The largest naval battles. Major naval battles of World War I

Battle of Gangut
Battle of Gangut - naval battle of the Great Northern War 1700-1721, which took place on July 27 (August 7), 1714 at Cape Gangut (Hanko Peninsula, Finland) in the Baltic Sea between the Russian and Swedish fleets, the first naval victory of the Russian fleet in the history of Russia.
By the spring of 1714, the southern and almost entire central parts of Finland were occupied by Russian troops. In order to finally resolve the issue of Russia's access to the Baltic Sea, which was controlled by the Swedes, it was necessary to defeat the Swedish fleet.
At the end of June 1714, the Russian rowing fleet (99 galleys, scamps and auxiliary ships with a 15,000-strong landing party) under the command of Admiral General Count Fyodor Matveevich Apraksin concentrated at east coast Gangut (in Tverminne Bay) with the aim of landing troops to strengthen the Russian garrison in Abo (100 km northwest of Cape Gangut). The path to the Russian fleet was blocked by the Swedish fleet (15 battleships, 3 frigates, 2 bombardment ships and 9 galleys) under the command of G. Vatrang. Peter I (Schautbenacht Peter Mikhailov) used a tactical maneuver. He decided to transfer part of his galleys to the area north of Gangut across the isthmus of this peninsula, 2.5 kilometers long. To fulfill his plan, he ordered the construction of a perevolok (wooden flooring). Having learned about this, Vatrang sent a detachment of ships (1 frigate, 6 galleys, 3 skerries) to the northern coast of the peninsula. The detachment was headed by Rear Admiral Ehrenskiold. He decided to use another detachment (8 battleships and 2 bombardment ships) under the command of Vice Admiral Lillier to strike the main forces of the Russian fleet.
Peter expected such a decision. He decided to take advantage of the division of enemy forces. The weather was also favorable to him. On the morning of July 26 (August 6), there was no wind, which is why the Swedish sailing ships lost their maneuverability. The vanguard of the Russian fleet (20 ships) under the command of Commander Matvey Khristoforovich Zmaevich began a breakthrough, bypassing the Swedish ships and remaining out of range of their fire. Following him, another detachment (15 ships) made a breakthrough. Thus, there was no need for relocation. Zmaevich's detachment blocked Ehrenskiöld's detachment near Lakkisser Island.

Believing that other detachments of Russian ships would continue to break through in the same way, Vatrang recalled Lilje’s detachment, thus freeing the coastal fairway. Taking advantage of this, Apraksin with the main forces of the rowing fleet broke through the coastal fairway to his vanguard. At 14:00 on July 27 (August 7), the Russian vanguard, consisting of 23 ships, attacked Ehrenskiöld’s detachment, which built its ships along a concave line, both flanks of which rested on the islands. The Swedes managed to repulse the first two attacks with fire from naval guns. The third attack was launched against the flanking ships of the Swedish detachment, which did not allow the enemy to take advantage of their artillery advantage. They were soon boarded and captured. Peter I personally participated in the boarding attack, showing the sailors an example of courage and heroism. After a stubborn battle, the Swedish flagship, the frigate Elephant, surrendered. All 10 ships of Ehrenskiöld's detachment were captured. Part of the forces of the Swedish fleet managed to escape to the Åland Islands.

The victory off the Gangut Peninsula was the first major victory of the Russian regular fleet. She provided him with freedom of action in the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia and effective support for Russian troops in Finland. In the Battle of Gangut, the Russian command boldly used the advantage of the rowing fleet in the fight against the Swedish linear sailing fleet, skillfully organized the interaction of fleet forces and ground forces, responded flexibly to changes in the tactical situation and weather conditions, managed to unravel the enemy’s maneuver and impose its tactics on him.

Strengths of the parties:
Russia - 99 galleys, scamps and auxiliary ships, 15 thousandth landing force
Sweden - 14 battleships, 1 provision ship, 3 frigates, 2 bombardment ships and 9 galleys

Military losses:
Russia - 127 killed (8 officers), 342 wounded (1 brigadier, 16 officers), 232 prisoners (7 officers). Total - 701 people (including 1 brigadier, 31 officer), 1 galley - captured.
Sweden - 1 frigate, 6 galleys, 3 skerries, 361 killed (9 officers), 580 prisoners (1 admiral, 17 officers) (of which 350 were wounded). Total - 941 people (including 1 admiral, 26 officers), 116 guns.

Battle of Grenham
The Battle of Grengam - a naval battle that took place on July 27 (August 7), 1720 in the Baltic Sea near the island of Grengam (southern group of the Åland Islands), was the last major battle of the Great Northern War.

After the Battle of Gangut, England, concerned about the growing power of the Russian army, formed a military alliance with Sweden. However, the demonstrative approach of the joint Anglo-Swedish squadron to Revel did not force Peter I to seek peace, and the squadron retreated to the shores of Sweden. Peter I, having learned about this, ordered the Russian fleet to be moved from the Åland Islands to Helsingfors, and several boats to be left near the squadron for patrolling. Soon one of these boats, which ran aground, was captured by the Swedes, as a result of which Peter ordered the fleet to be returned back to the Åland Islands.
On July 26 (August 6), the Russian fleet under the command of M. Golitsyn, consisting of 61 galleys and 29 boats, approached the Åland Islands. Russian reconnaissance boats spotted the Swedish squadron between the islands of Lameland and Fritsberg. Because of strong wind it was impossible to attack it, and Golitsyn decided to go to the island of Grengam in order to prepare a good position among the skerries.

When on July 27 (August 7) ​​the Russian ships approached Grengam, the Swedish fleet under the command of K.G. Shoblada, having 156 guns, unexpectedly weighed anchor and approached, subjecting the Russians to massive shelling. The Russian fleet began to hastily retreat into shallow waters, where the pursuing Swedish ships ended up. In shallow water, the more maneuverable Russian galleys and boats went on the attack and managed to board 4 frigates (34-gun Stor-Phoenix, 30-gun Venker, 22-gun Kiskin and 18-gun Dansk-Ern) ), after which the rest of the Swedish fleet retreated.
The result of the Battle of Grengam was the end of undivided Swedish influence in the Baltic Sea and the establishment of Russia on it. The battle brought the conclusion of the Nystadt Peace closer.

Strengths of the parties:
Russian Empire - 61 galleys and 29 boats
Sweden - 1 battleship, 4 frigates, 3 galleys, 3 skerry boats, shnyava, galliot and brigantine

Military losses:
Russian Empire - 82 killed (2 officers), 236 wounded (7 officers). Total - 328 people (including 9 officers).
Sweden - 4 frigates, 103 killed (3 officers), 407 prisoners (37 officers). Total - 510 people (including 40 officers), 104 guns, 4 flags.

Battle of Chesma

The Battle of Chesma is a naval battle on July 5-7, 1770 in Chesma Bay between the Russian and Turkish fleets.

After the outbreak of the Russo-Turkish War in 1768, Russia sent several squadrons from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean to divert the attention of the Turks from the Black Sea Fleet - the so-called First Archipelago Expedition. Two Russian squadrons (under the command of Admiral Grigory Spiridov and the English adviser Rear Admiral John Elphinstone), united under the overall command of Count Alexei Orlov, discovered the Turkish fleet in the roadstead of Chesme Bay (west coast of Turkey).

July 5, battle in the Chios Strait
After agreeing on the action plan Russian fleet under full sail he approached the southern edge of the Turkish line, and then, turning around, began to take up positions against the Turkish ships. The Turkish fleet opened fire at 11:30-11:45, the Russian - at 12:00. The maneuver failed for three Russian ships: “Europe” overshot its place and was forced to turn around and stand behind “Rostislav”, “Three Saints” went around the second Turkish ship from the rear before it could get into formation and was mistakenly attacked by the ship “Three Hierarch" and "St. Januarius was forced to turn around before getting into formation.
"St. Eustathius, under the command of Spiridov, began a duel with the flagship of the Turkish squadron, Real Mustafa, under the command of Hassan Pasha, and then tried to board it. After the burning mainmast of the Real Mustafa fell on the St. Eustathius,” he exploded. After 10-15 minutes, Real Mustafa also exploded. Admiral Spiridov and the commander's brother Fyodor Orlov left the ship before the explosion. The captain of “St. Eustathia" Cruz. Spiridov continued command from the ship "Three Saints".
By 14:00 the Turks cut off the anchor ropes and retreated to Chesme Bay under the cover of coastal batteries.

July 6-7, battle in Chesme Bay
In Chesme Bay, Turkish ships formed two lines of 8 and 7 battleships, respectively, the rest of the ships took a position between these lines and the shore.
During the day on July 6 Russian ships fired at the Turkish fleet and coastal fortifications with long distance. Fireships were made from four auxiliary vessels.

At 17:00 on July 6, the bombardment ship "Grom" anchored in front of the entrance to Chesme Bay and began shelling Turkish ships. At 0:30 he was joined by the battleship "Europe", and by 1:00 - by "Rostislav", in the wake of which the fire ships arrived.

"Europe", "Rostislav" and the approaching "Don't touch me" formed a line from north to south, engaging in battle with Turkish ships, "Saratov" stood in reserve, and "Thunder" and the frigate "Africa" ​​attacked the batteries on the western shore of the bay . At 1:30 or a little earlier (midnight, according to Elphinstone), as a result of the fire of the Thunder and/or Touch Me Not, one of the Turkish battleships exploded due to the transfer of flames from the burning sails to the hull. Burning debris from this explosion scattered other ships in the bay.

