Large white fleet. The birth of the American baton

December 16th, 2017, 11:58 pm

Exactly 110 years ago, on December 16, 1907, the United States took the first demonstrative step towards world domination. From Hampton Roads Bay in Virginia, the Great White Fleet sailed around the world with 16 battleships escorted by six destroyers and several auxiliary ships. All battleships were new, built after the end of the Spanish-American War of 1898.

In such a visual way, America has put forward a claim to the role of a global maritime power capable of fighting for hegemony not only in the Western Hemisphere, but throughout the world. Of course, the American fleet was still inferior to the British fleet, but the application was made very serious. It relied on the industrial might of America, which by the beginning of the twentieth century surpassed the "workshop of the world" and came out on top in terms of economic development.

The White Fleet's round-the-world voyage, calling at many ports in South and North America, Australia, Asia and Europe, lasted more than a year and ended on February 22, 1909. During this time, the ships have covered over 80 thousand kilometers. The battleships "Maine" and "Alabama" got out of the race due to breakdowns, but were replaced by similar ships "Wisconsin" and "Nebraska", and after repairs - completed the route on their own, so the total number of battleships participating in the campaign was 18 units ...

Such an impressive show made an impression on the international community and government circles in leading European countries. In London, Paris, Berlin and St. Petersburg, they saw that the strength of the young transatlantic predator was growing rapidly and it was getting cramped on the American continent. However, the Europeans were too busy with their own showdowns and did not attach any importance to this yet.

The route of the "Great White Fleet"

The "Great White Fleet" passes the Strait of Magellan. Further - the flagship battleships of the four squadrons that were part of the fleet. Each squadron consisted of four ships of the first rank. From top to bottom: Georgia, Connecticut, Minnesota, Alabama.

The author of this essay, Captain 2nd Rank Boris Vladimirovich Karpov (1887-1953) graduated from the Marine Corps in 1908. world war he served in the Black Sea, took part in mine operations near the Bosphorus, was shell-shocked. During the Civil War he served in the Armed Forces of South Russia and in the Russian army. Since the spring of 1920 B.V. Karpov headed the operational part of the headquarters of the 2nd (Azov) squadron of the Black Sea Fleet ships, supervised most of the detachment's landing operations. He was awarded the Order of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. After the evacuation of Crimea, he lived in Yugoslavia, participated in the activities of the Society of Seamen of the Military and Commercial Fleet.

N.R.

Eleven years have passed since the last thunders of the civil war in the south of Russia died down, but who knows if the war of the oppressed and robbed Russian people with its worst enemy - the Third International - will not thunder again? Therefore, we need to prepare to take part in this unceasing guerrilla war as soon as it unfolds wider and to take into account the lessons of the past.

Until now, only ground actions have been considered and almost completely did not concern sea ones, but, meanwhile, the sea and the navy have played and will play a huge role in the civil war. Therefore, I will try to remind, at least briefly, what the white fleet gave to the army in the south in 1918-1920.Winter 1918. The Volunteer Army is born on the Don and on February 25 from Rostov three thousand Russian Russian knights - defenders of the honor of Russia, with the general Kornilov and Alekseev at the head. In their ranks is a particle of the fleet - "sea company", under the command of the cap. 1st rank Potemkin.

Spring 1918 On the Don, the Cossacks raise an uprising and the naval officers who find themselves there organize the Don River Flotilla, under the command of Rear Admiral Fabritsky. It rises up the Don to Kalach, clears the Bolsheviks near the Don stanitsa, instilling panic on the Reds with its quick appearance and destructive artillery fire on their flanks and rear.

At that time, the success of the Volunteer Army was developing in the Kuban, but there sailors were fighting on land, on sea armored trains, of which the Admiral Nepenini was especially famous with its commander, Lieutenant Anatoly Makarov, a fearless and excellent artilleryman. He dies later in the fall of 1918, the death of the brave, near Stavropol.

On the Don captains of the 1st rank Podgorny and Kononov arm naval armored trains with heavy 5-inch guns, with success operating in the Don army, and then in the Volunteer. The former commander of the naval company cap. 1st rank Potemkin is in command of the armored train "Prince Pozharsky", which was especially distinguished after the capture of Kharkov in 1919.

Autumn 1918 The Volunteer Army in the Kuban achieved great success - almost the entire Kuban was cleared of the Bolsheviks. The army has grown considerably, but it is bleeding - it has no shells, no cartridges. Volunteers go into attacks only with bayonets, and therefore suffer huge losses.

