The most powerful strike by the AUG on ships in the harbor in history was and remains, apparently, the strike by Japanese aircraft on Pearl Harbor.
But it was the Russian Imperial Black Sea Fleet that was the first in history to carry out such an attack by naval aviation as part of the AUG against enemy ships sheltered in the harbor. And it happened exactly one hundred years ago (anniversary!), On February 6, 1916. In addition to striking the ships, an attack was carried out on the port facilities, batteries and mines of the Turkish port of Zonguldak.
The Zunguldak coal region was the second most important area of attention and attacks of the Russian fleet (after the Bosphorus), because it played an important role in providing Istanbul with coal, since due to the underdevelopment of the railway network, the Turks transported coal mainly by sea.
By a directive dated September 9, 1915, the Headquarters ordered to interrupt the supply of coal by sea to the Bosphorus region.
In pursuance of this directive, the Black Sea Fleet carried out the following operations: several attacks on Zonguldak by battleships, 25 attacks by destroyers, an attack by fire ships (unsuccessful), attacks by seaplanes of the Black Sea Fleet, attacks of Turkish coal carriers by raiders, mine laying (which destroyed dozens of Turkish ships).
However, shelling from the sea could not completely stop the export of coal from Zonguldak. It was decided to conduct a massive air strike by naval aviation. However, the Turkish port was out of reach of ground aviation, so the command of the fleet decided to use the seaplane transports "Alexander I" and "Nikolai I", armed with M-5 flying boats. The seaplanes were ordered to strike at ships covered by a high breakwater, as well as mines, port facilities, berths, a railway junction and enemy batteries in Zonguldak.
After preliminary reconnaissance of Zonguldak and the detection of targets there, the strike group of the fleet (quite an AUG in the modern sense of the word) consisting of a variety of ships (battleship Empress Maria, cruiser Cahul, destroyers Zavetny and Zavidny, submarines, seaplane transports "Alexander I" and "Nicholas I" with 14 M-5 aircraft designed by Russian engineer Grigorovich) went on a campaign. The "Emperor Alexander I" housed 8 M-5 seaplanes (the commander of the first naval squadron, naval pilot Lieutenant Raymond Fedorovich von Essen), the "Emperor Nicholas I" - 7 M-5 planes (the commander of the second naval squadron, naval pilot, Lieutenant Alexander Konstantinovich Juncker).
After leaving Sevastopol, to ensure surprise, the aircraft carriers separated from the detachment of the main group's warships and made the transition on their own
In the evening of February 5, the destroyers "Pospeshny" and "Loud", blockading the port of Zongulak, approached the harbor, found ships and schooners behind the pier, opened artillery fire on them (they did not succeed) and telegraphed all intelligence information to the AUG command.
On February 6, 1916 (according to other sources, on February 7), the destroyers "Pospeshny" and "Gromkiy" together with the aircraft carriers went to the deployment point north of Zonguldak, where the hydraulics transports launched the seaplanes. At this time, the main group of battleships provided reliable strategic cover for the aircraft carrier group of ships from the sea - from attacks by the ships of the German and Turkish fleets.
The descent of all 14 aircraft was carried out in record time - 36 minutes, after which the torpedo boats "Pospeshny" and "Loud" remained to patrol the place of descent, while the air transports themselves withdrew a little further north.
The weather (and it was February, the time of storms in the Black Sea) in the area of operation deteriorated sharply, low clouds swirled, visibility was almost zero, the temperature dropped sharply, but it was too late to retreat.
At 10.30 the first aircraft, commanded by the naval pilot Lieutenant Essen, with the observer Mining Engineer I article Oleinikov attacked Zonguldak.
From a report to the chief of aviation of the Black Sea Fleet, chief of the first ship detachment of von Essen: “I inform your honorableness that I received your order to bombard Zonguldak, and if there is a large steamer behind the pier, then his. At 10 hours 27 minutes I was the first to fly to Zonguldak in aircraft No. 37, having an observer minder of the first article Oleinikov, taking with me two pood and two ten-pound bombs on the apparatus. Approaching Zonguldak, I saw in the harbor behind the breakwater a large single-tube, two-masted steamer standing with its bow towards the exit, which was smoking heavily. Having made three circles over the city and the harbor at an altitude of 900-1100 meters, my observer dropped all four bombs. The first one, a pound one, dropped by a steamer, burst into a mole in front of the bow. The second, ten-pound, fell behind the stern of the steamer among the layb and started a fire on one of them. The third, pood, was thrown at a railway junction and fell into a large white building. The fourth fell ashore behind the steamer. On a hill near Kilimli, I noticed a series of white haze, apparently from a firing battery. Having completed the task, I returned to the "Emperor Alexander I" in 50 minutes and went to the board for the ascent. The ends were thrown to me, and they began to pull me to the side. At this time, the machines were given full speed ahead, and my apparatus began to be carried under the stern on the propellers. Following this, the first shot rang out on the ship, the ends were thrown onto the apparatus and tangled on the motor, breaking my exhaust valve. Being two fathoms behind the stern of the ship, suddenly my observer and I noticed an underwater mine going to our vehicle. The mine went rather slowly, touched the boat, stopped, then it was carried away by the current from the propellers … I could not catch it because of the damage to the engine. Unraveling the end that was wound around the motor and throwing out the broken valve, my mechanic started the engine, and on 8 cylinders I broke away from the water and began looking for a submarine and guarding our ships. At 12 o'clock 2 minutes I sat down and was taken aboard the ship."
