This event coincided with the arrival of Captain 1st Rank von Essen, newly appointed head of the 1st Mine Division, to the port of Emperor Alexander III. Soon an order was received to promote him to rear admiral.

All ready-made destroyers were concentrated in the port. The division included: four destroyers of the "Border Guard" type, which made up the Special Purpose half-division (the admiral raised his flag on the "Border Guard"); 1st Division – four destroyers of the “Volunteer” type and four “Vsadnik” type; 2nd Division - eight destroyers of the "Ukraine" type; 3rd Division - eight destroyers of the "Mechanical Engineer Dmitriev" type and 4th Division of eight destroyers of the "Light" ("French") type. But many of them were still being completed in Riga and Helsingfors, and stern guns were installed on the 4th division, and it was stationed in the Neva. The admiral made every effort to quickly assemble the entire division, which he managed to achieve by the spring of 1907.

In essence, then it was the only combat unit of the Baltic Fleet, which over time could carry out serious combat service and become the core of the reviving Baltic Fleet.

In addition to the Mine Division, there was also a detachment of ships designed to sail with the ship's midshipmen. It consisted of the battleships “Tsesarevich” and “Slava” and the cruiser “Bogatyr” and went on overseas voyages in the winter. All other large ships were either under repair or being completed. As I indicated above, the work proceeded very slowly, due to the lack of money from the Naval Ministry.

It was impossible to find a more suitable officer for the post of head of the Mine Division than Admiral Essen. Not to mention his military service during the Japanese War and extensive experience in commanding ships, he had exceptional organizational skills, and he would undoubtedly have developed into an outstanding naval commander. In addition, he enjoyed great fame and authority among the personnel, was loved by officers and commands, and his personality was charming.

At the Mine Division he was to lay a solid foundation for the future naval power of the Baltic Sea. Create a cadre of brilliant commanders and officers. Develop an organization for the maritime theater of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Finland. In a word, to prepare everything for the moment when new ships enter service. Now we can say that Admiral Essen coped with these tasks brilliantly - from a core of 36 destroyers in 1906, by 1915 he had two brigades of battleships, 2 brigades of cruisers, 2 mine divisions, a submarine detachment, etc. ., etc. But even then no one doubted that he would cope with the difficult task of reviving the fleet. Young officers were especially happy about the appointment of Admiral Essen, seeing in him the dashing commander of the Novik cruiser during the Japanese War.

Almost from the first day of the admiral’s arrival, vigorous organizational work began on all the destroyers of the division. First of all, the admiral had to face the issue of properly staffing the destroyers with officers and crews, and this caused a large number of movements and an influx of new officers and crews from ships that were under repair. In general, there was a great shortage of officers.

In particular, I was transferred to the destroyer “Volunteer”. This appointment pleased me extremely, since I found myself on a ship of higher combat qualities, and, in addition, it was pleasant to leave under the command of Vecheslov.

It was already late autumn (late September) of 1906; there was nothing to think about sailing this year. And even before sailing, it was necessary to organize the division, put it in combat condition, train the crews and force the officers to get used to their ships.

At Volunteer I immediately felt great. The commander was captain 2nd rank A.G. Pokrovsky, senior officer A.V. Dombrovsky, then Lieutenant V.V. Vitgeft, midshipman L.B. Zayonchkovsky (my comrades in the corps) and the ship's mechanic, staff captain Khomentovsky. The entire cast was extremely nice, and somehow we immediately became friends and got along.

The commander was extremely proud of his ship and strived for it to be the best of all the destroyers in the division. This desire of his for the ship to be “the best” immediately affected the entire personnel, and we all tried to ensure that everything was really better for us than for others. It was not easy, since other destroyers were striving for the same thing, but the tone given by the commander played a big role, and our “Volunteer” was soon singled out by the admiral himself.

The destroyers were supposed to spend the coming winter “in reserve,” that is, to stand in the port with a full complement of officers and crew and in such readiness of all mechanisms as to be able to go to sea in the shortest possible time (approximately a week). In former times, not only destroyers, but also all large ships of the Baltic Fleet “finished company” for the winter, that is, officers and crews were written off as crews were available and some of the mechanisms were dismantled. In the spring, the ships “started a campaign” - they armed themselves; officers and crews returned to them. This order has been established since the old days, when ships were wooden and, of course, it would have been impossible to spend harsh winters on them. This would be detrimental to the health of the crews.

But since then everything has completely changed: the ships became iron, the first steam heating appeared, and in general it was already possible to create such hygienic living conditions for the crew so that they would not suffer from the winter cold. However, the authorities of the pre-Tsushima period did not consider it necessary to change the old order, and ships continued to be disarmed in the fall and armed in the spring. Since the ships were on campaign for four months a year (from mid-May to mid-September), it follows that the fleet would not have been able to defend the shores of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Finland for eight months if war had suddenly broken out. But few people thought about this in those days. “Ending the campaign” for eight months was considered saving money, and little thought was given to the combat readiness of the ships.

Thus, the fact that the division would spend the winter in reserve, and that the full officers and crews would live on their ships all year round, was an innovation and seemed very risky to officers imbued with the Dotsushima spirit. We, young officers, on the contrary, terribly welcomed this measure, since we really did not like life on the shore and serving in crews.

But, of course, on the destroyers we had to think carefully about how to protect the premises from the cold. Although the sides inside were protected with small cork or cork sheets, they still sweated a lot. The entrance hatches had to be lined with boards, otherwise cold air would rush in when they were opened. To save coal, steam for steam heating was taken from the shore. In severe frosts, there were often cases where water pipes froze, and sometimes even steam heating pipes. Electricity was also taken from the shore.

In general, life gradually got better, and everyone felt not bad at all, even in the most severe frosts. There were no more diseases than if we lived on the shore, but we had to very strictly monitor the sanitary condition of the interior and do “general cleaning” once a week. It was especially difficult with warm clothes, which took up a lot of space, and there was extremely little of it.

In any case, the very first winter proved that there was no need to transfer teams ashore for the winter, and militarily this was a great advantage. Subsequently, the crews were even destroyed, leaving only one crew, the 1st Baltic in Kronstadt and the 2nd Baltic in St. Petersburg, for detachments of recruits and for the temporary accommodation of sailors who were transferred elsewhere. In addition, the 1st Baltic Crew kept records of all officers and sailors of the Baltic Fleet.

To avoid confusion, we will restore the chronology of the formation of mine forces in the Baltic after the Russo-Japanese War.

Initially, in February 1906, the mine cruisers that entered service, built with voluntary donations from the population, were included in the Practical Defense Detachment of the Baltic Sea coast under the command of the retinue of Rear Admiral Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich. Soon after the Grand Duke fled from the fleet, by order of the chief commander of the fleet and ports and the head of the naval defense of the Baltic Sea, Vice Admiral K.P. Nikonov dated September 28, 1906, all mine cruisers from the Practical Detachment were consolidated into a separate Detachment of Mine Cruisers under the command of Captain 1st Rank N.O. von Essen. In October 1906, destroyers were added to the detachment, and it became known as the 1st detachment of mine ships of the Baltic Sea, while being directly subordinate to the main commander of the fleet.

Initially, it included the mine cruisers: “Ukraine”, “Kazanets”, “Moskvityanin”, “Volunteer”, “Finn”, “Okhotnik”, “Emir of Bukhara”, “Amurets”, “Ussuriets”, “Zabaikalets”, “ Border Guard", "Siberian Shooter", "General Kondratenko", "Horseman", "Gaydamak", "Guarding", "Terrible", "Don Cossack", "Trukhmenets"; destroyers “Vidny”, “Thundering”, “Combat”, “Mechanical Engineer Zverev”, “Mechanical Engineer Dmitriev”, “Stormy”, “Attentive”, “Impressive”, “Hardy”, “Vigilant”; transport "Angara".

By order of the Naval Department of December 8, 1907, the 1st detachment of mine ships was renamed the Division of Destroyers from April 1, 1908. It consisted of four divisions of eight destroyers each (according to the 1907 classification, mine cruisers were also called destroyers), three destroyers at the disposal of the division commander, as well as auxiliary vessels. Until November 24, 1908, the division was commanded by N.O. von Essen, then captain 1st rank His Serene Highness Prince A.A. Liven.

On March 12, 1909, the Baltic Sea destroyer division was renamed the 1st Mine Division; until October 11, 1911, it was headed by A.A. Liven.

By the already mentioned order of the chief commander of the fleet and ports and the head of the naval defense of the Baltic Sea, Vice Admiral K.P. Nikonov dated September 28, 1906, part of the older destroyers was consolidated into a Destroyer Detachment under the command of Captain 1st Rank M.V. Knyazev to protect the skerry area (since October 1906 - the 2nd detachment of mine ships of the Baltic Sea). From April 1, 1908, the detachment was called the Destroyer Division, which, in turn, was renamed the 2nd Mine Division on March 12, 1909.

