Crimean War and the development of the steam navy of the Russian Empire
In September, 2014 marks 160 since the start of the legendary defense of Sevastopol during the Crimean War. 25 September (13 September old style) 1854 of the year began the siege of the city of Russian naval glory by superior forces and forces of the enemy. As is known, in the Crimean War, the Russian empire clashed with a coalition of the leading Western powers of that time — Britain and France, as well as the Ottoman Empire and joined the coalition of the Sardinian kingdom.
Back in June 1854, the naval forces of England, France, the Ottoman Empire and the Sardinian kingdom, consisting of 34 battleships and 55 frigates, blocked the Russian navy in the Sevastopol bay. Russian forces fleet significantly inferior to the enemy - in the bay of Sevastopol were blocked 14 battleships, 6 frigates and 6 steamboat-frigates. By the way, the vast majority of Russian warships were sailing, while the Allied fleet had a clear advantage in modern steam ships.
Military-technical backwardness of the Russian fleet
Here it is necessary to dwell in greater detail on what the Russian navy represented by the middle of the 19th century. The naval forces of the empire included two fleets — the Black Sea and the Baltic, and several smaller flotillas — the Kamchatka, the Caspian, the White Sea, and the Aral, which did not play a significant role in the defense of the sea’s frontiers. The Black Sea and Baltic fleet had a number of significant differences from each other. The Baltic fleet was always visible and therefore its command was aimed at developing, in the first place, the outer side of the fleet. The ships of the Baltic Fleet with their appearance should have made an impression of the elite of the Russian naval forces and, indeed, the fleet looked great at the parades and parades. However, his combat training caused many questions - the Balticians rarely set sail, the officers sought more to build a career than to master the naval science and the ability to control their crews.
The Black Sea Fleet, which also lagged behind the English or French fleets in military-technical terms, in terms of training personnel, was a completely different picture than the Baltic Fleet. First, the Black Sea Fleet, almost all the time of the existence of the Russian naval forces, continuously fought - first of all, with Ottoman Turkey. Secondly, the fleet ships more often went to long-distance navigation, had a rich experience of interaction with ground forces during the blockade of the Caucasian coast. Had a fleet and a strategic goal - the seizure of the Bosphorus and Dardanelles in the event of a naval conflict with the Ottoman Empire.
It was the Crimean War and, in particular, the defense of Sevastopol, about which the Russian militaryhistorical so many books have been written in literature that it makes no sense to retell the course of events in the heroic months of September 1854 - August 1855. It was a turning point in the development of the Russian Navy. The raid of the enemy fleet to the Sevastopol Bay showed the backwardness of the then Russian fleet, consisting in the predominance of the sailing fleet over the steam one. While England and France, a significant part of the warships was represented by steamships, the Russian Navy at the time the Crimean War began, consisted mainly of sailing ships, which, of course, lost to the more modern steam fleet. In this article, we will focus on several key points in the history of the transition of the Russian fleet from sailing ships to steam, not claiming to be comprehensive and complete, but offering to recall the people and events that are associated with the development of the Russian Navy.
The first Russian steam vessels began to be developed in the early nineteenth century. In 1815, the first passenger barge "Elizaveta" began to go on the route "St. Petersburg - Kronstadt". In 1820, the steamboat Vesuvius passed from Nikolaev to Kherson. However, the navy of the Russian Empire was in no hurry to acquire steam warships. Only at the end of 1830's. The construction of the first warships on steam-powered steam-off began: in BNGX, the Bogatyr steam-frigate was launched into the water, from 1838 to 1836. - seven wheeled steamer and one screw. As a result, by the time the Crimean War began, in terms of the development of the steam navy, Russia was significantly inferior to both England and France. In many respects, this military-technical backwardness was due to the deliberately losing position of Russia in the Crimean War, since the fleet’s task was to thwart enemy attempts to approach the Crimean coast. As is known, despite the heroism of the Russian sailors - admirals, officers and sailors - this task was not fulfilled due to the technical backwardness of the Russian fleet.
The first battle in the world with the participation of rare at that time military steamers was the battle of the steamer frigate Vladimir with the Turkish-Egyptian steamer frigate Pervaz Bahri, which occurred before the siege of Sevastopol began - 5 November 1853 of the year. The steamer frigate "Vladimir" was launched in March 1848, five years before the events described. Its displacement reached 1713 m., Length - 61 m., Width - 11 m. By the time of the beginning of the Crimean War, it was considered the best frigate of the Black Sea Fleet.
In those years, Russia had only 16 steamer-frigates on the Black Sea, while the naval command was suspicious of these ships, adhering to conservative views on the development of the fleet. Indeed, from an aesthetic point of view, sailing battleships looked much more impressive compared to small steam-powered frigates; on top of that, the Russian sailing fleet over the previous century proved itself in many naval battles, primarily with ships of Ottoman Turkey. Therefore, at first, the fleet command refrained from active combat use of steam frigates. They were used to support the ground forces, transport damaged sailing ships, fulfill orders for the delivery of correspondence and supplies. Directly in the fighting, they did not participate.
The technical backlog of the Russian navy was due not only to the backwardness of the Russian machine-building (including shipbuilding) industry compared to the British or French, but also to the conviction of many admirals and, moreover, the royal ministers that the sailing fleet remains efficient, then As in the world of military shipbuilding, colossal changes took place during this period.
