Destroyer "Steregushchy" The feat of the “guard” in the Russo-Japanese War and pre-revolutionary propaganda

As is known, surprise attack Japanese ships to Port Arthur On January 26, 1904, this base of the Russian fleet in China was blocked. Several of our military vessels received significant damage and were out of action. The next day, in the Korean port of Chemulpo, the cruiser “Varyag” and the gunboat “Koreets” took part in battle with the Japanese squadron. The “Varyag”’s feat spread all over the world, but it had to be sunk and the “Koreyets” had to be blown up, as a result of which there was not a single active Russian warship left in this combat area. The weak Vladivostok squadron could not compete with the entire Japanese fleet, which instantly gained dominance in the Pacific Ocean.

It was necessary to restore order in the squadron and bring the ships blocked in Port Arthur into battle against the Japanese. On February 1, 1904, the famous Admiral Makarov was appointed commander of the Pacific Fleet. He arrived in Port Arthur on February 24 and immediately got down to business. First of all, I decided to find out where the Japanese ships were based, blocking Port Arthur from the sea around the clock. It’s not from Japan itself that they come to the roadstead and fire at the fortress and harbor with their guns? They must have a base somewhere nearby.
To find out this, on the night of February 25-26, 1904, the admiral sent two of the best destroyers for reconnaissance - “Steregushchy”, under the command of Lieutenant Sergeev, and “Resolute”, commanded by captain of the second rank Bosse, who was appointed senior in this reconnaissance detachment .

Before going to sea, Makarov instructed both commanders personally. They had to carefully examine all the bays and places convenient for anchoring the Japanese fleet along the entire coast from Port Arthur to Eliot Island. Detected enemy ships should be sunk with torpedoes, and not enter into an artillery battle unnecessarily, since the armament of the Guardian and Resolute was weak.
These were small ships with a length of 57.9 meters, a width of 5.6 meters and a draft of 3.5 meters. Their maximum speed was 26.5 knots, and their main armament, in addition to two guns, were two surface torpedo tubes. The destroyer's crew (at that time torpedoes were called mines) consisted of 62 people, including three officers. The power of the steam engines of the destroyers was 6,000 horsepower. They had a cruising range of 600 miles, but that night they only had to travel 180 nautical miles round trip.

Admiral Makarov's order read: leave Port Arthur at about 18:00 on February 25, conduct reconnaissance along the coast and return to base at dawn on February 26 across the open sea. The destroyers were supposed to arrive in the Eliot Island area at about 2 a.m. The weather promised to be calm and lunar, which made it easier to carry out the reconnaissance operation.
After a slight delay in loading coal, the destroyers set out to sea. Ahead, developing maximum speed, "Resolute" was on. Behind him, not lagging behind, is “Guardian”. While conducting reconnaissance along the coast, at about 9 o'clock in the evening, the Resolute noticed the fire of a Japanese ship's battle lantern in the distance at the entrance to Talieva Bay. Captain Bosse decided to launch a torpedo attack and headed for the enemy, increasing speed. But, as soon as the destroyer developed full speed, flames began to burst out of its pipes. This led to unmasking, the surprise of the attack was lost.
Behind the first combat lantern of an enemy ship, the Russian sailors can see the lights of other ships. Captain Bosse decided to avoid the battle. Both destroyers turned away from the shore and into the open sea. It was already four o'clock in the morning, and the commanders of the destroyers, after consulting, decided to return to Port Arthur, considering their task completed.

They returned home not along the coast, but by the open sea. At about 6 o'clock in the morning on February 26, the Liaoteshan Mountains appeared on the horizon, at the foot of which Port Arthur was located.

There were only about 20 miles left to the base when our destroyers noticed 4 enemy ships at once. These were the Japanese destroyers Usugumo, Shinoname, Sazanami and Akebano. All night they scoured the entrance to the Port Arthur roadstead to no avail, hoping to torpedo some Russian ship. This detachment of Japanese ships was commanded by Captain Tsutsiya of the second rank. Now they were leaving to join the main forces of the Japanese fleet, which was approaching Port Arthur in the pre-dawn twilight.

Destroyer "Steregushchy"

The enemy immediately discovered two Russian destroyers and rushed at them, cutting off the road to Port Arthur. A fierce battle ensued. The forces were unequal: in addition to the fact that the Japanese had a numerical advantage - four against two, they also had more powerful weapons. Japanese destroyers also turned out to be faster. They quickly overtook the Resolute and Steregushchiy and opened artillery fire on them. Knowing full well that they could not withstand such a battle, Captain Bosse decided to make a breakthrough. His destroyer led the way, desperately firing back from the advancing enemy, and the Steregushchy covered the rear from behind. Having taken the lead, “Resolute” escaped from under fire, but “Guardian” was unlucky - in the very first minutes of the battle, most of its guns were damaged and its vehicle was disabled. The destroyer lost the bastard, and all four Japanese ships concentrated fire on it.

