I just asked this on Saturday’s vid as well, but since there’s a time limit before it disappears again: were you aware the wreck of HMS Prince George is emerging from the sands at Camperduin? You’re close enough that it seems worthwhile to perhaps go do some quick filming?
if the Bismarck broken out into the Atlantic after fighting the battle of the Denmark straight what type of measures would the British take with their convoy escorts how much damage with the Bismarck and flicked on Atlantic shipping and what type scram or battles the Bismarck fight 146
I very nearly bought a cheap pair of binoculars before your meet and greet at the USS Slater, with the intent to ask you to pitch them into the river while yelling "KAMCHATKAAAA", but I didn't figure the staff (or, more notably, the NYDEC) would appreciate it overmuch.
Tragic end really…..a man who could not stand incompetence was sent on an insane mission by incompetence above him….after all the incredible work he performed in his career, it’s almost as if he knew it would be his undoing and he spent his career trying to beat it out of the navy.
The Second Russian Pacific Squadron video you did is why I started watching your channel...nice to see our favorite binocular throwing admiral get another time in the spotlight.
G'day, With Borat in the starring role ? That could make a LOT of Shekels...; Your Excellency...(!). Such is life Have a good one... Stay safe. ;-p Ciao !
Shout out to our boy Rozhestvensky. He was good at his job, had to deal with the incompetence of the 2nd pacific squadron he commanded and after all that happened in Tsushima, he maintained all responsibility for the endeavor. That’s some great work ethic
"Once more, we play our dangerous game. A game of chess, against our old enemy, the Kamchatka . . . . " If Tom Clancy had written "Hunt for Rising Sun Torpedo Boats"
Drachism of the day for me : it was more they were doing an house clearance 🤣 Drach, I would not try guessing how many of us are waiting for these bons mots but please, do not stop, they are brilliant and funny!
The only countries that could honor him are Bulgaria and Russia.Bulgaria won't because it is in NATO and Russia won't because his history debunks the myth of "ROSSIYA STRONK!".
@@naamadossantossilva4736 Russian history is viewed in a lot more of nuances now. Some wounds may still be sore, but the Russo - Japanese war is far enough to be seen in an unbiased way. Plus a lot of Russians understand well they are not (and cannot be) always the winners.
Maybe it’s weird, maybe it’s misplaced, but I personally think that Admiral Rozhestvensky was a great admiral, and really got dealt a hand that nobody could win with in the Russo-Japanese War. At a minimum, he’s an underdog who did the best he could with a sh*t sandwich.
And you can’t blame much of anyone for it. Even incompetency cannot really explain it as the problems were more systemic issues within the Baltic Sea Fleet; much of which were out of their control (you can’t control your port being frozen off for five to six months out of the year).
For anyone wondering, the "Duke of Edinburgh" was so named because Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha,was also Duke of Edinburgh (Gerzog Edinburgski in Russian) who married Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia. Thanks to Wikipedia & the somewhat convoluted relations of 19th cent Royalty.
Was about to elaborate how a German "Herzog" became British royalty and ended up as a ship in the Imperial Russian Navy. Yeah, the late Romanovs were half German. Considering family dynamics (with upcoming X-Mas in mind), it's no wonder they all went to war in 1914. I have relatives in France, so I fully understand THAT reason.
I recommend studying the life of his opponent, Admiral Togo. This guy was truly a master of his craft, highly educated, trained at the British Naval Academy, and a humble and devoted person. Later he was chosen to take over the education of the heir to the Japanese throne. There is a photo of him in his 80s. An old man, but still with tremendous physical tension and full of mental and physical strength. Be sure, you don't want to have beef with someone like that.
@@oliverfunk6606 I will certainly have a look into him. I know the basics of his story but have never done anything like a deep dive, which is a little odd to be honest because I have a real interest in the Meiji Restoration and the transition of Japan from an isolationist feudal state to a modern regional and global power
The extent of this disaster cannot be emphasized enough. Admiral Rozhestvenski steamed onto the battlefield with 37 ships. As a result of the battle, 21 were sunk, 5 surrendered, 2 (both hospital ships) went straight to Japan, 3 cruisers were interned in Manila, 2 more in China, one escaped back to Madagascar and from there to St. Petersburg later, and only 3 reached Vladivostok: 2 torpedo boats and a yacht belonging to the Tsar's family, which had a couple of cannons bolted to it and was told "You are a warship now!". The Imperial Russian Navy had ceased to exist. --- Japan lost 3 torpedo boats.
Japan had several ships damaged, some seriously damaged but they could just steam to any home ports for repairs. Russian ships when seriously damaged had nowhere to retire, so either they sank or were sunk by crews to avoid capture. Rodzhestvenskiy knew from the beginning that his rag tag hastily assembled fleet had no chance and hoped to pass undetected in the fog. The gamble nearly succeeded.
Unlike everyone trying to prove how clever and funny they are by making yet another joke at the kamchatka’s expense, I just like to say “Thank you” Drach for a wonderful history of a very interesting fellow, who, as you said, got stuck with an untenable job and did the best he could with the flotsam he was given.
Thank you for your video. Gives the man and the topic deeper narrative than popular "Admiral Stupid fails again!". We need more stuff like this and less buzzwords.
It is the man, it is the legend, give it up for the naval officer with the patience of an angel. It is Admiral Zinovy throwing binoculars at Kamchatka Rozhestvensky.
The question is whether Rozhestvensky appears so good because he was surrounded by incompetence, or whether he would have done even better in a competent navy.
He probably would had done very well, based on his command of the Danube River Flotilla, It would had been interesting how well he could had done in either the USN or his Britannic Majesty's Navy.
In my experience (which admittedly is based on army service rather than naval service) you may stand out less than when you are the 8/10 officer in a 4/10 unit but serving with other 8/10s and 7/10s has the potential to create synergy effects that will let you perform better and make the whole unit more than the sum of its parts. Likwise poor leadership at the top levels can cause an otherwise fine unit to deteriorate and underperform more and more. Saw first hand how what used to be the premier armoured unit in the Swedish army turn into an unhappy substandard one due to senior officers being promoted to positions they were unsuited for.
@@joselitostotomas8114 That was basically my question. Was he really good, someone who would have done well anywhere, or was he a mediocrity, who only looks good in comparison to the fools around him?
@@Vonstab I think it's a general human trait, not specific to any organization. But otherwise, that is the question. Was he a 4/10 surrounded by 1/10s, or was he one of those who would rise to the top of any organization? It is easy to sympathize with his angering his superiors, and with his binocular hurling. I imagine he really wanted to hurl grenades.
He must have loved being completely in charge of the Bulgarian Navy as he got to do EVERYTHING his way! That was a great story and I really find him fascinating! While a pain is the arse to higher ups that he deemed incompetent -and they probably were-he was fiercely loyal to those under him who showed promise. That took full responsibility for a loss that was already on its legs when he got there shows what an honorable gentleman he was.
Tbf Admiral I’m not spelling his name was more annoyed than anyone by the performance of the 2nd pacific squadron. Imagine having to manage that disaster, even the officers of some ships couldn’t control their wildly undisciplined and inexperienced sailors and that was before they even got anywhere near Asia.
Two things spring to mind. His response to knowing Lord Beresford of the Royal Navy only intended to use 4, of the 42 battleships available. Said they would only need 1 to defeat him after The Dogger Bank incident. And secondly he was in awe of the Royal Navy cruisers and their handling that monitored him. He was a real admiral in a navy full of ‘connected officers’
5:53 "On paper the Russian fleet" I feel this should be the motto of the Russian Navy. On Paper we can beat a landlocked country, a country without a navy...
They were designed to show as less freeboard as possible and reduce they citadell by being round. Unfortunately the rudder positioning was really bad and they were quite slow.
After hearing his history it suddenly makes sense as to why his disgust for the way the 2nd Pacific Squadron shaped up was so vitriolic. I cannot in the least blame him at this point.
being this competent amongst the outrageously corrupt aristocracy and the completely ignorant ex serfdom must've been hell. i'm now convinced that that picture we have of him with a hoary beard and deep crows feet around his eyes was probably taken when he was 32.
He was actually an interesting and ultimately tragic figure. He was clearly capable and had he been born in England, Germany, Japan or the US, his drive and ambition might have led him very far even if he remains a combative personality.
To me it makes a little more sense why The 2nd Pacific Squadron went as it did with armed yachts in it's numbers as opposed to dedicated warships now, given the Russian success in their application against the Ottomans. Great video as always Drach
I believe most of the best ships and crews were assigned to the Black Sea fleet and it's possible that the Russians couldn't afford to move assets into another fleet without risking the loss of control over the region. So they took whatever was available even though they weren't suitable because they were desperate and scrambling to assemble a fleet after the 1st Squadron was lost.
@@hawkeye5955, there’s also the issue of training said crews to operate the Baltic Fleet ships as many included brand-new warships that the Black Sea Fleet did not have at their disposal. All of that would have required precious time, which the Russians did not have.
So the guy most people remember for losing a battle that could not have been more stacked against him, was in truth an accomplished Administrator, innovator, war hero and basically the Single driving force behind Bulgaria having a navy at all, not to mention a competent one that failled only in the areas the man literally couldn't do anything about. I believe he would get along brilliantly with fleet admiral King, both had a monumental temper and a habit of making progress Despite their respective countries doing their best to prevent it * looking at the bureua of ordinance in particular *
As someone who didn’t take incompetence well during my 30+ years of DoD service, I guess I should have been throwing binoculars to show my displeasure! Though the ricochet from cubicle walls might have led to a bad outcome!
