History and fiction. The first time I read about how a warship explodes was in the story "Kortik". There it was concluded that the explosion of the battleship "Empress Maria" was a sabotage, and one of the officers of the ship knew about it. Whether it is true or not, it was not possible to find out, but this assumption and went for a walk around the world, yes, in fact, why not?
Many years later, when I was already writing books myself, an interesting thought occurred to me that in this way you can describe a lot of things, including explosions and sabotage on other ships. Moreover, combining the amusingness of the plot with its informativeness, in no way inferior to Wikipedia. And so it turned out that in one of the recent materials I promised to talk about the explosion of the battleship Jaime I, and having promised, I remembered that I could do it in a somewhat unusual way. The fact is that this very event is described in my novel "Pareto's Law", which was published in Germany, but has not yet … been released in Russia. And in the second book, which is called "Freedom Volunteers", it is exactly about this event that we are talking about. All facts are accurate. Taken from the memoirs of Admiral Kuznetsov and related literature. But the adventures of the heroes are, of course, fictional, but as close to reality as possible.
The event itself takes place during the Spanish Civil War 1936-1939. The participants in the event, Vladimir Zaslavsky and Boris Ostroumov, are fictional characters, but it is known that many former White Guards arrived in Spain at that time and fought on Franco's side. Both are officially US journalists, but are in fact secret opponents of the Republicans. They are assisted by Leoncia, who serves as secretary and typist. But she is a member of the Francoist underground, the "fifth column" about which Hemingway wrote so well in his day. So in front of you, dear readers of "VO", is nothing more than history and fiction at the same time, combined in such a way that it is more interesting to read.
“There, you see, the battleship Jaime I, which came here in May from Almeria, is standing at the pier,” Vladimir Zaslavsky said, pointing to a large four-turret ship, which was standing near the pier.
Its construction was completed in 1921, although it began in 1912. And after all, such as many as three ships were built, although, in my opinion, such ships in Spain are not needed at all. Waste of money! But … ambition! Where without them! And we, they say, are a great sea power, we all cannot live without dreadnoughts. What is the bottom line? Wasted money, time, so much effort and labor, and now he stands and is being repaired at the pier. The last, by the way, of the whole three. That is, this ship is nothing more than stupidity embodied in metal, and smart people at all times used someone's stupidity in their own interests.
“I heard,” said Boris, “that anarchists run everything on this ship, and that they have no discipline there. They had one military expert from Russia, and even that was sent back, but a new one had not yet been sent. Because of this, they say, repair work is being carried out somehow, which is a very high risk of sabotage, because there are always workers on board from the shore, and no one even checks who they are and where they are from.
- Well, of course, we are unlikely to pass for workers here, - Volodya said with a grin. - But to visit him as foreign correspondents … with all the ensuing consequences, why not!
- What do you mean? Boris asked suspiciously. - That we can do it … that, huh?
- What do you think? Volodya grinned again.- After all, if they have no discipline there, it means that they will lead us around the ship, if only we wrote well about them. And everything will depend only on us there!
- That's right! - suddenly noticed Leoncia. - This is like a man, especially since they have already tried to sink this ship several times, but all to no avail. And this time the pilots hit him with two bombs, but he still remained afloat and, in general, fit for battle. What if our next offensive will be in the Almeria area? After all, they will then drive him there again, and this will again lead to casualties on our side. So if there is a possibility to destroy it, then I would very much ask you to do it!
- To the request of such a beautiful senorita, - said Volodya, - it is simply impossible to refuse. So let's think it over carefully and … for the sake of our charming secretary and irreplaceable assistant "Miss Smith", who is so passionately worried about the political independence of proud Spain, let's go and blow it up … to the devil! I hope that they will never again build such an unnecessary and ridiculous ship!
They spent more than an hour on the cape discussing the upcoming operation, and on the way to the Cartagena Hotel, Volodya told them why he had such a low opinion of this battleship.