Enemy shells destroyed the deck superstructures and made holes in the sides, but the Guardian continued the battle. Seeing his comrade's disastrous position, the Resolute turned back to cover him, but was unable to break through the Japanese barrage. Realizing that it was no longer possible to save the Steregushchy, and that it was possible to lose even his destroyer, Captain Bosse decided to go to Port Arthur to call for reinforcements. Having developed the maximum possible speed and firing back from the enemy, “Resolute” soon entered the range of coastal batteries. Here the Japanese were careful not to pursue him.
The Guardian was left alone. Blazing from bow to stern, sinking deep into the water, he continued the fight. One by one, all the officers who took command were killed on it - Sergeev, Goloviznin and Anastasov, and the majority of the crew also died.

At this time, the “Resolute” reached the harbor and the seriously wounded captain Bosse managed to report to Admiral Makarov: “I lost the destroyer, I don’t hear anything” and fell unconscious. The fleet commander himself hurried to the aid of the sinking ship, leading the cruisers Novik and Bayan. Approaching the scene of the tragedy, he saw that Japanese ships were circling near the mangled, half-sunken Steregushchy, picking up the wounded and starting a tow rope, and a Japanese armored squadron was approaching Port Arthur from the sea. Suddenly, the “Guardian” shuddered like a wounded animal and went under the lead. Makarov had nothing more to do at sea - the Steregushchy sank, and the light cruisers Novik and Bayan were useless in fighting the battleships. Therefore, he gave the order to return to Port Arthur.

By order of Makarov, the entire crew of the Resolute was awarded St. George's crosses. Many reproached Captain Bosse for abandoning the damaged Steregushchiy to the mercy of fate, but Makarov stood up for him, explaining that it was better to lose one ship, not two. For the battle on February 26, 1904, Captain Bosse was awarded the order St. George IV degree.
Such is the general outline the story of the heroic death of the destroyer Steregushchy. Until this moment, there are no secrets or mysteries - everything is extremely clear. But then the inconsistencies begin.

On February 27, 1904, a telegram was sent from Mukden to St. Petersburg addressed to Nicholas II from the governor in the Far East, Adjutant General Alekseev, in which, according to Admiral Makarov, a naval battle was described in the early morning of February 26. It said quite unequivocally: “When the position of the Steregushchy became clear, I transferred my flag to the Novik and went with the Novik and Bayan to the rescue, but the destroyer had 5 enemy cruisers, and an armored squadron was approaching. It was not possible to save, the destroyer sank; the surviving part of the crew was captured."
It follows from this: Admiral Makarov believed that the Guardian sank itself, and this happened before his eyes. No one knew what was happening on the ship at the last moment, since out of the entire crew only four people survived, and they were captured wounded.

After some time, the English newspaper The Times, citing Japanese sources, published sensational news: it turns out that the Guardian did not drown itself, but was deliberately sunk by Russian sailors. “Thirty-five dead and seriously wounded lay on the deck of the Russian destroyer when it was taken into tow by the Japanese, who picked up only 4 lightly wounded Russians who rushed into the sea. But there were still two sailors left on the Steregushchy; they locked themselves in the hold and did not give up, despite all the exhortations. Not only did they not surrender to the enemy, but they snatched from him the booty that he already considered his: opening the kingstons, they filled their native destroyer with water and buried themselves with it in the depths of the sea...”

It should be said that during that war there were many neutral observers and newspaper correspondents in both the Japanese navy and army. Obviously, one of them had a conversation with the Japanese sailors who landed on the Steregushchiy.
This message caused a real sensation in Russia. Against the backdrop of the unsuccessfully started war with Japan, the feat of the destroyer Steregushchy and its two unknown sailors was a shining example the steadfastness and courage of our soldiers, which instilled faith in victory. Russian newspapers immediately picked up this news, and it became known to the general public, causing an explosion of patriotism. Already in May 1904, a colorful postcard was published in St. Petersburg with the image of the “Guardian” and its commander, Lieutenant Sergeev. The text gave the tactical and technical parameters of the ship, as well as a description of the feat. This memorial sheet was crowned with a poem by an unknown poet, which contained the following words:

Two sons of the "Guardian"
in the depths of the sea they sleep,
Their names are unknown
hidden by evil fate.
Nameless heroes, no need
your names:
You are the pride of our homeland,
the beauty of her banners.