After the explosion at 2:00 of the second Turkish ship Russian ships ceased fire, and fireships entered the bay. The Turks managed to shoot two of them, under the command of captains Gagarin and Dugdale (according to Elphinstone, only Captain Dugdale’s fireship was shot, and Captain Gagarin’s fireship refused to go into battle), one under the command of Mackenzie grappled with an already burning ship, and one under the command of Lieutenant D. Ilyina grappled with an 84-gun battleship. Ilyin set fire to the fireship, and he and his crew left it on a boat. The ship exploded and set fire to most of the remaining Turkish ships. By 2:30, 3 more battleships exploded.

At about 4:00, Russian ships sent boats to save two large ships that were not yet burning, but only one of them, the 60-gun Rhodes, was taken out. From 4:00 to 5:30, 6 more battleships exploded, and at the 7th hour, 4 exploded simultaneously. By 8:00, the battle in Chesme Bay was over.
After the Battle of Chesme, the Russian fleet managed to seriously disrupt the communications of the Turks in the Aegean Sea and establish a blockade of the Dardanelles. All this played important role at the conclusion of the Kuchuk-Kainardzhi Peace Treaty.

Strengths of the parties:
Russian Empire - 9 battleships, 3 frigates, 1 bombardment ship,
17-19 small craft, approx. 6500 people
Ottoman Empire - 16 battleships, 6 frigates, 6 shebeks, 13 galleys, 32 small vessels,
OK. 15,000 people

Losses:
Russian Empire - 1 battleship, 4 fire ships, 661 people, of which 636 were killed in the explosion of the ship St. Eustathius, 40 wounded
Ottoman Empire - 15 battleships, 6 frigates, large number small ships, approx. 11,000 people. Captured: 1 battleship, 5 galleys

Battles of Rochensalm

The first Battle of Rochensalm was a naval battle between Russia and Sweden, which took place on August 13 (24), 1789, in the roadstead of the Swedish city of Rochensalm and ended in the victory of the Russian fleet.
On August 22, 1789, the Swedish fleet with a total of 49 ships under the command of Admiral K. A. Ehrensvärd took refuge in the Rochensalm roadstead among the islands near the modern Finnish city of Kotka. The Swedes blocked the only Rochensalm Strait accessible to large ships, sinking three ships there. On August 24, 86 Russian ships under the command of Vice Admiral K. G. Nassau-Siegen launched an attack from two sides. The southern detachment under the command of Major General I.P. Balle distracted the main forces of the Swedes for several hours, while the main forces of the Russian fleet under the command of Rear Admiral Yu.P. Litta made their way from the north. The ships fired, and special teams of sailors and officers cut a passage. Five hours later Rochensalm was cleared and the Russians broke into the roadstead. The Swedes were defeated, losing 39 ships (including the admiral's, which was captured). Russian losses amounted to 2 ships. The commander of the right wing of the Russian vanguard, Antonio Coronelli, distinguished himself in the battle.

Strengths of the parties:
Russia - 86 ships
Sweden - 49 ships

Military losses:
Russia -2 ships
Sweden - 39 ships

The Second Battle of Rochensalm was a naval battle between Russia and Sweden, which took place on July 9-10, 1790 in the roadstead of the Swedish city of Rochensalm. The Swedish naval forces inflicted a crushing defeat on the Russian fleet, which led to the end of the Russian-Swedish war, which had already been practically won by Russia, on conditions unfavorable for the Russian side.

The attempt to storm Vyborg, undertaken by the Swedes in June 1790, was unsuccessful: on July 4, 1790, the Swedish fleet, blocked by Russian ships in the Vyborg Bay, escaped from encirclement at the cost of significant losses. Having taken the galley fleet to Rochensalm (the main composition of the sailing warships that survived the breakthrough of the Vyborg blockade went to Sveaborg for repairs), Gustav III and the flag captain, Lieutenant Colonel Karl Olof Kronstedt, began preparations for the expected Russian attack. On July 6, final orders for the organization of defense were made. At dawn on July 9, 1790, in view of the approaching Russian ships, the order was given to begin the battle.
Unlike the first Battle of Rochensalm, the Russians decided to break through to the Swedish raid from one side of the Rochensalm Strait. The head of the Russian rowing fleet in the Gulf of Finland, Vice Admiral Karl Nassau-Siegen, approached Rochensalm at 2 a.m. and at 9 a.m., without preliminary reconnaissance, began the battle - probably wanting to give a gift to Empress Catherine II on the day of her accession to the throne. From the very beginning of the battle, its course turned out to be favorable for the Swedish fleet, which was entrenched in the Rochensalm roadstead with a powerful L-shaped anchor formation - despite the significant superiority of the Russians in personnel and naval artillery. On the first day of the battle, Russian ships attacked the southern flank of the Swedes, but were driven back by hurricane winds and fired from the shore by Swedish coastal batteries, as well as Swedish galleys and gunboats at anchor.

Then the Swedes, skillfully maneuvering, moved the gunboats to the left flank and mixed up the formation of the Russian galleys. During the panicked retreat, most of the Russian galleys, and after them the frigates and shebeks, were broken by storm waves, sank or capsized. Several Russian sailing ships anchored in combat positions were boarded, captured or burned.

The next morning, the Swedes consolidated their position with a new successful attack. The remnants of the Russian fleet were finally driven away from Rochensalm.
The Second Battle of Rochensalm cost the Russian side about 40% of the Baltic coastal defense fleet. The battle is considered one of the largest naval operations (in terms of the number of vessels involved) in all of naval history; a larger number of warships - if we do not take into account the data from ancient sources about the battles of Salamis Island and Cape Eknom - took part only in the battle in Leyte Gulf on October 23-26, 1944.

Strengths of the parties:
Russian Empire - 20 battleships, 23 galleys and xebeks, 77 sloops of war, ≈1,400 guns, 18,500 people
Sweden - 6 battleships, 16 galleys, 154 sloops of war and gunboats, ≈1000 guns, 12,500 men

Military losses:
Russian Empire - more than 800 killed and wounded, more than 6,000 prisoners, 53-64 ships (mostly galleys and gunboats)
Sweden - 300 killed and wounded, 1 galley, 4 small ships

Battle of Cape Tendra (battle of Hajibey)

The Battle of Cape Tendra (Battle of Hajibey) is a naval battle on the Black Sea during the Russian-Turkish War of 1787-1791 between the Russian squadron under the command of F. F. Ushakov and the Turkish squadron under the command of Hasan Pasha. Happened on August 28-29 (September 8-9), 1790 near the Tendra Spit.

After the annexation of Crimea to Russia, a new Russian-Turkish war began. Russian troops launched an offensive in the Danube region. A galley flotilla was formed to help them. However, she could not make the transition from Kherson to the combat area due to the presence of a Turkish squadron in the western Black Sea. The squadron of Rear Admiral F.F. Ushakov came to the aid of the flotilla. Having under his command 10 battleships, 6 frigates, 17 cruising ships, a bombardier ship, a rehearsal ship and 2 fire ships, on August 25 he left Sevastopol and headed to Ochakov to connect with the rowing fleet and give battle to the enemy.

The commander of the Turkish fleet, Hasan Pasha, having gathered all his forces between Hajibey (now Odessa) and Cape Tendra, longed for revenge for the defeat in the battle of the Kerch Strait on July 8 (19), 1790. With his determination to fight the enemy, he managed to convince the Sultan of imminent defeat of the Russians naval forces on the Black Sea and thus earned his favor. To be faithful, Selim III gave the experienced admiral Said Bey to help his friend and relative (Hasan Pasha was married to the Sultan’s sister), intending to turn the tide of events at sea in favor of Turkey.
On the morning of August 28, the Turkish fleet, consisting of 14 battleships, 8 frigates and 23 other ships, continued to anchor between Cape Tendra and Hajibey. And suddenly, from the direction of Sevastopol, Hasan discovered Russian ships sailing under full sail in a marching order of three columns. The appearance of the Russians threw the Turks into confusion. Despite their superiority in strength, they hastily began to cut the ropes and retreat to the Danube in disarray. Ushakov ordered all sails to be carried and, remaining in marching order, began to descend on the enemy. The advanced Turkish ships, having filled their sails, moved away to a considerable distance. But, noticing the danger looming over the rearguard, Hasan Pasha began to unite with him and build a battle line. Ushakov, continuing to approach the enemy, also gave the order to rebuild into a battle line. As a result, the Russian ships “very quickly” lined up in battle formation in the wind of the Turks.

Using the change in the Kerch battle that justified itself order of battle, Fyodor Fedorovich withdrew three frigates from the line - “John the Warrior”, “Jerome” and “Protection of the Virgin” to provide a maneuverable reserve in case of a change in wind and a possible enemy attack from two sides. At 15 o'clock, having approached the enemy within range of a grape shot, F.F. Ushakov forced him to fight. And soon, under powerful fire from the Russian line, the enemy began to duck into the wind and become upset. Approaching closer, the Russians attacked the leading part of the Turkish fleet with all their might. Ushakov's flagship ship "Rozhdestvo Khristovo" fought with three enemy ships, forcing them to leave the line.