I have only read this in one book, so I am unsure as to it's accuracy, but supposedly after his retirement, the admiral picked up the morning paper one day to find out that he had died.
If we’re being honest here, I would not consider the Second Pacific Squadron to be any form of demonstration of “incompetence” with the Russian Navy nor with Russia in-general. There are many who would assert such a thing (History of Everything, for example), but I would say that Admiral Rozhestvensky shows that the Russians were capable of producing highly competent leaders and said competent leaders ended up in high positions of power. Ultimately, the problem boiled down to the inability for the Baltic Fleet to train its crews properly and the faults in the Imperial Russian industry on the whole. Had those two matters been addressed, then it would be doubtless that the Japanese would have had a difficult time dealing with the Russian Navy. It’s unfortunate that the Russian navy is defined by “Second Pacific Squadron” and not Sinope or any other naval victories they had.
Sad that such a capable admiral was finally lumbered with such a dysfunctional motley crew of ships. Please consider a commemorative t-shirt or other thing bearing a portrait of him holding binoculars.
It's fascinating how the popular narrative about the 2nd Pacific Squadron at least implies that part of how it was defeated was that the morale, discipline, and general state of the ships was largely to blame on the hardship of the voyage - it's startling to think how much worse it likely was at the beginning!
I really do feel bad for this chap. "Best he could do given the circumstances", in his particular, very dire circumstances, elevates him to about 3 seats to the left or right of any of the best officers of any actually "not utterly incompetent" naval force, in my book. Hopefully this makes sense.
This admiral deserves to sit at the naval High Table along with the likes of Cochrane,Collingwood,Yi Sun-sin,Admiral Scheer and Nelson for his dedication and ability and yes I reckon Old Cuddy better that Nelson and Bounce(Collingwood's dog)as a better commander than Beatty
His leadership skills had to be off the charts to manage to get that fleet to that battle. Ships not designed for a cruise like that, a crew hopelessly under prepared for such a voyage. And a very angry enemy waiting for them after having 6 months to decide how to fight them.
@@glenchapman3899 Makes me wonder what he would have done Tsushima with a better run navy behind him with better overall skills and training to start with. If he had won at Tsushima, Japan would have lost her armies because their supply lines would have been cut.
@@washingtonradio It is a vexed question. A better equipped and trained Russian navy would not have needed to send the squadron in the first place. Also for a couple of years before the battle. The British had been feeding the Japanese a number of cutting edge advantages, example gun designs and spotting equipment, while actively slowing Russian naval technology advances. The other problem was speed. Russian ships had been significantly slowed because of hull fouling due to the long voyage, this allowed the Japanese to dictate the battle to their advantage
Id get the feeling he might've reincarnated as Admiral King if King hadnt been born in 1878. Especially with Rozhestvensky's habit of losing his temper when dealing with incompetents.
It can only be imagined how things might have gone differently, had he been given more resources. Bulgaria could at least have gotten a winter port or anchorage which would be a long term bonus, and with enough ammunition for gunnery practice and some forward resupply once at sea even the 2nd Pacific squadron might have done real damage to the Japanese. (Not enough to win the war but perhaps enough to get a ceasefire.)
Picture of Pervenets at 28:21 shows the wrong ship. It's not coastal defense Pervenest but the predreadnought Pervenest, just starting construction in 1898 as a counter to the Centurion class. Anyway, a really wonderful video and many congratulations for deciding to do it. Very interesting. Not really about him but "Russian Imperialism and Naval Power" by Papastratigakis is a supeb account on Russian naval strategy in the build up to the Russo-Japanese war, and of course Rozhestvensky is part of it.
The ship on the photo is called "Peresvet". It is indeed a predreadnought constructed around 1900 and is very different from the older ironclad "Pervenets" that was commanded by Rozhestvensky in 1896 - 1898.
You might want to look at the career of Sergey Gorshkov. His WWII service seems to show competence, and he certainly managed to create a decent navy in the Cold War. I think he's probably spinning in his grave today.
Pinned post for Q&A :)
I just asked this on Saturday’s vid as well, but since there’s a time limit before it disappears again: were you aware the wreck of HMS Prince George is emerging from the sands at Camperduin? You’re close enough that it seems worthwhile to perhaps go do some quick filming?
Which admiral in history would be the most effective if you put him in charge of the entire combined Allied fleets of WWII?
What firm was Admiral Rozhestvensky's preferred supplier of binoculars?
if the Bismarck broken out into the Atlantic after fighting the battle of the Denmark straight what type of measures would the British take with their convoy escorts how much damage with the Bismarck and flicked on Atlantic shipping and what type scram or battles the Bismarck fight 146
@@jameslovas9464 Zeiss, i believe. Though i might be wrong.
