the fixed barbettes were 152 mm thick. Two conning towers in the form of closed towers with narrow embrasures were protected by armor plates having a thickness of 203 mm, the roofs were made of low-magnetic steel with a thickness of 51 mm. The cabins had enclosures for rangefinder posts, the upper part of which rose above the roofs of the cabins themselves. The thickness of the side armor of the baffles was 152 mm, the roofs - 38 mm. Both conning towers were equipped with armored communication wells with a central post under the lower deck for the bow and a ZKP for the stern. To reduce rolling, the ship was equipped with two side keels 60 meters long and 0.76 meters high. They were attached to the skin with steel squares and consisted of steel sheets 11 mm thick, between which there was a spruce embedment. Heating on the ship was provided by steam heating. For restocking drinking water two Krug desalination plants with a capacity of 5 tons per day each were intended.
The unsinkability of the ship was ensured by dividing the hull with transverse watertight bulkheads into 19 main compartments, a longitudinal watertight bulkhead along the diametrical plane below the lower deck in the area of \u200b\u200bthe boiler rooms and engine rooms and two side longitudinal bulkheads that ran along almost the entire length of the ship:

Trim tank, ram compartment, forepeak, diving cabin;
Watertight Compartment #1, Skipper's Storeroom #1, 47mm Ammo Cellar, Painter's Storeroom, Start of Rope Storeroom, Command Shop, Start of Crew's Cabin #1, Start of Crew's Lavatory;
Watertight Compartment #2, Chain Locker #1, Skipper's Storeroom #2, Cable Store Extension, Carpenter's Storeroom, Crew Cabin Extension #1, Crew Cabin #2 Beginning, Crew Cabin #6 Beginning;
Watertight compartment No. 3, chain box No. 2 and a baffle of the bow "turbine", a compartment for capstan machines, a pantry for biscuits, a continuation of the cockpit of team No. 2 and cabins of conductors, a continuation of the cockpit of team No. 6;
Watertight compartment No. 4, artillery arsenal, forward compartment of refrigerated vehicles, start of team's cockpit #7, start of crew's cockpit #3 and conductors' quarters, start of the medical block;
Watertight compartment No. 5, vestibule and electrical cabin, vestibule and service tank fresh water, a continuation of the cockpit of team No. 7, a continuation of the cockpit of team No. 3 and the cabins of the conductors and the wardroom of the conductors with a buffet for the conductors, the continuation of the medical block;
Double-bottom fresh water tanks, cellars of 47-mm and 120-mm ammunition, cellar of 254-mm ammunition, cellar of 120-mm ammunition and passage vestibule, elevators for feeding 254-mm guns and the beginning of the crew's cockpit No. 8, the beginning of the crew's cockpit No. 4 and the galley teams, drying room and side casemates for 120-mm guns;
Double-bottom fresh water tanks, a "turbine" baffle and cellars of 203-mm and 47-mm ammunition with an insulating baffle, a cellar of 254-mm ammunition and a compartment for mine vehicles, a cellar of 203-mm ammunition and a central combat post with a passage vestibule, continuation of the cockpit of team No. 8 and a mine workshop, a continuation of the cockpit of team No. 4 and a bath for the team with a dressing room, a bakery and a wireless telegraph cabin, a laundry room and side casemates for 120-mm guns;
Double-bottom tanks of boiler water, boiler room No. 1 and side coal pits, vestibules of the boiler room and the beginning of the cockpit of team No. 9, vestibules of the boiler room and the beginning of the cockpit of team No. 5, the stokers' washroom and side casemates of 120-mm guns;
Double-bottom communication pipes between coal pits, boiler room No. 2 and side coal pits, vestibules of the boiler room and the continuation of the cockpit of team No. 9, vestibules of the boiler room and the continuation of the cockpit of team No. 5, side casemates of 120-mm guns;
Double-bottom communication pipes between coal pits, boiler room No. 3 and side coal pits, vestibules of the boiler room and the continuation of the cockpit of team No. 9, vestibules of the boiler room and the continuation of the cockpit of team No. 5, side casemates of 120-mm artillery;
Double-bottom communication pipes between the coal pits and spare feed tanks, boiler room No. 4 and side coal pits, vestibules of the boiler room and the cockpit of team No. 10, vestibules of the boiler room and the continuation of the cockpit of team No. 5, side casemates of 120-mm artillery;
Double-bottom communication pipes between coal pits and spare feed tanks, engine rooms and dynamo compartments with onboard coal pits, engine room vestibules and an engine workshop with a main power plant room, a continuation of the cockpit of team No. 5 and punishment cells, galleys for officers and an admiral and a cabin for church utensils , a washroom for machinists and side casemates of 120-mm guns, a flagship office and a reception for officers;
Double-bottom spaces, "turbine" enclosures and a cellar of 203-mm ammunition, a cellar of 254-mm ammunition and aft compartment of refrigerated vehicles, a ship's office and latrines with officers' baths, cabins for maps and chronometers and an auditor, a wardroom for officers, apartments for a senior officer and a senior mechanics, officers' quarters and officers' canteen with room for messengers;
Turbine enclosure and provisional cellar, steering and steering gear compartments, crew quarters No. 11, officers' cabins;
Stern trim tank, steering gear motor-generator compartment, team No. 11 cockpit, commander's and admiral's apartments and their vestibules;
Tiller compartment, pantries, admiral's dining room with onboard 120-mm guns;
Admiral's cellar, admiral's saloon with side 120-mm guns;
Wine pantry, admiral's balcony.

The silhouette of the armored cruiser had an extended forecastle, one mast, three chimneys, two conning towers with bridges, bow and stern two-gun cylindrical turrets of the main 254-mm caliber and 4 side two-gun cylindrical turrets of the auxiliary 203-mm caliber.

The drainage system included seven electric centrifugal pumps (they were called "turbines") with a capacity of 508 cubic meters per hour and three electric turbines of 305 cubic meters per hour, which had vertical shafts and were driven by electric motors located on the lower deck. Also, 6 steam pumps were installed on the ship in the engine and boiler rooms with a capacity of 508 cubic meters per hour and 2 bilge steam pumps for pumping water from the double bottom.

The fire system included a main pipe with a diameter of 127 mm, which ran throughout the ship under the middle armored deck. From the fire main to the sides and upwards branches departed, which ended with pumps with a capacity of 91 tons / hour, from which tarpaulin and rubber sleeves were scattered.

The steering device consisted of one balancing rudder with an area of 12.5 square meters with a baller, which rested on a thrust bearing, an electrically driven steering machine and steering wheels.

The anchor device included four anchors with rods, two dead chains and one spare chain. Anchors for marching were fastened in the side fairleads. The lifting and return of anchors was carried out by two spiers, on the upper deck.

