Eduard Schensnovich
Encyclopedia
Eduard Nikolayevich Schensnovich Eduárd Nikoláevič Ščensnóvič, occasionally transliterated as (January 6, 1852 - January 3, 1911) was an admiral in the Imperial Russian Navy
.
into an ethnic Polish nobility in the Russian Empire. His father, Nikolai Schensnovich was a career naval officer, who had been exiled to Arkhangelsk in 1833 for his role in the November Uprising
. The family moved to Kronstadt
in 1862. Schensnovich entered military service in 1867, and joined the Sea Cadet Corps
in Petrograd, graduating as a midshipman
in 1871. HIs first assignment was to the clipper ship Pearl in the Pacific Ocean
in 1871, following which he joined the gunboat
Smerch as a warrant officer
. In 1876 he was posted to the Black Sea Fleet
serving on board torpedo boats, and was promoted to lieutenant in 1877. During the Russo Turkish War of 1877 he served as a mine warfare
specialist. In 1878 he joined the mine warfare school of the Russian Baltic Fleet and represented Russia during the Exposition Universelle (1878)
in Paris
, and went on to study the latest developments in mines in France and England later that year. From 1880-1885 he conducted numerous experiments with naval mines as part of the Russian Navy technical department, wrote numerous technical articles, and was decorated for his successes in the development of new weapons.
In 1885, Schensnovich was promoted to Captain 2nd Rank
and commanded the destroyer division of the Russian Pacific Fleet. In 1886 he returned to the Baltic Fleet and commanded gunboats and destroyers, and was also involved in the drafting of tactics and battle plans for potential use against the Imperial German Navy in the event of a conflict. In 1895 he was base commander in Vladivostok
.
In 1898 Schensnovich was promoted to Captain 1st Rank and was sent to Philadelphia to supervise the construction of the battleship and cruiser in America. He returned to Russia in 1902 aboard the Retvizan which he commanded for the duration of her Russian Navy career. On September 21, 1902 Retvizan and Varyag were assigned to the Far East and arrived as Port Arthur April 20, 1903.
During the Russo Japanese War Schensnovich was based at Port Arthur. The Retvizan was struck by Japanese torpedo
es during one of the opening sorties of the Battle of Port Arthur
. After emergency repairs, Schensnovich took part in the Battle of the Yellow Sea
where, by attempting to ram the Japanese flagship
, he proved to be a far more aggressive captain than many of his colleagues. During the battle, Retvizan took many hits, and Schensnovich was severely wounded in the abdomen by shrapnel
. He never fully recovered from this injury. Captain Schensnovich signed the capitulation of Port Arthur for the Imperial Russian Navy on 2 January 1905.
After repatriation following the war, Schensnovich was based in with the Baltic Fleet and promoted to rear admiral in 1905. By express order of Tsar Nicholas II
, on March 19, 1906 he was made base commander at Libau
and commander of the first Russian Navy submarine
squadron, with responsibility for developing all aspects of submarine warfare
. From 1908 was promoted to vice admiral and made a member of the Admiralty Board, directing a committee to rewrite the rules and regulations for conduct of the Imperial Russian Navy, and issing numerous memorandums on the shortcomings of the Russian shipbuilding industry and tactics during the Russo-Japanese War. His health continued to deteriorate, and he died in 1910.
Imperial Russian Navy
The Imperial Russian Navy refers to the Tsarist fleets prior to the February Revolution.-First Romanovs:Under Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich, construction of the first three-masted ship, actually built within Russia, was completed in 1636. It was built in Balakhna by Danish shipbuilders from Holstein...
.
Biography
Schensnovich was born in ArkhangelskArkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk , formerly known as Archangel in English, is a city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina River near its exit into the White Sea in the north of European Russia. The city spreads for over along the banks of the river...
into an ethnic Polish nobility in the Russian Empire. His father, Nikolai Schensnovich was a career naval officer, who had been exiled to Arkhangelsk in 1833 for his role in the November Uprising
November Uprising
The November Uprising , Polish–Russian War 1830–31 also known as the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in the heartland of partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. The uprising began on 29 November 1830 in Warsaw when the young Polish officers from the local Army of the Congress...
