The destroyer "Guarding" is a domestic warship of the "Sokol" type, which was laid down in St. Petersburg in 1900. Originally called "Kulik". In the summer of 1902, she was launched in Port Arthur, having received a well-known name. It was delivered to the east by rail in several parts. Officially entered service in August 1903. Already in February, it was destroyed in an unequal battle with superior enemy forces during the Russo-Japanese War. In that memorable battle, the Guardian, along with the destroyer Resolute, fought against four Japanese warships. They significantly outnumbered the Russian ships in terms of crew, armament and displacement.
In Port Arthur
In his short story, the death of the destroyer "Guarding"remained the highlight. The situation developed rapidly. On February 26, two ships were returning to Port Arthur from night reconnaissance. In fact, by chance they met four Japanese destroyers. These were "Sazanami", "Akebono", "Usugumo" and "Shinonome". Over time, the power of the enemy increased, as the cruisers Chitose and Tokiwa joined them.
The commanders of the destroyers "Guarding" and "Resolute" try to avoid the battle, but only one of them manages to break through to Port Arthur. The "guardian" is surrounded by superior enemy forces, he is forced to accept an unequal battle.
Unequal fight
While the machine was still working, the destroyer "Guarding" expected to break through to Port Arthur if it was successful. But at 06:40 a Japanese shell exploded in a coal pit, as a result of which two adjacent boilers were damaged at once.
The destroyer began to rapidly lose speed. Fireman Ivan Khirinsky went to the upper deck with a report on what had happened. Behind him, the driver Vasily Novikov also got up. At this time, the stoker Alexei Osinin, the stoker's quartermaster Pyotr Khasanov remained below. Together they tried to repair the damage that had arisen, but at that time another shell exploded in the area of stoker No. 2. Osinin was wounded by the blast wave. Water immediately gushed through the hole, which almost instantly flooded all the fireboxes. The stokers closed their necks behind them, climbing outto the upper deck.
There they witnessed the last minutes of this battle.
End of story
The guns of the destroyer fell silent one after another. By this time, commander Sergeev and midshipman Kudrevich had already been killed, who never left their posts. Lieutenant Goloviznin, who ordered the launching of the whaleboat, died. A powerful explosion of a shell threw mechanical engineer Anastasov overboard.
The Guardian's guns were finally silenced at 7:10. Only the almost completely destroyed skeleton of the destroyer remained on the water, on which there were no longer masts and pipes. The deck and side were badly mutilated, the corpses of the ship's heroic defenders lay everywhere.
After that, the Japanese ships ceased fire, gathering near the flagship destroyer "Usugumo". The reports made by the head of the detachment added to the picture of what had happened. Sinonome and Usugumo received minor damage. But two other Japanese ships barely remained afloat. The Akebono was hit by 13 shells and the Sanazami by 8. There were enough dead and wounded on both ships.
At 8:10 the Japanese began towing the Sazanami. By this moment, two cruisers arrived - "Novik" and "Bayan", they were commanded by Admiral Makarov. The Japanese ships did not accept the battle, it was decided to retreat. On board they raised four crew members of the wrecked ship, who survived.
At 9:07 "Guardian"sunk. As noted in the documents of the time sent to Tokyo by the Naval General Staff, this happened seven miles east of the Liaoteshan lighthouse. Here is the story of the death of the destroyer "Guarding".
Four people survived from the crew of the Guardian. These were the stoker Khirinsky, the mine-machine quartermaster and the acting boatswain Yuryev, the bilge engineer Novikov and the stoker of the first category Osinin. When they returned to their homeland, they were awarded the insignia of the military order of the fourth degree, which in everyday life was called St. George's crosses.
Specifications
The destroyer was built at the Nevsky Shipyard. At the same time, he belonged to the squadron class. It was launched in 1902 at the Nevsky Shipyard, and already in 1904 it was withdrawn from the Russian fleet.
The ship was about 58 meters long and about 5 and a half wide. Among the main characteristics of the destroyer "Guarding" it is necessary to note the displacement, which was 259 tons.
Draft of the ship - 3 and a half meters, speed - up to 26 and a half knots, power - 3800 horsepower.
Armaments
The destroyer had mine-torpedo armament and artillery. In particular, these were two torpedo tubes.
In total, four artillery pieces were installed on the Guardian. Only one of them was 75 mm, and three more were 47 mm. This was the armament of the destroyer "Guarding".
The crew of the shipconsisted of 48 sailors and 4 officers.
Lieutenant Sergeev
Until 1904, the captain of the ship was a lieutenant named Kuzmin-Karavaev, about whom almost no information has been preserved. But already during the Russo-Japanese War, Alexander Semenovich Sergeev, who also had the rank of lieutenant, took the reins of government into his own hands.
At the time of his death, Sergeyev was forty years old. It is known that in 1863 he was born in the city of Kursk, although initially it was believed by many that the future officer was born in the village of Stakanovo. His parents were nobles.
Sergeev grew up in a family consisting of four sons of an official who was part of the local provincial government, Semyon Alexandrovich. Mother - Olga Ivanovna Barantseva. Alexander was the youngest child.
