Gunboat Korean cabin company. Gunboat "Korean"

Original taken from seleznev_ms VGunboat “Koreets”

Glory cruiser “Varyag” turned out to be so loud that there wasn’t much of it left for the gunboat “Koreets”, although it was this modest ship that found itself in the very center of the events that took place in the roadstead of the Korean port of Chemuppo on February 8, 1904.

By the beginning of the Russian-Japanese War, the “Korean” had a cohesive, well-trained crew, led by an experienced commander - 46-year-old captain of the 2nd rank G.P. Belyaev. Experienced naval sailor, G.P. Belyaev had no illusions regarding the possible outcome of the battle with the enemy, who had more than nine times superiority over the Russian ships in the mass of the broadside and in conditions where the Varyag and Koreets were completely deprived of space for wide maneuver.
On the “Koreyts”, the topmasts were cut down, the gaffs on the foremast and mainmast, the mizzen boom and other wooden and fire-hazardous structures - ladders, skylights, etc. were removed. The engine room hatch was covered with combat gratings made of grates and meshes made of inch steel cable . They battened down all the watertight doors, hatches and necks, made a patch to seal the holes, deployed dressing stations, and he and the “Varyag” went out to their last battle. In the presence of a commission of officers, all codes, secret orders and maps were burned. Only the logbook was left, which it was decided to keep for as long as possible. Then both crew chambers were prepared for explosion.

From the report of the commander of “Korean” G.P. Belyaeva: “Responding to the Japanese, I opened fire from the right 8-inch gun, aiming it at the Asama and Takashiho. He fired high-explosive bombs. When our first shell undershot a lot, I set the sights to the maximum distance, but still got undershoots ; in view of which he temporarily stopped firing. But soon he opened it from the right 8 dm and the rear 6 dm guns. When an explosion was noticed near the stern tower of the cruiser "Asama", the team greeted this first success with a loud “hurray”. an explosion also occurred on the fourth Japanese cruiser in order of formation.

The enemy's shells, in addition to three undershots, overshot me. The enemy also fired high-explosive shells, apparently filled with lidite; most of them were torn apart when they fell. One of the many fragments raining down around the boat punctured the ram compartment 1 foot above the waterline. At about 12 hours 15 minutes of the day, when the “Varyag”, having a noticeable list, turned towards the roadstead, followed it, giving full speed - and covered it, first with fire from the left 8 dm. and stern 6 dm. guns, and then only with stern fire. From 9 lb. Three shots were fired from the guns in the battle, but due to undershoots, I stopped firing from these guns." The sea around the “Korean” was boiling with explosions, but not a single enemy shell hit the ship...

“According to further news, the cruiser Asama was badly damaged: its stern turret was hit and its armor was destroyed in many places; it was docked in Japan. The cruiser Takashiho, after the battle, was sent to Japan to repair the damage, sank at sea .

Both in battle and in these difficult days, the entire personnel of the boat entrusted to me, from the senior officer to the last sailor, showed high fighting qualities and served with unshakable courage and bravery. Everyone did their duty. Made from 8 dm in battle. guns - 22 shots, from a 6 dm. - 27 and from a 9 pound gun - 3 shots. There were no killed or wounded."

Realizing that the continuation of the battle would lead to the useless death of people without causing any harm to the enemy, it was decided to blow up the ships and, by agreement with the commanders of foreign stationers, place the teams on their ships in order to avoid shameful captivity. On the "Korean" they began to prepare for an explosion. Soon, boats began to fall away from the sides of the Russian ships, transporting the wounded and then the rest of the crews aboard the French cruiser Pascal. The last to leave the "Korean" was its commander G.P. Belyaev.
At approximately 16:05 a powerful explosion erupted over the raid - the flare in the crew chamber of the “Koreyets” went off. The boat's hull was torn into several parts...

The kingstons were opened on the Varyag and the cruiser was scuttled, as the commanders of the foreign ships asked V.F. Rudneva to refrain from an explosion, fearing for the safety of their ships... . Newspapers literally all over the world reported on the feat of the Russian sailors, and an enthusiastic reception awaited them at home.
The personnel of both ships were awarded St. George's crosses and a special medal “For the battle of “Varyag” and “Korean” on January 27. 1904
In 1905, the gunboat "Korean" was raised by the Japanese and scrapped.