“No, it's nothing worse when poor people try to be like the rich in everything,” he said, starting the car. - For this reason, the ships of this series themselves came out small for the Spaniards and their speed is low, and their armor, too, so if these are battleships, then they are very, very moderate in all their indicators, and much worse than even our battleships of the type “Petropavlovsk . Not to mention the English, French and Italian ships. There are four main-caliber gun turrets on them, but they are staggered, which is why only six can normally shoot on one side and only theoretically all eight. True, as many as 20 102-mm guns are installed on these ships, and even with the blowing of the barrel bore after each shot. But even though this is impressive, the question is, why? Moreover, there are still very few anti-aircraft guns on them. In addition, the new English main battery guns with longer barrels than before turned out to be unsuccessful, since they vibrate strongly after each shot, which, of course, affects their accuracy. And the ship itself came out so cramped that even lifeboats and longboats were first installed on the roofs of the two middle towers, because otherwise there was simply nowhere to store them!
- Well, and the worst, - added Volodya. - This is the presence of the cap-loading of its turret guns. This is partly convenient, but the experience of the Battle of Jutland and the battle at the Dogger Bank clearly showed that cap charges in a combat situation are already too fire hazardous. Do I need to say what this can lead to? So the Germans, with their cartridge case loading, have shown themselves to be much more far-sighted than the conservative British, although I respect them very much.
- All you need is acid to make an acid fuse, and Boris always has it with him, and getting berthollet's salt and sugar is not a problem. As a last resort, we use the heads of matches, because they also contain berthollet's salt.
Leoncia only shook her head in response. She had long thought that these two people, with whom she so casually connected her life, were very extraordinary people, and now here is one more confirmation of this. They sit quite calmly in the car and discuss the upcoming operation to blow up the whole battleship, as if it were an ordinary launch. After all, the most important thing is that she already knew that there was nothing feigned in this, that this is how it will be in reality, and all this self-confidence is from life experience, but even more, perhaps, not from him., but on the knowledge that they possess. Life set a task for him, the brain quickly analyzed it and immediately gave out information that somewhere once something similar had already happened, and if so, then all you need to do is repeat it in relation to new circumstances. Although this "only" was worth the most in their work!
Having reached the hotel, they immediately retired to Volodya's room and there they began to make three warheads at once in order to destroy the battleship for sure. Based on the strength, the acid they had, Volodya and Boris calculated that the fuse would last about twelve hours, so Boris suggested that they go to the ship around noon so that the explosion would occur late at night, which would make it difficult to save the ship.
They decided to apply for a visit to Commissioner Gabriel Pradal, who was appointed here only in May. As a newcomer, according to Volodya, he had to take great care of his authority among the team, which means he should be delighted with foreign journalists. To heighten the impact on the sailors, Leoncia was dressed in a bright red silk suit, a wide-brimmed white straw hat, and Volodya and Boris dressed in light trousers, white shirts and colorful bow ties.
- Stop, beauty, - the first sailor who came across at the Kurro pier met her with an intricate piropo *, - even to the bottom, even to the devil in hell, but only so that together with you!
And then it went and went in the same spirit, while those who were bad with words and imagination simply whistled deafeningly after her. The commissioner met the guests near the gangway itself, apologized for the sloppy appearance of the ship's deck, littered with all kinds of debris due to the fact that the ship was undergoing repairs, and he personally escorted them to the commander's cabin. The commander of the ship, Captain 2nd Rank Francisco Garcia de la Vega, received them in the most cordial manner, treated them to coffee and oranges and promised to answer any questions not directly related to the "military secret". Volodya replied that they did not encroach on any secrets, that they simply would like to truthfully tell about the everyday life of the sailors of the republican fleet. And not so much the fleet as their ship, which operated so successfully against the rebel bases in Ceuta and Algeciras. Garcia de la Vega did not participate in those actions of the battleship, but, of course, immediately took them at his own expense and began to answer in detail the questions asked to him. And when he found out that this Volodya is the same "Mr. Snow" who publishes his articles about the fleet in the Naval magazine, he was imbued with such respect for him that he simply did not take his eyes off him. However, there was little he could tell him that Volodya did not know! For example, he knew from somewhere that the booking of each of the barbets of the towers of the chief gunner on the Jaime was purely individual - a thing from the point of view of common sense is difficult to explain!