Words cannot express how grateful the late Admiral was when he was informed that the Kamchatka had sunk.
At least when he died, he died knowing that he had outlasted his greatest foe- the accursed Kamchatka.
Wait?! The Russian government has ADMITTED that ship ACTUALLY SANK
The greatest asset the IJN ever had.
*Ghost of Kamchatka intesifies*
Here we go with the Kamchatka jokes. 😂
i really have to appreciate how well drach has gotten at pronouncing rozhestvensky's name throuhout his time going over things.
Well, even russians sometimes get his name wrong.
@@ilyapinaev7869 oh yes... My favourite is "admiral Rozdestvensky".
Pronouncing this Admiral's name gives Drach less trouble than pronouncing the ship SMS Schleswig-Holstein.
I very nearly bought a cheap pair of binoculars before your meet and greet at the USS Slater, with the intent to ask you to pitch them into the river while yelling "KAMCHATKAAAA", but I didn't figure the staff (or, more notably, the NYDEC) would appreciate it overmuch.
Rozhestvensky: Is Kamchatka still afloat?
Japanese officer:(Slightly confused)...Uh...no....
Rozhestvensky: Thank God!
@@McNubbys Hmmm thinking again... the stunt would probably be fine if you were able to retrieve the binoculars afterwards. maybe via string.....
Considering what NYDEC let others dump, they have no room to talk. The staff of the ship, I would respect their wishes. Lol
😆
It's a ritual deposition! Whose gonna complain? 🙂
Tragic end really…..a man who could not stand incompetence was sent on an insane mission by incompetence above him….after all the incredible work he performed in his career, it’s almost as if he knew it would be his undoing and he spent his career trying to beat it out of the navy.
Looking at the list of Russian naval successes since his days... Yeah.
"What can skilled naval officers do against such reckless incompetence?"
Not to mention the incompetence of ship commanders in his squadron.
The Second Russian Pacific Squadron video you did is why I started watching your channel...nice to see our favorite binocular throwing admiral get another time in the spotlight.
The Trials of the Second Pacific Fleet needs to be made into a film, played deadpan straight for maximum effect
Or a complete 3 Stooges-esque farce.
With dry dark eastern humor
G'day,
With Borat in the starring role ?
That could make a
LOT of
Shekels...;
Your
Excellency...(!).
Such is life
Have a good one...
Stay safe.
;-p
Ciao !
Shout out to our boy Rozhestvensky. He was good at his job, had to deal with the incompetence of the 2nd pacific squadron he commanded and after all that happened in Tsushima, he maintained all responsibility for the endeavor. That’s some great work ethic
"Once more, we play our dangerous game. A game of chess, against our old enemy, the Kamchatka . . . . " If Tom Clancy had written "Hunt for Rising Sun Torpedo Boats"
28:46 "Andrei, you've run another ship aground?"
"Your Admirals have thrown enough binoculars so that a man could walk from Korea to Tsushima to Japan without getting his feet wet."
Does anyone here know how to travel back in time to give a man a hug, double shot of vodka and some sobril?
I would say he probably needed a whole case of Vodka
@@glenchapman3899 along with another case of binoculars.
“We could’ve won State…” 🥲
@@glenchapman3899 AND a new posting as FAR away from the Pacific as possible, too!
@@CM26617 Amen to that lol
Drachism of the day for me : it was more they were doing an house clearance 🤣 Drach, I would not try guessing how many of us are waiting for these bons mots but please, do not stop, they are brilliant and funny!
It’s an accurate description though. Given the list, ending in “five rowing boats”…..it’s a “garage sale” list, certainly.
He certainly is fluent in several dialects of Sarcamese which is very appreciated
3:33 a bit of trivia: Rear Admiral Rimsky-Korssakov was the older brother of the Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.
Cheers for that, the surname did make me wonder
Nikolai was also in the navy, which explains why parts of Scheherazade sound sea infused.
Admiral Rozhestvensky: from meeting Tsar Nicholas of Russia to meeting King Julien in Madagascar island.
Daaa FEEEEEET!
And always hoping that the Kamchatka would move it move it to the bottom of the ocean
To meet King Julien of Madagascar, you'd have to be taking some of the high strength narcotics that are mentioned in 'Voyage of the Damned'.
You got to move it move it!
What a competent, diligent, and honorable man he was. He deserves at least a naval academy to be named after him.
This. Absolutely.
The only countries that could honor him are Bulgaria and Russia.Bulgaria won't because it is in NATO and Russia won't because his history debunks the myth of "ROSSIYA STRONK!".
@@naamadossantossilva4736 Russian history is viewed in a lot more of nuances now. Some wounds may still be sore, but the Russo - Japanese war is far enough to be seen in an unbiased way. Plus a lot of Russians understand well they are not (and cannot be) always the winners.
