The Varyag
An item dated Tokyo, Japan 10th reported that bear Chemulpo the Japanese fleet (1) captured the Russian warships Corejez [gunboat Korietz] (2) and Warjag [cruiser Varyag or Variag].(3) Three ships of the Russian Voluntary Fleet with 2.000 men on board were also captured by the Japanese. Three Russian battleships were hit by Japanese torpedoes and grounded. Another item supplied some different details. At Chemulpo were a Russian cruiser and a gunboat destroyed. Their crews fled on land but were taken prisoner. And in stead of 3 were 2 transports with 2.000 volunteers captured. A third item dated Hong Kong 11th reported that within one hour at Chemulpo a Japanese division destroyed the Russian Corejez and disabled the Warjag. Fifteen Japanese warships bombarded Port Arthur and further more battled a Russian squadron with the Japanese fleet. Four Russian ships were damaged, 10 men killed and another 56 wounded. The Russians departed towards the south followed by the Japanese which stopped with the bombardment.
Notes
1. The Russo-Japanese war between 8 February 1904-5 September 1905.
2. Protected cruiser. Ordered to be built in 1898, Laid down at the yard of William Cramp&Sons, Philadelphia, USA on 31 October 1899, launched on 2 January 1900 and commissioned on 14 January 1901 as the Russian Varyag. Her own crew scuttled her on 9 February 1904 caused by her heavily being damaged during the battle of the Chemulpo Bay. She was commissioned as the 3rd class cruiser Soya and used as training ship and visited in 1909 Hawaii and North America and made annual training voyages until 1913. She was handed over to Russia on 5 April 1916 at Vladivostok and got her original name back. From there she was send to the United Kingdom to be refitted again as part of the Russian Arctic Squadron. When the revolution on 7 November 1917 broke out in Russia was she seized by the British government and sold three years to be broken up in Germany. While being towed in the Firth of Clyde she grounded near Lendalfoot where they started to break her up and finally in 1925 her remains sunk on the position 55°11'03” North and 04°56'30” West.
3. Laid down by Bergsund Mekaniksa, Stockholm, Sweden in December 1885, launched on 7 August 1886, commissioned in 1888 and scuttled by her own crew up after the battle of Chemulpo Bay. Part of the Korietz-class consisting of the Korietz, Mandzhyr, Khivinets, Donets. Zaporozhets, Kubanets, Terets, Uraleys and Chernomorets.