In April 1915, the 1st and 2nd Mine Divisions were united into the Mine Division.

This was at a time when the Russian Empire owned almost all the ports of the Gulf of Finland, Bothnia and Riga and the islands of the Abo-Oland skerries in the Baltic Sea. The ships of the fleet were scattered, according to their location, throughout the ports of Libau, Helsingfors, Abo, Marienhamn, Kronstadt and St. Petersburg.

A detachment of recruits from the 1st Mine Division, together with that of the Submarine Fleet, was located in the Port of Emperor Alexander III. Both made up two separate battalions under the command of the adjutant capt. 2nd rank S.S. Fabritsky and submariner cap. 2nd rank A. N. Nikiforaki. The entire detachment, as the eldest, was commanded by S. S. Fabritsky. They were located in a two-story stone building, with an arena, on one of the banks of the canal of the port's internal basin. The spacious square in front of the barracks overlooked the canal wall, near which stretched orderly rows of destroyers of the 1st Mine Division and submarines, with the training ship "Ocean" on the flank. Such a sea town was in perfect harmony with the purpose and way of life of the Recruit Detachment, in which future personnel of the Baltic Fleet ship crews were trained. Here the recruits clearly became acquainted with all branches and order of naval life and with the vigorous work of old sailors in repairing and arming ships preparing for the upcoming summer campaign.

Further, behind the barracks, closer to the sea, there were the officers' outbuildings, the Port Office, the post office and, finally, the beautiful building of the Naval Assembly with a beautiful view of the sea. It had a huge dance hall, salons, a library and a wonderful buffet restaurant. Our regular guests at the Assembly were the Smolensk lancers and officers of the Old Russian Infantry Regiment, who were stationed in Libau at that time.

The Head of the Detachment, he is also the commander of the esc. min. “Amurets” led the Detachment according to the model and programs of the then guards regiments. It was necessary to improve the fleet in combat terms. There was also hope that the young officers of the Detachment would infuse a new current into ship life. The Tsar's review was coming up, and the young sailors had to show off their drill bearing at it.

Single officers all had to live in the barracks, close to their companies, and everyone took meals in a common wardroom, in the same barracks. Thanks to this, a special cohesion was created within the Detachment and everyone was inspired by the desire to prove themselves no worse than the ground forces. And, indeed, the results of this animation and such work showed themselves at the Royal Review.

In my time, the 1st battalion was commanded by Lieutenant P.P. Mikhailov and his four companies were commanded by Lieutenants G.P. Gedrimovich V.V. Zavadsky, P.S. Pogozhev and B.P. Ivanov. Every day, except Sundays and holidays, all companies went out to the square and, in sight of the destroyers, scattered into platoon groups. The entire area was covered in a frantic din, especially from young midshipmen, who were sophisticated in various ways of giving commands, and in response there was a friendly crack of rifle butts or the monotonous stamping of feet “as one” by the brave naval recruits who quickly pulled themselves up beyond recognition.

The drawn-out command “battalion to attention” rushes by! Gentlemen officers! - the Chief of the Detachment, S.S. Fabritsky, descends from the Amurets along the gangplank. His representative, tall, broad-shouldered figure, military bearing and golden ailets on his frock coat simply had a hypnotizing effect on the young sailors. The entire square froze in silence, and only on the destroyers did the crew crawl out of the cockpits, engine rooms and stokers to stare at the “army mess,” as they called the recruits.

The 3rd company of helmsmen and signalmen under the command of P.S. Pogozhev was especially distinguished in the art of marching. You should have seen his extraordinary ability to “conduct” not only the mazurka at balls in the Naval Assembly, but also in the square - with his trained company. The company was proud of its superiority over others, and the young sailors swaggered like roosters, knowing in advance that their company would be called to show our work at the Tsar's review. But then the pre-lunch activities ended. From the barracks a mile away you could smell steaming “naval cabbage soup” and freshly baked rye bread. This smell had an unusually stimulating effect on the appetite. Everyone knew that in the wardroom a “team test” was already waiting for the Chief of the Squad, on a tray in the hands of the cook on duty (a cook in a white cap and a snow-white apron). The duty officer and sergeant major stood there, with a pipe around their neck. The remaining sample was usually handed over to the midshipmen and lieutenants who rushed from the square to be torn to pieces, so that they could have a bite and grunt with a cold glass of vodka.

With rollicking songs, accompanied by music and whistling, the companies went to the barracks. After lunch, everything calmed down all around, and the “afternoon” serene rest began in the Detachment and on the destroyers. Complete silence was interrupted only by the fragmentary ringing of bottles on all ships; They beat back every half hour, according to the exact time.

After lunch rest, the companies in most cases were engaged in the so-called “literature” (History of the Fleet, Naval Charter and Coastal Service Charter). This happened under the leadership of officers and non-commissioned officers. Some groups, under the command of the same officers and non-commissioned officers, went to ships for training in various specialties or to study ship machines on the Ocean. On Sundays, under the command of their junior officers, they went in separate companies on military walks, as they say, “without weapons, but with songs.”

In the evenings, during free time from service, young midshipmen rolled into Libau, on the famous “octopuses” (old-fashioned high 4-seater landaulets drawn by a pair of nags) and, depending on inspiration, went to the Bojnitz confectionery or to the “Petersburg Hotel” listen to the local celebrity - violinist Kreisler and eat oysters, or she went to the Hamburg Garden Variety Show, which was forbidden to her, where she importantly occupied a box. Those who lingered in restaurants until late hours found shelter in a charitable institution of the so-called “Princess Maria Alekseevna,” notable for its selfless care for young, inexperienced youths.

But, in addition to “shore” entertainment, young people often attended balls and masquerades in the officers’ meeting of the Old Russian Regiment. The regiment commander had two daughters and, naturally, the sailor officers were welcome guests for him. More often than not, when “the midshipman’s finances were singing romances” and the midshipman was sitting broke, busy drying his empty pockets, there was an opportunity to have fun in the wardroom. Usually in the evening the officers gathered in the Detachment's wardroom, in the circle of good friends. Over a good glass of cognac, the mood quickly became complacent and cheerful, and the mischievous midshipman Boba, a participant in many midshipman pranks and tricks that he somehow always successfully got away with, appeared at the piano. The soul of this cheerful society was usually the assistant to the Chief of the Capt. Detachment. 2nd rank Timofey Leonidovich von der Raab-Thielen. He sailed a lot in the Far East, a typical representative of the famous humorous “Lancepup tribe” there, to the description of which a special essay should be devoted, short, thin, reddish, with sideburns and ear pads and a typical “waddling” sea gait.

When he appeared in the wardroom, the youth gradually closed a ring around him and the stories of the unforgettable storyteller flowed about the old days of the cheerful and carefree life of youth in Vladivostok. His crowning act was the representation of prominent generals and admirals marching in a ceremonial march at parades in Tsarskoe Selo. He performed this number inimitably.

But let's return to the Recruit Squad. The month of March came, the breath of spring was felt, and the sun sent its life-giving rays onto the ships standing at the wall, glistening on the shiny parts of compasses, guns, mine devices and other naval fittings. There was a smell of red lead and other fresh paint. The mechanical “woodpecker” (drill) tapped out its monotonous, sharp melody, and the father-commanders looked after their offspring, looking with a jealous eye at the resurrecting beauty of their ships.

It was at this time that a detachment of recruits set out in a long train of military trains from the Libava station to the Tsarsky Review, in Tsarskoye Selo. The train moved very slowly, through Muravyevo, Riga and Pskov. Occasionally, at large stops in the first class station premises, officers organized dinners with a balalaika orchestra, and the Detachment's brass band played on the platform, entertaining the assembled audience, who gazed with curiosity at the sailors. In Riga and Pskov, the Detachment was met by representatives of the garrison, who accompanied it to the regimental barracks, where hot food awaited it.

In Tsarskoe Selo, the detachment was located in the barracks of the l. Guards His Majesty's Hussar Regiment.

The next day, the day of the review, the weather was rainy and the area in front of the palace was full of puddles. The detachment was lined up in brilliant order opposite the main entrance to the palace. At the appointed time, the Sovereign Emperor and Heir Tsarevich came out of the palace in naval uniform, accompanied by the Flag Captain of His Majesty Admiral Nilov, the Minister of the Navy Admiral Grigorovich, the Chief of the Naval Forces of the Baltic Fleet Admiral von Essen and the next duty. The orchestra began to play the “Nicholas March”, the Emperor walked along the front, greeting the young sailors. In response, a statutory greeting thundered, a shout of “Hurray” and the orchestra played the national anthem. After the tour, dead silence reigned and then the command of the parade commander, Captain 2nd Rank Fabritsky, was heard: “Battalions for gymnastics!”