By 5 p.m. the entire Turkish line was completely defeated. Pressed by the Russians, the advanced enemy ships turned their stern towards them in order to get out of the battle. Their example was followed by the rest of the ships, which became advanced as a result of this maneuver. During the turn, a series of powerful volleys were fired at them, causing them great destruction. Two Turkish flagship ships, located opposite the Nativity of Christ and the Transfiguration of the Lord, were especially damaged. On the Turkish flagship, the main topsail was shot down, the yards and topmasts were broken, and the stern section was destroyed. The fight continued. Three Turkish ships were cut off from the main forces, and the stern of the Hasan-Pasha ship was blown to pieces by Russian cannonballs. The enemy fled towards the Danube. Ushakov pursued him until darkness and increased wind forced him to stop the pursuit and anchor.
At dawn the next day, it turned out that the Turkish ships were in close proximity to the Russians, whose frigate Ambrose of Milan ended up among the enemy fleet. But since the flags had not yet been raised, the Turks took him for one of their own. The resourcefulness of the commander - Captain M.N. Neledinsky - helped him get out of such a difficult situation. Having weighed anchor with other Turkish ships, he continued to follow them without raising his flag. Little by little falling behind, Neledinsky waited until the danger had passed, raised St. Andrew's flag and went to his fleet. Ushakov gave the command to raise the anchors and set sail to pursue the enemy, who, having a windward position, began to scatter in different directions. However, the heavily damaged 74-gun ship "Kapudania", which was Said Bey's flagship, and the 66-gun "Meleki Bahri" lagged behind the Turkish fleet. The latter, having lost his commander Kara-Ali, killed by a cannonball, surrendered without a fight, and “Kapudania”, trying to break away from the pursuit, headed towards the shallow water that separated the fairway between Kinburn and Gadzhibey. The vanguard commander, captain of brigadier rank G.K., was sent in pursuit. Golenkin with two ships and two frigates. The ship "St. Andrey" was the first to overtake "Kapudania" and opened fire. Soon “St. George”, and after him - “The Transfiguration of the Lord” and several more courts. Approaching from the wind and firing a volley, they replaced each other.

Said Bey's ship was practically surrounded, but continued to bravely defend itself. Ushakov, seeing the enemy’s useless stubbornness, at 14 o’clock approached him at a distance of 30 fathoms, knocked down all the masts from him and gave way to the “St. George." Soon the “Rozhdestvo Khristovo” again stood broadside against the bow of the Turkish flagship, preparing for the next salvo. But then, seeing his hopelessness, the Turkish flagship lowered the flag. Russian sailors boarded the enemy ship, already engulfed in flames, first of all trying to select officers to board the boats. With heavy winds and thick smoke, the last boat, at great risk, again approached the side and removed Said Bey, after which the ship took off along with the remaining crew and the treasury of the Turkish fleet. The explosion of the large admiral's ship in front of the entire Turkish fleet made a strong impression on the Turks and completed the moral victory achieved by Ushakov at Tendra. The increasing wind and damage to the spar and rigging did not allow Ushakov to continue pursuing the enemy. The Russian commander gave the order to stop the pursuit and link up with the Liman squadron.

In a two-day naval battle, the enemy suffered a crushing defeat, losing two battleships, a brigantine, a lanson and a floating battery.

Strengths of the parties:
Russian Empire - 10 battleships, 6 frigates, 1 bombardment ship and 20 auxiliary ships, 830 guns
Ottoman Empire - 14 battleships, 8 frigates and 23 auxiliary ships, 1400 guns

Losses:
Russian Empire - 21 killed, 25 wounded
Ottoman Empire - 2 ships, more than 2 thousand killed

Battle of Kaliakria

The Battle of Kaliakria is the last naval battle of the Russian-Turkish War of 1787-1791 between the Russian and Ottoman Empire, which took place on July 31 (August 11), 1791 in the Black Sea near Cape Kaliakra (northern Bulgaria).

The Russian fleet under the command of Admiral Fyodor Fedorovich Ushakov, consisting of 15 battleships, 2 frigates and 19 smaller ships (990 guns), left Sevastopol on August 8, 1791, and at noon on August 11 discovered the Turkish-Algerian fleet under the command of Hussein Pasha, consisting of 18 battleships, 17 frigates (1,500-1,600 guns) and large quantities smaller ships anchored near Cape Kaliakra in northern Bulgaria. Ushakov built his ships in three columns, from the northeast, between the Ottoman fleet and the cape, despite the fact that there were Turkish batteries on the cape. Seit Ali, commander of the Algerian fleet, weighed anchor and headed east, followed by Hussein Pasha with 18 ships of the line.
The Russian fleet turned south, forming one column and then attacked the retreating enemy fleet. The Turkish ships were damaged and fled from the battlefield in disarray. Seit-Ali was seriously wounded in the head. Losses of the Russian fleet: 17 people were killed, 28 were wounded and only one ship was seriously damaged.

The battle brought the end of the Russo-Turkish War closer, which ended with the signing of the Treaty of Iasi.

Strengths of the parties:
Russian Empire - 15 battleships, 2 frigates, 19 auxiliary ships
Ottoman Empire - 18 battleships, 17 frigates, 48 ​​auxiliary ships, coastal battery

Losses:
Russian Empire - 17 killed, 28 wounded
Ottoman Empire - Unknown

Battle of Sinop

The Battle of Sinop is the defeat of the Turkish squadron by the Russian Black Sea Fleet on November 18 (30), 1853, under the command of Admiral Nakhimov. Some historians view it as the "swan song" of the sailing fleet and the first battle of the Crimean War. The Turkish fleet was destroyed within a few hours. This attack served as a pretext for Britain and France to declare war on Russia.

Vice Admiral Nakhimov (84-gun battleships "Empress Maria", "Chesma" and "Rostislav") was sent by Prince Menshikov to cruise to the shores of Anatolia. There was information that the Turks in Sinop were preparing forces for a landing at Sukhum and Poti. Approaching Sinop, Nakhimov saw a detachment of Turkish ships in the bay under the protection of 6 coastal batteries and decided to closely blockade the port in order to attack the enemy with the arrival of reinforcements from Sevastopol.
On November 16 (28), 1853, Nakhimov’s detachment was joined by the squadron of Rear Admiral F. M. Novosilsky (120-gun battleships “Paris”, “ Grand Duke Constantine" and "Three Saints", frigates "Kahul" and "Kulevchi"). The Turks could be reinforced by the allied Anglo-French fleet located in Beshik-Kertez Bay (Dardanelles Strait). It was decided to attack in 2 columns: in the 1st, closest to the enemy, the ships of Nakhimov’s detachment, in the 2nd - Novosilsky, the frigates were supposed to watch the enemy steamers under sail; It was decided to spare the consular houses and the city in general if possible, hitting only ships and batteries. For the first time it was planned to use 68-pound bomb guns.

On the morning of November 18 (November 30), it was raining with gusty winds from OSO, the most unfavorable for the capture of Turkish ships (they could easily run ashore).
At 9.30 in the morning, keeping the rowing vessels at the sides of the ships, the squadron headed for the roadstead. In the depths of the bay, 7 Turkish frigates and 3 corvettes were located moon-shaped under the cover of 4 batteries (one with 8 guns, 3 with 6 guns each); Behind the battle line there were 2 steamships and 2 transport ships.
At 12.30 p.m., on the first shot from the 44-gun frigate "Aunni-Allah", fire was opened from all Turkish ships and batteries.
The battleship "Empress Maria" was bombarded with shells, most of its spars and standing rigging were broken, and only one shroud of the mainmast remained intact. However, the ship moved forward non-stop and, operating with battle fire at enemy ships, dropped anchor against the frigate "Aunni-Allah"; the latter, unable to withstand half an hour of shelling, jumped ashore. Then the Russian flagship turned its fire exclusively on the 44-gun frigate Fazli-Allah, which soon caught fire and also washed ashore. After this, the actions of the Empress Maria focused on battery No. 5.

The battleship "Grand Duke Konstantin", having anchored, opened heavy fire on battery No. 4 and the 60-gun frigates "Navek-Bakhri" and "Nesimi-Zefer"; the first was blown up 20 minutes after opening fire, showering debris and the bodies of sailors on battery No. 4, which then almost ceased to operate; the second was thrown ashore by the wind when its anchor chain was broken.
The battleship "Chesma" destroyed batteries No. 4 and No. 3 with its shots.

The battleship Paris, while at anchor, opened battle fire on battery No. 5, the corvette Guli-Sefid (22 guns) and the frigate Damiad (56 guns); then, having blown up the corvette and thrown the frigate ashore, he began to hit the frigate Nizamiye (64 guns), whose foremast and mizzen masts were shot down, and the ship itself drifted to the shore, where it soon caught fire. Then "Paris" again began to fire at battery No. 5.

The battleship "Three Saints" entered into battle with the frigates "Kaidi-Zefer" (54 guns) and "Nizamiye"; the first enemy shots broke his spring, and the ship, turning into the wind, was subjected to well-aimed longitudinal fire from battery No. 6, and its mast was badly damaged. Turning the stern again, he very successfully began to act on the Kaidi-Zefer and other ships and forced them to rush to the shore.
The battleship "Rostislav", covering the "Three Saints", concentrated fire on battery No. 6 and on the corvette "Feize-Meabud" (24 guns), and threw the corvette ashore.

At 1 ½ o'clock in the afternoon, the Russian steam frigate "Odessa" appeared from behind the cape under the flag of Adjutant General Vice Admiral V. A. Kornilov, accompanied by the steam frigates "Crimea" and "Khersones". These ships immediately took part in the battle, which, however, was already nearing its end; The Turkish forces were greatly weakened. Batteries No. 5 and No. 6 continued to harass the Russian ships until 4 o'clock, but the Paris and Rostislav soon destroyed them. Meanwhile, the rest of the Turkish ships, apparently set on fire by their crews, took off one after another; This caused a fire to spread throughout the city, and there was no one to put it out.

About 2 o'clock the Turkish 22-gun steam frigate "Taif", armament 2-10 dm bomb, 4-42 lb., 16-24 lb. guns, under the command of Yahya Bey, broke out of the line of Turkish ships, which were suffering a severe defeat, and fled. Taking advantage of the speed advantage of the Taif, Yahya Bey managed to escape from the Russian ships pursuing him (the frigates Kagul and Kulevchi, then the steam frigates of the Kornilov detachment) and report to Istanbul about complete extermination Turkish squadron. Captain Yahya Bey, who was expecting a reward for saving the ship, was dismissed from service and stripped of his rank for “ misbehavior».

