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Admiral Nakhimov (armored cruiser). "Admiral Nakhimov" in difficult years for the Russian fleet

For a long time she was among the most powerful and fastest cruisers in the world.

"Admiral Nakhimov"

"Admiral Nakhimov" in 1899
Service
Russia Russia
Named after	Pavel Stepanovich Nakhimov
Vessel class and type	Armored cruiser
Home port	Saint Petersburg
Organization	Second Pacific Squadron
Manufacturer	Baltic plant
Construction has started	1884
Launched	October 21, 1885
Commissioned	September 9, 1888
Removed from the fleet	May 15, 1905
Status	Sunk in the Battle of Tsushima
Main characteristics
Displacement	8473 tons
Length	101.3 m
Width	18.6 m
Draft	8.3 m
Booking	compound board - 254 mm, barbettes - 203 mm, deck - 51…76 mm, cabin - 152 mm
Engines	2 three-cylinder double expansion steam engines with a capacity of 4000 and. l. With. Baltic plant, 12 boilers
Power	7768 l. With. (5.9 MW)
Mover	sail two propellers
Travel speed	16.74 knots (30.2 km/h)
Crew	23 officers and 549 sailors
Armament
Artillery	4× 2-203 mm, 10 × 152 mm, 12 × 47 mm, 6 × 37 mm, 2 × 64 mm landing
Mine and torpedo weapons	3 × 381 mm torpedo tubes
Images on Wikimedia Commons

Design and construction

According to the assignment given to the Marine Technical Committee to design a new armored cruiser as part of the 1881 program, new ship had to have at least 254 mm of waterline armor, 11-inch main caliber artillery, a large supply of coal, a speed of at least 15 knots, a draft of no more than 7.92 m and a full sail rig. An English armored cruiser was chosen as a prototype. Imperieuse, distinguished by the “diamond-shaped” arrangement of the main caliber guns (on the bow and stern ends and on both sides).

On November 19, 1882, the project was approved. Compared to the English prototype: the diameter of the barbettes was increased by 1.5 m to accommodate the 229 mm guns of the Obukhov plant; The location of the machine-boiler plant, the design of which was developed in the Office of the Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Fleet, Major General A. I. Sokolov, was changed. A more compact placement of the boiler rooms in the middle part of the building made it possible to get by with one chimney. The coal reserve increased by one and a half times, while the total additional load of 390 tons increased the design displacement to 7782 tons. The hull length increased by 1.83 m, the draft by 0.1 m.

In January 1885, during the slipway work, it was decided to use the 203-mm gun of the 1884 model on Vavasseur machines as the main caliber. Rearmament ensured an increase in the weight of the broadside and the rate of fire of the main caliber artillery, and the ability to reduce the diameter of the barbettes by 62 cm, which gave hope for improving the seaworthiness of the ship. In addition, the barbette installations received thin all-round armor. Unlike its English predecessor, the project of the cruiser "Nakhimov" was considered successful and, in turn, was the prototype for the quite successful American project of the cruiser "Brooklyn" [ ] . According to the main parameters of "Admiral Nakhimov", even after twenty years, by the beginning Russo-Japanese War, had significant reserves for technical modernization, and subject to the replacement of outdated main caliber gun mounts, it was fully consistent with the latest armored cruisers. It essentially became the prototype of the multi-turret cruisers that appeared almost a third of a century later.

Design

Its length was 103.3 meters, with a width of 18.6 meters. The draft at normal load was 7.67 meters. The stem (29 t) and sternpost (15 t) were solid bronze castings from the Baltic plant. Transverse watertight bulkheads ran along frames 36, 60, 83 and 102; from the inner bottom to the living deck they had a thickness of 9.5 mm, and above it - to the upper deck - 6.4 mm. The normal displacement of the cruiser was 7781.7 tons. Total - 8473 tons.

Armament

The cruiser's armament was designed for the most powerful pursuit and retreat fire. It was armed with eight 203 mm 35 caliber guns mounted in four barbette mounts and ten 152 mm 35 caliber guns on the battery deck. The cruiser's anti-mine armament consisted of six 47-mm single-barrel and four 37-mm five-barrel guns of the Hotchkiss system.

Two 63.5-mm landing guns of the Baranovsky system on wheeled carriages were intended to arm landing parties.

Booking

The side of the ship was protected by a steel-iron armor belt 42.4 m long (from 32 to 106 frames). The belt had a thickness of 229 mm, thinning towards the bottom to 152 mm, the slabs were laid on a larch lining 254 mm thick. From the bow and stern, the belt was closed by 229-mm armored traverses, forming a citadel in which all the vital mechanisms and cellars were located. All armor plates were armor compound (steel and iron) and were manufactured at the Izhora plant using the technology of the English Cammel plant from Sheffield. Within the citadel, a series of 38-mm steel plates were laid on 12.5 mm of ship steel, and the total thickness of the armored deck reached 50.5 mm. Outside the citadel, a 76.2 mm carapace deck extended forward and aft.

Power point

The ship was equipped with two double expansion steam engines with a total design capacity of 8,000 hp. With. In 1886, cars were manufactured at the Baltic Plant. Each machine had three cylinders - one high with a diameter of 1524 mm and two low (with a diameter of 1981 mm) pressure and worked on its own propeller. The piston stroke was 1066 mm. Gruffudd's propellers had a pitch of 21 feet (6.4 m) and a diameter of 16 feet (4.88 m). After replacing the blades, the diameter increased to 17 feet (5.18 m).

Steam was supplied to the mechanisms from twelve cylindrical fire-tube boilers, with a working pressure of 5.2 atmospheres. The mass of the water boilers was 670 tons.

Four miles were covered in 13 minutes 36 seconds at an average speed of 112 and a pair of 75 pounds, the adjusted speed was 17.56 knots.

In 1894, the cruiser took part in maneuvers in the roadstead of the Chinese port of Chifu, then visited Vladivostok, Korean and Japanese ports. In May 1898 he returned to the Baltic.

After modernization, the cruiser, assigned to the guards crew in 1900, set off on its third voyage to the Pacific Ocean. For two years he took part in the maneuvers of the Port Arthur squadron, visited Japan and Korea, and carried out diplomatic missions. In May 1903 he returned to Kronstadt. Unfortunately, during modernization, outdated guns were not replaced. This already planned replacement, during the work, was postponed to the next modernization, and as a result, during the Russian-Japanese War, in general, still a powerful cruiser, was almost unarmed in front of its opponents due to short range and low rate of fire of artillery. Largely for the sake of this modernization (as well as planned repairs), the cruiser was returned to the Baltic on the eve of the war. However, having weakened the 1st Pacific Squadron by its absence (despite the fact that the old guns were poorly adapted to squadron combat, and the speed no longer allowed for raiding operations, thanks to the presence of several 8" main battery guns, it was an ideal ship for protection against destroyers) , he, not having time to complete the planned modernization, only slightly strengthened the 2nd [ ] (low speed, weak armor and already prohibitively low range and rate of fire of artillery for its time, made the cruiser a poorly adapted battle ship, for which this squadron was created).