CHARACTERISTICS AND DESIGN

"Koreets" is a Russian seaworthy gunboat with heavy artillery, designed to protect coastal waters. The lead ship of a large series of Russian seaworthy gunboats. Laid down according to a Russian design in 1886 in Stockholm, launched on August 7, 1886, and entered service in 1888.

Displacement 1334 t,
power of horizontal double expansion steam engine 1564 hp. With.,
speed 13.5 knots.
Maximum length 66.3 m,
width 10.7,
average recess 3.5 m.
Reservation: deck 12.7 mm.
Armament: 2 - 203 mm guns, 1 - 152 mm gun, 4 - 9-pounder, 2 - 47 mm,
4 - 37 mm and 1 landing gun.

Gunboat "Korean". Model in a bottle (1 l.) Author Artem Popov.

In the magazine for paper modeling, Paper Modeling, number 51, patterns for the Korean gunboat are presented.

The seaworthy gunboat Koreets was built in Stockholm by Bergsund Mekaniska. Laid down in 1886, launched on August 7, 1886, entered service in 1888.

A total of 9 ships were built under this project: Koreets, Mandzhur, Khivinets, Donets, Zaporozhets, Kubanets, Terets, Uralets and Chernomorets. However, they cannot be called completely the same type; the external differences were quite significant. Initially, the “Korean” carried the sailing rig of a barquentine, but later the mast was reduced.

The Korean spent almost his entire service serving in the Far East. In June 1900, during the Chinese campaign to suppress the Boxer uprising, as part of an international squadron, he took part in the bombardment of the Dagu (Tianjin) forts at the mouth of the Baihe River; At the same time, he received several hits, suffered damage and losses - 9 killed and 20 wounded.

Before the start of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, together with the 1st rank armored cruiser Varyag (commander - 1st rank captain V.F. Rudnev), the Korean was stationed as a stationary in the Korean port of Chemulpo.

On January 14, telegraph communication with Port Arthur was interrupted. On January 26, the gunboat Koreets, having received mail, tried to leave Chemulpo, but its path was blocked at sea by a squadron of Rear Admiral S. Uriu consisting of the armored cruiser Asama, 2nd class cruisers Chiyoda, Naniwa, Takachiho, Niitaka and Akashi, as well as three transports and four destroyers. Having no order to open fire, the Korean commander, Captain 2nd Rank G.P. Belyaev, ordered to turn back. And the next morning, the Russian sailors learned that war had been declared between Russia and Japan.

S. Uriu sent messages to the commanders of the warships of neutral countries located in Chemulpo (the English cruiser Talbot, the French Pascal, the Italian Elba and the American gunboat Vicksburg) with a request to leave the raid in connection with possible actions against the Varangian and the Korean. V.F. Rudnev, who was the commander of a detachment of Russian ships, decided to go to sea and try to fight his way to Port Arthur.

The battle lasted about 1 hour. The Korean took part only in its final phase, covering the Varyag’s retreat; he managed to repel a torpedo attack launched by Japanese destroyers. During the battle, the ship fired 52 shells at the enemy; The Korean had no losses or damage.

To prevent the ship from being captured by the Japanese, after the battle the Korean was blown up in the Chemulpo roadstead. The crew was taken on board the French cruiser Pascal, taken to Saigon and soon returned to Russia.

In St. Petersburg, all officers were awarded the Order of St. George, 4th degree, and team members were awarded the insignia of this order. In honor of the sailors' feat, a special medal was established for the battle of the Varyag and the Korean at Chemulpo, which was awarded to all participants in the battle.

The battle of January 27, 1904, which glorified the name of Varyag, has been described many times, but completely ambiguously, in historical and fiction literature. The course of the battle itself, its military and political results, receive diametrically opposed interpretations and assessments. However, the actions of the Korean crew and its commander, Captain 2nd Rank G.P. Belyaev, in this battle are always recognized as an example of impeccable performance of military duty.

From us you can download the magazine Paper Modeling - 51 - Gunboat Korean for free, without registration and SMS.

