Pre-dreadnought ‘Borets za Svobodu’ (Freedom Fighter)

Shipyard: Mykolaiv. Laid Down: 25th September 1898. Launched: 13th September 1900. Commissioned: 20th May 1905.

Originally called ‘Prince Potyomkin-Tavrichesky’ this pre-dreadnought was renamed ‘Pantaleon’ after the 1905 uprising and remained, right up to WWI, one of the strongest ships within the Black Sea Fleet. The ship played an active role in WWI naval battles. After the fall of the Tsar, this ship was renamed ‘Freedom Fighter’ and had an active Ukrainian organisation. On the 29th April 1918 this ship, along with other ships of the Fleet in Sevastopol, raised the Ukrainian flag.

Pre-dreadnought ‘Borets za Svobodu’ , 1917

Displacement: 420 tonnes. Length: 64 metres. Beam: 6.4 metres. Hull: 2.74 metres.

Propulsion: 2 steam engines with triple expansion of 5,500 horsepower.

Max Speed: 24.3 knots. Complement: 4 officers and 68 seamen.

Armaments. 2 guns – 75/50 mm, 4 machine guns, 2 torpedo tubes 457 mm.