In 1902-1903, Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich Romanov served as the cruiser's senior officer.

Russo-Japanese War, death of the cruiser

gunners of the Russian armored cruiser [ ], which follows from the report of the commander of the aft 8-inch turret, midshipman Alexei Rozhdestvensky, writing about the shooting at this ship and data on the damage to the cruiser by 8" shells not found on other ships of the Russian fleet. There may be an error in assessing the damage (the Japanese could have confused similar ones in power 8" shells of "Admiral Nakhimov" and 9" "Nicholas I"), so this statement can be classified as highly probable.

On the morning of May 15, the half-submerged ship continued its heroic movement stern first (due to a hole in the bow and as a result of a strong trim) and was finally sunk by the crew only when Japanese ships appeared.

The Myth of Sunken Gold

The cruiser "Admiral Nakhimov" remained in relative obscurity until in 1933 the American Harry Risberg, in his book "600 Billion Under Water", stated that on board four Russian ships from the 2nd Pacific squadron, sunk at Tsushima, there were treasures worth a total of the amount of 5 million dollars. By pure chance, the American pointed out that most of the gold ($2 million) went to the bottom along with the Admiral Nakhimov.

In November 1980, Japanese millionaire Takeo Sasagawa announced that he had allocated a huge sum to salvage Russian gold since the sunken Admiral Nakhimov had been found. The millionaire talked about boxes with gold coins, platinum and gold bars found on board. Later, Sasagawa posed for photographers holding platinum bars in his hands, allegedly recovered from the cruiser, but did not demonstrate new finds, citing unforeseen difficulties.

Armored cruiser "Admiral Nakhimov"

Tsushima final

On the night of January 27, 1904, a sudden attack by Japanese destroyers on Russian ships stationed in the outer roadstead of Port Arthur began the war with Japan. The Pacific squadron suffered heavy losses from the very beginning of hostilities without causing any damage to the enemy, and reinforcements began to be hastily recruited in the Baltic. The formed “Second Pacific Squadron” (blocked in Port Arthur became the “First”) was headed by Vice Admiral Z.P. Rozhestvensky. The old cruiser was one of the first to be included in its composition, along with the “Far Eastern veterans” - the battleships “Navarim” and “Sisoy the Great”.

After the royal review in Revel on September 26, Z.P. Rozhestvensky’s ships moved to Libau, from where an unprecedented 220-day campaign began on October 2. Three weeks later in Tangier (on the African shore of the Strait of Gibraltar), the squadron split: together with the new battleships and large cruisers "Admiral Nakhimov" under the flag of the head of the cruiser detachment, Rear Admiral O.A. Enquist, headed around Africa, meeting in Nosy-Be Bay on Madagascar with the ships of Rear Admiral D.G. Felkersam, which went Suez Canal. There O.A. Enquist switched to the newest armored cruiser "Oleg", which had caught up with the squadron, and "Nakhimov" returned to the 2nd armored detachment of Rear Admiral D.G. Felkerzam - perhaps the most ridiculous formation of the squadron, which also included a squadron battleship (in fact large armored cruiser) "Oslyabya", obsolete "Navarin" and "Sisoy". In addition to completely different running and maneuvering elements, which did not allow the detachment to operate at any decent speed (and the maximum did not exceed 14 knots - the limit for veterans with worn-out vehicles), these four ships were armed with large and medium-caliber guns of eight (!) systems, which completely excluded any fire control at the expected combat distances. The variety of ships of the squadron increased even more when, off the coast of Indochina on April 26, 1905, it united with the detachment of Rear Admiral N.I. Nebogatov, consisting of the very old battleship Emperor Nicholas I and the cruiser Vladimir Monomakh, as well as three small battleships coastal defense. This “reinforcement” left Libau on February 3, 1905, when the Port Arthur squadron was almost completely destroyed, without significantly weakening the Japanese fleet.

On May 14, Z.P. Rozhestvensky’s squadron, after a long 17,000-mile journey, met the superior forces of the Japanese fleet under the command of Admiral H. Togo in the Korea Strait near the Tsushima Islands. Closing the 2nd armored detachment, Admiral Nakhimov, was the eighth in the long wake column of the main forces. Like all Russian ships, the cruiser entered the battle overloaded: on board there was a full supply of coal, provisions, lubricants and about 1000 tons of water in the double-bottom space. When the flagship “Prince Suvorov” opened fire on the Japanese ships turning to cover the head of the Russian column, “Nakhimov” was 62 cables away from the nearest enemy, and its shells could not yet reach the target. But as soon as the distance allowed, the cruiser’s guns joined the general cannonade, enveloping it in thick clouds of smoke after each salvo. At the beginning of the battle, Nakhimov did not attract the attention of Japanese ships, which concentrated fire on the lead battleships. Just half an hour after the opening of fire, the Oslyabya broke down, soon capsizing over the left side and sank to the bottom with a large trim on the bow. Bombarding one Russian battleship after another with a hail of shells, the Japanese turned them into piles of flaming debris; by the end of the day, “Alexander Ib” and “Borodino” were lost. Literally for a few minutes, Z.P. Rozhestvensky’s completely broken flagship “Prince Suvorov”, torpedoed by Japanese destroyers, survived them.

“Admiral Nakhimov” in a daytime battle, due to the constant failure of the lead ships, sometimes even ended up fourth in the Russian column, and it accounted for almost 30 hits from shells with a caliber of 76 to 305 mm - mainly during a heated exchange of fire with vice armored cruisers -Admiral H. Kamimura around 18.30. It destroyed superstructures, knocked out several guns, killed 25 and wounded 51 people. But fatal damage and underwater holes were avoided, and old ship remained combat-ready, confidently holding his place in the ranks behind the battleship Navarin. Little is known about the results of his return fire against the enemy. Captain Packingham, a representative of the British Admiralty, who was present during Battle of Tsushima on the Japanese battleship Asahi, after the battle, having scrupulously collected information about the damage to Japanese ships, he counted only three holes from 203-mm shells that hit the armored cruiser Iwate, which can be attributed to Nakhimov (other ships with guns of this type) there was no caliber on the Russian squadron). But they did not cause serious damage to the ship of the junior flagship of Rear Admiral H. Shimamura, and already on May 15, Iwate distinguished itself in the sinking of the coastal defense battleship Admiral Ushakov.

