World War 1 at Sea - North Russian Expeditionary Force, 1919

World War 2 at Sea

BACKGROUND TO RUSSIAN CONVOYS 1941-45

2. WORLD WAR ONE - SHIPS to NORTH RUSSIA, and the NORTH RUSSIAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE 1919

HMS Cicala, river gunboat in North Russia (Yeoman of Signals George Smith, click to enlarge)

on to 3. World War 2 - up to Invasion of Russia

SHIPS TO NORTH RUSSIA .....

Shipping losses to Russia are usually associated with the Russian Convoys of 1941-45.

In fact 43 British-registered merchantmen bound to or from Archangel were lost between 1914-18; more than the 36 British ships lost (out of an Allied total of 104) on the "Russian run" in World War 2!

..... and the NORTH RUSSIA EXPEDITIONARY FORCE 1919

Following the Armistice, the Allied attempt to assist the White Russians in their struggle against the Bolshevists as well as protect the vast amount of Allied supplies in North Russia led to the .......

above - Coastal Motor Boats (CMB's) with seaplanes on the riverbank

The main theatre and area of naval activity ......

Some of the Royal Navy forces taking part, especially coastal monitors, river gunboats, inshore 'tunnel' minesweepers, coastal motor boats (CMB's); also depot ship, ex-Q-ship HMS Hyderabad (below) ......

.... and the main losses on the River Dvina ...

Finally, my own grandfather's voyage in HMS Fox from Murmansk to Archangel, followed by service
on ex-Russian paddle steamer, HMS Borodino, Senior Naval Officers ship at Topsa: