Happy Launch Day HMIRS/SN Avrora

Today, May 11th, is the launch day for the oldest shipgirl until ROC Hai Chi was added, now no longer the oldest shipgirl in AL, HMIRS/SN Avrora.

Avrora, the only Imperial Russian Protected Cruiser to survive into the 21st Century

When she was commissioned into the Imperial Russian Navy in 1903, she was already obsolete on arrival due to her and her Pallada Class Protected Cruiser sister's long build time. By the time they launched, especially for the youngest of the three in Avrora, they were considered obsolete and better Russian cruisers such as the HMIRS Varyag of the American-designed Varyag Class Protected Cruiser, the HMIRS Askold of the German-designed Askold Class Protected Cruiser and HMIRS Bogatyr, the lead ship of the 5 ship German-designed Bogatyr Class Protected Cruiser were already in service. This did not deter Avrora

To make a bad situation worse, by the time of commission on July 16th 1903, the Japanese had the IJN Tone of the Tone Class Protected Cruisers in fitting out, and the Americans had launched all 6 of their penultimate class of Protected Cruiser, the Denver Class Protected Cruisers and the British Empire had under construction, their final generation of Protected Cruiser, the Topaze Class 3rd Class Protected Cruiser. Still, this did not deter Avrora.

The worst however was that soon after her commissioning, the Royal Navy had constructed and launched the first battlecruiser in the world, HMS Invincible, a ship designed specifically to defeat cruisers with ease. Still, this did not deter Avrora.

Avrora was part of the "Reinforcing Squadron" or the 2nd Pacific Squadron sent to Port Arthur to better prepare the Russian defenses against an expected Imperial Japanese attack. During the trip, she and her squadron were recalled back to the Baltic Sea, despite protests from Admiral Makorav, who begged Admiral Virenius to continue to Port Arthur. Only seven destroyers of the reinforcing squadron proceeded to the Far East.

After a refit, Avrora was ordered back to Port Arthur as part of the Russian Baltic Fleet. She sailed as part of Admiral Oskar Enkvist's Cruiser Squadron and Admiral Zinovy Rozhestvensky's Baltic Fleet. On the way to the Far East, Avrora received five hits during the Dogger Bank Incident from October 21st-22nd, 1904, when the Russian fleet mistakenly fired upon British trawlers, causing light damage to the protected cruiser and killing her captain, chaplain, and a sailor.

After a near run-in with the Royal Navy for the damage caused to British trawlers at Dogger Bank, the fleet stopped at Madagascar, where Avrora's officers acquired numerous predatory creatures that frightened her sailors.

This long and arduous journey culminated in the Battle of Tsushima (May 27-28th, 1905), a disastrous defeat at the hands of the waiting Imperial Japanese Navy. Avrora was one of the few Russian ships to escape, despite the heavy damage she received in the battle. She escaped to Manila, in the American-controlled Philippines, where she was interned for the remainder of the Russo-Japanese War.

After the Battle of Tsushima, the Russo-Japanese War was a disaster for the Imperial Russian Navy, as the Baltic and Pacific Fleets had been destroyed, and the Black Sea Fleet was all they had left. This was a triumphant victory for the Imperial Japanese Navy but ironically the Russo-Japanese War would lead to the 2nd Geneva Convention of 1906.

Sadly for Avrora, her sister Pallada was sunk by Japanese artillery fire and would be raised by the Japanese, becoming IJN Tsugaru.

If you want a deeper understanding of what went wrong, then Drachinifel's video on the 2nd Pacific Squadron is a good set of videos

Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Mdi_Fh9_Ag
Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXpj6nK5ylo

And if you are curious to know what might have happened if the whole British trawler thing had led to a brawl with the RN, well Drachinfel has a video on that

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAU_gq7JDnc

imgur biography on Avrora

Aurora returned to the Baltic in 1906, where she became a cadet training ship. From 1906 to 1912, Avrora visited multiple countries. In 1910 she was in Messina when in the City a fire started. Her crew was the first to come to the place and helped put out the fire. The citizens of the city gave a lot of oranges and lemons in gratitude for their hero. Avrora visited Bangkok in November 1911, as part of celebrations honoring the coronation of the new King of Siam.

During World War I, Avrora operated in the Baltic Sea, performing patrols and shore bombardments.

At the end of 1916, she was moved to Petrograd (renamed Saint Petersburg) for a major refit.

During this refit, a revolutionary fervent swept the city, infecting even Avrora’s crew. Some joined in the February Revolution in 1917.