In the evening, the remnants of the defeated squadron were headed by Rear Admiral N.I. Nebogatoye, who moved with his detachment to the head of the column, so that “Nakhimov” was the end. After several sharp turns to the SW and O in an attempt to break away from the five dozen Japanese fighters and destroyers that appeared from all directions, Nebogatoye headed for Vladivostok. The ships of his detachment, accustomed to sailing in close formation in complete darkness, together with the damaged battleship of the 1st detachment "Eagle", successfully repelling the attacks of destroyers, began to move away from the damaged "Admiral Ushakov", "Navarin", "Sisoy the Great" at 12-knot speed " and "Nakhimov". The last three ships turned on their searchlights, having discovered their position, and it was on them that the main torpedo attacks fell.

On the Nakhimov, combat lighting was installed just in time for the start of the attacks, raising searchlights on the bridges that were hidden in the longitudinal corridor for the duration of the day's battle. Occupying the unfavorable position of bringing up the rear of the column, the cruiser shining with searchlights immediately attracted the attention of the Japanese, and between 21.30 and 22.00 received a torpedo hit in the bow of the starboard side. It is still not known exactly which of the Japanese destroyers this torpedo belonged to: strong seas and wind, poor visibility and frequent fire from both sides did not allow the 21st to attack from different directions Japanese fighter and 28 destroyers to accurately identify targets, and even more so to observe the results of their attacks. Many of them received serious damage not only from artillery fire, but also from collisions with each other. According to eyewitnesses from the Nakhimov, the fatal torpedo was fired by a destroyer that passed in front of the ship’s bow from right to left and was immediately destroyed by a shot from a 203-mm gun. According to Japanese data, the destroyers of the 9th detachment, Aotaka and Kari, were among the first to fire torpedoes at the end ship, that is, Admiral Nakhimov, at that time (from 21.20 to 21.30), which approached the Russian column 800 meters from the southeast, but did not cross its course. Almost simultaneously, the 1st detachment went on the attack: destroyer No. 68 at 21.15 fired a torpedo at a detachment of four ships, approaching it at 300 m from the right shell; No. 67 also fired a torpedo on a counter-course at the starboard side of one of the Russian ships (the other two destroyers of this detachment did not fire torpedoes due to damage, and the victim in the collision, No. 69, sank at about 22.45). Behind them, destroyers Nos. 40, 41 and 39 of the 10th detachment, from a distance of 400-500 m, also discharged torpedo tubes on the enemy’s starboard side (No. 43 was damaged before the attack). At 21.40, the formation of the Russian column, and precisely from right to left, was crossed by the destroyer "Khibari" of the 15th detachment, but it fired a torpedo at 22.10 into the left side of one of the ships. The lead destroyer of the 17th detachment No. 34, cutting through the line of Russian ships at 21.10 from a distance of 250 m, attacked two of them, receiving such damage that shortly after 22.00 it sank. The next No. 31 fired a torpedo from 600 meters, but was able to avoid being hit. The other two - No. 32 and No. 33 - being on the enemy's right, fired torpedoes at 21.23 and 21.30 from a distance of 250 and 500 meters, but also did not see the result, and the first was seriously damaged by Russian shells. The last contender to hit the Nakhimov, destroyer No. 35, approaching from the right and behind the 18th detachment, in an attempt to cross the course of the Russian column, approached it almost closely, fired a torpedo, but then received many hits, stopped and, after the crew was removed by destroyer No. 31, sank . The remaining destroyers fired torpedoes while being on the left side of the target. During the fierce attacks, those ships that tried to fire back and turned on searchlights were torpedoed: “Si-soy Velikiy”, “Navarim”, “Nakhimov” and “Monomakh”.

A torpedo hit on the Nakhimov shook the ship so much that at first no one understood where the hole was. It seemed to everyone that the explosion had occurred somewhere very close, and the cruiser was about to sink. In a panic, even people from the aft rooms began to jump up, locking the doors in the bulkheads behind them. Only 10 minutes later it became clear that the torpedo had destroyed the starboard side of the bow, opposite the skipper’s compartment, which, together with the adjacent dynamo compartment, immediately filled with water. The electric lighting went out, water quickly began to spread throughout the ship, despite the closed doors in the bulkheads - the rubber gaskets turned out to be worthless. Effective fight The water was also hampered by cargo piled up on the decks in disarray, preventing the rapid closing of doors and hatches. One after another, the bow storerooms, chain box, coal pits, corridors, mine and artillery cellars were filled. The cruiser's bow began to sink into the water, and the stern began to rise, exposing the propellers, which caused the ship's speed to noticeably drop. The squadron went ahead, leaving Nakhimov alone among the Japanese destroyers.

Electric lighting was quickly installed, taking current from the stern dynamo. But the ship’s commander, A.A. Rodionov, ordered the unmasking spotlights and all external lights to be turned off. The cruiser, once again plunged into darkness, slowly deviated to the left from the main course and stopped the vehicles. Attempts by almost a hundred people to place a plaster under the hole did not bring results for a long time. The obstacles were darkness, fresh weather, an 8-degree list and the right anchor hanging on a chain jammed in the fairlead, which had been knocked out of its place by a shell during the day. The unpreparedness of the crew also affected them; during the entire campaign they had never practiced applying a plaster, although before the war on the Pacific squadron such exercises were part of the mandatory combat training program. Only after they riveted the anchor chain, sending the anchor to the bottom, was it possible to install the patch. But he did not completely close the hole, and the water, despite the continuous operation of fire and sump pumps, continued to flow, beginning to flood the living deck.

We made a small move forward, again heading for Vladivostok. When the moon appeared, a huge sail was also brought under the hole, but this also had no effect. The trim and list continued to increase, although the tired crew continuously moved tons of coal from the right coal pits to the left. The entire bow section up to the watertight bulkhead along frame 36 was already flooded. This bulkhead, rusted over 17 years of service and bending under the pressure of water, remained the last obstacle to the water: if it had not withstood it, the bow boiler room would have flooded, which threatened the ship with death from loss of buoyancy and explosion of the boilers. At the suggestion of the senior engineer, the commander turned the cruiser around and reversed. The water pressure on the bulkhead decreased, and there was hope for salvation. In a three-knot move, the Admiral Nakhimov headed to the Korean coast, where Captain 1st Rank Rodionov hoped to cope with the hole with the help of divers and then continue on to Vladivostok.

By morning, under the pressure of water, the dilapidated longitudinal bulkheads collapsed, and water flooded the left side cellars. The roll decreased noticeably, but the ship sank even further with its nose. At dawn, the northern coast of Tsushima Island opened up - such an error in reckoning was explained by the frequent change of course at night and the failure of compasses. Four miles from the coast, the cars were stopped, since it was dangerous to come closer to the heavily sagging cruiser. The commander realized that Vladivostok could not be reached, and ordered the boats to be lowered to take the crew ashore.

