On May 21, Russia celebrates the Day of the Pacific Fleet - an annual holiday in honor of its formation. This day was established by the order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy dated July 15, 1996 "On the introduction of annual holidays and professional days in the specialty." The fleet traces its history back to the Okhotsk flotilla, which was created to protect the Far Eastern territories of the Russian Empire, its sea routes and industries as early as May 21 (May 10, old style) in 1731.
The Okhotsk Flotilla became the first permanently operating Russian naval unit in the Far East. The Okhotsk flotilla consisted mainly of small low-tonnage vessels. Despite its small numbers, this flotilla has played a decisive role in protecting the country's interests in this remote region. These ships and vessels of the Okhotsk port can be considered the grain from which the Russian Pacific Fleet will grow in the future.
In 1850, the flotilla was already based in the port city of Petropavlovsk (today Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky). An important historical event in the life of the fleet was participation in the heroic defense of Petropavlovsk in 1854 during the Crimean War of 1853-1856. Together with the garrison and coastal batteries, the crews of the frigate "Aurora" and the transport (brigantine) "Dvina" with 67 guns took part in the defense of the city. The small garrison of the city withstood the assault of the superior forces of the Anglo-French squadron, covering itself with glory and forever writing its feat in history. In 1856, the Okhotsk Flotilla was transferred to the Nikolaev post (Nikolaevsk-on-Amur) and was renamed the Siberian Flotilla.
Squadron battleships "Sevastopol", "Poltava" and "Petropavlovsk" in Port Arthur
In 1871, Vladivostok became the main base of the Russian fleet in the Far East, however, even in those years, the power of the flotilla remained at a low level. Its position significantly improved after the transfer to the Far East in 1894 of the Mediterranean squadron under the command of Rear Admiral Stepan Makarov. During the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), part of the ships of the flotilla was included in the 1st Pacific Squadron, which was based in Port Arthur, where she died, as well as in the Vladivostok Squadron.
The tragic outcome of the Russo-Japanese War showed that the empire should seriously strengthen its forces in the Pacific Ocean. By 1914, the Siberian military flotilla consisted of two cruisers Askold and Zhemchug, gunboat Manjur, 8 destroyers, 17 destroyers and 13 submarines. During the First World War (1914-1918), some of the ships of the flotilla were transferred to the other fleets of Russia, and the warships remaining in the Far East were used to escort transports that followed from the United States to Vladivostok with military cargo. At the same time, the ships of the Siberian military flotilla took part in hostilities in the Northern and Mediterranean theaters of operations.
During the years of the civil war and the subsequent military intervention, the flotilla practically ceased to exist. The sailors left their ships and took part in battles with the invaders on land. At the same time, almost the entire ship composition of the Siberian military flotilla was lost, some of the ships were taken abroad, and some fell into disrepair. Only in 1922, from the remnants of the Siberian flotilla, the Vladivostok detachment of special-purpose ships of the Pacific Ocean was formed, which was included in the Red Fleet in the Far East (in the future, the Naval Forces of the Far East).
In 1926, the Naval Forces of the Far East were disbanded, and the Vladivostok detachment of ships was transferred to the Naval Border Guard. Only in 1932, due to the aggravation of the international situation, the Naval Forces of the Far East were re-formed and only on January 11, 1935, they received the current name of the Pacific Fleet (Pacific Fleet). In 1932, the fleet received a division of torpedo boats, and 8 submarines were also commissioned. Then the fleet was replenished with warships transferred here from the Black Sea and Baltic fleets, the creation of naval aviation and coastal defense was underway. In 1937, the opening of the Pacific Naval School took place.
In August 1939, the North Pacific Naval Flotilla was created as part of the Pacific Fleet, and Sovetskaya Gavan became its main base. The main task of the flotilla was the defense of sea communications and the coast in the region of the Sea of Okhotsk and the Tatar Strait. During the Great Patriotic War, part of the forces and assets of the Pacific Fleet was transferred to the Northern Fleet, taking part in battles in the Barents and other seas. Also at the front, more than 140 thousand Pacific sailors fought with the enemy as part of naval rifle brigades and other units. They took part in the battle for Moscow and the Battle of Stalingrad, the defense of Leningrad and Sevastopol, the defense of the Soviet Arctic.