The first battle of steamboats: the seizure of "Pervaz-Bahri"
By the morning of November 5, the steamer frigate "Vladimir" was in the Black Sea waters near the mouth of the Danube River, where it was carrying out tasks to monitor the movements of the Turkish military fleet. On board the steamer frigate was Vice-Admiral V.A., Chief of Staff of the Black Sea Fleet. Kornilov (1806-1854), and directly commanded "Vladimir" Lieutenant Commander G.I. Butakov (1820-1882).
By the time of the events described, Grigoriy Ivanovich Butakov was 33 of the year. Behind the hereditary sailor, whose father Ivan Butakov once commanded the battleship Tsar Konstantin, was already more than twenty years of naval service. In 1831, Grigory Butakov entered the Naval Cadet Corps and graduated from it five years later. Then there was a two-year internship at the Baltic Fleet, the appointment of a flag officer at 1838 to the battleship Silistria with the rank of midshipman, the assignment of lieutenant shoulder straps to 1843 for excellent service, including off the coast of the North Caucasus, a five-year command of the Hasty tender , assignment in 1850 of the captain-lieutenant rank and appointment in 1852 of the commander of the steamer frigate "Vladimir".
On the morning of November 5, Vice Admiral Kornilov himself was at the captain’s bridge of Vladimir, together with the flag officer of the ship. Vladimir Alekseevich watched the sea with binoculars when he saw the smoke of a steamer heading towards Sevastopol in the distance. Having not seen the vessel, the vice-admiral accepted him for the Russian steam-powered frigate Bessarabia and thought that the latter was heading for the Sevastopol bay. Kornilov gave the command to catch up with the steamer, to which the commander of "Vladimir" Butakov remarked that this could not be "Bessarabia."
As it turned out, the vice-admiral arranged for a different alignment - if the steamer were an enemy, it would be a sin not to engage him in battle. Within an hour, the steamer-frigate "Vladimir" managed to significantly reduce the distance that separated it from the suspicious ship. The latter, in turn, turned toward the coast, hoping to break away from the unwanted pursuer. "Vladimir" went to meet him - the red flag with a crescent moon fluttering over an unknown steamer spoke for itself. The Russian steamer-frigate did not meet with the Bessarabian colleague, but with the Turkish Pervaz-Bahri steamer-frigate (Sea View), commanded by an experienced officer, Seyd Pasha.
At 10 in the morning, the first shot of the Vladimir gun was heard. The launched core fell before the bow of the Turkish steam-frigate, which meant only one thing - the Russian ship offers the Turks to surrender immediately. In response, the Turkish ship steamer responded with cannon volleys. The battle of Russian and Turkish ships began. Captain-Lieutenant Butakov oriented instantly. Noticing that there are no bow and stern guns on the Turkish military ship, Butakov skillfully controlled the "Vladimir", not allowing the latter to approach the sides of the Pervaz-Bahri.
A Turkish cannon shot down a Turkish flag on the mast of a steamboat, but the Ottomans immediately replaced it and tried to break away from the Russian ship. In response, "Vladimir" shot from the nose guns - 214-mm guns. It is difficult to deny the courage of the Turks, first of all commander Seyid Pasha, who was standing on the landing all the time until he was killed by another volley from a Russian steamer. Approaching the Pervaz-Bahri at a hundred-meter distance, the Russian steamer opened fire with a canister from all the onboard guns. After the death of the captain, the Turks faltered and soon the flag crawled down the mast with a crescent moon. This meant that the Pervaz-Bahri steamer-frigate was surrendered to the victor’s mercy. For the Turkish sailors, the battle ended with the loss of 58 officers and sailors killed, two people were killed on the "Vladimir". The captured Pervaz-Bakhri steamboat-frigate was repaired and under the new name Kornilov was enlisted in the Black Sea Fleet.
For the victory and the seizure of Pervaz-Bakhri, Grigory Butakov was awarded the Order of St. George of the 4 degree and promoted to captain of the 2 rank. Subsequently, for nearly thirty years, he continued to serve in the Russian Navy, reaching the full admiral. During the defense of Sevastopol, Butakov commanded a detachment of steam-frigates, was promoted to captain of the 1 rank and was appointed chief of staff of the Black Sea Fleet. Butakov was greatly appreciated by renowned Russian admirals Nakhimov and Kornilov, and even forbade Nakhimov to send Butakova to dangerous missions, arguing that the Russian fleet needed this officer alive - as a storehouse of knowledge, experience and initiatives. After the Crimean War, he served as military governor of Nikolaev and Sevastopol, commanded a detachment of screw ships in the Baltic Fleet, was a naval agent in England, France and Italy, and commanded the Practical Squadron of armored ships on the Baltic Sea. In 1878-1881 Butakov was the head of the coastal and naval defense of the Sveaborg fortress, and from 1 in January of 1881 he became the commander-in-chief of the St. Petersburg fleet.
In addition to his feats of arms, Grigory Butakov went down in history as one of the first Russian forerunners of the development of the steam navy. He is the author of the scientific work “New Foundations of Steamship Tactics”. It Butakov based on personal experience and analysis of existing scientific theories, introduced the methods of combat training of the fleet: to prepare the fleet, not for shows and parades, but for military operations; pay more attention to marine practice, especially swimming; to develop the initiative, courage and ingenuity of the officers and sailors of the fleet; to teach the fleet the basics of ground forces engagement. Butakov drew attention to the need to increase the technical readiness of officers, non-commissioned officers and sailors in the transition from sailing to steam fleet and, accordingly, increasing requirements for engineering and technical literacy of sailors.