Maybe it’s weird, maybe it’s misplaced, but I personally think that Admiral Rozhestvensky was a great admiral, and really got dealt a hand that nobody could win with in the Russo-Japanese War. At a minimum, he’s an underdog who did the best he could with a sh*t sandwich.
And you can’t blame much of anyone for it. Even incompetency cannot really explain it as the problems were more systemic issues within the Baltic Sea Fleet; much of which were out of their control (you can’t control your port being frozen off for five to six months out of the year).
He allowed Togo to cross the T. So yeah, I can absolutely blame him for that. I don't care what shape your ships are in. That is unforgivable.
The admiral represented the pinnacle of binocular deploying technology.
The deployment being _OVER_ the side of the pinnacle
@@bryant7201 a pioneer in medium range reconnaissance.
Held the Olympic record for bino tossing for two decades.
in the same way he tried to get berths at several locations for the Romanian Navy, he pre-positioned binoculars for future use.
No binoculars were harmed in the making of this video
*throws binoculars into the ocean*
Not to worry, his staff packed 60 more pairs
*Angrily screaming expletives in Russian*
For anyone wondering, the "Duke of Edinburgh" was so named because Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha,was also Duke of Edinburgh (Gerzog Edinburgski in Russian) who married Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia. Thanks to Wikipedia & the somewhat convoluted relations of 19th cent Royalty.
Was about to elaborate how a German "Herzog" became British royalty and ended up as a ship in the Imperial Russian Navy. Yeah, the late Romanovs were half German. Considering family dynamics (with upcoming X-Mas in mind), it's no wonder they all went to war in 1914. I have relatives in France, so I fully understand THAT reason.
Genuinely one of my favorite figures from naval History. The more I learn about him, the more respect I have for the man.
I recommend studying the life of his opponent, Admiral Togo. This guy was truly a master of his craft, highly educated, trained at the British Naval Academy, and a humble and devoted person. Later he was chosen to take over the education of the heir to the Japanese throne. There is a photo of him in his 80s. An old man, but still with tremendous physical tension and full of mental and physical strength. Be sure, you don't want to have beef with someone like that.
@@oliverfunk6606 I will certainly have a look into him. I know the basics of his story but have never done anything like a deep dive, which is a little odd to be honest because I have a real interest in the Meiji Restoration and the transition of Japan from an isolationist feudal state to a modern regional and global power
Shame on me! I didn't know admiral Rozhestvensky was the first commander of our (bulgarian) navy. Thank you, Drach!
Ah, the gold-medal winner at binoculars-throwing was himself once the Kamchatka's worst nightmare ... a torpedo boat commander 🤣
Last time i was this early, the 2nd Pacific Squadron still had full stocks of binoculars
That s quite a feat 😂! 😂
The last time you were this early there was a 1st Pacific Squadron
@@emjackson2289: Nah, that would have been too early. The 1st Squadron would have been sunk already.
The extent of this disaster cannot be emphasized enough. Admiral Rozhestvenski steamed onto the battlefield with 37 ships. As a result of the battle, 21 were sunk, 5 surrendered, 2 (both hospital ships) went straight to Japan, 3 cruisers were interned in Manila, 2 more in China, one escaped back to Madagascar and from there to St. Petersburg later, and only 3 reached Vladivostok: 2 torpedo boats and a yacht belonging to the Tsar's family, which had a couple of cannons bolted to it and was told "You are a warship now!".
The Imperial Russian Navy had ceased to exist.
---
Japan lost 3 torpedo boats.
Japan had several ships damaged, some seriously damaged but they could just steam to any home ports for repairs. Russian ships when seriously damaged had nowhere to retire, so either they sank or were sunk by crews to avoid capture. Rodzhestvenskiy knew from the beginning that his rag tag hastily assembled fleet had no chance and hoped to pass undetected in the fog. The gamble nearly succeeded.
He is currently at the top of Rankers list of worst admirals citing “disregarding orders to avoid the enemy” Ahhhhhh the internet
@donkeyboy585 yeah, let's avoid the enemy with a fleet much slower than the enemy, in a chokepoint 😀 I wonder who wrote that article? 🤣
@@Drachinifel The Russian Nobility. Or another admiral trying to discredit him from beyond the grave. Which is probably the same thing.
@@theatagamer90it was a rhetoric question
I have waited years for his one.
And just as I was rewatching your mini series on the 2nd Pacific Squadron.
I have watched it so many times. So funny, incredible, tragic, and re-watchable
@@toddabowdenSharks…..meat…..torpeeeeeedoooo boooooaaaaaaaats!
Unlike everyone trying to prove how clever and funny they are by making yet another joke at the kamchatka’s expense, I just like to say “Thank you” Drach for a wonderful history of a very interesting fellow, who, as you said, got stuck with an untenable job and did the best he could with the flotsam he was given.