The lowering of the surviving boats was very slow due to damage to the davits and hoists. At about 5 o'clock in the morning, when the wounded began to be transferred to them, an enemy fighter "Shiranui" appeared in the north. The commander of the cruiser immediately ordered to speed up the evacuation of people and prepare the ship for an explosion. A demolition cartridge was laid in the mine cellar, and the wires from it were stretched to the six, where the junior mine officer, midshipman P.I. Mikhailov, was already sitting with the rowers. The boat moved three cables away and began to wait for a signal from the ship’s commander, who remained on the bridge.

"Shiranui" opened fire from the bow 76-mm gun, but, making sure that the enemy was not responding, stopped firing. Moreover, the auxiliary cruiser Sado-Maru, the “main trophy-winner” of the Japanese fleet, was approaching the Nakhimov from the south (on May 14, the Sado-Maru took the captured hospital ship Orel to Miura Bay, and on the 15th it landed the prize money commands on "Admiral Nakhimov" and "Vladimir Monomakh"). "Shiranui", approaching 8-10 cables, raised a signal on the international code: "I propose to surrender the cruiser and lower the stern flag, otherwise I will not save anyone." Captain 1st Rank Rodionov ordered to answer: “I see half of it clearly,” and immediately shouted to the team: “Save yourself as best you can!” I’m blowing up the cruiser!”

On the ship, panic began among those who did not have time to board the boats. Many threw themselves overboard with bunks and lifebuoys or belts. Among the mass of people in the water, crushing them with its bow, a mine boat with a rudder jammed during the battle was circling. In the end, the boat stopped, and dozens of distraught people climbed onto it, despite the threats of the senior officer. Due to overload, the boat sank strongly, through broken by shrapnel Water poured inside the portholes, and it quickly sank, dragging with it those who remained in the cockpit and engine room. A total of 18 people drowned during the evacuation.

The Sado-Maru was approaching, lowering boats as it went. Having approached 500 meters, he stopped, and Captain 1st Rank Kamaya sent a prize party to the Nakhimov, led by navigator Senior Lieutenant Inuzuka. Only navigator Lieutenant V.E. Klochkovsky and commander A.A. Rodionov remained on board the Nakhimov, who gave the prearranged signal to the six. However, there was no explosion - the galvanizers and miners who were the last to leave the cruiser, considering it already doomed, cut the wires. Midshipman Mikhailov, after several unsuccessful attempts to close the contacts, seeing the approaching Shiranui, ordered the batteries and wires to be thrown overboard.

At 7.50, the Japanese stepped onto the deck of the cruiser, which was slowly sinking into the water, and the first thing they did was raise their flag on the foremast. But soon they were ordered to return from the Sado-Maru - the torpedoed cruiser Vladimir Monomakh also appeared on the horizon. Having received 523 members of the Nakhimov crew (including 26 officers) and the returning prize crew from the water, the Japanese ship pursued new prey (according to the testimony of the Japanese who visited the cruiser, its damage from artillery fire was insignificant, and the losses did not exceed 10 people).

Rodionov and Klochkovsky, who were hiding in the stern of the ship, tore down the enemy flag after the Japanese left. At about 10 o'clock, the Admiral Nakhimov, with a large list to starboard, went under the water with its bow at a point with coordinates 34 degrees 34 minutes north latitude. and 129 degrees 32 minutes east. Only in the evening the commander and navigator were picked up by fishermen. Two more officers and 99 lower ranks disembarked from the boats near the town of Mogi on the island of Tsushima, where they were taken prisoner.

Together with most of the other ships of the 2nd Pacific Squadron, the 1st rank cruiser Admiral Nakhimov was excluded from the lists of the Russian Imperial Navy on September 15, 1905. During the First World War, his name was given to a light cruiser of the Black Sea Fleet, which was completed in Soviet time and renamed “Chervona Ukraine”.

In the mid-70s, the Soviet Navy began implementing an ambitious project - the construction of Project 1144 Orlan nuclear-powered cruisers, which in size and displacement are quite comparable to battleships period of the Second World War. With the help of these giants, the country's leadership intended to promote state interests in the most remote corners globe. In fact, these ships can be called the reincarnation of battleships in the nuclear missile era. They were originally conceived as a powerful anti-submarine defense tool, but then their armament was strengthened to counter enemy surface forces.

Today, in the domestic press, the cruisers of the Orlan series are often called “aircraft carrier killers.” During the creation of this project, it was planned that in the future the TARK would be accompanied by Soviet nuclear aircraft carriers, but they were never built...

For exceptional dimensions and combat power NATO allocated Project 1144 heavy nuclear cruisers to separate class– Kirov-class battlecruiser, which translates as “battle cruiser.” In the Soviet navy these were the only surface ships that had a nuclear power plant, and in the World Ocean the only aircraft carriers were larger than them. For example, the American Virginia-class nuclear-powered cruisers have a displacement 2.5 times less than the Orlans.

The lead ship of Project 1144 TARK "Kirov" was laid down at the Baltic Shipyard in 1974. It was accepted into the fleet in 1980. In total, four cruisers of this series were built, the last of them - TARK "Peter the Great" - was laid down in 1986 and put into operation in 1998. She is currently the flagship of the Russian Northern Fleet. The fate of the remaining “Orlans” was not so successful. "Kirov" (since 1992 "Admiral Ushakov") is currently awaiting disposal. The second ship of the TARK series "Frunze" (since 1992 "Admiral Lazorev") has been in storage for many years, and its future prospects look rather vague. The third cruiser of the Admiral Nakhimov project, which was originally called Kalinin, has been undergoing modernization since 1999. Although, in fact, work on the ship really began only in 2014. Their completion dates have been repeatedly postponed, according to latest information from the Ministry of Defense, the modernization of Admiral Nakhimov will be completed in 2020, and it will enter service in 2021.

This year it is also planned to begin modernization of the nuclear-powered cruiser Peter the Great, which will last until 2021. So by this time Russia should have not one, but two powerful ships, with significantly increased combat effectiveness.

However, before telling you what exactly the cruiser “Admiral Nakhimov” will look like after completion of work, I would like to say a few words about the history of this unique project, as well as give a description of the ships of this series.

How did the "Eagles" appear?

Work on the creation of a surface warship with a nuclear power plant (NPP) began in the Soviet Union back in the first half of the 50s. Several preliminary designs for the cruiser were created under the designation 63. However, this ship turned out to be so complex and expensive that it was decided to abandon its construction. Work was stopped by 1959.

