Die Kohleversorgung russischer Seestreitkräfte auf ihrem Wege nach Ostasien durch die Hapag-Reederei

Abstract

The undertaking that took place during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05 is the only one of its kind in the history of maritime warfare. After Japan started the war, the Russian squadron in Port Arthur was to be reinforced by additional naval forces from the Baltic Sea. For the supply of these forces with coal, the Russian government turned to the Hamburg-America Line (Hapag). On the basis of contracts concluded on June 8 and 21, 1904, Hapag assumed the role of general contractor in charge of supplying coal to the vessels on the two routes to Eastern Asia: the Mediterranean/ Red Sea route and the one rounding Africa. As many as eighty steamers were in operation at a time, vessels either belonging to or chartered by Hapag. The main body of the Russian reinforcement squadron rounded Western and Southern Africa and reached Madagascar in December 1904. Up to this point its provision with coal had been carried out according to plan. At the beginning of January 1905, Port Arthur fell into the hands of the Japanese, and the Russian naval forces stationed there (the Ist Pacific Squadron) were eliminated, a turn of events that had far-reaching consequences for the Hapag undertaking. Coal steamers operating eastward of Madagascar were now in greater danger of being attacked by the Japanese, and Albert Ballin, the general director of Hapag, stopped the coal provision project. He insisted that Russia buy the steamers required for this task. He was supported in his point of view by the German Reich government and Emperor William II. The Russian Czar Nicholas II maintained that the Hapag was required to fulfil the contractual obligations it had agreed to, as the continuation of the Russian naval operation would otherwise be impossible. In view of the fact that German- Russian relations were likely to deteriorate if he refused, William II relented. He advised the Russian monarch that the provision of the Russian fleet with coal was a private undertaking of the Hapag and that he could do nothing more than inform Ballin that he was free to act as he saw fit in view of the risks involved. On February 21, 1905, a new contract was concluded according to which eleven steamers were to be purchased from Hapag by the Russians to continue the coal provision undertaking. These ships, which were at anchor in Hamburg, nevertheless ultimately did not supply either the IInd or - presumably - the IIIrd Pacific Squadron. Other Hapag ships were used, being escorted by Russian war vessels to the Indochinese coast. The destruction of the Russian forces by the Japanese fleet in the naval battle of Tsushima of May 27-28, 1905 put an end to the need for coal.