What happened, where did the torpedo come from? It turned out that during the ascent of the first aircraft, the aircraft carrier was attacked by the German submarine UB-7, which was stationed at Zonguldak specifically to fight the Russian ships blocking the coal region. The signalmen promptly noticed the danger, as well as the signals about the attack of the submarine given by the Russian seaplane, the ship was set in motion and managed to turn away, dodging the torpedo. At the same time, diving shells opened fire from aircraft guns. The attack of the boat was crumpled and, although she managed to launch a torpedo, she did it from a long distance and was forced to hastily retreat. Thus, thanks to the competent actions of the crew, the seaplane and the commander "Alexander I" Captain 1st Rank Pyotr Alekseevich Goering, the torpedo did not hit the ship! Having worked out its course, it touched the plane, which was at that moment behind the stern of the "Emperor Alexander I", but the detonator did not have enough impact force to operate, and it sank safely. The captain was greatly helped by the information about the attack, timely transmitted by a seaplane under the command of the pilot Kornilovich.
It was the Black Sea pilots Lieutenant GV Kornilovich and Warrant Officer VL Bushmarin on the M-5 plane for the first time in the history of the Black Sea Fleet discovered and attacked an enemy submarine. From the report of Kornilovich: “Passing at an altitude of 200 meters, at a distance of 4 cables from the Alexander and the destroyer towing the seaplane, I discovered the periscope of a submarine approaching the destroyer. Warning smoke signals were immediately dropped, and I began to circle over the location of the submarine. Immediately from the auxiliary vessel "Emperor Alexander I" fire was opened at the indicated place, and I saw how one shell exploded close to the submarine."
During the attack on Zonguldak, the aircraft were subjected to heavy artillery and rifle fire from coastal defenses.
Steamships, as well as the harbor, port facilities, railway junction, anti-aircraft batteries and mines of Zonguldak were attacked by aviation.
Marine pilot V. M. Marchenko, who carried out a sniper bombardment of a Turkish steamer (which ultimately sank), reported: “I inform Your Excellency that, according to the order of Your Excellency, I flew out on aircraft No. 32 at 10 hours 22 minutes, having an observer of Ensign Prince Lobanov-Rostovsky in order to damage the ships standing behind breakwater of the harbor of Zonguldak. Taking the height, I approached Zonguldak from the Kilimli side, having an altitude of 1500 meters. When I exceeded because of the clouds, I noticed shrapnel breaks 300 meters below me, and at the same time I saw up to 3 breaks, which gives reason to assume the presence of anti-aircraft guns. Passing over the breakwater, behind which stood two steamers, one about 1200 tons and the other about 2000 tons, the observer Prince Lobanov-Rostovsky dropped one bomb, 50-pound, into a large steamer. The bomb hit him near the chimney, and the steamer was covered with a cloud of smoke and coal dust. Turning around, I passed a second time over the steamer, and a second bomb was dropped, which fell into the water near the steamer. Along the way, photographs were taken with a photographic apparatus, which failed during development. I consider it my duty to convey that the behavior of Warrant Officer Prince Lobanov-Rostovsky during a very strong shelling was impeccable, which should be attributed to the successful hit of the first bomb."
The pilot-observer V. S. Tkach reported: “Having indicated the direction according to the plan of the railway junction, and having walked some distance, I saw many buildings, where I dropped the first pood bomb from 1300 meters of height at the sight, after which you immediately dropped the second pood bomb. bomb, which hit the area according to the attached drawing. After the apparatus described the curve according to my instructions, I noticed gun shots, where the apparatus was directed. Once over the aforementioned spot, I quickly dropped ten-pound bombs one after the other. At the end of the task, we took the direction to the base. The port was covered with clouds. Ensign Weaver.
In total, the air raid lasted over an hour. Observers of the seaplane ships "Emperor Alexander I" and "Emperor Nicholas I" discovered the return of the first flying boats and the ships returned to their original place and quickly lifted all the seaplanes on board.
For the bombardment of the port, mines and ships, the Black Sea aviation used a lot of bombs: 9 pounds, 18 fifty pounds and 21 ten pounds.