. The family moved to Kronstadt
Kronstadt
Kronstadt , also spelled Kronshtadt, Cronstadt |crown]]" and Stadt for "city"); is a municipal town in Kronshtadtsky District of the federal city of St. Petersburg, Russia, located on Kotlin Island, west of Saint Petersburg proper near the head of the Gulf of Finland. Population: It is also...
in 1862. Schensnovich entered military service in 1867, and joined the Sea Cadet Corps
Sea Cadet Corps (Russia)
The Sea Cadet Corps , occasionally translated as the Marine Cadet Corps or the Naval Cadet Corps, is an educational establishment for training Naval officers for the Russian Navy in Saint Petersburg.It is the oldest existing high school in Russia.-History:...
in Petrograd, graduating as a midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
in 1871. HIs first assignment was to the clipper ship Pearl in the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
in 1871, following which he joined the gunboat
Gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...
Smerch as a warrant officer
Warrant Officer
A warrant officer is an officer in a military organization who is designated an officer by a warrant, as distinguished from a commissioned officer who is designated an officer by a commission, or from non-commissioned officer who is designated an officer by virtue of seniority.The rank was first...
. In 1876 he was posted to the Black Sea Fleet
Black Sea Fleet
The Black Sea Fleet is a large operational-strategic sub-unit of the Russian Navy, operating in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea since the late 18th century. It is based in various harbors of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov....
serving on board torpedo boats, and was promoted to lieutenant in 1877. During the Russo Turkish War of 1877 he served as a mine warfare
Mine warfare
Mine warfare refers to the use of different types of explosive devices:*Land mine, a weight-triggered explosive device intended to maim or kill people or to destroy vehicles...
specialist. In 1878 he joined the mine warfare school of the Russian Baltic Fleet and represented Russia during the Exposition Universelle (1878)
Exposition Universelle (1878)
The third Paris World's Fair, called an Exposition Universelle in French, was held from 1 May through to 10 November 1878. It celebrated the recovery of France after the 1870 Franco-Prussian War.-Construction:...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, and went on to study the latest developments in mines in France and England later that year. From 1880-1885 he conducted numerous experiments with naval mines as part of the Russian Navy technical department, wrote numerous technical articles, and was decorated for his successes in the development of new weapons.
In 1885, Schensnovich was promoted to Captain 2nd Rank
Frigate Captain
Frigate captain is a naval rank in the naval forces of several countries.It is, usually, equivalent to the Commonwealth/US Navy rank of commander.Countries using this rank include Argentina and Spain , France , Belgium , Italy ,...
and commanded the destroyer division of the Russian Pacific Fleet. In 1886 he returned to the Baltic Fleet and commanded gunboats and destroyers, and was also involved in the drafting of tactics and battle plans for potential use against the Imperial German Navy in the event of a conflict. In 1895 he was base commander in Vladivostok
Vladivostok
The city is located in the southern extremity of Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula, which is about 30 km long and approximately 12 km wide.The highest point is Mount Kholodilnik, the height of which is 257 m...
.
In 1898 Schensnovich was promoted to Captain 1st Rank and was sent to Philadelphia to supervise the construction of the battleship and cruiser in America. He returned to Russia in 1902 aboard the Retvizan which he commanded for the duration of her Russian Navy career. On September 21, 1902 Retvizan and Varyag were assigned to the Far East and arrived as Port Arthur April 20, 1903.
During the Russo Japanese War Schensnovich was based at Port Arthur. The Retvizan was struck by Japanese torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
es during one of the opening sorties of the Battle of Port Arthur
Battle of Port Arthur
The Battle of Port Arthur was the starting battle of the Russo-Japanese War...
. After emergency repairs, Schensnovich took part in the Battle of the Yellow Sea
Battle of the Yellow Sea
The Battle of the Yellow Sea was a major naval engagement of the Russo-Japanese War, fought on 10 August 1904. In the Russian Navy, it was referred to as the Battle of 10 August. The battle foiled an attempt by the Russian fleet at Port Arthur to break out and form up with counterparts from...
where, by attempting to ram the Japanese flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
, he proved to be a far more aggressive captain than many of his colleagues. During the battle, Retvizan took many hits, and Schensnovich was severely wounded in the abdomen by shrapnel
Shrapnel
Shrapnel shells were anti-personnel artillery munitions which carried a large number of individual bullets close to the target and then ejected them to allow them to continue along the shell's trajectory and strike the target individually. They relied almost entirely on the shell's velocity for...
