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THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1960.
The mutiny that rocked an empire ends in humiliation--but not without one last blow against the might of the Czar
Hunted-but still
the rebel ship
spreads terror
ROTENKIN MUTINY
PART FIVE
by RICHARD
HOUGH
ALL the pent-up conflicts, fears, and indecisions among the crew of the Russian battleship Potemkin were suddenly resolved by one word: Surrender! For they now knew that their attempt to spread their mutiny throughout the rest of the Black Sea Fleet had failed dismally.
Everything had depended on whether they could swing the Czar's flect over to their side. They had come near to doing that; they had sailed, through the fleet and been greeted with cheers instead of gunfire; and one great ship, the George the Conqueror, had elected to join them.
Then the George had defect- ed. by running aground to sur- render. The crew of the Potem
brief, kit could sl see their treacherous ally jammed in the mud of Odessa harbour,
With that defection ended the hope of sustaining mutiny in the fleet; and ashore the milliary forees of the Czar were ruthlessly putting down the riots which the 'Potemkin's crew had hoped would spread neross Russla
Helpless
What could one friendlesa ship, even with the Potemkin's massive armament, now do, ex- cept be hunted until she ran out of food, fuel, and ammunition to become the helpless prey of the avengers?
Never, since the bloodbath
come to them.
west,
From the shore came a volley of shots. Three sailors were killed
stagging up into the s Lieutenant Yanovich found behind it,
of Pathetic groups. the town desertod of civilians,
children women and
dragged
but he was of once acquainted enormous bundles; the rtcli of the fact that the Potenikin drove swiftig through the had indeed visited the port, and
The id not long gone,
Delay
nrriving at Constanza when the Potemkin was already half-way back to the Crimea.
The officers could lean no information an her eventual throng in their earringës. destination from the pori
inayar had ordered evacuation. authorities, but, enlculating Already the town looked dead. that she might have cunningly doubled back to Odessa, Liey- tenant Yanovich, the captain.
steamed off, still at full speed.
Before the bombardment was failed to find her prey but she with Matushenko to delay it for At Odessa the destroyer again due to begin, the mayor pleaded
at least able t express
an hour. This was agreed, and Matushenko decided to recon- some of her vexation,
noltre the harbour by launch. Her victim was the ttle He found, to his delight, barges British merchantman the s.3. laden with coal. The lounch Crawley, discovered anchored in sped away and returned with the rouds compromisingly close luwing gear and ù porty uf to a mass of Inflammatory poli- sailors. tical pamphlets washed up the shore..
She was the Pruth, a training promised that no farm would set a north-easterly course, and slip whose crew, encouraged by the reports of the Potemkin's
"And what about our ship". revolt and news of her defiance What do you suggest we should of the entire Black Sen Flool,
do with her?" asked Afanasy hed followed her example.
Matuschko, the mutineer's Jender.
The Pruth's muliny had been repllen on a smaller scale of the buttleship's. Her traince had taken over the sullors vessel in a brief fight which had caused the deaths of offeer and a boatswain.
an
But a few hours later, when the Pruth's mutineers had tropped anchor of the harbour entrance,
that they found instead of two rebel battleships waiting for them, there was one loyal fronclad stuck in the mud.
The
day the Pruth hastened [6 Sevastopol und surrendered in an attempt to retleem, her defection. The price of redemption was high. Four of ler crew were shot, and, 40
..
next
in which they had murdered were sent to Siberia. their officer week pro- viously, and the mutineers felt
so alone. They felt utterly unable to carry the crushing burden of the revolution any longer.
They would surrender. But not to their admitrat, nor to the military governor of Odessa, nor to any Russian authority. From them. the mutineers could expect no mercy; only the Aring squad, er the misery of the labour ballations,
They would surrender to the one nation bordering the Black would Sen, from which they Expect E welcome. which degree of political possessed a freedom and had A strong Social-Democratic party likely to help them. That nation was Rumanju.
chorus.
New
fears
Aboard the Potemki.., now a hunted, fugitive ship, the first wave of relief over the decision to surrender had subsided and the crew were assailed by new fears and doubts.
