British campaign in the Baltic (1918–1919) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Baltic Naval War |
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| Part of Russian Civil War, Estonian War of Independence, Latvian War of Independence | |||||||||
 British squadron in Koporye Bay in October 1919 |
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
 United Kingdom Estonia Latvia White movement |
 Russian SFSR |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
Edwyn Alexander-Sinclair Walter Cowan Augustus Agar Johan Pitka |
 Nikolai Kuzmin Fyodor Raskolnikov (POW) Sergey Zarubayev Alexander Zelenoy Lev Galler |
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| Strength | |||||||||
| : 1 aircraft carrier 1 monitor 23 light cruisers 85 destroyers 20 submarines 2 minelayers 18 minesweepers 10 coastal motor boats 4 depot ships :2 destroyers 1 gunboat |
2 battleships 1 pre-dreadnought 1 cruiser 17 destroyers 7 submarines 3 minelayers 9 minesweepers 2 depot ships |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| : 111-128 killed at least 60 wounded 9 captured 1 light cruiser sunk 2 destroyers sunk 1 submarine sunk 2 minesweepers sunk 8 coastal motor boats sunk or stranded 1 destroyer damaged 7 other ships lost 60 other ships damaged :23 killed 3 missing 1 icebreaker-tug sunk |
at least 483 killed 251 captured 1 battleship damaged 1 pre-dreadnought damaged 1 cruiser sunk 3 destroyers sunk 2 destroyers captured 1 submarine damaged 1 minesweeper defected 1 depot ship sunk |
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The British campaign in the Baltic 1918–1919 was a naval operation by the Royal Navy in the Baltic Sea. It was part of a larger effort by several countries to help stop the spread of Bolshevism after World War I. This campaign, code-named Operation Red Trek, played a big role in helping Estonia and Latvia become independent countries. However, it did not achieve its goal of helping the White Russian forces take control of Petrograd.
Contents
This naval campaign began right after World War I ended in November 1918. German forces had been occupying the Baltic countries. The main reasons for the British to send their navy to the Baltic were to stop the rise of a new political movement called Bolshevism. They also wanted to support the new independent countries of Estonia and Latvia. The British also aimed to protect their own interests and ensure that ships could travel freely on the seas.
Chaos in the Baltic Region
After World War I, the Baltic countries were in a very confusing state. The old Russian Empire had fallen apart. Different groups were fighting for control. These included the Bolshevik Red Army, groups who wanted independence, and pro-German forces.
In 1917, the German army had taken over Riga. German volunteer units, called Freikorps, were still active there. Estonia had formed its own national army. With help from Finnish volunteers, Estonia was fighting against attacks from the Soviet Russian Red Army.
Many different ships and sailors took part in this conflict. Both sides had important naval forces.
The Russian Baltic Fleet was the main naval force for the Bolsheviks. It was very important for protecting Petrograd. This fleet had been weakened by World War I and the Russian Revolution. However, it was still a strong force. It included large battleships, older pre-dreadnought battleships, cruisers, destroyers, and submarines. Many naval officers had joined the White Russian side or had been killed. But some skilled leaders remained.
The Royal Navy sent a squadron of ships to the Baltic. It was led by Rear-Admiral Edwyn Alexander-Sinclair. This force included modern C-class cruisers and V- and W-class destroyers. In December 1918, Admiral Sinclair sailed into Estonian and Latvian ports. He sent in troops and supplies. He promised to fight the Bolsheviks with his ships' guns.
In January 1919, Rear-Admiral Walter Cowan took over command. Being deployed to the Baltic was not popular with some Royal Navy sailors. There were small protests among the crews in January and again in the autumn of 1919.
Key Events and Battles
The British intervention started very soon after World War I ended. An Estonian group quickly arrived in London to ask for help. They needed troops, ships, and weapons. The British government decided to send a large naval force to the Baltic. But they would not send ground troops.
British ships stopped the Bolsheviks from moving by sea. The Royal Navy also fired their guns at Bolshevik positions on land. This helped the Estonian and Latvian troops. The British also provided important supplies.
On December 4, the cruiser HMS Cassandra hit a German mine. This happened while she was on patrol north of Liepāja. The ship sank, and 11 crew members died.
At this time, the new Estonian government was struggling. The Estonian Prime Minister asked Britain for military help to defend his capital. He even asked for Estonia to become a British protectorate. The British did not agree to these requests.
British cruisers and destroyers sailed close to the Estonian-Russian border. They fired heavily on the advancing Bolshevik supply lines. On December 26, British warships captured two Bolshevik destroyers. These were Avtroil and Spartak. They had been shelling the port of Tallinn. Both ships were given to the Estonian Provisional Government. They were renamed Lennuk and Vambola. These ships became the start of the Estonian Navy.
The new leader of the Baltic Fleet, Fedor Raskolnikov, was captured on board the Spartak. He was later exchanged for 17 British officers who had been captured by the Soviets. Nikolai Kuzmin replaced Raskolnikov in the Baltic.
In April 1919, the Latvian Prime Minister, Kārlis Ulmanis, had to seek safety. He stayed on board the ship Saratov under the protection of British ships.
Action Near Kronstadt
In the summer of 1919, the Royal Navy trapped the Red fleet in Kronstadt. Several small battles took place near Kotlin Island. On May 31, the battleship Petropavlovsk hit the British destroyer HMS Walker. The Walker was damaged, and two crew members were wounded.
