Soviet Naval Battles During Civil War

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Soviet Naval Battles during Civil War (re-done) POST REPLY
02 Aug 2013, 18:06

1redItalian [+ ]
NOTE: The following work its based on the following official sources (in constant WIP).
Боевой путь Советского Военно-Морского Флота. (=The Soviet Navy fighting the way ) Achkasov V. I., Basov A. V., Sumin A. I. ; 1988
(pro-Soviet source)
Великая речная война. (=Great River War) Aleksandr Borisovich Shirokorad ; 2006 (pro-White source)
Северо-Двинская флотилия 1918–1919 (=Northern Dvina flotilla of 1918-1919) Andrey Myatishkin ; 2004 (neutral source)
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31 March 1918
The Finnish armed icebreaker (“auxiliary cruiser”) Sampo briefly engaged with the soviet armed icebreaker Jermak, but there was not return
fire and the brief clash caused no damage.
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Painting of the icebreaker Jermak opening a

way to other ships.
19 November – 21 November 1918

Soviet minelayers start mining operations at the entrance of Gulf of Finland.
During these actions , the minelayer Narva suffered two hits and damages by a Finnish coastal artillery battery.
British sources usually are not aware of the soviet minelaying operations at this time of the conflict.
5 December 1918
British light cruiser Cassandra was sunk by mine. 17 (or 11) sailors killed. Usually British sources claim that was sunk on uncharted old
German mines, but they weren't aware of more recent soviet minelaying operations. Soviet sources claimed the sinking due having mined the
area.
Photo of the Cassandra: the only enemy

cruiser ever sunk by Soviets with mines.
26 December 1918
Battle of Reval.
The Fleet is sent under the command of Raskolnikov to attack Reval: the squadron is formed by the battleship Andrey Pervozvannyi, the
armored cruiser Oleg, the destroyers Spartacus (flag-ship), Avtroil and Azard. Sadly the patrol mission of the submarine Pantera has been
aborted and the fleet was sent without a proper knowledge of the military force.
The Royal Navy deployed the light cruisers Calypso and Caradoc escorted by the destroyers Vendetta and Vortigen.
The first victory however was done by Spartacus that intercepted a small Finnish steamship: the ship was boarded and led to Kronstadt by a
soviet team.
Then the Spartacus found herself alone and chased by Calypso and Caradoc: the British cruiser were faster and more armed then the soviet
unit that was chased until the bow gun, firing with a too much large angle, grazed the same Spartacus's bridge. There were no casualties by
the self-inflicted hit caused chaos on the bridge and Spartacus was run aground being then surrounded and forced to surrender by the
British.
Later Calypso and Caradoc found on sea the other destroyer Avtroil and surrounded her, capturing this second ship without firing a single
shell.
The first mistakes during the engagement proved to be the lack of proper reconnaissance and coordination between the ships (the battleship
and the armored cruiser didn't met the enemy).
Of the 251 (or 244 according different source) captured sailors, the Estonians murdered 15 of them before the British could prevent it.
20 January1919
Estonians use ships (gunboat Lembit) to suppress a pro-soviet revolt in Saaremaa island.
13 May 1919
British light cruiser Curacoa is badly damaged by an Estonian defensive mine.
18 May 1919
Battle of Koporsky Bay
British had started to deploy their ships closer to soviet lines, in order to bomb the soviet forces to help the White counter-revolutionary
offensive planned for autumn. During this first clash, the soviet battleship Andrey Pervozvannyi is on sea together destroyer Gavril and four
minesweepers.
British had the light cruiser Cleopatra and the destroyers Shakespeare, Scout and Walker.
Long distance firing between destroyers cause only splinter damages on Gavril with 3 wounded.
The battleship could not take part to action due machine failures, the Gavril however succeeded in defending the minesweepers.
28 May 1919
A soviet minesweeper is damaged by British hydroplane.
31 May 1919
Battle of Kotlin Island.
A new naval clash result in the first Soviet victory over the Royal Navy: a large British squadron formed by light cruisers Cleopatra and
Dragon, and destroyers Galatea, Wallace, Voyager, Vanessa, Wryneck, Versatile, Vivacious and Walker, spotted the single soviet destroyer
Azard.
Previoysly the Azard reported of being missed by torpedoes fired by a British submarine and then was chased by the British destroyers.
The leading British ship was the Walker that come into the range of the soviet battleship Petropavlovsk.
The Petropavlovsk caused 2 hits on Walker with the secondary cannons, causing little damage, 2 wounded (or just one, according a different
source), but forcing the enemy to draw back for the first time.
The Petropavlovsk (in this photo under Czarist

flag, then renamed Marat) will be the first and only Soviet battleship to have hit an enemy ship in action.
1 June 1919
British destroyers fires against the Soviet destroyers Azard e Gavril: no reaction and no damage caused.
9 June 1919
Again Azard and Gavril chase a British destroyer, on the way back they are attacked by the British submarine L-55 but evaded the torpedoes.
Then the destroyers opened fire against the L-55, chasing the submarine that remained emerged due presence of close minefields.
A shell of the bow gun of Azard hit the stern section of the submarine turret, causing the detonation of the bow-gun and the ammunitions
and the sinking of the submarine. British suggested that the submarine could have been sunk because forced into the minefield but the
available photos of the lifted L-55 show a large detonation exactly on the stern section of the turret that was disintegrated. (If the submarine
was sunk while diving it could have been more reasonable to expect damage on the side or under the hull).
The sinking of the submarine was important because the Soviets will manage to recover it and use it to develop designs for other submarine
classes.
Painting of the sinking of the L-55: the Azard

will see action in the WW2 too, chasing and damaging a German auxiliary gunboat, before being sunk some time later by aircrafts .
11 June 1919
Azard and Gavril reports a short clash with 2 British destroyers and claims an hit on one of them. There are not British data of the event.
13- 16 June 1919

Battle of the Red Hill
Counter-revolutionary agents inside Kronstadt had organized a mutiny in support of the British Navy and the advancing White Army.
The mutiny found poor success, rallying a hundreds of men mainly on the stronghold of "Red Hill". However the Soviet intelligence was
suspecting troubles and sent a group of 350 men (of them there were also 100 unarmed political militants) to check the situation.
It was too late: the rebels captured this group and slaughtered them from first to last after having disarmed the fighters.
Then they sent an ultimatum and started firing inside Kronstadt with the guns of the stronghold: they found the firm reaction of the
battleships Andrey Pervozvannyi and Petropavovsk supported by destroyers that bombed the fortress.
A little group of rebels that mutinied in the other stronghold named "Gray Horse" captured the small minesweeper Kitoboy and despite being
chased by the other minesweeper Yakor, they reached the "Red Hill" without damage.
The Red Hill fortress however will be then assaulted by 2100 men supported by hydroplanes, an armored train and obviously the ships of the
Navy.
The only rebels survivors were the one of the Kitobiy: they escaped to the British that seized the ship even if they were actually allied.
During the whole engagement the British remained passive without supporting their allies and made only a naval blockade without firing a
single shell.
Painting of the battle.
18 June 1919
The British navy decide to use their newly arrived motor torpedo boats: the CMB-4 made a lonely raid just out of Kronstadt bay and attacked
with torpedo the armored cruiser Oleg, escorted by destroyers Gaydamak and Vsandik. The Oleg was hit and sunk while the CMB-4 retreated
without damage. The Oleg was lost with few casualties (5 kia and 5 wia) but it was the only Soviet cruiser operative at the time (another
well-armed cruiser, the Rurik, previously flag-ship of the czarist fleet of the Baltic, was on reserve)
16 July 1919
The British lost on soviet mines the two sloops-minesweepers Gentyan and Myrtle that are sunk.
British sources provides a list of other ships that has been struck by mines during the campaign:
Depot ship Volturnas sunk
Sloop minesweeper Banbury damaged
Motor-cutter ML-156 damaged

Tanker War Expert damaged
Minelayer Princess Margaret damaged
Were also lost the Finnish minesweeper T-5 on June 1919, and the Finnish minesweeper MP-1 on 5 July 1919.
23 July 1919
Soviet submarine Pantera launches one torpedo each against the two British submarines E-9 and E-18, then suffer a counter-attack with
torpedo launched by the enemy. There were no hits on both sides.
27 July 1919
Soviet submarine Vepr try to attack the British destroyers Valorous and Vancouver, she is discovered before the torpedo launch and was
damaged by launch of depth-charges.
At early august the British motor torpedo boat CMB-67 is lost during a storm
19 August 1919
Battle of Kronstadt
From early august the British had started aerial bombing on Kronstadt daily (on the first day of 1st of August were killed 11 civilians).
The British Admiral Crowan decided to use a mixed attack of hydroplanes and motor torpedo boats (that just proved to be successful sinking
the Oleg) to sink the main soviet warships: it was important to eliminate the Soviet Navy because the White counter-revolutionary General
Yudenich was preparing an offensive to Petrograd for the Autumn.
While the hydroplanes were planned to act mainly as baits, every motor torpedo boat had his purpose.
CMB-79: hit the depot-ship Pamyat Azova (used as support-ship for submarines).
CMB-31: hit the battleship Andrey Pervozvannyi
CMB-86: hit the armored cruiser Ryurik (even if it was on reserve).
CMB-88: hit the battleship Petropavlovsk.
CMB-72: hit with torpedo the entrance of the naval docks.
CMB-62: attack Andrey Pervozvannyi or Petropavlovsk if the two attacks fails.
CMB-4 : attacks destroyers from the eastern side of the harbor.
CMB-24: attacks destroyers defending the battleships.
CMB-86 before starting the operation had to abandon it because had engine’s problems.
The attack begins with the hydroplanes raids: they manage to hit and damage with a bomb the tanker Tatiana and cause machine-guns
damage to destroyer Gavril.
CMB-79 manage to hit her designed target Pamyat Azova, causing the total loss of the ship. Then the CMB-79 is lost: some sources say it
was hit by defensive fire after having torpedoed the Pamyat Azova, others that it was upside down by accident, but official records state it
was sunk due collision with CMB-62 while she was coming out from the harbor and CMB-62 was entering.
CMB-31 manage to hit the Andrey Pervozvannyi: the battleship is badly damaged, even if she was run aground and didn't sunk, this old
ship could not take part in other actions and after the war was considered as too old to be useful and was scrapped.
CMB-88 was hit by the light defensive fire of the harbor: the damage on the CMB-88 was light but the commander was killed by a single
bullet. The unit proceeds with the attack but despite the British claim that the Petropavlovsk was torpedoed, actually the torpedoes didn't hit
and didn't cause damage at the battleship.
CMB-72 while moving to hit the entry of the naval docks for the battleships, the CMB-72 was hit by light fire and received damage enough to
force her to abandon the mission and retreat.
CMB-24 attacked as planned the soviet destroyer Gavril, that was keeping guard, but miss her target and it's then attacked by the soviet
destroyer: the CMB-24 was stopped by a splinter and then suffered two hits from the Gavril's fire and quickly sunk.
CMB-62 while attempting to enter inside the harbor she collided with the CMB-79: this second unit was lost while the CMB-62 was then
attacked by the same Gavril that had just clashed with CMB-24. The CMB-62 managed to launch torpedoes but without success and was then
hit and sunk by the fire of the soviet destroyer.
CMB-4 launched from long distances her torpedoes against the destroyers on the east side of the harbor. She reported to have been received
fire from the same Gavril and then retreated.
Painting of Gavril in battle.
The whole engagement proved actually to be a British failure: despite the claim to have sunk "half Red Fleet", actually they managed to
destroy a depot-ship (that wasn't vital for submarine actions, and this will be proved later by the success of submarine Pantera) and to put
out of action the Andrey Pervozvannyi, that proved to be an unreliable unit due the old machines (during both the Battle of Reval and Battle
of Koporsky Bay).
The fighting force of the Soviet Fleet (the Petropavlovsk, soon joined by the Sevastopol, and the destroyers) remained intact and the British
forces paid an high price for their attack: 3 units lost of 7 (with almost all the others suffered medium, light or splinter damages), 4 dead, 3
wounded and 7 prisoners (the MTBs had only a crew of 3 men).
21 August 1919
A soviet minesweeper is damaged by a mine. Some crew wounded.
31 August 1919
Soviet submarine Pantera launched 2 torpedoes and with one of them managed to hit and sunk the British destroyer Vittoria.
Painting of the sinking of the Vittoria: the

British destroyer will be the only destroyer-class ship ever torpedoed by a Soviet or Russian submarine. In WW2 only a very large torpedo
boat (destroyer-size class), the T-34, will be sunk by the submarine L-3, but with mine.
Painting of the submarine.
Between 2 and 3 September 1919