Strengths of the parties:
Russian Empire - 6 battleships, 2 frigates, 3 steamships, 720 naval guns
Ottoman Empire - 7 frigates, 5 corvettes, 476 naval guns and 44 on shore batteries

Losses:
Russian Empire - 37 killed, 233 wounded, 13 guns
Ottoman Empire - 7 frigates, 4 corvettes, >3000 killed and wounded, 200 prisoners, including Admiral Osman Pasha

Battle of Tsushima

Tsushima naval battle - a naval battle May 14 (27), 1905 - May 15 (28), 1905 in the area of ​​Tsushima Island (Tsushima Strait), in which the Russian 2nd squadron of the Pacific Fleet under the command of Vice Admiral Zinoviy Petrovich Rozhdestvensky suffered a crushing defeat defeated by the Imperial Japanese Navy under the command of Admiral Heihachiro Togo. The last, decisive naval battle of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, during which the Russian squadron was completely defeated. Most of the ships were sunk or sunk by the crews of their ships, some capitulated, some were interned in neutral ports, and only four managed to reach Russian ports. The battle was preceded by a grueling 18,000-mile (33,000-kilometer) passage of a large, diverse Russian squadron from the Baltic Sea to the Far East, unprecedented in the history of steam fleets.

The Second Russian Pacific Squadron, under the command of Vice Admiral Z. P. Rozhdestvensky, was formed in the Baltic and was intended to reinforce the First Pacific Squadron, which was based in Port Arthur on the Yellow Sea. Having started its journey in Libau, Rozhdestvensky’s squadron reached the shores of Korea by mid-May 1905. By that time, the First Pacific Squadron had already been practically destroyed. Only one full-fledged naval port remained in the hands of the Russians in the Pacific Ocean - Vladivostok, and the approaches to it were covered by a strong Japanese fleet. Rozhestvensky's squadron included 8 squadron battleships, 3 coastal defense battleships, one armored cruiser, 8 cruisers, one auxiliary cruiser, 9 destroyers, 6 transports and two hospital ships. Artillery weapons The Russian squadron consisted of 228 guns, 54 of them with calibers from 203 to 305 mm.

On May 14 (27), the Second Pacific Squadron entered the Korean Strait with the goal of breaking through to Vladivostok, and was discovered by the Japanese patrol cruiser Izumi. The commander of the Japanese fleet, Admiral H. Togo, by this time had 4 squadron battleships, 8 armored cruisers, 16 cruisers, 6 gunboats and coastal defense ships, 24 auxiliary cruisers, 21 destroyers and 42 destroyers, armed with a total of 910 guns, of which 60 had a caliber from 203 to 305 mm. The Japanese fleet was divided into seven combat detachments. Togo immediately began deploying his forces with the goal of imposing battle on the Russian squadron and destroying it.

The Russian squadron sailed along the Eastern Passage of the Korea Strait (Tsushima Strait), leaving Tsushima Island on the left side. She was pursued by Japanese cruisers, following in the fog parallel to the course of the Russian squadron. The Russians discovered the Japanese cruisers at about 7 am. Rozhestvensky, without starting the battle, rebuilt the squadron into two wake columns, leaving transports and the cruisers covering them in the rearguard.

At 13:15, at the exit from the Tsushima Strait, the main forces of the Japanese fleet (battleships and armored cruisers) were discovered, which were trying to cross the course of the Russian squadron. Rozhdestvensky began to rebuild the ships into one wake column. During the rebuilding, the distance between the enemy ships decreased. Having finished rebuilding, the Russian ships opened fire at 13:49 from a distance of 38 cables (over 7 km).

The Japanese ships returned fire three minutes later, concentrating it on the lead Russian ships. Taking advantage of the superiority in squadron speed (16-18 knots versus 12-15 for the Russians), the Japanese fleet stayed ahead of the Russian column, crossing its course and trying to cover its head. By 2 p.m. the distance had decreased to 28 cables (5.2 km). Japanese artillery had a higher rate of fire (360 rounds per minute versus 134 for the Russian), Japanese shells were 10-15 times more explosive than Russian shells, and the armor of Russian ships was weaker (40% of the area versus 61% for the Japanese). This superiority predetermined the outcome of the battle.

At 2:25 p.m., the flagship battleship “Prince Suvorov” broke down and Rozhdestvensky was wounded. Another 15 minutes later, the squadron battleship Oslyabya died. The Russian squadron, having lost its leadership, continued to move in a column to the north, changing course twice to increase the distance between itself and the enemy. During the battle, the Japanese ships consistently concentrated fire on the lead ships, trying to disable them.

After 18 hours, command was transferred to Rear Admiral N.I. Nebogatov. By this time, four squadron battleships had already been lost, and all the ships of the Russian squadron were damaged. Japanese ships were also damaged, but none were sunk. The Russian cruisers, traveling in a separate column, repelled the attacks of the Japanese cruisers; one auxiliary cruiser "Ural" and one transport were lost in the battle.

On the night of May 15, Japanese destroyers repeatedly attacked Russian ships, firing 75 torpedoes. As a result, the battleship Navarin sank, and the crews of three armored cruisers that lost control were forced to scuttle their ships. The Japanese lost three destroyers in the night battle. In the darkness, the Russian ships lost contact with each other and then acted independently. Only two squadron battleships, two coastal defense battleships and one cruiser remained under the command of Nebogatov.
Some of the ships and Nebogatov’s detachment still tried to break through to Vladivostok. Three cruisers, including the Aurora, sailed south and reached Manila, where they were interned. Nebogatov’s detachment was surrounded by Japanese ships and surrendered to the enemy, but the cruiser Izumrud managed to break through the encirclement and escape to Vladivostok. In the Gulf of St. Vladimir, he ran aground and was blown up by the crew. The destroyer Bedovy with the wounded Rozhdestvensky also surrendered to the Japanese.

On May 15 (28), one battleship, one coastal defense battleship, three cruisers and one destroyer, who fought independently, were killed in battle. Three destroyers were sunk by their crews, and one destroyer went to Shanghai, where it was interned. Only the cruiser Almaz and two destroyers broke through to Vladivostok. In general, the Russian fleet lost 8 squadron battleships, one armored cruiser, one coastal defense battleship, 4 cruisers, one auxiliary cruiser, 5 destroyers and several transports in the Battle of Tsushima. Two squadron battleships, two coastal defense battleships and one destroyer surrendered to the Japanese.

Strengths of the parties:
Russian Empire - 8 squadron battleships, 3 coastal defense battleships, 3 armored cruisers (2 obsolete), 6 cruisers, 1 auxiliary cruiser, 9 destroyers, 2 hospital ships, 6 auxiliary ships
Empire of Japan - 4 1st class battleships, 2 2nd class battleships (obsolete), 9 armored cruisers (1 obsolete), 15 cruisers, 21 destroyers, 44 destroyers, 21 auxiliary cruisers, 4 gunboats, 3 advice notes, 2 hospital ships

Losses:
Russian Empire - 21 ships sunk (7 battleships), 7 ships and vessels captured, 6 ships interned, 5045 people killed, 803 wounded, 6016 captured
Empire of Japan - 3 destroyers sunk, 117 killed, 538 wounded

Author Vitaly Borisovich Kharlamov, Volgograd. To put it briefly, there are not just a lot of letters, but a lot.
When on May 31, 1916, the captain of the English light cruiser (*) Galatea ordered to open fire on the German destroyers (2*), he had no idea that these salvoes would be the first in the largest naval battle in the history of mankind. On this day, in the North Sea, the two most powerful fleets of their time, the British Grand Fleet and the German High Seas Fleet, met. We met to put an end to the dispute: whose fleet dominates the sea. And as a result, the following flared up:

By the spring of 1916, the land front had finally stabilized. Turning land battles into “giant meat grinders” that did not live up to the hopes placed on them. And the submarine war unleashed by Germany could not bring her a quick victory. The war increasingly turned into a war of resources. In a war of attrition. Which could not bring victory to Germany, with its disabilities. And then the German command decided to use the last “trump card” remaining in Germany. Its second largest battle fleet in the world. With the help of which, the German General Staff hoped to win the long-awaited victory at sea. And thereby take England out of the war. The strongest country in the coalition opposing Germany.

The High Seas Fleet is on the move.

What was required was to lure part of the English fleet out of their bases and try to destroy it with a blow from the main forces. For this purpose, German cruisers were sent on a raid to the shores of England. In the hope that after this, part of the Grand Fleet's forces will relocate from Scapa Flow to the south. They succeeded. Under the influence of public opinion, the Grand Fleet was divided into 4 squadrons. Based at various bases along the east coast of England. But the intensification of the actions of the main forces of the German fleet alerted the British. After the German battlecruisers' raid on Lowston, they expected another sortie. Intending, using a scenario similar to the German one, to lure part of the German fleet under the muzzles of the heavy guns of the Grand Fleet. And thereby finally establish their dominance at sea. Thus two huge fleets put to sea. And their admirals had no idea what forces they would face. As a result, the collision of the fleets turned out to be purely accidental. Not provided for by any plan of the warring parties.

Grand Fleet at sea.

Prelude to battle.

The German fleet left the main fleet base at 1 am on May 31st. And headed north, towards the Skagerrak Strait. At the forefront of the fleet were 5 battlecruisers (3*) of Vice Admiral Hipper, supported by 5 light cruisers and 33 destroyers. With the task of bringing part of the Grand Fleet's forces to the entire High Seas Fleet. Light cruisers and destroyers sailed in a semicircle ahead of the battlecruisers at a distance of 7-10 miles. Behind the ships of Admiral Hipper's squadron, 50 miles later, were the main forces of the German fleet.

The High Seas Fleet from a Zeppelin.

