Martin Antonenko
A Fixture
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2008
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The last stand of the torpedo boat "Steregutshy"
The war between Japan and Russia is now four weeks old when, on March 9, 1904, the two Russian torpedo boats "Steregutshy" (= "the guard")...
... and "Rechitelny" ( = "the determined one") set out on a night patrol trip...:
Both boats are 57.9 meters long, have a displacement of 259 tons and are armed with three torpedo tubes, one 75mm and three 45mm cannons.
The patrol initially proceeded without incident – but on the return march, at dawn on March 10, 1904, the boats suddenly spotted clouds of smoke. A little later, six Japanese torpedo boats are in sight - the Russians don't stand a chance against this superiority!
“Steregutshy” and “Rechitelny” try to run at full speed, “Rechitelny” (commander FE Bozabyasnev) manages to escape.
"Steregutushy", on the other hand, received an unfortunate hit in the machine system and was only able to run at low speed.
Commander Lieutnant A. S. Sergeyev decides...
... forced to fight.
One against six! All boats are equally strong because they are identical in construction.
First, the Russians have the upper hand over the Japanese with their well-aimed fire, whose guide boat "Akebono" receives 27 hits, "Sazanami" is hit eight times. Two other Japanese boats, "Usugumo" and "Schinonome" are also damaged..:
On "Steregutshy" the masthead with the battle flag is shot away by a hit - the flag is hurriedly set again.
Then the tide turns!
"Steregutshy" is hit several times in the forecastle, commander Sergeyev falls. After him, the first officer takes command, but also dies shortly thereafter.
Now Lieutenant N. S. Golowisnin leads the boat and keeps firing until the ammunition runs out. Then he falls too.
Meanwhile, "Steregutshy" is a smoking pyre lying on the spot - but the Russians are still fighting back!
The last surviving officer, Ensign K. Kudrewitsch, and a few sailors managed to get one last gun ready to fire. They get two shots out, then they all fall with a direct hit.
Finally, the Japanese board the burning torpedo boat - and find from the entire crew (commander, 10 officers, 48 sailors) a few seriously wounded and two unwounded sailors.
The injured are rescued, the uninjured remain on board - then the Japanese try to tow the boat and tow it in as booty.
But the two surviving Russians secretly open the seacocks and sink the boat along with the Japanese prize squad and themselves.
The battle is celebrated in Russia as a "feat of heroism". Of course, this is overlooked: A few more "heroic deeds" like that - and the Russians have no more ships in the Far East...
In 1911 the crew of "Steregutushy" in Saint Petersburg was honored with a monument - the scene on it shows the two sailors who just sacrificed their boat so that the wreck of their boat would not fall into enemy hands...
The war between Japan and Russia is now four weeks old when, on March 9, 1904, the two Russian torpedo boats "Steregutshy" (= "the guard")...
... and "Rechitelny" ( = "the determined one") set out on a night patrol trip...:
Both boats are 57.9 meters long, have a displacement of 259 tons and are armed with three torpedo tubes, one 75mm and three 45mm cannons.
The patrol initially proceeded without incident – but on the return march, at dawn on March 10, 1904, the boats suddenly spotted clouds of smoke. A little later, six Japanese torpedo boats are in sight - the Russians don't stand a chance against this superiority!
“Steregutshy” and “Rechitelny” try to run at full speed, “Rechitelny” (commander FE Bozabyasnev) manages to escape.
"Steregutushy", on the other hand, received an unfortunate hit in the machine system and was only able to run at low speed.
Commander Lieutnant A. S. Sergeyev decides...
... forced to fight.
One against six! All boats are equally strong because they are identical in construction.
First, the Russians have the upper hand over the Japanese with their well-aimed fire, whose guide boat "Akebono" receives 27 hits, "Sazanami" is hit eight times. Two other Japanese boats, "Usugumo" and "Schinonome" are also damaged..:
On "Steregutshy" the masthead with the battle flag is shot away by a hit - the flag is hurriedly set again.
Then the tide turns!
"Steregutshy" is hit several times in the forecastle, commander Sergeyev falls. After him, the first officer takes command, but also dies shortly thereafter.
Now Lieutenant N. S. Golowisnin leads the boat and keeps firing until the ammunition runs out. Then he falls too.
Meanwhile, "Steregutshy" is a smoking pyre lying on the spot - but the Russians are still fighting back!
The last surviving officer, Ensign K. Kudrewitsch, and a few sailors managed to get one last gun ready to fire. They get two shots out, then they all fall with a direct hit.
Finally, the Japanese board the burning torpedo boat - and find from the entire crew (commander, 10 officers, 48 sailors) a few seriously wounded and two unwounded sailors.
The injured are rescued, the uninjured remain on board - then the Japanese try to tow the boat and tow it in as booty.
But the two surviving Russians secretly open the seacocks and sink the boat along with the Japanese prize squad and themselves.
The battle is celebrated in Russia as a "feat of heroism". Of course, this is overlooked: A few more "heroic deeds" like that - and the Russians have no more ships in the Far East...
In 1911 the crew of "Steregutushy" in Saint Petersburg was honored with a monument - the scene on it shows the two sailors who just sacrificed their boat so that the wreck of their boat would not fall into enemy hands...