However, in 1961, the Americans adopted the nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser Long Beach. It is possible that it was this fact that forced the Soviet leadership to resume work on creating heavy ocean-going ships with missile weapons and a nuclear power plant.

At that time, the main task of the USSR Navy was to fight submarines enemy, so large anti-submarine ships (BODs) and destroyers were built in large series. The 60s can be called an era of rapid growth of the Soviet Navy. The number of ships increased at an unprecedented pace, the country's fleet was actively exploring the oceans, preparing to carry out combat missions anywhere in the world. The need for ships that were capable of operating for long periods away from their bases became increasingly noticeable. The Cuban missile crisis showed even more clearly the obviousness of this need. A nuclear power plant was perfectly suited for such service. In addition, the growing fleet desperately needed an attack ship that would be “tailored” to solve anti-ship missions.

At that time, the USSR Navy had four small missile cruisers of Project 58, but these ships could not solve serious problems in the ocean theater. One way or another, but already in 1964, work began on creating the appearance of the first surface nuclear-powered vessel in the USSR. It was given the designation 1144 "Orlan".

Since solving anti-submarine missions was considered a priority at that time, the new ship with a nuclear power plant was initially conceived as a large anti-submarine ship. However, there was a problem here. It was clear that the enemy would not allow them to just float anywhere, detect and destroy their submarines, and the main danger to the future atomic BOD would come from the sky. That is, the ship needed to be reliably protected from attacks by enemy aircraft; for this, an air defense cruiser was needed to accompany the nuclear-powered ship. Initially, it was planned to use a Project 1126 ship for this purpose. However, according to the project, this cruiser had a boiler-turbine power plant, which immediately destroyed the tandem - because the future air defense ship (it was never built) simply did not have enough cruising range.

Therefore, another idea was born: to equip the escort ship with a nuclear installation (Project 1165 “Fugas”). As a result, it was decided to combine projects 1144 and 1165 and create a ship that could both fight enemy submarines and solve anti-ship missions. It was called the “nuclear anti-submarine cruiser”; the development of the project was entrusted to the Northern Design Bureau (Leningrad), which had experience in creating both anti-submarine ships and missile cruisers.

Equipping the ship with a powerful sonar system required an increase in its displacement, as well as an increase in the power of the power plant. A third-generation nuclear power plant was developed specifically for this project, and the designers built it taking into account the experience of emergency situations, which at that time Soviet sailors had more than enough.

Project 1144 is often called the favorite brainchild of the then Commander-in-Chief of the USSR Navy, Admiral Gorshkov, but despite this, its progress was quite difficult. The Commander-in-Chief personally demanded that the new cruisers be equipped with an additional liquid fuel power plant - at that time nuclear reactors they were still a novelty in the navy, moreover, they were not perfect, and the sailors did not have enough experience in their operation.

In addition, during the design, the question arose about the ship's armor protection. By that time, there were practically no specialist shipbuilders left who would thoroughly understand this issue - the era of battleships and battleships had long since sunk into oblivion. Therefore, the developers had to raise the drawings of the battleship "Soviet Union" and even the German cruiser "Lutzow". Of course, continuous and even citadel armor was not suitable for the Orlans - it simply did not allow displacement, then it was decided to cover the most important components and objects of the ship with armor.

Only in 1972 the project was finally approved and the documentation began to be transferred to the manufacturer - Baltic Plant No. 189 (Leningrad). The lead ship of the project is the future nuclear heavy cruiser"Kirov" was solemnly laid down in March 1974. At the end of 1975, a crew was formed for it. Despite the high complexity of the project, the construction of the ship proceeded quite quickly, and already in December 1977 it was launched. And on December 30, 1980 the ship was transferred to the navy and after successful completion of the test was included in its composition.

Even during the construction of the first ship of the series, a modernized project 1144.2 was prepared, which differed from the basic one by more modern weapons. It was planned that all cruisers following the Kirov would be built according to it. However, due to delays in the serial production of various weapons systems, there was some confusion: Project 1144.2 can include the Peter the Great TARK, which was built already in the 90s. “Admiral Nakhimov” and “Admiral Lazorev” occupy an intermediate position between 1144 and 1144.2 in terms of armament.

TARK "Frunze" (future "Admiral Lazarev") was laid down in the summer of 1978, and accepted into the fleet in October 1984. The ship was sent to the Pacific Fleet. Work on the third cruiser of the project began on May 17, 1983. It was accepted into the Northern Fleet at the end of 1988. In 1986, the Baltic Shipyard began building the last ship of this series - the nuclear-powered cruiser Peter the Great. Camber Soviet Union delayed its construction; it was completed only by 1998. Currently, this ship is in service and is considered the most powerful attack ship not only in the Russian fleet, but throughout the world.

There were plans to build a fifth cruiser of this project, but due to political events the order was cancelled.

Heavy nuclear cruiser "Admiral Nakhimov": description of the ship

The total length of the Admiral Nakhimov's hull along the waterline is 252 meters, and its total displacement is 26,190 tons. The ships of this project have an elongated forecastle; the hull is divided into nineteen main compartments by watertight bulkheads. Thanks to the well-thought-out hull shape and large displacement, the Admiral Nakhimov missile cruiser has excellent seaworthiness, which is very important for a ship in the ocean zone.

Five decks stretch along the entire length of the hull. In total, the cruiser has 1,400 rooms for various purposes.

In the bow of the ship there is an antenna for the Polynom hydroacoustic complex, and in the stern of the cruiser there is an under-deck hangar that can accommodate three helicopters. There are also premises for storing aviation ammunition, fuel and spare parts. Helicopters are lifted onto the deck using a special lift. Also in the stern of the cruiser there is a towed hydroacoustic antenna and mechanisms for its lowering and raising.

The missile cruiser "Admiral Nakhimov" has developed superstructures, most of its weapons are located fore and aft.

As mentioned above, Project 1114 cruisers are partially armored. In addition, they have anti-torpedo protection and a double bottom. The armor protects the cellars of the Granit missile system, the premises command post and combat information post, engine room. As well as an ammunition depot, a helicopter hangar, a fuel depot and a tiller compartment.

The power plant of the cruiser "Admiral Nakhimov" consists of two water-cooled double-circuit reactors KN-3. The fuel assemblies they use make it possible to extend the service life of the core to 10-11 years. The ship's power plant can easily supply energy to a small city with a population of 100 thousand people. Its total capacity is 342 MW.

Orlan-type cruisers also have an additional power plant, which allows, in case of emergency situation with the reactor to travel more than 1300 nautical miles.

The ship's crew consists of 727 people, including 97 officers.