But Novorossiysk was taken. The volunteer army approached the sea and immediately the sailors, under the command of Lieutenant N. Mashukov, equip the expedition on the captured ships in search of shells. They find them on the Berezan Island, where the warehouses of the former Southwestern Front are located. The sailors seize these warehouses and load military supplies under the fire of the Bolsheviks and deliver them to Novorossiysk. In those days, it was such an important and joyful event that gene. Denikin gave a special order of thanks to Mashukov and all the sailors.

The exit of the Volunteer Army to the sea opened a new stage in the white struggle - from now on it received the opportunity to be supplied in unlimited quantities by the sea. Now we only need to find suppliers. They were then the allies - the English and French fleets.

But this is not its own fleet. At the first onslaught of the Bolsheviks, Odessa was evacuated in a panic by the French, and then Sevastopol was also evacuated on April 3, 1919. Our sailors manage to bring the most serviceable warships and steamers out of Sevatopol to Novorossiysk. From the whole Crimea, the Kerch Peninsula remains in the hands of the volunteers. His defense on the Akmanai positions is greatly assisted by the British fleet from the Black Sea, and from the Azov side, our hastily armed fleet of steamships, under the command of the cap. 1st rank Dmitriev.

Early June 1919 On the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, to help our army advancing from Mariupol to the Crimea, a detachment of ships from the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is already operating under the command of cap. 1st rank Sobetsky. On June 9, this detachment, with the help of British ships, landed two troops - one in Genichesk, under the command of Captain 2nd Medvedev and north of him, near the village of Yushun, under the command of Major General Zalessky. The task of the northern landing was completed, but the glorious cap was covering it. 2nd rank S.I. Medvedev, out of 87 people, who broke into Genichesk, occupied by the Bolsheviks, on the fulfillment of his assignment, dies on the Pericles transport, not being sufficiently supported by the British ships, standing there and then 5 miles away. Brave Cap. 2nd rank S.I. Medvedev and Warrant Officer Tsepkovsky, seriously wounded, do their duty and die. The support of the foreign fleet was again unreliable.

July 1919 The Black Sea Fleet was already partially revived, as soon as Sevastopod was securely occupied by the Volunteer Army. She is already blocking Odessa, Nikolaev and Kherson.

Destroyer "Hot"

And in August "General Kornilov" ("Cahul"), "Zhivoy" and several auxiliary vessels under the command of adm. Osteletsky in Sukhoi Liman, a troop of 300 people is landed, with the help of which local officers capture Odessa. At the same time, a special "Kinburn detachment" ("Terets", "Hasty", "Hot" and several armed steamers and barges, under the command of Cap. 2nd rank Bubnov, after months of stubborn battles helps the army to cross the Dnieper, Bug and Ingul and capture Kherson, Nikolaev and Ochakov Thus, the White movement feeds on and expands in the east and west by sea routes. Now the white fleet can independently, without allies, keep all sea and river routes in their hands. His actions are reliable and there will be no repetition of cases like the evacuation of Odessa by the French or weak support in Genichevsk. This circumstance - the appearance in the hands of the Whites of their own sufficiently strong fleet, has enormous political and military significance. From that time on, the communication of the White Army with the foreign countries that feed it with combat supplies have been firmly in their own hands. Now foreigners can no longer put pressure on the will of our command with the mere threat of withdrawing their fleet.

The White Army, under the superb red forces' ulars, under the pressure of its criminal politicizing rear, suffers a terrible defeat and retreats to Novorossiysk. The troops of the gene. Schilling. A few gene forces are missing in the Crimea. Slashcheva. This is all that can protect the Crimea and the base of the fleet - Sevastopol. It is necessary at all costs to strengthen the Crimea, where the white army can escape, of course with the help of the fleet.

Gunboat "Terets"

The fleet gives everything that it can give the army. He allocates the Azov detachment of ships under the command of the cap. 2nd rank Mashukov and sends him to the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov on December 27. 1919 to support the right flank of our troops, to Genichesk, because here, along the Arabat Spit, very weakly protected by exhausted typhus, but by the hero Consolidated Rifle Regiment, passes the way from Genichesk, bypassing all Perekop positions, to Akmanai - Feodosia. The cannon boats "Terets", "Grozny" and the icebreaker "Gaydamak" pass there, stand on the flank of land positions, freeze in the ice and, together with the troops, keep the Reds. "Terets" works especially well, with the commander of the 2nd rank Shramenko. This enables the gene. Slashchev to pull all his forces to Perekop, where with dexterous maneuvers he always successfully repels all the onslaught of numerous Reds. Crimea was held largely by the fleet.

