1960-11-26 — Page 6

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1960,

For one officer the humiliation was too great. He put his revólver to his head, fired, and toppled from the bridge.

A smoking man's laste

VICERO

ICERO

POTEMKIN MUTINY

PART FOUR

ONE BATTLESHIP AGAINST AN AVENGING SQUADRON HOW COULD THE RESULT BE IN DOUBT? BUT THIS WAS THE STRANGEST-EVER CLASH AT SEA...

The outlaw ship

THREE battleships and one crui-

ser of the Imperial Russian Navy bore down on the one mutin- ous battleship, the Potemkin.

Rear - Admiral Vishnevetsky, in charge of the punitive expedition, had explicit orders to recapture the Potemkin, replace its scandalous Red Flag with the flag of St An- drew, and bring the mutinous crew back to Sevastopol for the biggest court martial that any navy had ever held.

Ils force, on paper, seemed Adequate for the task. But In

5 the Potemkin was the newest, most powerful battle- ship in the Black Sea, when he came to the moment of decision. Vishnevetsky falled abjectly.

steams

straight through

the Czar's fleet

-by- RICHARD

HOUGH

of ond

་

tho Matushenko told the quarter- Only from the Georgo musler to hold tite anme couras, Conqueror did thai Potemkin re- straight between the two ceive any sort of response. She columns of advancing battlo- was the third in hor column, a

forward

single-masted, 12-inch win-funnelled, ships, The turret was to follow round the unhandsathe battleship,

As the Poterakin cimo abeam atarboard column, the aft turret

the deck and turret the column to port. No gun was of her within

without sevch to open fre

specific hatches were thrown open as if And in terror... and were continu- forces closed to

the orders. another, ally running to the engine room miles pleading with the stokers to Potemkin's wireless picked up a work up steam to its maximum signal from the Rollslav.

**Men of the them

Black Sea and promising

payment

Fleci, ran the demand from their own pockets."

Admiral Krieger.

They were clear of the bay uppalled at your conduct. Sur- now and the

coastline astern

Before the Potemkin: had rendor immediately."

was a heavy smudged line with- Matushenko glanced at the out definition. Abend the foot passed her stern, the George's message brought to him from was less than a mile distant upper deck and quartordeck the radio room. "Reply. "The and niready the light cruiser were lined with cheering

sheered aside at men. was waiting, Vishnevetsky re- squadron is to heave to at once Kazarsity had ported this humiliating uncoun

and the commander-in-chief is the threat of collision, lerving

to

From the Potemkin came the signal; "Surrender or we will fell re" And Vishnevetsky this situation was beyond him.

What followed was a complete nasco. Vishnevetsky decided, al this late and critical moment,

New

orders

the

At Tendra Strait, where that he needed reintoreements, rest of the Black Sea Squadron

and further instructions from his superiors before committing the feet to battle.

He swung his fleet 'round in a half circle, and sped away at full speed.

Stardan Koshuba of the George the Conqueror, one of the Battleships now genrrying away, later reported that the officers of his ship "ran about

SPORTING NEWS

GALLANT KNIGHT SHOULD REAT CYRUS

FOURTH CONSECUTIVE SUCCESS

FOR STEPHANIE

From our Racing Correspondent

I likely that there will be around 120 runners for the six races at Happy Valley shortly. At the meeting last year 245 horses were saddled during the two days, 138 on the first and 107 on the second,

those

or

I the Star Ferry roughly four lengths at Tiger Dalm Handleap, Radio Times, Parthenon, Gardens. She has not won a race this ART Jackson stake can be expected sensor, but in 16 outings hos finished 1 sly the distance, Parthenon has out of the best four unly three times. won over title at Singapore, Radio Although Absinthe has been dis- Times over that distance at Manila, appointing in her last two races her and Jackson Blake

seven claims are sound en bar form at over urlongs at Penang. Parthenon is the Queen's Park when she was beaten red to win in 1965, had behind Painter, str. and the tired to atual

third. rest in hi

Irials-trained Mother Goose fourth, first crop of two-year-olds and bat. 1b., which includes a 10 15, penalty, may not be too much for a cult who la probably now ut his est,

AA

George Timms saddies Pipe in the Bat undleap, which he wen fast

Fine has th yent wh

from

ark

The silence

дл

at a prearranged signal, and great numbers of her стон poured on to the deck, waving their caps and shouting great- ings, Hurrah for the Potem Jefil

"Greetings Do comrades!"

who

820-

**This was the moment we had arrange the Potemkin clear water ahead been waiting for," Matushenka fer to the commander of the to come aboard

terms of capitulation. We between the columns of battle- wrote later. "It was the be fleet, Admiral Krieger.