At the final stage of World War II, from August 9 to September 2, 1945, the Pacific Fleet, in cooperation with the troops of the 1st Far Eastern Front, carried out amphibious assault landing at enemy ports on the Korean and Manchu bridgeheads. The naval aviation actively carried out bombing strikes on military targets of the Japanese troops in North Korea, and took part in the landing of air assault forces in Dalniy and Port Arthur. More than 30 thousand sailors and officers of the Pacific Fleet were awarded various orders and medals for their courage and heroism during the Second World War, 43 people became Heroes of the Soviet Union. For military merits 19 ships, units and formations of the Pacific Fleet were awarded the honorary title of Guards, 16 were awarded orders, 13 received honorary titles.
The landing of Soviet troops during the Seisinsky landing operation. August 15, 1945.
In January 1947, the Pacific Fleet once again underwent organizational changes, it was divided into two fleets - the 5th Navy (the main base is Vladivostok) and the 7th Navy (the main base is Sovetskaya Gavan), this division lasted until April 1953., after which the fleet was united again. In 1965, the Pacific Fleet was awarded the Order of the Red Banner. In the postwar years, the Pacific Fleet underwent a radical reorganization, its power was constantly increasing. The fleet was replenished with modern nuclear submarines and missile ships, other weapons and military equipment. By the beginning of the 1970s, a new full-fledged ocean-going nuclear missile fleet was formed in the Pacific Ocean, which took part in numerous sea and ocean voyages of varying duration.
Today, the Pacific Fleet is an operational-strategic formation of the Russian Navy. As an integral part of the country's Navy and Armed Forces, it is a means of ensuring the military security of the Russian Federation in the Asia-Pacific region. To carry out the tasks assigned to it, the Pacific Fleet includes strategic missile submarines, multipurpose nuclear and diesel submarines, surface ships for operations in the near sea and ocean zones, naval anti-submarine, missile-carrying and fighter aircraft, units of land and coastal forces.
The main tasks of the Russian Pacific Fleet at this stage are:
- maintaining the naval strategic nuclear forces in a state of constant readiness in the interests of ensuring the policy of nuclear deterrence;
- protection of production areas and the economic zone of Russia, suppression of illegal production activities;
- ensuring the safety of navigation;
- implementation of foreign policy actions of the government in economically important areas of the World Ocean (official visits, business visits, actions as part of peacekeeping forces, joint exercises with the fleets of other countries, etc.).
Corvette "Perfect" project 20380 of the Pacific Fleet
Currently, the process of replenishing the fleet with new ships is underway. According to plans, by 2020, the Pacific Fleet was to receive 40 new warships, including modern nuclear submarines, corvettes, frigates, landing and anti-submarine ships. In 2015, the ocean-class rescue vessel Igor Belousov was included in the fleet. In 2016, the second strategic nuclear submarine of project 955 Borey - Vladimir Monomakh - was delivered, which made up a pair of the Alexander Nevsky boat already in the fleet. In 2017, the first corvette of project 20380 "Perfect" entered the fleet.
Today, project 22350 frigates "Admiral Golovko" and "Admiral of the Soviet Union Fleet Isakov", corvettes of projects 20380 and 20385 "Loud", "Hero of the Russian Federation Aldar Tsydenzhalov", "Sharp", "Greyashchiy" and " Prompt". Also for the Pacific Fleet are being built strategic nuclear submarines of project 955A "Generalissimo Suvorov" and "Emperor Alexander III". In addition, a large number of various support vessels are being built and the existing surface and submarine forces of the fleet are being modernized.
Today, the Pacific Fleet is the real pride of Russia and the country's outpost in the Far East. At the end of 2017, the Pacific Fleet was recognized as the country's best fleet in terms of combat training. Over the past year, the ships and vessels of the Pacific Fleet completed about 170 course missions, during which about 600 missile, artillery and torpedo firing, mine laying and bombing were carried out. Over the past year, the naval aviation of the fleet conducted more than 20 tactical flight exercises, including the use of various drones. The coastal forces of the fleet recorded numerous field exits, as well as about 100 tactical and tactical-special exercises and about 6 thousand parachute jumps of varying degrees of difficulty. In addition, in 2017, warships and auxiliary vessels of the Pacific Fleet performed the tasks of long-distance ocean voyages, making 21 calls at ports in 13 countries of the world.
On May 21, Voennoye Obozreniye congratulates all active sailors and officers and, of course, veterans of the Pacific Fleet, all people whose life was associated with the Pacific Fleet, on their holiday!
