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World War 1 at Sea


FLAG OFFICERS OF THE IMPERIAL RUSSIAN NAVY 1914-1918


by Dr Graham Watson
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Admiral A V Kolchak, later Supreme Ruler of Russian against the Bolsheviks (click to enlarge)

return to World War 1, 1914-1918



 Introduction by Graham Watson


This is an effort to provide two lists of Russian flag officers. An alphabetical list which indicates the wartime posts held by each individual, and a list of holders of each appointment.

Given the lack of primary sources such as Navy Lists which are available for other navies of the period, the accuracy of these lists cannot be guaranteed. They should be regarded as a tentative beginning to a fuller listing.



The images of Russian Admirals are from Russian sources, mainly Wikipedia, for which my thanks. They are all believed to be in the public domain.


Links to Russian Navy in World War 1
- From Tsar to Commissar: Russian Naval Organisation and Fleet Lists 1914-1922 (in preparation)
- Flag Officers of the Russian Navy 1914-1918 (here)
- Eastern Front and Baltic Sea 1914-1918 including Russian Bolshevik Waters 1919
- Mediterranean, includes Black Sea 1914-1917

Gordon Smith, Naval-History.Net
Contents
1. Flag Officers by Name

2. Flag Officer Appointments - Admiralty, Fleets, Squadrons

3. Sources

Abbreviations

ACNS - Assistant Chief of Naval Staff
CNS - Chief of Naval Staff
COS - Chief of Staff
RA - Rear Admiral
VA - Vice Admiral



The Maritime Spread of the Russian Empire (Google, boundaries as of 2016)


 

1. RUSSIAN FLAG OFFICERS 1914-1917/18

IMPERIAL AND WHITE RUSSIAN NAVY

Admiral N O Essen, Baltic Fleet
Admiral M A Kedrov, Chief of Naval Staff
Admiral M Sablin, COS, Black Sea Fleet


A

V. A ALTAVATER [1882-1919]
RA 1917-
2.18-ACNS
10.18-Navy Commander-10.18

B

Mikhail BAKHIREV [1868-1920]
RA 8.17-VA
24.12.14- 1st Cruiser Brigade, Baltic [RA]
19.12.15- 1st Battleships Brigade , Baltic
21.08.17- Gulf of Riga -1.18 [sacked]

M. A. BEHRENs [1879-1943]
VA [White] 1919-Cmdr, Vladivostok
8.20-White Black Sea Fleet
10.20-Bizerte -1924

A. BUBNOV [1883-1963]
RA 7.17- Chief Naval Construction/Naval Academy
9.19-COS Black Sea Fleet [White]-2.20

M. BUBNOV [1859-1930's]
RA
1910-Procurement & Supply Management -5.15

E

Andrei EBERHARDT [1856-1918]
VA
1911-Commander, Black Sea Fleet - .16

Nokolai ESSEN [1860-1915]
VA
1909-Commander Baltic Fleet -7.5.15 [died]

F

S. S. FABRITSKAYA [1874-1941]
RA-Baltic Marine Division-2.17
1918-White Forces -1919

Baron Vasili FERSTEN [1858-1937]
VA
14.04.13-Battleships, Baltic
 10.14-Naval Court -4.17

G

A. M. GERASIMOV [1861-1931]
VA 13-Peter and Paul Fortress & Governor Estonia & Livonia - .17
.19-Chief Marine Management, Black Sea Fleet [White]
.20-Marine Corps, Tunisia- ??
 