Shipbuilding Modernization
After the defeat of the Russian Empire in the Crimean War, it was forbidden to have a full-fledged combat fleet on the Black Sea. Nevertheless, realizing that without the fleet Russia sooner or later will not be able to exist, at least as a great power, the government of the country switched to the development program for the steam and armored fleet. Thus, the Crimean War became a kind of impetus for ossified Russian officials, prompting them to pay attention to the need to modernize naval shipping and shipbuilding and move on to the construction of modern warships.
Already in 1857, the shipbuilding program was approved, according to which the Baltic Fleet, which, as a result of the Crimean War, in fact remained the only full-fledged fleet of the Russian Empire, was to receive 18 propeller ships, 12 propeller frigates, 14 propeller corvettes, 100 propeller gunboats, 9 propeller ships steamer frigates. In addition, it was assumed the development of the Navy in the Pacific. There it was decided to focus 9 screw corvettes, 6 screw clippers, 9 screw conveyors and 4 wheeled steamer. According to the results of the war, on the Black Sea, the Russian Empire could have only minor naval forces consisting of 6 screw corvettes, 9 screw conveyors and 4 wheeled steamers.
However, the development of the steam fleet in post-war Russia required considerable efforts - first of all, the creation of a powerful shipbuilding industry focused on steam ships. It required not only talented inventors, but also engineers, technicians, skilled workers who are able to work in the shipbuilding industry. The organizational structure of the Navy also waited for the corresponding reforms. Military reforms DA Milyutin allowed to turn the Russian army and navy into a modern armed forces, not inferior to the armed forces of the Western powers, not only in size, but also in the specifics of recruiting and training of military personnel.
1 January 1874 was a transition to a system of universal military service. The strength of the navy was reduced by 58 thousand people - from 85 thousand people in 1857 year to 27 thousand people in 1878 year. The conscription service on ships of the Navy was reduced from 25 to 7 years of active service and three years of service in the reserve. At the same time, the approach to personnel issues of manning the navy has changed. The emphasis was placed on the call in the navy of skilled workers who had certain technical knowledge and skills. The latter played a very important role in enhancing the training of recruits recruited for the fleet, since the workers, unlike illiterate or illiterate peasants, had technical specialties and could, with short-term military training, perform professional duties on the ship.
The construction of screw wooden vessels began, which was proceeding at a rather rapid pace. Within six years, from 1857 to 1863, 26 screw ships were built, descending from the St. Petersburg shipyard. Contemporaries noted the high maneuverability and seaworthiness of screw ships, however, it was noted that the absence of armor makes wooden propeller ships an easy target for enemy artillery and allows the enemy to quickly disable them. The need to increase the security of screw ships entailed the transition to the construction of an armored fleet.
In 1860, the Maritime Ministry began the preparation of a second program for the development of domestic shipbuilding, focused on the construction of an armored fleet. According to the developers of the program, the navy of the Russian Empire should prevail over the fleets of potential rivals, which will allow Russia, regardless of its financial and economic resources, to adequately position itself on the international stage.
However, solving the task of building an armored fleet required appropriate preparation for its implementation for the Russian shipbuilding industry. First of all, it was required to retool shipbuilding yards, previously oriented on the production of wooden ships. Since St. Petersburg remained the main center of shipbuilding, the focus was on the modernization of St. Petersburg shipbuilding enterprises. The key ones were the shipyard on Galerny Island, the New Admiralty, the factories of Byrd, Carr and MacPherson, Semyaninkov and Poletika. It was decided to reassign all private factories to the Marine Ministry of the Russian Empire. In the south of the Russian Empire, a key role in the shipbuilding industry was played by Nikolaev, where from 1870's - 1880's. The construction of battleships for the Black Sea Fleet was launched. There were also shipbuilding enterprises in Sevastopol and Odessa on which small warships were built. In addition to shipyards, the metallurgical industry was important for the development of the steam-powered armored fleet. The rapid development of domestic metallurgy began in the last quarter of the nineteenth century.
However, the beginning of the release of armor refers to an earlier time. The main part of armor plates for the domestic fleet was supplied from the Izhora and Obukhov factories. It should also be noted that, in addition to domestic factories, battleships and individual components of their equipment were purchased by the Russian Empire abroad, since domestic industry in the second half of the 19th century was still not able to fully meet the need of the Russian naval department for warships. The first domestic armored ship - the gunboat "Experience" - was built in 1861, at the St. Petersburg shipyard, under the guidance of engineer Kh.V. Prokhorov. Made entirely of metal, the boat was equipped with a single weapon located on the bow of the vessel.
"Popovki"
The most important role in the transition from sailing ships to steam, in the development of the Russian armored fleet, was played by Admiral Andrei Alexandrovich Popov (1821-1898). A graduate of the Naval Cadet Corps, Popov also came from the Black Sea Fleet, where he began service and commanded the steamers Meteor, Elbrus, Andiya, Turok, and Taman.
Like Butakov, Popov was a member of the Crimean War. Being the commander of "Taman", Popov broke from the blocked Sevastopol to Odessa and returned back with supplies to supply the blocked defenders of the city. After the end of the Crimean War, Popov continued his service in the Baltic Fleet - chief of staff of the Kronstadt port, then commanded a detachment of ships in the Pacific Ocean, and in 1861 he was appointed responsible for the conversion of sailing ships into screw. The name of Popov is associated with the direct transfer of the Russian Navy to steam and armored ships. Popov led the construction of such famous ships as the battleship "Peter the Great", the imperial yacht "Livadia", the battleship frigates "General-Admiral" and "Herzog Edinburgh".