The main anti-ship weapon of the Orlan project cruisers is the Granit anti-ship missile with a flight range of 625 km. This missile can accelerate to speeds of Mach 2.5 and carry combat unit weighing 750 kg, so it poses a serious danger even for large ships. Each of the Orlans had 20 Granit cruise missiles on board, their launchers are located on the upper deck of the ship.

The main anti-aircraft “caliber” of the cruiser “Admiral Nakhimov” is anti-aircraft missile system“Fort”, which is a naval modification of the S-300 air defense system. To destroy air targets at a distance of up to 15 km, the ship is equipped with an Osa-M air defense system. As an air defense system short range The Dirk complex is used.

The ship's artillery armament consists of one twin 130-mm AK-130 mount.

The cruiser's anti-submarine weapon system consists of the Vodopad anti-submarine missile, its launcher is located in the bow of the ship, and RBU-6000 and RBU-1000 rocket launchers. Also on board are ten 533 mm torpedo tubes.

Modernization of "Admiral Nakhimov"

“Admiral Nakhimov” was sent for modernization back in 1999. Its implementation was entrusted to specialists from Sevmash (Severodvinsk). However, this process took a long time; only in 2008 did the process of removing spent nuclear fuel from the reactor begin. In 2013, a contract was signed between the Moscow Region and the enterprise to carry out necessary work. In 2015, the dismantling of the old ship equipment was completed, and the cruiser was prepared for the installation of new systems. How will the new Nakhimov differ from its “basic version”?

The Ministry of Defense says that all future changes to the ship's design have already been agreed upon. In order to accommodate all the planned weapons systems on board the cruiser, it will be necessary to rebuild its hull. First of all, this will concern the Nakhimov missile deck and its superstructure. The cruiser's reactor will not be touched, but the systems that ensure its operation will need to be updated.

The modernization will primarily affect the cruiser's weapons. It will receive universal shooting systems that will be capable of firing different types missiles depending on the tasks being solved. The ship will be installed modern complex Air defense "Poliment-Redut", capable of hitting air targets at distances of 150 km. It is planned to completely update the cruiser’s electronics; it will receive digital communication systems, new radars, and antennas.

Granit cruise missiles, Nakhimov’s main anti-ship weapon, will be replaced by the latest hypersonic Zircons, which will likely enter service in 2018. They also plan to place at Nakhimov cruise missiles“Caliber”, which will enable the cruiser to confidently “work” against ground targets. Thus, the Admiral Nakhimov will turn from a cruiser designed to combat enemy aircraft carrier strike groups and nuclear submarines into a universal one. percussion instrument, capable of hitting targets both on land and at sea.

Specifications

Below are the main characteristics of the Admiral Nakhimov TARK:

Standard displacement - 24,300 tons;
Length - 252 m;
Width - 28.5 m;
Height - 59 m;
Powerplant - 2 nuclear reactor KN-3 and 2 additional boilers;
Maximum speed - 31 knots;
The cruising range is unlimited;
Crew - 727 people.

S. V. Suliga

Armored cruiser "Admiral Nakhimov"

(Marine collection - 2)

Supplement to the magazine "MODEL CONSTRUCTION"

Published since January 1995

COVER: 1st page - fig. A. Zaikina; 3rd page - V.Emysheva; 4th page - S. Balakina

All photos are given without retouching

DEAR FRIENDS!

Here is the second issue of the “MARINE COLLECTION” - a supplement to the “MODELIST-KON STRUCTOR” magazine. It is by this number that you can judge future monographs - such as “Garibaldi-class armored cruisers!”, “Lexington-class aircraft carriers”, “Giulio Cesare battleship” (Novorossiysk) and others in editorial preparation stage. All these publications are built according to the same scheme and will include detailed descriptions designs and weapons, sections, diagrams, drawings general view, color projections and numerous photographs, the history of the creation and service of famous ships.

A special place in the editorial plans is occupied by the publication of thematic reference books on ship personnel, since the demand for such literature is significant. Currently, materials are being prepared on the ships of the First World War: “The British Navy 1914–1918”, “The German Navy 1914–1918”, “The Italian and Austria-Hungarian Navy 1914–1918”, “The Russian Imperial Navy 1914–1917”, as well as issues on other topics. In addition, from 1996 it is planned to prepare issues on the history of the fleet in the form of collections of articles by different authors. So we advise you not to miss your chance and become a subscriber to our magazine. In addition to guaranteed receipt of all issues, many of you will also save a lot of money - after all, the price of one subscription issue of the Marine Collection is today much cheaper than purchased at retail.

Subscription to the magazine is accepted at all post offices, index according to the Rospechat CRPA catalog 73474.

The editors plan to organize a number of services for our subscribers - lovers of naval history and ship modellers. In particular, we plan to begin sending out sets of drawings and photographs of a number of ships and vessels for individual orders. For now, let us remind you that the creative laboratory “Eureka” offers the following developments:

Corvette "Olivutsa" (Russia, 1841) - 4 sheets of drawings, 60x40 cm format with an explanatory note, hull on a scale of 1:100, detailing 1:50 and 1:25, detailed spar tables;

Torpedo boats S-26, S-142 and S-1 (Germany, 1939–1943) - 2 sheets of drawings, 60x40 cm format with an explanatory note, scale 1:75;

Cruiser 1st rank "Russia" (1897) - 2 sheets of drawings, 60x40 cm format with an explanatory note, scale 1:200.

Send applications to the editorial office with the obligatory note “Eureka”.

And one last thing. We would like to know your opinion about the content and design of the first issues of the Marine Collection, and the form of presentation of materials in them. Although the editors are not able to answer all letters, any of your feedback, advice, or interesting proposal will not go unnoticed.

The armored cruiser "Admiral Nakhimov" is one of the most interesting ships of its time. When comparing him with representatives of the same class in the Russian and foreign fleets, his significant superiority in artillery power. In addition to the natural feeling of pride in domestic shipbuilding, there is also bewilderment - why such a seemingly successful ship did not become the ancestor of a whole series of tower cruisers with an armored belt along the waterline, which appeared in other fleets much later! Alas, Russia, having commissioned the Nakhimov, which was twice as large as its contemporaries in terms of the number of main caliber guns and the weight of the broadside, for some reason again returned to the construction of armored cruisers with a “standard” number of main artillery barrels, located like the middle guns. caliber, in deck side installations. As a result, when the war with Japan began in 1904, these cruisers turned out to be weaker than similar enemy ships in terms of artillery and artillery protection.

“Admiral Nakhimov” was very popular among Russian sailors. Here is the description given to him by the famous Russian and Soviet shipbuilder V.P. Kostenko: “With early childhood felt an attachment to this ship, which in its appearance gave the impression of strength and determination thanks to its strongly extended ram, one chimney ... and the proportional outlines of its relatively short hull.”

