captured Russian ship Posadnik used by the German army

[AOK4]

Hello,

 

Does anyone know anything about a Russian (merchant?) vessel Posadnik (as far as I can read) in use by the Germans. They are loading or unloading a horse, I assume the ship must have been in use for either the Oesel campaign (Albion) or the Finland expedition or to evacuate German troops late 1918 from the east (either from Finland or from the south, Georgia or Ukraine).

 

Jan

 

[James A Pratt III]

I would say it was not Operation Albion. I would say this might be the Black Sea sometime after the March 1918 Brest treaty.

[AOK4]

6 hours ago, James A Pratt III said:

I would say it was not Operation Albion. I would say this might be the Black Sea sometime after the March 1918 Brest treaty.

 

That's my gut feeling as well but unfortunately there doesn't seem to be much info about old Russian merchant vessels...

[GreyC]

Hi,

Posadnik was the term for mayor in Nowgorod and Pskow. So the name could make sense on a Russian ship. Had a look in my library. However it seems no ship by this name is listed in the Lloyd´s Register of 1917 nor is it listed in the Groener, a multi-volume book of ships under command of the German navy.

GreyC

 

Edited 30 December , 2020 by GreyC

[James A Pratt III]

The Book "The Ottoman Steam Navy 1828-1923 mentions a number of troop movements by ship after the Brest treaty to occupy former Russian territory. The germans also captured a part of the Russian fleet.

[Mikhail]

In April 1883,  a double-decker post-passenger steamer named "Tsar" (building No. 444) was built at the Sir W G Armstrong, Mitchell & C ° shipyard in Newcastle (England).
In 1904, in the port of registry in Odessa, the steamer was listed under No. 61. During the Great War, the steamer was mobilized and from December 15, 1914 was enlisted in the First Trawling Party of the Black Sea Fleet as a minesweeper, from March 10, 1915 - a minesweeper steamer.

After the February Revolution (in March 1917) the steamer received the name "Posadnik". During the Russian Civil War, the steamer "Posadnik" ended up abroad and in 1921 was in Marseilles. In 1925, the ship was sold for scrap and dismantled in France.

So I suppose the photo was taken about 1918-19, somewhere on Black Sea (Odessa?)...

Edited 27 September , 2021 by Mikhail

[AOK4]

Thanks for the information, Mikhail!

Jan

[Mikhail]

You're welcome, Jan!

It's interesting that there was another Russian Navy ship "Posadnik" and she has more long and happy life...

But based on your original photo, I think that this is the first ship I mentioned, on the Black Sea.

Mine Cruiser "Posadnik" was laid down at the Sheikhau shipyard in Elbing on August 9, 1891 by order of the Russian Naval Department. Launched on April 1, 1892, entered service on June 5, 1892.

On September 27, 1907, it was officially assigned to the class of messenger ships.

In 1911-1914 it was used as a training artillery ship.

He took part in the Great War, carried out patrol and convoy service.

In April 1918, it was captured by Finnish troops in Bjørneborg and renamed Claes Horn. After the conclusion of the Yuryev Peace Treaty, it was sold to Finland and until 1936 was part of the Finnish Navy. In 1920, the cruiser's armament was supplemented with two 102-mm guns installed on the site of a rail for laying mines, and the ship was retrained into a gunboat, however, due to the vibration of the hull, it could not fire on the move and served, in essence, as a stationary coastal battery ...

In 1929-1931 it was used as a submarine base.

In 1937, due to the deterioration of the mechanical part, the ship was turned into a stationary floating base.

In 1957, a workshop was set up in the boiler and engine compartments, and the living compartments were used to accommodate the staff of the hydrographic expedition. Subsequently, the ship was sold to a private company and rebuilt into a floating restaurant, but in 1962 it burned down and in 1964 it was scrapped.

Edited 27 September , 2021 by Mikhail