Russian cruiser Zhemchug
| The cruiser Zhemchug | |
| Career |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | Zhemchug |
| Builder: | Nevski Yard, Russia |
| Laid down: | 1 January 1901 |
| Launched: | 1 August 1903 |
| Completed: | 1903 |
| Commissioned: | 1 January 1904 |
| Fate: | Sunk at the Battle of Penang, 28 October 1914 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Protected cruiser |
| Displacement: | 3,103 long tons (3,153 t) |
| Length: | 111 m (364 ft) |
| Beam: | 12.2 m (40 ft) |
| Draught: | 5 m (16 ft) |
| Propulsion: |
3 shaft triple expansion steam engines 16 Yarrow coal-fired boilers 17,000 hp (13,000 kW) 1310 tons coal |
| Speed: | 24 kn (44 km/h) |
| Range: | 3,790 nmi (7,020 km) |
| Complement: | 350 |
| Armament: |
• 8 × 120 mm (4.7 in) guns • 6 × 47 mm (2 in) guns • 2 × 37 mm (1 in) guns • 3 × 460 mm (18 in) torpedo tubes |
The Zhemchug (Russian: Жемчуг, "Pearl") was a protected cruiser of the Imperial Russian Navy. The Zhemchug and her sister ship Izumrud ("Emerald") were based on the German-built Novik. The ship was launched in 1903 and fought in the Russo-Japanese war, escaping from the Battle of Tsushima to be interned in neutral Manila.
During World War I she was part of the Russian Pacific Fleet. She was torpedoed and sunk by the German cruiser SMS Emden at the Battle of Penang on 28 October 1914. Casualties were 89 dead and 143 wounded. The ship was tied up at a state of non-readiness while her captain, Baron Cherkassov, went ashore that night to visit a lady friend. Cherkassov was court martialled for negligence and sentenced to 3½ years in prison.
References
- Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860 - 1905
- Tomitch, V. M., Warships of the Imperial Russian Navy (1968)
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