Who blew up "Empress Maria"

At the beginning of the twentieth century, Russia had significant superiority over fleet Ottoman Empire in the Black Sea. However, the situation began to change after Turkey began to modernize its fleet in 1910, having purchased two battleships and four latest destroyers in Germany and four destroyers in France. The increase in the number of warships of the Ottoman fleet was perceived by Russia accordingly. On September 23, 1910, a report was submitted to the Council of Ministers on the need to take immediate measures to strengthen the Black Sea Fleet. Chairman of the Government Petr Stolypin supported the idea of ​​modernizing the Black Sea Fleet.

Further events developed very quickly. In March 1911, the State Duma of the Russian Empire passed a bill supporting the Black Sea Fleet, and in May 1911, the bill was signed by Emperor Nicholas II. From the state treasury, colossal funds for those times were allocated for the strengthening of the Black Sea Fleet - 150,8 million rubles. 30 July 1910, the maritime minister, Vice-Admiral Stepan Voevodsky, approved the terms of reference for the design of the three dreadnoughts, which were to be built and sent to the Black Sea. 11 June 1911 of the year at the Russian shipbuilding plant “Russud” laid down three battleships - the “Empress Maria”, “The Emperor Alexander III” and “The Empress Catherine the Great”. Named after the widowed empress Maria Feodorovna - the wife of the late Emperor Alexander III, the ship "Empress Maria" was the main one among the three dreadnoughts who entered service with the Russian fleet. By the way, this type of battleship was named in honor of this battleship.

October 6 1913, the battleship Empress Maria, was launched, but its completion was somewhat delayed. In 1914, World War I began, but only by the beginning of 1915, the battleship was finally completed. The commissioning of "Empress Maria" radically changed the balance of power in the Black Sea. By the time the ship was completed, the Russian Empire was already at war with the Ottoman Empire. The emergence of a powerful new battleship contributed to the serious strengthening of the Russian positions. The ship began to take part in combat operations, covering the actions of the 2 th brigade of the battleships, which in the autumn of 1915 fired on the Bulgarian ports. From 5 February to 18 April 1916, the battleship took part in the famous Trapezund landing operation.

In the summer of 1916, the Empress Maria became the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Empire. This decision was made by the newly appointed new commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Vice Admiral Alexander Kolchak. The personnel officer of the Russian fleet, Alexander Kolchak, had an impressive service experience by the time he was appointed commander of the Black Sea Fleet. Back in 1894, he was released by the midshipman from the Naval Cadet Corps, served on various ships, in parallel carried away by oceanography and quickly turned into a prominent oceanographer, and then a polar explorer. Kolchak's naval career, which had to serve as a lieutenant for more than ten years, went uphill in the 1911-1912 years. He supervised the 1 th operational part of the Naval General Staff, which was responsible for planning operations on the Baltic Sea, then was appointed acting. the chief of the operational department of the headquarters of the commander of the naval forces of the Baltic Fleet, and later - the flag-captain of the Baltic Fleet for the operational unit. In September, 1915 of the rank 1 of Kolchak received the Mine Division of the Baltic Fleet, and in April 1916 was promoted to rear admiral. 28 June 1916, he was promoted to vice-admiral and was appointed commander of the Black Sea Fleet.

According to the memoirs of contemporaries who served in the Russian imperial fleet, Kolchak was one of the best naval officers of his time. The ship "Empress Maria" fully corresponded to the status of such a commander, but it was precisely the flagship battleship that caused one of the biggest losses and failures of the Black Sea Fleet during the command of Kolchak.

7 (20) October 1916, the battleship "Empress Maria" in the North Bay of Sevastopol, flew into the air. Preserved eyewitness accounts of those terrible events. Around the 6 hours of the 20 hours of the morning, the sailors who were in the casemate No. 4 noticed a strong hiss from the bow tower of the main caliber. Then from the hatches and fans poured clouds of smoke and the flame began to erupt. The sailors immediately reported on the fire to the watchman's chief and rushed to flood the turret section with water, from where they were blowing smoke, but it was too late. There was an incredible force of explosion, which immediately dared and destroyed all the sailors who were in the sink of the ship. Another explosion tore up the steel mast of the battleship and threw up the armored cabin, and then the bow stoker. They began to explode the cellar, where there were 130-millimeter shells. The explosion of the on-duty fireman left the ship without vapors, and they were required to launch fire-fighting pumps. Therefore, the senior mechanical engineer of the ship ordered his subordinates to pick up couples in the seventh stoker, where midshipman Ignatiev rushed with several lower ranks.

