''Izumrud'' (russian: Изумруд, meaning "Emerald") was a
protected cruiser of the
Imperial Russian Navy, and the
lead ship in the two-ship . ''Izumrud'' and her
sister ship
A sister ship is a ship of the same class or of virtually identical design to another ship. Such vessels share a nearly identical hull and superstructure layout, similar size, and roughly comparable features and equipment. They often share a ...
were based on the German-built .
Background
''Izumrud'' was ordered as part of the Imperial Russian Navy's plan to expand the
Russian Pacific Fleet based at
Port Arthur and
Vladivostok to counter the growing threat posed by the
Imperial Japanese Navy towards Russian hegemony in
Manchuria and
Korea.
Operational history
''Izumrud'' was laid down at the
Nevsky Shipyard Nevsky (masculine), Nevskaya (feminine), or Nevskoye (neuter) may refer to:
People
* Alexander Nevsky (1220–1263), Russian historical icon and patron saint of Saint Petersburg
*Alex Nevsky (musician) (born 1986), French-Canadian singer
*Nikolai A ...
in
Saint Petersburg,
Russia on 1 January 1901. However, construction was delayed due to priority given to completion of . The ''Zakladka'', or formal ceremony of laying a plate, took place on 14 June 1902.
[''Kronstadtski Viestnik'', quoted in ] ''Izumrud'' was launched on 1 October 1903. Construction continued to be plagued by delays, including an ice storm in December. However, with the start of the
Russo-Japanese War in early 1904, construction efforts were greatly accelerated.
''Izumrud'' was formally commissioned in January 1904 and she was assigned to the Second Pacific Squadron of the
Russian Pacific Fleet.
During the Russo-Japanese War
Under the overall command of Admiral
Zinovy Rozhestvensky
Zinovy Petrovich Rozhestvensky (russian: Зиновий Петрович Рожественский, tr. ; – January 14, 1909) was an admiral of the Imperial Russian Navy. He was in command of the Second Pacific Squadron in the Battle of Tsu ...
, ''Izumrud'' was part of the Second Pacific Squadron intended to relieve the
Japanese siege of Port Arthur. Captained by Commander
Vasili Fersen
Hans William Freiherr von Fersen, tr. ; (6 May 1937) was an admiral in the navy of the former Russian Empire.
Biography
Fersen was born into a Baltic German family in what is now Estonia. From mother's side, he had partially Scottish ances ...
, she participated in the decisive
Battle of Tsushima
The Battle of Tsushima (Japanese:対馬沖海戦, Tsushimaoki''-Kaisen'', russian: Цусимское сражение, ''Tsusimskoye srazheniye''), also known as the Battle of Tsushima Strait and the Naval Battle of Sea of Japan (Japanese: 日 ...
from 27–28 May 1905. At the end of the battle, Fersen refused to obey the order of
Admiral Nikolai Nebogatov to surrender, and used her speed to escape through the Japanese blockade. However, on the night of 28 May, she ran aground in
Vladimir Bay
Vladimir may refer to:
Names
* Vladimir (name) for the Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Macedonian, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak and Slovenian spellings of a Slavic name
* Uladzimir for the Belarusian version of the name
* Volodymyr for the Ukra ...
in the Russian
Maritime Province. She was destroyed by explosive charges set by her crew, who later reached
Vladivostok by land.
Notes
References
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External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Izumrud
Izumrud-class cruisers
1903 ships
Ships built at Sredne-Nevskiy Shipyard
Cruisers of the Imperial Russian Navy
Naval ships of Russia
Russo-Japanese War cruisers of Russia
Maritime incidents in 1905
Shipwrecks in the Sea of Japan
Shipwrecks of the Russo-Japanese War