Riurik

Riurik 

a Russian cruiser, built in St. Petersburg and commissioned in 1895. It had a displacement of 11,930 tons, a speed of 19 knots (35 km/hr), a crew of more than 800, and four 203-mm guns, 16 152-mm guns, six 120-mm guns, ten 47-mm guns, 12 37-mm guns, and six torpedo tube mounts.

In 1904 the Riurik joined the Vladivostok Cruiser Detachment. In the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–05 during combat in the Korean Strait on Aug. 1 (14), 1904, the insufficiently armored Riurik was seriously damaged at the beginning of the battle and lost control. An attempt by the squadron commander, Rear Admiral K. P. lessen, to cover the Riurik and divert the enemy failed. Surrounded by four Japanese light cruisers, the Riurik carried on a heroic battle against the enemy for two hours; 150 men were killed, including the commander and senior officer, and about 280 were wounded. In view of the threat that the ship would be captured by the enemy, Lieutenant K. Ivanov, who had taken command, ordered that the Kingston valves be opened, and the Riurik was sunk. The Japanese picked up 625 men out of the water, including 230 wounded.