In the meantime, a new order followed - to flood the cellars of the second tower and the cellar of 130-mm guns. On the battery deck, where many sailors died, the flames flared up more and more, and the ammunition cellar could explode at any time. The bilge mechanic, Senior Lieutenant Pakhomov, and his subordinates ran to the battery deck littered with the bodies of the dead, and managed to release the rods and put the keys, but at that moment they were caught in flames. The burned Pakhomov managed to complete the task and jump out onto the deck, but his subordinates did not have time - a terrible new explosion thundered. In the seventh cabin, the sailors, led by the midshipman Ignatiev, were able to light the fire in the fire chambers and raised the pair, but just at that time the ship began to lurch strongly. Michman Ignatiev, trying to fulfill the order, ordered the sailors to run upstairs, hoping to close the valves and get out after the subordinates. But only a few sailors were able to leave the cabin, the rest, including midshipman Ignatiev, were still there when the ship overturned.

One of the main documentary evidence of these terrible events is the logbook of the battleship Evstafy, which stood that day not far from the “Empress Maria”. According to journal entries, the first big bang under the bow turret on the flagship took place in 6 hours 20 minutes in the morning, and already in 6: 25 there was a second explosion, in 6: 27 - two small blasts, in 6: 32 - three blasts one after to others, in 6: 35 - another explosion, after which the rowing boats were lowered and sent to the "Empress Maria". Two explosions followed in 6: 37, three more explosions in 6: 47, another explosion in 6: 49, one more explosion in 7: 00, after which the port boats began to extinguish the fire. However, in 7: 08, another explosion thundered; in 7: 12, the Mary's nose sat on the bottom, and in 7: 16, the Empress Maria lay on the starboard. After that, the ship sank very quickly at a depth of more than 18 meters. In 8: 45 7 in October 1916, the Black Sea Fleet Commander, Vice Admiral Kolchak telegramme reported to Emperor Nicholas II about the death of the Black Sea Fleet flagship of the battleship Empress Maria on the Sevastopol roadstead. Already in 11: 30 of the same day, Emperor Nicholas II replied to Vice Admiral Kolchak: “I am grieving for a heavy loss, but I firmly believe that you and the valiant Black Sea Fleet will bravely endure this test. Nikolai.

Soon, the number of dead and wounded during the explosion was calculated. It turned out that 225 people were killed on the battleship, including a mechanical engineer, two conductors and lower ranks. 85 people were seriously injured. It should be noted that Vice-Admiral Kolchak during the explosions and fire on his favorite battleship showed great courage. Already after 15 minutes after the first explosion, the fleet commander arrived on a boat to board the ship "Empress Maria". He personally climbed the battleship and commanded the localization of the fire, trying to save other ships and Sevastopol from the fire. Kolchak was very worried about the tragedy at the Empress Maria, although the emperor himself and other dignitaries assured the vice-admiral that they would not in any way blame the fleet commander for this terrible event. Perhaps it was the emperor's encouraging words that influenced the vice-admiral, who couldn’t "fail" for a long time because of the tragedy - after all, the Black Sea Fleet at that time was involved in hostilities.

In the same year 1916, work began on raising the sunken battleship. It was a very difficult and quite expensive financial task. Engineer Alexei Krylov proposed a very interesting project, according to which compressed air would be supplied to the compartments of the ship, which would force out the water and ultimately lead to the ship's ascent. In November 1917 of the year, during a storm, the ship surfaced aft, in May 1918 of the year surfaced completely. In the flooded compartments, divers worked, who were able to unload ammunition, and when the ship was driven off to the dock, artillery was removed from it. Unfortunately, the events of the Civil War did not allow either to restore such a valuable ship, or to understand the reasons for the terrible tragedy. Ten years after the October Revolution, in 1927, the battleship "Empress Maria", in the past - the pride and flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, was dismantled for scrap.

The tragedy on the battleship "Empress Maria" in any case caused and raises many questions. There is still no unambiguous version of the causes of the explosion. Meanwhile, Admiral Kolchak himself, who was already arrested by the Reds during the Civil War in 1920 and testified, argued that there was no evidence that the ship could take off due to a planned sabotage. Therefore, the main versions of the causes of the tragedy remained the spontaneous combustion of gunpowder or negligence in dealing with projectiles.