The fact of the heroic death of two unknown sailors from the Steregushchy, who sank their ship so that it would not fall to the enemy, became generally known in Russia. In 1905, the Maritime Department published the official report “Port Arthur: The Japanese Siege and Russian Defense of It from Sea and Land.” It also contained lines about the Guardian: “Two sailors locked themselves in the hold, resolutely refused to surrender and opened the seams, because the destroyer soon sank... Unknown heroes brought new unfading laurel to the exploits of the Russian fleet.”
Until now, the fact of the self-sinking of the Steregushchy was based only on newspaper reports, since there were no eyewitnesses to this event. But, as we remember, four sailors from the Steregushchy were captured - quartermaster Fyodor Yuryev, fireman Ivan Khirinsky, fireman Alexander Osinin and bilge engineer Vasily Novikov. If the first three could not really tell anything, since they were wounded long before the end of the battle, then Vasily Novikov clarified the situation. While in captivity, he met in Japan Captain 1st Rank Seletsky, commander of the Voluntary Fleet steamship Ekaterinoslav. His ship, on February 24, 1904, on its way to the Far East, was captured by the Japanese battleship Sayen and taken to the port of Fuzan. In the prisoner of war camp, Novikov told Seletsky about how “Guardian” died. In 1910, Seletsky published memoirs about his time in captivity, which included Novikov’s story, told in the third person: “The shooting from the Guardian stops; its engine and boilers were damaged, its crew was killed, and the destroyer could no longer resist. Slightly wounded fireman Alexei Osinin crawls out of the fire compartment onto the deck, as his boiler is damaged and the fireboxes are flooded with water. The Japanese also stop firing and lower the surviving boats into the water so that they can be sent to the Steregushchiy to pick up the wounded and take possession of the destroyer itself. At this time, driver Vasily Novikov miraculously remained not only alive, but also uninjured, appears from the car. Seeing that the Japanese are rushing to the destroyer, he, on the advice of the mortally wounded signalman Vasily Kruzhkov, begins to throw signal books overboard, having first wrapped them together with the shells in flags, and then all the ship’s flags, having previously wrapped them around the shells so that they would not fall to the Japanese like trophies. Seeing that a boat with armed Japanese was approaching the Guardian, he rushes into the car and closes the hatch behind him, screwing it from the inside; and then begins to open the kingstons and clinkets. Having finished his work and seeing that the water in the engine room is beginning to rise above his knees, he opens the hatch and goes upstairs. He is instantly captured by several Japanese, but he does not offer resistance to them. Looking around, he sees the following picture: a Japanese military flag flutters on a vertically raised hook; in the boat standing alongside are his wounded comrades: Fedorov, Khirinsky and Osinin, and the Steregushchy itself is being towed by a Japanese destroyer.” After this, the Steregushchy began to sink, and the Japanese urgently needed to cut the towing rope so that the dying Russian ship would not drag its winner along with it to the bottom.

As we see, Novikov’s story is extremely accurate; he only made a mistake in the name of the wounded quartermaster - his name was not Fedorov, but Fedor Yuryev. However, Novikov took credit for the sinking of Steregushchy. There were no two unknown sailors - the destroyer was sunk by one candy man, the driver V. Novikov, and besides, he did not drown with the ship, but managed to get out onto the deck.

This story significantly shook the already established official version the death of "Guardian". Therefore, before installing the monument, it was decided to create a special commission in the Maritime Department that would investigate all the circumstances of the death of the Guardian. Howled also practical question- What should we write on the monument: the feat of two unknown sailors or the feat of sailor Novikov? It was difficult for the commission to work, because no documents from the Steregushchy were preserved; the surviving sailors, except Novikov, could not really say anything. The crew of the destroyer "Resolute" also could not help the case, since they witnessed only the beginning of the battle, and then went to Port Arthur.

Then they decided to turn to the Japanese. To the great surprise of everyone, they did not confirm the fact of the self-sinking of the destroyer Steregushchy by Russian sailors! But the initial information about this came from them?! Unfortunately, the British were unable to find the person who told about the feat of the two Russian sailors. Moreover, the Naval General Staff of Japan published a major 4-volume work “Description of military operations at sea in the 37-38 Meiji years (1904-1905)”, in which it was officially stated that the “Guardian” sank by itself at 10 o’clock in the morning seven miles away from Liaoteshan Lighthouse. In addition, our military attache in Tokyo, Senior Lieutenant Voskresensky, was given other materials in which it was recorded that at the time of towing, the Russian destroyer sank on its own due to the arrival of large quantity water through numerous holes. In particular, the Russian side received a report from Midshipman Yamazaki. He was the leader of the prize team that landed on Steregushchiy. This is what he saw on the Russian destroyer: “Three shells hit the forecastle, the deck was broken. One shell hit the right anchor. On both sides there are traces of hits from dozens of large and small shells, including holes near the waterline, through which water penetrated into the destroyer when rolling. On the barrel of the running gun there is a trace of a hit shell, near the gun there is the corpse of a gunner with his right leg torn off and blood oozing from the wound. The foremast fell to starboard. The bridge is broken into pieces. The entire front half of the ship is completely destroyed with fragments of objects scattered. In the space up to the front pipe there were about 20 mutilated corpses lying, some of the torso without limbs, some with severed legs and arms - a terrible picture. One of them was apparently an officer; he had binoculars around his neck. The beds installed for protection were burned in places. In the middle part of the destroyer, on the starboard side, one 47mm gun was thrown from the machine and the deck was mangled. The number of shells that hit the casing and pipes was very large, and apparently there were also hits on the briquette stacked between the pipes. The stern mine apparatus was turned across, apparently ready to fire. There were few killed in the stern - only one corpse lay at the very stern. The living deck was completely in the water, and it was impossible to enter there. In general, the position of the destroyer was so terrible that it defies description.”