Soviet destroyers Konstantin and Svoboda lay 120 mines.
4 September 1919
British destroyer Verulam was sunk by the new soviet mines. It was of the same class of Vittoria and as the Vittoria was the proof that the
British raid on Kronstadt failed in neutralize the soviet submarine force (with the destruction of the Pamiat Azova), even the soviet destroyers
proved to be still an effective force, with their minelaying operations.
The same day, destroyer Svoboda was slightly damaged by aircrafts with splinters, but commander was heavily wounded.
3 October1919
British aircraft made their best raid, with a bomb that hit and damaged the training ship Zarya Svobody (former old battleship Emperor
Alexander-II),
14 and 15 October 1919

Estonian forces, that regard their participation in the Baltic War as an "independence war", are directly deployed in offensive against Kronstadt
after British orders: the former soviet destroyer Avtroil, now named Lennuk, while bombing Kronstadt got between the range of both Red Hill
and Gray Horse fortress and received damage and is forced to leave.
At the same time, the white Russian minesweeper Kitoboy fled because feared of being captured by the "allied" Estonians: after being struck
in Danish water it will be later moved to Black Sea.
20 and 21 October 1919

The most decisive day: the forces of the white General Yudenich advances from south against the Soviet strongholds in Kronstadt.
The Fleet, that has been claimed by the British to have been put out of action, is directly involved: the now re-commissioned battleship
Sevastopol lead the destroyers Vsadnik, Gaydamak and the small destroyer Dmitriev in bombing the infantry forces that advance on
Kronstadt, causing massive losses to the counter-revolutionaries.
According the same British sources, the deployed Estonian forces (that operate together the White counter-revolutionaries) lost 2/3 of their
2500 men forces in few days of battle.
20 October 1919
During these days of victory, came the most painful loss for the Soviet Fleet: the four destroyers Gavril, Svodoba, Konstantin and Azard were
sent to lay mines and they got struck into a British minefield. Gavril, Svoboda and Konstantin are sunk with the loss of lives of 485.
British source usually say that the ships were "defecting": proving the fact that they were indeed sent on sea to make a minelaying mission,
the fact that despite being survived the Azard didn't deserted, and the fact that the past attempt to lure soviet sailors to defections ended
with nothing, this claim have to be regarded as the same claims to have "sunk half Red fleet with the MTBs raid in Kronstadt".
27 October 1919
The desperate white forces calls help from the British Navy because the soviet fortresses (as the Red Hill) and the warships were making their
offensive a failure. The royal navy deploy the powerful monitor Erebus, armed with a large turret with 2 guns of 381mm.
The Erebus fire against the "Red Hill" fortress, but after the soviet gunners understood what was firing at them, they replied fire and the
Erebus retreated after the visibility worsened.
No serious damage was caused to the soviet strongholds or on the British ship.
29 October 1919
British light cruiser and destroyers attempt to bomb the soviet fortress with poor result: the same day the destroyer Azard suffered moderate
damage due aerial bomb. Also the minesweeper Yakor was damaged after it bumped against the sea-bed while evading aircrafts.
30 October 1919
Last attempt of the monitor Erebus to attack the soviet fortress: the attack was stopped after the soviet gunfire reaction and also due the fact
that the Erebus was running short on ammunitions. There are not many details, but a British descriptions of the events may imply some light
splinter damages on the ship.
This powerful warship wasn't enough to break

the spirit and the guns of the soviet soldiers that successfully managed to reject the counter-revolutionary legions.
4 November 1919
The last naval action in Baltic is a coastal bombing by British destroyers.
22 December 1919
The last British mistake occurred when they ordered the Finnish ships (that saw little activity in war) to leave Koivisto and reach Helsinki.
Finnish officers advised to not make such voyage because risks due ice, but British insisted: as result the three torpedo boats C-1, C-2 and
C-3 were all crushed by ice (only S-5 and other minor units escaped). There were no victims, but the Finns lost 20% of their stronger ships
thanks their allies.
In Spring 1920, a number of mutinies rise on British ships (the most important on the light cruiser Delhi and the aircraft-carrier Vindictive).
Despite being ignited also by the bad living conditions, the same British sources admits that the mutinies were also caused by a "certain
degree of Bolshevik propaganda".
After few months, the Royal Navy retreats her warship after the failure of the Yudenich's offensive.
06 Aug 2013, 06:44

Soviet192491 [+ ]
Quite interesting! Nice to know that the Bolsheviks were not afraid of the mighty Royal Navy. Was there any action in the Black Sea or the
User avatar
Pacific?
We have beaten you to the moon, but you have beaten us in sausage making.- Nikita Khrushchev
06 Aug 2013, 09:28

1redItalian [+ ]
There was action on Caspian Sea against British and Azov Sea against White forces.
Also some minor clashes occurred in Artic (actually all inside Dvina river) against British and in Black Sea (against French)
And then some minor clashes on rivers.
I will write about them too (actually "re-write" but the old pages were deleted because had mistakes)
In the end the most strategically important naval front was this one of the Baltic Sea, that culminated in the defense of Kronstadt against the
White offensive.
Minor but locally important the outcome of the Azov sea campaign.
31 Jan 2014, 18:07

1redItalian [+ ]
As promised, here the revised account of the campaign in Azov Sea.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Azov Sea
8 February 1920
A soviet armored train managed to hit and damage the White gunboat Terets: however it was not enough to prevent her bombing of soviet
forces few days later.
Painting of the fight.
15 April 1920
Soviet sources describe a bombing made by the gunboat Danay and the patrol ship Proletariy against landed enemy troops: there are White
boats, but there was no direct clash.
2 May 1920
The White armed boat Nikolay Pashich captured into the harbor of Mariupol (the main harbor of the Red Fleet in Azov Sea) the small boat
Respublikanets and the steam schooner Sophia. Soviets opened fire from the docks but the enemy boat managed to retreat without
damage towing the small boat, while the captured schooner fled with a white capturing party.
Soviet sources actually deny the capture of the Sophia and say about a clash occurred when gunboat Danay briefly fought against the White
gunboats Starzh and Groznyi.
31 May 1920
The first naval clash occurred when the Soviet gunboat Svoboda, with support of a floating battery on towing, clashed and damaged (probably
slightly) the White gunboat (former guard auxiliary cruiser: but was actually an armed merchant) Starzh. The enemy ship was involved in
landing operations (there are few details of this meeting, possibly the White believed it was some coastal artillery fire).
Photo of Svoboda.
13 June 1920
The first real clear clash occurred between 12 and 13 June when the White gunboats Ural and Groznyi (the last one was an armed merchant
as the Starzh), had a brief clash against a soviet gunboat (probably it was Znamya Sotsializma, there are no soviet sources) and the steam
barge Orna (both were towing a barge). There was no damage on both sides.
25 June 1920
The White formation of the gunboats Strazh, Groznyi, Altay and Ural together the torpedo boat Zhivoyi (the group was towing barges) had a
clash not far from Mariupol against a group of soviet units (gunboats). The Zhivoyi found herself in great risk because guns suddenly did not
worked (also she had no torpedoes): however the only damage of the encounter was on the following night during the return, when Ural had
an impact with mine: it caused moderate damages but also 3 killed and 12 wounded.
Soviet sources actually say about the presence of two units: gunboat Svoboda and floating battery Mirabo, and that the Mirabo suffered an hit
from the enemy.
14 August 1920
White units made landing operations near Primorsko-Akhtarsk but they suffered heavy damages due mines, the transport Alma was sunk by
mines together three small minesweepers boats and the steamer Smolensk (full of coal)
19 August 1920
Soviet gunboats bombed the White harbor of Akhtar and then laid mines, on these mines sunk the White torpedo boat Zharkyi and the
transport Volga. (According another White source it was sunk Zvonkyi, and not Zharkyi as claimed by soviets: both of them are listed as
survived by the site navypedia.org but this is likely a mistake, or possibly the sunk torpedo boat was later recovered by Soviets after the
conflict).
28 August 1920
White gunboat Altay suffered heavy damages because of a mine (according another White source it was “lost”, meaning possibly un-reparable
damages)
15 September 1920
Battle of Obytichnyi Spit
The largest and decisive naval battle in Azov Sea: the day before a White formation had bombed Berdyansk, and the Soviet command
decided to run in battle and face the enemy. The White force, under the command of Captain Karpov, had two gunboats: Ural and Salgyr
(both armed with 152mm), the two armed ice-breaker Gaydamak and Djigit, the patrol boat Petrel, the minesweeper Dmitri Geroy and the
torpedo boat Zorkyi (all together the White had a total of 16 guns, of them five were of 152mm).
The soviet force was under the command of Lt. Hvistky and had four gunboats: Budyonny, Krasnaya Zvezda, Svoboda, Znamya Sotsializma
also there were three smaller patrol boats: Danay, Pugachov and Proletaryi (all together the Soviets had a total of 19 guns, of them nine
were of 130mm).
A first meeting caused no big damage on both sides (just few splinters on Salgyr).
Then the two forces clashed again with a prolonged fight: a lonely attack made by Zorkyi was fruitless (it was mostly a deceive attempt
because she had no torpedoes) and when the two groups of ships started again to open fire, it was at first the Znamya Sotsializma that
received a direct hit of 75mm by Gaydamak and was damaged.
The damaged unit had to be towed by the Krasnaya Zvezda, but the same Krasnaya Zvezda managed to hit with two shells the gunboat
Salgyr under the waterline, causing the sinking of the enemy ship (there were two killed).
While recovering the Salgyr’s sailors also the Ural was hit and damaged by soviet shell.
With the two strongest ships out of action, the White commander decided to retreat: they were followed by the soviets for a little time (after
some indecisions) and the White destroyer Bespokoynyy, came out from the harbor to intercept the soviet force with the gunboat Strazh.
However the destroyer was struck and damaged by a mine and had to abort the operation.
The action saw the end of most of the enemy operations in Azov Sea and the Soviet dominance (despite the temporary enemy ground
advance to Mariupol, the White Navy played little role following this action and no more offensive attempts). A key element of the victory has
been the fact that the White units had gunners who were mostly young volunteer officers without proper training. On the contrary, the Soviet
flotilla had few officers, but a number of experienced veteran sailors.
Soviet painting of the battle.
21-26 September 1920

With the naval superiority gained in Azov Sea, the soviet flotilla manage to land with a number of voyages up to 8000 troops to reinforce the
front-line that was moving close to Mariupol. During this operation the White flotilla was absent, however Mariupol fall due the enemy strong
ground offensive.
5 October 1920
Counter-attacks by soviet forces toward the occupied Mariupol lead the liberation of the city: during this period, the soviet flotilla had to be
retreated into the harbors of Taganrog and Rostov-on-Don but then they managed to kept on un-disturbed a series of operations to supply
and land reinforcements once Mariupol was freed without interference of the enemy naval forces.
The enemy managed to organize only evacuation missions in the following weeks because the ground offensive liberated Sevastopol on 15
November and Kerch the next day. After these ground battles, the White retreated all their naval presence in Azov Sea.
04 Apr 2014, 10:12

1redItalian [+ ]
The first half of the campaign in Caspian Sea.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Caspian Sea (first half)