Admiral Cowan realized that Tallinn was not the best base. He looked for a base closer to Kronstadt. On June 5, Cowan and his ships arrived at a new anchorage at Björkö Sound. This spot was perfect for operations against Kronstadt. However, on June 9, Soviet destroyers attacked the location. The British submarine HMS L55 sank with all its crew. This happened after it was trapped in a British-laid minefield by the Soviet warships. This event led the British to lay more mines to protect their anchorage.
Cowan also asked Finland for help. He requested that Finland send ships to protect the anchorage and help with patrols. The Finnish Navy agreed. They sent several gunboats, torpedo boats, and minesweepers to Björkö.
A group of British Coastal Motor Boats (CMBs) attacked Kronstadt Harbour twice. They were led by Lieutenant Augustus Agar. On June 17, they sank the cruiser Oleg and the depot ship Pamiat Azova. In August, they damaged the battleships Petropavlovsk and Andrei Pervozvanny. These attacks cost the British three CMBs in the last attack. The British also sank an important Russian submarine support ship. The Soviet records do not agree that the CMBs damaged the Petropavlosk.
The first raid was meant to support a large uprising at the Krasnaya Gorka fort. This uprising was eventually stopped by the Bolshevik battleships' large guns. The second raid resulted in 6 officers and 9 other sailors being killed. Nine others were captured. These attacks by the small CMB unit ended the threat from Kronstadt to the British forces. In early July, the British received more ships. These included the aircraft carrier HMS Vindictive. Its planes bombed and fired at gun and searchlight positions at Kronstadt.
In the autumn of 1919, British forces helped the White Russian Northwestern army. The monitor HMS Erebus fired its guns to support General Nikolai Nikolaevich Yudenich's attack on Petrograd. The Russians tried to stop these bombardments by laying mines. Three of their destroyers were sunk in a British minefield on October 21, 1919. The British monitor Erebus tried to help attack Krasnaya Gorka from October 27. It used its large 15-inch guns to dislodge the defenders. But by this time, the White and Estonian forces were retreating.
The White army's attack failed to capture Petrograd. On February 2, 1920, Estonia and Bolshevik Russia signed the Peace Treaty of Tartu. This treaty recognized Estonia's independence. After this, the Royal Navy left the Baltic Sea.
Admiral Cowan asked the Finnish squadron to stay until he had moved all his forces. Because of this, three Finnish torpedo boats got stuck in the ice during winter. The expanding ice crushed their hulls and sank them. A larger torpedo boat survived because it had a stronger hull. Small motor minesweepers also survived as the ice pushed them out of the water. The remaining Finnish torpedo boats were put into storage after this event.
Some British sailors in the Baltic were unhappy. There were small protests among the crews of HMS Vindictive, Delhi, and other ships. This was partly due to the behavior of Admiral Cowan. The main reasons for the unrest were that sailors were tired of war. Many had fought in World War I. They also had poor food, bad living conditions, and not enough time off.
Ships Lost and Damage Suffered
Both sides suffered losses during the Baltic Naval War.
British Losses
- Light cruiser HMS Cassandra – sank after hitting a mine on December 5, 1918.
- V-class destroyers:
- HMS Verulam – sank after hitting a mine on September 4, 1919.
- HMS Vittoria – sank after being torpedoed by the Bolshevik submarine Pantera on August 31, 1919.
- Submarine HMS L55 – sank during a surface battle with Bolshevik destroyers on June 9, 1919.
- Arabis-class sloops: HMS Gentian and Myrtle – both sank after hitting mines on July 16, 1919.
- Coastal Motor Boats: CMB-24, CMB-62, and CMB-79 – sank during a surface attack on the Bolshevik Fleet on August 18, 1919.
- CMB-67 – got stuck on land on August 18, 1919.
- 7 other British ships were lost.
- 60 other British ships were damaged.
A memorial plaque was put up in 2005 at Portsmouth Cathedral in England. It remembers the 112 British servicemen who died. Similar memorials are in the Church of the Holy Ghost in Tallinn and St Saviour's Church in Riga.
Estonian Losses
- Icebreaker tug Hector – hit a rock and sank.
- Coastal patrol boat Gorodenko – pushed onto the beach by a storm.
Soviet Losses
- Cruiser Oleg – sank after being torpedoed by CMBs.
- Depot ship Pamiat Azova – sank after being torpedoed by CMBs.
- Destroyers Spartak and Avtroil – captured by the Royal Navy.
- Destroyers Gavril, Konstantin, and Svoboda – sank after hitting mines while trying to join Estonia.
- Trawler Kitoboi – joined the White movement.
- Ships of the Peipus flotilla – captured by Estonia.
Images for kids
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British sailors in Liepāja
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British ships in Liepāja
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British cruisers in Liepāja
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British ships on the way to Tallinn
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A plane ditched alongside HMS Vindictive after returning from an air raid, Baltic Sea, 1919
See also
- North Russia campaign
- British submarine flotilla in the Baltic
- HMS Dragon
- Latvian War of Independence
- Estonian War of Independence
- West Russian Volunteer Army
- Defence Forces Cemetery of Tallinn
- Augustus Agar
- Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis
- Claude Congreve Dobson
- Hubert Gough
- John Alfred Moreton
- Gordon Charles Steele