Having reformed, the Detachment began gymnastics to the cheerful sounds of the orchestra, and with each kick of the feet, splashes of puddles echoed across the ground, mercilessly splashing our shiny ceremonial officer uniforms, embroidered with gold. The Emperor thanked the Detachment for the gymnastics, and then called the 3rd company under the command of Lieutenant Pogozhev to a company exercise. The training also went brilliantly and the company received the Tsar’s “thank you.” After which the Detachment marched in half a company in a ceremonial march. The Emperor thanked each half-company separately, and the orchestra and I returned to the hussar barracks, where the sailors were offered a wonderful lunch, and the officers were invited to the palace, to the Tsar’s table. Half of the officers received leave for three days, and the other went with the Detachment to Libau.

Upon returning to Libau, the young sailors were assigned to ships and I had the opportunity to lead a party to the cruiser "Gromoboy", where I sailed as a ship's midshipman. Thus ended my epic in the Detachment of Recruits, and I celebrated the coming of the Holy Resurrection of Christ already on my home ship, the minelayer “Narova”.

Boris Arsky.

Material from Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia

In the Baltic Fleet in 1908, the 1st mine division consisting of 37 destroyers and the 2nd mine division consisting of 10 destroyers and 16 destroyers were formed. In 1916, during the First World War, both of these divisions were combined into one. In 1922, the mine division of the Baltic Fleet was disbanded. In the Black Sea Fleet, a mine division consisting of 1 cruiser, 17 destroyers and destroyers and 4 submarines was formed in 1911. In 1914 it was reorganized into a mine brigade. In 1920-1921, a mine division consisting of 10 destroyers and 5 destroyers existed as part of the Volga-Caspian Military Flotilla, then it was reorganized into a separate division of destroyers of the Naval Forces of the Caspian Sea.

In the 1940s, destroyer divisions were created in the USSR Navy as formations of light naval forces.

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Notes

Literature

• // Military Encyclopedia: [in 18 volumes] / ed. V. F. Novitsky [and others]. - St. Petersburg. ; [M.]: Type. t-va I.V. Sytin, 1911-1915.

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Excerpt characterizing the Mine Division

The conversation continued throughout the evening, focusing mainly on political news. At the end of the evening, he became especially animated when it came to the awards bestowed by the sovereign.
“After all, last year NN received a snuff box with a portrait,” said l “homme a l” esprit profond, [a man of deep intelligence,] “why can’t SS receive the same award?”
“Je vous demande pardon, une tabatiere avec le portrait de l"Empereur est une recompense, mais point une distinction,” said the diplomat, un cadeau plutot. [Sorry, a snuff box with a portrait of the Emperor is a reward, not a distinction; rather a gift.]
– Il y eu plutot des antecedents, je vous citerai Schwarzenberg. [There were examples - Schwarzenberg.]
“C"est impossible, [This is impossible," the other objected.
- Pari. Le grand cordon, c"est different... [The tape is a different matter...]
When everyone got up to leave, Helen, who had said very little all evening, again turned to Boris with a request and a gentle, significant order that he should be with her on Tuesday.
“I really need this,” she said with a smile, looking back at Anna Pavlovna, and Anna Pavlovna, with the sad smile that accompanied her words when speaking about her high patroness, confirmed Helen’s desire. It seemed that that evening, from some words spoken by Boris about the Prussian army, Helen suddenly discovered the need to see him. She seemed to promise him that when he arrived on Tuesday, she would explain this need to him.
Arriving on Tuesday evening at Helen's magnificent salon, Boris did not receive a clear explanation of why he needed to come. There were other guests, the countess spoke little to him, and only saying goodbye, when he kissed her hand, she, with a strange lack of a smile, unexpectedly, in a whisper, said to him: Venez demain diner... le soir. Il faut que vous veniez… Venez. [Come for dinner tomorrow... in the evening. I need you to come... Come.]
On this visit to St. Petersburg, Boris became a close person in the house of Countess Bezukhova.

The war was flaring up, and its theater was approaching the Russian borders. Curses against the enemy of the human race, Bonaparte, were heard everywhere; Warriors and recruits gathered in the villages, and contradictory news came from the theater of war, false as always and therefore interpreted differently.
The life of old Prince Bolkonsky, Prince Andrei and Princess Marya has changed in many ways since 1805.
In 1806, the old prince was appointed one of the eight commanders-in-chief of the militia, then appointed throughout Russia. The old prince, despite his senile weakness, which became especially noticeable during the period of time when he considered his son killed, did not consider himself entitled to refuse the position to which he had been appointed by the sovereign himself, and this newly discovered activity excited and strengthened him. He was constantly traveling around the three provinces entrusted to him; He was pedantic in his duties, strict to the point of cruelty with his subordinates, and he himself went down to the smallest details of the matter. Princess Marya had already stopped taking mathematical lessons from her father, and only in the mornings, accompanied by her nurse, with little Prince Nikolai (as his grandfather called him), entered her father’s study when he was at home. Baby Prince Nikolai lived with his wet nurse and nanny Savishna in the half of the late princess, and Princess Marya spent most of the day in the nursery, replacing, as best she could, a mother to her little nephew. M lle Bourienne, too, seemed to be passionately in love with the boy, and Princess Marya, often depriving herself, yielded to her friend the pleasure of nursing the little angel (as she called her nephew) and playing with him.

The combined operation of the German naval and ground forces "Albion" is associated with Moonsund (the strait separating the Moonsund archipelago from the mainland coast of Estonia). For Russia, the Moonsund operation of September 29 – October 7, 1917 was the last military operation during the Great War.

In operational terms, for the Germans, the Moonsund operation was an amphibious assault operation to capture the islands of the archipelago. The strategic goal of the operation was to capture the Gulf of Riga, the most important promising bridgehead. In addition, having captured the islands, the Germans deprived the Russian command of the opportunity to use their aviation in the Gulf of Riga (the airfields were mainly on the island of Ezel) and protected the coastal flank of their 8th Army from any surprises.

The German fleet was so much stronger than the Russian Baltic Fleet that no operational and tactical art of the latter could balance its chances in an open battle at sea. Based on the balance of forces, the Russian naval command based its war plan in the Baltic theater of operations on the concept of defending the most dangerous operational directions for Russia using positional warfare. The narrow Gulf of Finland and the entrances to the Gulf of Riga and Bothnia made it possible to block them with mine and artillery positions. By themselves, these positions could not prevent the breakthrough of the enemy fleet, but they constrained the enemy’s maneuvering and allowed the Russian naval forces to act on the flank of the enemy breaking through the minefields.

By the spring of 1916, the following were created: 1) Central mine and artillery position on the Nargen-Porkallaudd line; 2) A forward mine-artillery position, which consisted of a minefield between Gangeudd and Cape Takhona (the northern tip of Dago Island - its flanks were to be protected by batteries on Russare Island, south of Cape Gangeudd) and on the island. Dago (near Cape Takhona); 3) Abo-Oland fortified position (closed the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia) and 4) Moonsund fortified position (along with minefields in the Irben Strait, it protected the entrance to the Gulf of Riga).

The advanced position allowed the forward deployment of the Baltic Fleet from Helsingfors to the west. A special place in the defense system was occupied by the Naval Forces of the Gulf of Riga, which included, in addition to the outdated battleship Slava, several cruisers and almost the entire Mine Division of the Baltic Fleet. The main operational task of this group was to defend the entrance to the Gulf of Riga through the Irbe Strait - the northern flank of the minefield was secured by the Moonsund position, and the southern flank rested on the coast of the Gulf of Riga captured and fortified by the Germans.

Capturing the coast of the Gulf of Riga is one of the most important tasks of the German forces during the fighting in the Baltic states in the summer of 1915. It was then that the Irbe operation of the German fleet was carried out. But the breakthrough of the German fleet into the Gulf of Riga did not achieve the main goal - the destruction of Russian naval forces in the gulf. The main goal of the Irben operation - maintaining dominance in the gulf to assist the troops of the coastal flank of the German Neman Army - was also not achieved. However, the enemy owned the coast as a base for the deployment of subsequent military operations.

The entire set of mine and artillery positions created by the Russian command by the summer of 1916 in the Baltic theater of operations constituted a single powerful fortified system, the center of which was the Forward Position (with the main forces of the Baltic Fleet deployed on it), with the flanks in the form of the positions of the Irbe Strait and Olandsgaf (behind which there should have been auxiliary units of the fleet). The central and rear positions ensured the stability of the defensive system and guaranteed the reliability of the protection of the sea approaches to Petrograd.

The combat stability of the system of Russian mine and artillery positions largely depended on the competent and active maneuvering of the naval forces of the fleet. The weakest links of the system were the flank positions - Irbenskaya and Olandsgafskaya: they had only one flank each, adjacent to their coastal fortifications (the other flank of the Olandsgafskaya position overlooked Swedish territorial waters, and the southern flank of the Irbenskaya position abutted the Courland coast, occupied and fortified by German troops ). Under the cover of coastal batteries, German ships could move freely along the Courland coast - only in 1917, after the installation of a 305-mm battery on Cape Tserel, which covered the entire width of the Irben Strait with its fire, the work of German minesweepers on the fairway along this coast was difficult.