But even earlier, 16 submarines were sent to sea. Which were supposed to take positions near British bases. And stay on them from May 24 to June 1. Which predetermined the Germans’ entry into the sea on May 31st. Despite the weather. Moreover, most of the submarines, 7 units, were deployed against the Firth of Forth, where the fleet of battlecruisers was based. One was located at the exit from Kromary Bay, where the 2nd squadron of battleships was located. Two submarines were deployed against Scapa Flow, where the main forces of the English fleet were located. The remaining submarines were deployed along the east coast of England. The main task of these submarines was reconnaissance. However, they had to put minefields, on the proposed routes of movement of British ships. And subsequently attack the ships leaving the bases. Direct reconnaissance on the battlefield was to be carried out by airships. But 5 German airships that took off at noon on May 31, due to unsuccessfully assigned routes, found nothing. They were not even above the battle site.

Torpedo compartment of a German submarine.

The Grand Fleet went to sea before the German fleet. As soon as human intelligence and radio interception reported that large ships of the High Seas Fleet were preparing to go to sea. Safely escaping a curtain of German submarines. Although, some ships received erroneous signals about the detection of German submarines.

4th Grand Fleet Dreadnought Squadron ("Iron Duke", "Royal Oak", "Superb", "Canada") in the North Sea

However, it took time to gather the ships from different bases into a single fist. So the 2nd squadron of battleships (4*) was able to join the main forces of the British fleet only at 11 o’clock. And Admiral Beatty's squadron was still south of Admiral Jellicoe's ships. Only at about 2 p.m. did Admiral Beatty order to turn north. Intending to join up with his fleet. The trap set by Admiral Jellicoe for the German fleet was about to be sprung. When suddenly the unexpected happened.

2nd squadron of battleships of the German High Seas Fleet.

Chance meeting.

Shortly before Admiral Beatty's ships turned north, smoke was spotted from the German light cruiser Elbing. And 2 of the destroyers accompanying the cruiser were sent to inspect the spotted ship. It turned out to be the neutral Danish steamer N.G. Fjord. But fate would have it that the Danish steamer was discovered at the same time as the Germans English easy cruiser "Galatea". Guarded by Admiral Beatty's squadron. And as a result, at 14 hours 28 minutes, the Galatea, together with the light cruiser Phaeton that approached it, opened fire on the German destroyers. Who hastened to retreat from the battlefield. However, the Elibing soon joined the destroyers and the battle broke out with new strength. At 14:45 a seaplane was lifted from the Engadine air transport. Which at 1508 hours discovered 5 enemy battle cruisers. The pilot tried three times to contact his command and provide information. Which never reached Admiral Beatty.

British battle cruiser "Lyon".

At this time, both squadrons set a new course. And at full speed, cutting the waves with their stems, they rushed towards each other. Thus, by chance, the British battlecruisers met the enemy separated from their main forces. They could only act according to the previously planned plan. And try to bring enemy ships to the main forces of your fleet.

Deployment of Admiral Beatty's squadron before the battle.

At 15:30 both squadrons made visual contact. And seeing the British superiority in strength, Admiral Hipper turned his ships to join the main forces of the High Seas Fleet. However, Admiral Bitte's battlecruisers, taking advantage of their advantage in speed, began to gradually catch up with the German ships. But the British, who had longer-range artillery, did not open fire. Due to an error in determining the distance to the target. The Germans remained silent, waiting for the British to come closer so they could fire more effectively from their smaller guns. In addition, the 5th British battleship squadron was still out of sight from the German ships. And without receiving an order from Admiral Beatty to change course, she continued to go east for some time. Moving away from the battlefield.

Development of the battle from 15-40 to 17-00.

Free cheese without a mousetrap.

Only at 15 hours 50 minutes, being at a distance of 80 cables (5*), the battle cruisers of both squadrons opened fire. By order of the admirals, the ships of both sides fired at the enemy ship corresponding to it in the ranks. But the British made a mistake and the German battle cruiser Derflinger was not fired upon by anyone at the beginning of the battle. The distance between the squadrons continued to decrease and by 15 hours 54 minutes it reached 65 cables. Anti-mine artillery entered the battle. The ships sailed surrounded by columns of water from continuously falling shells. By that time, the squadrons had reformed and rushed south.

"Derflinger"

At about 16 o'clock, Admiral Beatty's flagship cruiser "Lion" was hit by a shell, which almost became fatal for it. The shell hit the third turret, pierced the armor and exploded under the left gun. All the gun servants died. And only the courage of the mortally wounded tower commander, Major Harvey, saved the ship from destruction. However, the cruiser was forced to withdraw from service. This allowed his enemy, the German battlecruiser Derflanger, to transfer fire to the battlecruiser Queen Mary. “Seydlitz” also fired at it.

Battlecruiser Queen Mary.

At 16:02, the battle cruiser Indefatigable, which was at the end of the British column, was hit by a salvo from the battle cruiser Von der Tann, which was firing at it. And disappeared into smoke and flames. Most likely the shell pierced the deck and hit the artillery magazine of the aft tower. The Indefatigable, diving astern, rolled out of formation. But the next salvo also hit the dying ship. A terrible explosion shook the air. The cruiser lay on the left side, turned over and disappeared. The agony of "Indefatigable" lasted only about 2 minutes. Of the huge crew, only four managed to escape.

Battlecruiser "Invincible".

But the fight lasted. Seeing the difficult situation of his linear forces, Admiral Beatty at 16:10 sent the 13th destroyer flotilla to attack the Germans. 11 German destroyers headed by the light cruiser Regensburg advanced towards them, crossing the course of the battlecruisers. And they entered the battle, covering their ships. When the destroyer formations dispersed, they were missing 2 destroyers. The Germans are “V-27” and “V-29”, and the British are “Nomat” and “Nestor”. And if the “Germans” died directly during the battle. Moreover, “V-27” was sunk by a torpedo from the destroyer “Petard”, and “V-29” was killed by artillery fire. Then the “English” lost momentum, but remained afloat. And they were finished off by German battleships. Having time before death, fire torpedoes at the battleships of the High Seas Fleet. True, to no avail, the torpedoes did not hit the target.

The British destroyer "Abdiel" alongside the light cruiser.

At this time, the battlecruiser Lion again took its place in the ranks. But the Derflinger continued to fire at the Queen Mary. Until at 16:26 the second tragedy broke out. The 11th salvo of the Deflanger hit the Queen Mary (6*). The explosion of ammunition tore the ship apart so much that the next in line, the Tiger, was covered in debris. But when a few minutes later the Tiger passed through the site of the death of the Queen Mary, it found no traces of the deceased battle cruiser. And the column of smoke from the Queen Mary explosion shot up half a kilometer. Within 38 seconds, 1266 English sailors died (7*). But, despite such heavy losses, the British continued the battle. And they even increased their strength. The 5th squadron of battleships joined the English battlecruisers.

Meanwhile, torpedo attacks from both sides followed one after another. At 16:50, 6 German destroyers attacked the British ships to no avail. Of the 7 torpedoes fired, not one hit the target. On the other hand, 4 British destroyers attacked the battle cruiser Seydlitz. Of the torpedoes fired by the destroyers, one still hit the bow of the German ship.
At the same time, the main forces of the German fleet appeared on the horizon. Admiral Beatty turned north. The German ships, repelling the attacks of the British destroyers, followed the enemy in front formation. The German fleet had overwhelming superiority in everything except speed. Taking advantage of this, Admiral Beatty withdrew his battle cruisers from under enemy fire.

Battlecruiser Indefatigable

And the battleships of the 5th squadron began to lead the enemy to Admiral Jillico’s squadron, firing at the lead ships of the German fleet. Which were hit by 5 to 10,381 millimeter shells. But the British ships also received significant damage. The battleship Warepite received 13 hits, and having a damaged steering gear, was forced to leave the battlefield. The battleship "Malaya" received 8 shells. At the same time, one of them pierced the armor of the mine artillery casemate, caused a cordite fire, the flames from which shot up to the level of the masts, disabled all the starboard artillery and 102 crew members. The battleship Barham received 6 shells.

Battleship "Malaya".

Fighting continued between the light forces of the fleets. At 17:36 a 19-minute battle took place between the cruisers of both sides. Moreover, due to decreased visibility, the German light cruisers came under fire from the British armored cruisers (8*). Part of the vanguard of the main forces of the Grand Fleet. As a result, the German light cruisers Wiesbaden and Pillau were damaged. Moreover, the Wiesbaden vehicles, which were damaged, lost speed. And the ships of the English 3rd squadron of battle cruisers, appearing from behind the haze, turned the Wiesbaden into a blazing bonfire. At this time, there followed an attack by 23 German destroyers on 4 British destroyers and the light cruiser Canterbur. As a result of this battle, the British destroyer Shark was sunk, and the remaining British ships received significant damage. In response, the British destroyers successfully attacked the battle cruiser Lützow with torpedoes. This German cruiser fired back from the enemy ships surrounding it until 19:00. So far, the torpedo of the English destroyer Defenger has not finished off the Wiesbaden. And the waves of the North Sea did not close over him. The crew of the Wiesbaden perished along with their ship. Only one person managed to escape.

Battlecruiser Lützow.

At the same time, carried away by the shooting of German light cruisers, the British armored cruisers came too close to the German battle cruisers. As a result, the armored cruiser Defense exploded after receiving 2 salvos from the Luttsov. And after 4 minutes, the depths of the sea swallowed the ship along with 903 crew members and the commander of the 1st squadron of armored cruisers, Admiral Arbuthnot.

British armored cruiser Defense

The cruiser "Warrior" was threatened with the same consideration. But he was obscured by the battleship Warspite. As a result of damage to the rudders received in a battle with German battleships, it rolled out of action. And by chance he found himself between the Warrior and the German cruisers. And he took the blow. True, as a result of mutual maneuvers, both “Warrior” and “Waspite” collided several times and, due to the damage received, were forced to leave the battlefield.

