In 1800, the anti-French coalition, which included Türkiye, collapsed. Moreover, the latter even began to hatch a plan for concluding an alliance with Napoleon. In this situation, Russia was forced to further strengthen its positions in the Black and Mediterranean Seas. The importance of the created F.F. has increased. Ushakov of the Republic of the Ionian Islands. It was supposed to become a center for providing assistance to the national liberation movement of the Balkan peoples and a base for the operation of the Russian fleet and ground forces in the Mediterranean theater of operations.
In the hostilities against the Turks, the forces of D.N. Senyavin managed to win a number of striking victories. The Dardanelles and Athos battles were especially effective for Russian sailors. In the last of them, which occurred on June 19, 1807, the Turks lost a third of their ships, about 1000 people were killed and wounded, and more than 700 people surrendered. The Russian squadron did not lose a single ship.
The defeat at sea was the main factor that forced Turkey to agree to a truce with Russia.
From 1805 to 1818 Russia continuously waged wars, mainly on land. During the Patriotic War of 1812 and foreign campaigns of 1813-1814. the fleet was almost never used. His activities were limited to transporting troops, minor actions on the coastal flanks of the army, blocking, together with the British, the coasts of Holland and France.
At the beginning of the 19th century. At the head of the fleet was Admiral P.V. Chichagov, who, unlike his father, the talented Admiral V.Ya. Chichagov, did not shine with great intelligence, considering the fleet “a burdensome luxury for the state.” Under his successors, admirals I.I. Traverse and von Moller the fleet fell into even greater decline. In view of Turkey's refusal to grant autonomy to Greece, Russia, England and France decided in 1827 to hold a joint naval demonstration off the Turkish coast. A squadron consisting of 4 battleships, 4 frigates, a corvette and 4 brigs was sent from the Baltic to the Archipelago. It was commanded by Rear Admiral L.P. Heyden. Having united with the English squadron of Vice Admiral E. Condrington and the French Rear Admiral De Regny at Zante Island, the ships approached Navarino Bay. On October 8 (20), 1827, a battle took place here with the combined Turkish-Egyptian fleet, commanded by Muharrembey. The Russian-English-French squadron had 26 ships with 1298 guns, the Turks and Egyptians had 66 ships and 2224 guns. The Russian battleships were in the center of the battle. With skillful and decisive actions they destroyed the bulk of the enemy fleet. The ship "Azov" under the command of Captain 1st Rank M.P. especially distinguished itself. Lazarev, for which he was awarded the St. George flag for the first time in the Russian fleet. The British and French fought courageously and with high combat skill. As a result of the four-hour battle, the entire Turkish-Egyptian fleet was destroyed, killing 7,000 people. The defeat of the Turks in the Battle of Navarino significantly weakened the military power of Turkey, but did not resolve the issue of Greek independence. The Greek struggle continued.
A new war between Russia and Turkey began in April 1828 with the offensive of the Russian army in two directions - to the Balkans and Erzurum. The Black Sea Fleet was called upon to assist the ground forces in capturing enemy fortresses. As a result of the month-long siege of Anapa, supported by fire from the ships of the Black Sea squadron of Vice Admiral A.S. Greig, the fortress garrison capitulated. The same fate befell the Varna fortress, where the Russians captured over 9 thousand Turks, captured about 300 guns and a lot of ammunition. In February 1829, the Sizopol fortress fell.
Advancing in the Balkans, the Russian army occupied Adriapole and began to threaten Constantinople. The Black Sea Fleet landed five troops on the enemy coast. At the end of August 1829, Russian troops reached the shores of the Aegean Sea, in which the Baltic squadron of Vice Admiral L.P. operated. Heyden. Military defeats in the battles forced Turkey to conclude a peace treaty, according to which the mouth of the Danube with the islands and the eastern coast of the Black Sea went to Russia. Türkiye recognized the annexation of Georgia, Imereti, Megrelia, and Guria to Russia. Greece received broad autonomy.
Despite the beginning of the era of the steam fleet, the pace of construction of sailing ships in Russia does not slow down. The Black Sea Fleet includes sailing battleships, the prototype of which was the 84-gun ship Silistria, which proved itself well in voyages.
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The first Russian screw frigate "Archimedes" For the first time in Russia, the 120-gun battleships “Twelve Apostles” (Nikolaev) and “Russia” (St. Petersburg) are being built and put into operation. They were one of the most powerful and fastest sailing ships of their time.
At the Alexander Plant in St. Petersburg, according to the design of engineer-general K.A. Schilder is building a metal submarine equipped with an original optical tube, the predecessor of the modern periscope.
The defeat of the Turkish squadron in the Battle of Sinop by the Black Sea squadron under the command of Vice Admiral P.S. Nakhimov, holding the flag on the battleship "Empress Maria", and the heroic defense of Sevastopol entered the history of the Russian fleet as particularly vivid, both heroic and tragic, pages.
In the last major battle of the era of the sailing fleet, the Turks lost 7 frigates, 3 corvettes, a steamship and 4 transports. Of the 4,500 people who made up the crew of the Turkish squadron, 3,000 people died. Many Turks were captured, including the squadron commander, Admiral Osman Pasha. Nakhimov's squadron did not lose a single ship, 37 killed and 229 wounded were out of action.