On March 12-13, 1920, in Novorossiysk, our fleet, together with the British, rescues the remnants of the lost white army. Then he evacuates Tuapse and Adler.

In Crimea, under the firm hand of the new leader, gene. Wrangel, on the territory still defended by staunch troops, the glorious spirit quickly returns to the white army, but the allies are already thinking of leaving it. England refuses to support her fleet and Lloyd George demands a peace. It was then that the presence of its own fleet affected. Let all the ships leave, let us be abandoned by them, but we will continue to fight, for the sea is the way abroad in our own hands. Poland's war with the Bolsheviks is helping us and the French are now replacing the British. We do not need their manpower - we only need supply on credit.

Thanks to the navy, we were able to win this difficult political game. Undoubtedly, if our fleet were not there, then France would not be able to support us, because her fleet would have required real combat work, which, due to the state of mind of the crews and public opinion in France, she was not capable of. Odessa and Sevastopol showed this. In the Crimea, the importance of the fleet for the white army increased to an enormous value.

If in previous periods the importance of the fleet consisted mainly in ensuring the supply of the white army and transferring it to individual theaters, now these tasks have been added to the fleet:

1) Providing the shores of Crimea from enemy landings, which the small army had no reserves to repulse.

2) Active, joint with the army, the activity of the fleet for the army to leave the Crimea, where it cannot stay for a long time, since there was no money either to replenish the army, or even to feed it, nor, finally, was not in its seat in Crimea of \u200b\u200bpolitical meaning.

The white army could not leave the Crimea on its own, since the paths through the narrow Perekop and Chingar were too strongly fortified by the Reds and a breakthrough here would have cost unbearable casualties. The exit was possible only when bypassing the flank by the sea, that is, during the landing. Therefore, the fleet was given the task of owning the Azov Sea, to help the army with a landing on the right flank of the Bolsheviks.

The first, as it were, trial operations with small forces were carried out as in the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov - the landing of an assault force of 450 people. near Kirillovka on March 31, and in the Karkin Gulf, in Khorly, the Drozdovskaya division.

On May 25 (old style), the Azov detachment, according to a plan developed by the fleet by order of the commander-in-chief, lands a landing - the 2nd Army Corps of about 10,000 people, with general. Slashchev, at Kirillovka, under the leadership of the cap. 1st rank Mashukov. General Slashchev inflicted with minimal losses (40 people killed and wounded), due to the complete surprise and speed of action, a crushing blow to the main rear of the Reds. At the same time, our troops are attacking the Reds from the front, and this brilliant maneuver literally destroys the 13th Soviet army, which blocked our exit from the Crimea.

On the left flank of our army, the third detachment of the Black Sea Fleet acted under the command of cap. 1st rank Sobetsky, who also contributed a lot to the army. In the same place, the mouth of the Bug - Ochakov was blocked by the ships of the Black Sea Fleet. Kerch, which lay only one and a half to two miles from the enemy coast - Taman, was guarded exclusively by the fleet, as well as the entire coast of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, completely open to the landing.

The Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, with the development of the success of our army, was the way of exporting grain from the Tavria we occupied. The bread was used to feed the troops and the population of the Crimea and to pay off France for the supply of weapons. Monsieur Millerand [head of the French government], in response to a question in the Chamber of Deputies about spending funds to support the army, General. Wrangel in the Crimea, replied that of the 11 billion francs spent on this matter, 10 billion was paid in bread! This possibility of export was also provided by a detachment of ships from the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, through a close blockade of the Bolshevik fleet of excellent (by autumn) force in Mariupol.

On June 24, 1920, the Azov detachment landed, passing through minefields, deep in the rear of the base of the red fleet of Mariupol, 25-30 miles east of it near the village of Krivaya Kosa, a detachment of Don Cossacks (900 people) under the command of the glorious Colonel Nazarov, who comes to the Don and revolts. Yet, unfortunately, due to the lack of communication with other rebels, it ends in failure.