An interesting version was stated by midshipman Vladimir Ouspensky, who commanded the main caliber turret on the battleship "Empress Maria" and on that ill-fated morning who was the watch officer of the ship. Michman, who published his memoirs in the Bulletin of the Society of Officers of the RIF, reported that, together with Lieutenant Engineer S. Shaposhnikov, 2 a year after the tragedy, when the ship was in the dock, he discovered a sailor's little box in which there were two stearin candles, a box of matches, a set shoemakers' tools and two pairs of shoes, and the shoes were nailed into chopped strips of smokeless powder. If in the first tower there was also such a skilled sailor, then it is likely that the powder, which had lain for a year and a half in an airtight case, could identify the ethereal vapors that flashed from the burning candle. Combustion of four pounds of gunpowder in a small room of the tower could lead to an explosion of 599 canisters.

However, the version of the sabotage trail in the tragedy on the "Empress Maria" is also widespread. It is known that the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria - two enemy countries of the Russian Empire in the First World War, which had access to the Black Sea, did not have special units of sea saboteurs. Combat swimmers, capable of sinking enemy ships using sabotage, were just starting their journey at that time, and their homeland was Italy, a country located in the Entente camp. Germany remained - a country that did not have access to the Black or Mediterranean seas, but had an extensive intelligence network, modern technologies and the ability to send their spy saboteurs to the Black Sea. When the Italian battleship "Leonardo da Vinci" exploded in Taranto in August 1915, the Italian military counterintelligence came out on the trail of the German intelligence services, more precisely, the espionage and sabotage organization that planned and carried out the explosions on enemy ships. Diversions were carried out by means of special instruments with clockwork mechanisms, which made it possible to organize a series of explosions in several parts of the ship at once.

Seventeen years have passed since the terrible tragedy on the battleship "Empress Maria", when in the 1933 year in Nikolaev there were several sabotages at the city shipyard. Operational staff of the OGPU quickly enough came to the trail of alleged saboteurs and soon detained a certain Victor Werman, who worked in the UK. It turned out that back in the distant 1908 year, this man was recruited by German intelligence, and then, after the defeat of Germany in the First World War, began to cooperate with British intelligence agencies.

Thus, in the 1916 year, Verman, who was at that time in Nikolaev, was performing German intelligence missions. The Vice-Consul of Germany in Nikolaev, Hauptmann Winstein, who was hastily left for Germany shortly before the outbreak of the war - in July 1914, led the espionage activities on the Black Sea Fleet. The Werman group included engineers of the Nikolaev shipyard Schaeffer, Linke, Feoktistov, and electrical engineer Sgibnev, who once studied electrical engineering in Germany. The members of the group arrested by the OGPU confessed to undermining the battleship "Empress Maria", and it turned out that Verman was the customer of the sabotage, promising to pay thousands of rubles to the performers on 80, and directly organized the sabotage of Feoktistov and Sgibnev. However, this version has not been recognized as official until now.

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Comments

[Olgovich]

A terrible tragedy ...
The selflessness with which the sailors fought to save the ship is striking: even sacrificing themselves. Heroes!

Operational OGPU employees quickly went on the trail of the alleged saboteurs and soon detained a certain Victor Verman, who worked for the UK. It turned out that back in 1908, this man was recruited by German intelligence, and then, after the defeat of Germany in World War I, he began to cooperate with the British special services.

Why write this nonsense? For "espionage" activities Werner was already ..... expelled from the country. Even in 1933! And in 1989, he and his entire "group of saboteurs" were JUSTIFIED by the court.
You can then recall the commander of the red fleet Dybenko:: then he is also German spy already ... since the time of the revolution !. And he, too, was quickly cracked by the same law enforcement officers.

[Korsar4]

Yes. Other words, except for “terrible tragedy” and you will not pick up.

Power is created by cities, ships, and, most importantly, people.

And it can also be destroyed.

[Vladimir 5]

You do not understand the political constellations and actions of that time. The Bolsheviks were for the defeat of the Russian Empire, they were the only ones in Europe who voted against the national interests of their state, and in fact they became allies of the Germans (after sealed wagons with Russian citizens through Sweden to Russia, only useful agents were sent to the enemy’s country), and undermining and flooding The Bolsheviks considered the battleship to be the right thing, bringing it closer to the rout of the empire and to the Bolsheviks taking power. That’s why German saboteurs were allies of the Bolsheviks, and to send their former ally back to their homeland does not look strange ... To that, both the courts and the acquittal and other good things, especially during the forced close friendship with Germany (German military training grounds in Sratov, Lipetsk ..) ..

[Alexander Greene]

Quote: Vladimir 5

. Therefore, German saboteurs were allies of the Bolsheviks, and to send their former ally back to their homeland does not look strange ...

You better study the question of German dominance at the court of Nicholas II. Then you learn a lot of interesting things, for example, why the offensive of the Russian troops ended in failure.

