Vasili Fersen
Encyclopedia
Baron
Vasili (Viliam) Nikolayevich Fersen (May 14, 1858 – May 6, 1937) was an admiral in the Imperial Russian Navy
. Born in the Governorate of Estonia
as Wilhelm Fersen, he was of Scottish ancestry
, his forebears name being from clan McPherson.
in 1875 and joined the Imperial Russian Navy
in 1876. In 1878-80 he served aboard the cruiser Asia
with the Russian Pacific Fleet, transferring to the cruiser Afrika from 1880-1883. On July 10, 1883 he was posted to Kronstadt
. He was promoted to lieutenant on January 1, 1885, and served aboard the gunboat
Bobr as officer of the watch later that year. He remained on the Bobr on its long distance navigational training voyage to the Far East from 1886-1888.
From 1889-90 Fersen attended the Russian navy mine warfare school and served in staff posts in the Russian Baltic Fleet from 1890 to 1896. In 1896 he commanded the destroyer
Vzryv. In 1897-99 he was senior officer aboard the cruiser Afrika. On April 28, 1899 he was promoted to Captain 2nd Rank
and served as naval attaché to the United States
from September 1899 to 1902.
On October 7, 1902 Fersen was appointed to command the cruiser under the Second Pacific Squadron based at Vladivostok
. During the Russo-Japanese War
of 1904-1905, he fought at the Battle of Tsushima
. At the end of the battle, he refused to obey the order of Admiral Nikolai Nebogatov
to surrender and broke through the Japanese blockade. The ship was however wrecked in the Gulf of Vladimir in the Russian Maritime Province
. He received no punishment for his insubordination, and instead was promoted to Captain 1st Rank in 1905.
In early 1906, Fersten was sent to suppress uprisings in Estonia
against Russian rule in the unsettled times after the 1905 Russian Revolution. From 1906-1907, he returned to Vladivostok as commander of the Imperial Russian Navy base. From March 1908 to January 1909 he returned to Petrograd to command the cruiser . He was promoted to rear admiral in 1910 and commanded the 2nd destroyer division of the Baltic Fleet between 1909 and 1911 and the cruiser squadron of the Baltic Fleet from 1911-1913. On April 14, 1913 he was promoted to vice admiral and given command of the battleship
squadron of the Baltic Fleet. He served on the General Staff of the Imperial Russian Navy during World War I
and retired from service on April 13, 1917.
After the Bolshevik Revolution, Fersen settled in Pärnu
, Estonia where he died in 1937.
He had two sons; Valdislav Fersen (1892–1962) and Arvid Fersen (1892–1938) who also served as officers in the Imperial Russian Navy.
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
Vasili (Viliam) Nikolayevich Fersen (May 14, 1858 – May 6, 1937) was an admiral in the Imperial Russian Navy
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...
. Born in the Governorate of Estonia
Governorate of Estonia
The Governorate of Estonia or Estland, also known as the Government of Estonia or Province of Estonia, was a governorate of the Russian Empire in what is now northern Estonia.-Historical overview:...
as Wilhelm Fersen, he was of Scottish ancestry
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
, his forebears name being from clan McPherson.
Biography
Fersen graduated from the Sea Cadet CorpsSea 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 1875 and joined the Imperial Russian Navy
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...
in 1876. In 1878-80 he served aboard the cruiser Asia
Russian cruiser Asia (1878)
The Asia was a cruiser of the Imperial Russian Navy. The ship was one of three merchantmen purchased in the United States by the Russian government in 1878 to be transformed into cruisers; the State of California became the Europa, the Saratoga became the Afrika, and the Columbus became the...
with the Russian Pacific Fleet, transferring to the cruiser Afrika from 1880-1883. On July 10, 1883 he was posted 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...
. He was promoted to lieutenant on January 1, 1885, and served aboard 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:...
Bobr as officer of the watch later that year. He remained on the Bobr on its long distance navigational training voyage to the Far East from 1886-1888.