On August 1, 1920, the Azov detachment landed in the village of Akhtyrskaya the corps of the general. Sacking (up to 7,000 people), whose purpose is to raise a general uprising in the Kuban, take Yekaterinodar and give our army the opportunity to shift its actions to the Kuban. The landing was successful. The red units are defeated, but after stubborn battles, the landing, surrounded on three sides by huge enemy forces, is in distress, and not supported by the population, is forced, together with the Kuban people who joined it (up to 20,000 people), to load onto transports under the cover of the fleet and return to Kerch.

September 1920. Across the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov there is an intensified export of grain. It is guarded by the Azov detachment. The Bolsheviks, having improved the moment when the protection of commercial ships was half weakened due to the repair of our old ships, dare to go out and attack our paths, but, meeting with our twice weaker forces, they leave, having lost one ship badly damaged, to Mariupol. Only the lack of shells on the white detachment makes this battle on September 2 hectic. Commercial ships, however, are saved and sea traffic is secured.

On September 25, 1920, the Azov detachment under the command of Rear Adimral M. Berens, together with the army, occupies the red base of the Mariupol fleet and drives the red fleet to Taganrog.

October 1920 Poland made peace with the Reds and their countless hordes descend on the Crimea. The Azov detachment with its fire retards the advance of the Reds along the Arabat Spit, which was not held by the ground forces, and does not allow the Bolsheviks to go to the rear of our positions, but this is already too late.

Finally, the last evacuation of the army and the population of the Crimea - 120 ships of the Russian fleet under the command of Vice Admiral Kedrov, in extremely difficult conditions, are rescuing 135 thousand troops and people. This unprecedented evacuation of such a huge number of people with sometimes weak and unreliable (material) means is carried out in such a way that not a single person who wants to board a ship remains on the shore.

It seems to me that this short list of the main actions of the fleet in the south of Russia is enough to fully understand the significance of the fleet in a civil war - it is no less than that of a land force.

Cap. 2nd rank B. Karpov

"Sentry" No. 68, 1931, pp. 10-12.

Evacuation from Crimea

White Navy - naval formations of the White movement in the Civil War of 1918-1922 in Russia, which included fleets, flotillas, detachments and other formations of ships and auxiliary vessels. The White Fleet included both combat ships of a special construction and mobilized and requisitioned ships.

The personnel were represented by naval officers and sailors of the Russian military and merchant fleet, as well as officers of the ground armies.

The naval formations of the White Fleet were subordinate to the leadership of the White armies.

The Black Sea Fleet was consistently subordinated to the command of the Volunteer Army, the Armed Forces of the South of Russia (ARSUR) and the Russian Army of General Baron P.N. Wrangel.

The fleet was commanded at various times by Vice-Admiral V.A.Kanin; Vice Admiral M. P. Sablin; Vice Admiral D. V. Nenyukov; Vice Admiral A. M. Gerasimov, Vice Admiral M. A. Kedrov, Rear Admiral M. A. Berens.

The first included in the fleet were the requisitioned icebreaker Polezny, the submarine Tyulen and the gunboat K-15. In April 1919, thanks to the assistance of Captain Second Rank V. A. Potapiev and the staff of Captain A. N. Stalnovaty, the cruiser Cahul joined them. By the summer of 1919, the fleet already had more than 10 warships and vessels for other purposes. The fleet became especially numerous in 1920: it consisted of more than 120 ships, including the battleship General Alekseev, 1 cruiser, 3 auxiliary cruisers, 8 destroyers and 9 gunboats.

The Black Sea Fleet included a subordinate naval detachment for the defense of the Azov Sea, including 8 gunboats. Since May 1919, this detachment operated on the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, in July 1919, due to the changed situation, it was relocated to the Dnieper River. Since December 1919, a second detachment of ships of the Black Sea Fleet appeared on the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, which included the battleship Rostislav, 12 gunboats and a number of other ships. This detachment, depending on the situation, was periodically reinforced by two or three destroyers from Sevastopol.

The ships of the Black Sea Fleet participated in the landing operations of the Russian army of Baron Wrangel, transported troops, provided fire support to the ground forces, laid minefields, fought with the ships of the Red Army Navy, after the defeat of Wrangel's army, the fleet ships evacuated troops and refugees from Crimea.

In November 1920, the White Black Sea Fleet was transformed into a Russian squadron and until 1924 was based in the port of Bizerte in Tunisia. In 1924, the Russian squadron was disbanded, and its ships were transferred to the USSR. However, the ships transferred to the USSR remained in Bizerte, and later they were sold to France for scrap.