In general, the Japanese version of the death of the Guardian looked like this. As soon as he stopped resisting, a boat with a prize crew, led by midshipman Yamazaki, was lowered from the destroyer Sazanami, commanded by Lieutenant Commander Kondo Tsunematsu. They picked up Russian sailors Fyodor Yuryev and Ivan Khirinsky from the water. Having landed on deck, the Japanese captured Alexander Osinin and Vasily Novikov. For 40 minutes, Japanese sailors inspected their trophy and put out fires, intending to tow the Guardian to Japan. They raised their flag over it and began to wind the tow rope. However, due to the continuous flow of water into the hold, the Steregushchy sank more and more, despite the towing started by the Japanese, which lasted about 20 minutes. Finally, the tow rope, unable to withstand the weight of the Guardian being flooded with water, burst. Then the Japanese decided to start a new towing cable, but at that moment the Russian cruisers Novik and Bayan appeared from the shore. Assessing the Guardian's position as hopeless, the Japanese took down their flag and left it in a hurry. At the moment the Japanese destroyers departed from the Steregushchy and the Russian cruisers rushing to the rescue approached it, it sank.
These were the facts provided by the Japanese side. An authoritative commission created to investigate the circumstances of the death of the destroyer Steregushchy came to the conclusion that there was no heroism of the two unknown sailors. The destroyer could not have been sunk as Novikov described, because there were no kingstons or clinkets in the engine room. So they reported to Nicholas II. Without further ado, he wrote in his own hand on the report of the Maritime Department: “It is to be considered that the monument was built in memory of the heroic death in battle of the destroyer Steregushchy,” that is, the entire crew, and not specific individuals.

Monument to the "Guardian"

But what about the monument? After all, it depicts two sailors tearing off the kingstons! Since the opinion had already taken root in society that the feat of two brave sailors did take place, they decided not to redo the monument and left everything as it was.
The grand opening of the monument to the “Guardian” took place on May 10, 1911. Troops with banners were lined up on Kamennoostrovsky Prospekt, and warships entered the Neva. Near the monument stood the honored guests - the widow of Admiral Makarov, relatives of the dead sailors, Prime Minister Stolypin, Chairman of the State Duma Rodzianko, commander of the destroyer "Resolute" Captain Bosse, as well as the highest ranks of the army and navy.

When everything was ready for the opening of the monument, Emperor Nicholas II arrived at the celebration with his daughters Olga and Tatiana. They were accompanied by the Grand Dukes and the Minister of the Navy, Admiral Grigorovich. Fireworks rang out from the towers of the Peter and Paul Fortress, and at that moment the white veil was torn off the monument. An unusual-looking monument opened up to the admiring gaze of those present, which became a monument to the heroism, dedication and courage of Russian sailors. Speeches corresponding to this occasion were made, and then Nicholas II, as the Petersburg Gazette wrote, “approaching the sentry standing at the monument, the survivor of the crew of the destroyer Steregushchy, former fireman of the first article Alexander Osinin, personally pinned the Order of St. George on his chest III degree, and also made the family of the deceased Lieutenant Sergeev happy with his attention.” After this, wreaths were laid at the foot of the monument, and the troops marched in a ceremonial manner. At this point the celebration was completed.

Soon, the Maritime Department, with whose funds the monument was built, officially transferred it to the jurisdiction of the city government of St. Petersburg. The monument to the “Guardian” quickly became a landmark of the city, attracting unusual appearance- through the open porthole, water flowed down to the feet of the sailor figures into a specially constructed pool, creating the illusion of the destruction of the destroyer. In such in its original form it remained in place until 1970, when the water was turned off because it was causing corrosion of the metal of the monument.
So was it a feat of two unknown sailors in the battle on February 26, 1904, or did the destroyer sank itself? This mystery has not yet been solved, and the mystery of the death of the Guardian has not been revealed.

The "Guardian" really behaved like a hero in that battle - its crew fought to the last, without lowering the glorious St. Andrew's banner. Most of the crew members died, and the destroyer itself turned into a twisted piece of metal, with broken pipes and masts. In addition, it had many surface and underwater holes in its sides. During their last battle, the gunners of the Steregushchy fired 8 shells into the Japanese destroyer Sazanami and 27 into the destroyer Akebano, on which there were many killed and wounded.