He was baptized in the Mikhailovsky Church of Kursk. Growing up, he began to study at a local real school, and then entered the St. Petersburg Naval Cadet Corps. He graduated in 1884 with the rank of midshipman.
In 1890, he continued his career in Kronstadt, being in the mine officer classes. There he was sent to serve on the battleship "Emperor Nicholas I", which at that time was considered the flagship of the Russian Mediterranean squadron. There Sergeev rose to the rank of lieutenant. In total, he spent about three and a half years on this ship.
In 1893, the officer was awarded the French Order of the Legion of Honor of the Cavalry Cross during a friendly visit on the "Emperor Nicholas I" at the head of the Mediterranean squadron inFrance.
After that, Sergeev mainly served in the B altic Sea. In particular, he commanded small mine ships, which were destroyers of numbered destroyers. They were part of the Petersburg detachment.
He was transferred to Port Arthur immediately before the start of the Russo-Japanese War in early 1904. In the Pacific, he was assigned command of the destroyer "Guarding" in 1904.
Death on the bridge
Collided with Japanese ships Sergeev, when returning from reconnaissance, which he went on the orders of General Makarov. The destroyer was immediately attacked by Japanese ships.
Sergeev withstood about an hour of unequal battle, after that he ordered to open the kingstones to flood the ship. By that time, he himself was already seriously injured.
This version is believed to be the actual legend. According to some reports, the commander of the destroyer "Guarding" Lieutenant Sergeev was killed at the very beginning of the battle. After that, the previous commander Goloviznin took over the command. At the same time, no one opened the kingstones - since they were absent on a ship of this type, they were not provided for by the project.
According to the widespread version, the ship sank due to very significant damage received during the battle.
Memory of Sergeyev
At the same time, information about the feat of the destroyer "Guarding" and its commander Sergeev quickly spread. In 1905, the destroyer LieutenantSergeev", which since 1908 was part of the Russian naval forces, based in the Far East. Over time, he was transferred to the flotilla of the Arctic Ocean, until 1924 he was among the ships of the Red Fleet.
In 1910, his father built a stone church in the village of Stakanovo, which today is located on the territory of the Kursk region. She appeared in memory of the two sons of Semyon Aleksandrovich, who died in the Russian-Japanese war.
Detailed circumstances of what happened on the destroyer can be found in Alexander Stepanov's historical novel Port Arthur, which was first published in 1940. Some scenes of the work are dedicated to Sergeyev.
Awards
Lieutenant Alexander Semenovich Sergeev has been awarded high awards more than once.
In addition to the Order of the Legion of Honor, in 1895 he received the Order of St. Stanislaus of the third degree. This is the most junior order in the hierarchy of state awards. Interestingly, most often they were awarded to officials, but sometimes the military also got it.
In 1896 Sergeyev was awarded a silver medal in memory of the reign of Russian Emperor Alexander III. It is known that the last significant award was presented to him in 1898. It was the order of St. Anne of the third degree. He was the youngest in the hierarchy of domestic orders until 1831, when the Order of St. Stanislaus appeared.
Monument to the "Guardian"
By 1911, the construction of the monument was completedheroic death of the destroyer. It became the last in St. Petersburg built before the revolution, and also the only one in the entire city, made in the Art Nouveau style.
The sculptor was Konstantin Vasilyevich Isenberg. And the important calculations for the monument on the strength of the foundation were carried out by Professor Sokolovsky. The sculptural composition was cast in a workshop specializing in artistic bronze. The work was supervised by master Gavrilov.
The monument to the "Guardian" is a part of the ship's hull and two sailors who are rapidly opening the kingstones. This illustrates the legend that was widespread at that time that the Russian sailors themselves sank the ship, realizing that the situation was hopeless. This was done so that the enemy would not get it.
Grand opening
The monument was first presented to the public in April 1911. The opening was attended by Emperor Nicholas II. He appeared on Kamennoostrovsky Prospekt in Alexander Park.
A month later, Iskra magazine published photographs from the opening ceremony of the monument.
Open Kingston greatly harmed the monument itself. In the mid-30s, water was supplied through it, which actually destroyed the monument. The same situation persisted between 1947 and 1971.
As a result, in the 60s, concrete bowls were installed directly at the pedestal, which were supposed to collect rainwater. But this did not affect the situation in any way. It was only after the 1970The Leningrad City Executive Committee decided to dismantle the entire system.
It is noteworthy that in 1954 a large-scale restoration of the monument was carried out, the work was supervised by the sculptor's son Vladimir Isenberg. For example, they managed to restore a memorial plaque that listed all the crew members.
Reflection in culture
One cannot but be impressed by the heroic death of the Guardian, which, as everyone suspected, did not drown voluntarily. Over time, she began to be regularly mentioned in the stories of other Soviet and Russian ships.
In Kursk, where Sergeev was born, school number 18 is named after him. Even the anthem of this secondary school is called “The Song of the Guardian”.
Also, the composition "The Death of the Guardian" is in the repertoire of the singer, performer of the country folk genre, Zhanna Bichevskaya.
As a result, Bichey's song became so popular that Valentin Pikul mentions the destroyer in his novel "The Cruiser". Also, the mention of him can be found in the novel "Gentlemen officers!".