Early April 1918

Soviet gunships Ardagan and Kars bombed enemy targets close Baku.
19 April 1918
Soviet gunship Ardagan captured close Cape Turali the white transport Ondine, an enemy captured officer gave valued information regarding
the enemy forces. Later soviet transports lands troops at Petrovsky that was conquered.
The two gunships Ardagan and Kars were the most important warships in Caspian at the beginning of the conflict (not being former civilian
ships), but they remained struck in Baku for long time and later under Azerbaijani control, without having much other actions during the war.
15 October 1918
White Cossacks had took possession of the steamer Nizhnyi Novgorod. The soviet auxiliary cruiser Caspian managed to intercept and seize
the ship.
16 October 1918
The auxiliary cruiser Caspian, with support of the armed ships Astrakhan and Kudeyr defeated the Cossacks close the coastal village of
Karantinnom, also seizing the steamer Boris.
During the month of October, the soviet auxiliary cruiser Makarov-I with support of the gunboats Vega and Volodarskyi, accomplished a small
but successful merchant-raiding operation, seizing in the bay of Staro-Terechnoy the following White merchants: Nicholas, Bunian, Moskva,
Rossaul, Alexandr and Bombak.
20 October 1918
The soviet armed tug Mark was damaged by ground fire from a group of Cossacks and the commander was killed
At the end of October, a group of small destroyers and submarines reached the Fleet (they were dispatched by Lenin’s order to reinforce this
naval front, from the Baltic: sailing through the Volga and its channels).
8 November 1918
British auxiliary cruisers Nobel and Alla Verdi prevent the White armed ship Pir Alagi (loyal to General Bicherahov ) to bomb a location already
in hands of Whites. It appears, according the same white sources, that the whole crew was drunk.
11 November 1918
Battle of the Bay of Staro-Terechnoy
White auxiliary cruisers Tsentrokaspiy and Orlenka under the command of V.A.Kukel has been dispatched to search the disappeared merchants
that has been seized by Makarov-I (or to face their aggressor). They met the soviet auxiliary cruiser Caspian supported by the gunboats
Prypiat, Kommunist and Vega. A shell from Caspian hit the Orlenka causing damage and loss of speed, but also Tsentrokaspiy manage to hit
the machine-room of the Prypiat and quickly scoring a second hit. Caspian rushed to cover the damaged Pripyat that was towed by
Kommunist while the Tsentrokaspiy after a brief attempt to follow the soviets, turned back to assist Orlenka.
8 December 1918
Battle of Chechen Island
British auxiliary cruisers Zoroaster and Alla Verdi were attacked by the soviet auxiliary cruisers Kolumna (strongest ship: with 4 guns of
102mm and 2 of 76mm) and Makarov-I, under the command of Kronberg.
It’s commonly (and wrongly) reported by British sources that they faced the cruiser Caspian (but the ship took part at the battle of 11
November, not 8 December). There were also on sea the small destroyers Deyatlenyi, the gunboats Sevsk, Vega and Volodarskyi, later
reinforced by destroyer Rastoropnyy but all these ships didn’t took part at the battle (they had been busy making a partial landing at Staro
Terechnoy).
The battle caused some damages to the British: Zoroaster suffered 3 direct hits and heavy damages (but not deadly) from Kolumna’s fire,
while this same soviet cruiser managed to inflict a number of splinter damages also to Alla Verdi (Alla Verdi also suffered from self-inflicted
structural damage made by the recoil of her own guns, because of the too thin bridges). Soviet ships suffered no damages at all, while the
British suffered only one victim on the Zoroaster.
29 December 1918
British auxiliary cruisers Slava, Venture and Asia destroyed some barges at Staro-Terechnoy, and captured also a small hospital-ship and
some soviet personnel on the shore. The soviets had already evacuated both the barges and the ship, but the White propaganda made a
statement claiming that the soviets had blown-up such crafts with hundreds (later raised to "thousands") people inside. Following White
sources deny this propaganda-claim.
During the last days of December 1919, the situation on the soviet gunships Kars and Ardagan (blocked in Baku due the political situation)
has turned difficult and the sailors imprisoned some officers suspected to be prone to defect.
13 January 1919
British auxiliary cruisers Venture, Slava and Alla Verdi intercepted a soviet ship with armed men, the Amassiya: crew and passengers
abandoned in time the ship that was then seized by the cruisers.
At the end of January, White Russians sailors onboard of Zoroaster defected because low salaries and left the ship to the city.
28 February 1919
Divisions into the White movement lead the decision of the White General Denikin to seize all the ships loyal to General Bicherahov. When the
ship Leytenant Shmidt refused to enters the Baku harbor, the British deployed for the first time their motor torpedo boats that even
attempted torpedo attacks against the ships but failed for technical reasons. When the British feared the ship was even going to ram them
after a failed torpedo attack, the Leytenant Shmidt turned and entered in Baku.
This was the only real British attempted attack using motor torpedo boats in Caspian Sea.
Meanwhile the British managed to put under their direct control almost all the White ships (including the Denikin’s ones).
During these days, the soviet gunships Kars and Ardagan in Baku, were abandoned by the soviet crew. They were took by the Whites but
later put under Azerbaijani control (neutral, at this point of the war).
In March the British had control of almost all the not-soviet shipping in Caspian sea.
7 April 1919
Soviet motorboat Uspekh defected and sailed to the enemy, being integrated by Whites (and not by British).
19 April 1919
British auxiliary cruiser Asia fired shots against a soviet steamer, without reaching her.
23 April 1919
British auxiliary cruiser Venture fired shots against a soviet steamer, without reaching her.
Soviet warships rushed to search the attacker but could not find her.
29 April 1919
Soviet auxiliary cruiser Caspian and the gunboats Kommunist, Spartakovets and Adler landed troops at Alexander Fort. The enemy garrison
surrendered without resistance, while most of their officers had already escaped. The harbor was turned into an important soviet base
5 May 1919
The enemy had not been alerted about the seizure of Alexander Fort, and sent messages to the fortress to warn about the voyage of the
White transport Leila. The ship was under heavy escort of the British auxiliary cruisers President Kruger and Venture because she carried an
important delegation from Admiral Kolchak to General Denikin, with strategic plans. The soviet small destroyer Karl Liebknecht found the Leila
once the escort turned back (believing the transport was in safe waters), a boarding was carried on and the Leila was seized.
During the action, the leader of the delegation (General Grishin Almarov) was killed or committed suicide (according different sources)
together 1 or 2 of his men.
The seizure of this important prize was the first of a series of important actions that saw the Karl Liebknecht rise as effective soviet flag-ship
in the last phase of the war in Caspian Sea.
15 May 1919
British auxiliary cruisers President Kruger and Emile Nobel attacked the two soviet ships Alekber and Baku that were towing the schooners
Useyn Abbad and Derband (both carrying coal and wood). It was present the small destroyer Yakov Sverdlov but alone could not prevent
the enemy actions and didn’t attacked. The same Aleber and Baku just cut the tows and abandoned the schooners that were shelled and sunk
by the cruisers.
18 May 1919
A large soviet operation against Chechen Island was planned, including also the use of at least 5 destroyers and the first planned mission for
the submarine Makrel. However the mission was postponed due heavy fog and later canceled due the enemy attack at Alexander Fort.
20-22 May 1919

Battle of the Bay of Tyub- Karaganskom (also known as the Battle of Alexander Fort).
The British planned a large raid aiming to destroy the soviet base in Alexander Fort.
They deployed the auxiliary cruisers President Kruger (flag-ship, with 4 guns of 102mm and 1 of 75mm), Zoroaster (that was forced to
return, due engine troubles, without taking part to the battle), Emile Nobel, Asia, Venture, Windsor Castle, the seaplane-carrier Aladir Useynov
and the mother-ship for motor torpedo boats Sergie (the Sergie too wasn’t actually involved in the action and remained far from the battle).
They were under the command of D. Norris: his fleet could count on an amount of 1 gun of 120mm and 14 guns of 102mm.
Soviet ships were inferior both in numbers and fire-power, having just one auxiliary cruiser, the Caspian (with 4 guns of 102mm), the small
destroyers Moskvityanin, the mine-layer Demosthenes, the floating battery n°2 (with 2 guns of 152mm), the submarines Minoga and Mackrel
plus 6 small patrol boats (in the harbor there were also 18 merchants/transports and support ships, including the depot-ship Revel).
Among the soviet command there was A.V.Burov even if actually the decisions were took by the collectives (soviets) of the sailors.
An aerial reconnaissance mission was made on 20 May by one of the two British seaplanes of the Aladir Useynov, but the plane crashed and
two auxiliary cruisers (Slava and Bibi-Eybat) that were supposed to be part of the mission didn’t join the fleet while Zoroaster was forced to
return because of engine troubles.
On the day of the battle the British had an amount of 5 auxiliary cruisers directly involved.
Soviets attempted to put on sea the two submarines but Minoga could not sail while Makrel could not manage to came close to the enemy to
carry on the torpedo attack.
As soon as the enemy sailed to the harbor, three soviet patrol boats moved at high speed attempting to divert the enemy attention and slow
them: Schastlivyy was lost during this action due accidental grounding while the British ships didn’t open fire (they correctly valued the
patrol boats action as nothing more than a nuisance).
As soon the main battle started, the soviet gunfire proved to be effective: the floating battery n°2 scored one hit on the flag-ship President
Kruger, but even if she was hit on the bridge, the damage was little and there was only one wounded. Emile Nobel suffered heavier damages
after 2 direct hits from the same floating battery (or less likely from the destroyer Moskvityanin: there were 5 killed and 7 wounded and the
ship was forced to retreat. Insignificant splinter damage was caused also on Venture.
The first phase of the battle ended with a soviet success: the British ships were forced to retreat and Norris had now only 4 operative
cruisers.
However the British commander managed to re-group his ships and focus their fire on the soviet ones.
The floating battery n°2 was struck by two direct hits (almost surely fired from President Kruger) and sunk with the loss of 12 men.
The destroyer Moskvityanin had failures on all the main guns and when the engines started to have similar problems, the ship basically
turned into a defenseless target, the crew decided to ground the ship and abandon her (sometimes it’s wrongly reported that the destroyer
was hit by Venture).
At this point only the cruiser Caspian and the minelayer Demosthenes were able to fight but a British shell struck the depot-ship Revel with
deadly effects: she was full of fuel and despite the ship was quickly evacuated, the fuel was spread on water and set afire.
The submarine Minoga was damaged by the fire but the crew managed to save her with huge efforts.
Suddenly Revel exploded and the large detonation engulfed the small mine-carrier Tuman, the auxiliary ship Gelma, the smaller Zoroaster
and a number of small barges.
The explosion damaged also Demosthenes while at the same time Caspian suffered 2 hits from the enemy.
At first it had been proposed to scuttle the cruiser using the Demosthenes guns, but the minelayer was so badly damaged that had to be
abandoned while Caspian wasn’t self-sunk.
Has been reported that Windsor Castle suffered a splinter damage during this second phase but it’s unconfirmed.
The British ships ceased fire: they had used most of their ammunition.
During the battle the submarine Makrel had made attempts to move close the auxiliary cruisers but had troubles because of the seabed and
could not launch the torpedoes.
(Old soviet sources reported that the enemy sighted the submarine and retreated because of her, but actually the British never noticed
Makrel).
As soon as the enemy retreated, the soviets took advantage to organize a first evacuation convoy.
Five ships departed during the night under escort of the same Makrel, without British interference.
The next day, the last seaplane of Aladir Useynov scored a direct hit with bomb on the wreck of the grounded destroyer Moskvityanin but
later it crashed (the pilots were saved after hours in water).
The second (and last) main evacuation convoy was led by the same Caspian (on the cruiser were made temporary emergency repairs during
the night): the whole garrison of 400 men and all the remained ships were evacuated.
President Kruger and Venture attempted to attack the convoy but the sudden arrival of the destroyers Karl Liebknecht and Yakov Sverdlov
resulted into a short and bloodless clash that made the British desists from the chase.
Despite the British victory, the White Admiral Kolchak wasn’t grateful and accused them to have wasted the opportunity to score a complete
victory: it was criticized the lack of deployment of the motor torpedo boats and lack of use of the full-force of cruisers.
Indeed it was only the following day (23 May) that British motor torpedo boats were put on sea by the mother-ship: they made claims to
have sunk targets in the harbor but the Soviets had already evacuated all the ships and it’s credible that the units had finished some of the
wrecks left in the harbor.
02 May 2014, 10:48

1redItalian [+ ]
Caspian Sea (second and last half)

Note:
Details about the following naval campaign in 1919-1920 are rare and sadly incomplete. This is the most detailed account that
could have been made in English. Most of the following events often provide details if the data came from Soviet or White sources.
28 May 1919
Soviet sources report that submarine Makrel suffered a torpedo attack from an enemy vessel. The torpedo was evaded and remain unclear
the identity of the attacker. Almost surely a British motor torpedo boat.
At the end of May, the Whites start operating a small flotilla of schooners used as corsair ships.
30 May 1919
The soviet armed steamer Elizabeth (only a gun of 47mm) had a short clash against two White corsair schooners: a soviet sailor was killed
and two Whites were wounded.
From late May and June 1919