However, Russia was defeated in the Crimean War. The Anglo-French fleet, which entered the Black Sea as an allied Turkish fleet, consisted mainly of steam ships. The Russian sailing fleet was unable to resist the enemy, who managed to capture Sevastopol, Evpatoria, Kerch, and Kinburn.
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Alexander II highly appreciated the activities of the Russian fleet in America, and in the published rescript, without hesitating the opinion of the world community, he called Poland a country “under the yoke of sedition and the harmful influence of foreign troublemakers.” The prestige of Russia, shaken by the Polish uprising, quickly increased. The American expedition of Russian squadrons was a classic example of the influence of sea power on the peaceful resolution of international issues.
Russia is a huge state, two thirds of whose borders are washed by seas and oceans. Since ancient times, the Russians knew how to sail the seas, but there was no single school and traditions for a long time. The first wooden ships were single-tree canoes, the first of which was found at the end of the nineteenth century and was more than 4,000 years old. Similar boats, made from a single tree trunk, were popular among the Slavs. In the 10th century, canopies appeared; the sides of these boats were enlarged with sheathing, which made them much more spacious.
Slavic fleet - Russian boat
At the same time, typesetting boats appeared; these small ships were used for trade, but they also proved themselves well in military campaigns. With a length of 20 meters, the boats took on board up to 15 tons of cargo; ships had to be literally carried across the rapids of the Dnieper; this did not allow them to be made longer. But these small boats with a dozen oars and one straight sail successfully plied the Black Sea in all directions. The Slavs had a lot of different vessels, all of them were small in size, for more convenient transportation overland between river beds.
Only in the 12th century, with the development of the Baltic waters, relatively large ships began to appear. It was the Pomeranian ketches that became the basis of the Navy’s concept; there were also flat-bottomed vessels that could take on board up to two hundred tons, with a hull length of 25 meters and a width of 8 meters. The boats, called “overseas”, could travel up to 300 km per day.
The Russian battle fleet began with a decree of Peter the Great in October 1696. A strong fleet is needed to organize access to the sea, necessary for the development of trade and strengthening of the state. Until the end of the Crimean War in 1856, the fleet was wooden, rowing or sailing. These were years of struggle for the seas, for the right to be present on them, regularly having to prove their worth and strength. And this is not easy to do, because the experience of sea powers is much greater and not by ten years, but by several centuries.
Soon Russia created a strong fleet and developed its own shipbuilding, of course, this did not please the neighbors who wanted in every possible way to squeeze the Russians out of the sea. Constant wars, sometimes waged on several fronts, did not break us, but rather strengthened us and allowed us to educate outstanding sailors and naval commanders and create a high-quality school. Most of the victories were won over an enemy superior in numbers and weaponry. Russian ships not only ensured the security of their borders, but also served as peacekeepers, guaranteeing stability in Europe.
The first Russian war galleys
They refer to sea-going sailing and rowing vessels, where the main moving force was oars driven by slaves, convicts or the soldiers themselves. The design also included two or three masts with slanting sails. Despite the fact that galleys were used as merchant ships, their primary purpose was combat, due to their speed, enormous for their time. It is the galleys that hold the record for the duration of their existence as part of the armed forces of their states; they existed for about one and a half thousand years.
The first galley arrived from the Netherlands disassembled at the end of the seventeenth century to Arkhangelsk, but the tsar ordered it to be sent to the village of Preobrazhenskoye without assembling it. So this galley became a model for the creation of twenty-two more ships that joined the squadron under the flags of Admiral Lefort, the model also entered service.
Baptism of fire
After the unsuccessful siege of Azov in 1695, Peter became especially passionate about creating a fleet capable of fighting battles from the sea. All because of, who transported supplies to Azov by sea. Over the winter, having built 23 galleys according to the Dutch model, 2 galleasses, 1300 plows, 3 hundred boats, 4, a new campaign was ready by spring.
In May, a Russian flotilla under the command of the emperor appeared near Azov, blocking the supply of supplies from sea and land; after a fierce siege, the Turks finally surrendered. This was Russia's first victory thanks to the efforts of the fleet, but the real battles were yet to come.
One of the historically important naval victories was in the Ganguda naval battle. A serious Swedish group of thirty ships, half of which were linear frigates, was defeated by 20 Russian ships, mostly galleys. Peter immediately understood that he could not defeat a heavily armed, experienced and outnumbered enemy with a frontal attack. The Swedes' self-confidence played a cruel joke on them; Peter misled the enemy by starting to build a portage to drag the galleys across the isthmus. Swedish Vice Admiral Watrang decided that the Russians wanted to transfer their forces in order to attack from the rear and immediately sent some of the ships to meet them, and some to reserve. The weather also played into the hands of the Russians; the calm that established before the battle pinned down the sailing ships, seriously limiting their mobility. The Swedes, taken by surprise, did not have time to regroup, and the ships of Rear Admiral Taube, who arrived to help, hastily retreated, believing that the entire Russian flotilla had advanced towards them.