Ivan GRIGOROVICH [1853-1930]
VA
1911-Navy Minister -3.17

I

F. N. IVANOV [1860-??]
RA
Coast Defences -1.15

K

V.A. KANIN [1862-1927]
RA
3.13-Mine Force, Baltic
 .15-Chief, Mine Defences
5.15-VA-Cmdr. Baltic Fleet
9.16-State Council
12.18-Cmdr. Black Sea Fleet [White?] -3.19

V. Y. KARTSOV [1868-1936]
RA 12.16-VA
Director, Marine Corps -2.17
 
M. I. KASKOV [1867-11.17]
RA -Chief of Staff, Black Sea Fleet .16- .17
 
Mikhail KEDROV [1878-1945]
RA
2.16-Mine Force, Baltic Fleet
9.16- 2 i/c Black Sea Fleet
 .17-Battleships, Black Sea Fleet
3.17-Assistant Navy Minister
4.17-Chief of Naval Staff
6.17-Navy Minister
7.17-London staff
10.20-Wrangel Fleet -10.20

L. B. KERBER [1863-1919], changed name 10.16 to L. B. KORVIN
 .13-Chief of Staff, Baltic Fleet
6.15-Battleship Bde, Baltic Fleet
 .16-London Mission
 .15-Archangel
3.17-London Mission -4.19 died

C. F. KETLINSKY [1875-1918]
4.17-Murmansk-1.18 [shot]

P. P. KITKIN [1877-1954]
7.17-Patrols & Minesweepers Black Sea - .21 [Red]
 
Alexander KOLCHAK [1874-1920]
RA 8.16-VA
1913- Destroyers & Minelayers, Baltic Fleet
8.16- Commander Black Sea Fleet - 6.17

Nikolai KROMETSOV [1867-1942]
 5.14-Cruisers, Baltic 9.15-Lake Peipus Flotilla-3.17 [ret as VA]

A.P. KUROSH [1862-1918]
 .14-Fortress Cmdr, Peter & Paul
8.15-2nd Cruiser Bde, Baltic Fleet
1.17-Cmdr. Kronstadt Fortress -3.17

L

P. P LEVITSKY [1859-1938]
 .14-Submarines, Baltic
 3.15-Ministry staff-submarine construction
10.17-with White Forces -4.20

M

A.M. MAKSIMOV [?]
 -Torpedo Boats of the Baltic Fleet
4.17-Cmdr, Baltic Fleet -6.17

N. S. MANKOVSKY [1859-1919-shot]
3.13-VA -Cmdr, Sevastopol -??

P. P. MURAYOV [1860-1940]
11.11-Ship Construction -3.17

N

A. K. NEBOLSIN [1865-1917]
10.14-1st Battleship Brigade, Baltic Fleet
5.15-2nd Battleship Brigade, Baltic Flet -3.17

A. NEMITS [1879-1967]
6.17-Cmdr. Black Sea Fleet -12.17
9.18-Ukraine Minister of Marine
 .19-to Soviets -Cmdr. Soviet Navy 2.20-

D. G. NENYUKOV [1869-1929]
RA 12.16-VA
7.14-Chief Naval Control
 .15-Black Sea Operations Section, STAVKA .17-Odessa Base [White]
8.19-Cmdr. Black Sea Fleet [White]-2.20 & again 4-10.20

A. I. NEPENIN [1871-1917]
RA 6.16-VA
 .11-Comms/Intelligence Service, Baltic
7.15-Chief Signals, Baltic
9.16-Cmdr. Baltic Fleet -3.17 [murdered]
 
Pavel NOVISTKY [? -1917]
VA
1913-?
7.16-Sevastopol Base Commander-15.12.17 executed

P

V. K. PILKIN [1869-1950]
 .18-Minister of Marine/Yudenich Forces - .19

A. G. POKROVSKY [1862-1944]
3.12-RA-Chief of Staff, Black Sea Fleet
 .13-Mine Forces, Black Sea Fleet
 .16-Chief of Staff, Black Sea Fleet-?

