Grigory Butakov

Grigory Ivanovich Butakov (Russian: Григорий Иванович Бутаков) (9 October 1820 – 31 May 1882) was a Russian admiral who fought in the Crimean War. Butakov is widely credited as being the father of steam-powered ship tactics during the 19th century. He was involved in the first battles of the Crimean War, which includes the first sea battles involving steam-powered ships. Butakov wrote of his experiences in his book: New Principles of Steamboat Tactics (1863), which won him the Demidov Prize. In 1881 Butakov assumed the role of Commander-in-Chief of the Port of St. Petersburg. He was also made a member of the State Council in March 1882. Shortly after gaining both titles however, Butakov fell seriously ill, and died on 31 May 1882, aged 62. The minor planet 4936 Butakov was named in his memory.

Grigory Ivanovich Butakov was born 9 October 1820 in Riga; a large city in the Russian Empire (now in Latvia). Butakov's father was a distinguished naval officer who fought in the Russo-Turkish War of 1806. He captained the battleship Tsar Constantine, in which he commanded during several naval operations around Crete and in the Blockade of the Dardanelles. Butakov was inspired by his father's success as a naval officer, so in May 1831 at eleven years old, Butakov decided to join a Naval Academy in St. Petersburg. Butakov spent six years in the Naval Academy. He graduated in 1837 and was immediately assigned to serve as a flag officer aboard the Russian vessel Silistria. The Silistria was under the personal command of the then Chief Commander of the Black Sea Fleet: Admiral Mikhail Lazarev.

In May 1838, Butakov took part in a landing operation near Abkhazia against Turkish positions. Butakov was awarded several decorations for bravery during the operation. From September 1838 to August 1840, Butakov patrolled the Aegean Sea aboard the schooner Lastochka, and in 1844, he patrolled the Mediterranean Sea aboard the Vestnik. The following August, Butakov was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. Not long after his promotion, Butakov became interested in improvements to the Navy in the field of Naval Science. Butakov developed a completely new system of fog signals, and invented a new version of windlass. Butakov's Admiral, Mikhail Lazarev was pleased with Butakov's new technologies and had the inventions placed in the model room of the Admiralty. In the Autumn of 1846, Butakov was appointed Captain of the cutter Pospeshny and promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander, and given a diamond ring. The Russian Empire was the first naval power to pioneer the construction of steam warships. On 3 December 1852, Lieutenant-Commander Grigory Butakov was made captain of the steam-ship Vladimir, considered the best steam-powered warship in the Black Sea Fleet.

When the Crimean War began in October 1853, Grigory Butakov was sent with to the Black Sea aboard the steamship Vladimir. The battle in which Grigory Butakov aboard the steam-ship Vladimir, fought and captured the Turkish steam-ship Pervaz Bahri was historically important on two accounts: Firstly, it was the very first battle of the Crimean War, and secondly, it was the first battle involving only steam-ships, marking a new age of naval warfare. The battle occurred on 5 November 1853, on the Black Sea. Butakov sailed the Vladimir towards the region of Penderakli, on the way the crew of the Vladimir saw an unfamiliar vessel sailing towards them. As the Vladimir got closer to the unidentified ship, the crew realized the ship was Turkish. It was a 10-gun steam-ship called the Pervaz Bahri

The 10-gun Turkish steamship that was steadily nearing the Vladimir had no bow or stern artillery. This made it an attractive target for any Russian war ship. Once the Ottoman ship was in range, Butakov maneuvered the Vladimir into advantageous positions for an attack. Butakov would take up a position from behind the Pervaz Bahri 's stern, and rake the ship with cannon fire. This maneuver was successful due to the Ottoman ship not having any stern artillery. Every time the Pervaz Bahri tried to employ side artillery upon the Vladimir, Butakov would repeatedly take up an advantageous position behind enemy stern, and bombard the ship with cannon shot.

Despite Butakov's successful tactics in attacking the Ottoman ship, the battle was taking more time than expected. Butakov's superiors then ordered him to speed up the sinking or capture of the Turkish vessel. Butakov then gave an order to pick up speed, and at a distance of 100 meters, he opened canister fire from all ship's the guns. The Pervaz Bahri then surrendered to the crew of the Vladimir, ending a three-hour-long battle which took many Turkish casualties. This was a major victory for Butakov because it was Russia's first steam-powered sea battle victory. On 7 November, the newly captured ship was brought to the port of Sevastopol, where it underwent major repairs. The ship was renamed: Kornilov, and was commissioned into the Russian navy.

Grigory Butakov's commanding officers thought very highly of him, particularly after the victory over the Pervas Bahri. The naval officer, Vladimir Alexeyevich Kornilov, whom the captured ship was renamed after, commented on Butakov's skill as a commander: "He behaves and gives commands as if it were just maneuvers or war games". After the battle, Butakov was promoted to Captain Second Rank, and was awarded the Order of St. George IV Degree. Kornilov, in particular valued Butakov's service greatly; when Kornilov wrote his name on a list of naval officers, he added the words: "Much respected and loved by the officers".

In September 1854, British, Ottoman and French forces laid siege to Sevastopol, the main base of the Black Sea Fleet. Grigory Butakov provided substantial cannon support during the siege by sailing into favorable positions and bombarding the British, French and Ottoman fortifications, which surrounded the port. The Russian garrison at Sevastopol was low during the siege; only 36,600 men were fit for action, while the number of Allied troops totaled 175,000 men. Because of the low amount of manpower, many sailors volunteered to leave their ships, and fight as infantry on the ground. Butakov also volunteered to leave the Vladimir, and fight as an infantryman. However, his offer was immediately refused by a senior naval officer; Pavel Nakhimov, he said to Butakov: "I can not do that, such people like you are to be preserved for the future of the fleet".^{[citation needed]}