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Twentieth Century Chivalry |
A Russian Tragedy Soviet military doctrine was very different from the West's in
many respects, reflecting not only strategic policy and the Communist
attitude to its imperial aims, but also, at a much lower level,
the approach of the authorities to human life and suffering. For
example, the priorities for treating the wounded on the battlefield
were not dictated by the severity of the damage to skin and bone,
or to the trauma and pain suffered. The men with the most minor
injuries were the first for treatment, for these could be returned
to battle quickly. Those in a terrible condition, no matter their
agony, died before they reached the front of the queue. The collapse of Communism persuaded some in the West to hope that
the official attitudes to Russian servicemen might change. Western
traditions emphasised the obligations of officers to their men,
and in some cases, as, for example, with Field Marshal Lord Slim,
the fulfilment of such obligations prompted in the men a war-winning
reverence and loyalty. While at cadet school candidate officers
are told the story of Sir Philip Sydney (of whom Camden wrote
~ "the great glory of his family, the great hope of mankind"),
who fell mortally wounded at Zutphen in 1586 and, as he lay dying,
directed that the water brought to him should be given instead
to the soldier expiring beside him. When the Kursk sank, the priority of the Russian Defence Staff
was not the rescue of its crew, but was instead the maintenance
of secrecy. Support offered by western countries was rejected,
and a huge campaign of misinformation was launched. Here are the lies promulgated by officials during the days that
followed ~ Monday, 14 August ~ The Russian navy reports that in accident on Sunday there was
a collision with a foreign submarine. NATO detected the double explosion on Saturday. Tuesday, 15 August ~ Igor Dygalo announces that the crew has signalled there have been
no deaths. There was no such signal. Wednesday, 16 August ~ A Deputy Chief of Naval Staff reveals that crew is tapping messages
on the hull. Thursday, 17 August ~ Russians refuse to allow the British rescue craft LR5 to Murmansk,
the nearest port to the incident. Friday, 18 August ~ President Putin explains that acceptance of Western help earlier
would have made no difference because of the adverse weather. The weather had no significance for under-water operations. Saturday, 19 August ~ Officials agree that damage to the hull is massive, that most
of the crew died within minutes, that the remainder are almost
certainly dead. Sunday, 20 August ~ Deputy Prime Minister Ilya Klebanov states that Norwegian divers
have declared the conning tower hatch too damaged to open. The divers open the hatch with scarcely any problems. Monday, 21 August ~ Officials repeat the story of a collision with a foreign submarine
that was probably British. British spokeman denies involvement. Tuesday, 22 August ~ Russians accept all the crew are dead. British complain of being forced to wait for two days salving
Russian pride. In the "washup", NATO's analysis of this extraordinary event,
several conclusions were inescapable. The first was that Russia
will now have lost confidence in its own claims for superpower
status. The Kursk had been a totem of Russia's continued influence
being exercised by its deep sea fleet (its captain having returned
from the previous voyage boasting of the problems he had caused
NATO), and now it had been destroyed with worldwide publicity.
The second was that Russia's armed services were relying on old
maintenance systems that, owing to lack of adequate finance, could
no longer function. The third, the factor in which we here are
most interested, the authorities' care for the welfare of servicemen
and their families, had been pushed into third place behind the
perceived need for secrecy, and behind the perceived need to hide
from the world the deficiencies in performance of Russia's armed
services.
Sir Philip Sydney
The navy states Kursk was crippled by "technical faults" and that
the crew let it glide to the seabed.
A navy spokesman, Igor Dygalo, announces rescuers are in radio
contact with the crew.
The navy explains that the crew signalled it had shut down the
nuclear reactors. Later it is claimed that the organic automatic
system switched them off.
The navy reports that there is no damage to the submarine's hull.
There was no contact of any kind.
There was no such signal.
The hull damage was immense.
Officials say Russian rescue equipment and crews are in no way
inferior to those offered by the West.
Russia's most modern rescue equipment had been out of commission
for months, owing to lack of finance to pay for maintenance.
Officials then claim that the last sound was heard on Monday.
The President confesses that he knew from the start that the chances
of survivors were extremely small.
Russian officials announce that the ship bringing the LR5 is fogbound.
NATO spokesman says this is "nonsense".
Ilya Klebanov reports that a crew member was inside the hatch
and that this disabled the air-pressure system, killing the crew.
The NATO divers report the compartment below the hatch to be empty.
Russians claim to have found a railing from the deck of a British
submarine, proving that the catastrophe was caused by a collision.
Reports in Moscow of submarine being hit by Granit missile fired by Russian flagship.
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