The seaworthy gunboat "Koreets" was built by Russian order at one of the Swedish shipyards and entered service in 1887. The ship had a displacement of 1334 tons and could reach speeds of up to 13.4 knots (about 25 km/h). The armament consisted of two 203 mm guns on sponsons in the bow of the ship, one 152 mm retardation gun, four 107 mm guns, four 37 mm rapid-fire guns and one torpedo tube. A significant part of the Korean's service was spent in the Far East, where the boat served as a stationary vessel in a number of Japanese and Korean ports. The military debut of the “Korean” in June 1900 was an artillery duel with the forts of the Chinese fortress Taku. At the height of the battle, a 203 mm shell from the Koreyets caused an explosion of ammunition at one of the Taku forts, which predetermined the outcome of the artillery confrontation. For this battle, “Korean” would have been awarded the St. George Silver Horn. The gunboat itself was also significantly damaged, receiving from six to eight direct hits. Nine crew members were killed and twenty were injured. While extinguishing a fire on the Koreyets, the artillery officer of the boat, Lieutenant Burakov, was killed by a fragment of an exploding shell. Subsequently, the name of this hero was borne by the fastest ship of the Russian-Japanese War - the destroyer Lieutenant Burakov.

The Russo-Japanese War found the "Koreets" together with the cruiser "Varyag" in the Korean port of Chemulpo (modern Incheon). On January 26, 1904, less than a day before the Japanese fleet attacked the Russian squadron in Port Arthur, the first episode of a military clash of an as yet undeclared war took place. To restore the broken connection with the squadron, by order of the commander of the “Varyag” V.F. Rudnev, the “Korean” under the command of captain 2nd rank G.P. Belyaev was sent to Port Arthur. While the gunboat was moving through a narrow strait, the Japanese squadron began dangerous provocative maneuvering around the Russian gunboat, as a result of which the destroyer Tsubame ran aground and was holed. The second phase of the incident involved the use of weapons by both sides. The Japanese destroyers fired three Whitehead mines (torpedoes) almost point-blank at the Koreyets, two of which missed, and the third sank a few meters from the Russian gunboat. In response, the Korean fired several shots from a 37 mm revolver cannon. The parties had no losses or damage (with the exception of the Tsubame that ran aground). After the incident, “Korean” was forced to return to the Chemulpo roadstead.

On January 27, 1904, a Japanese ultimatum ordered Russian ships to leave the port of Chemulpo, otherwise the enemy threatened to attack Russian ships at the anchorage. The composition of the Japanese forces in the battle of Chemulpo on January 27, 1904 is still assessed differently in the literature. It is more often indicated that the cruiser "Varyag" and the gunboat "Korean" were attacked by the Japanese squadron of Rear Admiral Uriu consisting of 14 ships - 6 cruisers and 8 destroyers. Outwardly, there was a huge numerical and qualitative superiority of the Japanese, which the enemy never took advantage of during the battle. It must be taken into account that on the eve of the battle at Chemulpo, the Uriu squadron consisted of not even 14, but 15 pennants - the armored cruiser Asama, armored cruisers Naniwa, Takachiho, Niitaka, Chiyoda, Akashi and eight destroyers and advice note "Chihaya". True, the day before, as mentioned above, the Japanese suffered non-combat losses, and there was temporarily one less unit in the Uriu squadron. The messenger ship Chihaya, which, nevertheless, was in close proximity to the battle site, did not participate in the battle. In reality, due to the narrowness of the strait, the battle was fought by a group of four Japanese cruisers, two more cruisers participated only sporadically, and the presence of Japanese destroyers remained a presence factor.

Before the battle, the topmasts (the upper part of the masts) were cut down on the “Koreyets” in order to introduce a deliberate error in the shooting of the Japanese gunners. The Japanese calculated the distance to the target using Lujol prisms, focusing on the tabulated and not the actual height of the target's spar. Therefore, during the shooting at the “Korean”, Japanese shells landed with flights that were inexplicable to the enemy. As a result of the battle on January 27, the Russian gunboat had no losses or damage (only one fragment pierced the side 30 cm above the waterline). The boat returned fire from two 203 mm and one 152 mm guns. When approaching the enemy, three shots were fired from 107 mm. guns, but the fire from them was immediately stopped when it became clear that the enemy was out of range. In literature and art, an artistic image has been created that the “Varyag” and “Korean” found themselves under a hail of Japanese shells. However, the figures given in the reports of the commanders of Russian and Japanese ships give a slightly different picture. In just 50 minutes of the battle at Chemulpo, six Japanese cruisers spent 419 shells. In response, the Korean fired twenty-two 203-mm shells, twenty-seven 152-mm, and three 107-mm. During the battle, “Varyag”, based on the report of V.F. Rudnev, spent 1105 shells.

