According to this newspaper was the fleet lying inactive at Bizerte, Tunisia after she fled from the Black Sea end 1920. The fleet was since then interned at Bizerte demanded back by the Soviet government, asked by general Wrangel and without a financial compensation not given back by the French government.In the mean time were the ships decaying due to reluctance and every new day less valuable. Original consisted the crews of Russians coming from all regions in the empire. A group of gloomy and helpless men without a future waiting for something to come. They left the ships searching for a job on shore or left for France without any trace leaving behind. Since then just a few men rained on board of this former imperial fleet once existing of 18 ships namely 3 armoured cruisers, 1 cruiser, 1 training vessel, 9 destroyers and 4 submarines. This force included the once formidable ships as the Kornilow of 1902 and the Alexiew (23.000 tons) of 1914 and submarines dating from 1916 and 1918. After the final defeat they headed for Toulon but were ordered to anchor at Bizerte escorted by the French cruiser Edgard Quinet.(1) In 1924 were the ships inspected by a Russian technical commission but decisions were not made. A few ships were sold like the Cronstadt which became as Vulcain part of the French Mediterranean fleet. But the cruisers are now lying unrigged and battered next to a yacht of the later emperor Nicolas now coloured caused by rust.
Notes
1. See for this ship on the web log the article “The French armoured cruiser l’Edgar Quinet (1905-1930) and her visit to the Netherlands in 1905”. Follow the link Follow this link
2. J. Vichot. Répertoire des navires de guerre francais. Paris, 1967 mentioned a le Vulcain, built in 1898 in Germany, required [by Russia?] as the former German packet boat Pharnicia, in 1921 bought by France as the Russian Kronstadt and serving until 1938 as a ‘navire-atelier’ (workship).
Notes
1. See for this ship on the web log the article “The French armoured cruiser l’Edgar Quinet (1905-1930) and her visit to the Netherlands in 1905”. Follow the link Follow this link
2. J. Vichot. Répertoire des navires de guerre francais. Paris, 1967 mentioned a le Vulcain, built in 1898 in Germany, required [by Russia?] as the former German packet boat Pharnicia, in 1921 bought by France as the Russian Kronstadt and serving until 1938 as a ‘navire-atelier’ (workship).
