Karl Petrovich Jessen
Encyclopedia
Vice Admiral
Karl Petrovich Jessen was an admiral in the Imperial Russian Navy
during the Russo-Japanese War
.
descent, born in Livonia
. He graduated from the Sea Cadets
in 1875 and was commissioned as a lieutenant on July 18, 1879. He graduated from the school of mine warfare
in 1881, and for naval artillery
in 1884. He was assigned as mine warfare officer on several vessels, and was briefly assigned as a military attache
to Germany. In 1890, he was given command of the destroyer
Adler with the Russian Black Sea Fleet, and subsequently promoted to junior captain.
Between 1891 and 1893 , he was executive officer
on the protected cruiser
Admiral Kornilov
, assigned to the Russian Baltic Fleet and the Far East. From 1894 to 1895 he was commander aboard the steamship Neva . From 1895 to 1896 he commanded the cruiser Asia
. In 1897, Jessen was promoted captain. From 1898 to 1905 he assumed command of the cruiser Gromoboï, which was assigned to the Russian Pacific Fleet.
On January 1, 1904, Jessen was promoted to the rank of rear admiral, and used the battleship Sevastopol
as his flagship
. With the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War
, jessen transferred his flag to the armored cruiser
Rossia, based at Vladivostok
, from which he assumed personal command of a cruiser squadron of February 25, 1904. This cruiser squadron conducted commerce raiding
and other offensive operations while the remainder of the Russian Pacific Fleet remained bottled in Port Arthur by a Japanese blockade
. On August 14, 1904, during the Battle off Ulsan
in the Sea of Japan
, he fought an inconclusive engagement against a Japanese fleet under Admiral Hikonojo Kamimura. During the engagement, Gromoboï was badly damaged, with 94 crewmem killed and 182 wounded. In recognition of his efforts in the battle, he was awarded the Order of St. George
(fourth grade).
On November 9, 1904 Jessen was appointed commander of the 1st Squadron of the Pacific Fleet. However, with the fall of Port Arthur to the Japanese, he played on further offensive role, and concentrated on coastal defense of the region around Vladivostok with his much depleted forces. In November 1905 he led the remaining Russian ships back to Baltic Sea, where they arrived in April 1906. After his return to Petrograd, he was reprimanded and faced a court marshal, accepting a promotion to the rank of vice admiral and an honorable discharge from the navy.
In 1912, he became owner of the Myulgrabenskoy shipyard near Riga
. In 1913, his firm received a contract to build nine new destroyers as part of the program to rebuild the Russian Baltic Fleet.
Karl Petrovich Jessen died in 1918 in Petrograd.
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
Karl Petrovich Jessen was an admiral in the Imperial Russian Navy
Imperial Russian Navy
The Imperial Russian Navy refers to the Tsarist fleets prior to the February Revolution.-First Romanovs:Under Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich, construction of the first three-masted ship, actually built within Russia, was completed in 1636. It was built in Balakhna by Danish shipbuilders from Holstein...
during the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
.
Biography
Jessen was of Baltic GermanBaltic German
The Baltic Germans were mostly ethnically German inhabitants of the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, which today form the countries of Estonia and Latvia. The Baltic German population never made up more than 10% of the total. They formed the social, commercial, political and cultural élite in...
descent, born in Livonia
Livonia
Livonia is a historic region along the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. It was once the land of the Finnic Livonians inhabiting the principal ancient Livonian County Metsepole with its center at Turaida...
. He graduated from the Sea Cadets
Sea Cadet Corps (Russia)
The Sea Cadet Corps , occasionally translated as the Marine Cadet Corps or the Naval Cadet Corps, is an educational establishment for training Naval officers for the Russian Navy in Saint Petersburg.It is the oldest existing high school in Russia.-History:...
in 1875 and was commissioned as a lieutenant on July 18, 1879. He graduated from the school of mine warfare
Mine warfare
Mine warfare refers to the use of different types of explosive devices:*Land mine, a weight-triggered explosive device intended to maim or kill people or to destroy vehicles...
in 1881, and for naval artillery
Naval artillery
Naval artillery, or naval riflery, is artillery mounted on a warship for use in naval warfare. Naval artillery has historically been used to engage either other ships, or targets on land; in the latter role it is currently termed naval gunfire fire support...
in 1884. He was assigned as mine warfare officer on several vessels, and was briefly assigned as a military attache
Military attaché
A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission . This post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer who retains the commission while serving in an embassy...
to Germany. In 1890, he was given command of the destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
Adler with the Russian Black Sea Fleet, and subsequently promoted to junior captain.
Between 1891 and 1893 , he was executive officer
Executive officer
An executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative law:...
on the protected cruiser
Protected cruiser
The protected cruiser is a type of naval cruiser of the late 19th century, so known because its armoured deck offered protection for vital machine spaces from shrapnel caused by exploding shells above...