Galley fleet under Peter I
Peter's fleet began with galleys, since they were best suited to the needs of the fleet. In 1710, craftsmen gathered from all over the country to build rowing ships. The choice in favor of galleys was explained by a number of reasons:
- The vessels are versatile and suitable for both combat and patrol;
- Relatively cheap to produce, ship timber was very expensive, and Russian pine was not only cheaper, but also more suitable for construction;
- The low draft, rarely exceeding two meters, was very important, since large Swedish battleships could not fully operate off the coastline.
The vessels could accommodate up to three hundred oarsmen, and the oar weight reached ninety kilograms, with up to five people per oar. The maximum speed reached six knots and sometimes more, while the rowers made up to twenty strokes of the oars per minute. Since oars were located along the entire side, the guns were located only in the bow and stern of the ship, which also influenced the tactics of combat.
Description of the case
Russian galleys had only a basic description in common, these were oars on the sides and cannons in front and behind, the rest constantly changed from model to model. There is little information left about the first galley, which arrived disassembled, it could be classified as a half-galley, its length was a little more than thirty-eight meters, with a beam of nine and a draft of one meter and eighty centimeters.
From that moment on, the construction of a variety of models began, from twenty to twenty-four cans, up to fifty-three meters in length, relatively narrow no more than seven hundred and thirty centimeters. They were armed with up to twenty-seven cannons; these were the first and last goliaths of their era; later Peter abandoned them in favor of more modestly sized ships.
Options for installing a falconet and guns on the bow of a galley
Galleys of the Turkish style had a long hull and had dangerously low sides above the water, which often caused them to sink. In front there was a ledge raised to the top, to which the foremast was attached. Behind this ledge there was a platform with large-caliber guns. The platform for the movement of people along the ship was called a curonian, it was covered with a tarpaulin, and at the stern it was crowned with a superstructure-cabin made of wooden beams or arches, on which a tent was stretched.
Weapons and combat tactics
Due to their low armament, the galleys were never lined up for defense. Thanks to its speed characteristics, it became a means of attack. In the front part, as a rule, there were two or four cannons, which “fired back” until the moment of ramming, and in their tactics they were somewhat reminiscent of Japanese kamikazes. Quickly emerging from cover, the galleys rammed the enemy, after which they boarded the enemy. Often the rowers were the first to suffer in a firefight, since they had no cover, partly because of this, during the rowing attack, what is called “like the last time,” their survival depended on the speed of the attack.
The first sailing warships of Russia
Of course, it is not fair to say that the fleet in Russia began from the time of Peter, long before the appearance of the Tsar’s son Alexei Mikhailovich, merchant ships called beads were built in Rus', which were famous for their ability to catch even the slightest breath of the breeze. Busy were the main types of ships, they were built in Arkhangelsk and had an amazing carrying capacity of over two hundred tons. These ships can be called military with great difficulty, rather they were independent, the beads were merchant ships and had at least twenty archers and gunners on board, they could easily go on the attack, but first of all, the firepower was designed for defense. This is primarily due to the fact that Russia did not have a goal to conduct naval battles, since, in fact, there was only one full-fledged seaport.
The first warship "Eagle"
During the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich, a period of active development of trade with neighboring states began. Due to the turbulent situation in the Caspian Sea, merchant ships required enhanced security; this fact was spelled out in the agreement with Persia. According to this agreement, the first shipyard was founded.
Ship “Eagle” 1667
On the Oka River in 1667, construction began on a shipyard specifically for one ship and several small vessels. Dutch craftsmen were brought in especially for this task, and Colonel Van Bukovets and Captain Butler were brought in to supervise the construction. All of them, together with the artisans, were subordinate to the boyar Ordyn-Nashchokin, the author of the idea of his own fleet for Russia.
In May 1668, a ship of the Western European type was built, with two decks, three masts, armed with twenty-two cannons. This galliot was twenty-four meters long and six and a half wide, with a modest draft of no more than one and a half meters.
At the end of April 1669, by royal decree, the galliot was given the name “Eagle” in honor of the Russian coat of arms. By royal order, double-headed eagles were embroidered on the flags, and carved gilded wooden eagles were also installed. These symbols found their place on all military vessels in the future. It was from Orel that the Russian Navy began, its creation led to the emergence of the Ship's Charter, and the articles received before Orel's sailing became the prototype of the Navy's charter. A huge historical contribution, a unique event for a huge empire, the basis of Russia's maritime successes never fulfilled its intended purpose. In August of the same year, Orel was captured by the Cossacks led by Stepan Razin. The rebels then burned many ships stationed in the roadstead in Astrakhan, and the Eagle was driven to the Kutum channel, where it rotted. So the ship, which had never seen the sea, became the basis of the navy. Rumor has it that it is his silhouette that adorns the spire of the Admiralty.
Sailing fleet of the Russian Empire from the 18th to the 20th century
The active development of the Baltic Fleet was noted in the first decades of the eighteenth century. A large sailing fleet was created, during which time bases were created in St. Petersburg, Vyborg, Kronstadt, Reval, and Helsingfors.
