The battleship "Azov" became the first Russian ship to be awarded the stern St. George's flag. The ship lasted only five years, but during this time it received an excellent crew on board. In her most important battle, the ship fought five enemy ships and won a resounding victory. But what caused the sinking of the ship? You can learn about this from the article.
Building a ship
In the entire history of the Russian fleet, there have been several ships named "Azov". The most famous was the seventy-four cannon copy. The ship was named in honor of the seventieth anniversary of Peter the Great's victory over the Turks.
It was founded in 1825. Master Andrey Kurochkin became the official builder of the ship. During his life, he built more than eighty ships at the Arkhangelsk shipyards. But the master at the time of construction was quite an elderly man. Vasily Ershov became the actual builder. The ship turned out so good that itthe drawing was engraved on a copper board for the purpose of preservation.
After the construction was completed, the battleship Azov moved from Arkhangelsk to Kronstadt. In the port, a special commission checked the ship and appreciated it.
In 1827, the battleship was sheathed with copper, or rather its underwater part. At the same time, artillery was installed.
Battleship design
"Azov" had a design typical for battleships of the first half of the nineteenth century. What was the battleship Azov?
Key Features:
- three masts - fore, mainsail and mizzen;
- two-piece bowsprit - improved the maneuverability of the vessel;
- ten straight sails and a few oblique.
The ship had a powerful hull and good seaworthiness. The interior layout was rational. The battleship Azov (officially armed with seventy-four guns) actually had a greater number of guns. Sources indicate various data regarding the exact number of guns. According to some of them, there were eighty guns.
Appearance
According to many experts, the battleship "Azov" is considered one of the most beautiful ships of the Russian fleet.
Appearance description:
- a thin carved ornament was placed on the body;
- tackboard (upper part of the stern) - on it was a large double-headed eagle, which held thunder arrows and a torch in one paw, and a laurel wreath in the second;
- the edges of the tackboard were decorated with a floral ornament;
- feed - windows were located intwo rows of nine pieces, between them were placed falling garlands, decorated with bows on top;
- nose figure - a warrior in a helmet and armor.
Nikolai Dolganov was specially invited from St. Petersburg to create the figurehead. The figure had a length of about three meters. Its upper part was disproportionately large. This was done to make the figure appear correct when viewed from below.
Crew Selection
Since it was known during construction who would lead the Azov battleship, the captain could select the crew for the future ship in advance.
Composition of officers:
- Pavel Nakhimov - the future admiral, led the defense of Sevastopol in 1855;
- Vladimir Kornilov - a military figure, was the chief of staff of the Black Sea Fleet, from 1852 he became a vice admiral, died during the defense of Sevastopol in 1854;
- Vladimir Istomin - future Rear Admiral, died in the defense of Sevastopol;
- Ivan Butenev - the hero of the Battle of Navarino, lost his right hand in it, but did not leave the sea business;
- Evfimy Putyatin - a famous statesman, diplomat, rose to the rank of admiral, in 1855 he first signed an agreement with Japan on friendship and trade;
- Login Heyden - Count, Russian admiral, originally from the Netherlands, commanded ships from the Russian Empire during the Battle of Navarino, he kept his flag on the Azov.
The crew was selected from people who glorified the Russian fleet in the future.
Magnanimous deed of midshipman Domashenko
The first commander of the "Azov" taught the officers who obeyed him not only to do their duty, but also to treat the sailors with respect. An atmosphere of mutual respect reigned on the battleship Azov. In those days, officers rarely treated the lower ranks with dignity. For example, in 1828, the officers of the Alexander Nevsky were on trial. They were accused of mistreating the sailors.
There is a known case that occurred near Sicily, when the Azov was heading from Portsmouth to the Bay of Navarino. One of the young sailors was working on the yardarms and fell off into the sea. This was seen by nineteen-year-old midshipman Alexander Domashenko. He jumped into the water to help. The midshipman managed to swim to the sailor, keeping him above the water for some time. But the resulting squall prevented the crew from providing assistance to the victims in a timely manner. While the boat was being lowered, both young men drowned.
One of the witnesses of the heroic episode was Nakhimov. He admired the act of the midshipman, who showed a willingness to sacrifice himself for the sake of his neighbor. Unfortunately, the officials did not notice Domashenko's courage in this act, so they refused the award.
Nicholas the First intervened in this matter. He signed an order to pay the mother of the deceased midshipman for life the double salary of his son.
A monument to Alexander Domashenko was erected in Kronstadt. They placed it in the Summer Garden. The monument has survived to this day and is considered one of the oldest assets of Kronstadt. There is an inscription on it from the officers of "Azov", who were proud of the "philanthropic act" of theircolleague.
Ship commanders
At the construction stage, the battleship Azov has already received its first commander. They became the famous navigator, the man who discovered Antarctica, Mikhail Lazarev. He took an active part in the creation of the ship. By order of Lazarev, a number of changes were made to the design. This greatly improved the ship.