The cruiser was designed and built during the transitional period of development of the armored fleet, when ships coexisted with steam engines and sailing masts, breech-loading and muzzle-loading guns, torpedoes and pole mines, electrical firing systems and room lighting with oil lanterns. Admiral Nakhimov was no exception. It is remembered both for the fact that it became the largest sailing brig in the entire history of the Russian Navy, and for the fact that it was the first in Russia to use electric indoor lighting and anti-torpedo nets. The ship was the first to receive the new guns of the 1884 system, but retained the obsolete double expansion steam engines, modeled after those designed in 1880 at the Elder factory in Glasgow for the royal yacht Livadia. All subsequent Russian ships already had triple expansion steam engines.

After commissioning in 1888, Admiral Nakhimov immediately switched to Far East, where he spent most of his service. He participated in many events related to the strengthening of Russian positions in the Pacific Ocean. These include diplomatic missions, combat maneuvers, hydrographic work, and even “court service.” Among the first, the cruiser had to settle into Port Arthur, the new fleet base.

The beginning of the war found the honored ship in Kronstadt. By that time, it had already lost its sailing spar and acquired more modern outlines, although it retained its outdated artillery. Given the shortage of new ships, Admiral Nakhimov was included in the Second Squadron of the Pacific Fleet. The trip to Tsushima became his last ocean voyage...

80 years later, it was in this ship that interest flared up with extraordinary force. Gold! The Japanese obtained information from somewhere that “Nakhimov” was carrying the “treasury” of the Russian squadron in gold bars. Underwater work carried out on a grand scale, however, did not bring the desired result. Many interesting and valuable things were recovered from the ship, but all the “ingots” turned out to be... lead ballast pigs. Thanks to an unconfirmed rumor, the Admiral Nakhimov remains the only examined ship among those killed in the tragic Tsushima battle for Russia.

The armored cruiser "Imperuse" is the prototype of the "Admiral Nakhimov". The original appearance and armor scheme after dismantling the sailing rig.

The task for the Marine Technical Committee (MTK) to design a new armored ship for cruising purposes, which should have been built within the framework of the 1881 program, was formulated by the head of the Naval Ministry, Vice Admiral I.A. Shestakov, on May 18, 1882 (hereinafter the dates are in the old style). At his request, the new ship had to have at least 10 inches (254 mm) of waterline armor (WL), 11 inches (280 mm) of main caliber artillery, a large supply of coal, a speed of at least 15 knots, and a draft of no more than 26 ft (7.92 m) and fully rigged. As possible prototypes, MTK considered the English armored cruiser "Nelson" built in 1874–1881 (7630 tons, 14 knots, 4 254 mm and 8 229 mm guns in the battery, an incomplete 254 mm belt along the overhead line and an armored deck at the ends, protection of main battery guns 229 mm); the Brazilian battleship "Riachuelo" (5610 tons, 16.7 kts, partial belt 280–178 mm, 4 234 mm guns in two turrets with 254 mm armor, 6 140 mm guns) and the English armored cruiser "Imperuse" under construction in England ", laid down in August 1881 (7400 tons, 16 knots, 4 234 mm guns in barbette mounts with shields and 10 152 mm guns in a battery, 254 mm incomplete belt along the overhead line, carapace armored deck at the ends). The latter, combining powerful weapons, good armor, high speed and a large supply of coal, attracted the attention of Russian specialists.

The same type "Imperius" and "Warspite" stood out sharply among modern English ships by the placement of artillery and the shape of the hull. To understand the reason for the appearance in the fleet of the “Mistress of the Seas” of such unusual ships, in which French influence was noticeably visible, one should go back to 1880, when the Admiralty Council recognized the need to lay down several 2nd class battleships for service in distant seas, where there is significant concern Russian armored cruisers could be delivered to England. Considering that during hostilities the new ships would have to fight not squadron battles, but single duels, they decided to use the “French” system of main battery placement - a diamond (one gun at the extremities and one on each side). In theory, this made it possible to concentrate the fire of three guns in any direction, whereas the traditional "British" system provided a broadside of four guns, but only two could fire fore and aft. Laid down in 1881, the Imperious and Warspite were officially listed as “barbette ships with steel armor,” but among English sailors they were considered “white elephants” (analogous to our “black sheep”). In addition to the unusual arrangement of guns for the fleet of the “Mistress of the Seas” and the shape of the hull with the sides piled up at the top, this pair strangely combined long-barreled breech-loading guns and full sailing equipment. British Admiral Sir John Commerell considered them "the most unfortunate of modern ships, poorly designed, poorly built and absolutely dangerous" ... to its own crew. Perhaps this was too harsh criticism, but not a single positive feedback there was no information about these ships in the documents of that time. After reclassification into “protected cruisers” (as the British called their armored cruisers unlike armored ones - belted cruisers), they were condescendingly called “useful flagship ships at distant stations.” The famous English historian O. Parke wrote: “The best that can be said about the Imperius and Warspite is that they could fire a broadside salvo of three 9.2-inch and five 6-inch guns at a speed of 16 nodes."

Ironclad frigate "Admiral Nakhimov"- the first Russian cruiser with turret artillery. Built at the Baltic Shipyard in St. Petersburg by naval engineer Colonel N. A. Samoilov. Laid down in July 1884, launched on October 21, 1885, entered service on December 3, 1887. For a long time it was considered one of the most powerful and fastest cruisers in the world.

Design and construction

According to the assignment given to the Marine Technical Committee for the design of a new armored cruiser as part of the 1881 program, the new ship was to have at least 254 mm of waterline armor, 11-inch main caliber artillery, a large supply of coal, a speed of at least 15 knots, and no draft. over 7.92 m and full sail rig. An English armored cruiser was chosen as a prototype. Imperious, distinguished by the “diamond-shaped” arrangement of the main caliber guns (on the bow and stern ends and on both sides).

In January 1885, during the slipway work, it was decided to use the 203-mm gun of the 1884 model on Vavasseur machines as the main caliber. Rearmament ensured an increase in the weight of the broadside and the rate of fire of the main caliber artillery, and the ability to reduce the diameter of the barbettes by 62 cm, which gave hope for improving the seaworthiness of the ship. In addition, the barbette installations received thin all-round armor. Unlike its English predecessor, the project of the cruiser "Nakhimov" was considered successful and, in turn, was the prototype for the quite successful American project of the cruiser "Belfast". According to the main parameters, "Admiral Nakhimov", even twenty years later, by the beginning of the Russo-Japanese War, had significant reserves for technical modernization, and subject to the replacement of outdated main caliber gun mounts, it was fully consistent with the latest armored cruisers. It essentially became the prototype of the multi-turret cruisers that appeared, almost a third of a century later...

