Protected Cruisers: Varyag - hero ship

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timlewin
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Protected Cruisers: Varyag - hero ship

Unread post by timlewin »

here is the story of the Russian protected cruiser VARYAG, a legendary ship in Russian military mythology, there is even a patriotic song about her action with the Japanese. I remember the creation of the memorial very well, it was the inspiration of a new Russian tycoon who fotted the cost of its creation. He flew a bunch of his colleagues and politicians to Scotland for its dedication, they hired a pipe band and did the whole thing in style before vanishing back to Russia. This is a particularly Russian story with very little reference or relativity to GB or the RN. The following is from Wiki but there is plenty on the net if anyone is interested in more detail.
tim




Imperial Russian Navy ship VARYAG.

The Imperial Admiralty contracted William Cramp & Sons of Philadelphia to build the ship, and her keel was laid in October 1898. Launched on 31 October 1899, under Captain Vladimir Behr, she was commissioned into the Imperial Russian Navy on 2 January 1901.

During her construction, an assistant physician, Leo Alexandroff, left the ship's advance party on 20 April 1899, and applied for U.S. citizenship. He was arrested for desertion. His case reached the United States Supreme Court, which ruled in Tucker v. Alexandroff that the ship, though not accepted for service in the Imperial Russian Navy, was a warship under the terms of the 1832 treaty between Russia and the United States.

During the Battle of Chemulpo Bay at the start of the Russo-Japanese War, Varyag (under the command of Captain of the First Rank Vsevolod Rudnev) found itself in battle, engaged with the heavily superior Japanese squadron of Admiral Uriu, (one armoured cruiser, five protected cruisers and eight destroyers) in a heroic attempt to break out from Chemulpo (Incheon) harbour 9 February 1904. Chemulpo was in neutral Korean waters. Admiral Uriu gave the Russian ships in harbor a written ultimatum to sail by 12:00 noon or be attacked in the harbor itself. Captain Rudnev sortied, accompanied by the gunboat Koreets; having lost 31 men dead, 191 injured (out of 570) and outgunned, both ships returned to harbor by 1:00 p.m., the crew decided not to surrender, but to sink the ship. The crew was saved by transferring them to the British cruiser Talbot, the French cruiser Pascal, and the Italian cruiser Elba; the captain of the US gunboat Vicksburg declined doing so as a violation of U.S. neutrality

In 1907, Vsevolod Rudnev (by that time dismissed from Russian naval service in the rank of rear admiral) was decorated with the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun for his heroism in that battle; although he accepted the order, he never wore it in public.

Varyag was later salvaged by the Japanese and repaired. She served with the Imperial Japanese Navy as the protected cruiser Soya.

For the record of Soya after salvaging by Japan and prior to her return to Russia, see Japanese cruiser Soya.

During World War I, Russia and Japan were allies and several ships were transferred by the Japanese to the Russians. She was repurchased by the Imperial Russian Navy at Vladivostok on 5 April 1916 and renamed back to Varyag. In June, she departed for Murmansk via the Indian Ocean, arriving in November 1916. She was sent to Liverpool in Great Britain for an overhaul by Cammell Laird in February 1917, and was due to re-enter service with the Arctic squadron of the Russian Navy. However, following the Russian October Revolution on 7 November 1917 crewmen who had remained onboard hoisted the red flag and refused to set sail. On 8 December 1917 she was seized by a detachment of British soldiers. Assigned to the Royal Navy in February 1918, she ran aground while under tow off of Ireland, but was refloated and used as a hulk until 1919. She was then sold to a German firm in 1920 for scrap, but on 5 February 1920 ran aground on rocks near the Scottish village of Lendalfoot.