“Well, since you even know such details,” said Garcia de la Vega, grinning, “then I have nothing to add. You can safely be invited to my battleship as an assistant.
- Well, after all, I am, in general, just a "cabinet specialist", - said Volodya, dropping his eyes, ostensibly from modesty. - Well, yes, I know all this, but … I would hardly be able to command such a ship in battle. You know, this is a task beyond my strength and capabilities. But that's why I came to you today, that it would be very interesting for me and my comrades to see with my own eyes a real combat battleship that has just been in a battle with the enemy and still bears traces of damage from bombs and shells …
Again, no shells have been hit in Jaime I lately, and it was repaired in Cartagena after two bombs from Franco planes hit it. However, the ship's commander and the commissioner really liked the way he said it, well, completely in Spanish, and they happily nodded their heads.
“Probably, you all have a lot to do here,” as it were, by the way, said Leoncia, who was playing the role of an ignorant but interested in everything lady, “so maybe we would be better off talking with your sailors? And most importantly - allow us to walk around your ship at least a little, to feel its power, strength, and most importantly - the heroism of the people who are fighting on it for the republic.
There was no shortage of people willing to take them around the ship! Boris and Volodya deliberately began to climb it here and there, however, no matter how hard they tried, they did not manage to lay their charges in any of the powder magazines of all three towers. No one suspected them of anything, of course, they simply did not take their eyes off them for a second, so no matter how hard they tried, get out of their pockets the matchboxes with a flammable composition they had prepared and shove them somewhere between the charges like this and failed. It was in vain that one of them distracted the attention of the sailors walking with them, so that the other could fulfill his plan. There, where the charges lay, just the work itself was going on, and here they were offered to go without stopping! And where they were not, they could stand and talk as much as they wanted, but there was no sense in it !!!
What to do in this situation, Volodya could not even imagine, and Boris was clearly angry, but he could not do anything either. Then Leoncia finally came up to them and, smiling sweetly, said that she personally had already looked at everything here, and that they could leave! Not believing their ears, Volodya and Boris grabbed her by the arms and immediately left the battleship, promising the commander and commissioner to bring their material for reading before sending it to print. After that, they quickly got into the car and drove to the hotel, and Leoncia remained silent all the way and only smiled mysteriously.
- Well, how is Leoncia? - Boris could not resist. - How about you? After all, we never managed to put the charges, and we did not know what to do, when you suddenly called us. Well, at least you did it?
- And I did it! She exclaimed in a satisfied voice. - I pretended that I needed to touch up my lips, well, the sailors who took me around the ship, all together began to look anywhere, but not at me. These seconds were enough for me!
- Where did you put the charge, Leoncia? - Volodya asked her, who still could not bring himself to switch to "you" with her. - I hope that it lies where it will not be found?
- I stuck it, as you said, between the caps from 102-mm guns. I specifically asked what kind of rollers they were, and they began to explain to me in the most detailed way, and then … I already told you what I did there and how!
- Well, you are great! - Having listened to her to the end, Boris said with enthusiasm. - We failed, but you did - that's great! Now all that remains is to wait for the results, or it’s even better to get out of here as soon as possible so that we are not detained by the security service.
“On the contrary, we’re not going anywhere from here before the explosion,” said Volodya. - And then, after the explosion, we, too, will stay here for some time, so that after that no one would even think of suspecting us! They are undergoing renovation work, sailors are completely free to walk along the corridors with cigarettes in their teeth, so is it far from sin? For you, Boris, it will be enough to throw out all your pyrotechnics and that's it - no one will ever suspect us of anything. But if we now take it and leave, then the head waiter will immediately report where to follow about our hasty, and, therefore, suspicious departure, from which suspicion may fall on us. In addition, there they are, look, the sailors from the battleship are staggering through the streets and, in principle, any of them can be bribed and intimidated, so there is no reason for us to leave here, we have not seen all the local sights yet!