It turns out that in the battle of Chemulpo two Russian ships fired almost three times more shells than the entire Japanese squadron. The question remains debatable about how the records of spent shells were kept on Russian ships or whether the figure was indicated approximately based on the results of a crew survey. Disputes also continue about the effectiveness of the fire of the Varyag and the Korean. Russian sources indicate very high enemy losses: a destroyed destroyer, 30 killed and 200 wounded. They are based mainly on the opinions of representatives of foreign powers who observed the battle. Over time, two destroyers and the cruiser Takachiho were already sunk (by the way, this data ended up in the feature film “Cruiser Varyag”). And if the fate of some Japanese destroyers really raises questions, then the cruiser Takachiho, although not very safely, survived the Russian-Japanese War and died 10 years later with its entire crew during the siege of Qingdao. Reports from all Japanese cruiser commanders indicate that there were no losses or damage to their ships. Another question is where, after the battle in Chemulpo, the main enemy of the Varyag, the armored cruiser Asama, “disappeared” for two months. Neither Port Arthur nor Admiral Kammimura was part of the squadron operating against the Vladivostok cruiser squadron. And this was at the very beginning of the war, when the outcome of the confrontation was far from decided. It is likely that the ship, which became the main target of the Varyag and Koreyets guns, received serious damage, but at the beginning of the war, for propaganda purposes, the Japanese side was undesirable to talk about this.

After the return of the Varyag and the Korean to the Chemulpo roadstead, a decision was made to destroy the ships. The commander of the “Korean” Belyaev described the death of the gunboat in his report: “At 4:05 am there were two explosions with an interval of 2-3 seconds. The boat sank to the bottom, with the bow part separated and capsized, and the stern part torn into pieces. This explosion destroyed guns of all calibers. The code, secret orders, papers, maps, tables of identification marks were burned. The boats carried two ship icons, the Tsar's charter, a silver Horn of St. George, money from the chest, a logbook and financial statements. The guns taken on the boats were ordered to be abandoned as they approached the French cruiser Paskal. Officers. Just like the team, they moved out without their things.” The Korean crew was placed on the French Pascal, where the attitude towards Russian sailors was most favorable. Formally, the crew of the “Korean” themselves destroyed their serviceable ship and could not be considered among those in distress, unlike the sailors of the “Varyag” cruiser, which received heavy damage.

The crews of the “Varyag” and “Korean” were interned and returned to their homeland through Saigon and Odessa. All participants in the battle were awarded - the Order of St. George, 4th degree, for all officers and the insignia of the Military Order for lower ranks. In addition, a special silver medal was established “For the battle of “Varyag” and “Korean” at Chemulpo on January 27, 1904,” which was issued on a ribbon of the colors of the St. Andrew’s flag, which is uncharacteristic for the domestic award system. The name of the heroic boat was inherited by a gunboat of the Baltic Fleet, which also died in an unequal battle in 1915.

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“All Russian warships must not lower their flag to anyone”.

On August 6 at 20:30, the signalman of the German cruiser Augsburg at a distance of 50 cabs. discovered a ship sailing under the coast of Cuno Island and reported to the control room. At this moment, the cruiser's commander, Andreas Fischer, made a mistake by identifying the target as the gunboat Brave.

The Augsburg and the accompanying destroyers V-29 and V-100 turned eight points to the right and set course NW. After 15 minutes, turning to N and approaching a distance of 25 cabs. The cruiser illuminated with combat searchlights two Russian gunboats marching in formation bearing a course to NW 10 degrees. And the splashes from the shells that stood in front of the Augsburg, dousing its forecastle, made it clear that this was not the Brave at all with its 130-millimeter guns. The subsequent blow to the starboard side in the area of ​​the sixth frame caused the cruiser to shudder with its entire hull. The bow spotlight went out. The explosion killed seven people and tore off the right spire stopper. The watchman reported that the starboard anchor had been released. After a couple of minutes, the anchor sank securely into the ground. The entrance to the rope box was jammed by the same explosion. On the bridge they switched the telegraph to “full back”, but almost five thousand tons, rushing at a speed of about 20 knots, could not be stopped immediately. When the chain was completely etched out, the Augsburg nodded and fell into the right circulation, scooping up water through the hole and turning to the Russian port side. Very high, and clearly visible against the background of the sunset sky. Where it arrived almost immediately. And it exploded.

