2013 King Hall Conference Proceedings

1. ST ANDREW AGAINST THE
KAISER:
Russia’s Naval Strategy & Operations in
the Baltic & Black Sea Theaters 1914–18
The 2013 King Hall Naval History Conference
Dr Alexey D Muraviev
Head, Department of Social Sciences & International Studies
Director, Strategic Flashlight forum
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2. Major Considerations
 Russia as the ally of the Entente
The Eastern Front as the strategic
distraction
Vital assistance
Critical in 1914, 1916
Kaiser’s Hochseeflotte (the High Seas Fleet)
 The Eastern/Northern European combined strategic maritime
theater
Baltic, Black Sea, Arctic MTVDs (maritime theaters of military
operations)
Secondary in terms of importance compared with the North Sea and
the Atlantic
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3. Major Considerations
 The Tsushima catastrophe
The Russian Navy could no longer
challenge the world’s leading navies
British and German
From third down to fifth in world ranking
Russian Black Sea Fleet pre-dreadnoughts at seas, 1913
478 units (1 July 1914)
11 pre-dreadnaughts (3 in the Baltic, 8
in the Black Sea)
10 cruisers and 126 torpedo boats
 Rebuilding the navy as a national
priority
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The main calibre (305 mm) of a Gangut class dreadnaught

4. The Baltic MTVD: Key Issues
 Strategic maritime defence
17 June 1912 ‘Plan of the Baltic Sea
Naval Forces Operations in Case of a
European War’ (updated in late 1914)
Maritime defence of the Gulf of Finland/St.
Petersburg (from 1914 Petrograd)
Battle squadron of the Baltic Fleet at sea, 1914
Russian Baltic Fleet is inferior to the
Hochseeflott
6th
Army
Preventing enemy’s main strike and
amphibious forces attacking the
national strategic centre of gravity
The German battle fleet in Kiel, 1900s
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5. The Black Sea MTVD: Key Issues
 Securing the theater
8 June 1908 Nikolai II signs a revised
battle plan for the Black Sea Fleet
‘The main strategic task…remains the
maximum preservation of the Black Sea
control’
Dreadnaughts of the Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol, 1914
Strategic maritime defence
Blockade of the Bosporus
 Evolving geo-strategic realities
Turkey-Germany, Bulgaria (October 1915)
Aiding Romania (from 1916)
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Yavuz Sultan Selim (a.k.a Goeben) battle cruiser
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6. War in the Baltic Sea 1914–15
 Establishing layered defence
Mine laying operations in the southern
Baltic (October 1914–February 1915)
1,458 sea mines over 107 days
Operation was 500 km in depth
Occasional engagements with German
forces
Forcing the Magdeburg to beach
Blocking maritime supplies from Sweden
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 The Memel Operation
(June 1915)
Attempt to influence
Germany’s public opinion
 Anti-SLOC warfare
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German cruiser Magdeburg captured by the Russians, 1914
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Battle near Godland Island
(19 June)

7. War in the Baltic Sea: 1916–17
 Limited operations
Main battle forces largely inactive
Reliance on sea mines, destroyers,
submarines, coastal artillery
By late 1917 about 35,000 sea mines
were deployed; 83 coastal gun
batteries (282 guns)
Russian torpedo boat destroyer Novik, top speed of 37.5 knots
Supporting the army’s maritime flank
Defensive operations in the Moozund/Gulf
of Riga (8–21 August 1915)
Germans withdrew from the Gulf
Pre-dreadnaught Slava in action near Moonzund, 1915
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8. October 1917: Operation Albion
Dreadnaughts
Cruisers
Destroyers
 Strategic Amphibious operation
Submarines
2/3 10
German of German naval forces (over 300 6
10
68
units) against 116 units of the Baltic Fleet
Occupation of the Moonzund and securing
2
3
36
3
the Gulf of Riga (Phase One) prior to
attacking Petrograd
Russian
Dreadnaughts
Cruisers
Destroyers
 Tactical Advance, strategic failure
(3)
10 (13)
Moonzund and Gulf of Riga were secured
German
The Baltic Fleet was not destroyed
Russian
1
(1)
Petrograd remained defended
1 (3)
Aircraft
Troops
Guns
100
25,000
125
30
10,000
64 (54)
German forces land on Moonzund, 1917
Gun-boats
Minesweepers
-
6
2
30
Russian 305-mm coastal gun battery, Moonzund 1917
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9. War in the Black Sea 1914–15
 Confronting Turkish-German forces
Arrival of the German task force on 10
August 1914
29 October - combined attack on Russian
ports and bases
18 November – engaging the ‘Turkish’
task group near the Sarych Peninsula
Novorossiisk under fire from the Breslau, October 1914
 Blockade of the Bosporus
1,347 sea mines (1914–15)
Bombardment (28, 29 March, 10 May
1915)
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Bombardment ofand Breslau crossing the Straits, August 1914
SMS Goeben the Bosporus fortifications,28 March 1915

10. War in the Black Sea 1916–17
 Pressuring Turkey
Mine laying and anti-SLOC operations
About 6,000 sea mines layered
Blockading Bosporus, Ulzundak and
Varna
Russian submarine escorts captured Turkish merchant, 1916
ASW operations
Deployment of 10 German submarines
Supporting the Russian Caucasian Front
Engaging Goeben and Breslau
Preparing for a strategic move on the
Straits
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The sinking ofaircraft carrying cruiser Nikolai at sea, 1915
The Imperatritsa Maria [super]-dreadnaught I
Russian the Maria after explosion, 20 October 1916

11. In Conclusion…
 The Baltic theater
 The Black Sea theater
Limited initiative and failure to
capitalise on successes
More initiative and success but
little recognition
Limited use of battleships
Regular use of battleships
Predominant reliance on light
manoeuvre forces
The use of maritime layered mineartillery defence as a strategic
success
Failure to maintain strategic initiative
Achieving the main strategic objective
- maritime defence of Petrograd
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Dominance in the MTVD
A complete suit of operational
activity
More attempts to interact with
allied forces
Failure to achieve the prime
strategic objective - The Bosporus

12. In Conclusion…
 Fighting defence war at sea
The use of maritime layered mine-artillery defence as a strategic success
Over 43,000 sea mines deployed
 Bad timing for Russia
Russia entered the war in Europe unprepared
In the midst of rebuilding its navy
Pre-war plans to restore Russian global naval power by
1918–19
Lack of political courage and failure to capitalise on gained advances
Developing crisis (Revolution on the horizon…)
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13. QUESTIONS?
St Andrew against the Kaiser
23.05.2013
Dr Alexey D Muraviev
School of Media, Culture and Creative Arts
Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology
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Phone: (+61 8) 9266 2234
Email: A.Muraviev@curtin.edu.au