The lost Russian Far East Fleet according to the Dutch newspaper Zierikzeesche Nieuwsbode dated 5 January 1923

This newspaper published a item using a tiding from Moscow received in December 1922 by the newspaper Daily Mail. According to this item departed the Russian fleet in the Far East commanded by admiral Stark (1) from Vladivostok when the Red army captured the city. Since then was nothing heard more from this fleet. The Bolsheviks claimed that the ships sailed towards Kamchatka to found there an anti Bolshevik naval base. The father of Stark had also been an admiral in the Russian service who commanded the fleet at Port Arthur during the war with Japan and it was his negligence which made it possible for admiral Togo to attack and torpedo in the night of 8 February 1904 three Russian cruisers. His son was very imperialistic and desired nothing else as to serve a czar just like all his men, so it was no wonder that he left Vladivostok with unknown destination when this city returned in possession of the Soviet cabinet. He had enough victuals and ammunition and on board was a large number of infantry. The Soviet authorities at Moscow received intelligence that he founded a small harbour at the coast of Kamchatka where the most of his men went on land and were defence works were constructed and the ways barricaded. There were barracks built and the small colony numbered also many women and children. Despite considering him a traitor collaborating with the Japanese was him and his men amnesty promised if he would surrender before the beginning of 1923. It was believed that the deserted fleet consisted of 2 cruisers, around 6 gunboats and destroyers and some steamships with on board women, children, cattle and victuals.

Note

1. According to an item published in Wikepedia, see the link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oskar_Victorovich_Stark was this Oskar Victorovich Stark (16 August 1846-13 November 1928), appointed to vice admiral on 6 December 1902, since 7 February of the same year commanding officer of the Russian Pacific Fleet. The negligence the Dutch newspaper referred to was the birthday of his wife and when he heard the gunfire he thought it were Japanese salutes. Apparently the newspaper made a mistake by attributing the failure at Port Arthur to his father instead to Oskar himself. He was dismissed from his post and finally after the war he left the military service to return during the First World War where he was appointed as commanding officer of the Siberian Squadron. When the Bolshevik Red Army became the victor of the Civil War he departed from Vladivostok taking with him more as 9,000 men going towards Wonsan, Korea. Of his 30 ships were 18 with ¾ of the men left behind there protected by the Japanese Red Cross. He sailed to Shanghai, China loosing during as storm another two ships, was forced to leaving within 48 hours that port still having 3,000 refugees on board. Although he left the port the civilians and non-naval personnel stayed behind and in the Manila Bay was what left of his ships sold. On 15 January 1923 was the Imperial Russian flag in the Pacific lowered.

Valentin Vassilievich Fedoulenko described in his memories Russian émigré life in Shanghai 1922-1930 (1967) what happened during the last days of this fleet. This book is published by the University of California/Berkeley and can be find by sing the next link Emigré in Sanghai . Another Dutch newspaper the Nieuwe Tilburgsche Courant dated 5 January 1923 confirmed mainly the news although saying nothing about his father and the Port Arthur event.