The rescue equipment of the armored cruiser consisted of two steam boats 12.19 meters long, one motor-row boat with a gasoline engine 11.12 meters long, two 20-oared barges 10.97 meters long, one rowing 16-oared work boat 11.12 meters each, two 14-oared light boats 10.35 meters long, two 6-oared whaleboats 8.55 meters long, two 6-oared yawls 6.1 meters long and sailor berths that knitted into a cocoon and could keep a person afloat for up to 45 minutes, and then drown.

The main power plant of the armored cruiser is mechanical, twin-shaft with two steam engines with a total power of 19700 hp. and 28 water-tube boilers of the Belleville system, which were located in four boiler rooms and an engine room, divided by a diametrical longitudinal bulkhead into two side compartments. The machines transmitted rotation to two three-bladed propellers made of bronze, which rotated inward.
Steam engine "Vickers" vertical, four-cylinder, triple expansion steam with a working pressure of 17.5 atmospheres had a power of 9850 indicator hp. The rotational speed of the propellers at a full speed of 21 knots was up to 135 rpm.
Water tube boiler system "Belleville" horizontal, rectangular type, sectional, produced steam with a pressure of 21 atmospheres. Each section of the boiler consisted of 14 straight boiling tubes with a diameter of 115 mm and a length of about 2 meters each, arranged in two vertical rows at an angle of about 3-4 ° like flights of stairs and connected in series with their ends using boxes (chambers) made of ductile iron, forming elements that easily allow disassembly and assembly of the entire system. Water was first supplied to the lower collector, after which it entered the hot water pipes and sequentially passed through each section. The steam coming out of the sections turned out to be very wet. When the steam passed through the expander (Reducing valve), its pressure decreased, and the steam itself was dried. The boiler was necessarily equipped with an automatic power supply and draft control, as it contained little water and did not allow large overloads. The power regulator included a water-indicating column with a float and a special feed valve, which was connected to a continuously operating bottom of a special design, and excess water in the supply pipe was removed by a safety valve. The total surface of the grate reached 5 sq.m, the total heating surface of the boiler - 106.15 sq.m, and taking into account the economizer - 153.27 sq.m. The normal supply of coal taken on board was 1200 tons and allowed the cruiser to travel about 2490 miles at an economic speed of 10 knots and 1490 miles at a full speed of 21 knots. The total supply of coal reached 2000 tons, which provided the ship with a cruising range of up to 4290 miles at a speed of 10 knots and 2568 miles at a speed of 21 knots.

The DC electric power system had a voltage of 105 V and included 4 Volta dynamos with a total power of 504 kW and one 67 kW dynamo for daily needs. The machines were intended to power the entire artillery of the ship, deck lighting, combat lights, ventilation systems, electric steering gear, and drainage systems. Electricity was distributed from the main power plant through two independent power and lighting feeders. In case of repair, emergency or combat damage, there were batteries. Protective equipment included fuses and circuit breakers.

The armament of the armored cruiser consisted of:

Of 2 two-gun 10-inch (254 mm) Vickers turrets which had an oval shape with a slightly sloping front part of the roof and were located in the diametrical plane of the forward part of the forecastle and in the aft part of the upper deck. Structurally, the tower of the main 254-mm caliber consisted of a fighting compartment with a rotating table on which two gun mounts with barrels, loading and guidance mechanisms, a working compartment and a supply pipe were mounted. To raise the upper part of the tower in the working compartment, which was located under the fighting compartment, four 100-ton jacks were installed. Two steel, rifled guns placed in the turret had a barrel length of 50 calibers with internal pipes fastened with two rows of long cylinders, over which casings and Welin's three-stage radial-sector piston valves were put on. The barrels were mounted on separate gun mounts, which consisted of an oscillating frame, two clips, frames with trunnions, a hydraulic recoil compressor and a spring knurler. The loading of the barrels was carried out by two electric piercers at a variable elevation angle ranging from -3 ° to + 8 °. The loading time of the guns was about 35 seconds. Each gun was equipped with devices for firing using galvanic tubes and shock tubes. Galvanic tubes were activated by means of a pistol grip at the gunner's post, to which six galvanic cells, and shock tubes - using a cord passing through a pulley-block system. The vertical aiming of the guns was carried out, both together and separately, using an electric drive, which included an electric motor with a power of 10 hp. with a rotation speed of 750 rpm. for each stem. The vertical guidance speed was 2 ° / sec., And the elevation angle was from -5 ° to + 35 °. The electric drive was controlled separately from the post at each of the guns. In the event of failure of one post, both guns switched to joint guidance and were controlled from one post. The horizontal guidance of each tower was carried out using an electric drive, which included two electric motors with a power of 15 hp each. with a rotation speed of 750 rpm. each and a 15 kW generator. Moreover, only one of the electric motors was activated at a time, providing a maximum horizontal guidance speed of up to 2 ° / sec. The electric drive was controlled by two switches, which were mounted in the combat and working compartments of the tower. The combat switch was controlled by a flywheel from the post of the tower commander, and the working switch was controlled by turning the pistol grips at the posts of both gunners. As a spare guidance mode for vertical and horizontal aiming, a manual drive was used, the flywheels of which were located in the combat and working compartments of the tower. The speed of horizontal guidance in manual mode was 0.5 ° / sec. and required the efforts of 8 people. The ammunition load of 80 shots per barrel included armor-piercing and high-explosive shells weighing 225.2 kg and two half-charges of tape powder with a total weight of 87 kg for each projectile. The muzzle velocity of the projectile was 899 m/s with an effective firing range of 18.15 km and a maximum firing range of up to 21.67 km. The calculation of the tower included 30 people. The total weight of the installation - no data.
Of 4 two-gun 8-inch (203 mm) Vickers turrets which had an oval shape with a slightly sloping front of the roof and were located side by side on 100 and 170 frames. Structurally, the tower of the auxiliary 203-mm caliber consisted of a fighting compartment with a rotating table on which two gun mounts with barrels, loading and guidance mechanisms, a working compartment and a supply pipe were mounted. Two steel, rifled guns placed in the turret had a barrel length of 50 calibers with internal pipes fastened with two rows of cylinders, over which casings and piston valves were put on. The barrels were mounted on separate gun mounts, which consisted of an oscillating frame, two clips, frames with trunnions, a hydraulic recoil compressor and a spring knurler. The barrels were loaded with two hand-held wooden piercers at a variable elevation angle ranging from -3° to +8°. The loading time of the guns was about 22 seconds. The vertical aiming of the guns was carried out, both together and separately, using an electric drive, which included an electric motor with a power of 10 hp. with a rotation speed of 750 rpm. for each stem. The vertical guidance speed was 2 ° / sec., And the elevation angle was from -5 ° to + 25 °. The electric drive was controlled separately from the post at each of the guns. In the event of failure of one post, both guns switched to joint guidance and were controlled from one post. The horizontal guidance of each tower was carried out at an angle of up to 135 ° using an electric drive, which included an electric motor with a power of 2.5 hp. with a rotation speed of 750 rpm, providing a maximum horizontal guidance speed of up to 2 ° / sec. As a spare guidance mode for vertical and horizontal aiming, a manual drive was used, the flywheels of which were located in the combat and working compartments of the tower. The composition of the ammunition, of 110 shots per barrel, included semi-armor-piercing and high-explosive shells weighing 112.2 kg and a charge of tape nitrocellulose powder weighing 40 kg for each projectile. The muzzle velocity of the projectile was 807.7 m / s with an effective range of 15.46 km and a maximum range of up to 16 km. The weight of the artillery tower was - no data.
Out of 20 single 120 mm Vickers guns with a barrel length of 50 calibers, located in side casemates in the middle part of the upper deck under the forecastle (16) and in side casemates in the aft part of the middle deck (4). The tool is steel, rifled, with an inner tube fastened along the entire length, in one layer, with three cylinders, over which a casing and a piston valve were put on. The machine guns on the central pins of the Vickers system with a hydraulic recoil compressor and a spring knurler rotated in a horizontal plane providing a horizontal firing sector of 110 ° -120 °. The sector-type lifting mechanism provided a manual vertical guidance speed of up to 3.5 ° / sec. with vertical firing sector from -5° to +20°. The rotary worm mechanism made it possible to manually turn the tool in a horizontal plane at a speed of 6 ° -8 ° / sec. The barrel was loaded manually, and the gun loading time was 8-10 seconds. The calculation included 6 people. The composition of the ammunition, of 200 shots per barrel, included high-explosive shells weighing 29.5 kg and a charge of smokeless powder weighing 8 kg for each projectile. The muzzle velocity of the projectile was 823 m / s with an effective firing range of 14 km and a maximum firing range of up to 14.45 km with an elevation angle of + 20 °. The weight of the installation was 8.7 tons.
Of 4 single 47 mm Hotchkiss guns with a barrel length of 43.5 caliber, which were placed on the roofs of the 8-inch (203-mm) Vickers towers and were used for practical shooting and saluting. The gun had air cooling and a single unitary ammunition supply. The supply of ammunition was carried out manually. Calculation of the gun - 4 people. The ammunition consisted of 636 steel or cast iron grenades weighing 1.5 kg. The elevation angle ranged from -23° to +30°. The rate of fire of the gun is 15 rounds/min., the initial velocity of the projectile is 701 m/s., and the maximum firing range is up to 4 km. The weight of the installation with a shield reached 448.5 kg.
Of 8 single-barreled 10.67 mm machine guns of the "Maxim" system with a barrel length of 67.6 calibers, located on the bow bridge (2), on the spardeck (4) and one at a time on steam boats to support the landing. The fire mode is only automatic, built on the gas exhaust principle. The rate of fire of the installation was 600 rounds / min. at initial speed bullets 740 m / s, the firing range reached 3.5 km, and the ceiling up to 2.4 km. The machine guns are powered by a belt, in a belt of 250 rounds. Full ammunition included 12,000 rounds. Shooting was carried out in bursts, water was poured into the barrel casing for cooling. The calculation of the machine gun - 2 people. The machine guns had a manual control system with an optical sight. Installation weight - no data.
Of 2 single pipe 450 mm underwater torpedo tubes (TA) installed side by side in a large compartment at the base of the bow 10-inch (254-mm) main battery turret. Non-rotatable TA were fixed at an angle of 90 ° to the diametrical plane with some offset relative to each other and could be recharged simultaneously. TA aiming was carried out by the ship using two sights (one for each device) installed in the conning tower. Whitehead self-propelled mines (torpedoes) were fired with compressed air at a ship speed of up to 17 knots. The Whitehead mine (torpedo) of the 1904 model of the year had a warhead weight of 70 kg with the weight of the torpedo itself of 648 kg and was equipped with an improved Aubrey gyroscopic device, which ensured that the torpedo was kept on a given course. The speed of the torpedo was 33 knots with a range of about 800 meters or 25 knots with a range of 2 km. Ammunition consisted of 6 torpedoes.

Artillery control system "Vickers" included:

8 electric rangefinder indicators that transmitted the distance (distance) to the target and were placed in both conning towers, in the central post and on the marshall, one for each side.
8 projectile indicators, which conveyed instructions about the type of projectiles used. In both conning towers, in the central post and on the Mars, one for each side, there were giving devices. The receiving devices were installed in the ammunition cellars.
8 signal indicators for transmitting orders about the type of shooting being performed. In both conning towers, in the central post and on the Mars, one for each side, there were giving devices.
8 inclinometers for the starboard and port sides, which determined the roll and made corrections for range. They were located in the central post, in both conning towers and on Mars.
Receiving devices for each of the guns, which displayed the distance and rear sight on a common receiving gun device with several dials equipped with rotating drums with numbers.
Instruments and magnetic compasses in both the conning tower and the control room, which showed the senior artillery officer his own course and speed, direction and strength of the wind.
Station measuring instruments located in the central post. The station gave voltage readings at the installation site and current consumption for the entire system.
Safety boxes "PK" with fuses for each group of devices and a common switch were installed in the central post. The main wires from the transformer came up to them and the wires giving power to each group of devices departed.
Switches and junction boxes for powering and disconnecting fire control system devices.
Transformer station.

The senior artillery officer, in the central post, turned on the fire control system. Shooting was carried out on the orders of the commander according to two schemes, depending on the type of maneuvering, the type of target and the nature of the battle.
"Rapid Fire" - was carried out by order of the commander, who gave the direction to the target and the distance to the target - the range according to the horizontal-basic rangefinder of Barr and Stroud (with a base of 2.74 meters), which did not require knowledge of the height of the spars of the enemy ship, like micrometers of the Lujols system. Having received this data, the senior artillery officer set a signal indicator for a "SHORT ALARM", a projectile indicator for the type of projectiles needed to hit the target, using a rangefinder indicator, displayed the desired distance to the target, and through synchronous transmission all instructions were transmitted to the receiving devices. Using the firing table, I selected the indicator correction and raised the vertical aiming index by its value, looked for the wind correction corresponding to the given speed and heading angle, choosing the necessary correction for the deviation of the rear sight for horizontal guidance. Having received the necessary corrections, he transmitted them using instruments to the guns and, if necessary, reported to the ship's commander in which direction to roll. At the signal "DROT", I put a signal pointer on "DROT" to end the shooting. When changing the firing side, he acted in the same way as with the "DROT" command and switched to the instruments of the other side.
"Single Shooting" - was carried out by order of the commander or when the fire control system failed during the battle. In the first case, the commander gave the order and gave the direction to the target and the distance to the target, and also indicated which gun(s) and which side should fire at the target. Having received this data, the senior artillery officer set a signal indicator for "SHORT ALARM", using a rangefinder indicator, coordinated the range to the target and followed it, transmitting data for firing to the assigned guns. After receiving the necessary data, the gunners of the guns set the given angles and distances on them, and also loaded the selected type of ammunition. At the signal "DROT", the senior artillery officer put a signal pointer on "DROT" and finished firing. In the second case, firing was carried out with the help of their own sights installed on each gun by order of the commander of the plutonga or gun. In this case, all calculations were made by the battery or gun commander.
The centralized fire control mode was the most effective. The firing mode of the plutong commander or gun commander was less effective, and its power was sharply limited.