S. A. POSOHOV [1866-1935]
RAd 9.16-Training/Minewarfare, Baltic Fleet
10.16-Chief of Staff, Arctic -10.17

Kasimierz POREMBSKI [1872-1935]
RA
4.16-Cruisers, Black Sea Fleet -11.16
 .17-Gulf of Finland Coast Defences
11.18-Polish Navy

R


A. RAVOZOV [1879-1920] 
3.17-Mine warfare, Baltic
7.17-Cmdr. Baltic Fleet
3.18-Cmdr. Naval Forces Baltic-3.18 only
Nikolai REITSENSTEIN [1854-1916]
Admiral
Admiralty Board 11.15-6.16

Alexander RUSIN [1861-1956]
VA
9.13-Chief of the Naval Staff -4.17

S

Mikhail SABLIN [1869-1920]
RA
 .15-Mine Force, Black Sea Fleet
7.16-2 Battleship Brigade , Black Sea Fleet
 .17-Chief of Staff, Black Sea Fleet
 5.18-Commander Black Sea Fleet/Ukraine Navy/White Navy - .20

K. K. SHESTEREVI [1861-1918]
09- Base Commander, Reval
4.15-Artillery Dept, Admiralty
6.16-Director, Shipbuilding -12.17

Oscar STARK [1846-1928]
RA?
ex retired list-Siberian/Pacific 1914-1923

U

A. P. UGRIUMOV [1859-1937]
Peter & Paul Fortress
 .15-Shipbuilding
7.16-Supreme Commander, Archangel -10.16

V

S. F. VASILKOVSKY [1860-1918]
RA 7.16-VAd
12.11-Cmdr. Sevastopol -2.18 [executed]

D. VERDEREVSKY [1873-1947]
RA 11.16-Baltic Submarines
4.17-Chief of Staff, Baltic Fleet
5.17-1st Battleship Brigade, Baltic Fleet
6.17-Cmdr. Baltic Fleet
8.17-Navy Minister -9.17

Mikhail VIREN [1857-1917]
VA
1909- Kronstadt Base Commander -3.17 [killed]

Z

S.V. ZARUBAYEV [1877-1921]
RA 1917
1.17-1st Battleship Brigade, Baltic Fleet
5.18-Cmdr. Baltic Naval Forces -10.21 [shot]

N.K. YAKOVLEV [1856-1919]
VA-1911-Admiralty Board-1917 [CNS 1907-1911]

V.M. ZATSARENNY [1852--1971]
Ad. 10.09-Admiralty Board -10.15

A. P. ZELENNY [1872-1922]*
RA 12.17-Mine Forces, Baltic
 .18-Training, Baltic
 .19-Cmdr, Naval Force, Baltic
 .20-Finnish Navy -1922

* these two may be one individual

Alexander ZELENOY [1872-1924]*
RA
1914-Mine Defences, Baltic
1917-Chief of Staff, Baltic - .18




2. FLAG OFFICERS' APPOINTMENTS - AMIRALTY, FLEETS, SQUADRONS



Admiral A A Eberhardt, Black Sea Fleet
Admiral I K Grigorovich, Navy Minister
Admiral D Verderevskiy, Navy Minister


Admiralty
Navy Minister
4.11-Ivan Grigorovich
2.3.17-A. Gutchkov
5.5.17-A. Kerensky
31.8.17-D. Vederevskiy -25.10.17
Head Naval General Staff & Deputy Minister
9.13- A. Rusin
6.17- M. A. Kedrov
10.11.17-A. P. Kapnist
10.17-E. A. Behrens
10.18-V.A. Altavater
Deputy Minister/Technical
.15- P. P. Murayev-3.17
Assistant Chief Naval Staff
3.17- M. Kedrov
4.17-
2.18-V. A. Altavater-10.18
 Procurement & Supply
.10-M. Bubnov - .15
Admiralty Board
.11-N. K. Yakovlev -4.17
.11-V. A. Zatsarenny-10.15
11.15-N. Reitsenstein -6.16
Ship Construction
11.11-P. A. Murayev
.15-A. P. Ugriomov
6.16-K.K. Shesterevi -12.17
7.17-A. Bubnov -9.19
Naval Court
10.14-V. Fersten -10.17
 Submarine Construction
3.15-P. P. Levitsky -10.17