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Siberian military flotilla

The Siberian military flotilla went over to the side of the White movement after the performance of the Czechoslovak corps in July 1918, during which the ships of the flotilla were captured: an auxiliary cruiser, a gunboat, five destroyers, nine destroyers, 13 transports, auxiliary and other vessels.

The flotilla was commanded at various times by Rear Admiral S. N. Timiryov, Rear Admiral M. I. Fedorovich, Rear Admiral M. A. Berens, Rear Admiral G. K. Stark.

Flotilla of the Arctic Ocean

After the capture of the Entente troops in August 1918, the Arctic Ocean flotilla was included in the armed forces of the Supreme Directorate of the Northern Region, and then the Provisional Government of the Northern Region.

By the beginning of 1920, the flotilla consisted of the battleship Chesma, four destroyers, one submarine, four minesweepers, seven hydrographic vessels and a number of other auxiliary vessels.

The flotillas of the Arctic Ocean were subject to the hydrographic expeditions of the White Sea and the Arctic Ocean, as well as a number of river and lake flotillas (Pechora, Severo-Dvinskaya, Onega), as well as the ports of Arkhangelsk and Murmansk.

The flotilla of the Arctic Ocean was mainly engaged in escorting ships with cargo for the armies of Kolchak and hydrographic support of the flotilla.

The flotilla was commanded by Rear Admiral N.E. Vikorst, and then Rear Admiral L. L. Ivanov; Hydrographic support was supervised by Rear Admiral B.A.Vilkitsky.

After the capture of Arkhangelsk by the Red Army on February 21, 1920 and Murmansk on March 7, 1920, the ships of the flotilla were included in the naval forces of the Red Army.

Caspian flotilla

In the spring of 1919, the Caspian Flotilla was formed, which by the beginning of 1920 had 9 auxiliary cruisers, 7 gunboats and naval aviation, which included 10 seaplanes on two air transports, as well as a number of auxiliary vessels.

The flotilla was part of the Armed Forces of South Russia, commanded by Rear Admiral A.I.Sergeev, then Captain 1st Rank B.N.Bushen.

The Caspian Flotilla led active fighting against the "Reds": she fought with the ships of the Volga-Caspian Flotilla of the RKKF in the Volga River delta, around Astrakhan she set up a minefield of two hundred mines, thereby providing a naval blockade of the city, provided substantial support to the troops of the "White" on the coastal flank, providing support for the coming summer and in the fall of 1919, the Astrakhan detachment of the Volunteer Army of General D.P. Dratsenko.

In connection with the successful offensive of the Red Army, which seized the main bases of the Caspian flotilla in Guryev and Krasnovodsk, it was forced to relocate in April 1920 to Baku, and from Baku to the Iranian port of Anzali, which was under the control of the allied Great Britain. At the same time, the auxiliary cruiser "Australia" and the messenger ship "Sentinel" left the flotilla and went over to the side of the Bolsheviks.

At Anzeli, the flotilla was actually interned by the British. On May 17-18, 1920, after the successful Anzeli operation for the Reds, 23 ships of the flotilla and 4 seaplanes were recaptured from the British, returned to Soviet Russia and included in the naval forces of the Red Army.

River and lake flotillas

• River combat fleet of the Volga People's Army - had in its composition more than forty armed steamers, auxiliary ships and boats. He acted during the summer and autumn of 1918, on August 1, 1918 he took part in the capture of Kazan. Commander - G.K. Stark
• North Dvina river flotilla was formed in Kotlas in August 1918. At first it operated as part of the British flotilla, then separated from it and acted independently. The flotilla had two gunboats, three armed steamers, five floating batteries and some other auxiliary vessels. By 1920, 7 floating batteries, a gunboat and some other ships remained in it. In March 1920, the flotilla was disbanded, and its ships became part of the RKKF.