They rested for the rest of the day! Once again we visited the Roman amphitheater and the ancient ruins located just a stone's throw from the hotel. Then they examined the Moroccan castle, the military prison of Santa Lucia and the medieval Basilica of De la Caridad, after which they once again went to the cape to swim before going to bed, and only after that settled in Volodya's room to await the results of the sabotage.
An hour passed, then another, midnight came, but there was still no explosion. In the end, they fell asleep, unable to cope with sleep, and the mined ship still stood at the pier.
In the morning Boris began to rush about the room like a tiger planted in a cage.
- Are you sure you put a charge between the caps?
- Well, yes, exactly, - Leoncia answered for the umpteenth time.
- Or maybe it was not charges, but shells, and you put it between them?
Well, no, is she really such a fool that she cannot distinguish between a charge and a projectile? No, what he gave her, she put there.
- And what was that bomb, you do not remember? He continued to ask. - I did several of them at once …
- The one that was made of a brass sleeve, because you yourself said that it is more convenient for me.
- Well, yes, that's right. But why doesn't it explode then?
- How do I know? Leoncia shrugged. - We can't go now and check what happened there. We'll have to wait …
- Your calmness can only be envied!
“I don’t understand why you, Ossie, are so nervous, in fact, over a trifle. Well, we didn't blow it up today, we'll blow it up tomorrow! The ship, after all, does not leave the port anywhere …
They had breakfast without any appetite, then, taking their camera with them, they went up to the Moroccan castle again. The view of the harbor from here was simply magnificent, and the battleship near the pier was very visible. It was exactly noon when Volodya finally ordered:
- Let's get out of here, failed, apparently, our idea!
And then a deafening explosion was heard on the battleship!
From the hill on which they were standing, a bright flash was clearly visible in the region of the third tower of the main caliber, and the flame shot out high up, and debris flew from the chimney in all directions.
- Hooray! - Boris shouted loudly, followed by Volodya, and Leoncia picked up after them: - Hurray, hurray!
Fortunately, no one here saw them, and after the explosion, no one would look where they were now. Meanwhile, a huge column of completely black smoke rose high into the sky above the battleship, illuminated from below by tongues of yellow-red flame escaping from the hull. It was clearly seen how harbor tugs and fire boats were pulling to the scene of the incident and that they were trying to flood the burning ship with water from them, only they were clearly not able to cope with the fire. "Jaime I" still continued to burn, and soon there were new explosions on it, which followed one after another. Then he slowly lurched to starboard, his deck completely submerged, and thus his combat career ended!
- Something you miscalculated! - Volodya noticed to Boris when they went down to the car. - Apparently, either the acid turned out to be too weak or, on the contrary, the walls of the sleeve are too thick, but you see yourself: it should have exploded at night, and now it is exactly noon. The delay is almost a day, that's how.
“But now no one will think of us,” Leoncia said in a conciliatory tone. - Well, what did this happen? Well, who can say that now? The result is important here, but we have it!
And the three of them hurried to the telegraph office in order to transmit information about the explosion of the Republican battleship "Jaime I" in the harbor of Cartagena to the newspapers and on the radio as soon as possible.
It is interesting that the commission of inquiry, which was investigating the circumstances of his death, considered the main reason for the negligence of the ship's personnel. The explosion of the cellars of 102-mm shells on the starboard side of the ship, in her opinion, occurred from the gas cutters used in the repair of one of the bulkheads damaged by the explosion of a bomb from an Italian bomber, which was used in the immediate vicinity of these cellars. It detonated the cellars of the main caliber tower No. 3, and after that, the shells for anti-aircraft guns laid out on the upper deck exploded from the fire that began.
However, Francoist propaganda literally immediately started talking about the "fifth column" in the republican rear, which, of course, played into its hands, but for Soviet military advisers the notorious "column" became just an excuse: well, how, they say, can we do that - do something if there are spies everywhere around.