By the middle of the century, the composition consisted of ships from twenty-four Russian shipyards of Voronezh, Pereyaslavl, Astrakhan and other cities. The fleet had one hundred and thirty ships and three hundred and ninety-six rowing vessels:
- Nine frigates;
- Five banderas;
- Thirty-six battleships;
- Three shnyavs;
- Seventy-seven different auxiliary vessels;
- Two hundred and fifty-three galleys;
- 143 brigantines.
Almost no information has been preserved about most of the ships, but there were also ships whose names left their mark on history. Thus, the first Russian battleship of its kind, Poltava, built in St. Petersburg in 1712, had 54 cannons on board and did not miss a single battle during the entire Northern War. In 1780, the battleship Pobedonosets was launched; it was the best ship of its time, armed with forty-eight guns of various calibers.
By the beginning of the nineteenth century it became the third largest in the world. In 1841, the 120-gun giant "" was launched. This was the peak of prosperity, followed by decline, for several reasons. The root cause was the obsolescence of the sailing fleet, it was replaced by steam engines, and in the sixties of the nineteenth century, steamships replaced sailing ships from military affairs. It is worth noting that Peter the Great’s fleet could not survive to our times; the life expectancy of the first ships rarely exceeded one dozen years. Because in his thirst to adopt the experience of building ships in the European style, Peter forgot to learn how to prepare wood; galleys and other ships, due to haste, were built from raw, improperly processed wood.
Ship "Twelve Apostles" model
Despite the difficulties, Russian sailors demonstrated courage and valor, which allowed them to gain superiority at sea. By 1861, the first battleship was launched, which became a symbol of the industrial development of the state. Throughout the reign of Nicholas II, the fleet was updated, and as a result of the lack of its own ships, despite the rapid development of industry, it was even necessary to order ships from Denmark, Germany, France and Germany.
After the defeat in the Russo-Japanese War, global influence at sea was seriously shaken, and Russia slipped to sixth place in naval armament. At the same time, submarines appeared in service; in the last ten years before the revolution, the emperor spent colossal sums on rearmament of the army, the budget of the navy was the fifth in the world.
The revolution and civil war put an end to the entire tsarist fleet; everything that was not lost in battle was captured or plundered; only a few ships survived.
The rapid development of trade between Russia and Persia (Iran) in the second half of the 17th century required the establishment of shipping on the Caspian Sea, and the conclusion of a trade agreement signed by the Russian Tsar and the Persian Shah also stipulated the protection of trade sea routes by ships.
For this purpose, in the village of Dedinovo, located on the Oka River below the confluence of the Moscow River, the construction of a small shipyard began in 1667, intended for the construction of military ships. On the instructions of the Tsar, several shipwrights were invited from Holland and other European countries to be hired for Russian service. Among the invitees were Colonel Van Bukovets, who was to become the immediate leader and organizer of the construction of the ships, captain and helmsman Butler, as well as shipwrights Gelt, Van den Streck and Minster. To help them, thirty carpenters, four blacksmiths and four gunners were allocated from among the “free people” of the surrounding villages. The general management of the construction was carried out by one of the most educated and far-sighted royal dignitaries, boyar A.L. Ordyn-Nashchokin, who took the initiative to build the ships.
Initially it was planned to build one ship, a boat, a yacht and two boats. On November 14, 1667, the keel of the ship took place, which was given the name "Eagle".
On May 19 of the following year, she was already launched, but due to delays in the supply of materials and a lack of specialists, she was able to set out on her maiden voyage only in the summer of 1669.
"Eagle" was a type of naval double-deck, three-masted sailing ship with a length of 25 m, a width of 6.5 m and a draft of 1.5 m. The vessel's armament was to consist of 22 cannons, 40 muskets, 40 pairs of pistols and hand grenades.
Together with other ships built in Dedinovo, the ship moved first to Nizhny Novgorod, and from there down the Volga to Astrakhan. There, a year later, he was captured by rebel peasants led by Stepan Razin. According to surviving documents, the "Eagle" stood idle in the Kutum channel near one of the Astrakhan settlements and became completely unfit for navigation.
The founder of the Russian regular fleet, Peter the Great, highly praised the construction of the country's first warship, saying:
“Although the fatherly intention did not receive its end, it is nevertheless worthy of eternal glorification, since... from the beginning of that, as from a good Seed, the current naval business arose.”
Battleship "Ingermanland"
Ingria... In honor of these primordially Russian lands, located at the mouth of the Neva and conquered from foreign invaders in 1703, Peter the Great decided to name the new battleship laid down on October 30, 1712 at the Admiralty in St. Petersburg. On May 1, 1715, Ingermanland, a two-deck, three-masted battleship, was launched and soon joined the naval squadron of the Baltic Fleet.
Soon after entering service, Ingermanland became the flagship of the squadron of Vice Admiral Peter Mikhailov (Peter the Great), who for several years kept his Flag on this ship.
The Northern War was going on. In 1716, Russia, together with England and Denmark, continued to conduct military operations against Sweden.
In order to strike the enemy, it was planned that the Russian army would attack Stockholm from the Gulf of Bothnia and land a joint Russian-Danish landing force on the southern coast of Sweden. To implement this plan, in July the Baltic naval squadron, consisting of seven battleships, three frigates and three ships, entered Danish waters. Together with several ships that arrived from Arkhangelsk, the forces gathered in the Sound under the command of Peter the Great amounted to twenty-two ships.
Soon the Russian detachment was joined by the English and Dutch squadrons that arrived to protect merchant shipping from Swedish privateers and frigates, and then by Danish ships. In total, there were seventy ships in the combined Russian-Danish-Anglo-Dutch fleet. Having united such large forces under his command, Peter the Great on August 5 sent a squadron, led by the Ingermanland, to the island of Bornholm to search for the enemy, but, not finding the Swedish ships, returned to the Danish straits.
Three years passed, and in June 1719, the standard of Peter the Great again soared over Ingria, who again led his squadron to the shores of Sweden. The campaign turned out to be successful. Having defeated the enemy and approached the Swedish capital by three kilometers, with the onset of autumn, the Russian fleet stopped cruising and went to the winter.
In memory of these campaigns, Peter the Great ordered the Ingermanland to be preserved for posterity, but in 1735 the ship, while permanently moored in Kronstadt, sank during a severe flood, and the following year, due to the impossibility of restoration, it was dismantled.
Length 46 m, width 12.8 m, draft 5.6 m. Armament: 64 guns.
Battleship "Eustathius"
In the battle that took place on the night of June 26, 1770, Russian sailors destroyed 14 enemy battleships, 6 frigates and about 40 small ships. In addition, the battleship Rhodes and five galleys were captured as trophies. Of the 15 thousand enemy personnel, no more than 4 thousand were saved, while Russian losses amounted to only 11 people. These are the results of the naval battle of Chesma.
There was a Russian-Turkish war. A Russian squadron cruising in the Mediterranean Sea, consisting of 9 battleships, 3 frigates, a bombardment ship and 17 auxiliary ships under the overall command of the commander-in-chief of the Russian troops in that area, A. Orlov, at dawn on June 24, 1770, having received information about the concentration of the Turkish fleet near the island of Chios, headed to approach the enemy. The Turkish fleet, consisting of 16 battleships, 6 frigates and several dozen other ships, was anchored in the Chios Strait near Chesme Bay.
Around noon, the Russian ships, having formed a battle formation, decisively moved towards approaching the enemy. When the distance was reduced to 500 meters, the Turks opened fire. The lead ship "Europe" was temporarily out of commission.
Its place was immediately taken by the battleship "Eustathius", flying under the flag of the vanguard commander G. A. Spiridov. Swiftly passing along the entire line of the enemy fleet, he approached the Turkish flagship Real Mustafa within pistol range and fired a devastating broadside. The enemy ship caught fire, and its sailors began to jump overboard in panic.
However, the Eustathius, which came under fire from five enemy ships, was damaged. He lost control and was thrown onto the burning Turkish ship by the current. All attempts to tow the Eustathius aside using boats ended in failure. Due to the interlocking gear, the fire spread to the Russian ship, but its courageous crew, led by Captain 1st Rank A. I. Cruz, skillfully waged a boarding battle, during which the Russian sailors tore down and captured the stern flag of the Turkish flagship.
The fate of both ships was decided by an unforeseen event: the burning mainmast of the Real Mustafa collapsed. Having got into the open crew chamber of the Russian ship, the sparks caused an explosion of gunpowder and ammunition. Following the Eustathius, the Turkish ship also took off.
The death of "Real Mustafa" and the incessant intense fire of the Russian squadron demoralized the enemy. Hastily cutting off the anchor ropes, the Turks rushed in disarray into Chesme Bay, where the next day they met their fatal end. Length 47.4 m, width 12.65 m, draft 5.5 m. Armament: 66 guns. Launched from the boathouse of the St. Petersburg Admiralty on July 30, 1762.
Sloops "Vostok" and "Mirny"
Antarctica - "Terra Australis incognita" - the unknown southern land. This harsh, vast continent was the last to be discovered, although it has long attracted the attention of researchers and scientists. The famous English navigator James Cook, after his voyage of 1772-1775, wrote: “I went around the ocean of the Southern Hemisphere at high latitudes and did it in such a way that I undeniably rejected the possibility of the existence of a continent, which, if it can be discovered, is only near the pole, in places , inaccessible for navigation... I can safely say that not a single person will ever dare to penetrate further south than I did.”
Based on hypotheses and research, leading Russian officers and admirals V. M. Golovnin, I. F. Kruzenshtern, G. A. Sarychev and others have repeatedly advocated the need for further study of the southern polar seas. This idea was supported by the progressive public of Russia.
On July 3, 1819, Kronstadt solemnly conducted two expeditions on a long voyage. One went to explore the northern part of the Pacific Ocean and determine the possibility of access through the Bering Strait to the Atlantic Ocean, the other to the South Polar region.
