- Russian gunboat Korietz
"Korietz" ( _ru. Кореец) was a Russian
gunboat served inRussian Pacific Fleet . Laid down inStockholm in 1886, launched onAugust 7 ,1886 , commissioned in 1888. There were 8 more gunboats of her class - "Mandzhur" and "Khivinets" served on the Baltic, "Donets", "Zaporozheye", "Kubanets", "Terets", "Uralets" and "Chernomorets" on theBlack Sea .Participated in the joint attack on
Taku Forts in May-June of 1900.Together with Russian cruiser "Varyag" they participated in the
Battle of Chemulpo Bay with theImperial Japanese Navy .A day before the Japanese made a
pre-emptive strike , "Korietz" (under the command of G.P.Belyaev) was sent by "Varyag"’s captain Rudnev to Port Arthur with a letter to the Russian governor. "Korietz" was intercepted by Japanese destroyers and forced to turn back. As Belyaev reported, destroyers fired some torpedoes into his gunboat (or, at least, initiated the attack) and he returned fire with two shots from the 37mm gun - the first of theRusso-Japanese War ."Korietz" was equipped with two 203-mm (8in) old heavy guns, none of this type or heavier were present aboard the "Varyag".
"Korietz" was blown up and scuttled after the battle on
February 9 ,1904 .Etymology of the name: Korietz is a Russian word for "
Korea n man", Mandzhur - "Manchuria man", Khivinets - "Khiva man", Donets - "Don man", Kubanets - "Kuban man", Terets - "Terek man", Uralets - "Ural man", Chernomorets - "Black Sea man" and Zaporozheye.Second gunboat
There was a second gunboat named "Korietz", laid down in 1906 at the
Putilov Plant inSaint Petersburg . She was of the "Gilyak" class. At the end of theFirst World War she participated in theBattle of Moon Sound , but was blown up by her crew onAugust 8 ,1915 in to avoid having to be surrendered to German forces.External links
* [http://pagesperso-orange.fr/cdasm.56/dictionnaire/398.pdf Encyclopedia article for Korietz]
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9A04E7DB103DE633A25751C1A9649C946597D6CF New York Times 1904 article about the Battle of Chemulpo Bay]
* [http://www.fortunecity.com/olympia/ince/698/rurik/taku.html Taku Forts May-June 1900]
* http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/russian_gunboats.htm
* http://www.agenziabozzo.it/navi_da_guerra/C-Navi%20da%20Guerra/C-523.htm
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