The battleship Peter the Great, built under the leadership of Popov, at one time became one of the strongest warships in the world, not inferior to the British and French battleships. Launched in the 1877 year, it was a powerful ship with a displacement of thousands of tons in 10. Armed with four 85-millimeter guns in two towers. The speed of the ship reached 12,5 nodes. The well-known English shipbuilder E. Reed spoke of Peter the Great as an extremely powerful ship, which is a much stronger ship than any English battleship. Also under the leadership and, including, on projects of A.A. Popova in the period after 1856 was built 14 screw corvettes and 12 clippers.
In order to strengthen the coastal defense in the area of the Kerch Strait and the Dnieper-Bug Estuary, the naval command decided to build several armored ships specifically designed for duty to protect the coastline. The military and naval ministries were tasked with creating batteries, whose thickness of armor and caliber of artillery guns would exceed the battleships of all foreign powers. At the same time, since according to the results of the Crimean War, Russia could not have vessels with a certain displacement in the Black Sea, the batteries created had to meet the prescribed requirements - that is, at the same time they should not be included in the list of forbidden ships, and have high combat qualities that allow to fully cope with the tasks of the defense of the straits and the coast.
A.A. Popov proposed his own project of battleships with a large displacement and low draft. Popova’s round floating battery was supposed to be equipped with powerful artillery pieces capable of withstanding battleships. Although the ship turned out low-speed, it did not embarrass Popov, since it was not originally intended to involve the floating batteries in long hikes. The armament of such a battery was to consist of 11-inch or 20-inch smooth guns. The smaller area of the floating battery allowed to save considerably on armor, which for an economically weaker Russia, only the losing party that emerged from the Crimean War, was of no small importance. These ships received in common language the name "popovki" - after the name of their designer and initiator of the release. It was planned to build 4 "popovki", two of which were to launch the St. Petersburg shipyard and two - Nikolaev. In 1871, the construction of the first "popovka" began, which received the name "Novgorod". Two years later, in May 1873, the ship "Novgorod", delivered from the St. Petersburg shipyard, was launched.
What was the ship "Novgorod"? It was equipped with two 280-mm rifled guns. During the tests, the popovka developed a speed of six knots. The low side of the popovka was the slow rate of fire: the gun was rotated 180 degrees in three minutes. To charge the cannon with shells, it was necessary to spend ten minutes. A serious failure of the project was the susceptibility of the vessel to descend from the course in the wind, and with strong wind it could hardly move. The characteristics of the Novgorod battleship were as follows: displacement - 2491 ton, length - 30,8 m., Width - 30,8 m., Side height - 4,6 m., Powerplant - 4 steam engines for 120 horsepower, 8 boilers. Autonomous battleship could survive for three days. The crew of the battleship numbered 151 man, including 15 officers.
The second “popovka” was supposed to be launched under the name “Kiev” in 1873, but then Popov began its modernization and as a result the battleship Vice Admiral Popov appeared, named after the designer. His launch was made in 1876 year. According to its characteristics, Vice Admiral Popov was somewhat superior to its predecessor, the battleship Novgorod. In particular, its data were as follows: displacement - 3550 tons, maximum length - 36,57 m., Width - 36,57 m., Side height - 4,6 m., Powerplant -8 steam engines for 120 hp, 12 boilers, 6 screws. The full speed of the enhanced pop-up model reached 8 nodes. Two 305-mm cannons, six Krupp 87-millimeter cannons, eight Hotchkiss 47-millimeter cannons, five Hotchkis X-guns with revolving guns were in service. The crew of the battleship Vice Admiral Popov numbered 37 people, including 206 officers.
Many experts argue that the project "popovki" because of its round body was a largely erroneous decision. After all, having built a round ship with thick armor and heavy artillery, Popov did not envisage that the ship would swing heavily on the waves, thereby reducing the targeted accuracy of artillery firing. "Popovki" poorly kept the course, could occasionally be overwhelmed with waves. Despite the fact that the project’s shortcomings in the launched ships were overcome, rumors about the poor suitability of these battleships in real combat were widespread in the country. In particular, ignorant people claimed that the “popovka” rotates when fired due to a round body.
Nevertheless, the “popovki” participated in the Russian-Turkish war 1877-1878, making a march to the mouth of the Danube River, in 1892 were credited with the number of armored ships of coastal defense. Written off the "popovki" with the weapons of the Navy only in the 1903 year - five years after the death of their designer in the 1898 year. It should be noted that it was thanks to the "popovka" in such a difficult period for the Russian presence on the Black Sea, as three decades after the Crimean War, that coastal defense of the most important strategic points of the Black Sea coast of the Russian Empire was carried out. However, in general, the Russian naval ministry failed to create a full-fledged line of defense of the Black Sea coast, because it relied solely on “popovki”, and then, influenced by public opinion, stopped their release after launching the first two battleships and did not offer new original projects.
The merit of Popov was the development of the idea of building armored cruisers, also called first-class cruisers. Subsequently, shipbuilders and the naval command of almost all the maritime powers of that time were guided by Popov’s ideas in the field of cruise building. Thus, the Russian admiral became not only the founder of the national steam fleet, but also gave a creative impetus to the development and modernization of shipbuilding on a global scale.
In the end, the Russian government thought about the prospects and ways of modernizing the Russian fleet and in several postwar decades, relying on the selfless work of specialists - naval officers, design engineers, technicians, as well as an unknown mass of skilled workers, was able to create a full-fledged navy, equipped with modern warships and not inferior in their fighting qualities to the fleets of the western maritime powers.
Back in June 1854, the naval forces of England, France, the Ottoman Empire and the Sardinian kingdom, consisting of 34 battleships and 55 frigates, blocked the Russian navy in the Sevastopol bay. Russian forces fleet significantly inferior to the enemy - in the bay of Sevastopol were blocked 14 battleships, 6 frigates and 6 steamboat-frigates. By the way, the vast majority of Russian warships were sailing, while the Allied fleet had a clear advantage in modern steam ships.
Military-technical backwardness of the Russian fleet
Here it is necessary to dwell in greater detail on what the Russian navy represented by the middle of the 19th century. The naval forces of the empire included two fleets — the Black Sea and the Baltic, and several smaller flotillas — the Kamchatka, the Caspian, the White Sea, and the Aral, which did not play a significant role in the defense of the sea’s frontiers. The Black Sea and Baltic fleet had a number of significant differences from each other. The Baltic fleet was always visible and therefore its command was aimed at developing, in the first place, the outer side of the fleet. The ships of the Baltic Fleet with their appearance should have made an impression of the elite of the Russian naval forces and, indeed, the fleet looked great at the parades and parades. However, his combat training caused many questions - the Balticians rarely set sail, the officers sought more to build a career than to master the naval science and the ability to control their crews.
The Black Sea Fleet, which also lagged behind the English or French fleets in military-technical terms, in terms of training personnel, was a completely different picture than the Baltic Fleet. First, the Black Sea Fleet, almost all the time of the existence of the Russian naval forces, continuously fought - first of all, with Ottoman Turkey. Secondly, the fleet ships more often went to long-distance navigation, had a rich experience of interaction with ground forces during the blockade of the Caucasian coast. Had a fleet and a strategic goal - the seizure of the Bosphorus and Dardanelles in the event of a naval conflict with the Ottoman Empire.
It was the Crimean War and, in particular, the defense of Sevastopol, about which the Russian militaryhistorical so many books have been written in literature that it makes no sense to retell the course of events in the heroic months of September 1854 - August 1855. It was a turning point in the development of the Russian Navy. The raid of the enemy fleet to the Sevastopol Bay showed the backwardness of the then Russian fleet, consisting in the predominance of the sailing fleet over the steam one. While England and France, a significant part of the warships was represented by steamships, the Russian Navy at the time the Crimean War began, consisted mainly of sailing ships, which, of course, lost to the more modern steam fleet. In this article, we will focus on several key points in the history of the transition of the Russian fleet from sailing ships to steam, not claiming to be comprehensive and complete, but offering to recall the people and events that are associated with the development of the Russian Navy.
The first Russian steam vessels began to be developed in the early nineteenth century. In 1815, the first passenger barge "Elizaveta" began to go on the route "St. Petersburg - Kronstadt". In 1820, the steamboat Vesuvius passed from Nikolaev to Kherson. However, the navy of the Russian Empire was in no hurry to acquire steam warships. Only at the end of 1830's. The construction of the first warships on steam-powered steam-off began: in BNGX, the Bogatyr steam-frigate was launched into the water, from 1838 to 1836. - seven wheeled steamer and one screw. As a result, by the time the Crimean War began, in terms of the development of the steam navy, Russia was significantly inferior to both England and France. In many respects, this military-technical backwardness was due to the deliberately losing position of Russia in the Crimean War, since the fleet’s task was to thwart enemy attempts to approach the Crimean coast. As is known, despite the heroism of the Russian sailors - admirals, officers and sailors - this task was not fulfilled due to the technical backwardness of the Russian fleet.
The first battle in the world with the participation of rare at that time military steamers was the battle of the steamer frigate Vladimir with the Turkish-Egyptian steamer frigate Pervaz Bahri, which occurred before the siege of Sevastopol began - 5 November 1853 of the year. The steamer frigate "Vladimir" was launched in March 1848, five years before the events described. Its displacement reached 1713 m., Length - 61 m., Width - 11 m. By the time of the beginning of the Crimean War, it was considered the best frigate of the Black Sea Fleet.
In those years, Russia had only 16 steamer-frigates on the Black Sea, while the naval command was suspicious of these ships, adhering to conservative views on the development of the fleet. Indeed, from an aesthetic point of view, sailing battleships looked much more impressive compared to small steam-powered frigates; on top of that, the Russian sailing fleet over the previous century proved itself in many naval battles, primarily with ships of Ottoman Turkey. Therefore, at first, the fleet command refrained from active combat use of steam frigates. They were used to support the ground forces, transport damaged sailing ships, fulfill orders for the delivery of correspondence and supplies. Directly in the fighting, they did not participate. The technical backlog of the Russian navy was due not only to the backwardness of the Russian machine-building (including shipbuilding) industry compared to the British or French, but also to the conviction of many admirals and, moreover, the royal ministers that the sailing fleet remains efficient, then As in the world of military shipbuilding, colossal changes took place during this period.
The first battle of steamboats: the seizure of "Pervaz-Bahri"
By the morning of November 5, the steamer frigate "Vladimir" was in the Black Sea waters near the mouth of the Danube River, where it was carrying out tasks to monitor the movements of the Turkish military fleet. On board the steamer frigate was Vice-Admiral V.A., Chief of Staff of the Black Sea Fleet. Kornilov (1806-1854), and directly commanded "Vladimir" Lieutenant Commander G.I. Butakov (1820-1882).