[Vladimir 5]

I agree with you, since the beginning of the WWI, there has been an unspoken conspiracy between the Russian and German sides, both of which only portray a war without major battles on the German-Russian front, which cannot be said about the Austrian front. Even the surrender of the Samson Army at the beginning. as a giveaway to belittle and stop the offensive. Sea battles also look when, according to the instructions of the flagship range finders, the squadron artillery ceased to hit enemy ships, there were always hits with their spotters. The successful start of the Hindenburg offensive near Sventsyany in the summer of 1915 was stopped by the German high command, this is also from the same topic ... In the background, Nikolai-2 met with his cousin Wilhelm-2 on his Standard boat in the summer of 1912, they spent several days, got dressed exchanging full uniforms and established eternal peace and friendship. That's just the world banking power and other power managed to push through their plans and drag Russia into the world war .. And the main objectives of the world war - the overthrow of the monarchies: Russian, Austrian., German as an obstacle to world banking with the dollar and pound, which happened . Of course, everyone had secondary interests, but they were essentially secondary ... Russia, in addition, was still destroyed by the bloody revolution and civil war paid up and promoted after the overthrow of the monarchy ... It seems to us that the revolution went on spontaneously, but after looking closely, You see the financing and targeted support by the hires and leaders of the bloody actions, the influence of secret foreign agents, the international actions of the main countries. To remove the Bolsheviks by force was not a problem for England and others, they just didn’t remove them, they depicted an intervention to avert their eyes, because they tried to intensify the civil massacre inside Russia, and then isolate them as typhoid .....

[Theodore]

In the 16th year, few knew about the Bolsheviks! So your version is complete garbage!

[Vladimir 5]

That's right, you yourself pointed out that the Bolsheviks were not perceived as a force, because of their radicalism the Germans and US financiers were in a bad hands. Money — millions of German gold marks and dollars from an unknown micro-party were inflated into powerful force, especially after the arrival of Bronstein and a company from New York and wagons of fellow tribesmen from Switzerland. The party became a gathering of people of almost the same nationality, and more than 3 million lived in the Russian Empire, and all were welded together in their circle. The treasurer and ideologist of financing was Parvus-Israel Lazarevmch Gelfand, a key figure in the strengthening of the Bolsheviks in 1916-1919, hidden in the history of Bolshevism, take an interest. One example speaks of the role of money: in one week of July 1917 all the newspapers in Odessa became Bolshevik, - a man with a portfolio of money came to the editor and bought a newspaper for dollars (wartime, a stable currency), for tomorrow the newspaper printed only favorable materials for the Bolsheviks etc...

[Pattern]

Do not confuse the radicals with the Bolsheviks! The given example is another anti-Soviet nonsense. You better study the plans of the White Guard
and their sponsors in post-war Russia (in the case of the victory of white).

[Alexander Greene]

Quote: Vladimir 5

since the beginning of the WWI, there has been an unspoken conspiracy between the Russian and German sides, both only portray a war without major battles on the German-Russian front,

"Good" conspiracy: more than 2 million and even more wounded and captured prisoners were laid down by Russian soldiers and officers.

[Dart2027]

Quote: Alexander Green

Then you will learn a lot of interesting things, for example, why

Russia generally became an adversary of Germany. When the tsar is accused of dancing to the tune of France, it makes at least some sense, but Germany is already the finish.

[Vladimir 5]

Different masses, like Finance Minister Witte, dragged Russia into a credit debt hole, and the French only credited and rejoiced, because they pulled them into their allies against the Germans. The emperor was not so free in his actions in the 20th century, the mastery mechanism expanded and was in the hands of many corrupt officials, Masonic, foreign states and other groups of influence ...

[Alexander Greene]

Quote: Vladimir 5

The emperor was not so free in his actions in the 20th century,

So, do not retell old stories about the Bolsheviks. They saved Russia.

[Dart2027]

Quote: Vladimir 5

The emperor was not so free in his actions in the 20th century

Any ruler cannot but take into account the opinion of state elites, otherwise he will cease to be a ruler.

Quote: Vladimir 5

Different masses, like Finance Minister Witte, dragged Russia into a credit debt hole

Yes, this audience did everything possible, but whatever one may say, the RI had considerable contradictions with the AV, so the issue was not only in them.