Armored cruiser "Rurik II" in August 1908 he left Glasgow on his first voyage and visited the port of Greenock (Scotland) and arrived in Kronstadt. On September 23, 1908, the latest cruiser was reviewed by Emperor Nicholas II. In June 1909, the cruiser began its first campaign, having worked out the basic artillery firing exercises, during which they also tested turret installations, which finally gave satisfactory results after the alterations. On July 12, 1909, a detachment of ships consisting of the armored cruisers "Rurik" and "Admiral Makarov", the imperial yachts "Standard" and "Polar Star", as well as the destroyers "Emir of Bukhara" and "Moskvityanin" went on a long voyage. On July 14, 1909, the ships of the detachment arrived at the port of Eckernferde (Germany). On July 16, 1909, anchors were dropped in the roadstead of Cuxhaven (Germany). On July 18, 1909, the ships of the detachment arrived at the port of Cherbourg (France). On July 20, 1909, a Russian detachment stood on the Spithead raid to participate in a naval parade. October 1, 1909 "Rurik" ended the campaign, entering the armed reserve. During the winter of 1910, the cruiser underwent scheduled repairs, during which the impractical linoleum on the forecastle deck and aft upper deck was replaced with wooden sheathing. On June 23, 1910, as part of the Baltic detachment (battleships "Tsesarevich" and "Slava", armored cruisers "Rurik" and "Admiral Makarov", armored cruisers "Oleg" and "Bogatyr") participated in the maneuvers of the Naval Forces of the Baltic Sea to develop methods of defense sea approaches to St. Petersburg. On July 18, 1910, as part of a detachment of ships under the command of Rear Admiral N.S. Mankovsky went on a foreign voyage. On August 19, 1910, having made calls at the ports of Portsmouth (England), Gibraltar (England), Algiers (Algeria), Fiume (Austria-Hungary), the ships of the detachment arrived in the harbor of the port of Antivari (Montenegro) to participate in the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the reign of King Nicholas of Montenegro I. On November 2, 1910, the Baltic detachment returned to Kronstadt, having made calls at the ports of Fiume (Austria-Hungary), Souda (Greece), Piraeus (Greece), Toulon (France), Vigo (Spain), Gibraltar (England), Cherbourg (France) ), where he ended the campaign. February 25, 1911 "Rurik" entered the brigade of battleships ("Tsesarevich", "Glory", "Andrew the First-Called" and "Emperor Paul I") under the command of Rear Admiral N.S. Mankovsky. On May 1, 1911, the ship left Kronstadt for Revel (Tallinn) and, when passing the alignment of the Nikolaevsky lighthouses, touched the bottom of the soil in the area of the boiler rooms, but no water was found in the compartments. On May 22, 1911, the cruiser returned to Kronstadt for docking for repairs after the hull was damaged, which turned out to be minor. On June 11, 1911, the ship re-entered the campaign. July 17-19, 1911, according to the order of the commander Maritime forces Baltic Sea Vice Admiral N.O. Essen, as flagship took part in large bilateral maneuvers involving all formations. On November 2, 1911, the cruiser moved to the Sveaborg raid (area of Helsinki / Finland /), where she stood for the winter. On April 21, 1912, under the command of Captain 1st Rank M.K. Bakhirev's ship raised the pennant and entered the campaign. On September 8, 1912, he headed the squadron of the Naval Forces of the Baltic Sea under the command of Vice Admiral N.O. Essen on a trip abroad to Denmark to accompany the imperial yacht "Polar Star", on which the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna was going to visit her relatives in Copenhagen. On November 2, 1912, a brigade of battleships led by "Rurik" arrived in Helsingfors (Helsinki) and on November 21, 1912 entered the armed reserve. On April 1, 1913, the cruiser entered the campaign. On July 4, 1913, the battleships "Andrew the First-Called" and "Emperor Paul I", led by "Rurik", performed competitive shooting for the Imperial Prize in the presence of Emperor Nicholas II, who was accompanied by the Minister of Marine Admiral I.K. Grigorovich. From August 18 to August 21, 1913, participation in large-scale maneuvers of the Naval Forces of the Baltic Sea with the deployment of all the forces of the fleet (maneuvering at night without lights, repelling mine attacks, passing behind trawls, working out various tasks in the areas of skerries between the ports of Gange and Helsingfors (Helsinki)). From August 27 to September 21, 1913, the Baltic squadron (a brigade of battleships in full force, the cruisers Gromoboi, Admiral Makarov, Pallada and Bayan, a semi-battalion of destroyers and transport "Riga"), led by "Rurik" committed overseas navigation visiting the ports of Portland (England), Brest (France) and Stavanger (Norway). On October 6-13, 1913, another participation in bilateral maneuvers of the fleet in order to test the capabilities of the Baltic Sea Naval Forces to repel a potential enemy squadron breakthrough into the Gulf of Finland with a mine-artillery position equipped at its mouth. On November 1, 1913, the ships of the brigade concentrated in Helsingfors (Helsinki) and entered the armed reserve. On April 9, 1914, the brigade led by "Rurik" entered the campaign and made the transition to Revel (Tallinn). On June 16, 1914, by order of the Commander of the Naval Forces of the Baltic Sea, Admiral N.O. Essen, measures were taken for the strictest radio camouflage, the establishment of a permanent cruising patrol at the mouth of the Gulf of Finland, with the detachment of minelayers put on full alert, and the security of the raids was also strengthened. At midnight on July 17, 1914, the fleet communications service transmitted the prearranged signal “Smoke. Smoke. Smoke. Stay put.", according to which commanders of all ranks were to immediately open secret packages with instructions. On the evening of July 17, 1914, a brigade of battleships (except for "Andrew the First-Called") led by "Rurik" and 12 destroyers under the flag of Admiral N. O. Essen went on combat patrol to the island of Nargen (Estland province, Russia / now Latvia).On the morning of July 18, 1914, an order was received from the Minister of the Sea, Admiral I.K. Grigorovich and the commander-in-chief armed forces of the Russian Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich Romanov about setting up the main minefield - the basis of the mine-artillery position at the mouth of the Gulf of Finland, which was successfully completed by noon. On July 19, 1914, without meeting the enemy, the battleship brigade returned to Helsingfors, where at 20 hours 20 minutes a telegram was transmitted by semaphore from the Alexander Post that Germany had declared war. In the early morning of July 20, 1914, the battleship brigade again went out to defend the mine position to Nargen Island, the concentration of two cruiser brigades and the 1st mine division began there, but again, without