The Moonsund fortified position was an important element in the Russian defense system in the Baltic - it formed an intermediate link between the Irben and Forward positions. Possession of Moonsund ensured communications in the Gulf of Riga, made it possible to successfully defend the Irbene Strait, as well as assist the flank of the Northern Front, and ensured freedom of maneuver in the Baltic theater of operations.

The main vulnerability of the Moonsund position is its accessibility to enemy landings (almost the entire coastline was favorable for landing), which the enemy did not fail to take advantage of in the 1917 campaign. The islands of Ezel and Dago, the entrances to Tagalaht and Leo bays, and Soelosund were not sufficiently protected. The most vulnerable point of the archipelago was Soelosund - the strait separating the largest (Dago and Ezel) islands and leading from the Baltic Sea into Moonsund. On the island of Ezel, just before the entrance to the strait, there were two largest bays - Tagalakht and Mustelgam - convenient for a large fleet.

Accordingly, the main burden of the defense of the islands lay on their garrison, which was insufficient both in quantitative and qualitative terms, and by the autumn of 1917, it had also decomposed morally and psychologically. Deployed behind the mine and artillery positions, the Russian fleet was a serious combat force, capable of going to sea at any moment and attacking both the enemy troops making a sea crossing and the landing forces. But, on the one hand, its combat effectiveness was also undermined by revolutionary events, and on the other, having, thanks to the Kiel Canal, the opportunity to transfer ships of any class to the Baltic, the Germans concentrated large forces and assets from the High Seas Fleet at the beginning of the Moonsund operation.

Map of the area of ​​the Moonsund operation.

The Germans involved in the operation more than 300 ships, 102 aircraft (94 were based at the St. Helena air base and nearby airfields, plus 8 seaplanes in the 16th air squadron), up to 25,000 landing troops (control of the 23rd reserve corps, 42nd and 77th I infantry divisions, 2nd scooter brigade) with 40 guns, 80 mortars, 220 machine guns [Chishwitz A. von. Capture of the Baltic Islands by Germany in 1917. M., 1937. P. 28-29]. The landing party was accepted onto transports in the city of Libau.

The group operated: the battlecruiser Moltke, 10 newest battleships (3rd and 4th squadrons - battleships Bayern, König, Grosser Kurfürst, Kronprinz, Markgraf; Friedrich der Grosse ", "König Albert", "Kaiserin", "Prince Regent Luitpold", "Kaiser"), 9 light cruisers (2nd and 6th reconnaissance groups - "Königsberg", "Karlsruhe", "Nuremberg", " Frankfurt", "Danzig", "Kolberg", "Strasburg", "Augsburg"; "Emden" was the flagship of the destroyer force), over 100 destroyers and destroyers, 6 submarines (Kurland flotilla) and more than 100 auxiliary vessels (transports , minesweepers, motor boats, etc.). The naval “Special Operations Detachment” was commanded by Vice Admiral E. Schmidt, and the landing corps was commanded by General von Katen.

2. E. Schmidt

3. von Katen

4. German battleship-dreadnought Prinz Regent Luitpold

5. 280-mm guns of the battlecruiser Moltke.

The naval forces of the Gulf of Riga included: 2 obsolete battleships (Citizen and Slava), 3 old cruisers (Admiral Makarov, Bayan, Diana), 12 new destroyers (Novik type) and 14 old destroyers: 4th (“General Kondratenko”, “Border Guard”), 5th (“Vsadnik”, “Amurets”, “Finn”, “Moskvityanin”, “Emir of Bukhara”), 6th (“Guarding”, “Don Cossack”, “Zabaikalets”, “Army”, “Ukraine”, “Turkmen Stavropol”, “Terrible”), 11th (“Winner”, “Zabiyaka”, “Thunder”), 12th (“Desna” ", "Samson", "Lieutenant Ilyin", "Captain Izylmetyev"), 13th ("Avtroil", "Konstantin", "Izyaslav", "Gabriel") destroyer divisions, the destroyer "Novik", 3 English submarines ( S-26, S-27, S-32), 3 gunboats (“Khivinets”, “Brave”, “Threatening”), auxiliary vessels (about 100). During the operation, reinforcements arrived, including several destroyers.

6. Battleship "Slava" in the parking lot

Accordingly, the Germans, having concentrated forces that were many times superior to the Russians both quantitatively and qualitatively, guaranteed an unconditionally successful outcome of the operation for themselves. The enemy's superiority was overwhelming.

For the Russian side, the situation was aggravated by a number of unfavorable circumstances. The first is technical. So, if on the large ships of the Gulf of Riga Naval Forces the condition of the mechanisms was relatively satisfactory, then the destroyers and smaller ships were so “torn” that their material part required constant bulkheads and repairs. The Gulf of Riga forces, like the entire fleet in 1917, due to poorly completed repair work and the almost complete lack of constant monitoring of the equipment by the command staff, were in much worse condition than before.

When characterizing the Russian defensive positions, it should be noted that the rare minefields placed on the approaches to Soelosund and near the bays could not serve as a serious obstacle for the enemy. In fact, there was no full-fledged mine position in the Irben Strait. The bulk of the coastal batteries were not camouflaged, and the largest seaplane station was located close to Tagalakht Bay - under possible enemy attack.

There were 39 coastal batteries (caliber 47-305 mm), but half of them were anti-aircraft. The personnel of the batteries was about 1.5 thousand people [Pukhov A.S. Battle of Moonsund. L., 1957. P. 40].

The main defense force of the Irben Strait is 305-mm battery No. 43 at Cape Tserel. But the battery had a limited field of fire, and from long distances it was impossible to inflict serious damage on the enemy with four guns. The battery was very vulnerable to fire from the sea, in particular from Leo Bay.

7. 305-mm gun of battery No. 43 at Cape Tserel.

8. Dislocation of Russian batteries on the Moonsund Islands.

Naval aviation (4 bus stations) consisted of 36 aircraft [Kosinsky A. M. Moonsund operation of the Baltic Fleet of 1917. L., 1928. P. 41].

The second unfavorable circumstance is moral and political. The morale of the islands' garrisons (parts of the 107th and 118th infantry divisions, border guards, sappers - 15 battalions and 5 squadrons) was left imprinted by the general decomposition and decline in discipline in the Russian army (after the revolutionary events of February 1917 and the spring-summer " deepening the revolution"), distrust of officers, interference of committees in all aspects of military operations.

The condition of the fleet personnel was also not the best. There were often cases of non-execution of orders, including combat orders.

Added to all the negative factors was the fact that the people in the units were already tired and demoralized by air raids before the active enemy operation began. So, on September 5, another raid on the Tserel battery led to a fire and explosion of the cellars. Colonel K.V. Loman, Lieutenant Colonel Maklyutin and about 120 other artillerymen and infantrymen were killed.

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Imperial Baltic Fleet between the two wars, 1906–1914 Count Harald Karlovich

Chapter II. Voyages of the Mine Division. Our sailors (1907)

Chapter II. Voyages of the Mine Division. Our sailors (1907)

The division's first training voyage in 1907 could not yet be carried out according to a strictly developed program, since not all destroyers were commissioned and the necessary auxiliary equipment for carrying out mine and artillery firing had not yet been prepared.

At the beginning of April, an order came to send one destroyer to Moonsund, at the disposal of border guard posts, as revolutionary organizations began to transport weapons from Sweden by sea. Even one steamship, loaded with weapons, jumped onto the rocks near the Daguerrort lighthouse. The revolutionaries sought to arm the population of Estonia and Finland.

The Admiral sent "Volunteer", and we immediately left for our destination. Having arrived in Kuivast, we immediately got in touch with the border guard officer, the head of the posts on the islands of Dago and Ezel. He was supposed to let us know if he received alarming information from his agents or if his posts were noticed by suspicious ships or boats. In addition, we began to make runs along the shores of the designated islands almost every day. Even while at anchor, it was necessary to have pairs ready in order to immediately leave in the indicated direction upon receiving reports. To inspect suspicious ships, a boat with an officer and oarsmen armed with revolvers was always ready.

At first, this assignment interested us very much, since we, the young people, thought that it would involve almost battles with smugglers. But in reality it turned out quite boring and monotonous. It was especially boring because we all found ourselves completely tied to the ship and it was impossible to even think about going ashore, even for the shortest time, since the destroyer had to be ready to weigh anchor at any moment. However, all our stops in different bays of Dago and Ezel were of no interest, and apart from fishing villages, nothing could be found. True, there was one town on Ezel, Arensburg, but even that was extremely boring.