. He never fully recovered from this injury. Captain Schensnovich signed the capitulation of Port Arthur for the Imperial Russian Navy on 2 January 1905.
After repatriation following the war, Schensnovich was based in with the Baltic Fleet and promoted to rear admiral in 1905. By express order of Tsar Nicholas II
Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas II was the last Emperor of Russia, Grand Prince of Finland, and titular King of Poland. His official short title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias and he is known as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church.Nicholas II ruled from 1894 until...
, on March 19, 1906 he was made base commander at Libau
Liepaja
Liepāja ; ), is a republican city in western Latvia, located on the Baltic Sea directly at 21°E. It is the largest city in the Kurzeme Region of Latvia, the third largest city in Latvia after Riga and Daugavpils and an important ice-free port...
and commander of the first Russian Navy submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
squadron, with responsibility for developing all aspects of submarine warfare
Submarine warfare
Naval warfare is divided into three operational areas: surface warfare, air warfare and underwater warfare. The latter may be subdivided into submarine warfare and anti-submarine warfare as well as mine warfare and mine countermeasures...
. From 1908 was promoted to vice admiral and made a member of the Admiralty Board, directing a committee to rewrite the rules and regulations for conduct of the Imperial Russian Navy, and issing numerous memorandums on the shortcomings of the Russian shipbuilding industry and tactics during the Russo-Japanese War. His health continued to deteriorate, and he died in 1910.
Honors
- Order of St. Stanislaus 3rd class, 1878
- Order of St. Anne
Order of St. AnnaThe Order of St. Anna ) is a Holstein and then Russian Imperial order of chivalry established by Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp on 14 February 1735, in honour of his wife Anna Petrovna, daughter of Peter the Great of Russia...
3rd class, 1880 or 1881 - Order of St. Stanislaus 2nd class, 1890
- Order of St. AnneOrder of St. AnnaThe Order of St. Anna ) is a Holstein and then Russian Imperial order of chivalry established by Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp on 14 February 1735, in honour of his wife Anna Petrovna, daughter of Peter the Great of Russia...
2nd class, 1894 - Order of St Vladimir, 4th class, 1897
- Order of Prince Danilo IOrder of Prince Danilo IThe Order of Prince Danilo I of Montenegro was an order of the Principality, and later Kingdom, of Montenegro...
, Monetnegro, 1899 - Order of St Vladimir, 3rd class, 1902
- Order of the Red EagleOrder of the Red EagleThe Order of the Red Eagle was an order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was awarded to both military personnel and civilians, to recognize valor in combat, excellence in military leadership, long and faithful service to the kingdom, or other achievements...
, 2nd class, Prussia, 1902 - Order of the Saviour, Commander's Cross, Greece, 1903
- Order of St. GeorgeOrder of St. GeorgeThe Military Order of the Holy Great-Martyr and the Triumphant George The Military Order of the Holy Great-Martyr and the Triumphant George The Military Order of the Holy Great-Martyr and the Triumphant George (also known as Order of St. George the Triumphant, Russian: Военный орден Св...
, 4th class, 1904 - Commemorative medal of the Russo-Japanese War (1906)
- Order of St. Stanislaus 1st class, 1907
- Golden Sword of St George "for bravery"Gold Sword for BraveryThe Gold Sword for Bravery was a Russian Empire award for bravery. It was set up with two grades on 27 July 1720 by Peter the Great, reclassified as a public order in 1807 and abolished in 1917. From 1913 to 1917 it was renamed the St George Sword and considered as one of the grades of the Order...
, 1907 - Order of St. AnneOrder of St. AnnaThe Order of St. Anna ) is a Holstein and then Russian Imperial order of chivalry established by Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp on 14 February 1735, in honour of his wife Anna Petrovna, daughter of Peter the Great of Russia...
1st class, 1910
Sources
- This article incorporates material translated from Russian and Polish Wikipedia Articles
- Lech Trawicki: Polacy na Rietwizanie w: Morza, Statki i Okręty 3/2004, s. 43–48 (Polish Language)
- Article in Russian Language