meeting the enemy, the battleship brigade returned to Helsingfors (Helsinki) in the evening. On July 26, 1914, a battleship brigade led by the Rurik and two destroyer divisions of the 1st mine division went to join the 1st and 2nd cruiser brigades to conduct a combat operation against the Swedish fleet in the area of Gotland Island (Sweden). On July 28, 1914, the squadron took up combat positions, according to instructions, near the island of Gotland, but soon a resolution was received from Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolayevich to cancel the operation and return the ships to protect the Gulf of Finland. On August 13, 1914, Rurik, together with the cruisers Oleg and Rossiya, went to the island of Odensholm (Estland province, Russia / now Estonia) to the German cruiser Magdeburg, which had crashed. On August 19-21, 1914, the cruisers "Rurik", "Rossiya", "Bogatyr" and "Oleg", accompanied by a division and a half-division of destroyers, raided German patrols in order to break into the Danzig Bay, but were discovered by the enemy and returned back. October 25, 1914 by order of Admiral N.O. Essen created Detachment special purpose as part of the cruisers "Rurik", "Oleg", "Bogatyr" and the minelayer "Amur". On November 4-6, 1914, the Special Purpose Detachment laid two minefields at the Stolpe Bank. November 8, 1914 the cruiser stood in the Kronstadt dock. On November 14, 1914, having completed the repair, the Rurik left for Revel (Tallinn). From November 29 to December 1, 1914, Rurik, having taken on board 120 minefields, together with the cruisers Admiral Makarov and Bayan, laid minefields in the area (55 ° 08 "05" N, 18 "30" O). December 16, 1914 by order of Admiral N.O. Essen armored cruisers "Rurik", "Admiral Makarov" and "Bayan", as well as armored cruisers of the 1st rank "Oleg" and "Bogatyr" were consolidated into the 1st brigade of cruisers under the command of Rear Admiral M.K. Bakhireva. On January 1-2, 1915, the cruisers "Rurik", "Admiral Makarov" and "Bayan" carried out night cruising in the area where our minelayers laid minefields, providing their cover. On February 1, 1915, during a military operation while moving to the area of laying minefields in conditions of poor visibility, the Rurik seriously damaged the bottom when jumping over an extended stone bank not indicated on the maps. February 22, 1915 "Rurik" was delivered to the Kronstadt dock. On May 10, 1915, the cruiser left for Reval (Tallinn) for sea trials. On June 18, 1915, according to the order of the new Commander of the Naval Forces of the Baltic Sea, Vice Admiral V.A. Kanin, "Rurik" as part of the 1st brigade of cruisers and a division of destroyers with "Novik" went out to shell the German port of Memel (Klaipeda). On June 19, 1915, the commander of the detachment, Rear Admiral M.K. Bakhirev received a message about a detachment of German ships led by the cruiser "Augsburg" and decided to move closer to the enemy. Guidance of Russian ships was carried out by Captain 2nd Rank I.I. Rengarten, who followed the German radio traffic and timely recorded all changes in the situation. Soon the signalers found the cruiser Augsburg, the mine-layer Albatross and several destroyers ahead of us, which were returning after laying minefields in our positions. Firing at the approaching German ships, the Russian sailors in a short battle destroyed the Albatross and several destroyers, but the faster Augsburg was able to break away from pursuit and escape by calling the armored cruiser Roon, the light cruiser Lübeck and 4 destroyer, which entered into battle with the cruisers "Bayan" and "Oleg". The battle lasted no more than 20 minutes, thanks to accurate shooting and good maneuvering of "Bayan" and "Oleg", the German ships began to turn and lay down on the opposite course. But they did not manage to go far, they were intercepted by "Rurik", which was going to connect with his detachment. As a result of an artillery duel with "Lubeck" and "Roon", "Rurik" several times covered the "Roon" from the main and 8 "caliber. The battle lasted about 27 minutes and foreseeing the imminent loss of contact with the retreating enemy in the creeping fog, cruiser commander captain 1st rank A. M. Pyshnov decided to pursue, but the pursuit was unsuccessful and the ship turned away to return to the Gulf of Finland. June 20, 1915 "Bayan" and "Rurik" got up for repairs in Helsingfors (Helsinki). On July 4, 1915, the cruiser went into Revel (Tallinn) for sea trials after repair.On October 29, 1915, he took part in laying minefields as part of the 1st brigade of cruisers in the area of Gotland Island under the cover of the battleships Gangut and Petropavlovsk, submarines and a destroyer division with Novik ". On May 27, 1916, a Special Forces Detachment was formed consisting of the cruisers Rurik, Oleg and Bogatyr, the destroyers Novik, Pobeditel and Grom, and a division of coal destroyers to disrupt the German sea lanes in the area of Lansport - Gotland - Öland. In June 1916, "Rurik" was put on the modernization of artillery. On July 1, 1916, the cruiser entered service. November 6, 1916, when returning from a combat position, "Rurik" was blown up by a German mine, having received serious damage to the bow of the hull. On November 10, 1916, the ship was docked for damage repair and modernization. On January 17, 1917, all work was completed and the cruiser left for Reval (Tallinn) for sea trials. On February 25, 1918, the cruisers "Rurik" and "Admiral Makarov" provided cover for the evacuation of property and fleet forces from Reval (Tallinn), which was approached by German troops. On February 27, 1918, having made an ice crossing, the ships reached Helsingfors (Helsinki). March 11-17, 1918, in order to prevent the capture of ships by the Germans and White Finns in Helsingfors, the 1st brigade of battleships ("Gangut", "Sevastopol", "Petropavlovsk" and "Poltava") and the cruiser of the 1st brigade of cruisers ("Rurik" , "Admiral Makarov" and "Bogatyr") made the second ice transition to Kronstadt. On April 5, 1918, the Ermak icebreaker, accompanied by the Rurik cruiser, left Kronstadt to help the second detachment of ships (the 2nd brigade of the battleships Andrei Pervozvanny and Respublika / the former Emperor Pavel I, the cruisers Bayan and Oleg" and submarines "Tour", "Tiger" and "Lynx"), which were covered with ice off Rodsher Island (Russia). On May 16, 1918, by order of the fleet No. 292, the unit was renamed the cruiser brigade. In March 1919, the cruiser brigade was disbanded, and the ships were placed in long-term storage - "Rurik" and "Bogatyr" in Kronstadt, "Admiral Makarov", "Bayan" and "Oleg" in Petrograd (St. Petersburg). November 1, 1923 "Rurik" was expelled from the Baltic Fleet and transferred to the trust "Rudmetalltorg" for cutting into scrap metal. On February 25, 1925, the hull of the former cruiser was inventoried and the act recorded that the total weight of the metal in the said vessel was 10455.3 tons.