Ind they perhaps chosen the cowards' way oul? And if they were to be cowards, was their cowardice to serve Its purpose?
were
เ Fer as there any security to be found in a Rumanian port?
These doubts
nol eased by the discovery, in the captain's room, of book of naval regulations which made it clear that uniler Inter- national law deserters were normally subject to extra dition.
"To Rumania!" the men shouted in to Rumanial"
Feldmann, the civilian agito- But they
This "Let's go
settled the immediate problem. They would not sur- render 10 Rumanis after all. would call at the
Dismal
"Well, we could always buy her from you-privately, you know. The money would give you a start," it was suggested,
who confessed Matushenko, afterwards to
being highly offended by this idea, demanded testly the price the Rumanian Navy would Inke for Elsabeta; there were, after all, sul plenty of roubles in Peterkin's safe.
Was
Kuna
and
The Stremitelny rapidly took on 70 tong of coal and once again sped off in pursuit.
Assurance
The Potemkin steamed slowly into Constanza harbour for the second time at two o'clock on the morning of July 8, 1905, her searchlights flicking to and fro to pick out the marker buoys,
and anchored in mid-channel.
Matushenko ni once went ashore to consult with the on Then the men set about raising town's military governor and u barge's anchor. They were obtain conflrmation that they
terms that had been offered
(Continued on Page 7)
to
Up dashed the Stremttelny, so absorbed they hardly noticed could surrender under the same
had that a group of soldiers
the
Icw eur a appeared on
Without hundred yards away. warning, there came a volley of shots, and a deadly gun duel at once broke out.
torpedo tubes ostentatiously manned,
and aircled round the unfortunate vessel, fring a shot across her bows. theo
the
Next day came the news there would be no provisions, coal, or All tho Rumanians would offer was advice,
water.
From King Carol came a tele- grum urging the mutineers to surrender and promising that they would not be sent home.
18
But the People's Committee of Potenskin WDS disillu- sioned with a Government that refused them even food
without proved
A search party was then sent abourd to discover further evidence, in spite of strong pro- of innocence; and testations
to find anything failing incriminating, returned to the destroyer which at once renewed the hunt and steumed off to the Crimea, leaving behind her a minor diplomatie fracas,
to
Three sailors were killed In- stantly, Others were wounded and fell into the water. Panic sallors. It Was gripped the Matushenko himself who
rudder grasped the
of the taunch and brought it back to the Potemkin under rifle fire for most of the way,
Among those left behind was the civilian Feldmann, He had dived into the water i mavalling attempt to rescue a sailor,
Yearning
their
the Back
Russin went Potemkin-to the little port of .. Theodosta. She und ber crow were now in a sorry way. Her They raised anchor and left speed was reduced to suve coal,
their homeland for
and with her tubes becoming This sudden shooting altray, replying. Rumania had
use of and the failure of the people of salted up through the a great disappointment.
sea water in the bollers, the Theodosia to respond to Though it was apparent, even
the greatest arrival with
sym- any of the the engineers had the fanatics among
Odessa, severed the last strands of determination of the Potem- kin's mutineers. They yearned now only for rest and food and security,
"Let's
a
to mutineers, that their enterprise difficulty in maintaining pressure. pathy shown by the workers of
Life in the engine room was Was decilning into dismal
nightmare. failure, the Potemkin stil
spread went.
terror, wherever she
A state of crisis had dove toped
along the length of the Black Sco's coastline.
was undisguisedly Turkey indignant, and sent a stift Note to St Petersburg. Every vessel the Turkish and Bulgarian
The men were short of drink ing water. They had had no meat for three days: their sup- "plies of flour and millet were
running out,
13
"Back to
Rumanial"
soon
go to Constanza again!" rose the cries at the last mass meet- handicaps Ing the sailors of the Potemkia But despite these
quarterdeck and the increasing depression of held on, the her crew, the Potemkin looked after the launch had drawn Matushenko, and spruce and formidable as alongside and
and dead had she steamed into the wounded tor who had played a eritical Rumanlän part of Constanza navick was sent oul on defensive ever as
for coal, water, and provisions. patrois. Mines were laid outside Theodosia at five in the morn- been brought aboard. last despairing effort to avert Then, urged the more resolute. Important naval harbours. Not ing on July 5, 1006. capitulation. "What do you there might yet be some slight a single merchant ship think you're doing?" he cried chance of fanning the flames of from port. out huskily, his voice weary revolt elsewhere on the troubled from much speech-making. Black Seu coast. "Comrades, you're
turning traitor to the revolution."
role in the mutiny, made ope
But the sailors had lost all patience with this kind of talk. with his insurrectionist oratory. Any notke taken of him was hostile.