The feat of the destroyer "Steregushchy" entered the annals of the history of the Russian navy, becoming an example of courage and valor shown in the defense of the Fatherland for many generations of our sailors.

At dawn on February 26 (March 10), 1904, the destroyers Steregushchiy and Reshetelny were returning from a night reconnaissance to the Elliot Islands in Port Arthur. Suddenly, in the thick morning fog, they came across four Japanese ships.

These were the destroyers Usugumo, Sinonome, Sazanami and Akebono, which were soon approached by two more Japanese cruisers. An unequal battle ensued. "Decisive", who had more powerful engine, managed to break through to Port Arthur, and the entire power of enemy gunfire fell on the Guardian.

The result was 64 guns versus four! It was real hell: Japanese shells demolished all the masts and pipes on the Russian destroyer, the hull was broken. While the machine was still working, there was still hope of breaking through to Port Arthur, but at 6:40 a.m. a Japanese shell exploded in a coal pit and damaged two adjacent boilers. The destroyer began to quickly lose speed. Soon his guns fell silent.

The mortally wounded commander of the Guardian, Lieutenant Alexander Sergeev, gave the last order: “Fight so that everyone fulfills his duty to the Motherland to the end, without thinking about the shameful surrender of his own ship to the enemy.”
The sailors nailed the riddled St. Andrew's flag to the gaff and continued to fire even with rifles. The entire deck was covered in blood and strewn with the bodies of dead Russian sailors...

Seeing that the Guardian had stopped showing signs of life, the Japanese ceased fire, deciding to take it in tow and capture it as prey. A boat was lowered from the destroyer Sazanami. This is the picture revealed to the Japanese sailors who boarded the Russian ship, described in the report by midshipman Hitara Yamazaki: “Three shells hit the forecastle, the deck was pierced, one shell hit the starboard anchor. On both sides outside there are traces of hits from dozens of large and small shells, including holes near the waterline through which water penetrated into the destroyer when rolling. On the barrel of the bow gun there is a trace of a hit shell, near the gun there is the corpse of a gunner with his right leg torn off and blood oozing from the wound. The foremast fell to starboard. The bridge is broken into pieces. The entire front half of the ship is completely destroyed with fragments of objects scattered. In the space up to the front chimney lay about twenty corpses, disfigured, part of the body without limbs, part of the torn off legs and arms - a terrible picture, including one, apparently an officer, with binoculars on his neck. In the middle part of the destroyer, on the starboard side, one 47-mm gun was thrown from the machine and the deck was mangled. The stern mine apparatus was turned across, apparently ready to fire. There were few killed in the stern - only one corpse lay at the very stern. The living deck was completely in the water, and it was impossible to enter there.” In conclusion, Yamazaki concluded: “In general, the position of the destroyer was so terrible that it defies description.”

In the unequal battle, the commander of the Guardian, three officers and forty-five members of his crew died. The Japanese, having picked up four miraculously surviving Russian sailors, tied a steel cable to the mutilated ship, but had barely begun to drag it behind them when the tug broke. The Guardian began to list on board and soon disappeared under the waves.

Meanwhile, the Resolute reached Port Arthur. Its seriously wounded captain Fyodor Bosei reported to the fleet commander, Admiral Stepan Makarov: “I lost the destroyer, I don’t hear anything.” And fell unconscious. Two Russian cruisers, Bayan and Novik, hurried to the battle site. The sailors saw the sinking Steregushchy and Japanese ships circling around, including their heavy cruisers that arrived in time. When the Russian destroyer sank, Makarov ordered to return to Port Arthur: it was useless for the light cruisers Bayan and Novik to fight the Japanese armada.

The admiration of the Japanese for the feat of the Russian sailors was so great that when the four captured sailors were taken to Sasebo, an enthusiastic letter from the Japanese Minister of Navy Yamamoto was already waiting for them.

It said: “You, gentlemen, fought bravely for your Fatherland, and defended it perfectly. You have done your duty as sailors. I sincerely praise you, you are great!”

The unprecedented battle received wide international resonance. The correspondent of the English newspaper The Times, citing Japanese reports, was the first to tell the whole world the version that, not wanting to surrender to the enemy, two Russian sailors locked themselves in the hold, opened the seacocks and sank their ship themselves. The article was reprinted by the Russian newspaper “Novoye Vremya”, and the English version of the “heroic flooding” went for a walk across Russia. Postcards were printed about the feat, and reproductions of a painting by the artist Samokish-Sudkovsky, depicting the moment when “two unknown sailors” opened the kingstons and the porthole on the sinking Steregushchy, were widely distributed. Poems were also written:

The two sons of the “Guardian” sleep in the depths of the sea,

Their names are unknown, hidden by evil fate.