An armored cruiser was built at the La Seyne-sur-Mer shipyard in Toulon (France).

The lead armored cruiser "Bayan" entered service with the Baltic Fleet in 1903.

Tactical and technical data of the armored cruiser "Rurik II" Displacement:

normal 15200 tons, full 16500 tons.
Maximum length:	161.23 meters
Length according to design waterline:	158.23 meters
Length between perpendiculars:	149.35 meters
Maximum width:	22.86 meters
Nose side height:	15.52 meters
Midship Height:	15.02 meters
Board height in the stern:	13.02 meters
Hull draft:	7.92 meters
Power point:	2 steam engines of 9850 hp each, 28 Belleville water tube boilers, 2 FSH propellers, 1 rudder.
Electric power system:	DC 105 V, 4 dynamos "Volta" with a power of 504 kW and 1 with a power of 67 kW.
Travel speed:	full 21 knots, economic 10 knots.
cruising range:	4290 miles at 10 knots, 2568 miles at 21 knots.
Autonomy:	18 days at 10 knots, 5 days at 21 knots.
Seaworthiness:	there is no data.
Armament:	.
artillery:	2x2 254mm turrets, 4x2 203mm turrets, 20x1 120mm Vickers guns, 4x1 47mm Hotchkiss guns, 8x1 Maxim machine guns.
torpedo:	2x1 450-mm underwater TA.
Crew:	819 people (28 officers and class officials, 10 conductors).

In total, armored cruisers were built in 1909 - 1 unit.

Vessel class and type Cruiser Manufacturer Baltic plant Construction started May 19, 1890 Launched into the water October 22, 1892 Commissioned October 16, 1895 Status He died on August 14, 1904 at 10:42 Main characteristics Displacement 10 993/11 960 t Length 126 m Width 20 m Height 7.9 m Booking Belt - 127 ... 254 mm, traverses - 203 ... 254 mm,
deck - 37 mm Power 13 250 l. with. (9.7 MW) travel speed 18 knots (33 km/h) cruising range 6,700 nautical miles at 10 knots (12,400 km/19 km/h) Crew 22 officers, 719 sailors Armament Artillery 4 × 8″/35 calibers (203 mm),
16 × 6 ″ / 45 calibers of the Canet system (152 mm),
6 × 120 mm in 45 calibers of the Canet system,
6 × 47 mm, 10 × 37 mm Mine and torpedo armament Six 381 mm torpedo tubes

The cruiser project was proposed to the Baltic Shipyard by Admiral Shestakov.

The cruiser became the first ship from the planned series (the subsequent cruisers Rossiya and Gromoboy turned out to be not of the same type, but successively intensified projects) of ocean-going armored cruisers of increased displacement (twice the displacement of the predecessor cr. 1 p. "Memory of Azov"), among the requirements to the project - the possibility of intercepting British commercial ships in the event of a war with Great Britain, as well as the possibility of moving from the Baltic to the Far East without refueling with coal. After the cruiser was built, British experts noted that the cruiser looked outdated compared to British ships of a similar class.

Heroic battle in the Korea Strait

Russian ships entered into battle with the Japanese, but in view of the obvious superiority of the Japanese in firepower, it was decided to withdraw the ships to Vladivostok. Around 05:30 "Rurik" received a hole in the stern below the waterline, slowed down and went out of wake formation. At 06:28, in response to the request of the flagship, he raised the signal: "The rudder is not working." "Rurik", having received several Japanese shells in the stern, had the tiller and steering compartments flooded, and the steering gears were broken. At first, an attempt to restore control was successful, but by an unfortunate coincidence, after a few minutes, another Japanese shell jammed the steering blade to the starboard side, and at least it was not possible to return it to a straight position. The cruiser tried to stay on course, slowing down the left vehicle or even backing it up, but could no longer keep up with the other ships of the detachment. By order of Admiral Jessen, Rossiya and Gromoboi repeatedly attempted to cover the cruiser, push Japanese ships away from Rurik and divert fire towards themselves, but as a result, under heavy Japanese fire, with heavy damage and casualties among crew members, they were forced to leave from the battlefield. At 8:20 on the flagship they decide to go to Vladivostok, pulling the Japanese armored cruisers towards themselves, in the hope that the Rurik will be able to fight off the light armored cruisers, repair the damage and continue sailing on their own, reach Vladivostok, or at least jump onto the Korean coast. The departed ships were pursued by the Japanese, but when they began to run out of shells, at 10:04 Kamimura ordered to turn back.

In the battle with Japanese light cruisers, Rurik, having lost steering control, maneuvered by varying the speed of the left and right vehicles, which made it possible to change the speed and radius of circulation. Since the cruiser's fire was significantly weakened, the Japanese ships approached the Rurik, continuing to methodically finish it off. At this time, the Russian cruiser, sharply increasing its speed, on the next circulation tried to ram one of the enemy ships, simultaneously firing a second torpedo from the last serviceable torpedo tube. Having evaded these maneuvers, the Japanese cruisers retreated to a long distance and no longer made attempts to rendezvous until the Rurik began to sink. This was one of the only cases in history of the use of torpedo weapons by a large surface ship in a real battle, as well as one of the last cases of an attempt to ram a large ship using an underwater bow “ram protrusion”, which was made specifically for this purpose.

The commander (captain of the 1st rank) Evgeny Alexandrovich Trusov and the senior officer were mortally wounded at the very beginning of the battle. Of the 22 officers, 6 were killed and died of wounds, 9 were wounded, 7 remained unharmed. Of the 800 people of the team, 200 were killed, seriously and lightly wounded 278. By the time the five-hour battle ended, only one lieutenant Ivanov remained alive on the Rurik 13th (according to the numbering of namesakes adopted then in the Russian fleet), only one 47-mm gun remained in service, which shot all the ammunition. Returning with the main forces, Admiral Kamimura was waiting for the surrender of the Rurik, about which the Japanese ships signaled several times. Convinced that all means of resistance had been exhausted, Ivanov-Thirteenth gave the order to destroy the cruiser. Since the demolition charges were damaged, the kingstones were opened. The cruiser's stern gradually sank into the water; at 10:20 the list intensified, and the cruiser capsized to the port side, the ram was exposed for a moment and at 10:42 the cruiser finally sank near the island of Ulsan. Of the 796 sailors on the cruiser, 193 were killed and 229 were wounded. Of the 22 officers, 9 were killed and 9 wounded.