Absolutely! Drach did an exceptional job with this one. His Russian pronunciations sounded convincing to this non-Russian speaker. :D
Thank you for your video. Gives the man and the topic deeper narrative than popular "Admiral Stupid fails again!". We need more stuff like this and less buzzwords.
Legend has it that Admiral Rozhestvensky holds the world record for the most binoculars thrown in frustration into the ocean. 😂
Plus distance!
@@mpetersen6 LOL!
It is the man, it is the legend, give it up for the naval officer with the patience of an angel. It is Admiral Zinovy throwing binoculars at Kamchatka Rozhestvensky.
👏👏👏👏
I want a t-shirt......❤
The question is whether Rozhestvensky appears so good because he was surrounded by incompetence, or whether he would have done even better in a competent navy.
He probably would had done very well, based on his command of the Danube River Flotilla, It would had been interesting how well he could had done in either the USN or his Britannic Majesty's Navy.
In my experience (which admittedly is based on army service rather than naval service) you may stand out less than when you are the 8/10 officer in a 4/10 unit but serving with other 8/10s and 7/10s has the potential to create synergy effects that will let you perform better and make the whole unit more than the sum of its parts.
Likwise poor leadership at the top levels can cause an otherwise fine unit to deteriorate and underperform more and more. Saw first hand how what used to be the premier armoured unit in the Swedish army turn into an unhappy substandard one due to senior officers being promoted to positions they were unsuited for.
@@joselitostotomas8114 That was basically my question. Was he really good, someone who would have done well anywhere, or was he a mediocrity, who only looks good in comparison to the fools around him?
@@Vonstab I think it's a general human trait, not specific to any organization. But otherwise, that is the question. Was he a 4/10 surrounded by 1/10s, or was he one of those who would rise to the top of any organization? It is easy to sympathize with his angering his superiors, and with his binocular hurling. I imagine he really wanted to hurl grenades.
The question posed by a person who knows nothing about the Admiral
The rum ration is my favorite Drach format!
Agree. Some of the most interesting Drachs are the Rum Rations.
@@hughboyd2904well all Drachinifel videos are great some more than others 😉
100% I usually do laundry Wednesday nights, and the rum ration is worth it's weight in gold (or rum).
Such a holiday treat to hear about the man, the myth, the legend!
Sounds as if he would have been a superstar in any other navy
Kamchatka: "I see Torpedo Boats"
Rozhestvensky: "In your dreams?"
- The Sixth Sense, 1904-5
At long last! The triology of comedy is now complete!
The Kamchatka was one, this the third, but have I missed the 2nd?
@andrewmcalister3462 the 2nd Pacific squadron videos were divided into 2 parts
@@CruelandCold thanks.
@@andrewmcalister3462 no problem
He must have loved being completely in charge of the Bulgarian Navy as he got to do EVERYTHING his way! That was a great story and I really find him fascinating! While a pain is the arse to higher ups that he deemed incompetent -and they probably were-he was fiercely loyal to those under him who showed promise. That took full responsibility for a loss that was already on its legs when he got there shows what an honorable gentleman he was.
Tbf Admiral I’m not spelling his name was more annoyed than anyone by the performance of the 2nd pacific squadron. Imagine having to manage that disaster, even the officers of some ships couldn’t control their wildly undisciplined and inexperienced sailors and that was before they even got anywhere near Asia.
Two things spring to mind. His response to knowing Lord Beresford of the Royal Navy only intended to use 4, of the 42 battleships available. Said they would only need 1 to defeat him after The Dogger Bank incident.
And secondly he was in awe of the Royal Navy cruisers and their handling that monitored him.
He was a real admiral in a navy full of ‘connected officers’
Unsurprisingly, he eventually died of a heart attack, his lifespan probably having been shortened a couple decades by the floating trainwreck.
@@bkjeong4302 please, your insulting trainwrecks. Those can at least go in a straight line
@@seanarano4754 *you're
Imagine if the Japanese *had* acquired some fast-attack-craft . . . . .
A man that deserved way more than a medal.
Ah the terrors of Kamchatka deep in his mind...
5:53 "On paper the Russian fleet" I feel this should be the motto of the Russian Navy. On Paper we can beat a landlocked country, a country without a navy...
Please look at what Brian Clough said about football.
_Kamchatka_ to fleet: Have you seen a Drach upload?
...
...
...
Also, torpedo boats?
Admirebly told, doing justice to that history, thanks Drach!
How he did not die during voyage due to stress is beyond me
I think (and no one can convince me otherwise) that Drach had a silly grin on his face when he wrote the title of this video.
And texts too 😉
"Disc-shaped ironclads" - are those sinking saucers?
I‘m pretty sure the Black Sea fleet of 1877 was in better shape than it is today in December 2024.
Fyi drach has a review of those ships in his catalog.