The destroyers, trying to cover their flagship, launched a torpedo attack. But when they came under intense artillery fire, they were forced to turn away. The torpedo fired by the destroyer "V-29" did not hit the target...

They were built for other water areas. But circumstances were such that the gunboats built for the Far East remained in the Baltic. The first ship intended for operations in the Amur Estuary and the Tatar Strait was the Gilyak.

But as a result of summarizing the experience of the gunboats of the Pacific squadron in the defense of the Dalniy naval base on the island of Tsushima, where they had to systematically engage in battle, including with enemy light cruisers, while performing guard duty in external raids, the project was modified in the direction increased firepower. Which entailed an increase in displacement.

As a result, the Korean, launched in 1908, grew to 83 meters and swelled to 1,750 tons. The Chinese had enough ambition to call something like this a rank II cruiser. With a width of almost 14 meters (13.8 m), the draft when fully loaded was 3.2 m, which made it possible to use the ship in the lower reaches of the Amur down to Khabarovsk and most Chinese rivers. When receiving 280 tons of ballast water for sea crossings, the maximum draft reached 3.6 m. The main caliber was four 203-mm 45-caliber guns on two twin-gun mounts from Armstrong. They were to be assisted by four 120/50 mm Vickers guns and four three-inch Kane guns. The latter, however, were replaced at the design stage with 122-mm field howitzers on naval installations - they were better suited for work along the shore. The main armor belt, 3.4 m wide, made of fourteen 50 mm thick plates, stretches for 63 meters, covering the main vehicles and mechanisms of the boat. The internal protection consisted of a 20mm armored deck, 50mm bevels and, standing at their junction, a 20mm anti-fragmentation bulkhead 1.7m high, the thickness of which in the area of ​​the elevators and ship's engines reached 50mm. The conning tower was made of armored steel 50mm thick, the roof and lining of the conning tower were made of low-magnetic steel 20mm thick. The 8" guns were covered with shields 50mm thick. All this joy was driven by two four-blade propellers with a diameter of 1.8m, powered by two low-speed Parson turbines with a total power of 7600 hp, powered by four Jarrow water-tube boilers with coal heating. The fleet, having 1903, experience in operating a turbine destroyer, I decided to practice on larger ships (in 1902, the British Admiralty modernized the power plant of the 15-year-old destroyer "Velox" and, based on the results of the annual operation of the vocational school, decided that from 1905 all new ships Great Britain should be equipped only with steam turbine engines. At 430 rpm, the gunboat confidently maintained 20 knots. However, the normal fuel reserve of 180 tons did not allow it to travel just over 2000 miles. for a ship whose main task was the role of an operational artillery reserve of the naval base and dominance in river waters, this was not critical. They simply turned a blind eye to the poor habitability. But the stability of “Korean” almost put an end to the entire series. Even in a small swell, aimed shooting was difficult; with waves of 5 points, the roll reached 30 degrees, and with waves of more than 6 points, the range of roll went beyond 40 degrees. At the same time, the loss of normal controllability brought the ship lagging towards the wave, threatening to capsize. “In a force 6 wind, the boat rolls rapidly, making 24-28 swings per minute from 35 to 40 degrees, as a result of which people cannot stay on their feet.” However, in the end the problem was solved by installing external keels.

The gunboats “Sivuch” and “Beaver”, which were built next, received two-gun turret installations of 203/50 mm, designed as auxiliary ones for the heavy cruiser “Peter the Great”. However, due to the introduction of the English Dreadnought into operation, such a caliber for the TKR became irrelevant. The design of the towers was reworked to reduce the protection to 50mm and safely fit into the displacement that had increased to 1870 tons. The normal draft increased to 3.3m. And due to the fuller contours, the boats' speed dropped to just over 19 knots. But in appearance it was the spitting image of a cruiser.