Other ships with the same name

Links

R. M. Melnikov."Rurik" was the first.

Armored cruisers of the Navy of the Russian Empire
Type Prince Pozharsky	Prince Pozharsky Minin
Type General-Admiral	General Admiral Duke of Edinburgh (Alexander Nevsky)
Type Dmitry Donskoy	Dmitry Donskoy Vladimir Monomakh
Type Admiral Nakhimov	Admiral Nakhimov
Type Memory of Azov

The Russian cruiser "Rurik" became known to the whole world thanks to an unequal battle in the Korean Bay during the Russo-Japanese War. Surrounded by the crew decided to flood the ship so that it would not go to the enemy. Before the defeat in the Korean Gulf, the cruiser managed to disperse the forces of the Japanese fleet for several months, leaving for raids from Vladivostok.

Construction

The famous armored cruiser "Rurik" became the brainchild of the Baltic Shipyard. This ship was created in the heat of a military race with the British fleet. The ship was supposed to be a worthy analogue of the British Blake fast cruisers. In 1888, the engineers of the Baltic Shipyard proposed a draft of the project to Admiral Chikhachev and the Marine Technical Committee (MTK).

The draft design has been revised. In the MTK, the future cruiser "Rurik" got rid of some design flaws and technical equipment. The drawings were approved by Emperor Alexander III. Construction began on May 19, 1890. After two years of work, the Baltic Shipyard prepared the Rurik cruiser. It was launched in 1892, and in 1895 the ship was commissioned.

It was assumed that the ship would be the first in a series of cruisers of the same type. Built after him, "Gromoboy" and "Russia" became not twin brothers, but modifications (with increased displacement). Interestingly, the Rurik cruiser was created as a potential interceptor for English merchant ships. It was intended to be so used in the event of war with Great Britain. In addition, the terms of reference included a requirement to create a ship capable of crossing from the Baltic Sea to the Far East without resorting to refueling with coal. In order to pass this route, the crew had to sail the southern seas and go around almost all of Eurasia.

in the Pacific Fleet

Almost immediately after the Rurik cruiser was built, the fleet decided to transfer it to Pacific Ocean. This redeployment was linked to the escalation of tensions in Far East. The port of Vladivostok became the place of registration of the new ship. The alleged conflict with Great Britain did not happen.

Instead, the Russo-Japanese War began in February 1904. At this time, "Rurik" as usual was in Vladivostok. An order followed to go to sea and strike at the Japanese-Chinese trade and water communications. The ships leaving for the voyage exchanged salutes with the city. They were escorted by crowds of civilians. The main task of the squadron, which in addition to "Rurik" included "Bogatyr", "Russia" and "Gromoboy", was to divert the Japanese forces. If the enemy fleet were divided, then it would be easier to defend the fortress of Port Arthur.

"Rurik", acting in was supposed to destroy transport ships carrying troops and military cargo, coastal ships and enemy structures located on the shore. Since the cruiser was noticeably outdated, it was possible to go on a campaign only as a whole detachment, and not individually. The squadron returned to Vladivostok only for parking, which was necessary to replenish the stocks that had run out.

First campaign

On the first trip, the cruisers went to It was planned that the city of Genzan (modern Wonsan) would be the next target. However, on the way, the ships got into a storm. Since it was winter on the calendar, the water that got into the guns soon turned into ice. Because of this, the squadron became incapacitated. Weather and climatic conditions were really not the best. In order to leave Vladivostok, the cruisers had to wait for the icebreaker to open their way through the frozen bay.

It was this inconvenience that forced the Russian leadership to occupy the Chinese fortress of Port Arthur. Its strategically important and convenient Port Arthur was also wanted by the Japanese. The city and the ships in it were blocked. The squadron "Rurik" was supposed to disperse the enemy's forces in order to alleviate the situation of the port, while the ships of the Baltic Fleet came to the rescue. Due to the icing of the guns, the detachment briefly returned to Vladivostok.

Defense of Vladivostok

In the port, the craftsmen repaired the Rurik. The cruiser (whose type was armored) was replenished with food supplies, and he set off again. The second trip has begun. There were no Japanese ships in the sea. But even this voyage of the Russian squadron forced the enemy to transfer part of his forces in order to intimidate the Russians.

In March, the enemy squadron, leaving, headed for the Peter the Great Bay near Vladivostok. The detachment included the latest Japanese turret cruisers Azuma, Izumo, Yakumo and Iwate. They were accompanied by several light ships. The squadron opened fire on Vladivostok. The shells did not reach the city, but the inhabitants were seriously frightened. "Rurik" weighed anchor in the port ten minutes after the first volleys were fired. There were ice in the bay. They prevented a quick exit from the port. The detachment of cruisers ended up at the moment when the Japanese were already leaving their positions. Dusk was falling, and the ships, having traveled another twenty miles and seeing the enemy on the horizon, stopped. In addition, in Vladivostok, they began to fear that the Japanese had left mines somewhere nearby.

New challenges

The failures of the first days of the war led to personnel rotations in the leadership of the fleet. The tsarist government appointed Admiral Makarov as commander. He set new tasks for Rurik and his squadron. It was decided to abandon the strategy of raids on the Japanese coast. Instead, "Rurik" was now supposed to prevent the transfer of enemy troops to Genzan. This Korean port was the Japanese foothold, land operations began from there.

Makarov allowed to go to sea in any composition (it does not matter if it is a squadron or individual ships). He reasoned on the basis that Russian guns were more powerful and more effective than Japanese ones. The admiral was wrong. Hat-throwing moods in Russia on the eve of the war were commonplace. The Japanese were not perceived as serious opponents.

The economy of this Asian country has been in isolation for a long time. And only in last years Tokyo began forced reforms in the army and navy. The new armed forces were built according to the Western European model. Equipment was also purchased foreign and only best quality. The Japanese intervention in the Far East was looked down upon in Moscow, considering the Japanese to be upstarts. It was because of this frivolous attitude that the whole war was lost. But so far the prospects were unclear, and the headquarters hoped for a chance and courage of the Russian sailors.

Distracting maneuvers

More than a month "Rurik" was in the port. Meanwhile, Admiral Makarov died near Port Arthur. He was on the battleship Petropavlovsk, which hit a mine. The Japanese command decided that after the tragic death of the admiral, the Russians would not lean out of the encircled Port Arthur for a long time. Therefore, Tokyo gave the order to defeat the group based in Vladivostok.

