1919
Hello Bill & Stellan,
What fascinating tales.
The involvement of Finland was crucial to many of the covert British operations into Russia at this period.
Dobson & Miller's book gives a fascinating account of the operations by Admiral Cowan who operated off the coast in the cruiser Delhi.
He tried to broker co-operation between all the various White Russian and other anti Communist forces. Several British officers were landed to try to control and train these forces. Lt Col Alexander (Later Field Marshall) was one of these.
The Red Navy was considerably stronger on paper than the Royal Navy "task force" in the area.
Coastal Motor torpedo boats were sent to a secret base set up at Terriki in Finland just three miles from the border with Russia.
Under Lieutenant Agar these boats were used to carry agents into and out of Petrograd. After some weeks Agar decided to attack the Russia fleet in the anchorage, and in a daring night time raid (in controvention of his orders) sank the crusier Oleg.
He was later awarded the Victoria Cross.
HMS Vindictive landed Sopwith Camels, 1 1/2 Strutters and Short Seaplanes which were used to bomb the anchorage from an airfield at Bioko.
A second much larger torpedo boat attack was then made in which three Russian battleships were sunk or badly damaged. Dobson & Steele were awarded VC's.
One of these CMB boats is in the Imperial War Museum colection at Duxford. There is a fascinating video which plays repeatedly.
How anybody had the courage to take those tiny boats into a heavily protected anchorage is beyond me. And yet today hardly anybody remembers these events today.
Regards
Nick Balmer
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