The honor of exploring the Antarctic seas fell to the volunteer crews of two three-masted sloops:
"Vostok" (built in 1818 in St. Petersburg, displacement - 900 tons, armament - 28 guns, crew - 117 people) and "Mirny" (former transport "Ladoga", built in 1818 in Lodeynoye Pole, displacement - 530 tons, armament - 20 guns, crew - 73 people). The ships were commanded by experienced officers of the Russian navy, Captain 2nd Rank F. F. Bellingshausen and Lieutenant M. P. Lazarev.
The main objectives of the expedition were: to make the transition to Antarctica, cross the southern polar zone at the highest latitudes to find out whether land exists there, and if possible, go to the Pole.
The initial stage of this unprecedented journey took place along a route already familiar to Russian sailors. Having called at Copenhagen, Portsmouth, Santa Cruz on the island of Tenerife and Rio de Janeiro, on November 22 the expeditions split up, each going along its own route.
Having entered Antarctic waters, Vostok and Mirny made a hydrographic inventory of the southwestern shores of South Georgia Island. Capes and bays appeared on the map, named after the expedition members, officers Paryadin, Demidov, Kupriyanov, Novosilsky. Then the expedition discovered the islands of Annenkov, Leskov, Thorson (later one of the prominent participants in the Decembrist uprising in St. Petersburg in 1825) and Zavadonsky. The entire range of islands was named after the Russian Minister of the Navy de Traversay.
Stubbornly making their way through the ice and dodging icebergs, brave Russian explorers finally approached the sixth continent on January 16, 1820. This significant day went down in world history as the day of the discovery of Antarctica.
Continuing to stay in this area until mid-February, two small sailing ships with wooden hulls, despite heavy ice and stormy weather, approached the icy shores twice more, and with the approach of Antarctic autumn, they headed to Sydney for a short rest.
On May 8, 1820, having made repairs and replenished supplies, the Vostok and Mirny set out for the tropical Pacific Ocean, where they discovered a group of islands in the Paumotu archipelago, which Bellingshausen called the Russian Islands. Each of the islands received the name of one of the famous Russian commanders, generals, admirals and sailors: Kutuzov, Ermolov, Barclay de Tolly, Raevsky, Volkonsky, Lazarev, Greig, Chichagov. In the group of Cook Islands, Vostok Island was discovered (named after the flagship ship), and in the area of the Fiji Islands - the Mikhailov and Simonov Islands.
On October 31, after careful preparation, the sloops again left Sydney for the Antarctic waters. Neither ice nor storms could break the will of the brave sailors. Maneuvering among numerous icebergs and ice, the sloops crossed the Antarctic Circle on December 13. On January 10, 1821, they discovered a large island, named after the founder of the Russian fleet, Peter the Great, and a week later - the mountainous coast of Alexander I. From here the expedition headed to the South Shetland Islands, where two archipelagos were discovered and described. Some of the islands were named in honor of the victories of the Russian army over Napoleon in the Patriotic War of 1812 at Borodino, Maly Yaroslavts, Smolensk, Polotsk, Leipzig, Waterloo and the Berezina.
On January 30, due to the poor condition of the hull of the sloop "Vostok", the detachment left Antarctica. Four days later, Russian sailors, passing the coast of South Georgia, completed their circumnavigation. On February 27, "Vostok" and "Mirny" arrived in Rio de Janeiro, and on July 24, having successfully completed the historical journey, they dropped anchor at the Great Kronstadt Roadstead.
Having accomplished an outstanding scientific feat in the history of navigation, the expedition of F. F. Bellingshausen and M. P. Lazarev covered about 50 thousand miles and spent 751 days sailing, including 535 days in the Southern Hemisphere; For 100 days the voyage took place among icebergs and ice. During this period, Russian sailors and scientists discovered 29 islands and collected a wealth of materials for studying the Antarctic seas. The feat of the expedition is also characterized by the fact that people visited the areas where the Vostok and Mirny courses took place again only more than a hundred years later.
Honoring the memory of outstanding compatriots, Soviet polar explorers named the first scientific stations in Antarctica in honor of the sloops “Vostok” and “Mirny”. The names of the leaders of the expedition, later famous Russian admirals M.P. Lazarev and F.F. Bellingshausen, are borne by a modern cruiser, expeditionary, icebreaking, transport and fishing vessels of the Soviet Union.
A battleship is a sailing military vessel made of wood with a displacement of up to 6 thousand tons. They had up to 135 guns on their sides, arranged in several rows, and up to 800 crew members. These ships were used in naval battles using so-called linear battle tactics in the 17th to 19th centuries.
The emergence of battleships
The name “ship of the line” has been known since the time of the sailing fleet. During this time, the multi-decks lined up in one line in order to fire a salvo of all guns at the enemy. It was the simultaneous fire from all onboard guns that caused significant damage to the enemy. Soon such battle tactics began to be called linear. The formation of ships in a line during naval battles was first used by the English and Spanish navies in the early 17th century.