By the time of the events described, Grigoriy Ivanovich Butakov was 33 of the year. Behind the hereditary sailor, whose father Ivan Butakov once commanded the battleship Tsar Konstantin, was already more than twenty years of naval service. In 1831, Grigory Butakov entered the Naval Cadet Corps and graduated from it five years later. Then there was a two-year internship at the Baltic Fleet, the appointment of a flag officer at 1838 to the battleship Silistria with the rank of midshipman, the assignment of lieutenant shoulder straps to 1843 for excellent service, including off the coast of the North Caucasus, a five-year command of the Hasty tender , assignment in 1850 of the captain-lieutenant rank and appointment in 1852 of the commander of the steamer frigate "Vladimir". On the morning of November 5, Vice Admiral Kornilov himself was at the captain’s bridge of Vladimir, together with the flag officer of the ship. Vladimir Alekseevich watched the sea with binoculars when he saw the smoke of a steamer heading towards Sevastopol in the distance. Having not seen the vessel, the vice-admiral accepted him for the Russian steam-powered frigate Bessarabia and thought that the latter was heading for the Sevastopol bay. Kornilov gave the command to catch up with the steamer, to which the commander of "Vladimir" Butakov remarked that this could not be "Bessarabia."
As it turned out, the vice-admiral arranged for a different alignment - if the steamer were an enemy, it would be a sin not to engage him in battle. Within an hour, the steamer-frigate "Vladimir" managed to significantly reduce the distance that separated it from the suspicious ship. The latter, in turn, turned toward the coast, hoping to break away from the unwanted pursuer. "Vladimir" went to meet him - the red flag with a crescent moon fluttering over an unknown steamer spoke for itself. The Russian steamer-frigate did not meet with the Bessarabian colleague, but with the Turkish Pervaz-Bahri steamer-frigate (Sea View), commanded by an experienced officer, Seyd Pasha.
At 10 in the morning, the first shot of the Vladimir gun was heard. The launched core fell before the bow of the Turkish steam-frigate, which meant only one thing - the Russian ship offers the Turks to surrender immediately. In response, the Turkish ship steamer responded with cannon volleys. The battle of Russian and Turkish ships began. Captain-Lieutenant Butakov oriented instantly. Noticing that there are no bow and stern guns on the Turkish military ship, Butakov skillfully controlled the "Vladimir", not allowing the latter to approach the sides of the Pervaz-Bahri.
A Turkish cannon shot down a Turkish flag on the mast of a steamboat, but the Ottomans immediately replaced it and tried to break away from the Russian ship. In response, "Vladimir" shot from the nose guns - 214-mm guns. It is difficult to deny the courage of the Turks, first of all commander Seyid Pasha, who was standing on the landing all the time until he was killed by another volley from a Russian steamer. Approaching the Pervaz-Bahri at a hundred-meter distance, the Russian steamer opened fire with a canister from all the onboard guns. After the death of the captain, the Turks faltered and soon the flag crawled down the mast with a crescent moon. This meant that the Pervaz-Bahri steamer-frigate was surrendered to the victor’s mercy. For the Turkish sailors, the battle ended with the loss of 58 officers and sailors killed, two people were killed on the "Vladimir". The captured Pervaz-Bakhri steamboat-frigate was repaired and under the new name Kornilov was enlisted in the Black Sea Fleet.
For the victory and the seizure of Pervaz-Bakhri, Grigory Butakov was awarded the Order of St. George of the 4 degree and promoted to captain of the 2 rank. Subsequently, for nearly thirty years, he continued to serve in the Russian Navy, reaching the full admiral. During the defense of Sevastopol, Butakov commanded a detachment of steam-frigates, was promoted to captain of the 1 rank and was appointed chief of staff of the Black Sea Fleet. Butakov was greatly appreciated by renowned Russian admirals Nakhimov and Kornilov, and even forbade Nakhimov to send Butakova to dangerous missions, arguing that the Russian fleet needed this officer alive - as a storehouse of knowledge, experience and initiatives. After the Crimean War, he served as military governor of Nikolaev and Sevastopol, commanded a detachment of screw ships in the Baltic Fleet, was a naval agent in England, France and Italy, and commanded the Practical Squadron of armored ships on the Baltic Sea. In 1878-1881 Butakov was the head of the coastal and naval defense of the Sveaborg fortress, and from 1 in January of 1881 he became the commander-in-chief of the St. Petersburg fleet.
In addition to his feats of arms, Grigory Butakov went down in history as one of the first Russian forerunners of the development of the steam navy. He is the author of the scientific work “New Foundations of Steamship Tactics”. It Butakov based on personal experience and analysis of existing scientific theories, introduced the methods of combat training of the fleet: to prepare the fleet, not for shows and parades, but for military operations; pay more attention to marine practice, especially swimming; to develop the initiative, courage and ingenuity of the officers and sailors of the fleet; to teach the fleet the basics of ground forces engagement. Butakov drew attention to the need to increase the technical readiness of officers, non-commissioned officers and sailors in the transition from sailing to steam fleet and, accordingly, increasing requirements for engineering and technical literacy of sailors.