[Olgovich]

Quote: Vladimir 5

You do not understand the political constellations and actions of that time. The Bolsheviks were for the defeat of the Russian Empire, they were the only ones in Europe who voted against the national interests of their state, and in fact they became allies of the Germans (after sealed wagons with Russian citizens through Sweden to Russia, only useful agents were sent to the enemy’s country), and undermining and flooding The Bolsheviks considered the battleship to be the right thing, bringing it closer to the rout of the empire and to the Bolsheviks taking power. That’s why German saboteurs were allies of the Bolsheviks, and sending their former ally to their homeland does not look strange ... To that, both the courts and the acquittal and other good things, especially during the forced close friendship with Germany (German military training grounds in Sratov, Lipetsk ..

Yes Yes:

The red-haired brother was quite comfortable with the situation and monotonously, but quite intelligently, told the contents of the brochure "Rebellion on Ochakovo."

[Vladimir 5]

Understanding of phenomena (history) is a derivative of the foundations of knowledge. And what are the foundations in the era of Glavlit - one-sided and non-biased ... Therefore, it is customary to accept biased judgments, and it is impossible to correct the "humpbacked for life" ...

[Amurets]

The author, this is just an addition about how the allies of the Republic of Ingushetia helped her enemies. At the beginning of the twentieth century, Russia had significant superiority over the fleet of the Ottoman Empire in the Black Sea. However, the situation began to change after Turkey began to modernize its fleet in 1910, having purchased two battleships and four latest destroyers in Germany and four destroyers in France. The increase in the number of warships of the Ottoman fleet was perceived by Russia accordingly.

At the beginning of 1909, the first reports of the upcoming strengthening of the Turkish fleet were received. In 1910, two pre-dreadnought battleships and eight most modern destroyers were acquired from Germany and France. 1911 began with an order from Turkey in England to the private firms Vickers and Armstrong of two super-dreadnoughts of the latest type (Reshad V and Reshad-i-Hamiss). This step of the Turkish government confronted Russia with the need to urgently strengthen the Black Sea Fleet with new battleships. http://www.plam.ru/hist/poslednie_ispoliny_rossii
skogo_imperatorskogo_flota / p5.php
How many books are written, how many versions are put forward by the authors of these books. But the mystery of the death of the battleship "Empress Maria" may well sink into the unsolved history.

[Adjutant]

As far as I remember, several more battleships in WWI died from the explosion of cellars. And more inclined to this.
But the commission had 3 versions: spontaneous combustion of gunpowder, negligence in handling fire and gunpowder, evil intent.
The investigation during the years of the WWII (Commission Opinion dated 31.10.16/XNUMX/XNUMX.) Never came to an unequivocal opinion. And the farther - the less likely to reveal the tragedy ....

[kvs207]

"... the ship" Empress Maria "was the main among the three dreadnought, entered the arsenal of the Russian fleet."
Maybe all the same - the lead? And what does "entered service" mean? There were 1914 dreadnoughts in operation of the Russian fleet in the period 15-5.

[Looking for]

Armed can be an airplane. Tank, automatic, and the Navy ships come into operation.

[Brutan]

Severe disaster
Especially when you imagine the state of people walled up in the insides of a sunken ship.
In general, disasters at sea are a terrible thing. There is such a book, hard to read

[Doctor Evil]

"Was there a carotene?" Good movie on the topic.

[geniy]

Wacky this movie. The investigation allegedly led to a spy track - that same Werner.

[geniy]

In this disaster, no one has so far wanted to honestly figure it out. The fact is that on the ships of that time there was a crew, but not enough free space. Therefore, the sailors slept wherever possible — and in the casemates next to the anti-mine guns, and especially surprisingly — as in the main-caliber towers. And if there was a fire of gunpowder in the bow (first) tower of the main caliber, then the people in it would be the first to feel the suffocating smell of burning and flame. And surely they would be the first to put out the fire - they would simply open the irrigation of the bow cellar, and then they would open the kingstones of its flooding. But none of this was done - simply because there was no fire in the cellar of the first tower. This will seem surprising to you, but in fact it is. Because it turns out that in every artillery cellar there was not only a thermometer, but also a thermometer with a paper tape recording the temperature inside the artillery cellar. So - both of these thermographs perfectly survived and when the ship was lifted, we saw that the temperature recording on the tape was no more than 60 degrees - that is, there was no fire at all in the cellar of the bow tower of the main caliber.
But in fact, the fire a little farther - in the cellar of guns 130-mm caliber. Here there were explosions of cartridges and shells.