The success of the operation was significant:
- for the first time it was shown that naval aviation, capable of acting on targets inaccessible to artillery, became the striking force, and powerful warships now became only a means of their combat support;
- an enemy steamer and several more schooners were sunk;
- For the first time, the Black Sea residents carried out anti-submarine defense of warships;
- for the first time in the anti-submarine defense of surface ships the aircraft carrier "Emperor Alexander I" used data from aerial reconnaissance carried out by the flying boat of Lieutenant G. V. Kornilovich;
- for the first time diving shells were used to attack the German submarine "UB-7";
- the Black Sea Fleet naval aviation had no losses of personnel and aircraft as a result of the attack on Zonguldak.
Most importantly, invaluable experience was gained in the leadership and use of the aviation strike group (which included a variety of ships, from huge battleships to submarines), as well as the use of seaplane formations and advanced methods of war at sea.
It is impossible not to mention the most unique case in the history of world naval aviation when an enemy ship was boarded! This case does not apply to the attack on Zonguldak, but is characteristic of the Black Sea naval aviation. On March 3, 1917, a seaplane under the command of Lieutenant Sergeev attacked and fired at a Turkish schooner from a machine gun, forcing the crew to lie down on the deck. Then he splashed down, and while the navigator kept the team at gunpoint, Sergeev climbed onto the deck and, threatening with a revolver, locked the entire team in the hold. The nearest Russian destroyer delivered the prize to Sevastopol.
The successes of Russia in the air naval war were not accidental: the Russian Empire was one of the world leaders in the theory of the use of aircraft at sea and the construction of seaplanes. Russian seaplane "Gakkel-V" was built in 1911, one of the first in the world.
Since 1913, a large amount of design and construction of domestic seaplanes has been carried out. Projects of naval aircraft were created that surpassed foreign ones and soon ousted them from the Russian naval aviation. This was carried out by Russian engineers Grigorovich, Willish, Engels, Sedelnikov, Fride, Shishmarev, as well as the design bureau of the Russian-Baltic Carriage Works and the Aviation Test Station.
15% of the aircraft produced in Russia were for water use, this was not found anywhere in the world, and in terms of the number of aircraft carriers, Russia was second only to Great Britain, and in terms of the success of the use of naval aviation it was a recognized leader among all countries.
It is enough to look at the fantastic and for much later times targets attacked by Russian naval pilots. Russian seaplanes bombed Constantinople (Istanbul), Bosphorus, Trebizond, Varna, Riza, Rumelia, Sinop, etc., ensured the conduct and protection of dozens of small and large amphibious operations of land forces, reconnaissance and bombing of enemy ships, reconnaissance of enemy minefields and patrolling their minefields, adjusting the fire of naval artillery against enemy fortifications on land, reconnaissance of these fortifications. It was an undoubted success!
The Russian fleet used some of the world's best seaplanes M-5 (scout, artillery fire spotter, bomber), M-9 (heavy seaplane for bombing coastal targets, batteries and ships), M-11 (the world's first flying boat - fighter), all aircraft were Russian-made, designer D. P. Grigorovich, some aircraft had unique equipment: they installed radio stations with a communication range of more than 40 km and cameras. The aircraft created by Grigorovich were very easy to fly and maneuverable: their models were "blown" in one of the world's best wind tunnels of that time, located in St. Petersburg.
By the beginning of 1917, the Black Sea aviation numbered 120 aircraft, almost all of them were of domestic, Russian production.
The first famous order number 227 was issued not in 1942, but on December 31, 1916, and was signed by the remarkable Russian naval commander, the commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Admiral Alexander Vasilyevich Kolchak. Order 227 was: "On the formation of an air division of the Black Sea Fleet." He stated the creation and existence of a powerful strike force of the fleet and ensured the implementation of new organizational measures for its further development. A full-fledged aircraft carrier formation, a detachment of naval aviation (later renamed the division of naval aviation), along with two air brigades, was part of the air division of the Black Sea Fleet. The uniqueness of the naval aviation division of the air division of the Black Sea Fleet was that, along with the air division, it included four aircraft-carrying ships (in 1917 there were already SIX of these ships: "Emperor Nicholas I", "Emperor Alexander I", "Almaz", “Romania”, “Dacia”, and “King Charles.” Preparations were underway for the Bosphorus landing operation to inflict a decisive defeat on Turkey and withdraw it from the war …
Thus, using the world's advanced (very complex) methods of waging war at sea, modern domestic, advanced in the world aircraft (even with radio and cameras), modern domestic dreadnoughts, aircraft carriers, advanced methods of building and managing ship and aviation formations, she fought "Bast shoes", "illiterate", "backward" Russian Empire. It is interesting that the subsequent regime for several decades could not even repeat what Russia achieved at the beginning of the century …
When compiling the essay, the following articles were used:
