The wreck of the Russian ship "Letutsij" was found in the Baltic Sea

The Finnish diving group Badewanne has reported another success. This time the team of wreck searchers, well known to our readers, found the Russian ship “Letutsij”, which is classified as a Lieutenant Burakov class. It is a sister ship of the previously found ship “Ispolnitelnyi”. Both ships were sunk during the mission in 1914.

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“Letutsij” similarly to Ispolnitelnyi”, described by us earlier – found by the Badewanne group in 2014, took part in a convoy of eight Lieutenant Burakov class ships heading from Helsinki to Moondusn – now Väinameri. The group’s task was to lay mines to block the waterways used by the Germans in the northern Baltic. As a result of a storm and very large waves, both ships lost stability and capsized.

Wreck of the “Letutsij” finally found

Two years ago, divers from the Badewanne group managed to locate and identify the wreck of the ship “Ispolnitelnyi”, which was reported at the end of 2014 – exactly one hundred years after its sinking. Now, almost two years later, they have managed to locate and identify the sister vessel “Letutsij”.

The search was conducted on the basis of the available convoy transect. The first task for the searchers was to establish whether, while battling stormy weather, the ships were able to maintain their intended course or whether they deviated from it. The first task for the searchers was to find out whether the ships were able to hold their course or whether they had deviated from it.

Kiedt “Letutsij” sank, the mast of the light German cruiser Magdeburg was visible. The ship of Kaiserliche Marine during foggy weather patrolled the area near Osmussaar, in August, 1914. The information, that “Letutsij” sank one hour after “Ispolnitelnyi” went to the bottom, was also an important clue.

The wreck rests on the bottom embedded in the keel and is facing gently towards the surface. The stern is completely buried in the bottom, which according to Badewanne members is typical for the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland region, where wrecks are often found deeply buried in the bottom. Based on the condition of the “Letutsij” today, it was concluded that the ship did not suffer any damage as a result of trawling with nets and is in much better condition than its sister ship “Ispolnitelnyi”.

“Letutsij” had a very light construction of the bridge, which was characteristic for the ships of the class lejtnant burakov. Over the passing years the bridge collapsed, and today only a heap of pipes can be seen in this place. During the exploration of this section divers found a telegraph nearby, but the steering wheel was not located. It is possible that it is at the bottom, covered by a layer of sediment. The torpedo launcher, on the other hand, is intact and in perfect condition. The identification of the wreck was made by finding a plaque installed during the ship’s construction in a French shipyard. It was visible through an open hatch leading from the upper deck to the engine room.

The wreck and the area around it is recognised as a war grave. As an archaeological site it also has a high historical value. Members of the Badewanne group hope that divers will respect the final resting place of Russian sailors and the wreck will not be explored without authorisation.

Specification of the beetroot lieutenant class:

• dimensions: 56.1 m x 6.1 m x 3.5 m
• maximum speed: 26 knots
• operational range: 1860 NM at 10 knots
• 2 75 mm guns
• 2 torpedoes 457
• 6 Maxim 7.62 mm rifles
• 10 min

The Badewanne diving group is a non-profit organisation of volunteer divers who have been documenting wrecks in the Gulf of Finland (called Badewanne during World War II) for the past twenty years. The group brings together individuals specialising in various fields such as filming, photography, sketching and drawing and 3D modelling of underwater objects. In addition, the group also includes specialists in engineering or marine biology and environmental science.

For more detailed information, please visit badewanne.fi and at the e-mail address: info@badewanne.fi. For those interested in wrecking and the group’s activities, we recommend subscribing to their official account on facebook.

Source: badewanne.fi – all material used with permission of the authors. All rights of use and further distribution without permission reserved.