The Rescue Ships

The details of the class and type of the military vessels involved in the rescue vary considerably depending on the source. The alternate descriptions given are listed after the name of the vessel.

Imperial Russian Navy - Chivinetz [alt Khivinetz*] (Cruiser, Gun Boat, Motor Torpedo Boat)

Built in the New Admiralty Yards in St Petersburg 1905. Twin Funnel 1316 tons 200 crew. Sister ship to "Giliak" and "Korietz"

8** triple expansion Belville boilers giving designed output of 1400 HP driving twin screws; designed top speed 13 knots.

Armament in 1907, 2 x 4.7 inch guns firing fore and aft, 8 x 12lb guns in centrally mounted sponsons, 2 MG.

By 1914 she was part of the Russian Baltic Fleet. Listed as taking part, under the command of Captain 2nd Rank SA Paskin, in the defence of the Baltic coast against a German invasion in "Operation Albion " in September /October 1917. At this time the Chivinetz belonged to the 7th Division of Torpedo Boat destroyers, part of the Riga Bay Operations Group under Admiral Bachirev, having started the war as a detached unit in the Abo - Oland sector of the Baltic. Disarmed April 1919

IRN Gunboat Giliak - sister ship of Chivinetz (photo copyright unknown)

*Janes Fighting Ships 1907 and subsequent editions
** Janes Fighting Ships 1907 lists 6 boilers, later editions list 8

Imperial Russian Navy - No. 212 (Guardship, Torpedo boat, Motor torpedo boat)

Built by the Finnish ship builders Wm. Crichton either in Ochta Yards St Petersburg or the Wm Crichton yard in Turku in 1900 or 1902 under the title/number "Minonosets 212". If the vessel was that built in St Petersburg, her shipyard number was 528.

Twin Funnel ("Yarrow " type according to Janes 1914, "Normand" type according to later editions.) 186 tons, 2500 HP, top speed 22 knots, armed with two torpedo tubes.

Taken into the Finnish navy in 1917 and served under the title "S6" until 1920 when she was returned to the USSR under the Treaty of Tarto.

Other sources give her details as follows:

Built:	1900-1902
Displacement:	186 / 204 tons
Dimensions:	53.52 x 5.25 x 2.35 m
Propulsion:	3,800 iHP; 2 VTE; 3 Yarrow boilers;
Max. Speed:	24 / 25.04 kts
Range:	2300 nm @ 24 kts
Crew:	3+30
Tactical Data
Main:	2 x 47 cal ? { ? }
AA:	1 machine gun
Torpedoes:	2x380 [2x1] {4}

French Navy - Faucon (Cruiser, Torpedo Cruiser)

"Condor" Class Torpedo Cruiser launched in 1887.

Single funnel, 1240 tons, 134 Crew.

Designed HP 3500 - 4000, designed top speed 18 - 20 knots. (Janes Fighting Ships 1907 states of Faucon and her sister ships "…present speeds very poor indeed.".

Armament: 5 x 4inch guns, 6 x 3 lb guns, 4 x 1lb gun, 5 x 14 inch torpedo tubes; 11/2-inch deck armour.

Listed in 1914 as being part of the 1st Submarine Squadron based in Cherbourg.

Italian Navy - Curtatone (Gunboat)

Single funnel, 3 masts. Built Venice 1888. 1156 tons.

Designed HP - 1100 giving designed 11.5 knots

Armament: 4 x 4.7 inch guns, 4 x 6lb guns, 2 x 1lb guns (plus torpedos?)

NB, This is NOT the Italian Torpedo Boat of the same name that sank in the Aegean on 20 May 1941 after hitting a mine whilst guiding part of the German invasion flotilla en route to Crete.

Austro Lloyds Steam Ship - Castore

Keel laid in Trieste Arsenale yard in Feb 1873, launched November 1873. 1859 tons, length 82.86m, beam 10.6 m, used on the Trieste/Bombay route. Triple expansion steam engine, speed 12.8 knots on trial. 29 crew, 52 passengers Broken up in Italy in 1920	(Illustration courtesy of Lloyds Triestino)
	Castore in Trieste harbour  (Illustration courtesy of Sergio Gojak)