Shipbuilding Modernization
After the defeat of the Russian Empire in the Crimean War, it was forbidden to have a full-fledged combat fleet on the Black Sea. Nevertheless, realizing that without the fleet Russia sooner or later will not be able to exist, at least as a great power, the government of the country switched to the development program for the steam and armored fleet. Thus, the Crimean War became a kind of impetus for ossified Russian officials, prompting them to pay attention to the need to modernize naval shipping and shipbuilding and move on to the construction of modern warships.
Already in 1857, the shipbuilding program was approved, according to which the Baltic Fleet, which, as a result of the Crimean War, in fact remained the only full-fledged fleet of the Russian Empire, was to receive 18 propeller ships, 12 propeller frigates, 14 propeller corvettes, 100 propeller gunboats, 9 propeller ships steamer frigates. In addition, it was assumed the development of the Navy in the Pacific. There it was decided to focus 9 screw corvettes, 6 screw clippers, 9 screw conveyors and 4 wheeled steamer. According to the results of the war, on the Black Sea, the Russian Empire could have only minor naval forces consisting of 6 screw corvettes, 9 screw conveyors and 4 wheeled steamers.
However, the development of the steam fleet in post-war Russia required considerable efforts - first of all, the creation of a powerful shipbuilding industry focused on steam ships. It required not only talented inventors, but also engineers, technicians, skilled workers who are able to work in the shipbuilding industry. The organizational structure of the Navy also waited for the corresponding reforms. Military reforms DA Milyutin allowed to turn the Russian army and navy into a modern armed forces, not inferior to the armed forces of the Western powers, not only in size, but also in the specifics of recruiting and training of military personnel.
1 January 1874 was a transition to a system of universal military service. The strength of the navy was reduced by 58 thousand people - from 85 thousand people in 1857 year to 27 thousand people in 1878 year. The conscription service on ships of the Navy was reduced from 25 to 7 years of active service and three years of service in the reserve. At the same time, the approach to personnel issues of manning the navy has changed. The emphasis was placed on the call in the navy of skilled workers who had certain technical knowledge and skills. The latter played a very important role in enhancing the training of recruits recruited for the fleet, since the workers, unlike illiterate or illiterate peasants, had technical specialties and could, with short-term military training, perform professional duties on the ship.
The construction of screw wooden vessels began, which was proceeding at a rather rapid pace. Within six years, from 1857 to 1863, 26 screw ships were built, descending from the St. Petersburg shipyard. Contemporaries noted the high maneuverability and seaworthiness of screw ships, however, it was noted that the absence of armor makes wooden propeller ships an easy target for enemy artillery and allows the enemy to quickly disable them. The need to increase the security of screw ships entailed the transition to the construction of an armored fleet.
In 1860, the Maritime Ministry began the preparation of a second program for the development of domestic shipbuilding, focused on the construction of an armored fleet. According to the developers of the program, the navy of the Russian Empire should prevail over the fleets of potential rivals, which will allow Russia, regardless of its financial and economic resources, to adequately position itself on the international stage.
However, solving the task of building an armored fleet required appropriate preparation for its implementation for the Russian shipbuilding industry. First of all, it was required to retool shipbuilding yards, previously oriented on the production of wooden ships. Since St. Petersburg remained the main center of shipbuilding, the focus was on the modernization of St. Petersburg shipbuilding enterprises. The key ones were the shipyard on Galerny Island, the New Admiralty, the factories of Byrd, Carr and MacPherson, Semyaninkov and Poletika. It was decided to reassign all private factories to the Marine Ministry of the Russian Empire. In the south of the Russian Empire, a key role in the shipbuilding industry was played by Nikolaev, where from 1870's - 1880's. The construction of battleships for the Black Sea Fleet was launched. There were also shipbuilding enterprises in Sevastopol and Odessa on which small warships were built. In addition to shipyards, the metallurgical industry was important for the development of the steam-powered armored fleet. The rapid development of domestic metallurgy began in the last quarter of the nineteenth century.
However, the beginning of the release of armor refers to an earlier time. The main part of armor plates for the domestic fleet was supplied from the Izhora and Obukhov factories. It should also be noted that, in addition to domestic factories, battleships and individual components of their equipment were purchased by the Russian Empire abroad, since domestic industry in the second half of the 19th century was still not able to fully meet the need of the Russian naval department for warships. The first domestic armored ship - the gunboat "Experience" - was built in 1861, at the St. Petersburg shipyard, under the guidance of engineer Kh.V. Prokhorov. Made entirely of metal, the boat was equipped with a single weapon located on the bow of the vessel.
"Popovki"
The most important role in the transition from sailing ships to steam, in the development of the Russian armored fleet, was played by Admiral Andrei Alexandrovich Popov (1821-1898). A graduate of the Naval Cadet Corps, Popov also came from the Black Sea Fleet, where he began service and commanded the steamers Meteor, Elbrus, Andiya, Turok, and Taman.
Like Butakov, Popov was a member of the Crimean War. Being the commander of "Taman", Popov broke from the blocked Sevastopol to Odessa and returned back with supplies to supply the blocked defenders of the city. After the end of the Crimean War, Popov continued his service in the Baltic Fleet - chief of staff of the Kronstadt port, then commanded a detachment of ships in the Pacific Ocean, and in 1861 he was appointed responsible for the conversion of sailing ships into screw. The name of Popov is associated with the direct transfer of the Russian Navy to steam and armored ships. Popov led the construction of such famous ships as the battleship "Peter the Great", the imperial yacht "Livadia", the battleship frigates "General-Admiral" and "Herzog Edinburgh". The battleship Peter the Great, built under the leadership of Popov, at one time became one of the strongest warships in the world, not inferior to the British and French battleships. Launched in the 1877 year, it was a powerful ship with a displacement of thousands of tons in 10. Armed with four 85-millimeter guns in two towers. The speed of the ship reached 12,5 nodes. The well-known English shipbuilder E. Reed spoke of Peter the Great as an extremely powerful ship, which is a much stronger ship than any English battleship. Also under the leadership and, including, on projects of A.A. Popova in the period after 1856 was built 14 screw corvettes and 12 clippers.
