Cruiser ‘Pamiat` Merkuria’

Shipyard: Mykolaiv. Laid Down: 23rd August 1901. Launched: 20th May 1902. Commissioned: 1905.

Initially, the ship was named ‘Kahul’ which was renamed to the rebellious ‘Ochakiv’. This was one of the most active ships in WWI of the Black Sea Fleet. In the Spring of 1917 a Ukrainian group already existed. After the declaration of the III Universal (of the Central Rada) ‘Pamiat` Merkuria’ raised the Ukrainian flag. At the end of December, the ship left for Odesa to safeguard Ukrainian interests. However, on its return to Sevastopol she came into the hands of the Bolsheviks. On the 29th April 1918 she once again raised the Ukrainian flag.

Displacement: 6,645 tonnes. Length: 134 metres. Beam: 16.6 metres. Hull: 6.3 metres.

Propulsion: 2 vertical steam engines of 19,500 horsepower.

Max Speed: 23 knots. Complement: 20 officers and 547 seamen.

Armour: deck 35–70 mm, gun turrets 125 mm, casemate battery 35–79 mm, conning tower 140 mm.

Armaments. 12 guns – 152/45 mm, 12 guns – 75 mm, 8 guns – 47 mm, 2 machine guns and 6 torpedo tubes.

Cruiser ‘Pamiat` Merkuria’, 1917