At this time, "Rurik" again went on a campaign. This time the squadron moved towards the Japanese city of Hakodate. At sea, she came across a transport ship, which was sunk by a torpedo launched by Rossiya. The prisoners told that the squadron of Admiral Kamimura was nearby. Then the Russian ships turned back to Vladivostok, never reaching Hakodate. Luckily, the teams did not meet this time. Kamimura's ships were much stronger than the Russian ones, which could lead to an unconditional defeat.

But even in such a dubious position, "Rurik" successfully completed its goal. The Vladivostok squadron was supposed to divert part of the enemy forces from Port Arthur. Since April, Kamimura's ships have not left the Sea of Japan, which was only in the hands of Russia. In May, due to an unfortunate coincidence, the Bogatyr cruiser had an accident, buried in the rocks of Cape Bruce. After this incident, three ships remained in the squadron.

Fight in Shimonoseki Strait

On the last day of the spring of 1904, three cruisers again set off for combat navigation. Before entering the Shimonoseki Strait, they stumbled upon Japanese transport ships. The radio operators skillfully set up radio interference, due to which the enemy was unable to send a distress signal to Admiral Kamimura. Japanese ships rushed in all directions. In the morning, the patrol cruiser Tsushima appeared on the horizon through the fog.

The ship tried to hide and reach the shore. A general chase began. The Russian squadron managed to overtake the Izumo Maru transport ship. It was sunk after heavy shelling. About a hundred people were removed from the ship. The rest swam away in different directions. The crews of "Rurik" and "Russia" did not dare to part with the "Gromoboy" and stopped the pursuit.

At the entrance to the Shimonoseki Strait, another enemy transport caught fire. The ship even tried to ram the Thunderbolt, but nothing came of it. He was shot at point-blank range and finally finished off with a torpedo. The ship sank. It had about a thousand soldiers and eighteen powerful howitzers, which the Japanese were going to use to lay siege to Port Arthur. The situation of the surrounded city became worse and worse. Under these conditions, the Vladivostok squadron almost did not leave the sea, and if it stopped at its port, it was only in order to quickly replenish supplies. There was no time to repair and replace worn parts.

Last encounter

After long maneuvers on August 14, 1904, the cruisers Rossiya, Gromoboy and Rurik finally collided with the Japanese squadron. It had six ships. They were superior to Russian ships in terms of armor protection and firepower. The Vladivostok detachment went to the rescue of ships trying to break out of the encirclement in Port Arthur.

Japanese guns were 4 times faster and more powerful. This ratio predetermined the sad outcome of the battle. Already at the beginning of the clash, it became clear that the enemy had the advantage. Then it was decided to return the ships to the port of Vladivostok. It failed to do so. The guns of the cruiser "Rurik" tried to keep the enemy at a safe distance, but after another well-aimed salvo of the ship's feed, it received a dangerous hole.

Due to the hit, the steering wheel stopped working, control was lost. Water rushed into the compartments. The steering and tiller cabins were flooded within an hour. The blades jammed, due to which the crew on the ship became a helpless hostage of the situation. The speed of the vessel continued to decrease, although it kept its previous course. "Rurik" (cruiser of 1892) began to lag behind other ships of the squadron. The distance between them steadily increased.

Surrounded

The Russian squadron entered the Korean Strait under the command of Karl Jessen. When the captain realized that things were bad, he gave the order to "Russia" and "Gromoboy" to cover the "Rurik" from Japanese fire. The distraction proved pointless. The crews of these ships suffered heavy losses. Sailors and officers fell dead under heavy enemy fire.

For this reason, "Russia" and "Gromoboy" were forced to leave the Korea Strait. At first, Jessen hoped that the armored cruisers of the Japanese, representing the greatest danger, would chase the flagship and leave the Rurik alone. The ship's guns could protect it from attacks by light ships. If the team had promptly repaired the damage, the cruiser would have been able to continue on its way back home, or at least go towards the Korean coast.

The Japanese really rushed after the "Russia". However, when she was out of range of the ships of the imperial fleet, they returned to the battlefield. At this time, "Rurik" tried to maneuver and continued to resist, although due to damage, its firepower was significantly weakened. Then the crew made an attempt to ram light Japanese ships. They were able to dodge, and as a precaution, they retreated to a great distance. All that remained for them was to wait until the encircled ship began to sink, and the death of the Rurik cruiser would become inevitable. Finally, Russian sailors launched a torpedo at the enemies from the last surviving torpedo tube. However, the projectile did not hit the target.

Order of Ivanov-Thirteenth

At the very beginning of the battle, the captain of the Rurik Yevgeny Trusov died. The senior officer who was supposed to replace him was also mortally wounded. In total, out of 800 people in the team, 200 were killed and about 300 more were injured. The last surviving senior officer was Konstantin Ivanov. At the end of the five-hour battle, when its outcome was already clear, this man took command.

Meanwhile, the Japanese began to give signals that they were ready to accept the surrender of the enemy. The squadron was commanded by Admiral Hikonojo Kamimura. He was just returning from the pursuit of "Russia" and "Gromoboy" and now he was waiting for a response from the encircled crew. When Ivanov realized that all means of resistance had been exhausted, he ordered the ship to be scuttled. Usually the Russian fleet used special charges for this purpose, which undermined the ship. However, this time they were damaged. Then the crew decided to open the kingstones - special valves. After that, the water rushed into the ship's system even more strongly. "Rurik" (cruiser of 1892) quickly sank, first capsizing on the port side, and then completely under water.

The feat and glory of the cruiser

Russia lost the Russo-Japanese War, but its army and navy again demonstrated their courage and loyalty to duty to the whole world. In the Korean Strait, the Rurik cruiser collided with ships that were much more modern and more powerful than it. An outdated vessel with poor armor, however, took the fight. The feat of the cruiser "Rurik" was highly appreciated not only at home, but also in foreign countries, and even in Japan itself.

Officer Konstantin Ivanov wore number 13 in his crew. This was a naval tradition that extended to namesakes. After the end of the war and returning to his homeland, he was awarded numerous awards (like all his comrades). The emperor, having learned about his number, changed the name of the officer by his highest order. Konstantin Ivanov became Konstantin Ivanov the Thirteenth. Today, the Russian fleet continues to remember the feat and faithful service of the cruiser. It is curious that back in the 1890s, Alexander Kolchak served as an assistant to the head of the watch on the ship. Much later, he became an admiral, and after that - one of the leaders white movement and the main opponents of the new Bolshevik government.

In 1906, the cruiser Rurik 2 was launched. It was named after its predecessor, which was sunk during the Russo-Japanese War. The ship became the flagship of the Baltic Fleet. The cruiser "Rurik 2" took part in the First World War, leading a constant firefight with German ships. This ship also sank. It hit a mine on November 20, 1916, off the coast of the island of Gotland.