There was only one alarm. The head of the border guard came to us and mysteriously informed the commander that information had been received that in the next few hours a schooner loaded with weapons was due to sail to Moonsund.

The commander invited him to come with us, and at dawn we weighed anchor and went to Kassarsky Reach. Everyone was terribly interested and intensely peered into the horizon. Indeed, soon some kind of schooner appeared, and we rushed towards it. As they approached, they fired a blank shot, and the commander, using a bullhorn, ordered the sails to be lowered immediately. The boat was quickly lowered, and Lieutenant Vitgeft was sent to inspect the schooner. We awaited the results with interest, and just in case, there were servants standing by the machine guns.

However, Vitgeft soon returned and reported that the captain of the schooner was scared to death and willingly allowed his documents to be checked and the premises and holds inspected. Vitgeft did not find anything suspicious. A schooner is like a schooner. She was going to Vindava, she had no cargo. The border guard also went after her, but also found nothing. I had to let her go in peace.

Our border guard was extremely embarrassed and apologized for the inconvenience. But the commander nevertheless wandered around for several hours and then anchored. However, everyone was in a good mood and, over a glass of wine, listened with interest to the guest’s stories about his service. Service in the border guard is, in essence, very interesting, although for officers it takes place in the most uncultured living conditions.

The main item of smuggling in this area was alcohol, which was sent abroad. On boats, barrels of alcohol were taken out to sea at night and sunk in a designated place, and after a while schooners came there and found them using buoys and pulled them out. Of course, other techniques were used, but this was the more common one.

Our guest had previously served in the cavalry, but now he only had spurs as a sweet memory of it, and he had to serve not on horseback, but mostly on the water. Apart from boats, he had no other floating means at his disposal. Only occasionally did customs cruisers come from Revel, and this made the work much easier. There were only a few such cruisers, and they were commanded by former naval officers who transferred to the Border Guard. The funny thing was that they put on cavalry uniforms and wore spurs, which looked extremely awkward on ships.

Constantly under steam, the destroyer wasted a lot of coal, and soon had to worry about replenishing its supply. To do this, the commander decided to go to the nearest port, which was Vindava. There was only a commercial port there, and I had to contact its boss. The commander himself went to him and took me with him as an auditor.

The head of the port turned out to be a sweet old man. He was an old sailor and the owner of a large family, among which were grown-up young ladies.

The arrival of a warship in such a remote port as Vindava could not but arouse interest among the local residents, of course, especially the ladies. We immediately received an invitation to lunch with the head of the port. In the afternoon they loaded coal, and at the appointed hour, led by the commander, all our officers appeared at his apartment.

Only the family were present at the dinner, and the whole family won our sympathies with their cordiality and simplicity. Our commander, with his gaiety and wit, created a wonderful mood, and everyone felt as if we had known each other since time immemorial.

After lunch, guests arrived. Soon a decent society gathered - all, so to speak, the nobility of Vindava. On the initiative of the commander, some games were organized, and then dances.

The owners' pretty daughter was a great success and danced until she was exhausted. After the dancing, the hospitable hosts arranged dinner. Only about five o'clock, when it had already begun to get light, the commander stood up resolutely and declared that he had to disperse, since with the raising of the flag he wanted to go to sea. The whole company went to accompany us to the pier, and we parted as great friends. The ladies begged the commander to go to Vindava again. He promised, although this was impossible, since warships could only accidentally reach this port.

After such a thorough shake-up, our mood became somewhat better, otherwise Moonsund with its dull shores had long been depressing. Moreover, during all this time we did not find any contraband. Perhaps the arrival of the “Volunteer” frightened the smugglers, or the above-described incident with the steamer that landed on the rocks near Dagerort and made so much noise forced the Swedish government to think twice and not allow the export of weapons.

Fortunately, a month later we were recalled and we returned to Libau. There they immediately learned that an interesting trip to St. Petersburg was ahead, where it was decided to show the population the ships built with voluntary donations. This was of great propaganda importance in order to regain the sympathy of the people for the fleet after the ill-fated disaster at Tsushima.

The entire division was to enter the Neva, anchor opposite the Winter Palace and allow all residents to inspect the destroyers.

They immediately began to put on makeup and clean up. The division passed Kronstadt without stopping, and went through the Sea Canal to the Neva. The bridges had to be raised for us at dawn, so we calculated it in such a way that we would approach the Nikolaevsky Bridge by 6 o’clock. Thanks to the white nights, it was completely light.

Navigating the Neva on large destroyers seemed extremely interesting to us, junior officers, but that was not how it seemed to the commanders. It was especially difficult to pass through the open parts of the bridges, especially Nikolaevsky. There was a very strong current in this place, which washed the ships to the shore. Therefore, it was necessary to give a relatively large stroke in order to overcome the pressure of the current and not touch the embankment. Some commanders were very worried; they really didn’t want to disgrace themselves in front of the population of the capital and let people say: “Well, our sailors are good, they don’t know how to handle their ships.”

Thank God, everything turned out well, and we went upstream in a long line, to the Palace Bridge.

It would seem that such an early hour could not attract many people, but along the parapets of the embankment there were crowds of people who noisily greeted us. Due to the fact that we were walking very close to the left bank, we could even make out faces. Most of them were cab drivers going on a spree, going home, residents of the Admiralty, workers, local janitors, doormen and ladies of very easy virtue. The latter especially ardently expressed their delight, to the great delight of the team.

Having passed the Palace Bridge, we anchored in two lines opposite the palace. The admiral ordered officer watches to be installed on all destroyers for order and in case there were people among the visitors trying to damage something. The stay was supposed to last four days.

Within a few days, all the capital's newspapers widely notified the population about our arrival, and it was indicated when and where the destroyers could be visited. Therefore, it was expected that the influx of public would begin in the morning. We were completely ready for this: newly painted, with shiny copper and nickel-plated parts and cleanly tidied premises, we expected to appear before the judgment of the residents of the capital.

Indeed, already at about 9 o'clock, skiffs with the public began to approach all the destroyers. There was everyone among her, and mainly the simple public.

The workers examined the mechanisms with a businesslike air and expressed their judgment; the guys were interested in where and how the team lives; women paid special attention to the “terrible” guns and mines, as well as to the officers’ cabins and galleys. Teenage boys showed the greatest interest in everything, and, probably, our arrival lured more than one of them into naval service. Their faces expressed such genuine admiration for everything they saw and learned that we were pleased to look at them. The weapon will be examined from all sides; they will look at the mine with surprise and will be imbued with special respect for it, having recognized all its qualities; they enjoy crawling around the engine and fire rooms, smeared in oil and soot; They will stand on the bridge with pleasure and look with emotion at the mast that they so want to climb.

We heard a lot of funny and naive questions, especially from those who for some reason considered themselves an expert in maritime affairs. These questions often sounded so comical that it was difficult not to smile, but everyone tried to give explanations. It was not without reason that these ships were built with voluntary donations from the Russian people and, therefore, were their gift to the fleet.

The ladies, of course, asked: “do sailors suffer from seasickness”, “is it scary when guns fire”, “can officers’ wives live on warships”, etc. One gentleman could not understand how the mine itself runs into water. It seemed to him that there must be a person in it who controls it. Another was completely sure that the mine was a submarine. Many people were fascinated by the spotlights. One worker even remarked: “This is not a lantern on the street - it’s burning brightly.” One gentleman modestly asked the question: “I have no idea how your ship moves.” He was especially struck by the screws. Many were surprised that we can turn sea water into fresh water. It seemed remarkably witty and cunning.

I listened with interest as the team authoritatively explained the most absurd questions, and often their answers were such nonsense that one had to be amazed at the ingenuity of the authors. We did not disturb them so as not to embarrass them. They especially lied when the questions related to digital data. It turns out that our guns are firing as far as Kronstadt; the mines are rushing at a speed of one hundred miles per hour, and the destroyer gives a speed equal to the speed of the courier train. No expense was spared in describing the horrors of the sea - storms, wrecks and winter voyages. The simple-minded listeners looked at the heroic sailors with great respect. But questions were also asked that had a bad lining, such as whether the sailors were fed well, whether the officers offended them much, whether they beat them, etc. The answers to them were given with caution.

For four days we were constantly busy satisfying the curiosity of visitors, and although we had several hundred people, everything went off without a hitch. As kind as the destroyer crews were to the guests, they paid them the same. There was no incident.

The arrival of the destroyers brought great entertainment to the capital's population, and, as the newspapers put it, we won the hearts of the residents of St. Petersburg.

At 6 pm the inspections stopped, and then we felt completely tired, but there was no time for rest. Those who were free from service moved ashore, and those who remained often had guests. It was very rare that our relatives and friends who lived in St. Petersburg could visit our ships and even have dinner with us.