In order to strengthen the coastal defense in the area of the Kerch Strait and the Dnieper-Bug Estuary, the naval command decided to build several armored ships specifically designed for duty to protect the coastline. The military and naval ministries were tasked with creating batteries, whose thickness of armor and caliber of artillery guns would exceed the battleships of all foreign powers. At the same time, since according to the results of the Crimean War, Russia could not have vessels with a certain displacement in the Black Sea, the batteries created had to meet the prescribed requirements - that is, at the same time they should not be included in the list of forbidden ships, and have high combat qualities that allow to fully cope with the tasks of the defense of the straits and the coast.
A.A. Popov proposed his own project of battleships with a large displacement and low draft. Popova’s round floating battery was supposed to be equipped with powerful artillery pieces capable of withstanding battleships. Although the ship turned out low-speed, it did not embarrass Popov, since it was not originally intended to involve the floating batteries in long hikes. The armament of such a battery was to consist of 11-inch or 20-inch smooth guns. The smaller area of the floating battery allowed to save considerably on armor, which for an economically weaker Russia, only the losing party that emerged from the Crimean War, was of no small importance. These ships received in common language the name "popovki" - after the name of their designer and initiator of the release. It was planned to build 4 "popovki", two of which were to launch the St. Petersburg shipyard and two - Nikolaev. In 1871, the construction of the first "popovka" began, which received the name "Novgorod". Two years later, in May 1873, the ship "Novgorod", delivered from the St. Petersburg shipyard, was launched.
What was the ship "Novgorod"? It was equipped with two 280-mm rifled guns. During the tests, the popovka developed a speed of six knots. The low side of the popovka was the slow rate of fire: the gun was rotated 180 degrees in three minutes. To charge the cannon with shells, it was necessary to spend ten minutes. A serious failure of the project was the susceptibility of the vessel to descend from the course in the wind, and with strong wind it could hardly move. The characteristics of the Novgorod battleship were as follows: displacement - 2491 ton, length - 30,8 m., Width - 30,8 m., Side height - 4,6 m., Powerplant - 4 steam engines for 120 horsepower, 8 boilers. Autonomous battleship could survive for three days. The crew of the battleship numbered 151 man, including 15 officers.
The second “popovka” was supposed to be launched under the name “Kiev” in 1873, but then Popov began its modernization and as a result the battleship Vice Admiral Popov appeared, named after the designer. His launch was made in 1876 year. According to its characteristics, Vice Admiral Popov was somewhat superior to its predecessor, the battleship Novgorod. In particular, its data were as follows: displacement - 3550 tons, maximum length - 36,57 m., Width - 36,57 m., Side height - 4,6 m., Powerplant -8 steam engines for 120 hp, 12 boilers, 6 screws. The full speed of the enhanced pop-up model reached 8 nodes. Two 305-mm cannons, six Krupp 87-millimeter cannons, eight Hotchkiss 47-millimeter cannons, five Hotchkis X-guns with revolving guns were in service. The crew of the battleship Vice Admiral Popov numbered 37 people, including 206 officers.
Many experts argue that the project "popovki" because of its round body was a largely erroneous decision. After all, having built a round ship with thick armor and heavy artillery, Popov did not envisage that the ship would swing heavily on the waves, thereby reducing the targeted accuracy of artillery firing. "Popovki" poorly kept the course, could occasionally be overwhelmed with waves. Despite the fact that the project’s shortcomings in the launched ships were overcome, rumors about the poor suitability of these battleships in real combat were widespread in the country. In particular, ignorant people claimed that the “popovka” rotates when fired due to a round body.
Nevertheless, the “popovki” participated in the Russian-Turkish war 1877-1878, making a march to the mouth of the Danube River, in 1892 were credited with the number of armored ships of coastal defense. Written off the "popovki" with the weapons of the Navy only in the 1903 year - five years after the death of their designer in the 1898 year. It should be noted that it was thanks to the "popovka" in such a difficult period for the Russian presence on the Black Sea, as three decades after the Crimean War, that coastal defense of the most important strategic points of the Black Sea coast of the Russian Empire was carried out. However, in general, the Russian naval ministry failed to create a full-fledged line of defense of the Black Sea coast, because it relied solely on “popovki”, and then, influenced by public opinion, stopped their release after launching the first two battleships and did not offer new original projects.
The merit of Popov was the development of the idea of building armored cruisers, also called first-class cruisers. Subsequently, shipbuilders and the naval command of almost all the maritime powers of that time were guided by Popov’s ideas in the field of cruise building. Thus, the Russian admiral became not only the founder of the national steam fleet, but also gave a creative impetus to the development and modernization of shipbuilding on a global scale.
In the end, the Russian government thought about the prospects and ways of modernizing the Russian fleet and in several postwar decades, relying on the selfless work of specialists - naval officers, design engineers, technicians, as well as an unknown mass of skilled workers, was able to create a full-fledged navy, equipped with modern warships and not inferior in their fighting qualities to the fleets of the western maritime powers.
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