At the beginning of August 1915, the German fleet attempted to break through the Irben Strait into the Gulf of Riga, with the goal of encircling and destroying the naval forces of the Gulf of Riga, as well as mining the Moonsund Strait. At this time, the Russian gunboats “Sivuch” and “Koreets” supported the coastal flank of the Russian troops near Ust-Dvinsk with artillery fire. Fearing that the boats would be cut off from the main forces, the command ordered them to urgently return to Moonsund.

On August 6, at 20:30, off the island of Cuno (Kihnu), the gunboats met with the German cruiser Augsburg and the destroyers V-29 and V-100. Hoping to break away from the enemy in the approaching twilight and evening fog, the boats increased their speed. At 20:24, having illuminated the boats with a searchlight, the cruiser began zeroing in from a distance of 25 kb. The “Sivuch”, leading the way, passed the order to the “Korean” and took a sharper approach to the message. Having adjusted to the wake and having a NWN course, the gunboats, from a distance of less than 20 meters, actually direct fire, opened fire with their main caliber on the German cruiser. The spotlights were not turned on. Of course, the classic “crossing the T” didn’t work out, but that was enough. The attacks began with the second salvo - the cruiser literally flew into columns of water raised by the explosions of high-explosive shells. The splashes obscured the enemy ship from rangefinders, so the rupture on the hull of the Augsburg of the eight-inch projectile fired by the left gun of the Korean tank mount was not noticed. And the extinguished spotlight was considered to have been hit by shrapnel from a close cover. When the cruiser turned sideways and she slowed down, they didn’t think about the reasons, but took advantage of the moment and worked on such a gorgeous and almost polygon target. However, such an awkward and critical position allowed the Germans to use the stern combat searchlight, and seven German 105-millimeter guns concentrated fire on the Sivuch, achieving three hits in a short period of time. And then the destroyers went on the attack. Having received a shell in the tiller compartment, the Sivuch rolled to the right and, thanks to this, missed the torpedo. The “Korean,” following the same course, transferred fire to new opponents and forced them to leave the battle. On one of the destroyers, a 120mm shell explosion was recorded in the bridge area.

At 21 hours 20 minutes, the gunboats, leaving behind the stern the burning and lost light cruiser Augsburg, at a speed of 12 knots, headed for the exit from the Gulf of Riga. And fifteen minutes later, the beams of a dozen searchlights crossed on them - the 4th squadron of the German fleet was approaching the battlefield from the Moonsund Strait. At 21:42, the gunners of the leading battleship Posen opened fire. The eight-inch gunboats spoke in response.

At the post of the Baltic Fleet Communications Service on the island of Cuno, they recorded an artillery battle that lasted about an hour and a half in the area of ​​the island, accompanied by intense shooting, the burning of many searchlights and flares.

There, two small Russian ships fought with two dreadnought battleships, four cruisers, escorted by thirty destroyers and eight patrol ships. Having lost sight of each other in the bursts of many shells, they each fought their own battle, but did not lower the St. Andrew's flag.

At 22:10, the Sivuch, battered by shells and lost speed, received two torpedoes on the port side. A strong explosion thundered inside the hull and the heroic ship, quickly falling on board, sank at a geographical point with approximate coordinates of 58 degrees. 08 sec N, 23 deg. 50 sec. e.d. in sight of the coastal village of Linakylä.

At 22 hours 21 minutes, the burning and uncontrollable “Korean”, firing from the last surviving gun (122-mm howitzers), washed up on the coastal rocks of the island of Cuno, one and a half miles north of the indicated village. The team left the doomed ship, having exhausted all possibilities for combat.

Of the 148 people of the Sivuch crew, the Germans picked up 2 officers and 48 sailors from the water, of whom only 15 were not injured. During the passage to Swinemünde, 8 sailors died from their wounds. Along with the gunboat Sivuch, its commander, Pyotr Nilovich Cherkasov, died, who during the Russo-Japanese War distinguished himself in the battle of destroyers near Lyaoteshan on February 26, 1904, and in the last days of the defense of Port Arthur served as senior officer of the battleship Sevastopol. For his last battle, Captain 2nd Rank P.N. Cherkasov was posthumously awarded the Order of St. George, 4th degree, and promoted to the next rank.