One evening, a tragicomic incident happened to me: there were no visitors left on the destroyer, guests were having dinner in the company cabin, and I was on watch and therefore had no right to leave the deck. Tired of walking along the deck, I leaned against the side rail (a cable that replaces the railing) and suddenly felt that I was flying overboard (since the rail was unsecured). I instinctively grabbed it. In the water I was immediately carried under the sloping side of the ship, under the stern. The side was so sloping that it was not visible from the deck. The end of the rail, which I grabbed, fortunately for me, was held by friction in the hole in the rack, but as soon as I tried to pull myself up, it began to weaken and threatened to jump out completely, then I would have been carried along with the current. I had a coat on, and a heavy binoculars hung around my neck, so it was difficult to stay on the surface, let alone swim; Moreover, the water was very cold. Seeing my rather critical situation, I began to call for help to the watchman, who at that moment happened to be on the forecastle. Fortunately, he heard and ran to the poop deck, but what was his surprise when he didn’t see me anywhere, but only heard my voice. At first I didn’t understand why he was hesitating to help, but then I realized what was going on and shouted that I was overboard. Then the watchman jumped to the side, pulled me up and helped me climb out onto the deck.

Here's the situation! The watch commander is under the stern of his ship, like a boat on a backstrap. I had to call the senior officer and ask permission to change clothes, and when entering the cabin through the mess hall, appear to the guests in a wet state. Nothing, we laughed and regretted it, and a good glass of cognac prevented us from catching a cold.

The days that the division stood on the Neva flashed by unnoticed. She had to leave to begin her training program. Our commander, who, to be fair to him, knew how to “cun”, asked the admiral for permission to take advantage of the opportunity and stop at the Putilov plant, where the “Volunteer” was being built, to make some repairs. The admiral, although reluctantly, nevertheless agreed, and, to our great pleasure, we had to spend two more days in St. Petersburg, and in complete freedom. They received a reward for their efforts, so to speak. The destroyers were allowed through the bridges again at dawn, and at the agreed hour they began to weigh anchor one by one. It was impossible for everyone to film at once, since going downstream it was much more difficult to control, and the bridges were greatly delayed. The entire process took more than two hours.

No matter how early we left, a large number of spectators gathered on the embankment. Now they were no longer a random audience, but among them were many of our relatives and old and new friends. From the embankment there were noisy greetings and wishes for a happy voyage. The bridges were again crossed quite safely, so there was no embarrassment.

At the Putilov plant, the Volunteer separated from the division and approached its piers, while the rest of the destroyers went into the Sea Canal.

The admiral was quite pleased with how the visit to the capital went. Pessimists among the destroyer commanders were afraid of this visit and predicted all sorts of failures, which in fact did not take place. But now our division became popular among the public, as did the admiral himself, and this was very important.

At the Putilov plant, the former builders of the destroyer greeted us with open arms. It was not for nothing that we were their brainchild. They willingly satisfied all our official and private requests.

Time passed quickly and cheerfully, and the commander also took one extra day, fortunately work really delayed him. Then we went to Helsingfors. We had to study the skerry fairways from Helsingfors to the Ganges. It was of great importance for the fleet that the commanders of all ships could navigate the skerries without pilots and thus be completely independent of them.

Such a voyage was both interesting and instructive, but for the commanders, who were then still completely inexperienced in sailing the skerries, it was extremely responsible. It was very easy to get confused in the milestones and signs or get into the wrong fairway, and finally hit the rocks in the narrows and, consequently, damage your ship. At first, such cases happened all the time, but the admiral fully understood all the difficulties and did not put failures as a minus to the commanders. But they quickly began to get used to sailing the skerries, and accidents became less and less common.

The skerries, which previously seemed like some kind of impenetrable labyrinth, and the pilots looked like magicians and sorcerers, turned out to be easily digestible. Now we, for our part, have begun to wonder how sometimes pilots manage to land ships that navigate the skerries on stones, although they spend half their lives in the same area and, it would seem, every stone should be familiar to them. In a word, the belief that skerries were difficult to navigate was destroyed. As I indicated above, this was of great importance for the fleet, especially during the war, when skerries had to be used continuously. We would be good if we continued to be dependent on Finnish pilots, who were often, perhaps, hostile to the Russians. During the Great War, skerry fairways were cleared for large ships, so that even dreadnoughts could sail through skerries from Helsingfors to Ute and be confident that they would not be attacked by enemy submarines or run into a minefield. The resolution of this issue was also the great merit of Admiral Essen, who, however, was criticized by many commanders for this, saying that he was crippling the ships. True, such commanders usually included bad officers who were simply afraid to walk the skerries without pilots, to whom in such cases responsibility for the integrity of the ship was transferred by law.

Three weeks later, the admiral ordered a gathering of all divisions in the Ganges. That year this place looked like a very fashionable resort. It was crowded with visiting audiences, mainly Russian, and for some reason from Moscow.

The arrival of such a large number of warships excited all the guests of the resort, and the administration immediately took advantage of this to organize a large ball and fireworks in honor of the sailors.

The summer turned out to be unusually good. The holiday was a great success: the hall was full of ladies and officers (there was little male element at the resort), they danced until they dropped and admired the fireworks. We happily spent three days in the Ganges, which the admiral provided us with.

After this respite, the division began joint maneuvering. The destroyers wandered in different directions at the entrance to the Gulf of Finland for about a week. Sailing divisions together was still unusual for the division and required a lot of experience. First of all, it was necessary for the destroyers to swim with each other, that is, they would learn to accurately hold their place in the ranks under all conditions of time and weather, and then learn how to change formations within the divisions. This was made easier by the fact that the divisions included destroyers of the same type, and therefore had the same speed, agility and circulation radius.

At first, especially during long moves, we stood watch, not taking our eyes off the leading destroyer, afraid to get on top of it or stretch the formation. Over time, the eye became so accustomed that it immediately noticed the incorrectness of the distance and the need to increase or decrease the speed. The first requirement for good watchkeeping was maintaining calm. If the watch commander was nervous, this not only affected the accuracy of the destroyer’s position in the ranks, but also spoiled the entire formation of the division. In addition, this introduced nervousness into the control of the machines, since with frequent changes in speed, the drivers did not have time to carry out the orders of the bridge. As soon as they began to increase their speed, they received the opposite order.

In the dark, of course, it was even more difficult, when the outlines of the leading destroyer blurred, but then the wake lights saved the day. Using a Wehl prism, it was easy to check the accuracy of the distance using them. During rainy weather and strong waves, and especially in fog, it was difficult and it was necessary to have a lot of experience in order to maintain a place in the ranks and the ships not to get confused.

In any case, it was impossible to yawn while on watch on destroyers; all decisions had to be made quickly and without hesitation. This taught young officers to be independent and decisive. They stopped being afraid to steer when they were left alone on the bridges.

The Admiral spent a lot of time practicing formation changes and signaling. He strove for commanders to learn to carry them out harmoniously and confidently. I achieved automaticity in their implementation, which was so important during the battle and when performing various other combat missions. In addition, the admiral believed that by teaching destroyer commanders to maneuver, he was thereby giving them experience for their future command of large ships.

When, at a signal from the admiral's destroyer, the divisions were reorganized from the wake formation to the front or bearing formation, the orderly execution of this maneuver resulted in a remarkably beautiful spectacle. As one, the destroyers turned the required number of degrees and rushed in parallel. A new signal, and everyone made a reverse turn and again found themselves in the wake column.

After a cycle of these exercises, our division had to go to Revel to undergo an artillery firing course, for which three weeks were given. The difficulties lay in the lack of sufficient funds to carry them out.

On the appointed days, the destroyers took turns firing at Fr. Nargen – single and group. They shot initially at the stationary shields, and then at the towed ones. The former gave practice to gunners and gunners, and the latter also to officers managing the shooting.

In these days, all the personnel were interested in artillery and the gunners were a kind of heroes of the day. I wanted to achieve the best results, to be the best in shooting.

There were no special artillery officers assigned to individual destroyers, and there was only one per division. Yes, in those days, due to the lack of artillery officers, they were very rare, so often the flagship artillery officer of the division alone had to direct all the firing (in those days this was Lieutenant M.I. Nikolsky, the future commander of the cruiser Aurora; he was the first officer killed during the 1917 coup).

On the Volunteer, Lieutenant Vitgeft was in charge of the artillery. He had experience with artillery during the siege of Port Arthur, so he successfully dealt with ours. Initially, it was necessary to spend a lot of effort to train carriers to quickly bring cartridges and load guns, since this achieved the rate of fire, and from it the reality of defeat. This was dealt with quickly and achieved 12-14 charges per minute.

“Combat alert” has become a common thing for us. The destroyers were ready for battle in a few minutes - the side racks were knocked down, shells were delivered to the deck, the guns were loaded. Everyone stood in their places, awaiting orders from the bridge to “open fire.” The order is received - the destroyer shudders, the sound of the first shot is heard, then the second. Everyone is watching where the shells will fall, where the splashes will rise: “overshoot”, “undershot”, “fork”. The sight setting changes, and shooting goes “to kill”, “rapid fire” begins. The tack is completed. The destroyer takes a reverse course and opens fire on the other side. Observers at the shields report the results.