Light cruiser "Wiesbaden"

The “moustrap” that never slammed shut.

At 18:14 the main forces of the British fleet majestically appeared from the haze. The High Seas Fleet was still trapped. Fire was concentrated on 4 English ships on the lead German ships. The hits followed one after another. But the German gunners were not in debt either. A salvo from the battle cruiser Derflanger turned out to be fatal for the English battle cruiser Invincible. At 18:31, shells ripped open the side in the area of ​​the middle towers. "Invincible" split in half. Taking with him into the depths of the sea almost the entire crew, and Admiral Hood, commander of the 3rd squadron of battlecruisers. Only 6 people were saved. But this was the last major success of the German fleet. The British began methodically shooting their opponents.

Development of the battle from 17-00 to 18-00.

"Lutzow" gradually fell silent. The bow of the battle cruiser was engulfed in flames, the superstructures were destroyed, and the masts were knocked down. Admiral Hipper left the Lützow, which had lost its combat value, and transferred to the destroyer G-39. Intending to transfer to another battlecruiser. But during the day he failed and the captain of the Derflinger commanded the battlecruisers. But the Derflinger itself was a pitiful sight. 3 towers out of 4 were destroyed. Columns of fire from gunpowder burning in the towers rose higher than the masts. In the bow of the cruiser, at the waterline, British shells created a hole measuring 5 by 6 meters. The ship took on 3,359 tons of water. The crew lost 154 people killed and 26 wounded (9*). No less terrible view also had "Seydlitz".

All that remains of the battlecruiser Invincible.

Seeing such a deplorable state of his fleet, Admiral Scheer ordered the entire fleet to turn “all of a sudden” and set on a reverse course. And he sent the 3rd flotilla of destroyers to attack the enemy. Hoping to get out from under the fire in this way. The destroyer attack was successful. At 18:45 the battleship Marlboro was torpedoed. But the ship maintained 17 knots and did not leave the battlefield. True, a day later, having sank almost 12 meters, with a list to starboard, the battleship barely reached the base. The torpedo was fired by the destroyer V-48. Achieved success at the cost of his own death. This destroyer was chalked up to the gunners of the Marlboro.

British armored cruiser "Warrior".

There are two interesting points at this point in the battle. The first point is that the Germans claim that a 381-mm projectile hit the main armor belt of the Derflinger. Allegedly, the projectile hit the armor and ricocheted. But the English battleships opposing the Germans at that moment had only 305-mm and 343-mm guns. And ships with 381-mm guns were on the flanks of the English column. And they did not fire at the German battlecruisers. The second point is to relate to the only, in the entire history of the ship, full broadside, the only seven-tower battleship in the world, the Egincourt. This salvo caused the ship to tilt dangerously and there was a danger of the ship capsizing. Because of this, such salvos were never fired again. And on the neighboring ships, seeing pillars of flame and smoke enveloping the Egincourt, they decided that another English ship had exploded. And the English officers hardly managed to prevent the panic that was emerging on the ships of the Grand Fleet.

And "Erin" too. But in the background, and so "Edzhikort"

The British fire weakened, but continued to harass the German ships. Therefore, at about 19 o'clock, Admiral Scheer turned his fleet on the opposite course, again giving the order to raise the "all of a sudden" signal. Admiral Scheer intended to attack the end British ships and slip under the stern of the Grand Fleet. But the German ships again found themselves under concentrated fire from the British battleships. The thickening haze increasingly interfered with aimed fire. In addition, the English ships were on the dark side of the horizon. And they had an advantage over German ships. Their silhouettes stood out clearly against the background of the setting sun.

English battleship "Iron Duke"

At this critical moment of the battle, seeing that he was being tried from the bases, Admiral Scheer sent all the remaining destroyers to attack. The attack was led by heavily damaged battlecruisers. The battle cruisers closed with the enemy to 8,000 meters, and the destroyers at 6,000-7,000 meters. At 19:15, 31 torpedoes were fired. And although none of the torpedoes hit the target. And the destroyer S-35 was sunk by the British. This attack achieved its goal. Forcing the English ships to change course. What saved the High Seas Fleet. Which, with the start of the attack by the destroyers, turned again “all of a sudden” and began to quickly leave the battlefield. And at 19:45, breaking away from the ring of British ships, the German fleet headed south.

Airship L-31 over the battleship Ostfriesland

But the fight is not over yet. At 20:23, British battle cruisers suddenly emerged from the haze. And they opened fire on the German battle cruisers that had greatly annoyed them. Clearly intending to settle accounts with them. But at this difficult moment for the ships of Admiral Hipper, help came to him. After the turn, they found themselves in front of the entire squadron, obviously taken into battle for the sake of numbers, the obsolete battleships (10*) of the 2nd squadron were just in the process of changing formation. To take a more appropriate place for them, at the end of the column.
As a result, these battleships found themselves to the east of other German battleships. And by changing course, they were able to shield their battlecruisers, taking the blow upon themselves. This bold attack, held up by the destroyers, forced the British ships to turn and disappear into the darkness. The night was coming into its own more and more. A night that allowed the British to somewhat brighten up, for them, the joyless result of the battle.

Development of the battle from 18-15 to 21-00

Flame in the middle of the night.

The sun disappeared behind the horizon. The sky was getting darker. But at 20:58 the horizon was again illuminated by gunfire. In the beams of the searchlights one could see German and English light cruisers engaged in a fire duel. As a result of this battle, several cruisers on both sides were damaged, and the one damaged in the daytime battle german easy The cruiser Fraenlob was sunk.

German battleship "Prince Regent Luitpold"

A little later, the British 4th destroyer flotilla launched an attack on the German battleships. At the same time, the destroyer Tupperer was sunk and the destroyer Speedfire was damaged. The attack was unsuccessful, but while performing an anti-torpedo maneuver, the battleship Posen rammed the light cruiser Elbing. The British only managed to damage the destroyer S-32. Which lost speed, but was taken in tow and brought to the base.
At 22:40 a torpedo from the British destroyer Contest hit the light cruiser Rostock, which had been heavily damaged in previous battles. During this attack by the British 4th Destroyer Flotilla, the British destroyers Sparrowheavy and Brooke were damaged. At 23:00 the 4th flotilla attacked the German ships for the third time, albeit unsuccessfully. At the same time, the destroyer Fortuna was sunk and the destroyer Roproid was damaged. At 23:40 there was another British torpedo attack. 13 destroyers, from different flotillas, attacked the German battleships to no avail. And the destroyer "Turbulent" was added to the list of losses of the Grand Fleet.

"Deutschland" from the 2nd squadron

Around this time, the High Seas Fleet crossed the Grand Fleet's course. Located about two miles from the last battleship of the Grand Fleet. And from the battleships of the 5th squadron they saw attacks by destroyers. And on one of the battleships they even identified the enemy. But during the battle, the commander of the Grand Fleet, Admiral Jellicoe, never learned about the battles of the light forces of the fleet with German battleships, or that these same battleships passed by the guns of the battleship entrusted to him. And literally at a direct shot distance. Pointlessly continuing the search for the German fleet. From now on, only moving away from the High Seas Fleet.

German light cruiser "Ariadne" of the same type as the cruiser "Fraenlob"

At 0 hours 07 minutes, the British armored cruiser Black Prince and the destroyer Adent approached the German battleships at a distance of 1000 meters and fired upon them. A few minutes later, the ships engulfed in fire lost speed. A huge fire raging on the deck of the cruiser illuminated the sides of German battleships and cruisers passing by. Until there was an explosion and the Black Prince sank into the sea. The Adent sank somewhat earlier than the cruiser.
But the British quickly got even for this loss. At 0 hours 45 minutes, the 12th destroyer flotilla, led by the scout (11*) "Iturling", went on the attack. 20 minutes later, one of the fired torpedoes hit the obsolete battleship Pomern. The explosion detonated the ammunition and the ship almost instantly disappeared in a huge cloud of smoke. Along with the ship, its crew - 840 people - also died. This was the heaviest loss of the German Navy in the Battle of Jutlan. In addition to the battleship, in this last clash of the fleets, the German destroyer V-4 was lost along with its entire crew.

Explosion of the battleship "Pomern"

The death of the destroyer "V-4" became one of the mysteries of the Battle of Jutland. The ship was guarded by the German fleet on the opposite side of the battlefield. There were no submarines or minefields in this place. The destroyer simply exploded.
German destroyers searched for English ships throughout the night. But only the cruiser Champion was discovered and attacked to no avail. German torpedoes missed.
According to the plan, the high-speed minelayer "Abdiel" on the night of May 31, on June 1, renewed the minefields on the approach to the German bases. Exhibited by him a little earlier. On one of these mines, at 5:30 a.m., the battleship Ostfriesland was blown up. But the ship retained its combat capability and returned to base.

Damage to the light cruiser Pillau after the Battle of Jutland

According to the plan, the British covered the approaches to enemy bases with submarines. On May 31, 3 British submarines E-26, E-55 and D-1 took up positions. But they had orders to attack enemy ships only from June 2. Therefore, when the German ships returned to their bases, passing over the heads of the British submariners, they calmly lay on seabed. Bidding for time.

Battleship Posen

The German submariners also did not distinguish themselves. At 10 o'clock, the damaged Marlboro was attacked by 2 submarines. Walking to the base. But the attacks were ineffective. The Warspite was also attacked by a single German submarine. But the ship, which had a speed of 22 knots, not only dodged the torpedoes. But he even made an attempt to ram the enemy

German submarine UC-5

But the ships continued to die. At 1 hour 45 minutes the battle cruiser Lützow was abandoned by the crew and sunk by a torpedo from the destroyer G-38. In the daytime battle he received 24, only large-caliber, shells and a torpedo. The bow of the cruiser was almost completely destroyed; about 8,000 tons of water entered the hull. The pumps could not cope with so much water and the increasing trim on the bow exposed the propellers. It was impossible to continue the journey. And the command of the High Seas Fleet decided to sacrifice the ship. The surviving 960 crew members transferred to destroyers.