But glory and bright memory will remain forever,

About those for whom deep water is a grave...

The version seemed to be confirmed later by the surviving sailors themselves. Returning home from Japanese captivity, bilge operator Vasily Novikov stated that it was he who opened the seacocks and sank the destroyer...

In April 1911, a monument to the heroic feat of the sailors of the Steregushchy was erected in Aleksandrovsky Park on the Petrogradskaya side. A skillfully composed bronze composition against the backdrop of a cross consists of two sailors: one forcefully opens the porthole, from which water gushes, and the other opens the seacocks. It was designed by the famous sculptor Konstantin Izenberg. The monument, five meters high, is located on a block of gray granite. The base is a mound with three staircases. On its sides rise granite pillars-lanterns, reminiscent of lighthouses. The opening of the monument took place on April 26, 1911 with great solemnity. Nicholas II was present, dressed in naval uniform with St. Andrew's ribbon, Prime Minister Pyotr Stolypin, grand dukes, including Grand Duke Kirill, who miraculously escaped during the explosion of the cruiser Petropavlovsk, on which the famous admiral Stepan Makarov and the painter Vasily Vereshchagin died. As a contemporary wrote, “the sounds of a prayer service and the singing of the hymn “God Save the Tsar” alternated with the gallant, rolling “Hurray!” Inspired by the success, K. Izenberg later wanted to erect a monument to the sailors of the cruiser “Varyag” nearby, but did not have time; in the same 1911, the talented sculptor died.

In 1930, to give the sculptural composition a greater effect, pipes were installed to it, and real water began to gush from the porthole. However, later the water was turned off, as it turned out that the monument began to quickly rust. In addition, the sculptor’s original plan did not include “living” water at all. In 1954, in connection with the 50th anniversary of the feat, with back side The monument was reinforced with a memorial bronze plaque with a bas-relief image of the battle and a list of the crew of the Guardian.

The historical paradox is that exactly such an episode, masterfully cast in bronze by the sculptor, never actually happened.

Immediately after the Russo-Japanese War, a special commission investigated the cause of the death of the Guardian. Senior Lieutenant E. Kvashnin-Samarin, who conducted the research, tried to stop the construction of the monument to “two unknown heroes.”

"It's sad to see great Russia“that someone is randomly promoting the erection of a monument to non-existent naval heroes, when our entire fleet is full of real exploits,” he wrote, believing that the Kingstons were discovered by Novikov. However, the version about “two unknown sailors” had already been reported to the emperor. They began to collect information again. Who discovered them: “two unknown sailors” or Novikov? But in the testimony of Novikov, who claimed that it was he who went down to the engine room and opened the seams while the destroyer was being towed by the Japanese, and other surviving sailors, obvious contradictions and “inconsistencies” were revealed. The Naval General Staff considered that the version of “two unknown sailors” is a fiction, and “as a fiction, cannot be immortalized in a monument.” However, in 1910 the monument was already cast and completely ready for opening. Proposals began to be put forward to remake it.

Then the General Staff addressed a report to the “highest name”, asking “whether the monument proposed for opening should be considered built in memory of the heroic self-sacrifice of the two remaining unknown lower ranks of the destroyer Steregushchy crew, or should this monument be opened in memory of the heroic death in battle of the destroyer "Guardian"?

Meanwhile, the debate about the “Guardian” case continued. The version about the discovery of Kingston by Novikov raised increasing doubts. The commission spent a long time sorting out the drawings of the destroyer, and then came to the final conclusion that “there were no flooding kingstones in the engine room.” That’s why neither Novikov nor anyone else could open them. Moreover, the Japanese, as it turned out, before taking the Guardian in tow, carefully checked the holds, and there was no one left there.

But what then to do with the testimony of a “living witness”? Novikov was also interviewed by the commission, and he could not confirm his story. Probably, during Japanese captivity, the sailor heard about the English version of the “open Kingstons” and decided, upon returning to his homeland, to attribute it all to himself. By the way, the fate of Novikov himself was also tragic. After the war he returned to native village Elovka, and in 1921 he was shot by his fellow villagers for helping Kolchak’s people.

The story of the mythical Kingstons does not detract from the greatness of the feat of the Russian sailors of the Guardian, which has forever gone down in the history of wars as an example of brilliant valor and heroism. The Japanese never ceased to be amazed at the unprecedented feat of the Russian sailors. Admiral Togo himself reported this in his report to the emperor, noting the courage of the enemies. It was decided to especially honor the memory of the dead: a black granite stele was erected in Japan, dedicated to Russian sailors, with the inscription: “To those who honored the Motherland more than their lives.”

E. Kvashnin-Samarin wrote in 1910: “Anyone who would read and compare all the materials and documents collected on the case of “Guard”, it would be absolutely clear how great the feat of “Guard” was, even without the unspoken myth... Let the legend live and awakens future heroes to new unprecedented feats, but admit that on February 26, 1904, in the fight against the strongest enemy, the destroyer Steregushchy, having lost its commander, all the officers, 45 of 49 sailors, after an hour, until the last shell of the battle, went to to the bottom, astonishing the enemy with the valor of his crew.”

However, the story of the mythical Kingstons still turned out to be tenacious. Even much later, when all the circumstances of the death of the “Guardian” had long been established, they talked about it again, wrote books, the Kingstons are still mentioned in some modern guides to St. Petersburg, and the Leningrad poet Leonid Khaustov wrote:

You ended the battle with Russian sailors.
The last one saluted the Motherland:
Kingstons opened with their own hands
With the same iron will as here,
On this steep granite pedestal...

Almost immediately after the death of the Guardian, in 1905 a destroyer with the same name was launched in Revel.

The third "Steregushchy" was built in the USSR in 1939. He took part in the Great Patriotic War and died in an unequal battle with Nazi aircraft.

The fourth Steregushchy was launched in 1966 and served in the Pacific Fleet. And in 2008, the fifth was built - the Steregushchy corvette.

So glory and bright memory will remain forever...

Destroyer "Steregushchy"

The destroyer Steregushchy, built in St. Petersburg at the Nevsky Shipyard and assembled in Port Arthur, was of the Sokol class. The lead ship of the series was built in Great Britain, at the Yarrow shipyard in London in 1895. In Russia, a series of destroyers was built at the Nevsky, Izhora shipyards, and at the Creighton shipyard in Okhta from 1897 to 1907. A total of 32 units were built, of which 17 were collapsible. The destroyer had the following characteristics: displacement - 258 tons, maximum length - 57.9 m, width - 5.67 m, draft - 2.5 m. Power of two steam piston machines triple expansion was 3800 hp. The ship had two propellers and during testing reached a speed of about 27 knots. Armament: two single-tube 381 mm torpedo tubes, one 75 mm and three 47 mm guns. The crew consisted of 4 officers and 48 sailors.

12 collapsible destroyers of the Nevsky and Izhora plant were delivered to Port Arthur in March - November 1900. Assembly was carried out on the Tiger Tail spit by specialists from the Nevsky plant. "Guarding" was launched on June 9, 1902. With the beginning of the Russian-Japanese War on January 27, 1904, it was used in patrols and guard duty on the outer roadstead of Port Arthur, as well as in the passage near the Golden Mountain, and during a month of combat operations it completed 13 trips to sea. On January 28, at the Steregushchy roadstead, he collided with the destroyer Boevoy, and on February 11, he participated in a firefight with Japanese destroyers.

On February 24, Vice Admiral S.O., appointed commander of the fleet, arrived in Port Arthur. Makarov. He decided to immediately strengthen reconnaissance, for which he summoned the commanders of the destroyers “Resolute”, captain of the second rank F.E. Bosset and “Guardian” - Lieutenant A.S. Sergeeva. They were instructed to carry out a detailed inspection of the coast of the Kwantung Peninsula and the Eliot and Blond Islands. On the evening of February 25, both destroyers went to sea. At about 21:00, the reflections of a searchlight were discovered from the leading “Resolute” at the entrance to Talienvan Bay. The commander of the Resolute gave the order to increase the speed, deciding to attack the enemy. The destroyers picked up speed, and from chimneys The ships burst out into flames, which were noticed by the enemy. The Japanese ships began to inspect the surroundings using searchlights. “Resolute” and “Guardian,” having slowed down to a small speed, took advantage of the darkness and took refuge in the shadow of Nansanshandao Island. But they did not have time to reach the goal of the campaign - Eliot Island - before the moon rose. The commanders decided to monitor the enemy, suggesting that the discovered ships were the vanguard of another operation to block the fairway near Port Arthur. The observation lasted until three o'clock in the morning, but no enemy ships were detected, and the Russian destroyers went back.

After three hours of sailing, on the approach to Cape Liaoteshan, the signalmen discovered four silhouettes right ahead. It was a detachment of Japanese fighters (“Usugumo”, “Sinonome”, “Akebono”, “Sazanami”), returning after a night raid on the Port Arthur roadstead. The Russian ships turned sharply into the sea and tried to hide in the darkness, but the enemy noticed them, changed course and increased their speed. “Resolute” and “Guarding” tried to bypass the formation of enemy fighters from the flank, but the enemy took a parallel course and opened fire. “Resolute”, which was leading, found itself in a more advantageous position than “Steregushchy”, at which three “Japanese” were firing. The ships, firing back fiercely, retreated to Port Arthur. A shell hit the starboard side of the Resolute, it exploded in a coal pit and damaged the steam pipeline. Fortunately, the destroyer did not completely lose speed; the engine crew managed to cope with the damage. At that moment, the coastal batteries of Port Arthur opened fire, but after three shots they fell silent.