From 1889-90 Fersen attended the Russian navy mine warfare school and served in staff posts in the Russian Baltic Fleet from 1890 to 1896. In 1896 he commanded the destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
Vzryv. In 1897-99 he was senior officer aboard the cruiser Afrika. On April 28, 1899 he 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 served as naval attaché to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from September 1899 to 1902.
On October 7, 1902 Fersen was appointed to command the cruiser under the Second Pacific Squadron based at 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...
. During the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
of 1904-1905, he fought at the Battle of Tsushima
Battle of Tsushima
The Battle of Tsushima , commonly known as the “Sea of Japan Naval Battle” in Japan and the “Battle of Tsushima Strait”, was the major naval battle fought between Russia and Japan during the Russo-Japanese War...
. At the end of the battle, he refused to obey the order of Admiral Nikolai Nebogatov
Nikolai Nebogatov
Nikolai Ivanovich Nebogatov was a Rear-Admiral in the Imperial Russian Navy, noted for his role in the final stages of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905.-Biography:...
to surrender and broke through the Japanese blockade. The ship was however wrecked in the Gulf of Vladimir in the Russian Maritime Province
Primorsky Krai
Primorsky Krai , informally known as Primorye , is a federal subject of Russia . Primorsky means "maritime" in Russian, hence the region is sometimes referred to as Maritime Province or Maritime Territory. Its administrative center is in the city of Vladivostok...
. He received no punishment for his insubordination, and instead was promoted to Captain 1st Rank in 1905.
In early 1906, Fersten was sent to suppress uprisings in Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
against Russian rule in the unsettled times after the 1905 Russian Revolution. From 1906-1907, he returned to Vladivostok as commander of the Imperial Russian Navy base. From March 1908 to January 1909 he returned to Petrograd to command the cruiser . He was promoted to rear admiral in 1910 and commanded the 2nd destroyer division of the Baltic Fleet between 1909 and 1911 and the cruiser squadron of the Baltic Fleet from 1911-1913. On April 14, 1913 he was promoted to vice admiral and given command of the battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
squadron of the Baltic Fleet. He served on the General Staff of the Imperial Russian Navy during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and retired from service on April 13, 1917.
After the Bolshevik Revolution, Fersen settled in Pärnu
Pärnu
Pärnu is a city in southwestern Estonia on the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Riga in the Baltic Sea. It is a popular summer vacation resort with many hotels, restaurants, and large beaches. The Pärnu River flows through the city and drains into the Gulf of Riga...
, Estonia where he died in 1937.
He had two sons; Valdislav Fersen (1892–1962) and Arvid Fersen (1892–1938) who also served as officers in the Imperial Russian Navy.
Awards
- Silver medal to the memory of the reign of Alexander III of Russia, 1896
- Order of St. Stanislaus 2nd degree, 6 December 1898
- 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...
2nd degree, 14 April 1902 - Order of the Lion and the SunOrder of the Lion and the SunThe Order of the Lion and the Sun was instituted by Fat’h Ali Shah of the Qajar Dynasty in 1808 to honour foreign officials who had rendered distinguished services to Persia. In 1925, under the Pahlavi dynasty the Order continued as the Order of Homayoun with new insignia, though based on the...
(Persia), 1902 - Order of St Vladimir, 3rd degree, 1906
- Bronze medal commemorating the Russo-Japanese WarRusso-Japanese WarThe Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
of 1904-1905, 1906 - Order of St. Stanislaus 1st degree, 1912
- Bronze medal commemorating 300 years reign of the House of Romanov, 1913
- 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 degree, 1914 - Order of St Vladimir, 2nd degree, 1915
- Bronze medal commemorating the Battle of GangutBattle of GangutThe Battle of Gangut took place on July 27Jul./ August 7, 1714Greg. during the Great Northern War , in the waters of Riilahti Bay, north of the Hanko Peninsula, near the site of the modern-day city of Hanko, Finland, between the Swedish Navy and Imperial Russian Navy...
, 1915