collect. the name of the formations of the Navy of the White movement during the Civil. war in Russia 1917 - 22. Formations of the B. f. (fleets, naval forces, fleet, detachments of ships, etc.) acted on different. seas and lake-river systems as part of land. gr-to troops and independently. Included special ships. buildings, armed. steamers and mobilisers. commercial court. Under the rule of the supreme ruler A.V. Kolchak, Mor existed. min-in, in Arms. forces in the South of Russia (VSYUR) - Naval. management at the main command. A. I. Denikin. As part of the B. f. there was also land. formation: d-us mor. heavy. art (naval guns on railway platforms), armored trains, as well as military units (brigades, regiments, b-nas), sets. sailors. The Mor functioned in Vladivostok. uch-shche (Nov. 1918 - Jan. 1920), in Sevastopol - Mor. corps (Oct. 1919 - Nov. 1920, in Bizerte - until May 1925).
Azov detachments of the Black Sea Fleet - a detachment for the defense of the Azov Sea (May - July 1919) and the 2nd detachment (Dec. 1919 - Oct. 1920). Participated in supporting troops in the north-west. coast and Kerchen. Peninsula, in the defense of the Crimea, the landing of Ulagayev. landing 1920. By the end. oct. 1920 all ships were concentrated in Kerch for the evacuation of troops from the Crimea. Some of them then became part of the Bizerte squadron.
Volga-Kama flotilla, created in the beginning. June 1918 on the Volga as a Combat Fleet to support Che-Khosl. corps and troops of Komuch. It included 3 doctors who operated in isolation from each other from Kazan to Volsk. With the loss of the district Wed. Volga 1st Dr. went to Samara and took out the gold reserves of Russia. Main the forces of the fl-e retreated to the river. Kama, where in November. 1918 ships were captured by Kr. Army or flooded. In the beginning. March 1919, it was recreated as a River (Kama) combat fleet. She conducted hostilities with the Volga military. f-th RKKF. When leaving Perm (July 1919), the ships were blown up at the mouth of the river. Chusovaya.
Volzhsky detachment of the Armed Forces of South Korea, formed in June 1919, consisting of two d-new combat boats, three d-no more. heavy. art, armored trains and infantry. b-on sailors. Until the end. 1919 operated on the river and on the coast. strip near Tsaritsyn (Volgograd). Moved to Crimea.
Dnieper flotillas - Middle Dnieper. and Nizhne-Dnieper. fleet, created in May - July 1919. They took part in the offensive of the All-Union Soviet of South Russia in 1919, battles against the Dnieper. military. fleet of the RKKF and the formations of N.I.Makhno. In the end. 1919 ships Srednepr. fl-and are disarmed and disabled. Lower Dnieper Fleet in the winter of 1920 relocated to the ports of the Crimea.
Don flotilla, created at the end. 1918 to support Don. army. In Jan. 1919 as part of Voo-ruzh. forces of the South of Russia transformed into the Don. detachment. Combat clashes with the Don. military. he did not have a copy of the RKKF. In aug. 1919 disbanded.
Caspian flotilla, created in April. 1919 with a base in Petrovsk (Makhachkala). On Sept. 1919 was strengthened by ships, previously captured. by the British. She led military operations against the Volga-Caspian military. fl-and RKKF. In apr. 1920 due to the loss of basing points, it moved to Baku, then to Iran. the city of Anzali, where she was actually interned (see Enzeli operation 1920).
The Ob-Irtysh and Yenisei flotillas were created in July 1919 as the Obskaya (from August - Ob-Irtyshskaya) and Yenisei river combat fleets. Ob-Irtysh. fl-I acted on pp. Tavda, Tobol, Irtysh, Ishim, Tura. Participated in repelling the offensive Vost. front of the Red Army 1919 - 20. When leaving Omsk and Tom-ska in November. - Dec. 1919 ships were disarmed and disabled. The Yenisei Fl-I did not conduct any hostilities. In Jan. 1920 its ships were captured in Krasnoyarsk and became part of Sib. military. river fl-and RKKF.
Onega lake flotilla, created at the end. May 1919 in the north. parts of the Povenetsky Hall. with the base Medvezhya Gora. Acted against Onezh. military. fl-and RKKF. In the end. nov. 1919 is blocked at the base, ships and seaplanes are destroyed by the crews.
Arctic Ocean flotilla, formation of Rus. Navy (see Arctic Ocean Flotilla), from Aug. 1918 as part of the B. f. She did not conduct active hostilities. With the lesson Kr. Army of Arkhangelsk and Murmansk (Feb. - March 1920) the ships of the fleet entered the Mor. forces of White m. and North. Arctic approx. (later - the White Sea military flotilla).
Severo-Dvinskaya river flotilla, created in the winter of 1919 in Arkhangelsk. It was subordinate to the allies, and after their evacuation acted independently. In March 1919, it was disbanded, from ships and vessels, the Northern. detachment of the North-Dvina military. fl-and RKKF.
Siberian flotilla, formation of Russian. The Navy, which existed since 1856 on the Tikhiy c. with a base in Vladivostok. The composition of B. f. entered in July 1918 - Jan. 1920 (from Nov. 1918 - Naval forces in the Far East) and June 1921 - Oct. 1922. At the end. oct. 1922 a detachment of transports was formed, to-ry, together with the refugees, left the base in January. 1923 arrived in the Philippines, where the ships were sold.
Black Sea Fleet VSYUR and Rus. army (see. Black Sea Fleet).
Chudskaya lake flotilla, created at the end. oct. 1918 based in Tartu. Participated in Petrograd. operas and North-West. army 1919. Disbanded at the beginning. June 1919.