The ancestors of battleships are galleons with heavy weapons, carracks. The first mention of them appeared in Europe at the beginning of the 17th century. These models of battleships were much lighter and shorter than galleons. Such qualities allowed them to maneuver faster, that is, line up with the side facing the enemy. It was necessary to line up in such a way that the bow of the next ship was necessarily directed towards the stern of the previous one. Why weren’t they afraid to expose the sides of their ships to enemy attacks? Because the multilayer wooden sides were reliable protection for the ship from enemy cannonballs.
The process of formation of battleships
Soon a multi-deck sailing battleship appeared, which for more than 250 years became the main means of warfare at sea. Progress did not stand still; thanks to the latest methods for calculating hulls, it became possible to cut cannon ports into several tiers at the very beginning of construction. In this way, it was possible to calculate the strength of the ship even before it was launched. In the mid-17th century, a clear distinction between classes emerged:
- Old double deckers. These are ships whose decks are located one above the other. They are lined with 50 cannons firing at the enemy through windows on the sides of the ship. These floating craft did not have sufficient strength to conduct linear combat and were mainly used as escorts for convoys.
- Double-decker battleships with 64 to 90 guns represented the bulk of the fleet.
- Three- or four-decker ships with 98-144 guns served as flagships. A fleet containing 10-25 such ships could control trade lines and, in the event of war, block them for the enemy.
Differences between battleships and others
The sailing equipment of frigates and battleships is the same - three-masted. Each one necessarily had straight sails. But still, a frigate and a battleship have some differences. The first has only one closed battery, and battleships have several. In addition, the latter have a much larger number of guns, and this also applies to the height of the sides. But frigates are more maneuverable and can operate even in shallow water.
A ship of the line differs from a galleon in having straight sails. In addition, the latter does not have a rectangular turret at the stern and a latrine at the bow. A battleship is superior to a galleon in both speed and maneuverability, as well as in artillery combat. The latter is more suitable for boarding combat. Among other things, they were very often used to transport troops and cargo.
The appearance of battleships in Russia
Before the reign of Peter I, there were no such structures in Russia. The first Russian battleship was called “Goto Predestination”. By the twenties of the 18th century, the Russian Imperial Navy already included 36 such ships. At the beginning these were complete copies of Western models, but by the end of the reign of Peter I, Russian battleships began to have their own distinctive features. They were much shorter and had less shrinkage, which negatively affected seaworthiness. These ships were very well suited to the conditions of the Azov and then the Baltic seas. The emperor himself was directly involved in the design and construction. The Russian Navy had its name, the Russian Imperial Navy, from October 22, 1721 to April 16, 1917. Only people from the nobility could serve as naval officers, and recruits from the common people could serve as sailors on ships. Their service in the navy was lifelong.
Battleship "Twelve Apostles"
“12 Apostles” was laid down in 1838 and launched in 1841 in the city of Nikolaev. This is a ship with 120 cannons on board. There were only 3 ships of this type. These ships were distinguished not only by their grace and beauty of form, they had no equal in battle among sailing ships. The battleship "12 Apostles" was the first in the Russian Imperial Navy to be armed with new bomb guns.
The fate of the ship was such that it was unable to participate in a single battle of the Black Sea Fleet. Its hull remained intact and did not receive a single hole. But this ship became an exemplary training center; it provided the defense of Russian forts and fortresses in the western Caucasus. In addition, the ship was engaged in transporting land troops and went on long voyages for 3-4 months. The ship was subsequently sunk.
Reasons why battleships lost their importance
The position of wooden battleships as the main force at sea was shaken due to the development of artillery. Heavy bombing guns easily pierced the wooden side with bombs filled with gunpowder, thereby causing serious damage to the ship and causing fires. If earlier artillery did not pose a great threat to the hulls of ships, then bombing guns could send Russian battleships to the bottom with just a few dozen hits. Since that time, the question of protecting structures with metal armor arose.
In 1848, screw propulsion and relatively powerful steam engines were invented, so wooden sailing ships slowly began to fade from the scene. Some ships were converted and equipped with steam units. Several large ships with sails were also produced; out of habit, they were called linear.
Linemen of the Imperial Navy
In 1907, a new class of ships appeared; in Russia they were called linear, or battleships for short. These are armored artillery warships. Their displacement ranged from 20 to 65 thousand tons. If we compare battleships of the 18th century and battleships, the latter have a length from 150 to 250 m. They are armed with a gun of caliber from 280 to 460 mm. The battleship's crew ranges from 1,500 to 2,800 people. The ship was used to destroy the enemy as part of a combat formation and artillery support for ground operations. The ships were given their name not so much in memory of battleships, but because they needed to revive the tactics of linear combat.
On June 28, 1712, in the presence of Peter I, the first Russian battleship was launched. We remember 7 legendary domestic sailing ships that made a name for the Russian fleet.