At 2 o'clock on June 1, the light cruiser Elbing sank. The cause of the death of the cruiser was the destroyer Sparrowheavy. Damaged during a night battle and having lost its stern section. At 2 o'clock in the morning, the Sparrowheavy sailors saw a German light cruiser emerging from the fog and prepared for the last battle. But the German ship, without firing a single shot, suddenly began to sag and disappeared under water. This was “Elbing”. After the collision, the cruiser lost speed and was abandoned by most of the crew. But the captain of the cruiser and several dozen volunteers remained on the ship. Trying to use the wind and currents to escape into neutral waters. But at dawn they saw the English destroyer and hastened to scuttle the ship. Following the Elbing, at 4 hours 45 minutes, the German light cruiser Rostock followed to the bottom of the North Sea. The crew fought for the life of the ship until the last minute. The British armored cruiser Warrior sank at 7 o'clock, having received 15 heavy and 6 medium shells in the day's battle. And at 8:45 a.m., the Sparrowheavy was finished off by friendly fire after its crew had been removed.
Personally, the commander of the Grand Fleet was never able to find the German fleet. And at 4 hours 30 minutes the British ships headed for the base. Not knowing that his fleet was discovered by one of the five German Zeppelins that took off to replace the first five. And the German commander had all the information received by his subordinates.

Development of the situation from 21-00 until the end of the battle.

Jutland's last exploit.

The gun salvos died down, but the battle was not over yet; the battle cruiser Seydlitz was still at sea. In the battle, the ship received 21 shells with a caliber of 305-381 millimeters, not counting smaller shells and a torpedo in the bow. The destruction on the ship was terrible. 3 towers out of 5 were destroyed, the bow generators failed, the electricity went out, the ventilation did not work, and the main steam line was interrupted. The strong impact caused the housing of one turbine to burst and the steering gear to jam. The crew lost 148 people killed and wounded. All nasal compartments were filled with water. The stem almost completely disappeared under water. To level the trim, the aft compartments had to be flooded. The weight of water that got inside the hull reached 5329 tons. Already at dusk, the oil filters failed and the last boilers went out. The ship completely lost its combat value and swayed helplessly on the waves. All mechanical means of fighting for the survivability of the ship have failed. Admiral Scheer had already included Seydlitz on the list of battle casualties. And leaving the lost ship, the German fleet went south. Firing back from British destroyers. Who, carried away by the pursuit, did not notice the stopped Seydlitz.

"Seydlitz"

But the crew continued to fight. Buckets, vetoes, and blankets were used. Mechanics, in complete darkness, were able to climb under the foundation of the boilers, replace the filters and start up some of the boilers. The cruiser came to life and crawled stern-first towards its native shores. But to top all the troubles, during the battle all the nautical charts on the ship were destroyed and the gyrocompass failed. Therefore, at 1 hour 40 minutes the Seydlitz ran aground. True, not for long. The crew managed to bring the ship to clean water. At dawn, the light cruiser Pillau and destroyers approached the battle cruiser to help. But at 8 o'clock the uncontrollable Seydlitz was again stranded. And when a few hours later, through the incredible efforts of the crew, the cruiser was refloated, a storm broke out. Attempts by the Pillau to take the Seydlitz in tow were unsuccessful. And Seydlitz once again found itself on the brink of death. But wayward Fortune remained favorable to the ship's crew. And late in the evening of June 2, the ship dropped anchor at the mouth of the Yade River. Thus, putting an end to the Battle of Jutlan.

Pyrrhic victory.

Historians are still arguing. Finding out the winner in the Battle of Jutlan. Fortunately, both commanders reported the victory to their admiralties. And at first glance, Admiral Scheer was right in his report. The Grand Fleet lost 6,784 men killed, wounded and captured. Of its composition, 3 battle cruisers, 3 armored cruisers and 8 destroyers (total 111,980 tons of displacement) were lost. And the High Seas Fleet lost 3,029 people and lost an outdated battleship, a battleship, 4 light cruisers and 5 destroyers (62,233 tons of displacement). And this, despite the one and a half times superiority of the British. So if you look from the tactical side, the victory remained with the Germans. The Germans also won a moral victory. They were able to sow fear in the hearts of English sailors (12*). The Germans were also able to demonstrate the superiority of their technology over the English (13*). But then why, after Jutland, did the German fleet enter the North Sea only at the end of 1918? When, under the terms of the truce, he went to surrender at the main base of the Grand Fleet.

"Westfalen"

The answer is simple. The High Seas Fleet failed to complete its assigned mission. He was unable to defeat the English fleet, gain supremacy at sea and bring England out of the war. And the Grand Fleet, in turn, maintained its superiority at sea. Even despite very heavy losses. And for another quarter of a century the English fleet was considered the greatest fleet in the world. But Jutland was a “Pyrrhic victory,” a victory on the brink of defeat. And this is precisely why there is no ship in the English Navy with the name "Jutland". And it’s clear why the German Navy doesn’t have a ship with the same name. Ships are not named after defeat.

List of used literature.
1. G. Scheer “The Death of the Cruiser “Blücher”. St. Petersburg, 1995. Series “Ships and Battles”.
2. G. Haade “On the Derflinger in the Battle of Jutlan.” St. Petersburg, 1995. Series "Ships and Battles".
3. Shershov A.P. "History of military shipbuilding." St. Petersburg, 1995 "Polygon".
4. Puzyrevsky K. P. “Battle damage and loss of ships in the Battle of Yutlan.” St. Petersburg 1995
5. "Valecne lode", "Druni svetova" "Nase vojsko pnaha".
6. Model designer 12"94. Balakin S. "Super-dreadnoughts". Art. 28-30.
7. Modeler designer 1"95. Kofman V. "New hypostasis of the battleship." Art. 27-28.
8. Model designer 2"95. Balakin S. "The incredible return of Seydlitz." Art. 25-26.
In addition, materials from numbers 11"79, 12"79, 1"80, 4"94, 7"94, 6"95, 8"95 "Model Designer" were used.

"Thuringen"

Fleet organization:

1. English fleet:

1.1 Main forces:
2 squadron of battleships: "King George 5", "Ajax", "Centurion", "Erin", "Orion", "Monarch", Conqueror, "Tunderer".
4 squadron of battleships: Iron Duke, Royal Oak, Superb, Canada, Bellerophon, Temeraire, Vanguard.
1 squadron of battleships: "Marlboro", "Rivenge", "Hercules", "Edjicourt", "Colossus", "St. Vincent", "Collingwood", "Neptune".
3 squadron of battlecruisers: "Invincible", "Inflexible", "Idomitable".
1.2 Vice Admiral Beatty's squadron: flagship - Lion.
1 squadron of battlecruisers: "Princess Royal", "Queen Mary", "Tiger".
2 squadron of battlecruisers: New Zealand, Indefatigable.
5th squadron of battleships: "Barham", "Valiant", "Warspite", "Malaya".
1.3 Light powers:
1, 2 squadrons of armored cruisers: "Defence", "Warrior", "Duke of Edinburgh", "Black Prince", "Minotaur", "Hampshire", "Cochran", "Shanon".
1, 2, 3, 4 squadrons of light cruisers (23 in total).
1, 4, part 9 and 10, 11, 12, 13 destroyer flotillas (total 3 light cruisers and 75 destroyers).

"Edjicourt"

German fleet
2.1 Main forces:
3 squadron of battleships: "König", "Grosser Kurfust", "Markgraf", "Kronprinz", "Kaiser", "Princeregent Leopold", "Kaiserin", "Frederick der Grosse".
1 squadron of battleships: "Ostfriesland", "Thuringen", "Helgoland", "Oldinburg", "Posen", "Rhineland", "Nassau", "Westphalen".
2nd squadron of battleships: Deutschland, Pomern, Schlesien, Hanover, Schleiswing-Holstein, Hesse.
2.2 Admiral Hipper's reconnaissance detachment:
battlecruisers: "Lutzow", "Derflinger", "Seydlitz", "Moltke", "Von der Tann".
2.3 Light powers:
2, 4 light cruiser detachments (9 in total).
1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9 destroyer flotillas (total 2 light cruisers, 61 destroyers).

"Von der Tann"

Notes

* A ship with a displacement of 2500-5400 tons, with a speed of up to 29 knots (up to 54 km/h) and 6-10 guns with a caliber of 102-152 mm. Designed for reconnaissance, raiding and raiding operations, protecting battleships from enemy destroyers.
2* A ship with a displacement of 600-1200 tons, having a speed of up to 32 knots (up to 60 km/h), 2-4 small-caliber guns and up to 4 torpedo tubes. Designed for torpedo attacks on enemy ships.
3* A ship with a displacement of 17000-28400 tons, having a speed of 25 - 28.5 knots (46-53 km/h) and 8-10 guns with a caliber of 280-343 mm. designed to fight raiders, support light forces, and pin down enemy battleships in a squadron battle.
4* A ship with a displacement of 18,000-28,000 tons, having a speed of 19.5 - 23 knots (36-42.5 km/h) and 8-14 guns with a caliber of 280-381 mm. Constituting the main forces of the fleets and intended to seize and maintain dominance at sea.
5* cables - 185.2 meters (80 cables - 14816 meters, 65 cables - 12038 meters).
6* It is assumed that the Queen Mary was hit by 15 305-millimeter shells.
7* 17 people were saved from the Queen Mary.
8* An obsolete type ship with a displacement of up to 14,000 tons, with a speed of up to 23 knots (up to 42.5 km/h), which had up to 20 guns with a caliber of 152-234 mm. Performed the same functions before the advent of battlecruisers.
9* During the battle, the Derflinger was hit by 21 heavy shells.
11* An obsolete type ship with a displacement of up to 14,000 tons, with a speed of up to 18 knots (33 km/h), which had 4 guns of 280 mm caliber. And before the advent of "dreadnoughts" they performed the same functions.
12* Light cruiser of small displacement.
13* The Germans were able to strike fear in the hearts of English sailors. And so Admiral Jellicoe did not risk pursuing the High Seas Fleet. To force a day battle on the Germans on June 1st. Although he could oppose 1 of the Germans’ remaining combat-ready squadron of battleships with 3 of his own. And that's not counting light forces.
14* So the battle showed that the 305 mm. the German shell penetrated the side armor of the British battle cruisers already from 11,700 meters, and the English 343 mm. the shell penetrated the thicker armor of German battlecruisers from only 7880 meters. In addition, the survivability of English ships, unlike German ones, and their most important devices was much better. The Germans, having fired 3491 shells with a caliber of 280-305 mm, against 4538 British shells with a caliber of 305-381 mm, achieved 121 hits on British ships, against 112 English shells that hit German ships.