The stoicism of Varyag's crew at Chemulpo has inspired the Austrian poet Rudolf Greinz to write a poem dedicated to Varyag. The Russian translation of this poem was put on music by A.S. Turischev. The result was the 1904 song that remains popular today:

On Sunday 30 July 2006 (Russian Navy Day), a memorial plaque to the cruiser was unveiled at Lendalfoot in a ceremony attended by senior Russian politicians and navy personnel, veterans and local dignitaries.[6][7]

On 8 September 2007 a monument in the form of a large bronze cross was unveiled as an addition to the Lendalfoot memorial, in a ceremony attended by former Nato Secretary General George Robertson, British and Russian navy officers and diplomats.[8] The “Cruiser Varyag” Charity Foundation had organised a competition in Russia for the design of the monument,[9] and RT International described it as "the first monument to Russian military glory in the UK".[10]

In 2010, as a gesture marking the 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Russia, the flag of Varyag was restored. The Japanese Navy recovered the flag when the ship was salvaged; and the Incheon Metropolitan Museum acquired them after Japan's defeat at the end of World War II. The return of the flag takes the form of a two-year renewable loan because of the Korean law protecting cultural assets.
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ivorthediver
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Re: Protected Cruisers: Varyag - hero ship

Unread post by ivorthediver »

Well if nothing else Tim a colourful existence certainly .

Thanks for telling us of this story and the narrative behind it . :)
"What Ever Floats your Boat"
designeraccd
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Re: Protected Cruisers: Varyag - hero ship

Unread post by designeraccd »

To illustrate the old cruiser......

Plus she is in background in 3rd photo, in Far East. Port Arthur??....DFO
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designeraccd
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Re: Protected Cruisers: Varyag - hero ship

Unread post by designeraccd »

VARYAG's encounter, with gunboat KOREETZ at what is now called Incheon in 1904 was not a good one. The IJN sank both Russian units..... :( DFO
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timlewin
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Re: Protected Cruisers: Varyag - hero ship

Unread post by timlewin »

wonderful pictures; now I remembered to eccentric billionaire who was behind the memorial, Mikhail Slippenchuk, there is as much about his "colourful life" on the internet as there is about Varyag, to avoid any legal action I urge you to seek him out for yourselves! At the time I write to him to ask his support for Belfast an my mast appeal, he did not reply.
tim

PS; very likely port Arthur...
designeraccd
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Re: Protected Cruisers: Varyag - hero ship

Unread post by designeraccd »

Yup, most likely Port Arthur, but now BIG aircraft carriers are built there!!! :o DFO
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Brian James
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Re: Protected Cruisers: Varyag - hero ship

Unread post by Brian James »

Russian Protected Cruiser Varyag pictured bunkering off William Cramp & Sons Shipyard, Philadelphia after her first speed trials,where she attained 24.6 knots as registered on her second funnel...July 27th 1900...During the Battle of Chemulpo Bay at the start of the Russo-Japanese War, Varyag (under the command of Captain of the First Rank Vsevolod Rudnev) found itself in battle, engaged with the heavily superior Japanese squadron of Admiral Uriu, (one Armoured Cruiser, five Protected Cruisers and eight Destroyers) in a heroic attempt to break out from Chemulpo (Incheon) harbour February 9th 1904. Chemulpo was in neutral Korean waters. Admiral Uriu gave the Russian ships in harbour a written ultimatum to sail by 12:00 noon or be attacked in the harbour itself. Captain Rudnev sortied, accompanied by the Gunboat Koreets; having lost 31 men dead, 191 injured (out of 570) and outgunned, both ships returned to harbour by 1:00 p.m., the crew decided not to surrender, but to sink the ship. The crew was saved by transferring them to the British Cruiser Talbot, the French Cruiser Pascal, and the Italian Cruiser Elba; the captain of the US Gunboat Vicksburg declined doing so as a violation of U.S. neutrality...Varyag was later salvaged by the Japanese and repaired. She served with the Imperial Japanese Navy as the Protected Cruiser Soya.
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designeraccd
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Re: Protected Cruisers: Varyag - hero ship

Unread post by designeraccd »

Here she departs, perhaps before her lop sided battle.......... :( DFO
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Brian James
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Re: Protected Cruisers: Varyag - hero ship

Unread post by Brian James »

Protected Cruiser Varyag pictured on commissioning in 1901.
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Brian James
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Re: Protected Cruisers: Varyag - hero ship

Unread post by Brian James »

Protected Cruiser Varyag pictured off William Cramp & Sons Shipyards Philadelphia, moored in the Delaware River prior to sea trials before departing for Kronstadt in 1901
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