They were designed to show as less freeboard as possible and reduce they citadell by being round.
Unfortunately the rudder positioning was really bad and they were quite slow.
I watched your videos on Tsushima and enjoyed this deeper dive into the biography of Adm. R.
After hearing his history it suddenly makes sense as to why his disgust for the way the 2nd Pacific Squadron shaped up was so vitriolic. I cannot in the least blame him at this point.
A sudden and unexplained heart attack? Poor Vet had to relive his worst combat nightmare: commanding the Kamchatka in his fleet.
being this competent amongst the outrageously corrupt aristocracy and the completely ignorant ex serfdom must've been hell. i'm now convinced that that picture we have of him with a hoary beard and deep crows feet around his eyes was probably taken when he was 32.
You may be joking,but that could be true.Old time film could capture cold colors but not warm ones and that made people look older in photos.
He was actually an interesting and ultimately tragic figure. He was clearly capable and had he been born in England, Germany, Japan or the US, his drive and ambition might have led him very far even if he remains a combative personality.
To me it makes a little more sense why The 2nd Pacific Squadron went as it did with armed yachts in it's numbers as opposed to dedicated warships now, given the Russian success in their application against the Ottomans. Great video as always Drach
I believe most of the best ships and crews were assigned to the Black Sea fleet and it's possible that the Russians couldn't afford to move assets into another fleet without risking the loss of control over the region. So they took whatever was available even though they weren't suitable because they were desperate and scrambling to assemble a fleet after the 1st Squadron was lost.
@@hawkeye5955, there’s also the issue of training said crews to operate the Baltic Fleet ships as many included brand-new warships that the Black Sea Fleet did not have at their disposal.
All of that would have required precious time, which the Russians did not have.
So the guy most people remember for losing a battle that could not have been more stacked against him, was in truth an accomplished Administrator, innovator, war hero and basically the Single driving force behind Bulgaria having a navy at all, not to mention a competent one that failled only in the areas the man literally couldn't do anything about. I believe he would get along brilliantly with fleet admiral King, both had a monumental temper and a habit of making progress Despite their respective countries doing their best to prevent it * looking at the bureua of ordinance in particular *
Dude really was Adm. Lee born at the wrong time
very informative and educational, thanks for putting this together i knew very little of this man who deserves to be better remembered
Rozhestvensky was the best Zeiss' customer.
Zeiss should name a range of waterproof naval binoculars after him.
@@howardmaryon 😄
As someone who didn’t take incompetence well during my 30+ years of DoD service, I guess I should have been throwing binoculars to show my displeasure! Though the ricochet from cubicle walls might have led to a bad outcome!
Toy inflatable ones could have been an excellent choice.
Especially if they had Russian swear words stiched into them. 😅
I enjoyed this information. Up to this point I only knew the storey of the Second Pacific Fleet. Clearly he was very capable and underused.
I have only read this in one book, so I am unsure as to it's accuracy, but supposedly after his retirement, the admiral picked up the morning paper one day to find out that he had died.
I read that he arrived back in St.Petersburg just in time for his own memorial service
Do you remember the book's title by any chance?
Came faster than reports of Japanese torpedo boats sighted near European waters
By jove, they really are everywhere!
@@khaelamensha3624 *throws binoculars*
@@FltCaptAlan 🤣😂🤣 always wonder what caliber are binoculars.... Between 2 3 inches. Dual purpose or not... Mysteries of life...
Thank you, Drachinifel.
The torpedo boat drinking challenge takes on a whole new different direction
If we’re being honest here, I would not consider the Second Pacific Squadron to be any form of demonstration of “incompetence” with the Russian Navy nor with Russia in-general.
There are many who would assert such a thing (History of Everything, for example), but I would say that Admiral Rozhestvensky shows that the Russians were capable of producing highly competent leaders and said competent leaders ended up in high positions of power. Ultimately, the problem boiled down to the inability for the Baltic Fleet to train its crews properly and the faults in the Imperial Russian industry on the whole.
Had those two matters been addressed, then it would be doubtless that the Japanese would have had a difficult time dealing with the Russian Navy.
It’s unfortunate that the Russian navy is defined by “Second Pacific Squadron” and not Sinope or any other naval victories they had.
Thank you Drach, beautifully explained as usual!
Oh no. Somebody gonna get hit by flying binoculars before the end of this video.
Sad that such a capable admiral was finally lumbered with such a dysfunctional motley crew of ships. Please consider a commemorative t-shirt or other thing bearing a portrait of him holding binoculars.
Just a couple of days ago I was introducing a friend to the magic travel of the second pacific squadron and now Drach drop this 😂
Here before the torpedo boats even showed up
The Admiral became a recluse afterwards, I like the idea that anyone who tried to visit him had binoculars chucked at them
It's fascinating how the popular narrative about the 2nd Pacific Squadron at least implies that part of how it was defeated was that the morale, discipline, and general state of the ships was largely to blame on the hardship of the voyage - it's startling to think how much worse it likely was at the beginning!