[geniy]

And this circumstance (a fire in the cellar of 130 mm rounds) is excellent proof that there was no malicious intent and spyware in the explosion. Because, as Krylov’s commission investigated, the cellar of the main caliber tower had free access for everyone who was not lazy - even the artisans, and the locks were removed from the cellar. But there was no fire there. But the cellar of 130 mm cartridges was locked. But it was there that a fire broke out - because this cellar was right next to the bow stoker, which worked at night.
And by the way, if the Germans wanted to blow up the Russian dreadnought, then next to Empress Maria was a second dreadnought - "Empress Catherine" - if to blow up, then not one battleship, but both at once. But this was not, it means not the spies to blame, but the spontaneous combustion of gunpowder.

[AK1972]

in the cellar of the main caliber tower there was free access to all who are not lazy - even to artisans

Quote: geniy

And this circumstance (a fire in the cellar of 130 mm rounds) is excellent proof that there was no malicious intent and spyware in the explosion. Because, as Krylov’s commission investigated, the cellar of the main caliber tower had free access for everyone who was not lazy - even the artisans, and the locks were removed from the cellar. But there was no fire there. But the cellar of 130 mm cartridges was locked. But it was there that a fire broke out - because this cellar was right next to the bow stoker, which worked at night.
And by the way, if the Germans wanted to blow up the Russian dreadnought, then next to Empress Maria was a second dreadnought - "Empress Catherine" - if to blow up, then not one battleship, but both at once. But this was not, it means not the spies to blame, but the spontaneous combustion of gunpowder.

[AK1972]

The battleship was under repair at the time of the explosion and workers were hanging around the ship, for whom no one even checked the pass. This was how combat security was established under the brilliant commander of the Black Sea Fleet. Why, under the guise of a worker, a saboteur could not penetrate the ship?

[geniy]

in the cellar of the main caliber tower there was free access to all who are not lazy - even to artisans

If you and other readers do not know the rules of service on warships, then I inform you that on any ship at each ammunition cellar there is necessarily an armed sentry who does not have the right to let any unauthorized persons into the cellar locked, even simple sailors and officers of this same ship. In addition, all the ammunition cellars on ships of those times (before the appearance of the cancer) were necessarily below the waterline - so that any cellar could be quickly flooded with seawater simply by gravity - without pumping. That is, to get into the cellar - it was necessary to descend into the hold of the ship, and not just walk along the deck. But even if a senior officer allowed some sailor or officer, or even an admiral to go into the ammunition cellar, before that everyone had to hand over all the matches or a lighter. And as far as I remember - it was not allowed to go down to the cellar in ordinary shoes - that is, in boots that could be hit with nails and accidentally burn a spark, and special soft slippers were given.
Thus, there were strangers on the ship: artisans, in principle, could stagger anywhere - yes even throughout the ship, on all residential decks from the stem to the core, except for the descent into the cellar of ammunition. And walk on the decks as you want - no one will ask for a pass, except for the descent into the cellar of ammunition.

[geniy]

However, to be fair, I must say that this rule of non-admission to the BP cellar did not apply to the cellars of the towers of the main caliber of the battleship "Empress Maria". The fact is that repairs were carried out there, and the GK gun turret was designed in such a way that it can rotate almost 360 degrees, which means that all power cables leading to it must pass from the very bottom of the ship - through the keel pin and further up to the guns. And to make any work, the craftsmen were allowed to enter the cellar of the bow tower of the Civil Code (and other towers) to the very bottom of the dreadnought. It would seem - this is a proof of the possibility of sabotage. But in fact, the opposite is true - it is this circumstance that proves that there was no sabotage, although it could easily be carried out.
As I wrote earlier for smart people, in each ammunition cellar there were thermometers for measuring and recording temperature. So - they remained intact, and showed that even in case of fire (which was apparently in the neighboring 130-mm cellar), the temperature in the cellar of the bow tower of the GK did not rise above 60-90 degrees.
And you probably don’t know that in order for gunpowder and explosives to detonate from heating, you need to raise the temperature to about 170 degrees. That is, there was no fire or explosion in the cellar of the Civil Code at all !! But it was very easy for an attacker-master to get into it.
And it’s a big secret for ordinary history buffs that after lifting and docking the “Empress Maria” from whole cellars, including the bow tower of the Civil Code, completely unexploded powder charges and shells were delivered. That is, the explosion was actually in the cellar of 130 mm rounds - where it was impossible for artisans to enter. Because the 130-mm guns were mounted on the deck, and they did not have any pin passing to the keel of the ship. But if a fire occurred in a 130-mm cellar - which was adjacent to a hot fire-place, and had poor thermal insulation, and it was repeatedly noted by IM officers that the temperature in the 130-mm cellars was higher than the permissible temperature, then it is certain that the explosion occurred from spontaneous combustion of gunpowder in 130 mm rounds, and not from the fact that the artisans carried out sabotage.

[Amurets]

Quote: geniy

2
geniy (Mr. X) Yesterday, 20:04 ↑ New
However, to be fair, I must say that this rule of non-admission to the BP cellar did not apply to the cellars of the towers of the main caliber of the battleship "Empress Maria". The fact is that repairs were carried out there, and the GK gun turret was designed in such a way that it can rotate almost 360 degrees, which means that all power cables leading to it must pass from the very bottom of the ship - through the keel pin and further up to the guns. And to make any work, the craftsmen were allowed to enter the cellar of the bow tower of the Civil Code (and other towers) to the very bottom of the dreadnought. It would seem - this is a proof of the possibility of sabotage. But in fact, the opposite is true - it is this circumstance that proves that there was no sabotage, although it could easily be carried out.
As I wrote earlier for smart people, in each ammunition cellar there were thermometers for measuring and recording temperature. So - they remained intact, and showed that even in case of fire (which was apparently in the neighboring 130-mm cellar), the temperature in the cellar of the bow tower of the GK did not rise above 60-90 degrees.
And you probably don’t know that in order for gunpowder and explosives to detonate from heating, you need to raise the temperature to about 170 degrees. That is, there was no fire or explosion in the cellar of the Civil Code at all !! But it was very easy for an attacker-master to get into it.
And it’s a big secret for ordinary history buffs that after lifting and docking the “Empress Maria” from whole cellars, including the bow tower of the Civil Code, whole whole unexploded powder charges and shells were delivered

That's right. S.E. Vinogradov. LC The Empress Maria. Rotation from the depths.

[Alexander Greene]

Quote: geniy

if you detonate, then not one battleship, but both at once.

How do you imagine this?

[Alex]

geniy, Your versions are somewhat contradictory. Quite a logical assumption

Quote: geniy

But the cellar of 130-mm cartridges was locked. But it was there that a fire broke out - because this cellar was right next to the bow stoker, which worked at night.

unequivocally indicates sabotage (the failure of the only on-duty energy equipment is a very competent step).
And then refute it with words

Quote: geniy

not the spies to blame, but the spontaneous combustion of gunpowder.

. And this is only on the basis that there was no “Empress Catherine” nearby - otherwise the Germans had the opportunity to manipulate battleships or wait until the “stars become”.

[Looking for]

Stern !!!! Charming.

[Alexander Greene]

Quote: Seeker

Stern !!!! Charming.

I also liked it.

[Royalist]

A few additions: 1) battleship: "Empress Maria" was named for the ship of the line: "Empress Maria" of the flagship Admiral Nakhimov and naturally the ship could not bear the name of Maria Fedorovna, mother of Nikolai2. He was named after Empress Maria, the wife of Paul1, i.e., great-great-grandmother of Nicholas 2.
2) "the ship" Empress Maria "was the main of the three dreadnought," sounds clumsy and not literate. The chief may be a person: "chief accountant, chief engineer", etc.a in relation to the ship it should be written: "lead ship." The author’s desire is to be more careful when writing, otherwise such a blunder spoils the impression of the whole article.

[midshipman]

Dear Ilya, there are photographs of the explosion of a battleship, they were taken from the shore. And the time was 6.20. Maybe someone was already waiting for this explosion?.

[geniy]

Instead of Elijah, I will answer you. Many mistakenly think that German spies made the explosion photos, as if they had prepared for it in advance. But in fact, ordinary Russian photographers from the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet took pictures. It's just that this is certainly not a photograph of the very first explosion - for which it was not possible to prepare in advance, but of subsequent explosions that occurred many minutes after the first. And then, when during the Civil War the German units entered Sevastopol, the German officers simply robbed the building of the Black Sea Fleet and seized interesting documents.

[antivirus]

how propaganda was able to make the Italians and Germans allies, and others .. Here is the work! not Kiselev and Suslov,

[Alexey RA]

However, the situation began to change after Turkey began to modernize its fleet in 1910, having purchased two battleships and four latest destroyers in Germany and four destroyers in France.

For reference; purchased German battleships in fact were ancient armadillos of the Brandenburg type built in the early 90s of the XIX century.
The order for the Black Sea Fleet for the Black Sea Fleet was determined by a completely different reason - in 1910, Turkey was actively negotiating the sale of ready-made LCs to it. First, they aimed at the first Brazilian LCs, then at the Argentinean ones under construction, and then again at the Brazilian Rio de Janeiro (under construction). In addition, negotiations were underway on the construction of LCs directly for Turkey - and in August 1911 Vickers Limited and Armstrong Whitworth received an order from the Turks for two battleship dreadnought.

