''Kamchatka'' was an armed auxiliary vessel of the

Russian Navy The Russian Navy is the Navy, naval arm of the Russian Armed Forces. It has existed in various forms since 1696. Its present iteration was formed in January 1992 when it succeeded the Navy of the Commonwealth of Independent States (which had i ...

. The ship was launched in 1903. Its short career during the

Russo-Japanese War The Russo-Japanese War (8 February 1904 – 5 September 1905) was fought between the Russian Empire and the Empire of Japan over rival imperial ambitions in Manchuria and the Korean Empire. The major land battles of the war were fought on the ...

was plagued with unfortunate incidents, which ended in its sinking at the

Battle of Tsushima The Battle of Tsushima (, ''Tsusimskoye srazheniye''), also known in Japan as the , was the final naval battle of the Russo-Japanese War, fought on 27–28 May 1905 in the Tsushima Strait. A devastating defeat for the Imperial Russian Navy, the ...

Service history

Originally built as a collier, ''Kamchatka'' was converted to a repair ship while still under construction. ''Kamchatka'' entered service in the Russian

Baltic Fleet The Baltic Fleet () is the Naval fleet, fleet of the Russian Navy in the Baltic Sea. Established 18 May 1703, under Tsar Peter the Great as part of the Imperial Russian Navy, the Baltic Fleet is the oldest Russian fleet. In 1918, the fleet w ...

in 1903. Its main features were a large hold and large cranes that made it ideal for the role as a repair ship.

Role in the Dogger Bank incident

''Kamchatka'' played a role in causing the Dogger Bank incident, where the Second Pacific Squadron opened fire on unarmed British fishing trawlers. At about 21:00 on the night of October 21, 1904, ''Kamchatka'' radioed that it was being attacked by eight Japanese destroyers or torpedo boats. Not long after, small vessels without lights were spotted, which were crossing the Russian fleet's course. Deciding that the vessels were Japanese, the battleships opened fire.

Other actions

On 25 December 1904 while the fleet was sailing between Lüderitz Bay and Nosy Boraha the ''Kamchatka'' sent a signal to the that was interpreted by the ''Knyaz Suvorov'' as "do you see the torpedo boat" causing some alarm until the signal was correctly understood. While stopping in Madagascar, several ships in the fleet acquired several local predatory animals, ''Kamchatka'' being no exception. There are many apocryphal legends associated with ''Kamchatka'', such as: * It falsely claimed to be sinking, when the only damage to it was a cracked steam pipe * It became separated from the fleet, fired 300 shells at German, Swedish and French ships before rejoining the squadron * It fired a live shell during a salute for a funeral, which hit the ''Aurora'' However, these legends often have few primary sources. Many of these events never happened, while others may have been exaggerated for comedic effect.

Sinking

The ''Kamchatka'' was hit by Japanese shellfire during the 1905

. This disabled its rudder, forcing it to turn. Its engines were later disabled, and ultimately the ship sank. About 50 of the crew escaped on boats and were later picked up by Japanese fishermen and taken as prisoners of war.

References

External links

"Kamchatka - Guide 151"
video on YouTube

article on Hullsweb Steamships of Russia 1902 ships Shipwrecks in the Sea of Japan Maritime incidents in 1905 Auxiliary ships of the Russian Navy Ships of the Imperial Russian Navy Ships lost with all hands {{Russia-mil-ship-stub