The

ships, a 300 yard wide channel ginning of the revolution. Thase briel. guarantee his security," meeting WAS

The range was down to ive flanked by steel and

un cheers of welcome were spon- Krieger gave rapid Insiguo-

taneous expressions of solidarity miles, and details of the broken battery of guns. dions to his officers for the

It was the slicnoe of those from men of the working classes second and

resolute advancing ships were clearly more

visible, when Krieger's second

last moments that the sailors attempt to recapture the Potemkin. Krieger himself order, was received. "You do

of the Potemkin remembered most vividly afterwards, with would command the expedl not understand what you are doing," ran the message.

deep no sound above "Surrender immediately. Only rhythmic thud of the engines that accompanied them at sil times at sea,

After Juvit rolled to reach a chance with Paninn, who finished in place in her first four races this een-front of him at Ipoh and meets him son, Queen of ifearts finished a close Now on 11 . better ferma. Sam third recently to Lavender fill and a winner over two miles ut Bona Pink China. Lust regson she showed | Koh _ fron King, Martin Pass herself one of the fastest two-year and Nautical Gif), ali subaequently uld filles in Asla and, after inaking successful, should be dangerous with Impressive first appearance, the 17 a,, 3 lb.... but the soundest selve- went on to Singapore to anish, third tion may be Revlon, 8. Has to Paddy in the Bukit Timah Handi- ; three-your-old was not suited by the eap Her Shuson, Hill exunning sug--sharp one, mile three furlongs at gested she might be coming buckle Kowloon, but previously ho hadi her yesi, and in the Nathan Road | stayou on well to beat Pinerolo over Handicap she is preferred to Ergina, a mite and a half at Shex-0 and strangly supported wilen unplaced a this three year old in coming un fortnighti ugo to Delph, and He in owned by Frank Dellow and Luminoir, penalized 10 tb for her

trained in the Repulse Buy Stable. comicctable victory over Sex You at Sai Wan

Our correspondent has seen him al the morning, gallops witzersed by a Jorge gathering of the racing dra- ternity, it was noticed that every

กร

This time they were not to allow themselves to be intim dated. Although combat was to be avoided if possible, decks were to be cleared and both

by immediate capitulation will you be spared."

the

to

know that the end of tyranny was near at hand.

"The Czar's puppets ordered welcome of shellfire. In- stead there were cheers"

Now, as the squadron slipped estern, those standing of the No advantage to either side

The absence of any life on Potemkin's bridge could see the seemed to be gained by this the decks of the opposing ves- crews of the other battleships

on deck their cheers to those of he main and secondary guns were exchange of threats, but for sels added a further ominous emerging

measure good

Matushenko touch of warlike reality. to be loaded and kept trained repeated his cariler message.

Only on the Rotislav was a George's men. The engagement ол the insurgent battleship,

adding this time that the group of figures to be seen was over. and boarding parties were to be potemkin would open fre unless on the bridge; Admira Krieger, drawn up ready for instant use.

their demand was mer.

his chief-of-staff, the flagship's The squadron was to sali in

captain and second-in-command, two columns, line abreast, the

and several other officers, Rotislav leading one column, the

signalmen, and the quartermas- The movement that followed Holy Trinity the other.