Baltic Fleet

Commander-
 .09-N. Essen
5.15-V. A. Kanin
9.16-A. I. Nepenin
4.17-A. M Maksimov
6.17-D. Verderevsky
7.17-A. V. Razvozov
3.18-A. M. Schastny
5.18-S. V. Zabubayev
1.19-A. P. Zelenoy
7.20-F. F. Raskolnikov
 Chief of Staff
.13-L. B. Kerber
6.15-N. M. Grigoriev
4.17-D. Verderevky
6.17-
1.18-A. P. Zelenoy
 Coms/Intelligence
.11-A. I. Nepenin-9.16
1st Battleship Brigade
4.13-V. N. Fersten
10.14-A. K. Nebolsin
6.15- L. B Kerber
12.15-A. K. Bachirev
8.17-S. V. Zarubayev -5.18
 2nd Battleship Brigade
5.15-A. K. Nebolsin -3.17

1st Cruiser Brigade
5.14-N. Krometsov
8.15-A. F. Kurosh -1.17
 2nd Cruiser Brigade
12.14-M. K. Bachirev
12.15-V. K. Pilkina -?
Destroyer-Minelayer Force
.13-A. Kolchak
6.16-M. Kedrov
 Torpedo-Boats of the Baltic
??-A. M. Maksimov -4.17
 Submarines
P. P. Lrvitsky
3.15-
11.16-D. Verderevsky
Destroyer Flotillas
I. Storre - .15?
A. Kurosch - .15
 Mine Forces
3.13-V. Kanin
5.15-
2.16-M. Kedrov
9.16-S. A. Posohov
10.16-P. P. Kitkina
3.17-A. Razvozov
12.17-A. P. Zelenny
Kronstadt
 .09-M. Viren -3.17
3.17-A. P. Kurosch -??
Gulf of Finland
.17-K. Porembski
Gulf of Riga
8.17-M. Bachirev-1.18
 
Black Sea Fleet

Commander
.11-A. Eberhardt
8.16- A. Kolchak
6.17- V. K. Lukin [acting]
7.17- A. V. Nemitts
1.18- M. Sablin
12.18-V. Kanin
3.19-A. M. Gerasimov?
8.19-D. G. Nenyukov
8.20-M. A. Behrens		 Chief of Staff
.14-
.16-M. I. Kaskov
.16-A. G. Pokrovsky
.17- M. Sablin
1.18-
9.19-A. Bubnov
2.20-
Battleships
8.14-
7.16-M. Sablin  .17-M. Kedrov
4.17-
 Cruisers
M. Sablin
4.16-K. Porembski
11.16-
 Patrols & Mines
.13-A. G. Pokrovsky
7.17-P. P. Kitkin - .21
Sevastopol
12.11-S. F. Vasilkovsky -2.18
also-
3.13-N. S. Mankovsky- ??
7.16-P. Novitsky-12.17



Squadrons

White Sea
2.16-Ogrimov
.16-L.B. Kerber/Korvin
.17-C.F. Ketlinsky
1.18-
 Siberian

Schultz
19-M.A.Behrens - .20

Amur

Bazhenov
4.17- Oghivo??
 
Caspian

Klupher




3. SOURCES
(for Russian Navy research)

Anthony J. Watt: 'The Imperial Russian Navy' Arm & Armour Press, 1990
Rene Greger: 'The Russian Fleet, 1914-1917'  Ian Allan 1972
Siegfried Breyer: 'Soviet Warship Development, Vol 1, 1917-1937',  Conway 1992
Przemyslaw Budzon, Russian section in 'Conway's All the World's Warships 1906-1921', Conway 1985
Stephen McLaughlin  'Russian Navy' chapter in 'To Crown the Waves' [ed, by Vincent O'Hara], US Naval Institute 2013
Paul G. Halpern 'A Naval History of World War I' , US Naval Institute, 1994 
N. B. Pavlovich: The Fleet in the First World War. Volume 1-Operations of the Russian Fleet, Moscow 1964 [translated 1979] 
also articles in Russian Wikipedia.  


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revised 18/2/16