Civil War river/lake forces near Mongolia

[Hama]

I was reading a bit about the Russian Civil War along the Russia-Mongolia borderlands, and I came across a few scattered mentions of riverine and lake vessels in the area. Does anyone have info to share about what sort of amphibious forces the Whites or Reds operated in this region during the conflict?

For example in Jamie Bisher's book 'White Terror: Cossack Warlords of the Trans-Siberian' it describes how:

During the first week in September 1918, a large contingent of OMO Cossacks rushed to Verkhne-Udinsk and embarked upon a joint operation with the Czechs to sweep the Selenga River valley south to the Mongolian border of retreating Reds ... On the river itself, the Czechs reaped a rich bounty when they captured four steamers and three barges loaded with automobiles, machine guns, horses, food and other Red war supplies,

The same book also mentions how:

...Colonel Emerson and other railway engineers were looking over a captured bronevik at Tankhoe when 15 or 20 exhausted Russians walked up to them. They were the crew of the Baikal, they explained. The innovative White unit at Port Baikal had crossed the lake in 'rafts mounted with field guns', they said, drawn up near the Baikal's dock at Mysovaya ... during the night and shelled her. Her wooden superstructure and holds full of coal and grease roared into an inferno, even though quick-thinking Red sailors fought the fire with pumps aboard the Krugobaikal'ets. Afire and adrift, her crew abandoned her.

The book also notes three steamships, Siberyak, Feodosii, and Buryat, which were used by White troops under a colonel named Ushakov to cross Lake Baikal and land behind Red lines.

[lupodimare89]

According Czech sources, the battle to sink "Baikal" involved two proper steamers re-armed with guns. It is possible the Soviet sailors did not properly identified their attackers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Lake_Baikal
Another Soviet vessel was on sea during the action but there was no engagement. Czech (on their articles) did not reported damage or casualties.

I know of very little other episodes: the whole Amur Flottilla was seized by Whites/Japanese and while some ships manned by Soviets sailed more inland they were later scuttled (no reported episode of riverine warfare). I never found so far details or info about potential new clashes during the final Soviet offensives.

[Hama]

Thanks lupodimare89. I also heard about the Amur Flotilla being seized by the Japanese, although I don't know much about it other than what it says on this article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amur_Military_Flotilla

Do you know by any chance if the Whites had their own fleet on the Amur or neighbouring rivers in that region?

[Robert M Hammond]

According Czech sources, the battle to sink "Baikal" involved two proper steamers re-armed with guns. It is possible the Soviet sailors did not properly identified their attackers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Lake_Baikal
Another Soviet vessel was on sea during the action but there was no engagement.

Listers,

Howdy from Southern California! It appears that the Czech Legion captured the two Red Russian steamships, Fedosia and Sibirjak. This capture appears to have happened *after* both steamships escaped from the Czechs in mid July from Listvyanka. It appears the Czechs used both steamships in August.
QUESTION #1: When and where and how did the Czech Legion capture these two steamships?
QUESTION #2: What were the steamships armed with before their capture by the Czech Legion?

All the best,
Robert Hammond

[lupodimare89]

Thanks lupodimare89. I also heard about the Amur Flotilla being seized by the Japanese, although I don't know much about it other than what it says on this article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amur_Military_Flotilla

Do you know by any chance if the Whites had their own fleet on the Amur or neighbouring rivers in that region?

Completely forgot to write about this, but actually i have tried to research and dig some stuff from russian/soviet literature (albeit fragmented) and I attempted last year to re-organize the events. The Amur Flotilla was actually seized MULTIPLE times (and re-seized): first Japanese seizure occurred in September 1918, then some scuttling by Japs, re-seizure by Soviets in February 1920, re-seizure by Japs in May 1920, FAR own scuttling in December 1921 and Japs re-seizure, followed by final FAR re-seizure on February 1922.

FAR is Far-Eastern Republic, a buffer-state built up by Soviet Russia that was still nominally separated (had own flag, nominally separated army etc.)

There were some separate interesting incidents occurring in sea (especially the Admiral Zavoyko, some "sea partisan" activity by FAR guerrilla against White and their own counter-raids), with a number of captures and re-captures of ships.


Concernign RIVER warfare, i've come across few poorly described episodes:

1) On unclear day of May 1920, Far-Eastern Republic gunboat "Mark Varyagin" engaged in Shilka River two steamboats, claiming both damaged. No actual detail or description of the incident.

2) July 1921, minelaying operation by Far-Eastern Republic ships of the Amur Flotilla

3) on Summer 1921 (unclear date), at least two engagements between Far Eastern Republic ships in Sungari River versus unidentified ships with unknown results.



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Concerning your questions Robert, sadly i can't adds much at the moment.
This info probably is inside some Czech document or book, personally i've never paid extreme attention to capture of ships in harbors by ground forces, differently from seizure/capture achieved by "ship on ship".


Anyway, i've also seen a photo of a memerial for Czech soldiers died close or in the lake, and could be interesting to know if some of these casualties were related to other different incidents occurred inside the Lake (could have been simply during capture of local villages on the shore).

[Robert M Hammond]

Dear Lupodimare89:

Thank you. Here is what I am trying to learn. It appears *either* the two steamships escaped capture from the Czechoslovakian Legion on July 15th by sailing from Listvyanka and captured later __or__ the two steamships were captured on July 15th at Listvyanka by the Czechoslovakian Legion.

Also, were the two steamships larger or smaller or the same size as the ice breaker, Baikal?

All the best!

[GregSingh]

According to Czech sources there were three steamships captured: Sibirjak, Burjat and Fedosia.
According to a Russian article, Burjat and Fedosia were undergoing repairs in Listvyanka when they were captured in July.
Sibirjak was captured in Bratsk (which seems to be too far away? 500km ? from Lake Baikal).

Ice breaker, Baikal was a large train ferry - 4200 tons.