Guys of the White Fleet.

Flag of the White Fleet.

White navy - the collective name of the formations of the naval forces of the White movement during Civil War in Russia 1917 - 1922

History of the White Fleet

Formations of the White Fleet were created by sailors loyal to the White movement on the basis of ships and vessels of the Russian Imperial Fleet.

After the defeat of the White movement, part of the fleet was evacuated to Bizerte, where it was transformed into the Russian squadron. In 1924, the Russian squadron was disbanded, and its ships were sold to France for scrap.

The ships and vessels that remained in Russia became part of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Fleet (RKKF).

Organization

Alexander Vasilievich Kolchak.

Under the government of the supreme ruler A.V. Kolchak, there was a Naval Ministry, in Armed Forcesah in the South of Russia (VSYUR) - the Naval Directorate under Commander-in-Chief A. I. Denikin.

Formations of the White Fleet (fleets, naval forces, flotillas, detachments of ships, etc.) operated on various seas and lake-river systems as part of land groupings of troops and independently. Included were specially built ships, armed steamers, and mobilized commercial ships.

The Azov detachments of the Black Sea Fleet consisted of two detachments: the Azov Sea Defense Detachment (May - July 1919) and the 2nd Detachment (December 1919 - October 1920). They took part in supporting the troops on the northwestern coast and the Kerch Peninsula, in the defense of the Crimea, in the landing of the Ulagayevsky assault force in 1920. By the end of October 1920, all ships were concentrated in Kerch to evacuate troops from the Crimea. Some of them then became part of the Bizerte squadron.

The Baikal Military Flotilla is a subdivision of the navy of the Russian Empire. The flotilla was created in Irkutsk in 1754, and it consisted of both river vessels and ships of the marine type galeota (from 1789) built in Irkutsk. The Baikal flotilla ceased to exist in 1918, but in the same year it was recreated as the Baikal flotilla of the White movement. In fact, there were two subdivisions on Lake Baikal: a red flotilla and a white one, and ships often changed hands. By the end of August, the flotillas were disbanded. In February 1921, the flotilla was recreated again, and the ships of the former Siberian military flotilla were included in it. However, in March of the following year, the flotilla was finally disbanded and was no longer revived.

The Volga-Kama flotilla was created in early June 1918 on the Volga as a Combat Flotilla to support the Czechoslovak Corps and Komuch's troops. It included 3 divisions operating in isolation from each other from Kazan to Volsk. With the loss of the region of the middle Volga, the 1st division withdrew to Samara and took out the gold reserve of Russia. The main forces of the flotilla withdrew to the Kama River, where in November 1918 the ships were captured by the Red Army or sunk. In early March 1919, it was recreated as the River (Kama) Combat Flotilla. She fought with the Volga military flotilla of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Fleet (RKKF). When leaving Perm (July 1919), the ships were blown up at the mouth of the Chusovaya River.

The Volga detachment of the ARSUR was formed in June 1919, consisting of two battalions of combat boats, three battalions of naval heavy artillery, an armored train, and an infantry battalion of sailors. Until the end of 1919, he operated on the river and in the coastal strip near Tsaritsyn (Volgograd), and then was relocated to the Crimea.

Anton Ivanovich Denikin.

The Dnieper flotillas, created in May-July 1919, participated in the offensive of the Armed Forces of the South of Russia in 1919, battles against the Dnieper military flotilla of the RKKF and the formations of N.I.Makhno. At the end of 1919, the ships of the Middle Dnieper flotilla were disarmed and disabled. The Lower Dneprovskaya flotilla in the winter of 1920 moved to the ports of the Crimea.