As a sign of memory of the three great victories of the Russian fleet - Gangut, Chesma, Sinop - Russian sailors traditionally wear three white stripes on their sails*.

* Guys - a large blue collar on a uniform - a sailor's outer cloth or linen shirt.

GANGUT SEA BATTLE.

The naval battle of the Great Northern War of 1700-1721, which took place on July 27 (August 7), 1714. at Cape Gangut (now Hanko) between the Russian fleet under the command of Admiral F.M. Apraskin and Emperor Peter I and the Swedish fleet of Vice Admiral G. Vatrang. Gangut is the first major victory of the Russian fleet. She raised the morale of the troops, showing that the Swedes could be defeated not only on land, but also at sea. The captured Swedish ships were delivered to St. Petersburg, where on September 9, 1714, a solemn meeting of the winners took place. The winners passed under triumphal arch. Peter I highly appreciated the victory at Gangut, equating it to Poltava. On August 9, in honor of this event, a holiday was officially established in Russia - Military Glory Day.

CHESMENSKY SEA BATTLE.

Naval battle in the Aegean Sea off the western coast of Turkey June 24-26 (July 5-7), 1770. between the Russian and Turkish fleets ended in the complete victory of the Russian fleet over the enemy, which was twice the number of ships of the Russian squadron, but was almost completely destroyed. The victory was achieved thanks to the correct choice of the moment to deliver the decisive blow, the surprise of the attack at night, the well-organized interaction of forces, as well as the high morale and combat quality of the personnel and the naval leadership art of Admiral G.A. Spiridov, who boldly abandoned the standard linear tactics, dominant at that time in Western European fleets. All of Europe was shocked by the victory of the Russians, which was achieved not by numbers, but by skill. Today a naval museum dedicated to the victory at Chesma has been opened in St. Petersburg.

SINOPE SEA BATTLE.

Naval battle on November 18 (30), 1853 between the Russian squadron under the command of Vice Admiral P.S. Nakhimov and the Turkish squadron under the command of Osman Pasha. The Turkish squadron was heading to the Caucasus coast for a large landing. Along the way, she took refuge from bad weather in Sinop Bay. Here it was blocked by the Russian fleet. However, the Turks and their English instructors did not allow the thought of a Russian attack on the bay protected by strong coastal batteries. However, the Russian corrals entered the bay so quickly that the coastal artillery did not have time to inflict significant damage on them. During the four-hour battle, the artillery fired 18 thousand shells, which almost completely destroyed the Turkish fleet. The Sinop victory was the result of a century and a half of history of the Russian sailing fleet, since this battle was the last major naval battle of the era of sailing ships. With its victory, the Russian fleet gained complete dominance in the Black Sea and thwarted Turkish plans to land troops in the Caucasus.

Adventure, historical, documentaries, which show naval battles, are always breathtaking. It doesn’t matter whether it’s frigates with snow-white sails near Haiti or huge aircraft carriers abeam Pearl Harbor.

The spirit of wandering haunts human imagination. Read on and you will briefly get acquainted with the most large-scale and grandiose naval battles in the new history of the world.

Navy in military history

Let's take a closer look at what happened in Chesme Bay from July 5 to July 7, 1770.

Two squadrons were sent to the Black Sea from the Baltic, which merged into one on the spot. Command of the new fleet was entrusted to Count Alexei, brother of Grigory Orlov, a favorite of Catherine II.

The squadron consisted of thirteen capital ships (nine battleships, one bombardier and three frigates), as well as nineteen small support ships. In total, they had about six and a half thousand crew members.

During the transition, part of the Turkish fleet was discovered standing in the roadstead. Among the ships there were quite large vessels. For example, the Burj u Zafer had eighty-four guns on board, while the Rhodes had sixty. In total, there were seventy-three ships (of which sixteen were battleships and six frigates) and more than fifteen thousand sailors.

With the help of the skillful actions of Russian sailors, the squadron managed to win. Among the trophies was the Turkish Rhodes. The Turks lost more than eleven thousand people killed, and the Russians lost about seven hundred sailors.

Second Battle of Rochensalm

Naval battles in the eighteenth century were not always victorious. This is explained by the deplorable state of the fleet. After all, after the death of Emperor Peter I, no one cared about him properly.

Twenty years after the stunning victory over the Turks, the Russian fleet suffered a stunning defeat from the Swedes.

In 1790, the Swedish and Russian fleets met near the Finnish town of Kotka (formerly called Rochensalm). The first was commanded personally by King Gustav III, and the admiral in the last was the Frenchman Nissau-Singen.

176 Swedish ships with 12,500 crew and 145 Russian ships with 18,500 sailors met in the Gulf of Finland.

Hasty actions on the part of the young Frenchman led to a crushing defeat. The Russians lost more than 7,500 men, in contrast to 300 Swedish sailors.

Scientists say that this is the second battle in the number of ships in the new and modern history. We will talk about the grandest battle at the end of the article.

Tsushima

The cause of defeats was often various shortcomings and excessive zeal. For example, if we talk about the Battle of Tsushima, it occurred precisely when the Japanese fleet had an advantage in all respects.

The Russian sailors were extremely tired after a months-long passage from the Baltic to the And the ships were inferior to the Japanese in fire power, armor and speed.

As a result of the admiral's rash act, the Russian Empire lost its fleet and any significance in this region. In exchange for a hundred wounded Japanese and three sunk destroyers, the Russians lost more than five thousand people killed, and more than six thousand were captured. In addition, out of thirty-eight ships, nineteen were sunk.

Battle of Jutland

The Naval Battle of Jutland is considered the largest battle at sea during the battle. During the battle, 149 British and 99 German ships fought. In addition, several airships were used.

But the beauty of the events did not lie in the enormous displacement of the equipment or the number of wounded and killed. Not even in the consequences of the battle. Main feature, which only the Jutland naval battle can boast of, was a surprise.

Both fleets accidentally collided in the Skagerrak Strait, near Due to an intelligence error, the British walked very slowly and slowly towards Norway. The Germans were moving in the opposite direction.

The meeting turned out to be completely unexpected. When the English cruiser "Galatea" decided to inspect a Danish ship that accidentally found itself in these waters, a German ship was just leaving the "At the Fiord", which had already checked it.

The British opened fire on the enemy. Then the rest of the ships arrived. The Battle of Jutland resulted in a tactical victory for the Germans, but a strategic defeat for Germany.

Pearl Harbor

When listing the naval battles of World War II, we should especially focus on the battle near Pearl Harbor. The Americans called it the “Attack on Pearl Harbor,” and the Japanese called it Operation Hawaiian.

The goal of this campaign was to proactively gain superiority in the Pacific region. The United States expected to enter into a war with the Empire of the Rising Sun, so military bases were created in the Philippines.

The mistake of the American government was that they did not seriously consider Pearl Harbor as a target for the Japanese. They expected an attack on Manila and the troops based there.

The Japanese wanted to destroy the enemy fleet and, with the help of this, simultaneously conquer airspace over the Pacific Ocean.

Only chance saved the Americans. The new aircraft carriers were in a different location during the attack. About three hundred aircraft and only eight old battleships were damaged.

Thus, the successful Japanese operation played a cruel joke in the future for this country. We will talk about her crushing defeat further.

Midway Atoll

As you have seen, many great naval battles are characterized by the suddenness of the battle. Usually one or both parties do not expect any trouble in the near future.

If we talk about Midway Atoll, the Japanese wanted to repeat Pearl Harbor again in six months. But they set their sights on a second powerful American base. Everything could have happened according to plan, and the empire would have become the only power in the Pacific region, but US intelligence officers intercepted the message.

The Japanese attack failed. They were able to sink one aircraft carrier and destroy about one and a half hundred aircraft. They themselves lost more than two hundred and fifty aircraft, two and a half thousand people and five large ships.

The planned superiority overnight turned into a crushing defeat.

Leyte Gulf

Now let's talk about the largest naval battle of the war. Apart from ancient battles near the island of Salamanca, this is the most ambitious battle at sea in the entire history of mankind.

It lasted four days. Here again the Americans and the Japanese clashed. The expected attack on the Philippines in 1941 (instead of Pearl Harbor) nevertheless happened three years later. During this battle, the Japanese first used kamikaze tactics.

The loss of the world's largest battleship, the Musashi, and the damage to the Yamato, put an end to the empire's ability to dominate the region.

So, during the battle, the Americans lost about three and a half thousand people and six ships. The Japanese lost twenty-seven ships and more than ten thousand crew.

Thus, in this article we briefly got acquainted with the largest naval battles in Russian and world history.