·Formal
stirred
on
Approved
Urgent telegrams from Lloyd's wanted all ships that they were The 'Potemkin's reception at in danger of capture Constanza was formal and cool. plunder by this great iron beast Rumanian naval officers, Includ- of prey. ing some from the erulsor
steamed referred to Bucharest
DICTORI
"I be better to die there or anywhere else than in front of
The petty officers had insisted a naval fring squad," one of the maintenance of the the men shouted out when the
ol navy's standards of cleanliness; alternative
surrender at her decks and brasswork gleam Sevastopol was offered to them. ed, and her guns would have It was a'wan, dispirited meet- with done credit to the flagship ing that contrasted sadly
those earlier occasions when during a royal review.
volce rose above voice and even A Theodosia, the terrified the conflicts added strength to Matushenko's request with a list optimism. mayor came out to the ship at The dominant note of vigorous
them have those.
Ultimatum
DI
WIS A
of the supplies the town could
For Alamasy Malushenko, The Potemkin left Odessa Elizabeta, cane aboard, and The gunners in the Bosphorus make avaliable.
who had worked for so long harbour for the last time. And were invited to drinks in the fortresses, now strengthened and
Meat, bread, four, and some and with such devoted zeal for scarcely had her smuke dis- wardroom. The question of ordered to remala especially
he the mutiny, the men's final de- the appeared over
horizon provisions, they sold, must be vigilant, sighted in a searchlight duinties for the sick-yes,
to surrender 10 the before another
could not lei tumanian Government. beam a strange warship creep could do that. But fresh water ciston vessel rondently into Odessa roads The Rumanians recommended ing up the channel without and coal no, he
shaming and terribla blow. under the Red Flag.
the mutineers to surrender and lights, and opened fre
Yet he knew that without the her bows. But it was only the
support of the rest of the fleet, Russian Ambassador roturning
white crowa were Bow to Constantinople.
demobilised after their shame- Chasing the Totemkin on her Very well," Matushenko told
ful failures, they could not ' go Journeyings in the Black Sen, him brusquely, "if you do not
That evening - the Red Flag but always arriving just too produce within 24 hours the late, WNB
destroyer coal and the water, besides all was lowered for the last terle Stremilelay. She was manned the other
provisions, we shall and cast into the sce.
Back to Rumania It must bè. entirely by officers who were blow your town to pieces. Now
determined to avengo the shame go
and back to your oflee brought upon the Imperial Navy change your mind." by the Potemkin's revolt.
This was the worst that the They were a sulolde squad. mayor had feared. The Potem
desperato mission had in's 12-inch guns were less been approved by the C.-In-C. than a mile offshore, and were of the Black Bea Fleet.
certainly capable of demolish ing overy bullding in the town in a short time.
Their
the
Victim
On the other hand undera
The Siremitelny plan was to from St. Petersburg made it a torpedo or ram the Potemkin, capital offence to alve assialance no matter what punishment she of any kind, to the mutinous received in the process."''
But this venture turned out to. be more ludicrous-than norole,
The Stramitelny sooured the Black Bṣa const to the south
In pursuit
the
Just three hoins after Potemkin had left Theodosin the Stremitelny sped into the har- bour, trailing a long white 'wako, She had scoured every fishing port and inlet along the Crimica success; and her crew of officers coast for the bottleship without
wore at their wits' end to know where cles she, could hazard
*** They, too, were out of “coal, crew. It was death either by naval gunfire or by firing squad, and the engine-room alat were. concerned at the state of her At dawn next day the crow engines, which, had been under
of tio Potemkin BAM Can-a-strain for which they had- astounding sight, The whote-never been designed for, almost" population, of the towin was a wook.
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