The White flotilla of corsair schooners carried on a campaign under the command of Shubert. They deployed nine schooners (all of them with
a dozen of sailors, only two however (n°6 and n°7) had a single gun of 76mm, all the other units carried no weapons apart the ones of the
crew).
The White claimed to have seized 2 small transport ships, 1 schooner and 3 motorboats.
Most of the actions occurred in front of the Volga estuary.
On the same time, the Whites confirm that some soviet gunboats were deployed in a similar action in the same place: gunboats are said to
have seized some fishing boats (possibly civilians or suspected to operate for the Whites): according the Whites, the already mentioned
armed steamer Elizabeth took part at these actions.
During June 1919 the Soviet warships were mostly active deep inside Volga river, supporting a Red Army counter-offensive against the White
Army at Tsaritsyn (the future Stalingrad, today Volgograd).
Details of these actions (that saw no White naval opposition) will be seen later.
During summer 1919 the Soviets managed to put in use schooners too, but not as corsair ships.
A flotilla of a dozen of private-owned schooners in Baku, was deployed for covert transport missions, smuggling fuel and oil out of Baku to the
Soviet territory.
These actions were strategically important and British and Whites had not enough numbers to prevent them.
Only a single schooner was seized by British warships (while the sister-ship that was sailing on the same mission managed to escape) and
the crew of 3 was executed.
Usually the schooners returned to Baku to land agents or saboteurs.
During the whole Caspian naval campaign, these voyages transported away from Baku 20.000 tons of fuel and 3.000tons of lubricating oil,
providing a major support to the Red Army operations.
16 July 1919
The White gunboat Arag had an inconclusive engagement with two soviet armed steamers.
From 21 July 1919, British started transferring their ships to the Whites.
27 July 1919
White corsair schooners had infiltrated into the Volga estuary to carry on operations inside the channels (they even planned to board and
seize a soviet destroyer), they were however trapped inside the channels by a number of soviet armed ships. The Whites had carried also with
them the two steamers Yekaterina and Synovya (probably they were the two small transport ships previously seized in June campaign) and
were forced to ground them and set them afire, while the smaller schooners managed to came out from the Soviet trap.
Unclear the identity of soviet armed ships.
On that same day there was a naval engagement between the soviet armed pontoon n°4 against the White gunboat Arag and the auxiliary
cruiser Asia (former British). The battle was difficult for the Arag, but no serious damage appears to have been caused on both sides.
However the Whites had successfully managed to land troops the Lagan Island (that will be the theatre of most of the following naval
clashes).
8 August 1919
At Ashuranda (on the southern coast of Caspian Sea) a pro-soviet uprising had took control of the city.
According British source, at least a ship was deployed from the city for corsair attacks but the results of the campaign are poorly known.
British and White forces attacked and conquered the city, involving during the operations also the seaplane-carrier Orlenok (she has been
previously used as auxiliary cruiser by Whites): into the harbor were seized 4 ships and 6 barges.
It’s possible that some of the units seized were former prizes captured by the soviet ship in the previous corsair campaign.
15 August 1919
The white gunboat Nadezhda has a ship-vs-ship duel against a soviet armed ship close the Lagan Island. Nadezhda fired 90 shells of 102mm
and claimed the target as damaged and grounded.
Due lack of details, the actual result it’s still unconfirmed.
20 August 1919
Inconclusive battle, close Lagan Island, between the White gunboats Kizil-Agacha and the Nadezhda against two soviet armed ships with
support of an armed pontoon (with guns of 152mm).
The following day, soviet warships bombed the island, while another similar inconclusive clash (involving the same pair of White gunboats)
occurred on 23 August.
28 August 1919
White gunboats Nadezhda and Arag fight against Soviet gunboats, the Nadezhda had some troubles at guns and engines.
Between end of August and beginning of September 1919

The soviet minelayer Friedrich Engels lay a field of mines close Lagan Island.
8 September 1919
On the mines laid by minelayer Friedrich Engels, was sunk the White gunboat Arag (she was armed with 2 guns of 102mm). There were only
4 dead, but her loss was serious because at the time she was the best White gunboat suited to operate in the low waters close Lagan Island.
Around these days and during the whole month of September, soviet gunboats kept on bombarding the Island.
28 September 1919
Five soviet warships and an armed pontoon face the White gunboats Dmitriya Donskogo, Slava and America (the last two sometimes classified
as cruisers, for their size). Whites claimed that the Dmitriya Donskogo scored a 152mm hit on the pontoon, but this is unconfirmed.
During the night, the Whites attempted to lay a field of mines but a petty officer was secretly sided with the Soviets and he managed to
sabotage all the mines before the ships departed for the mission: once they were laid, being defused, none of the mines could sink the
intended target.
Once the Whites discovered the sabotage, the petty officer was arrested and shot.
30 September 1919
Ship-vs-ship duel between the White gunboat Nadezhda and the Soviet gunboat Altvater (armed with 3 guns of 102mm): no damage on both
sides.
5 October 1919
The White gunboat Nadezhda struck one of the mines previously laid by the soviet minelayer Friedrich Engels and quickly sunk. There were
only 2 wounded. It was another important loss for the Whites: she had been a very active gunboat.
On that same day, the White gunboat (sometimes classified as aux. cruiser) America intercepted a suspect schooner. The Soviets had armed 3
schooners with concealed torpedo-launcher and this was supposed to be the first operation: the Whites discovered the torpedo launcher and
the schooner was seized. The soviet sailors were shot and no more operations were attempted.
14 November 1919
After having been deployed by the depot-ship Kama (here used as motor torpedo boats carrier), a pair of former British motor torpedo boats
carry on a raid into the Volga estuary.
They attacked the Soviet armed pontoon n°4 (at the time, armed with 2 guns of 102mm): one of them had troubles at the engine and
stopped, while the second one managed to hit the target.
It appears that the torpedo actually exploded under the pontoon, causing probably a leak and the n°4 had to be grounded to prevent the
sinking (a direct hit however could have caused the complete destruction: the pontoon was reported to have not been lost because this
action).
Soviet gunboat Altvater opened fire but could not hit the two motor torpedo boats: both of them retreated after the one with engine troubles
was put on tow and brought away by the sister.
It was the first and only successful motor torpedo boat action in Caspian Sea: but occurred too late for the Whites, to have a significant
consequence on the campaign.
18 November 1919
The Whites decided to evacuate Lagan Island: apart the ongoing naval shelling, the situation had worsened due the incoming winter and the
difficulties to supply the garrison.
22 March 1920
The new year campaign was opened with a return in action of the soviet auxiliary cruiser Caspian: she laid a field of mines together the
gunboat Roshal.
31 March 1920
On the mines laid by the auxiliary cruiser Caspian, was sunk the White auxiliary cruisers (sometimes rated only as gunboat, due her
weapons) Prince Pozharsky (only 2 guns of 102mm).
The ship was actually mortally damaged and finished by the same White auxiliary cruiser Dmitry Donskoy, after having evacuated the crew.
The two White ships were on escort mission for the minelayer Gorchakov that was supposed to lay her field, but the loss of Prince Pozharsky
caused the mission to be abandoned.
Soviet sources wrongly list also the ship Chasovoy as victim of the field of Caspian: but actually the ship didn’t sunk and defected to Soviets
on 4 April.
4 April 1920
The Soviet destroyers Karl Liebknecht e Zorkyi attacked Alexander Fort while the Whites were already evacuating. The two ships attacked and
clashed with the White auxiliary cruiser Opyt.
After an hour of confused fight, the White retreated.
Soviet sources usually list also the Milytuin fighting alongside the Opyt, but she wasn’t involved.
Moreover no unit was damaged despite the Soviets believing to have hit at least a cruiser.
The Karl Liebknecht was awarded with the Order of the Red Banner for this action.
The harbor was conquered by Soviet forces that captured up to 1200 men that had not been evacuated (including 70 officers and 2
generals).
Even if the action was less successful than believed by Soviets (the fire on both sides wasn’t accurate), the destroyers had still engaged the
enemy while the evacuation wasn’t complete, forcing them to accelerate the retreat and leaving behind the soldiers that were captured.
Painting of the Karl Liebknecht during the battle: the outcome was actually inconclusive, but it has been put pressure on the White ships to
rush away without having completed the evacuation.
On that same day, the White auxiliary cruisers Australia and the support ship Chasovoy defected and sailed to the Soviet harbor of
Krasnovodsk. Once they reached it, they were welcomed with a band singing the International song, and the cruiser was re-named Bela Kun.
8 April 1920
When the war was almost over, the Soviets suffered a sad loss: the auxiliary cruiser Caspian with the Proletaryi was escorting the transport
Konstantin Kaufman for a landing operation, however there was an heavy storm and the Caspian was sunk: 52 sailors of the veteran cruiser
were killed (including the commander, I. Peterskyi), and 13 were saved.
The ship was recovered only in 1934 (after an attempt in 1921) and will have a long service first as transport and late as training ship until
1960.
1 May 1920
Soviet warships led by destroyer Karl Liebknecht reached Baku, already in Soviet hands.
Whites had already evacuated most of their ships to Anzali, in Persia.
At Baku were integrated the few ships of the Azerbaijani Fleet, including the gunships Kars and Ardagan (that has been blocked in Baku for
most of the conflict).
Some ships had been left behind by Whites and were seized (have to be remembered that they were already abandoned and without crew, so
they can’t be classified as ships seized in action): the auxiliary cruiser Pushkin (2 guns of 130mm), the minelayer Gretsiya, 8 other ships
(including an hospital ship).
The two gunships was renamed Lenin and Trotsky, the cruiser was renamed Soviet Azerbaijan.
All the ships in Baku will be actually gathered into an independent Flotilla.
18 May 1920
The Soviet Navy decided to plan a final offensive against the last enemy harbor: the base of Anzali on the Persian shores. Flag-ship of the
flotilla was the destroyer Karl Liebknecht, leading the other destroyers Delnyi, Deyatelnyi, Rastoropnyi, the auxiliary cruisers Proletariy, Rosa
Luxemburg, Pushkin, Bela Kun, the gunships Kars and Ardagan, the transport Gretsiya (former enemy minelayer), and other minor units.
The ships were organized in groups, each with a specific mission: reconnaissance, landing, bombing,
engaging enemy warships.
The Soviets achieved a complete surprise over the enemy due early hour of morning: a shell of the Rosa Luxemburg fall very close to the
main British headquarters.
There was basically no naval opposition and no coastal artillery fire: the British weren’t intentioned to engage in open warfare and the Whites
were demoralized after the general course of the conflict.
Only a motor torpedo boat attempted to move close the Bela Kun with a white flag to ask a truce but it was perceived as an attack and was
opened fire.
After some time the motor torpedo boat returned with a larger flag (it seems it was actually a blanket) and the truce was agreed, later
followed by surrender.
The Persian governor of Anzali promptly accepted the Soviet presence and the whole White Fleet surrendered without having fired a single
shell.
There are still some unclear details about the landing operations and it appears that some British Gurkha (Indian) troops made only little
resistance and some machine-guns nests were bombed by the Soviet warships: the ground engagement was very short and the only
casualties were 2 killed and 5 wounded, among the Gurkha, due the naval shelling.
White personnel had left the city and retreated by land, Soviets installed the Soviet Republic of Gilan in Northern Persia (survived until 1921).
The fleet captured included the following ships: the auxiliary cruisers President Kruger, America, Europe, Africa, Dmitry Donskoy, Asia,
Slava, Mylutin, Opyt and Merkur, the motor-torpedo-boat carrier (previously seaplane-carrier) Orlenok, the seaplane-carrier (previously
m.t.b carrier) Volga, four seaplanes, four motor torpedo boats (former British), 10 merchants, a number of support, auxiliary and
minor units and a big amount of supplies and ammunition.
The quick and successful action was praised by the Soviets and was seen by the British press (as the newspaper The Times) as an
unexpected sign of British passivity (that was heavily criticized).
Following the surrender of the enemy in Anzali, the entire Caspian Sea was fully in soviet hands, and soviet warships were involved in
undisturbed bombing and landing operations of shore localities still in hands of White (on the south-eastern coasts of the Sea) during the
second half of 1920 and in few occasions in 1921.
03 Jun 2014, 12:25

1redItalian [+ ]
Volga River (First campaign in 1918).
Note: Details about the following Volga River campaign are rare and sadly incomplete.
8 June 1918
The small Czech armed tug Prishlepala (only 3 machine-guns) boarded and captured a soviet barge with a cargo of flour.
20 July 1918
Soviets reported that the gunboat Delo Sovetov clashed against 3 “White” ships claiming one was sunk. The event it’s unclear: she could have
attacked a boat of smugglers. However on these days, Czechs claimed that machine-guns fire against a convoy caused moderate damages on
the gunboat Milyutin, with 1 killed and 2 wounded. The event occurred on night and it’s unclear who attacked, on the Czech version of events
(if Delo Sovetov or ground forces).
22 July 1918
It’s also unclearly reported that the soviet gunboat Delo Sovetov was attacked by 3 Czech gunboats, hit, grounded and abandoned by crew:
the whole event lacks of details.
Last days of July 1918

On unknown day, the Czech gunboat Wolf captured the Soviet small tug Gorchitsa
1 August 1918
Inconclusive short skirmish between Soviet gunboats Bratstvo, Lev and Olga against Czech units.
5 August 1918
Engagement between the Czech gunboat Wolf against the Soviet gunboats Bratstvo, Lev and Olga and the armed boats Burlak and Belaya
Akatsiya . The two smaller units grounded (it appears accidentally) and have to be abandoned.
On ground, the Czechoslovak Legion capture the city of Kazan.
7 August 1918
Leon Trotsky personally depart from Moscow to reach the front: Soviets used a small number of old torpedo boats for the counter-offensive.
27 August 1918
Leon Trotsky personally led the old torpedo boat Prochnyy , sailing together Prytkiy and Retivyy.
Their mission was to bomb Kazan: both for tactical purpose and as propaganda coup (the personal participation of Trotsky aimed to rise the
moral).
The mission was successful and a barge full of fuel was hit and exploded.
During the action, the same Prochnyy had problems at weapons and engines and she was briefly immobilized: if Czechs were more organized,
they could have killed or captured the Leader of the Red Army, but Prochnyy restarted the engine and moved away.
Photo of Reshitelnyy, sister-ship of Prochnyy and Retivyy: despite being very old and obsolete torpedo boats (and without torpedo launchers),
they were still the faster ships and the more advanced in Volga river, and were a key factor of the soviet success.
Prytkiy was similar, but even older (entered in service in 1898: a single-ship and the first ever Russian torpedo boat).
30 August 1918
Torpedo boats Prochnyy, Prytkiy and Retivyy with gunboats Olenya, Olga and Lev accomplished another bombing operation against Kazan.
Prochnyy shelled and destroyed some small tugs and barges at the Verkhniy Uslon village. Olenya and Olga engaged artillery batteries and
Olga was damaged (3 wounded), was grounded and even suffered a ground attack from Czech infantry: however the Czechs were repulsed by
machine-gun fire.
Olenya managed to tow the Olga and brought her away.
Also Lev was accidentally rammed by Prochnyy causing mutual damages.
1 September 1918
A new shelling done by Prytkiy and Retivyy: some Czech gunboats opened fire from large distance. Gunboats Vanya, Dobryy and Olenya
joined the torpedo boats but in the end, the two torpedo boats took (moderate) damages only from enemy ground artillery. For the first time,
a soviet seaplane operated providing support mission.
5 September 1918
Soviet units once again attacked Kazan, but gunboats Dolphin and Tashkent were hit by ground artillery: the first unit was quickly sunk,
while the second one had to be towed away. Due these losses, also the other units (including Prytkiy and Retivyy) retreated. White seaplanes
attacked the ships but without effect.
Later, in afternoon, Prytkiy and the armed pontoon Sergei accomplished a bombing.
Other bombing operations from gunboats were done on 8 and 9 September.
7 September 1918
Whites were also retreating from Volks and there occurred a violent clash between the White small armed boats Sofiya, Groznyy, Chechenets,
Gorets, Moguchiy and Vandal against the Soviet ones Andrey Lyakhov, Mikhail Krutov, Svoboda, Revolyutsiya, Moskva and Kazanka and two
very small boats.
Only minor damages were caused on Moskva and Mikhail Krutov but the Whites retreated.
A following clash in the same place occurred on 12 September (with participation of the Soviet armed icebreaker Saratov): once again ended
with a White retreat and a White unidentified unit was damaged.
On 10 September 1918, while Soviet units moved close to Kazan (including torpedo boats Prytkiy and Retivyy) they found the city already
abandoned by Whites and Czechs. Enemy gunboats had been busy to bring away 650 millions of Czarist rubles to Samara, rather than
fighting the Soviets.
11 September 1918
An inconclusive engagement on long distance between Soviet and Czech units (the Czechs were retreating south). Were involved the Soviet
armed pontoon Sergei and the Czech armed pontoon Czechoslovakia.
14 September 1918
A small Soviet motorboat with mines (she was supposed to lay them) accidentally grounded and was abandoned. During that same day,
Soviets accomplished some landing operations.
25 September 1918
Soviet armed pontoon Sergei (4 guns of 102mm, 1 gun of 47mm, 2 of 37mm and 12 machine-guns) hit from long distance a White boat used
to carry troop from one side to the other of the river: the hit unit was grounded and lost.
28 September 1918
Two White ships attempted to prevent a landing operation but they were repulsed (with no damage on both sides) by Soviet units. It was
present the armed pontoon Sergei.
7 October 1918
Whites leave Samara: their gunboats are decommissioned, disarmed and abandoned.
The Campaign in Volga River of 1918 was directly followed by the Campaign in Kama River (tributary river of Volga).
04 Jul 2014, 09:42

1redItalian [+ ]
KAMA RIVER:
17 September 1918
At the entrance of river Kama, Soviet gunboat n°1 captured the tug Deyatel with 3 barges and the boat Luna. However while taking in tow
the Luna, n°1 was grounded after a trap made by the Whites (sunk barges full of stones), and was shelled by ground artillery. Soviets
abandoned the gunboat, suffering 1 killed, 1 wounded and 3 captured.
18 September 1918
Prolonged fight between the Soviet floating battery Ataman Razin and White units.
20 September 1918
Soviet gunboat n°7 escaped from White ships only thanks her speed. The next day the Soviet torpedo boats Prytkiy and Retivyy were
involved in inconclusive fight.
22 September 1918
Without enemy opposition, the Soviet gunboats Olga, Dobryi and the armed boat Peresvet, together the torpedo boats Prytkiy and Retivyy
made a raid at Chistpol, landing troops (were captured many barges and 3 small transports, but by troops).
23 September 1918
Prytkiy, Retivyy and gunboat Olga engaged White gunboats. An enemy armed boat was damaged, Prytkiy alone fired 150 shells, however
there are a number of failures.
25 September 1918
Short inconclusive fight between Soviet Ataman Razin and Prytkiy against enemy retreating ships.
28 September 1918
A new clash was repeated with the same units of 25/Sept, in addition to gunboats Dobryi, Tovarishch and n°2. It appears that the Whites
wanted to make a similar trap as the one of day 17/Sept, but the engagement was inconclusive, only Prytkiy had issues with her guns.
29 September 1918
Soviet ships advanced in the River: additionally to the ones engaged during the past days, was also involved the gunboat Vanya: there are a
number of clashes at high distances with the Whites, but all inconclusive. Torpedo boat Prytkiy was heavily engaged, but only the transport
Mezhen suffered the commander wounded.
1 October 1918
A famous event: soviet gunboats Vanya and Olga and the torpedo boats Prytkiy and Retivyy came under fire from enemy coastal artillery,
ground forces and (from distance) enemy ships (including the floating battery Chekhoslovak).
Olga suffered an hit, but it was Vanya that suffered worse: she was heavily damaged and the commander Markin ordered to abandon the
ship. 48 crewmember were saved while 30 were killed, however Markin wasn’t among the saved: he stayed behind, firing with a machine-gun
and covering the evacuation of the ship. Markin was killed by enemy fire, sacrificing his life to allow his men to be saved. Markin was
considered a martyr in the Soviet Navy, in the following years many ships will be named after him. Sometimes the Vanya is referred as
“Vanya Kommunist”, but the change of name, despite being planned, was not done before the loss.
Old soviet sources claimed also that a White ship was hit and destroyed but actually the Whites fired on higher distance.
Painting of Vanya, from hobbyport.ru
Another painting.
7 October 1918
After the loss of Vanya, the Soviets remained on defensive and laid a number of mines.
White gunboats advanced, led by the gunboat Orel (with 130mm guns).
However the Soviet mines managed to sunk the gunboat Trud.
After that, Prytkiy, Retivyy, Dobryy and Ataman Razin waited for the enemy but only 4 days later the floating battery Ataman Razin opened
fire against the enemy, without consequences.
Old soviet sources claim the sinking of the White gunboat “Milutin”, but the existence (and the loss) of such ship it’s not confirmed.
Photo of Trud, after being recovered post-war.
16 October 1918
Soviets receive reinforcement, including the gunboat Volga dobrovolets (that will be very active). On that same day, Soviet gunboats
intercepted and captured the White steamer-tug Alexey.
17 October 1918
Soviets accomplish a daring action: torpedo boats Prytkiy, Prochnyy and Retivyy sail until the enemy harbor of Golyany, with the White Navy's
flag, to deceive the enemy.
Intelligence had got news that the Whites were going to execute a large number of prisoners, and it was decided to attempt saving them.
Whites suspected nothing, because the prisoners were scheduled to be carried into the “barge of the death” and be moved in another location
to be shot and buried.
Prytkiy take control of the tug Rassvet to tow the “barge of the death”, while Retivyy’s sailors assured of the presence of the POWs.
While sailing away, the Whites suspected the deceive, and Rassvet attempted to flee just to be re-captured by the torpedo boats. The
“barge of the death” was approached and boarded by the just arrived Soviet gunboat Volga dobrovolets: Soviet sailors captured the guards
and freed the prisoners.
According two different sources, 432 or 522 prisoners, were set free: however in the barge were also found 30 bodies of prisoners that were
already been executed and transported alongside the living ones.
Photo of the very old torpedo boat Prytkiy when was under Czarist flag: she entered service in 1898! (first ever russian torpedo boat).
However she and her sisters were useful to Soviets in Volga and Kama rivers, Leon Trotzky was aboard the Prochnyy during a mission in
1918.
19 October 1918
Soviet gunboat Volga dobrovolets suffered damage due enemy ground artillery, with 1 killed and 5 wounded.
Between the end of October and beginning of November, Soviets captured the city of Golyany (with a number of shelling made by gunboats).
Whites defended only with ground artillery.
Due freezing of water, the operations were closed for December and early spring.
With the spring, there was an heavy ground offensive made by the White Admiral Kolchak.
During the end of April, Soviet gunboats made many shelling, with some success but wasting much ammunition.
1 May 1919
Soviet gunboat Pronzitelnyy accidentally rammed the gunboat Ilim that sunk, but was recovered on 12 June and repaired.
9 May 1919
Soviet gunboats Alexandr and Uchreditel captured in the tributary river Vyatka, a barge full with a cargo of 90tons of oil.
11 May 1919
Between river Kama and the tributary Vyatka, Soviet gunboat Lyubimets was sunk by enemy ground artillery. Recovered after the war just
to be scrapped.
14 May 1919
The first serious engagement in Kama River:
Soviet gunbaots Vanya Kommunist (flag-ship, named after the previously sunk Vanya), Avangard Revolyutsyi, Kuban and Volga dobrovolets
clashed against the White gunboat Grozyashchyi (armed with 75mm): Volga dobrovolets scored an hit and caused damage after 15 minutes of
battle.
However the White gunboat was saved by the arrival of the two British ship on this front: the gunboat Kent and the floating battery Suffolk,
even if this second engagement caused no damage.
Avangard Revolyutsyi had issues with the engine, and was forced to be towed, while 2 Soviet seaplanes attempted to attack the Suffolk, just
to be shot down (pilots executed).
Kent and Suffolk were the only British units active in this naval front.
Painting of Volga dobrovolets, from hobbyport.ru
21 May 1919
Soviet gunboat Tovarishch Markin (ex Dobryy ) accidentally rammed and sunk the smaller n°107 .
24 May 1919
Battle of Yelabuga
The most serious fight and only larger scale battle of this naval front.
There were 7 Soviet gunboats involved: Vanya Kommunist (named after the Vanya that was previously sunk), Avangard Revolyutsyi (ex-
Olga), Volga dobrovolets, Pamyat Volodarskogo, Terek, Roshal and Kuban.
There were also 7 enemy gunboats in addition to a floating battery, among them, the most powerful and manned by skilled sailors were the
British gunboat Kent (4 guns of 76mm) and the floating battery Suffolk (1 of 156mm).
Soviet units had the duty to engage the enemy to protect the ongoing landings aiming to capture the key city of Yelabuga.
The first stage of battle however turned bad for the Soviet: flagship Vanya Kommunist had issues to the guns and attempted to turn around,
such movement was misinterpreted as an order of retreat and the Soviet formation ended in chaos.
British and White gunfire took this opportunity: the Terek was strayed behind due engine troubles and was heavily hit and run aground.
Shortly after this, the Soviet attempted to pull back and the gunboat Roshal suffered the same fate of Terek, after being directly hit by
Kent’s fire.
At this point the British-White formation attempted to chase the Soviets, but gunship Kuban (sister-ship of Terek), managed to hit the White
gunboat Gordom that was left helpless and with guns out of order. The British gunboat Kent was forced to stop the chasing and to cover the
damaged Gordom with smoke-screen.
Kent and Suffolk had been the key of the enemy success: Kent fired 288 shells, while Suffolk fired 42, both reported minimal damages due
splinters, suffering 2 killed and 8 wounded.
The battle itself had a mixed result: it was clearly a British-White tactical victory due the losses inflicted and Soviet retreat during the first
phase, however the Soviets successfully prevented the further enemy advance and saved the landing operations, during the second phase,
scoring a strategic success.
Soviet landing operations suffered only the loss of transport Alexander, due enemy ground artillery.
The landing caused the liberation of Yelabuga after 1 day of fighting, thus allowing a fast Soviet ground advance and the collapse of the
White front.
Whites managed to recover the wreck of Terek after 10 days, but they were forced to scuttle her alongside their whole flotilla.
Photo of Roshal, after being recovered post-war.
27 May 1919
An inconclusive fight between the Soviet gunboat Trotsky and two White ships, that retreated.
A second inconclusive fight occurred the following day.
2 June 1919
While the White flotilla was retreating, the gunboat Statnyi was hit and sunk by Soviet ground artillery, while Skoryi was hit and grounded
but was saved and towed away.
Most of the White flotilla was scuttled at the end of June to prevent the capture.
12 Sep 2014, 10:26

1redItalian [+ ]
DNIEPR RIVER:
In March 1919 bands of the Green Army captured a number of boats and ships (mostly unarmed) in Dniepr river. There are not many details,
but it’s probable that such ships were captured by armed gangs on shore or in small harbors, without ship vs ship actions.
On April 1919, Soviet armed ships and patrol boats made a number of operations against the Green Army positions, landing troops and
bombing. However the Greens made no actual naval opposition and the ground artillery reaction was usually weak. On rare occasions, they
used some of the previously captured ships to move away. During the operations, the Soviet armed paddle steamer Samuel was damaged by
Green artillery.
The beginning of May 1919, saw the soviets liberate Chernobyl from the Greens.
In mid-June 1919, the Soviets renewed their offensive against Greens and all the other bands operative in the region.
26 June 1919
While engaged in an attack against the village of Khalepye, the soviet patrol boat n°3 and the steamer Vladimir Krakht, captured the two
Green steamers Dneprovets and Sanitarnyy (they were two former soviet ships, probably captured in March). The Greens left the village,
while the Soviets lost 3 killed and 2 wounded during the landing.
By the time of the last actions against the Green Army, new enemies surfaced on Dniepr rivers: the Poles and the Whites of Denikin.
27 June 1919
Soviet armed paddle steamer Arnold and patrol boats n°2 and n°5 managed to destroy important bridges at Osobovichi village, because the
Poles were advancing.
29 July 1919
Soviet armed paddle steamers Kuryer, Traktomirov and Dr. Max Mandelstam (this ship was armed with 2 guns of 107mm, while most of the
ships of this naval campaign, at this time had at the best only 76mm) supported an offensive against locations hold by Greens: during the
actions were re-captured the ships Zeus and Charlotte (the former one (that has been captured by Anarchists in 29 June) was seized with
full cargo: military documents of the Greens, four machine guns and other weapons, four pounds of silver, uniforms and supplies).
28 August 1919
The Whites of General Denikin captured Kiev. A number of ships (abandoned or civilians) were captured and integrated by the Whites. Soviet
warships retreated north, without engaging the enemy
On unclear date, during the retreat, the soviet lost the armed paddle steamer Kuryer: she has been cut out from the retreat and the crew
blown her up to prevent capture.
In September 1919 the Soviets made big changes in leadership into the Dniepr flotilla, dispatching new and better prepared commanders: the
same flotilla ceased to be independent and many of the warships were re-named, re-armed and re-classified as heavy gunboats (with up to 2
guns of 130mm) and light gunboats (up to 4 guns of 76mm) and other ships were integrated.
2 October 1919
Battle of Pechek
The largest and main engagement of this front: Whites dispatched a group of warships from Kiev with the purpose to hunt and destroy soviet
warships and also to land troops. The Whites sent the gunboats Dobrovolets, Bogatyr (former Venera), the armed barge Bolinder (not the
famous Bolinder-class of Black Sea: she got the same name for similar purposes), with a gun of 152mm, the steamer Kremenchug and two
small boats.
The Whites were going to land troops at Pechek when the three soviet gunboats Grozyashchiy, Gnevnyy and Geroyskiy (flag-ship) noticed the
enemy action.
The three soviet gunboats sailed straight to the enemy, opening fire, and an artillery battle erupted.
Grozyashchiy scored a direct hit on the Bolinder, that was damaged, and the White group started to retreat: Geroyskiy pressed on the attack
and the Dobrovolets was grounded and the soviet gunboat focused artillery and machine-gun fire on her.
The Whites abandoned the Dobrovolets while Geroyskiy managed to seize her.
With incoming darkness, Grozyashchiy and Gnevnyy did not keep on the chasing to fear of grounding and few horus later the soviets
managed to move away the Dobrovolets.
The prize will be renamed Gubitelnyy and joined the Flotilla.
During the whole action the Soviets suffered no damage or casualties.
Unknown the White human losses (there are no White records survived of this battle. The only clear detail it’s that the Soviets overestimated
the result achieved: they believed 2 enemy warships were sunk apart the capture of Dobrovlets).
The armed barge damaged appears to have been named “K-5” or “K-7”: two identical barges were named both “Bolinder” after the Bolinder-
class in Black Sea (but they were not of the same class!), it’s not known which of the two ships took part at the battle)
5 October 1919
Soviet gunboats attempted an attack toward Kiev, but they pulled back quickly, mostly because the ground offensive was failing.
11 October 1919
Whites capture Chenihiv. At least 9 ships are integrated by the Whites.
14 October 1919
Another failed Soviet offensive toward Kiev and once again the gunboats didn’t engage for long time the enemy coastal positions.
Two soviets operations at the mouth of the Desna river (including a mine-laying action) were proposed but not made due fear of strong
enemy presence.
With the incoming of winter and ice on the river, naval actions were ended.
In November, with a short and sudden rising of temperature, the Whites managed to evacuate most of their ships (the smaller ones) from
river on train. However some of them opened fire against Soviet advancing troops in Kiev, and the armed barge Bolinder (“K-5”) was sunk
by her own accidental gunfire (possibly cracks caused by excessive use and the recoil of the 152mm guns).
16 December 1919
Soviet troops take Kiev.
With the liberation of Kiev, the Soviets captured there a number of White warships that were not evacuated.
25 April 1920.
Heavy offensive of the Poles.
On Pripyat, the Poles seized a number of abandoned vessels.
27 April 1920
The soviet gunboat Gubitelnyy (former Dobrovolets) while covering the evacuation from Chernobyl, was hit and sunk by Polish ground
artillery fire. She will be recovered after the end of the war.
28 April 1920
The Polish tender ship T-2 was captured and seized while on travel with a cargo of ammunition by Soviet patrol boats (unclear which ones).
She was previously the Soviet steamer Voron, and has been captured three days before in Pripyat by Polish troops. The ship will be returned
to the former name Voron.
During Polish offensive, soviet gunboats made a number of bombing action but could not prevent enemy attacks (there was sporadic ground
artillery fire against them).
Captured vessels, were not used by Poles to clash against the remaining Soviet ones.
As the Poles were advancing to Kiev, the Flotilla had to choose the direction of evacuation. Even if moving to south posed the problem of
being closer to the White general Wrangler, the Flotilla commander Smirnov decided to split the Flotilla and move the ships both on north
and south (probably to reduce the risk of losing all the ships).
Once Kiev was captured, the Poles captured 18 abandoned vessels.
In the northern section of the Dniepr, Soviet warships made some successful bombing at Loyev.
Later the ships managed to accomplish a breakthrough at Loyev bridges: despite heavy enemy shore defense, the operation was successful
and the soviet ships passed the strict point, with only the loss of the gunboat Metkiy (she run aground and got the paddles broken, was
abandoned and later shelled by Polish fire).
The gunboat Molodetskiy was grounded but was quickly helped and saved by the tug Vernyy.
Also the gunboat Malyy received a dud shell but without effects.
The whole operation was accomplished with just a wounded (on gunboat Mstitelnyy).
Painting of the breakthrough.
Some of the minesweepers that took part in the Breakthrough at Loyev, laid mines at Pripyat: Poles forced local civilians to clean the fields
with their fishing trawlers. Such mines caused no known losses to the enemy.
At Svaromy, Soviet sailors learned of war crimes committed by Poles: wounded soldiers of the 63rd Regiment and civilians that previously
ferried soviet troops with their boats, were all thrown in the river and shot by Poles or drown.
17 May 1920
In the southern section of the Dniepr, soviet gunboats supported a successful landing that took the city of Kanev. The enemies of this battle
weren’t the Poles, but an unaffiliated Ukrainian communist group (the “Borotbists”) that at the time collaborated with the Poles.
22 May 1920
In the southern section of the Dniepr, during an action of supporting landing operation, the soviet gunboats Gubitelnyy and Grozyashchiy
shortly faced a Polish gunboat that was landing troops at Rzhyshchiv: they managed to chase away the opponent, but at some point
abandoned the chasing in fear of enemy shore batteries.
Rzhyshchiv was secured by Soviet forces.
23 May 1920
Soviet ships had to compete the sweeping of the same mines laid previously at Pripyat: during such operations a mine accidentally exploded
and destroyed the small minesweeper Mina.
25 May 1920
In the southern section of the Dniepr, Poles made a counter-attack toward Rzhyshchiv. Also aircrafts launched bombs at soviet ships (no hits),
and Polish gunboats opened fire from distance.
The gunboat Grozyashchiy suffered 2 hits by artillery (or less probably gunboat’s fire).
Also the gunboat Moguchiy suffered 2 hits (by artillery fire) with several wounded, but managed to retreat when the crew had to manually
move the blades after big efforts and under enemy fire.
The soviet garrison was defeated, but 200 surviving men managed to retreat to Perejaslav and the gunboat Gubitelnyy directly followed them
and supported them with gunfire to chase away the enemies.
On 27 May 1920, the Soviets re-captured a defenseless Rzhyshchiv, but they were once again driven off by a Polish counter-attack.
3 June 1920
In the northern section of the Dniepr, first Polish aerial attack against soviet warships, attempting to prevent the ferrying of troops at Pechek.
The bombing caused 10 killed and 60 wounded and 6 horses killed among ground forces, and 6 sailors were wounded, but the large operation
wasn’t stopped.
5 June 1920
In the northern section of the Dniepr, still attempting to prevent the crossing of the river at Pechek, the Poles deployed for the first time their
gunboats in addition to aircraft and ground force.
Soviet gunboat Mstitelnyy (2 guns of 130mm) shelled the Polish ground artillery while Malyy (4 guns of 76mm) shelled the enemy advancing
infantry. Both the gunboats opened fire for hours and shot thousands of shells (with columns of men supplying ammunition one-by-one, from
ground).
The Polish infantry retreated after serious losses.
Polish aircrafts achieved no success.
Two Polish gunboats attacked Soviet ground forces, but as soon as the gunboat Geroyskiy opened fire against them, they retreated.
On that same day, but in the southern section of the Dniepr, Polish aircrafts managed to damage the Soviet gunboat Moguchiy at first with a
direct bomb hit, causing 4 killed and 14 wounded, and later with a second miss that caused splinters and killed another sailor, wounding other
8.
6 June 1920
In the northern section of the Dniepr, soviet gunboats Mstitelnyy, Zapal, Malyy and Tral supported further crossing operations: they
successfully shelled Polish positions and ground batteries.
A Polish gunboat appeared, but after a short skirmish, she retreated.
After such actions in northern section of the Dniepr, Polish forces retreated from the banks of the Dniepr: a counter-attack attempt on 9 June
at Irpen failed (also on Irpen the Soviet gunboats accomplished successful bombing actions).
10 June 1920.
In the southern section of the Dniepr, Soviet gunboat Gubitelnyy during an observation mission, received gunfire from a Polish gunboat.
10-11 June 1920.

Poles scuttled many of their ships in Kiev.
12 June 1920.
In the southern section of the Dniepr, Soviet gunboat Gubitelnyy (soon followed by other ships) was the first soviet ship to re-enter into the
Kiev harbor, while the Poles were leaving the city.
There was no clash between them and Polish units.
27 June 1920
A successful Soviet landing operation was achieved at Mozyr. During the night, soviet gunboats directly prevented the capture of landed
scouts firing against a group of Poles that was attempting to capture them, one soviet scout was wounded but all returned.
After this date, the Poles attempted a number of time to re-capture Mozyr but the support of the Soviet gunboats was decisive to prevent
these attempts.
29 June 1920
Once again in Mozyr, the Soviet gunboats Gubitelnyy and Groznyy at first damaged a Polish armored train not far from the shore, later they
hit a steamer standing at the pier.
The steamer was abandoned while under Soviet fire: it was also the headquarters for the officers of the Polish 9th Infantry Division. However
the Poles managed to successfully obstruct a channel and blew up a railway bridge.
The following day however, soviet minesweeper managed to clean the passage.
1 July 1920
A surprise attack was achieved by Soviet gunboats Moshchnyy, Gubitelnyy, Groznyy, patrol boat Tral and tender-ship Pinks (when the Polish
still believed the passage to be obstructed) with a landing party of 80 men. The ships had a white flag and on the deck were put men able to
speak in Polish to deceive the enemy. They attacked Novosyolki (due shallow waters they could not proceed more) and was captured lots of
precious material: documents of the 34th Regiment of Poznan, a group of 30 military horses, machine guns, rifles and canned food.
The Polish forces had been took by surprise and by the time they organized a reaction, the Soviets were already retreating.
Further Polish shelling from other locations caused no damage on the Soviet units, and the gunboat Moshchnyy scored a 130mm direct hit on
an enemy armored train.
2 July 1920
As soon as soviet warships sailed at Mozyr, Poles fully retreated (they even left behind ammunition).
These were the last actions in the Dniepr river: soviet gunboats made also some other bombing operations in the second half of 1920 against
White irregulars.
19 Dec 2014, 10:13

1redItalian [+ ]
DANUBE RIVER
27 January 1918
Soviet sources claim Romanian mutiny among sailors: a clash between soviet and Romanian units ended because of this, according the
Soviets. There is lack of known details.
9 February 1918
Battle of Valcov
Soviet forces manage to prevent the conquering of Valcov, repelling Romanian ground force and naval units. Soviets had the armed
pontoons: K-1, K-2, K-3, K-7, K-8, K-13, K-14 and K-15, the gunboats Teretz, Donetsk, Kubanetz, the command-ship Provornyi.
Romanians sent in battle the monitors Ioan C. Bratianu, Lascar Catargiu, Alexandru Lachovari and Mihail Kogalniceanu.
Ioan C. Bratianu fired against K-15, but suffered a direct hit herself and retreated together Catargiu, while also Lachovari and Kogalniceanu
retreated after an intense gunfight (Lachovari focused her fire on Teretz).
Soviets had suffered damages on K-1 and K-3.
Soviets could achieve a tactical victory, because prevented the Romanian offensive on 10 February, but the general effects were short-lived.
Ioan C. Bratianu
14 February 1918
Soviet gunboat Donetsk was damaged and grounded by Romanian shore artillery.
Because of the Romanian ground offensive, Soviets abandoned Valcov between 14 and 15 February.
15 February 1918
Soviet tug Kilgis was grounded and destroyed after an attack by Romanian patrol boats n°4 and
n°5. This was the last notable action on Danube river.
06 Jan 2015, 21:42

Kirov [+ ]
I just want to say thanks to 1reditalian for being the only one keeping this whole subforum afloat (heh).
"Bleh, i don't even know what i'm arguing for. What a stupid rant. Disregard what i wrote." - Loz
"Every time is gyros time" - Stalinista
09 Jan 2015, 11:10

1redItalian [+ ]
Kirov wrote:
I just want to say thanks to 1reditalian for being the only one keeping this whole subforum afloat (heh).
Thanks! It's just an hobby for me ^^ I suggest you also to check back the previous pages, because most got updates.
Also i'm ever eager to chat on private messages and reply to questions, comments etc...
21 Jul 2015, 01:53

omnimercurial [+ ]
Don't have time to read right now but I will later because this is damn impressive.
"A shiny bauble from Capitalism is worthless when the cost is Children & the Elderly going hungry, The Infirm & Sick dying because of Greed & Education reduced to a token few to
placate the masses with Illusions of freedom."
21 Jul 2015, 15:11

1redItalian [+ ]
Thanks! Just to say it's some days I am working to complete the part for the Black Sea.
(PS: for everyone, don't be shy to leave a comment or further questions on this or other pages in the Fleet folder).
23 Aug 2015, 13:11

1redItalian [+ ]
Added some paintings.
For the readers: comments, questions, suggestions or grammar corrections are extremely welcome! Thanks ^^
Next part: battles in Black Sea.
06 Sep 2015, 17:42

Yeqon [+ ]
I just finished reading the first post about the battles in the Baltic Sea.
Fantastic work Comrade Admiral. I love the way you highlight with blue and red colors to identify between the Reds and the Whites; even
better when you emphasize sunken and lost ships in bold characters to distinguish them from damaged boats.
With all those beautiful images the whole thing read almost like a novel, and my favorite part was about the Defense of Kronstadt. The Reds
really handed it to them!
It was a lot of fun. I always imagined myself to have served in the Navy were I required to join the military, specifically in a submarine.
I'm perfectly fine with working in claustrophobic conditions for months on end, and growing up as a child on an island in the Atlantic has
familiarized me with the raging waters.
I'm going to read one post every day now. I can't wait till I get to the Dniepr River post. I've swum in and sailed that river many times.
My laws shall act more pleasure than command,

And with my prick I'll govern all the land.
07 Sep 2015, 09:37

1redItalian [+ ]
Yeqon wrote:
I just finished reading the first post about the battles in the Baltic Sea.
Fantastic work Comrade Admiral. I love the way you ....
SELF-EDIT (to avoid long replies here, I will wrote in private messages)
07 Nov 2015, 16:33

1redItalian [+ ]
BLACK SEA
Note: Data concerning the battles in Black Sea are extremely poor, the following list probably lacks some events.
3 March 1918
Brest-Litovsk Treaty.
29 April 1918
Soviet destroyer Gnevnyy was hit by German field batteries close Sevastopol, damaged and grounded. Other Soviet ships (including
battleships Volya and Svobodnaya Rossiya) left the harbor; they did not engage the Germans.
6/7 June 1918

Soviet landing operations at Taganrog in attempt to make a offensive against German and Turkish forces: Turkish cruisers Hamidiye and
Mecidiye made a shelling against Soviet ground targets.
11 June 1918
Soviet coastal artillery (just two guns), opened fire on enemy ships and one hit was reported to have been scored on the Turkish cruiser
Mecidiye (wrongly believed to be a destroyer).
Some minor soviet warships sailed to meet the enemy: the minesweeper Adolf (armed with 120mm), the tender Yastreb, and the two
Bolinder-class armed barges n°2 and n°4 (both armed with guns of 150mm).
These ships managed to capture a German gunboat/patrol boat (the former Russian merchant Afanasiy, rearmed by Germans with a single
120mm): the captured ship was brought to Yeisk. A second German gunboat/patrol boat fled from the action.
NOTE: According a different Soviet source, the capture of the German boat occurred on 13 June.
NOTE: A number of online sources describe an engagement with Turkish cruisers (including the cruiser Yavuz Sultam Selim) against larger
Soviet ships: such accounts, uploaded on some Russian forums, are fictional. No Soviet major warship (destroyer, cruiser or battleship)
engaged the Turkish or Germans on sea.
The Soviet minesweeper Ayu-Dag (armed with guns of 76mm), shelled German forces close the shore, with help from one of the Bolinder
barges.
13 June 1918
Soviet minesweeper Ayu-Dag was damaged by German coastal artillery: the captain was killed.
Soviet ships also re-embarked troops, to leave their position due heavy German counter-attack.
14 June 1918
The Soviet military operation in Taman peninsula was over. Lack of experience in amphibious landing and lack of naval support were a serious
shortcoming for the Soviets: the campaign ended with very heavy human losses (estimates of 6000 soviets killed, for only 700 Germans
killed). Only 2500 Soviet soldiers were saved.
Between 18 and 19 June 1918, by orders of Lenin, the main warships of the Black Sea fleet were scuttled (including the battleship
Svobodnaya Rossiya) to prevent the capture.
15 December 1918
Sailors on the Bulgarian small auxiliary cruiser Nadezhda in Sevastopol committed a mutiny installing a revolutionary committee demanding
not to fight the Soviets and return home (once in Varna, the sailors were all arrested). They abandoned the ship.
19 - 22 April 1919
Mutiny of sailors on the French the battleships "Jean Bart" and "France", after refusing to shell Sevastopol. The next days the ships raised red
flags, demanding to not fight the Soviets and wanting to return home.
Other mutinies occurred and red flags were lifted on the battleships "Justice", "Mirabeu" and "Vergniaud".
Sailors of the "Vergniaud" took part into a pro-soviet rally and six of them were shot and killed by anti-communist Greek sailors: crew of the
"Vergniaud" wanted to attack the Greek cruiser Kilkis for revenge, but such action was not done.
Eventually battleship "France " left on 23 April.
Another mutiny occurred on cruiser "Waldeck-Rosseau" on 26-29 April in Odessa.
Other mutinies occurred in Mediterranean, on the battleships "Provence" (at Tolone, with lifting of Red Flags), "Voltaire”, “Diderot”, on the
cruiser "Guichen"," and on the gunboat "Touareg". Crew of "Provence" and "Voltaire" acted also to prevent further French operations.
Such mutinies scored some success, especially for their political impact, however the French Navy was active the following year in confronting
the Soviets in Black Sea: obviously with different sailors.
12 May 1919
British destroyers Parthian and Forester shelled Genichesk, with an unclear number of small ships and boats in the harbor destroyed or
damaged by the fire.
A Soviet battery shelled and sunk a motorboat of the Parthian.
22 June 1919
Close Genichesk, the White motor-schooner Pericles was going to land troops (she carried 80 men), but due heavy rain, the ship landed
extremely close to a train station that was nearby the quay.
Just after she landed the troops, the two Soviet armed trains n°4 and n°85 opened fire and hit the Pericles, killing the captain and other 3
sailors: the grounded ship was lost.
? 1919
On unclear date, the French submarine-hunter C-40 (sometimes said CH-40) was sunk by mine close Odessa. It was originally an American
ship (SC174). After the war, the Soviets recovered her and used her as SK-14. There are few data regarding this boat.
Late April 1920

The White destroyer Zharkiy while attempting to penetrate the Dieper-Bug estuary, was briefly faced by a soviet floating battery and it seems
she suffered an hit.
3 May 1920
One of the most interesting naval engagements of the Civil War.
The French Sloop Scarpe faced into a ship-vs-ship battle the Soviet armed pontoon n°1 Krasnaya Zarya (armed with 1 gun of 130mm and 2
guns of 102mm) under command of J.P. Chernyshev: despite being larger, the sloop was armed with 4 guns of 100mm, and after a brief fight
the French ship surrendered.
Such engagement resulted in the capture of the Scarpe, it was the most ever successful result achieved by a Soviet warship in a direct
artillery engagement with an enemy ship, because the Scarpe was the largest and most powerful enemy ship to be fully defeated (sunk or
captured) by Soviet surface action after a gunfire battle.
Photo of sloop Ancre, sister-ship of Scarpe (even if Scarpe had a

slightly different bow: clipper rather than straight).
The Scarpe was returned to French after the war. Her technical data were 76.2 meters of length, 602tons of displacement, 107 crewmembers;
weapons consisted in 4 guns of 100mm, 1 gun of 65mm and depth charges.
17 June 1920
A heavy accident occurred when the British tanker Lady Thea (1814 GRT) while loading kerosene in Batumi, suffered a fire. To prevent a
catastropher, the ship was shelled and sunk by the British destroyer Swallow.
July 1920
Soviet begun mine-laying operations south Odessa, and mainly close the Dniepr-Bug estuary.
Such operations were made on night, and they were not delayed or interrupted by the enemy forces: during the whole campaign, up to 1000
mines were laid.
Usually western sources of the time believed losses due mine were caused by older fields, being unaware of the new ones.
21 July 1920
The Italian leader destroyer Carlo Alberto Racchia was sunk on mines. The warship was escorting a convoy carrying former Russian
prisoners of war (according a Italian source, they were supposed to be sent to the Soviet themselves, but this make little sense considering
Italy was part of the international coalition fighting against the Soviets: it is more likely they were going to be sent to the Whites).
From 1 July to 5 November, White ships shelled Soviet ground targets in Ochakov and Dnieper-Bug estuary area.
Particularly heavy was the shelling between 3 and 8 August: there was reaction from Soviet ground artillery, but without clear result.
Some sabotages were reported in the White Fleet, made by pro-soviet sailors.
12 November 1920
British destroyer Tobago was destroyed by mines: ship did not sunk, but could not be repaired and Tobago was scrapped on 1922.
9 January 1921
The French Navy achieved revenge for the loss of Scarpe.
The Soviet gunboat (actually a multipurpose ship) Elpidifor n°415 was just returning after having laid a field of mines when she was
intercepted close Anapa by French destroyers Sakalave and Seneglais. The difference in weapons and speed was too much (gunboat was
officially armed with 3 guns of 130mm, but it appears that before the battle two of them were removed), after being hit the ship was
grounded and lost (wreck was scrapped on 1922). Up to 70 soviet sailors were killed or wounded.
Photo of sister-ship Elpidifor n°413
In November 1920, the Soviet submarine Trotsky was the first Soviet submarine to start operate in Black Sea.
27 February 1921.
Soviet submarine Trotsky launched the first and only torpedo attack against a French destroyer in Georgian waters; the target was not hit
probably due excessive distance.
21 July 1921
Soviet submarine Trotsky made her third mission, with a specific target: she intercepted the defecting ship Sawa (it appears that some of the
leaders were former political commissars who committed robberies, and they were possibly seeking refuge sailing to the Whites): the ship
refused to surrender and it started a surface gunfire battle, lasted 2 hours. The soviet submarine scored hits with the 47mm gun and the ship
Sawa (? GRT) was sunk with most of crew, except four men who were recovered alive from sea.
2 August 1921
Soviet submarine Trotsky made her fourth mission: this time she intercepted and seized the White transport ship Afanasiy Feofany (482
GRT). The ship had raised French flag in an attempt to receive protection and flee from the Black Sea.
On that same day, also the submarine Lunacharsky made her first mission, and after having sailed together submarine Trotsky, she seized
the White transport ship Energiya (664 GRT)
Details are poor, but both ships were seized in Romanian waters, and it appears (according Soviet claims) that some of the crewmembers
wanted to defect (or surrender) to the Soviets and clashed onboard with their officers.
10 Dec 2015, 17:58

1redItalian [+ ]
ARCTIC AND NORTHERN DVINA RIVER

Note: despite presence of sources from both sides, some fights still lack of clear description.
14 July 1918
Soviet protected cruiser Askold (manned by few sailor) was forced to surrender once the Allied forces moved to the offensive in the north.
There was no opposition and no seizure achieved by an enemy military warship. The cruiser would be later offered to be returned in 1922 but
eventually scrapped due old age.
1 August 1918
British offensive toward Archangelsk.
Seaplanes from the aircraft carrier Nairana bombed the Soviet fort in Modyuski island. The carrier was assisted by the light cruiser Attentive.
During a shelling between a fort and the cruiser, the Attentive suffered one hit with few light casualties (wounded), (Soviets claimed 3 hits);
the fort’s defenders suffered 8 killed and 3 wounded.
The defense however could not prevent the occupation of Archangelsk.
The two main soviet ships were the armed icebreakers Svyatogor and Mikula Selyaninovich: both were scuttled by own crew to evade
capture.
2 August 1918
British light cruiser Attentive captured the soviet yacht Gorislava.
On the same day a pro-White uprising in the city of Archangelsk was fought by the Red Army but could not be suppressed especially in light
of the Allied landing.
White rebels took possession of the icebreaker Prince Pozharsky and armed her with 3-inch field guns: she opened fire with and sunk the
minesweeper T-15 while the tug Ob managed to escape into the Dvina river (western sources usually wrongly claim the minesweeper was
sunk by British guns).
10 August 1918
The first engagement occurred close Bereznitsky. Four gunboats led by P.F.Vinogradov, engaged an enemy ship (probably a small monitor):
they were Murman, Moguchyi, Lyubimets and Uchreditel. Soviet sources claim the target was grounded and heavily damaged, but British
reported no loss or damage.
18 August 1918
A naval clash involved the Soviet gunboats Bogatyr, Feniks and Moguchiy against two British monitors: the first ship suffered three hits.
British sources did not reported the clash (probably believed to be an insignificant skirmish).
28 August 1918
An unclear clash saw the British claiming the sinking of a Soviet gunboat but actually, none was lost or even damaged.
British small monitor M-25 was hit and damaged during the fight suffering 4 sailors killed and 7 wounded.
Soviet sources did not reported the clash, because probably did not realized to have hit an enemy ship.
Despite having a similar date (18 August and 28 August), there are little chances that the two clashes were actually the same one: both
Soviet and British source give an accurate date.
8 September 1918
During a ground battle was killed the commander of the fleet, Pavlov F. Vinogradov.
14 September 1918
During a clash against British monitors, the Soviets suffered the loss of gunboat Moguchiy: sunk in battle with the death of 18 sailors, 5
escaped and 7 captured. Gunboat Bogatyr made a following skirmish with the enemy.
16 September 1918
The soviet minelayer Kotlas laid the first field of mines.
On the same day the Soviet ship Dedushka (that was carrying supplies) was sunk by the enemy: unclear, but probably from ground artillery.
12 November 1918
The soviet gunboat Pavlov Vinogradov, (former Murman and re-named after the commander of the flotilla, who died previously in action) was
attacked and damaged by enemy seaplanes; however one of the planes was brought down by machine gun fire from the ship.
During these days, before 14 November, a second enemy airplane was shot down and what was described as an enemy floating battery was
sunk by Soviet gunboats. It was probably a raft carrying guns that was manned by Whites.
1 May 1919
First bombing operation by soviet gunboats, but with little results. During the operation the gunboat Pavlov Vinogradov suffered troubles.
6 May 1919
Soviet minelayer Sverdlov laid a field of mines.
11 May 1919
A potential devastating accident was avoided on the Soviet floating battery n°2 Kronstadt when a fire was close to ignite the depot of 300
armed shells.
The fire was extinguished just in time.
18 May 1919
Allied offensive toward the Soviet positions in Tulgas, with Soviet retreat (30 prisoners, no enemy casualties).
It occurred also a clash between Soviet gunboats and British units: British claimed that a Soviet gunboat suffered one hit.
Actually it was hit the tug Arngold that was towing the floating battery n°1 Moskwa: two shells damaged the right paddle wheel.
Soviet sources claimed two enemy ships hit in battle, but British sources reported no damage.
19 May 1919
Battle of Troitsa
Further British attack between Topsa and Troitsa brought to the first large-size battle of the campaign.
The British force was composed by the large gunboats Cockchafer and Glowworm and the small monitors M-27 and M-33.
Despite claim by some sources, the powerful monitor Humber had yet to reach the front.
They claimed the destruction of a Soviet floating battery, however the Soviet sources clearly describe how it was a raid of four British aircraft
that caused a direct hit on the floating battery n°5 Kansk that was mortally damaged and then grounded and scuttled (however there were
no casualties). Almost all the other ships of the soviet flotilla suffered damages: gunboat Karl Liebknecht suffered gun failure, while gunboats
Rosa Luxemburg, Kommunist, Volodarsky (only shrapnel), and Uritsky suffered damages of moderate proportion. The two tugs Arngold and
Chastnik suffered no damage like the floating batteries n°1 Moskwa, n°4 Turkestan, while n°6 Vengriya had guns failure. The result was a full
British victory; combined with ground advance, caused by the superior gun power, command and training.
Soviet sources wrongly claim a hit on M-33.
20 May 1919
Before leaving the area after the previous defeat, the Soviets laid mines.
24 June 1919
The British Navy suffer the first loss when the minesweeper Sword Dance was hit and sunk by one of the Soviet mines (one killed).
Photo of the minesweeper after being hit by mine.
2 July 1919
One floating mine was close to approach a British hospital barge. A skiff manned by four men quickly attempted to defuse it: the mine
exploded, destroying the skiff and killing the British sailors.
3 July 1919
British minesweeper Fandango (sister-ship of Sword Dance) suffered the same fate of her sister, being lost on mine (eight killed).
8 July 1919
Battle of Selmenga
Soviet forces attempted a counter-offensive: ships on both sides were involved once again in support.
This time the Soviets made a more skilled use of the floating batteries: it is poorly described in Soviet sources, but it is probable that n°1
Moskwa, n°4 Turkestan were the most active in battle, with close support of gunboats.
The British small monitor M-33 suffered a direct hit but without casualties and kept on fighting, alongside M-27 that was very active.
Also the larger gunboat Cicala, was engaged but when she suffered gun failures she was replaced by Cricket: this second ship after briefly
engaging soviet soldiers armed with machineguns, suffered a direct hit under the waterline and was forced to retreat to prevent sinking.
Eventually only the arrival of the powerful monitor Humber, leading M-27, M-31 and M-33, brought the fight to an end.
This time the result was a moderate Soviet tactical success (suffering no damage while damaging British units), but could not prevent the
failure of the soviet counter-offensive.
Additionally, a mutiny occurred on Cicala with crew refusing to engage in battle: five sailors were sentenced to death but later commuted to
five years of prison.
Photo of HMS Humber. The Soviet units

quickly retreat without engaging such enemy: she was part of a class of three ships ordered by the Brazilian Navy for use in the Amazon River
but eventually bought by the Royal Navy. With weapons including a turret armed with two guns of 150mm, they proved capable during the
WWI to engage and defeat the German cruiser Königsberg during the Battle of Rufiji Delta in 1915.
During the evening of 8 July, White forces made a counter-attack but it failed despite continuing support of British units.
10 July 1919
Allied forces achieve more success until reaching Borok (on the right bank) and Puchenga (on the left bank)
Soviet suffered many prisoners, also British claim the sinking of a Soviet gunboat, but this loss was not reported by the Soviet.
14 July 1919
An enemy seaplane was shot down by the Soviet ship Nekrasov: both pilots were captured, the seaplane was inspected and a Lewis machine-
guns and rockets were retrieved intact.
18 July 1919
Mutinies among White forces at Chinova, joining the Soviets.
22 July 1919
Mutinies among White forces close Onega Lake, joining the Soviets.
6 August 1919
British large gunboat Cicala was damaged by mine, but she was quickly repaired.
Photo of HMS Cicala
10 August 1919
Further Allied advances, with direct support of British units, led by the powerful monitor Humber, followed by gunboat Cicala, and small
monitors M-27, M-31 and M-33.
British units opened fire against Soviet ones, without scoring hits or receiving effective reply.
11 August 1919
The tug Archangel was sunk by a mine while on minesweeping duty, a British officer was killed. It is unclear but probably she was a White
ship under British command.
14 August 1919
Soviet patrol boat Skorpion was sunk during an operation against enemy ground forces by fire from ground batteries.
25 August 1919
The British large gunboat Glowworn suffered heavy damage due explosion of a nearby small barge full of ammunition. 20 British sailors were
killed, including the commander, and other were wounded. British sources state it could have been both an accident or a deliberate sabotage.
3 September 1919
It begun the soviet ground counter-offensive, with support of naval units.
16 September 1919
British small monitors M-25 and M-27 were grounded due low-level of water in Dvina river, and could not be recovered in time due the
Soviet advance: both were destroyed by British to prevent capture.
Photo of M-27
23 September 1919
With the reversal in roles of advance on the riverine front, it was now the time for the British to lay mine before retreating and for the
Soviets to suffer some losses.
The first soviet victim was the minesweeper Belogor.
24 September 1919
In the same area of Belogor’s loss, were lost due mine also the minesweepers Posylnyy and Udachnyy.
14 October 1919
Last bombing operation made by Soviet floating batteries against ground targets without opposition, and last riverine action of the front.
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Soviet Naval Battles During Civil War

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02 Aug 2013, 18:06

BALTIC SEA Warhammer 40k small

Big box of Warhammer

Warhammer 40k games

Painting of the icebreaker Jermak opening a

19 November – 21 November 1918

Photo of the Cassandra: the only enemy

The Petropavlovsk (in this photo under Czarist

Painting of the sinking of the L-55: the Azard

13- 16 June 1919

Painting of the battle.

Motor-cutter ML-156 damaged

Painting of Gavril in battle.

Painting of the sinking of the Vittoria: the

Painting of the submarine.

Between 2 and 3 September 1919

14 and 15 October 1919

20 and 21 October 1919

This powerful warship wasn't enough to break

06 Aug 2013, 06:44

06 Aug 2013, 09:28

31 Jan 2014, 18:07

As promised, here the revised account of the campaign in Azov Sea.

Painting of the fight.

Soviet painting of the battle.

21-26 September 1920

04 Apr 2014, 10:12

The first half of the campaign in Caspian Sea.

Caspian Sea (first half)

Early April 1918

20-22 May 1919

02 May 2014, 10:48

Caspian Sea (second and last half)

From late May and June 1919

Between end of August and beginning of September 1919

03 Jun 2014, 12:25

Volga River (First campaign in 1918).

Last days of July 1918

On ground, the Czechoslovak Legion capture the city of Kazan.

04 Jul 2014, 09:42

Painting of Vanya, from hobbyport.ru

Photo of Trud, after being recovered post-war.

Painting of Volga dobrovolets, from hobbyport.ru

Photo of Roshal, after being recovered post-war.

12 Sep 2014, 10:26

Once Kiev was captured, the Poles captured 18 abandoned vessels.

Painting of the breakthrough.

10-11 June 1920.

19 Dec 2014, 10:13

06 Jan 2015, 21:42

09 Jan 2015, 11:10

21 Jul 2015, 01:53

21 Jul 2015, 15:11

23 Aug 2015, 13:11

Added some paintings.

Next part: battles in Black Sea.

06 Sep 2015, 17:42

My laws shall act more pleasure than command,

07 Sep 2015, 09:37

Fantastic work Comrade Admiral. I love the way you ....

07 Nov 2015, 16:33

6/7 June 1918