The Baltic Bard

Bayan (Bard or Poet) Armoured cruiser. By this, the fourth class of armoured cruiser built for the Imperial Russian Navy, they were starting to get it together. Four were built, Bayan, Admiral Makarov, Bayan II, and Pallada II.

Bayan was with the first Pacific Squadron in 1904 and was sunk, raised, and incorporated into the Japanese Navy. The name was shifted to the third vessel of the class and, I suspect, the photo above is the second Bayan. Pallada II must not be confused with the earlier Pallada of the Aurora class, again, bottomed at Port Arthur.

The Bayans were designed from the outset as fleet scouts rather than commerce raiders, as the three previous classes were. The first two were built in France and, although two thirds the displacement, were just as powerful as Gromoboi and faster.

Bayan became the IJN's Aso and served on under the Japanese flag until 1930.

All three survivors served in the Baltic in WW1. Pallada II was torpedoed in 1914 by U-26. Bayan II and Makarov fought at the Battle of Moon Sound, participated in the famous Ice Cruise of the Baltic Fleet and were scrapped in Germany in 1922.

Pallada was named after the Greek Goddess, Pallas Athena - Makarov after Admiral Stepan Makarov who went down in the Petropavlovsk.

Don