Galiot "Eagle"
In 1668, by order of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, Russian shipbuilders built the first large combat sailing ship on the Oka River - the Eagle galliot. The length of the “large” vessel is 24.5 m, width 6.5 m. The crew is 22 sailors and 35 archers. This double-decker ship carried three masts and was armed with 22 arquebuses. "Eagle" was the first purely sailing warship built in Russia. Straight sails were installed on the foremast and main mast of the Eagle, and oblique sails on the mizzen mast. Here are the lines from the decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich on this ship: “The ship, which was made in the village of Dedinovo, should be given the nickname “Eagle.” Put an eagle on the bow and stern and sew eagles on the banners.” When the “Eagle” was ready, wooden carved double-headed eagles, painted gold, were attached to its stern and bow. These heraldic symbols of royal power were a kind of confirmation of the name of the ship, and then became a traditional decoration of all military ships.
Yacht "St. Peter"
"St. Peter" is the first Russian warship to fly the Russian flag in foreign waters. The yacht of Peter I was built in Arkhangelsk according to the Dutch model in 1693. This small sailing ship had one mast with straight and oblique sails and was armed with 12 cannons. Peter I first went out to the open sea on it to accompany Dutch and English merchant ships leaving Arkhangelsk and reached the eastern shores of the Kola Peninsula with them. In May of the following year, 1694, he again comes to Arkhangelsk and sails to the Solovetsky Islands, and then accompanies the next caravan of merchant ships leaving Arkhangelsk to Cape Svyatoy Nos, in other words, to the ocean. Having served thirty years of naval service, the yacht became the first museum object in Arkhangelsk.
Galley "Principium"
In 1696, this ship was the first to sail into the Sea of Azov, and in June, as part of the Russian fleet, it took part in the siege of the Turkish fortress of Azov. Built at the beginning of 1696 in Voronezh according to the Dutch model. Length - 38, width - 6 meters, height from keel to deck - about 4 m. It was driven by 34 pairs of oars. The crew size is up to 170 people. It was armed with 6 guns. According to the “Principium” type, with only some modifications, another 22 ships were built to participate in the Azov campaign of Peter I. During the 12-day passage from Voronezh to Cherkessk, Peter I wrote the so-called “Decree on Galleys” on board, which appeared the prototype of the "Naval Regulations", which stipulated day and night signals, as well as instructions in case of battle. At the end of the fighting near Azov, the galley was disarmed and placed on the Don near the fortress, where it was subsequently dismantled for firewood due to its disrepair.
Frigate "Fortress"
"Fortress" is the first Russian warship to enter Constantinople. It was built at the Panshinskaya shipyard in 1699, not far from the mouth of the Don. Length - 37.8, width - 7.3 meters, crew - 106 people, armament - 46 guns. In the summer of 1699, the Fortress, under the command of Captain Pamburg, delivered an embassy mission to Constantinople, headed by Duma Councilor Yem. Ukraintsev. The appearance of a Russian warship near the walls of the Turkish capital forced the Turkish Sultan to reconsider his attitude towards Russia. A peace treaty was quickly concluded between Turkey and Russia. The frigate, moreover, entered the waters of the Black Sea for the first time, which allowed Russian sailors to take hydrographic measurements of the Kerch Strait and Balaklava Bay (also for the first time!). At the same time, the first plans for the Crimean coast were drawn up.
Battleship "Poltava"
"Poltava" is the first battleship of the Russian fleet, and the first one built in St. Petersburg. The construction of "Poltava", named after the outstanding victory over the Swedes near Poltava, was led by Peter I. Length - 34.6 width - 11.7, was armed with 54 guns of 18, 12 and 6-pound calibers. After entering service in 1712, this ship participated in all campaigns of the Russian Baltic naval fleet during the Northern War, and in May 1713, covering the actions of the galley fleet to capture Helsingfors, it was the flagship of Peter the Great.
Battleship "Pobedonosets"
"Pobedonosets" is the first ship of the 66-gun rank, with improved combat and seaworthiness. The best ship of its time, built after the death of Peter I. Assembled according to drawings and under the direct supervision of one of the most talented Russian shipbuilders, A. Katasonov. Length on lower deck - 160 feet; width - 44.6 feet. The armament consisted of twenty-six 30-pounder, twenty-six 12-pounder and fourteen 6-pounder guns. Launched in 1780. It was one of the few long-lived Russian ships. Served for 27 years.
Sloop "Mirny"
The ship of the First Russian Antarctic round-the-world expedition of 1819-1821, which discovered Antarctica. "Mirny" is a rebuilt auxiliary vessel. By attaching studs to the sloop, they lengthened the stern part, placed a knyavdiged on the stem, and additionally sheathed the hull with one-inch boards, firmly securing them with copper nails. The hull was carefully caulked, and the underwater part was covered with copper sheets to prevent it from becoming overgrown with algae. Additional fastenings were installed inside the hull in case of exposure to ice floes, and the pine steering wheel was replaced with an oak one. The previously supplied standing rigging, shrouds, stays and other rigging made from low-grade hemp were replaced with stronger ones used on naval ships. Construction was carried out at the Olonets shipyard in Lodeynoye Pole, near St. Petersburg. The Mirny sloop was a three-masted, double-decker ship armed with 20 guns: six 12-pounders (120 mm caliber) and fourteen 3-pounders (76 mm caliber). The crew consisted of 72 people. The ship was at sea for more than two years, sailing a distance more than twice the length of the equator.
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