Lazarev commanded the battleship for two years. It was he who took part in the Battle of Navarino. For a brilliant victory, he was promoted to Rear Admiral. A few years later, Lazarev will become the commander of the Black Sea Fleet.
The second commander of Azov was Stepan Khrushchev. He steered the ship until 1830. He also took part in the famous battle. He also became famous in the Russian-Turkish and Crimean wars. In 1855 he was promoted to admiral.
Nikolay the First on Azov
On the night of June 10, 1827, Emperor Nicholas I boarded the ship. On a signal, the battleship weighed anchor, and by sunrise, a cannon salute thundered, which marked the presence of the ruler.
The ship made a maneuver. This was followed by a prayer service. The Emperor was also present. Nicholas the First said goodbye to the Russian squadron from the Azov, in words he expressed the hope that they would deal with the enemy in Russian.
The Russian emperor got off the ship before dark, and the squadron, together with the Azov, headed for England. To the main base of the English fleet, the city of Portsmouth, Russian ships arrived on 09August 1827.
Participation in the Battle of Navarino
In 1827, one of the memorable naval battles of the nineteenth century took place. The battle of Navarino was a stage in the national liberation movement of Greece, as well as a manifestation of rivalry between Russia and Turkey for dominance in the Balkans.
The participants of the battle were divided into two camps:
- connected squadrons of Britain, France, Russian Empire;
- Turkish-Egyptian forces.
The battleship "Azov" (B altic Fleet) led the Russian ships sailing in a column. When they approached the entrance to the Navarino harbor, firing occurred on the Ottoman ship. As a result, an English envoy was killed. Some time later, an Egyptian corvette fired a shot at the side of a French frigate.
Despite the crossfire, the battleship "Azov" (Battle of Navarino) managed to anchor in a given place. The other ships of the squadron did the same. Having taken the desired position, "Azov" began the battle. Five Turkish ships became his opponents. The battleship received fairly serious damage, but this did not prevent the crew from making accurate shots at enemy ships. Gradually, Turkish ships were put out of action.
One of the enemy's cannonballs caused two Azov cannons to come off the trousers. The lit fuse caused the gunpowder to explode and start a fire. Only the extreme self-control of the sailors made it possible to cope with the fire.
The feat of the battleship "Azov" was that he managed to sink four ships. He also forced the Turkish Muharem Bey to run aground,consisting of eighty guns. The enemy flagship was burned.
During the battle, "Azov" received one hundred and fifty-three holes. His masts and yards were broken, the rigging was destroyed. Most of the sails were shot through. The crew lost ninety-one people, of which twenty-four were killed.
The battle itself lasted four hours, culminating in the fact that the Turkish-Egyptian fleet was destroyed. The allies sank more than sixty enemy ships, killed and wounded from four to seven thousand people. The other side, for which Azov stood, did not lose a single ship, one hundred and eighty-one people were killed, four hundred and eighty sailors were injured.
Battle Heroes
The battle of the battleship Azov showed how brave and militarily skilled the officers and ordinary sailors were. So, Ivan Butenev, with his hand shattered due to the cannonball, continued to command the battery. He did not even go for a dressing, although Nakhimov asked him to do so. Only after the commander's order did Butenev go to the dressing station.
Being on the operating table, the officer learned about the victory over another Ottoman ship. He jumped up and ran out on deck to rejoice with everyone. There Butenev fell unconscious.
It was said about Lazarev that he managed the ship with special composure and art, showing courage. With his behavior, he encouraged the entire crew.
Heroes of the battle received new titles and awards. The battleship itself, on the orders of Nicholas I, was marked with the stern Admiral St. George's flag. It was also decided that the fleet of the Russian Empire should always have a shipcalled "Memory of Azov".
Service 1828-1831
After repairs "Azov" took part in the Russian-Turkish war. He made voyages across the Aegean Sea, participating in the blockade of the Dardanelles. By 1830, the ship left the island of Poros and headed for Russia. Along the way, he crossed M alta, Gibr altar, then the English Channel, Copenhagen. "Azov" went through the ice along the Gulf of Finland. In the same year, the ship sailed with the squadron in the Gulf of Finland. A couple of months later he arrived in Kronstadt.
The further fate of the ship
In 1831, the battleship was dismantled. The damage that he received during the three years of swimming turned out to be very serious. In addition, in the Russian fleet there was a problem of not very high-quality timber. Because of this, Russian ships served much less than their foreign peers.
An attempt to eliminate such a problem was the early appointment of the commander of the ship. Therefore, Lazarev participated in the construction of the battleship. But this did not significantly change the situation. "Azov" crumbled more likely not from battles, but from dilapidation of the boards. Many parts of the ship rotted and even after a major overhaul would not be able to withstand the storm.
The ship ceased to exist long ago. The ship called "Memory of Azov" also served its time. But his feat and the courage of the crew remain in works of art.
The flag of the battleship "Azov" is in the Naval Museum. The size of the genuine St. George banner is 9.5 by 14 meters.