Interesting fact, his family name Rozhdestvensky derived from Rozhdestvo which is = Christmas
He was honest and decent person.
Merry coming Christmas
His last name was Rozhestvenskiy, no dev in the middle
@mordentus You are right
Most interesting .... Superb work yet again Sir😊
Holy crap, having no meeting I can enjoy listening Lord Drach! 13 seconds after the post 🤣 and with a bit of a very well known armada 🤣
Hoping to see admiral Togo as well. Would also like to see a take on admiral Yi whom Togo considered unsurpassed in naval history.
Is Rear Admiral Rimsky-Korsakov related to the composer?
Older brother.
I can just imagine the pride with which some Bulgarian officer would be awarded command of one of the "Royal Rowboats". :-)
The man, the Legend, abuser of binoculars and still he didn’t see any torpedo boats.
I am pleased to see a mention of the Treaty of San Stefano.
A very interesting insight into a period of history I know nothing about. Thank you.
Wonderfully done! Thank you.
I really do feel bad for this chap. "Best he could do given the circumstances", in his particular, very dire circumstances, elevates him to about 3 seats to the left or right of any of the best officers of any actually "not utterly incompetent" naval force, in my book. Hopefully this makes sense.
Danm the binoculars! Full speed ahead!
Rorhestvensky: Look at me. I'm the commanding officer now.
Fascinating!
This admiral deserves to sit at the naval High Table along with the likes of Cochrane,Collingwood,Yi Sun-sin,Admiral Scheer and Nelson for his dedication and ability and yes I reckon Old Cuddy better that Nelson and Bounce(Collingwood's dog)as a better commander than Beatty
His leadership skills had to be off the charts to manage to get that fleet to that battle. Ships not designed for a cruise like that, a crew hopelessly under prepared for such a voyage. And a very angry enemy waiting for them after having 6 months to decide how to fight them.
@@glenchapman3899 The list of admirals who could manage such a poor and logistically flawed fleet is a VERY small one.
@@glenchapman3899 Makes me wonder what he would have done Tsushima with a better run navy behind him with better overall skills and training to start with. If he had won at Tsushima, Japan would have lost her armies because their supply lines would have been cut.
@@washingtonradio It is a vexed question. A better equipped and trained Russian navy would not have needed to send the squadron in the first place.
Also for a couple of years before the battle. The British had been feeding the Japanese a number of cutting edge advantages, example gun designs and spotting equipment, while actively slowing Russian naval technology advances.
The other problem was speed. Russian ships had been significantly slowed because of hull fouling due to the long voyage, this allowed the Japanese to dictate the battle to their advantage
Another good story, well told. Thx.
The binoculars on my desk are shaking.
Id get the feeling he might've reincarnated as Admiral King if King hadnt been born in 1878. Especially with Rozhestvensky's habit of losing his temper when dealing with incompetents.
Definitely kindred spirits.
Just one had the horrible luck get stuck with the Russian navy.
11/10! Really excellent. Thank you.
I wonder if the rangefinders on the admirals ship used to try and guess how far he threw his binoculars 😂
It can only be imagined how things might have gone differently, had he been given more resources.
Bulgaria could at least have gotten a winter port or anchorage which would be a long term bonus, and with enough ammunition for gunnery practice and some forward resupply once at sea even the 2nd Pacific squadron might have done real damage to the Japanese. (Not enough to win the war but perhaps enough to get a ceasefire.)
Drach you should release some merch first on the list is a pair of memorial binoculars 😂
Cant explain how excited i am for this one!!!!
Picture of Pervenets at 28:21 shows the wrong ship. It's not coastal defense Pervenest but the predreadnought Pervenest, just starting construction in 1898 as a counter to the Centurion class. Anyway, a really wonderful video and many congratulations for deciding to do it. Very interesting. Not really about him but "Russian Imperialism and Naval Power" by Papastratigakis is a supeb account on Russian naval strategy in the build up to the Russo-Japanese war, and of course Rozhestvensky is part of it.
The ship on the photo is called "Peresvet". It is indeed a predreadnought constructed around 1900 and is very different from the older ironclad "Pervenets" that was commanded by Rozhestvensky in 1896 - 1898.
It makes a change being able to use the words 'competent Russian naval officer' in a non satirical manner.
You might want to look at the career of Sergey Gorshkov. His WWII service seems to show competence, and he certainly managed to create a decent navy in the Cold War. I think he's probably spinning in his grave today.
Thanks for this, Drach...
Your pronunciation is not half bad 😁
Binocular-Guy! I like this admiral, as I have also a very low tolerance for incompetence! :D
Excellent! Thanks!
**Angrily throws binoculars at this video's subtitle**