The

ter, all clearly identifiable; and all was as neatly and gracefully Czar himself has ordered the

several carried out as any. pas de deux, cilmination of this shameful Krieger

further of whom, according to

ducked rapidly as eye-witnesses.

correct as any complex blat on the honour of his fight reply, and now head-on confict out of sight when one of the evolution created during fleet

appeared Inevitable. ing forces." Admiral Krieger in- formed his senior officers. possible to see with the naked Potemkin's six-inch guns swung manoeuvres. "There must be no failure.” eye that the decks of every war- round until the barrel was abn- ship were cleared for action, ed directly at them at point-

or at blank range. with the crews below

Smith may win the Hong Kong; Handicap vá Hongy and The Koon Wa Malden Plate un Absinthe. one was smoking Viceroy........In faci Honey is §. 16. better finndleapped everyone "in the know is amoking with Aspidistra for defeat of Viceroy,

2

VICEROY

Filter Tip

CIGARETTE

VICEROY

ICEROY

*

Decks cleared

made no

It

wax

Aboard the Potemkin, İying their guns. four miles off Odessa, they knew "The great flicet advanced on the fleet would be back. It was us swiftly and with relentless Just after noon the following day power across

from the look-outs.

Cheers

Graceful

wide

The Polerkin made a turn through 180 degrees, while Krieger ordered the columns to reverse course and circio back towards her, 30 that the mutinous battleship now faced before, the same situation as

the calm blue when the warning cry came waters," one sailor remembered The Potemkin was abeam of with the two squadrons bearing these last minutes. "It made n the Rotislav and Holy Trinity, down on her, this time from the This time there were five terrible sight,”

passing along their length at a west instead of the cast.

But now there was no longer buttleships almost the entire Twenty 12-inch and four 10- combined speed of some 20 Black Sea Fleet,

inch guns against the Potem knots, at such close range that any pretence of hostility be- Slowly the Potemkin moved kin's mòln armarnent of four the 12-inch turret guns had tween the two sides. Only on from her moorings to do battle. 13-inch weapons; five grent difficulty in following their tar- the Rotistay were the crew still Gt their stations, and they, il on her bridge stood Malu- ironclads; more battleships than get. shenko, the fiery little man who the Japanese Admiral Togo had had led the mutiny, surrounded commanded at Tsu-Shima when by his chief aldes,

Russian he had pulverised a "This will decide things," he armado, kept on repeating passionately. On the Potemkin the range The earlier encounter had was being called out at intervals: been carried out in

thousand radio. "Five

metres. four silence between the opposing thousand metres, three thousand

two five hundred. ships, but this time as the

response, Was no

She drove on between the was learned later, had secretly columns at full speed, Gaunt agreed between themselves not ing her red battle flag as a to open fire even if ordered to challenge to combat. But do no. 1

vessel the On every other still there

left their guns and and it seemed as if the ran men had ners on both sides had re duties below and were banked ceived similar orders to avoid up in lines three or four deep, waving and shouting their opening fire first.

greeting, so that this time 35 the Potemkin swept between the columns she might have been the royal yacht being received by the Royal Navy at Solthend.

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AMERICAN PRESIDENT LINES

No longer did the gun barrels swing round threateningly; and the officers watched helplessly as the mutinous trunciad flying the Red Flag swept by.

Puzzled

On the Potemkin's bridge. Matushenko and the leading members of the ship's "Feople's Committee" appeared to be emotionally carried away by this demonstration of solidarity. Only the realistic Feldmann. the civilian agitator from Odessa, watched the battleships careful- ly, keeping an especially, cau- ttour eye on the Rotsjov.

Butamexpectedly It Wie the George the Conqueror that appeared to mako the anly hostile move, just as the Potemkin passed her port side to port alde,

Suddenly the great 10,000-ton vessel swing out of line, puriling on speed as she did so, and aimed her bows, towards the Potemkin, as if intent on cam- ming hor amidships.

She was flanhitis, signals us. she raced towards the Potemkin; a last warning to marrender, perhaps? An order, to heave to, and awalt a boarding party?

Only one man on the bridgo, ¡evuld read the flashing dots and

darbes, and the others all!

signaller: crowded round this impatiently waiting bistrant- scription.

The crew of the George the Conqueror." ho enunciated; slowly, wish to join in your muliny. Please come along. side," And in confirmation of the appeal, the George turned on to a parallel course with the ↑ Potemkin und eased her speed.

What do you make that?" Motuekaniko aaked turn- Ing to Feldmann. "It was a quick enough mutiny. And, do you see, the officers, are still on the bridge,

(Ospilased an, Puận 7).