Service

The cruiser spent most of her service on long voyages. On September 29, 1888, he left Kronstadt for the Far East and returned back only three years later. After repairs, a new long-distance voyage - first to the USA, then to the Mediterranean Sea, and from there - again to the Far East.

Our “Admiral Nakhimov” is here simply to the glory of our fleet! When we met the “Imperieuse,” his commander from the very first words asked permission to inspect us and, for this purpose, first invited us to inspect him. Even the cruise cells were opened to us. There is such a difference between the "Imperieuse" and the "Nakhimov", as if the first of them was built 15 years earlier than the second, and not one year... Not a single foreign ship leaves here without its commander asking permission to inspect the cruiser "Admiral Nakhimov" ", they send midshipmen to us to watch and learn" - From a letter from one of the cruiser's officers, written during his stay in Japan in 1890.

In 1895, the cruiser took part in maneuvers in the roadstead of the Chinese port of Chifu, then visited Vladivostok, Korean and Japanese ports. In May 1898 he returned to the Baltic.

After modernization, the cruiser, assigned to the guards crew in 1900, set off on its third voyage to the Pacific Ocean. For two years he took part in the maneuvers of the Port Arthur squadron, visited Japan and Korea, and carried out diplomatic missions. In May 1903 he returned to Kronstadt. Unfortunately, during modernization, outdated guns were not replaced. This already planned replacement, during the work, was postponed to the next modernization, and as a result, during the Russian-Japanese War, in general, still a powerful cruiser, was almost unarmed in front of its opponents due to the short range and low rate of fire of the artillery. Largely for the sake of this modernization (as well as planned repairs), the cruiser was returned to the Baltic on the eve of the war. However, having weakened the 1st Pacific Squadron by its absence (despite the fact that the old guns were poorly adapted to squadron combat, and the speed no longer allowed for raiding operations, thanks to the presence of several 8" main battery guns, it was an ideal ship for protection against destroyers) , he, without having time to complete the planned modernization, only slightly strengthened the 2nd (low speed, weak armor and the already prohibitively low range and rate of fire of the artillery for its time made the cruiser a poorly adapted battleship ship, for which this squadron was created).

In 1902-1903 he served as senior officer of the cruiser Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich Romanov.

Russo-Japanese War, death of the cruiser

With the beginning of the Russian-Japanese War, "Admiral Nakhimov", under the command of Captain 1st Rank A. A. Rodionov, became part of the 2nd armored detachment of the 2nd Pacific Squadron (detachment commander - Rear Admiral D. G. Felkerzam). On May 14, 1905, in the Battle of Tsushima, the cruiser received about 20 hits from shells, and at night at 21:30-22:00 she was torpedoed on the starboard side from the bow. According to the crew (not confirmed by Japanese historians), during the night battle the cruiser sank two (according to Rodionov, even three) enemy destroyers with salvos from the stern and right 8" turrets. At least three more hits from 8" shells hit the cruiser "Iwate", which struck the latter serious damage should also be attributed to the gunners of the Russian armored cruiser, as follows from the report of the commander of the aft 8-inch turret, midshipman Alexei Rozhdestvensky, who writes about shooting at this ship and data on damage to the cruiser by 8-inch shells not found on other ships of the Russian fleet. Possible an error in assessing the damage (the Japanese could have confused the 8" shells of the Admiral Nakhimov and the 9" shells of Nicholas I, which were similar in power), so this statement can be classified as highly probable.

In general, the extremely outdated cruiser proved itself more than worthy in the difficult conditions of the “Tsushima massacre.” This was facilitated by both factors independent of the team (low enemy fire) and skillful actions of the crew, coupled with the successful placement of mine artillery.

List of cruiser officers captured after the Battle of Tsushima

Kobylchenko Ivan, warrant officer (junior ship mechanic)
Frolkov Nikolay, warrant officer (junior ship engineer)
Mikulovsky Boleslav, warrant officer (watch officer)
Lonfeld A.K., warrant officer (watch officer)
Mikhail Engelhardt, midshipman (watch officer)
Evgeniy Vinokurov, midshipman (watch officer)
Rozhdestvensky Alexey, midshipman (officer of the watch)
Kuzminsky Vasily, midshipman (junior navigator officer)
Mikhailov Pavel, midshipman (junior mine officer)
Danilov Nikolay, midshipman (watch chief)
Shchepotyev Sergey, lieutenant (junior ship engineer)
Dmitry Sukharzhevsky, lieutenant (junior ship engineer)
Rodionov M. A, lieutenant (assistant senior ship engineer)
Shemanov N.Z., lieutenant colonel (senior ship engineer)
Nordman Nikolay, lieutenant (auditor)
Krasheninnikov Peter, lieutenant (watch chief)
Misnikov Nikolay, lieutenant (watch commander)
Smirnov N. A., lieutenant (junior artillery officer)
Gertner 1st I.M., lieutenant (senior artillery officer)
Mazurov G. N., captain 2nd rank (watch commander)
Semenov, captain 2nd rank
Grossman V. A., captain 2nd rank (senior officer)
Klochkovsky V. E., lieutenant (senior watch officer, acting navigator's assistant)
Rodionov A. A., captain 1st rank (commander)

The Myth of Sunken Gold

Professional sea treasure hunters were the first to doubt Sasagawa's success. As soon as they turned to the documents of the Russo-Japanese War - in particular, to the reports of participants in the Battle of Tsushima - it became clear that there was not a word of truth in Sasagawa’s stories. Over time, another interesting detail became clear. Metal ingots allegedly recovered from a sunken Russian cruiser had specific gravity 11.34 g/cm³. This is the density of lead, not platinum.

"Admiral Nakhimov"
Service:	Russia
Vessel class and type	Armored cruiser
Home port	Saint Petersburg
Organization	Second Pacific Squadron
Manufacturer	Baltic plant
Construction has started	1884
Launched	October 21, 1885
Commissioned	September 9, 1888
Removed from the fleet	May 15, 1905
Status	Sunk in the Battle of Tsushima
Main characteristics
Displacement	8473 tons
Length	101.3 m
Width	18.6 m
Draft	8.3 m
Booking	compound board - 254 mm, barbettes - 203 mm, deck - 51…76 mm, cabin - 152 mm
Engines	2 three-cylinder double expansion steam engines with a capacity of 4000 and. l. With. Baltic plant, 12 boilers
Power	8000 l. With. (5.9 MW)
Mover	2
Travel speed	16.3 knots (30.2 km/h)
Crew	23 officers and 549 sailors
Armament
Artillery	4× 2-203 mm, 10 × 152 mm, 12 × 47 mm, 6 × 37 mm, 2 × 64 mm landing
Mine and torpedo weapons	3 × 381 mm torpedo tubes

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