The Don Flotilla was created at the end of 1918 to support the Don Army. In January 1919, as part of the Armed Forces of the South of Russia, it was transformed into the Don Detachment. He had no military clashes with the Don military flotilla of the RKKF. Disbanded in August 1919.

The Caspian Flotilla was created in April 1919 with a base in Petrovsk (Makhachkala). In September of the same year, it was strengthened by the ships previously captured by the British. She led military operations against the Volga-Caspian military flotilla of the RKKF. In April 1920, due to the loss of base points, she moved to Baku, then to the Iranian city of Anzali, where she was actually interned.

The Ob-Irtysh and Yenisei flotillas were created in July 1919 as the Ob (since August - Ob-Irtysh) and Yenisei river combat flotillas. The Ob-Irtysh flotilla operated on the rivers Tavda, Tobol, Irtysh, Ishim and Tura, participated in repelling the offensive of the Eastern Front of the Red Army in 1919-20. With the abandonment of Omsk and Tomsk in November-December 1919, the ships were disarmed and disabled. The Yenisei flotilla did not fight. In January 1920, her ships were captured in Krasnoyarsk and became part of the Siberian military river flotilla of the RKKF.

The Onega Lake Flotilla was created at the end of May 1919 in the northern part of Povenets Bay with a base in the village of Medvezhya Gora. Operated against the Onega military flotilla of the RKKF. At the end of November 1919, it was blocked at the base, after which its ships and seaplanes were destroyed by the crews.

The flotilla of the Arctic Ocean was a formation of the Russian Imperial Navy, since August 1918 it became part of the White Fleet. She did not conduct active hostilities. With the occupation of Arkhangelsk and Murmansk by the Red Army in February-March 1920, the ships of the flotilla became part of the Naval Forces of the White Sea and the Arctic Ocean (later - the White Sea Military Flotilla).

The North Dvinskaya river flotilla was created in the winter of 1919 in Arkhangelsk. It was subordinate to the allies, and after their evacuation acted independently. In March 1919, it was disbanded, the Northern Detachment of the North Dvina Military Flotilla of the RKKF was formed from ships and vessels.

The Siberian Flotilla is a formation of the Russian Imperial Navy that existed from 1856 to Pacific with a base in Vladivostok. It was part of the White Fleet in July 1918 - January 1920. (from November 1918 - Naval forces on Far East) and June 1921 - October 1922. At the end of October 1922, a detachment of transports was formed, which, together with the refugees, left the base and in January 1923 arrived in the Philippines, where the ships were sold.

The White Black Sea Fleet was created in January 1919 in Novorossiysk as part of the Volunteer Army. In July 1919, the base of the Black Sea Fleet was transferred to Sevastopol. The fleet became especially numerous in 1920: it consisted of more than 120 ships and vessels, which included the battleship General Alekseev (Emperor Alexander III), 1 cruiser, 3 auxiliary cruisers, 8 destroyers and 9 gunboats. Ships of the Black Sea Fleet participated in the landing operations of the Russian army of Baron Wrangel, transported troops, provided fire support to ground forces, laid minefields, fought with the ships of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Fleet, after the defeat of Wrangel's army, the fleet ships evacuated troops and refugees from Crimea to the port of Bizer ...

Peipsi Lake Flotilla, established at the end of October 1918 with a base in Tartu. She took part in the Petrograd operation of the North-Western Army in 1919. Disbanded in early June 1919.

The White Fleet also included ground formations: battalions of naval heavy artillery (naval guns on railway platforms), armored trains, as well as military units (brigades, regiments, battalions) manned by sailors.

From November 1918 to January 1920, the Naval School functioned in Vladivostok, and the Naval Corps existed from October 1919 to November 1920 - in Sevastopol, and then until May 1925 - in Bizerte.

Russian squadron

On November 21, 1920, the Black Sea Fleet of the Armed Forces of the South of Russia was reorganized into a Russian squadron, consisting of four detachments. Rear Admiral Mikhail Aleksandrovich Kedrov was appointed commander of the squadron.

On December 1, 1920, the French Council of Ministers agreed to host the Russian squadron at the port of Bizerte in Tunisia.

Base points

Ship and vessel prefix

The ships and vessels belonging to the White Fleet did not have prefixes in their names.

Flags of ships and vessels

Bely's ships and vessels usually used flags and symbols