Ukrainian Navy 1917-20
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Already prior to Ukraine proclaiming idependence and the Russian Revolutioin, Ukrainian sailors dominated the Imperial Black Sea Fleet. Before the Great War Ukrainians composed 75% of the Black Fleet and dominated in the whole of the Russian Navy. Great importance to further Ukrainization of the navy gave such cultural organizations like "Kobzar" which existed in Sevastopol since 1905 and attracted many high ranking official of Ukrianian background. In 1917 Black Sea Council was proclaimed in Sevastopol and it was to continue the Ukrainization. This movement was supported by vice-admiral O. Kolchak, who admired all Ukrainian crues for their discipline and neatness. By the end of 1917 almost every ship in the Black Sea Navy had Ukrainian Council representatives. Similar councils were created for the naval aviation, which even had its own banner.
Similar plans of Ukrainization were attempted in other Imperial Fleets, such as the Baltic Fleet.
Ukrainian Marine Revolutionary Headquarters of the Baltic Sea Navy was created by lefthanant S. Shramchenko, who wanted to raise the Ukrainian Flag on kreisser "Svitlana" and minesweapers "Ukrainets" and "Haidamada" and transfer them to the Black Sea. This plan however failed, due to the outbrake of the Russian Revolution. Similar Ukrainian councils were also created in Kaspian, Siberian, Amur and Northern flotilas. Great negotiations were done with the Kuban Republic according to which Ukraine was to have acces to the Kaspian Sea.
Cruiser 'Bohdan Hmelnytsky"
Ukrainian Navy in UNR 1918
With the proclamation of UNR (Ukrainian Peoples Republic) most of the ships in the Black Sea Fleet started to raise the Ukrainian flag. One of the first ones to do so, was the destroyer "Zavydnyi" who on July 1917 raised the first Ukrainian flag. On December 22 Ukrainian General Secretary of the Navy was created. "Temporary law of UNR fleet" issued by the Secretary in January 14th, proclaimed all the Russian Black Sea fleet and Merchant Fleets as the fleet of UNR and all the ships had to raise the Ukrainian flags. The fleets main purpose was to protect the Black and Azov Seas coastlines and was completelly sponsored and equipped by UNR. Vice-Admiral A. Pokrovsky became responsible for the conduct of the operations. Due to costant threat of the Bolsheviks and pro-russian forces, the controll of the Navy changed almost each month, the blue-and-yellow Ukrainian banners would be changed to Red ones, then to the Black Anarchist (for an instance creating the largest pirate fleet in the world). UNR decided to put the end of this and in March 10th 1918 "Hit corps" were created and moved into the Crimea. Once such vital cities as Melitopol were taken the rest of Crimea was occupied easily. Great advantage for UNR was that the two largest dreadnouts "Volia" and "Tsarytsia Kateryna Velyka" raised the Ukrainian flag and forced the rest of the fleet to obey under their large cannos. This occured on 29th of April, 1918 and ever since this date was considered to be the Ukrainian Navy Day.
Besides the Navy, number of marine brigades were dislocated in Ukraine, such as Baltic Marine Division, located on Danube, Special Marine Division. Such maritime fortresses as Sevastopol, Ochakiv and the coastal artillery also raised the Ukrainian Flag.
Ukrainian Navy during Hetmanate 1918
Remacably 29th of April was also the day when a coup-detat occured against UNR and Hetmanate (Monarchy) was proclaimed. Hetmanate was the term used by the cossacks meaning generalship (hetman - haupt man in ger. - general). Pavlo Skoropadsky was proclaimed to be the hetman and with the support of the German Armies as his allies became the ruller of Ukraine. This caused the "Hit Corps" to be recalled from Crimea, which was overruned by the German trooops. With communications lost with Kiev, vice-admiral Sablin with some ships retreved to Novorossijsk, while other ships had changed their flags again to fly the Imperial Kaisers banner. Only after the communications were re-established, the navy was handed over to the Hetman. During the reign of hetman Skoropadsky a lot was done for navy. The newly established Minnistry of Naval Affeirs developped a series of laws regulating the uniform, ranks, flags and other symbols. At the same time officers manuals were being translatted into Ukrainian and other instructions. For the first time since Ukrainian Idependence names of the ships were changed from Russian to Ukrainian. Towards November 1918, Hetmanate also received Mozyrsk (Pinks) flotylla which also used to be in the hands of the Germans. Because of German losses in the war, they began to withdraw from Crimea and their place was soon replaced by the ships of Antate. Since Hetman Ukraine was supporter of the Tripple Alliance, the Antante considered them as possible enemies they occupied the ships and started to divide them among themselves as war throphies and transfered some of the ships to Istambul.
Ukrainian Navy during Directory 1919
The withdrawal of the German armies from Ukraine signaled an
Admiral Ostrogradsky
Cpt. of Ukrainian Navy O. Savchenko-Bilsky and lefthanent O. Shramchenko
all state rebellion against the hetman. By December 1918 he was overtrown and replaced by coalition government called Directory (Dyrectoria). When Directory took over, the supportes of hetman in the navy were replaced by new cadre, which became wery active. A series of new laws were passed to regulate the naval affairs. Thus Naval Ministry was reformed and a Guarmarine school was formed in October 1, 1919. Already by February 25th "The Navy Bill" stated that the navy was to play a key role in Ukrainian politics, proposed further construction of new ships and increace the naval aviation and marine corps. The navy was to be competed with unfinished cruisers from the docks and included the Baltic minesweepers, where majority of sailors was of Ukrainian origin.
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