"Guardian"

The Japanese ships did not pursue the Resolute and concentrated their fire on the Steregushchy, whose position quickly became hopeless. "Guardian" continued to fire and was able to damage "Akebono", which was forced to withdraw from the battle for some time. At 06:40, a Japanese shell exploded in the coal pit of the Steregushchy, damaging two adjacent boilers. The destroyer was quickly losing steam. The next shell hit stoker No. 2, and the water entering the hole flooded the fireboxes. The stokers barely had time to batten down their necks and go out onto the upper deck. On the bridge, the commander of the destroyer, Lieutenant A.S., was mortally wounded by a shell fragment at the beginning of the battle. Sergeev. While firing from the bow gun, midshipman K.V. died. Kudrevich. Senior officer N.S. Goloviznin, who commanded the launch of the whaleboat, was killed, mechanical engineer V.S. Anastasov was thrown overboard by a shell explosion and died. The battle ended at 07:10.

During the battle, the Sazanami was hit by seven or eight shells, and the Akebono by 27. According to the official Japanese history Russo-Japanese War at Sea “Description of military operations at sea in 37-38.” Meiji stated that Japanese losses were 1 killed and 7 wounded. "Guard" lost its pipes and mast, and the bridge was broken. The sides and deck were mangled by shell explosions. 15 minutes after the end of the battle, a whaleboat with Sazans approached the side of the Guardian, and midshipman Hirata Yamazaki and five sailors climbed onto the deck of the crippled destroyer. A Japanese officer wrote: “In general, the position of the destroyer was so terrible that it defies description.” On the mutilated ship, fireman A. Osinin and bilge engineer V. Novikov were found alive, and sailors I. Khirinsky and F. Yuryev were picked up from the water; the prisoners were sent to Sazanami. Meanwhile, the Japanese started a tow rope, hoping to take away the trophy. At 08:10, "Sazanami" began towing, but "Steregushchy" could not be towed due to damaged steering, and soon the cable broke.

Having received a report about the battle of the destroyers, Admiral S.O. Makarov gave the order to the cruisers “Novik” and “Bayan” to go to the rescue, and when the “Resolute”, which had broken through, reported on the plight of the “Steregushchy”, the commander moved his flag to the “Novik”. Having put out to sea, the cruisers opened fire on the enemy from extreme range, and they were joined by coastal batteries. The commander of the Sazanami ordered the abandonment of the Steregushchy, which sank at 09:20.

Four sailors from the Guardian were transported to Sasebo on board the cruiser Tokiwa. There they received a letter on behalf of the Japanese Minister of Navy, Admiral Yamamoto. He expressed respect for the feat of the Russian sailors and wished them a speedy recovery and return to their homeland. And in Port Arthur after the battle, the commander of the “Resolute” was accused of abandoning the “Guardian” in trouble. S.O. Makarov, however, came to the conclusion that in the current situation it was unrealistic to save the Guardian, and recognized the actions of F.E. Bosse are correct. “To turn to his rescue would mean destroying two destroyers instead of one,” the admiral wrote.

The news of the battle of the Steregushchy reached Russia, and the newspaper Novoye Vremya, citing a certain English correspondent, reported that when the Japanese began towing the Steregushchy, two sailors, locked in the engine room, opened the kingstons and died, flooding the ship. The publication gained great popularity and minor changes appeared in various publications.

Sculptor K.V. Izenberg, inspired by this story, created a model of the monument to “Two Unknown Sailor Heroes” and submitted it to the competition. In August 1908, the project was approved by Emperor Nicholas II, and on April 26, 1911, the monument to the “Guardian” was inaugurated. The historical part of the Naval General Staff, having analyzed the information and interviewed the surviving sailors of the Guardian, came to the conclusion that the story of the sinking of the ship by two unknown sailors is implausible. Indeed, on destroyers of this type of kingston there was no flooding in the engine room. A report was sent to the Tsar, which stated that the invention could not be immortalized in a monument, to which Nicholas II replied: “Consider that the monument was built in memory of the heroic death in battle of the destroyer “Guarding”.” The monument, erected in St. Petersburg on Kamennoostrovsky Prospekt, has survived to this day.

Fleet historian senior lieutenant E.N. Kvashnin-Samarin wrote in 1910: “Anyone who would read and compare all the materials and documents collected on the case of “Guardian” would be absolutely clear how great the feat of “Guardian” was even without the unspoken myth... Let the legend live and lives up future heroes to new unprecedented feats, but admit that on February 26, in the fight against the strongest enemy, the destroyer Steregushchy, having lost its commander, all the officers, 45 out of 49 sailors, after an hour, until the last shell of the battle, sank, amazingly enemy with the valor of his crew!