The battleship "Potemkin" was launched in September 1900 from the stocks of Nikolaev. At that time, he was considered the most powerful in the Black Sea Fleet. The creation of this ship became a landmark for the transition from outdated technical solutions to more modern ones.
The project was developed and built by engineer E. Schott, a student of the famous shipbuilder N. E. Kuteinikov.
The battleship “Potemkin” had an elevated forecastle, which made it possible to reduce the flooding of its bow during a storm, and was also distinguished by the ability to raise the axis of the guns to seven and a half meters above the water. It was for the first time established centralized control of artillery fire, carried out from a post in the wheelhouse.
In addition, the battleship "Potemkin" - this is the very first ship with new boilers, the design of which were used water-tube units for liquid fuel. On it for the first time in the Black Sea Fleet cranes were installed for lifting boats and boats.
In the summer of 1902 this modern ship, sailing for only two years, was sent for completion and rearmament. The initial deadlines for returning to service were disrupted due to a fire in the boiler room. Damage was significant. As a result, it came
l replace boilers by adapting them for solid fuel. Defects were found in the tower armor. As a result, the return of the ship into operation was delayed until 1904.
The battleship “Potemkin” had a displacement of 12.9 tons, the length of its hull was 113 meters, its width was 22 with a draft of 8.4. The ship was moving at full speed of 16.7 knots with a fuel reserve of 1,100 tons.
The armadillo team has been formed since its bookmark. Especially for him, the 36th naval crew was formed with diversified naval specialists: artillerymen, engine drivers, and miners. When in 1905 the "Prince Potemkin-Tauride" was finally launched, 731 people served on board, 26 of them were officers.
The crew literally from the beginning of the construction of the ship began close contacts with the revolutionary-minded Nikolaev dockers. On board even Bolshevik literature was distributed. Apparently, therefore, it was decided to carry out the completion in Sevastopol.
At this time, the fleet began to create circles of Social Democrats under the leadership of the Bolsheviks Yakhnovsky, Gladkov, Petrov. They included the artillery officer Vakulenchuk serving at the Potemkin, who maintains constant relations with the local revolutionary organizations of many Russian ports.
In the fall of 1905, an armed rebellion was planned in the Navy , which was to become decisive for general performance. However, the battleship "Potemkin", on which an uprising broke out months earlier, was ahead of the planned events. The reason was the reprisal that the command wanted to inflict on the rebellious crew members who refused to eat rotten meat. The response to the repression was the disarmament of officer sailors and gunfire. The ship's commander, as well as several senior officer ranks, were killed. The rest are taken into custody.
At the same time, Vakulenchuk, who was initially against the uprising on the battleship Potemkin-Tauride, broke out separately from the general movement, nevertheless took command of the ship. However, soon, already during the general rebellion, he was killed, and the Bolshevik Matyushenko stood at the head of the revolutionary-minded vessel. They were joined by the destroyer N 267, standing on the Tender raid. The royal squadron battleship "Potemkin" became
ship of revolution.
However, on June 18, he was surrounded by a powerful squadron of eleven military ships that intended to destroy him. When the rebel ship decided to ram, there were no shots from the destroyers: their crews, standing on the side of the comrades, went out on deck with shouts of "Hurray."
The battleship, on board of which there was no longer any provisions and water, tried to land at the port of Odessa, and after that - Feodosia, where the imperial army was already waiting for him. I had to go to Constance and surrender to the Romanian authorities, who returned the ship to Russia.
In an effort to erase from memory even his name, the battleship was renamed, and his team remained in Romania as political emigrants.