[Alexander Greene]

Academician A.N. Krylov in his book “Some cases of accident and loss of life” (State Publishing House of the Defense Industry, LM, 1939.- 65 pp.) On pp. 14-20, the most probable cause of the death of the battleship “Empress Maria” calls “malicious intent”, that is - sabotage.
However, at a time when German dominance was even at the royal court, this version did not work, the naval minister himself, fearing persecution, rejected it.
But here is the writer and publicist A.S. Elkin in his documentary novel: The Secret of “Empress Mary”: The Story of a Search, published in the journal "Moscow", No. 4, 1978.- S. 104-171 - confirms the version of Academician Krylov.

[geniy]

Academician Krylov lied a lot in his memoirs - I personally checked it. And although he was the head of the commission to investigate the death of "Empress Mary," but he hid very important facts from the people. As I already wrote, after raising the battleship, it turned out that all the cartridges with gunpowder and the main caliber shells were safe and sound, and the temperature in the bow of the bow turret did not exceed 60-90 degrees. That is, the Empress Maria didn’t have any explosion of ammunition of the bow tower of the Civil Code !!

[Alexander Greene]

Quote: geniy

Academician Krylov lied a lot in his memoirs - I personally checked it. And although he was the head of the commission to investigate the death of "Empress Mary," but he hid very important facts from the people.

Firstly, A.N. Krylov was not the head of the commission. The commission of the Naval Ministry, which arrived from Petrograd, was headed by Admiral N.M., a member of the Admiralty Council. Yakovlev.
Secondly, as A.N. Krylov could hide what all the eyewitnesses saw, the fire started under the bow tower, then there was a big explosion, which was recorded in the ship logbook of the battleship Eustathius, standing nearby. The same thing was recorded in the battleship magazine Empress Catherine the Great.

[AK64]

Who blew up Mary? Yes, Kolchak blew up, who else?

Kolchak was sent to the Black Sea Fleet so that he carried out the landing operation on the Bosphorus. And he promised - that was the condition for his appointment. But Kolchak was an English agent (still recruited in Japan), and, accordingly, could not conduct a landing operation - the owners forbade it. First, Kolchak was pulling with all his might time and dynamism (the operation was planned for September). Well, when it became impossible to dynamite further, he organized this explosion.

Kolchak-Kolchak, do not hesitate.

[Catfish]

Quote: AK64

Who blew up Mary? Yes, Kolchak blew up, who else?

Kolchak was sent to the Black Sea Fleet so that he carried out the landing operation on the Bosphorus. And he promised - that was the condition for his appointment. But Kolchak was an English agent (still recruited in Japan), and, accordingly, could not conduct a landing operation - the owners forbade it. First, Kolchak was pulling with all his might time and dynamism (the operation was planned for September). Well, when it became impossible to dynamite further, he organized this explosion.

Kolchak-Kolchak, do not hesitate.

This is such a humor, right? I am delighted! English Agent Recruited in Japan - Awesome Thought! No, by golly! Well, if seriously - then this is no longer being treated, then medicine is powerless. Do not doubt.

[Alexey RA]

Quote: Sea Cat

English Agent Recruited in Japan - Awesome Thought!

Duc ... Englishwoman - she always crap! She and Japan set Russia against Russia only to capture Kolchak and recruit.
But seriously, Britain and Japan until 1921 were the closest allies - as many as three allied treaties in a row. He buried this touching unity The Treatise of the Four Powers, concluded during the well-known flotophiles of the Washington Conference of 1921. Although, the PMSM, without this, the interests of Britain and Japan in Southeast Asia and China would soon have clashed.

[Oleg Kolsky 051]

Probably after all, you should not overestimate the capabilities of German intelligence. Indeed, if indeed the fire started in the cellars of mine artillery, which led to the explosion and subsequent detonation in other cellars, then this is hardly a "hellish machine", in this version there should have been a sudden explosion of the cellar and not smoke-fire-explosion.

[Yarik]

You can then recall the commander of the red fleet Dybenko:: then he, too, is a German spy already ... from the time of the revolution !.

Well, yes ... Dybenko, Krylenko .... Lenin again. What kind of nonsense?

[Yarik]

Quote: Yarik

You can then recall the commander of the red fleet Dybenko:: then he, too, is a German spy already ... from the time of the revolution !.

Well, yes ... Dybenko, Krylenko .... Lenin again. What kind of nonsense?

And the first two mentioned on "0" have the ending of surnames. Not otherwise, ancient Sumerians. And Lenin is generally a Jew.