A gunboat (gunboat, gunboat) is a maneuverable warship, which is distinguished by powerful weapons. It is intended to conduct combat operations in coastal sea areas, in lakes and rivers. Most often used to guard harbors.

The appearance of gunboats

There are a lot of lakes, long border rivers and shallow coastal waters in Russia. Therefore, the construction of gunboats can be considered traditional, because other warships could not conduct combat operations in such conditions. However, before the outbreak of the First World War, no reinforcements were planned. In 1917, there were only 11 gunboats, some of which were launched at the end of the 19th century.

For most of these gunboats, the Civil War was their last. Only 2 gunboats survived it - “Brave” and “Khivinets”. Therefore, designers took them as the basis for the production of more modern artillery ships.

“Brave” is the oldest boat that was part of the royal heritage. She served in the Baltic for 63 years. Initially, for use, it was equipped with three guns (two 203 mm and one 152 mm). However, in 1916 it was modernized. There were now five guns.

“Khivinets” was created as a stationary weapon, so its firepower was based on only two 120 mm guns. But this boat had more comfortable living conditions.

After 1917, both boats were no longer considered for new production due to their venerable age.

Models

When the flotilla felt the power and endurance of the gunboats, it was decided to build them “for the needs of the Far East.” Moreover, despite the fact that before the war no new copies were ordered. The first prototypes were “Brave” and “Khivinets”.

After the modernization of the drawings, Gilyak-type boats began to be produced. However, they were much weaker; the designers tried to strengthen parameters such as cruising range. But it was not possible to do this. Since there were no high-quality weapons, gunboats did not continue to be built or used.

Then “Ardagan” and “Kare” appear. The distinctive features of these gunboats are the use of diesel power plants. Petroleum products at that time were the most affordable types of fuel, so Ardagan and Kare were economically profitable.

Beginning in 1910, the Navy Ministry decided to undertake large-scale modernization. Moreover, this happens when most of the gunboats are already prepared for launching and conducting combat operations. A decision is made to strengthen protection and all this affects the sediment. Therefore, more than half of the gunboats went for reconstruction. This type was called “Buryat”.

Thus, the models of gunboats were constantly changing, supplemented with modern types of weapons and defense structures. There is no such warship that would be their prototype from the times of the Russian Empire to the present.

The legendary "Korean"

The gunboat "Korean" was used in the Far East to suppress the "Boxer Rebellion". She was part of the international squadron. During the battles, the gunboat received several serious damage, there were wounded and killed.

Before the Russo-Japanese War, the gunboat "Koreets" was transferred to the Korean port of Chemulpo. The first-rank cruiser Varyag went with her. On February 8, the crew of the boat received the task of going to Port Arthur with a diplomatic report. However, the port was blocked, as a result of which the Korean's path was blocked. The ship's captain decided to turn back, after which the enemy destroyers attacked with torpedoes. Although today the option is being considered that the Japanese squadron only imitated this.

Due to the torpedo attack, the "Korean" fires two shots. They were the first in the Russo-Japanese War.

Based on the Korean project, many gunboats were built that are used today.

“Varyag” and “Korean”: the battle path

In 1904, at noon, the armored cruiser "Varyag" and the gunboat "Koreets" entered into battle with the Japanese squadron, which lasted about an hour. An entire Japanese squadron opposed the two warships. The gunboat took part in the final phase of the battle, repelling torpedo attacks. An hour after the start of the battle, the cruiser began to retreat, and the gunboat "Korean" covered its retreat.

During the battle, 52 shells were fired at the enemy. But at the same time, absolutely no damage or losses were observed on the part of the gunboat. Since the "Korean" was a warship with powerful artillery weapons, it could not be allowed to be captured. Therefore, at the Chemulpo raid, it was decided to blow it up. The crew of the boat moved aboard the French cruiser Pascal. He soon delivered the sailors to Russia.

The crews who fought the battle were awarded orders and insignia. A special medal was also established in their honor. This is how the cruiser and gunboat went down in history.

Young gunboat "Khivinets"

The gunboat “Khivinets” was the youngest representative of artillery ships in tsarist times. It was intended to be part of the Baltic Fleet. The boat is seaworthy, but it has also been used in river conditions. Moreover, it steadfastly withstood the tests of unfavorable conditions.