Admiral Kornilov
Russian cruiser Admiral Kornilov (1887)
The Admiral Kornilov was a protected cruiser of the Russian Imperial Navy.The ship was laid down in 1886 and launched in 1887 at St. Nazaire in France. She was commissioned in 1888. The Kornilov was 113 meters long and 14.8 meters wide, had a draught of 7.8 meters and featured a large ram bow. She...
, assigned to the Russian Baltic Fleet and the Far East. From 1894 to 1895 he was commander aboard the steamship Neva . From 1895 to 1896 he commanded the cruiser Asia
Russian cruiser Asia (1878)
The Asia was a cruiser of the Imperial Russian Navy. The ship was one of three merchantmen purchased in the United States by the Russian government in 1878 to be transformed into cruisers; the State of California became the Europa, the Saratoga became the Afrika, and the Columbus became the...
. In 1897, Jessen was promoted captain. From 1898 to 1905 he assumed command of the cruiser Gromoboï, which was assigned to the Russian Pacific Fleet.
On January 1, 1904, Jessen was promoted to the rank of rear admiral, and used the battleship Sevastopol
Russian battleship Sevastopol (1895)
Sevastopol was the last of three ships in the Petropavlovsk class of pre-dreadnought battleships built for the Imperial Russian Navy in the 1890s...
as his flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
. With the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
, jessen transferred his flag to the armored cruiser
Armored cruiser
The armored cruiser was a type of warship of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Like other types of cruiser, the armored cruiser was a long-range, independent warship, capable of defeating any ship apart from a battleship, and fast enough to outrun any battleships it encountered.The first...
Rossia, based at Vladivostok
Vladivostok
The city is located in the southern extremity of Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula, which is about 30 km long and approximately 12 km wide.The highest point is Mount Kholodilnik, the height of which is 257 m...
, from which he assumed personal command of a cruiser squadron of February 25, 1904. This cruiser squadron conducted commerce raiding
Commerce raiding
Commerce raiding or guerre de course is a form of naval warfare used to destroy or disrupt the logistics of an enemy on the open sea by attacking its merchant shipping, rather than engaging the combatants themselves or enforcing a blockade against them.Commerce raiding was heavily criticised by...
and other offensive operations while the remainder of the Russian Pacific Fleet remained bottled in Port Arthur by a Japanese blockade
Battle of Port Arthur
The Battle of Port Arthur was the starting battle of the Russo-Japanese War...
. On August 14, 1904, during the Battle off Ulsan
Battle off Ulsan
The naval Battle off Ulsan , also known as the Battle of the Japanese Sea or Battle of the Korean Strait, took place on 14 August 1904 during the Russo-Japanese War, four days after the Battle of the Yellow Sea.-Background:The Vladivostok Cruiser Unit of the Russian fleet...
in the Sea of Japan
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...
, he fought an inconclusive engagement against a Japanese fleet under Admiral Hikonojo Kamimura. During the engagement, Gromoboï was badly damaged, with 94 crewmem killed and 182 wounded. In recognition of his efforts in the battle, he was awarded the Order of St. George
Order of St. George
The Military Order of the Holy Great-Martyr and the Triumphant George The Military Order of the Holy Great-Martyr and the Triumphant George The Military Order of the Holy Great-Martyr and the Triumphant George (also known as Order of St. George the Triumphant, Russian: Военный орден Св...
(fourth grade).
On November 9, 1904 Jessen was appointed commander of the 1st Squadron of the Pacific Fleet. However, with the fall of Port Arthur to the Japanese, he played on further offensive role, and concentrated on coastal defense of the region around Vladivostok with his much depleted forces. In November 1905 he led the remaining Russian ships back to Baltic Sea, where they arrived in April 1906. After his return to Petrograd, he was reprimanded and faced a court marshal, accepting a promotion to the rank of vice admiral and an honorable discharge from the navy.
In 1912, he became owner of the Myulgrabenskoy shipyard near Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
. In 1913, his firm received a contract to build nine new destroyers as part of the program to rebuild the Russian Baltic Fleet.
Karl Petrovich Jessen died in 1918 in Petrograd.
Honors
- Order of St. Anne, 3rd degree, (01/01/1889).
- Order of St Vladimir, 4th degree in 18 companies, (17/01/1895).
- Order of St. Anne 2nd degree, (06/12/1897).
- Order of St. GeorgeOrder of St. GeorgeThe Military Order of the Holy Great-Martyr and the Triumphant George The Military Order of the Holy Great-Martyr and the Triumphant George The Military Order of the Holy Great-Martyr and the Triumphant George (also known as Order of St. George the Triumphant, Russian: Военный орден Св...
, 4th degree (09/27/1904). - Order of St. Stanislaus, 1st degree, (06/07/1904).