The team loved shooting. It captivated her and gave rise to a sporting feeling. The shot is fired, the shutter instantly opens, a cartridge case automatically flies out and flies onto the deck, at the same second the carrier inserts a new cartridge. The gunner closes the bolt, cocks the hammer, and the gun is ready (the large destroyers had 120mm guns of 40 calibers). The gunners continue to continuously aim the optical sights at the target. All this takes 5-6 seconds.

After the shooting, the division returned to the harbor and moored at the wall. The gun attendants had to wash and lubricate the gun.

The shooting was very tiring, but still in the evenings we loved to go ashore to take a walk in the Ekaterinental, go to a restaurant to eat crayfish and drink good Revel beer, or even go to Gorka (the famous summer cafe? Chantan). If there was no desire to go ashore, then they sat in their company on the destroyers having a friendly conversation.

By the way, she was temporarily increased by a divisional doctor, whom the headquarters placed with us. He turned out to be the sweetest and sociable person. Although he was a deeply civilian man and for the first time found himself in a naval environment (and besides, he was an Estonian), he quickly and easily entered into our company, and within a few days we became great friends. Being a very good doctor and a serious person, he was not averse to having fun and was “not a fool to drink.” Going ashore with him was often accompanied by the most amazing adventures, especially since he knew Revel inside and out. Somehow he took us to some mysterious cafe, which was open only at night and where the girls in some fantastic costumes served. Then he and I ended up in some kind of illegal card club, where major scandals often occurred. Like the fact that a losing player suddenly turned out the lights and stole money from the tables, or there was a shooting and massacre. Of course, we did not take part in the game and only watched what was happening for fun.

While staying in Reval, we suddenly began to notice that our commander often began to disappear from the ship and was constantly being met in ladies' company. He especially often appeared in the company of the wife of the flagship doctor Zort and even once invited the spouses to our place for dinner. He subsequently married her; she was a very interesting woman. This seemed suspicious to us, and we joked that he was going to be the first to violate the rules of our monastery.

When the artillery firing course was completed, the admiral allowed the destroyers to choose ports where they would like to spend a week of rest. Our commander chose Hungerburg, which we liked extremely much. This resort with a wonderful beach was usually filled with summer residents from St. Petersburg. Therefore, one could expect to meet many acquaintances there.

We reached it safely and entered Narova. The commander did not like standing in the middle of the river at anchor, since this meant he had to get to the shore in boats. Therefore, he went to the head of the commercial port to persuade him to allow him to dock at the pier, intended only for ships that had to unload, since it was free. Of course, he managed to convince him, it was not for nothing that he had the talent to persuade.

As we thought, on the same day we found acquaintances and invitations poured in for picnics, lunches and evenings. In addition, since we were standing near the shore, the public came every now and then asking to inspect the destroyer, which was readily permitted, and new acquaintances were made.

On weekdays, there remained almost exclusively ladies' company in Hungerburg, since husbands came only on Saturday and Sunday. Thanks to this, our position turned out to be especially advantageous. A ball was given in our honor at Kurhaus, which was very fun, and we only got to the destroyer in the morning. In general, there were so many invitations that it was almost torn to pieces.

Such cordiality could not be left unanswered, and we decided to have a big reception?tea at the Volunteer. Due to the fact that the company cabin did not accommodate a large number of people, tea was served on the upper deck under an awning, making something like sofas out of the command bunks and decorating everything with signal flags. There were more than fifty guests; Apparently everyone was very pleased. Just the fact that I managed to stay on a warship for a couple of hours was a pleasure.

Unfortunately, the last day in Hungerburg was marked by a tragic incident. Several people from our team, released ashore, decided to swim and for this they chose a place that turned out to be very dangerous, since in this place where the Narova flows into the sea, there were whirlpools and dangerous irregularities in the bottom. As a result, one of them drowned. They soon managed to pull him out, but it was too late.

The sailor had to be buried in a local cemetery, and the commander wanted to arrange a solemn funeral if possible. The whole day passed in trouble, and I, as an auditor, had to arrange everything.

The whole town quickly learned about the misfortune, so that the streets along which the sad procession walked were crowded with summer residents. The coffin was carried by the sailors, followed by all the officers and crew dressed in all white.

The funeral singing, the solemnity of the whole atmosphere and the beauty of the summer day created a sad, but not heavy mood. Although no one knew this poor sailor, everyone sincerely regretted the tragic loss of his young life.

The grave was a continuous bouquet of flowers, which were laid by summer residents to express sympathy for the ship.

After the funeral I had to leave urgently. We were already two days late, but the admiral really didn’t like it and was always extremely accurate.

The next period was to be very hectic. The division was supposed to make several campaigns together, from the Gulf of Bothnia to Libau. While at sea, maneuvering and performing various tactical tasks were again expected.

Admiral Essen was distinguished by his tirelessness and extreme mobility and did not allow the destroyers to remain inactive. His destroyer "Border Guard" kept up everywhere. It was very difficult to catch the admiral in a certain place; only radio stations and communications service posts always knew where he was. Either in St. Petersburg at meetings with the Minister of the Navy or at the Naval General Staff, then in Helsingfors or Riga at factories where some destroyers were being completed, then in Revel, or even on the skerries. He closely watched as the division improved in its knowledge and gained experience. It seemed that this small man contained an inexhaustible source of will and energy and he did not know fatigue. On voyages - on the bridge, at anchor - writing orders and giving instructions, receiving reports and at meetings with destroyer commanders. Holidays and relaxation among the family did not exist for him.

Two weeks were spent on the division's joint voyage across the Baltic Sea and stops in the Åland skerries and off the coast of Dago and Ezel. Finally we reached Libau.

After a short break and sorting out the vehicles, we had to take a mine shooting course in Biork. The division soon reached there.

The fuss began with self-propelled Whitehead mines of the 1904 model. The technique of mine firing is much more complicated than that of artillery. There you fire the required number of shells, and the matter is over. During mine firing training, you need to catch the mine, lift it onto the destroyer, pump compressed air into the tank, pour oil and check all the mechanisms. Only then is she ready to shoot.

When the shooting goes smoothly, then nothing, because, having passed the set distance, the mine will float up and all that remains is to tow it to the side of the destroyer. But there were often cases when, when it jumped out of the apparatus, the shield that opened the air valve did not recline and air could not flow into the machine. The same type of mine with a full tank had negative buoyancy, and the mine sank. The reason for this was some kind of design flaw, which they subsequently tried to correct, but so far we have suffered a lot of trouble because of this. We had to quickly notice the approximate location of the mine sinking and throw a buoy, and then at this place lower a diver who tied the end to the mine and pulled it out. But often the location was not noticed accurately or the mine went deep into the muddy soil, and it was necessary to wait for hours until the diver found it.

On the other hand, shooting mines is a lot of fun. You watch with interest as a huge “cigar” jumps out of the apparatus with a buzz, splashes noisily into the water and quickly begins to gain speed and depth. As if on a string, it follows the direction given to it until it has covered its distance, after which it jumps out, and the calcium phosphate cartridge inserted into the hole for the striker lights up. The smoke from it spreads across the water, and the wind carries the very unpleasant smell of garlic. After the shot, the destroyer turns sharply and goes in the direction of the mine's trail, and when it floats up and the calcium catches fire, it lowers a boat, which tows it to it.

This is what happens when the mine goes well. But there have been cases when the mine becomes capricious, that is, instead of describing the correct trajectory, it begins to describe circulation - which means that something wrong has happened to the Aubrey device (gyroscopic) or the steering wheel spool has jammed. And then the other one begins to jump to the surface with a buzz, then goes to the depths (like dolphins) - the horizontal rudders are not working properly, some kind of harmful friction has resulted in the rods of the hydrostatic device.

All this is not so scary, as long as you don’t drown. And then, as luck would have it, you see that the mine has traveled part of the distance, suddenly slowed down, then stopped, and the charging compartment begins to slowly protrude from the water. The mine becomes vertical and disappears under water. Everyone is excited. The commander abruptly turns towards her, the boat with the mine operators and the officer is already lowered so as not to lose a single second. As soon as the destroyer reverses, the boat is lowered into the water, and it tries to reach the mine while the red charging compartment (training compartment) is still visible. But that’s not where it happened; just before the bow of the boat, the mine disappears under the water. A buoy is thrown, and the boat returns to the destroyer. Sometimes they try to clear a mine with a grapple (a four-legged anchor), but this rarely succeeds.

In such cases, our commander became terribly angry and scolded those who were right and wrong; it was not for nothing that he himself was a mine specialist. The mine operators, and especially the mine conductor and non-commissioned officers, felt completely disgraced and accepted the commander’s outburst as something well deserved. Although, with rare exceptions, the fault was not in them, but in the technical shortcomings of this type of mine. The delicate mechanisms of the mine often became capricious from the slightest defects in them. To become truly experienced in preparing and firing mines, one had to have a lot of practice, similar to what employees at the sighting station or instructors at the Mine Training Detachment had. There was very little practice on destroyers in those days, and the personnel became unaccustomed to firing during the long months when they were away. Mine firing took place only once or twice a year, which was mainly because it was difficult to find time for them.

Of course, this was a big gap in the combat readiness of the destroyers. But, as the war showed in the future, they very rarely had to use mines for combat purposes, and guns turned out to be more necessary.

After the shooting, the destroyers returned to the Biorche roadstead to prepare mines for the next shooting. They were pulled out of the apparatus and placed on special carts.

I remember once, just at such a moment, one of the destroyers was returning from the sea and, as many commanders liked to do, he famously “cut off” the sterns of several destroyers standing at anchor, gave a full reverse and dropped the anchor. It turned out very impressive, but from the strong wave that came from it, all these destroyers began to sway violently. Several mines lying loose on the carts fell onto the deck; dishes in the mess halls fell off the tables; Soup spilled in the galleys. There was a rush and swearing. Since such cases were repeated, the admiral had to issue a special order on this occasion, which ordered that the speed be reduced in advance before approaching the roadstead.

Captain 2nd Rank Zakhar (sic! Sergei. – A.E.) Zakharovich Balk. He was to a certain extent a historical figure due to his extreme strength and adventures in his youth. He was a good sailor, but he could not be considered a good officer.

In Biork, as usual, everyone was bored and therefore whined. The only entertainment was visiting neighboring destroyers. After so many months of sailing together, close friendships developed between a number of cabins, and we often visited each other at anchorages. These meetings usually took place at lunches and dinners in our cozy but small premises. The officers' quarters were especially small on destroyers of the "Ukraina" type, which were generally somewhat awkward; there was not enough space for their officers, and when guests arrived, it became quite cramped. But this did not bother us much and created a family atmosphere. Such a close life (in the literal sense of the word) also contributed to the rapprochement of young officers with their commanders, and often their relationships acquired excessive familiarity, and this had a detrimental effect on the service. This was not the case on large ships, where the commander, according to the Naval Regulations, appeared in the company cabin only at lunch on holidays, at the invitation of the officers. In general, not a single ship officer could go to the commander on a personal matter without the permission of the senior officer and without explaining to him the reason.

Thus, the likeability of the commander’s personality played a greater role on destroyers than on large ships. Therefore, it was difficult to withstand long-term sailing on destroyers with commanders with an unpleasant character, and young people resorted to all sorts of means to “decommission” as soon as possible, which, however, was not very easy. Such commanders at first were “Trukhmentsa” - N.N. Banov and “Guardian” - Tesha. To the commanders - good sailors (especially those who managed well), the youth were ready to forgive their unpleasant character.

On the contrary, their favorite commanders united their squads so closely that when they were assigned to other ships, everyone asked to be transferred to them, which sometimes succeeded.

You cannot demand that a person combine all the qualities at the same time - to be as good an officer as he is to be a nice person who knows how to get along with his fellow sailors. Nevertheless, in the Navy, where official and private relationships are closely intertwined, it is extremely important to be loved by your shipmates. This especially affects war, in difficult moments.

When we were engaged in mine firing in Biorca, we unexpectedly received a radio telegram from the division chief, ordering us to urgently prepare for the highest review. It was supposed to happen in the next few days at sea. The entire division had to demonstrate joint maneuvering before the Emperor. This news excited the entire division, especially the commanders, on whose skills it depended for the review to go well. Of course, some things depended on others, and especially on the ship’s mechanics, but still the main responsibility lay with the commanders. The watch commanders had to strictly observe the place. It was important that the signals were quickly understood and typed. On a warship, its brilliant maneuvering, and indeed its condition, depends on the skill and knowledge of the entire crew, from the simple sailor to the commander. Everyone contributes their own bit of labor and skill to this.

Exactly on the appointed day and hour, all divisions in full force gathered at the indicated rendezvous point; there were no “sick” people. The admiral was on the "Border Guard", and the "Hunter" (maybe the "Siberian Strelok") was sent for the sovereign emperor.

When the “Okhotnik” appeared on the horizon under the sovereign’s pennant, the division went to meet it. The "Border Guard" approached its side, and the admiral moved onto it.

Now a signal went up, indicating the reorganization that the divisions had to carry out. Then one formation was replaced by another, and when the whole cycle was completed, all the divisions marched at great speed very close to the “Hunter”, so that the sovereign could greet the teams and officers standing in the front.

The destroyers flashed by quickly, one after another. Responses to the royal greeting were continuously heard, followed by loud cries of “Hurray.”

The division greeted its supreme leader with great enthusiasm, to whom it was deeply devoted and whom it loved. Everyone knew that he, for his part, loved the fleet and understood its importance.

As we later found out, the sovereign really liked the review, and indeed it presented a beautiful sight - the orderly movement of 28 destroyers on long passages.

But in this case, the main role was played not by the brilliant condition of the Mine Division and the beauty of maneuvering, but by the fact that after everything the fleet had experienced in the Japanese War, the sovereign could be convinced that the core of the reviving fleet had been created, and that it was in the experienced hands of Admiral Essen; this core can grow into a powerful fleet, and new ships can be entrusted to it.

The Emperor, apparently, appreciated this and signaled “special gratitude” to the division, and at the same time it was reported on the radio that Rear Admiral von Essen had been included in “His Majesty’s retinue.”

We were very proud of the sovereign’s gratitude and the fact that he included our beloved leader in his retinue. This greatly raised the spirit of the division and the desire to improve more and more.

After the highest review, all divisions returned to their interrupted classes. Our division returned to Biork. Autumn was coming, and our cabin company had to leave, since the senior officer, Lieutenant Dombrovsky, and I entered the mine officer classes, and Lieutenant Vitgeft entered the artillery classes. By September 1st we had to appear for the entrance exam to Kronstadt.

Needless to say, it was with great regret that we parted with our dear “Volunteer”, with the commander and crew, who had managed to attach us to us so much.

True, there were sometimes aggravations with the commander, when he was out of sorts and angry at everyone. But this aggravation quickly passed, and soon peace was restored and good mood returned. I remember once on the Revel roadstead during a shooting practice, when on the bridge, in addition to the commander, there were Vitgeft, who controlled the fire, and I, as the watch commander, we were all so carried away by our shooting that we missed the signal from the lead destroyer to stop it. This made the commander terribly angry. He first attacked Vitgeft, and then told me: “From you, it seems, I could have expected more attention,” and then went on to write: “The ship is in disarray, no one is doing anything,” etc., etc. etc. At dinner he sat gloomy and silent, and then went ashore. We were also offended and remained silent. The next morning, having woken up and calmed down, he began to talk to everyone, and soon everyone was in a good-natured mood. More often than others, our junior midshipman L.B. Zayonchkovsky, very young and of very exemplary behavior, but incredibly slow in all his actions. This often tormented the commander, and not only him, but all of us. Indeed, how can you not get tired of it when, for example, in fresh weather, when putting mooring lines on the pier, you had to seize the moment so that the destroyer would not drift away from it, but Zayonchkovsky hesitated for some reason and did not order the throwing lines to be thrown. When he finally realizes, the distance has already increased so much that they cannot be thrown. We have to set sail again and approach the pier, and this was sometimes very difficult due to lack of space in the harbor, as, for example, in Revelskaya. Then “encouraging” exclamations began to pour in from the bridge at Zayonchkovsky, and he was completely lost. Eventually a senior officer came down from the bridge to “encourage” him. The commander especially did not like it when any of the officers were late to go out for filming or anchoring. This was mainly the fault of Vitgeft, who had the ability to sleep a lot and soundly. The commander is already on the bridge, but the tank officer is not there yet. Vitgeft was urgently sent for, and he jumped out onto the deck, sleepy, buttoning up as he went. And from the bridge you can already hear a healthy wick. There's nothing you can do about it, it's just what you deserve. Vitgeft stretched out and put his hand to the visor. It happened even worse when, on duty, the signal and non-commissioned officer on duty missed the returning commander and the duty officer did not have time to meet him at the gangway. It was already quite salty here.

We sometimes thought that the commander was unfair and too harsh, but in such cases the peacemaker was a senior officer who was extremely able to calm everyone down and maintain good relations. He began to calmly prove that even if the commander was harsh, then who, if not him, should ensure that the service was at its best. If the commander does not show strictness, then everyone will disband and devastation will begin. Well, in the end you calm down, and everything falls into place.

On such small ships, senior officers were simply senior officers and differed little in age from other personnel. Therefore, relations with them were not too official and simple.

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