The gunboat “Khivinets” was ordered in 1904-1914, when the strengthening of the Russian fleet began. However, the model itself was focused on 1898. Unfortunately, after the release of the model there was no modernization, which became the reason for the narrow functionality.

It is impossible not to note the stamina and endurance of the gunboat. The fact is that she withstood battles where other, younger artillery warships were killed. This is probably why it was used for a long time as a prototype in the construction of ships.

Heroic "Sivuch"

The gunboat "Sivuch" died heroically in a battle with German battleships. That is why every year on September 9, the waves receive many flowers and wreaths from Riga residents and Russians.

On August 19, 1915, the Imperial Navy entered into battle with German battleships. It is not completely known what exactly happened in those distant and long days for the crew. But the battle near the island of Kihnu forced the German squadron to abandon further attacks in the Gulf of Riga, as well as bombardment of coastal fortifications. This was the main purpose of the German fleet's raid.

The gunboat "Sivuch" then saved Riga from casualties and destruction. The price of such a feat was the death of the ship, as well as the entire crew. At that time, the gunboat was even called the Baltic “Varyag”, so high was the heroism of the sailors.

Gunboat "Beaver"

The gunboat "Beaver" belongs to the Gilyak type. Such ships were intended to protect the Amur River all the way to Khabarovsk. There were a small number of garrisons in its lower reaches, and they were supposed to receive artillery support. Since there was a small number of objects, the design of the ships was based on a long cruising range, as well as autonomy. However, seaworthiness during practice turned out to be extremely low.

The value of gunboats of this type was minimal, since little attention was paid to armament during the design. During the First World War they were used as a swimming base. Naturally, they did not become designs and prototypes. Future ships took over only combat missions from these boats.

The Beaver was laid down in 1906, and a year later it was launched. In 1908, the gunboat joined the Russian fleet. Throughout the history of its existence, it also visited the Germans. It was captured in 1918 and converted into a swimming workshop. In the same year, the boat was transferred to Estonia. Although she was out of order, she was listed in the squadron of this country.

The gunboat served for 21 years, and in 1927 it was scrapped.

River (lake) and sea gunboats

Despite their great functionality, virtually all gunboats were used to strike coastal targets. The purpose of such attacks was to suppress the enemy's firepower, as well as reduce manpower. If the boat remained in close proximity to its shore, then its tasks were to protect coastal objects and protect against enemy warships.

There are sea and river gunboats. Their main difference is weight. The former reach a mass of 3 thousand tons, the latter - 1500. Of course, based on the name, it is logical to assume in what places the gunboats will be used.

Functionality and use of gunboats

Gunboats are a variant of the most functional artillery ships. The design made it possible to use them in military operations in the coastal zone, on rivers and near archipelagos with small rocky islands.

Gunboats could perform the following functions:

1. Defense of coasts, ports, estuaries
2. Landing
3. Support for troops on the shores
4. Landing one's own and fighting enemy troops
5. Ancillary tasks, such as delivering goods

Depending on where exactly the artillery ship would be used, its design could change, and special buildings were erected. There are unarmored, armored and armored boats. The second option was most often used, since it offered relatively good protection, but was light in weight, which had a positive effect on maneuverability.

Main characteristics of gunboats

Based on the characteristics, it was determined where the gunboat would be used. There are three main parameters:

1. Displacement. Ships could be launched for protection and military operations in the seas or on rivers and lakes.
2. Speed. It is 3-15 knots. The speed depends on what kind of design the gunboat is endowed with. It can be unarmored, armored only in vulnerable places, or completely armored. Naturally, its weight increases, which negatively affects its swimming speed.
3. Armament.

Since the gunboats were combat, much attention was paid. They could be equipped with 1-4 copies of main caliber guns (203-356 mm). This design approach was focused on naval gunboats. River boats were most often equipped with medium-caliber guns (76-170).

Also, depending on the purpose, Zenit automatic cannons and machine guns could be installed on the deck. The latter were designed extremely rarely due to their short range.

Conclusion

Thus, it is impossible to meet two identical gunboats. Each copy is good in its own way, endowed with its own unique functionality. As history shows, many Russian gunboats could act alone against entire squadrons. This is a merit not only of the warships themselves and their designers, but also of the crew. Often, only his courage tilted the outcome of the battle in his favor.