The most accepted story for Avrora's full turn to Bolshevism is that there was a pro-Bolshevik rally held outside Avrora. Her commanding officer, Captain Mikhail Nikolsky, forbade his crew from leaving the ship to join them. They refused to listen or heed his warning. Upon seeing the mutiny, he tried to restore order by shooting them.

Nevertheless, the sailors quickly turned on Avrora's Captain and killed him. A revolutionary committee was created on board, with Aleksander Belyshev elected Captain. Most of her crew joined the Bolsheviks.

At 9:40 pm on October 25th, 1917, a blank shot from her forecastle gun signaled the start of the assault on the Winter Palace, often attributed to the start of the October Revolution.

In 1918, Avrora escaped death once more when a bomb planted by counter-revolutionists failed to detonate underneath her.

Fanart of Avrora being drunk and happy to see you by YUU Cream

After the formation of the Soviet Union, the Soviet Navy was started from scratch, with very few vessels. Two of these vessels were Avrora and her sister Diana. Since Avrora had been modernized beforehand, she was selected to continue service in the Soviet Navy while Diana was scrapped. Avrora served the Soviet Union for twenty years.

Without the Imperial Russian Empire catching a very nasty case of communism, Avrora would have likely gone to the scrappers in the 1920s as she was totally old and obsolete.

She was recommissioned in 1922 as a training cruiser.

As more modern ships entered the Soviet Navy, Avrora was selected to be formally decommissioned and scrapped, as It was planned that Avrora would give her name to the 8th ship of the Chapayev Class Light Cruisers.

By 1939, SN Avrora had 10 single 130mm guns, 2 76mm guns and 2 45mm guns.

Fortunately, however, Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941, prompting Avrora to be put back into service. She was at Leningrad (renamed Saint Petersburg) when the Germans besieged the city. Avrora had all of her naval guns relocated in defense of the city, including for the defense of the Duderhof hills and used in the armored train Beltyets.

Her sailors also joined the defense of the city.

Despite her age, using her modern AA guns, Avrora shot down one German aircraft.

On September 30th, 1941, German Luftwaffe attacks and artillery shells forced Avrora to run aground in port, where she remained for the rest of the war.

In 1944, once the brutal siege of Leningrad ended, nearly all of Avrora's sailors had perished in defense of the city. Despite her state, Avrora became the first campus and training vessel of the Nakhimov Naval School. After the war, recognizing Avrora's historical contributions, her luck, and dogged survivalism, extensive repairs were completed to return her to a suitable state.

During these repairs, she was used as a film location for the Film Varyag. She officially became a museum ship in 1957. On February 22nd, 1968, Avrora was awarded the Order of the October Revolution, whose iconography bears the image of Avrora herself.

A popular tourist attraction in Saint Petersburg, she was lovingly maintained by the Soviet Navy as she was considered part of their navy. This continues even after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the formation of the Russian Federation. Today, she remains the oldest commissioned ship in the Russian Navy, still flying the naval ensign despite being under the care of the Central Naval Museum.

Avrora has seen and partook in the violent end of the Imperial Russian Empire and lived in the rise and the implosion demise of the communist Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the very nation she helped found.

SN Avrora turns one hundred and twenty-four years old today.

Babushka with the vodka

Happy Launch Day to the revolutionary cruiser.

What are you dreaming of, cruiser Avrora, when sun arises upon Neva?

Что тебе снится, крейсер Аврора, в час, когда утро встаёт над Невой?

Lenin: Comrade Avrora, the time has come. Execute Order 66.

Avrora: It will be done comrade.

Happy birthday to the russian granny ship

Happy launch day to our babushka crusier Avrora Favorite quote:”My hometown? It’s very beautiful. Although if you want to go there, you would need to be prepared for the cold. Me? I’ll be fine, even without clothes. Hehe... want proof?”

No ghost comments

Avrora doesn't mind the cold.

Avrora asks the commander if they want a drink and it's up to their ability if they can make her do strange things. She says her hometown is beautiful, but very cold and is willing to strip naked to show the commander the cold doesn't bother her. She tells the commander everyone including herself are very straightforward and tells them if they can finish that drink they can do whatever to her. She tells the commander she loves them in Russian but they have to learn her mother tongue and then visit her hometown to understand what she said. She asks the commander if they're geared up for her hometown and she has plenty of vodka to stay warm.

(A/N:Avrora mentions she has raised a bear before. Those who stand in her way will face an unbearable punishment but gives Pirožkí a big hug. She feels a bit guilty monopolizing the commander to give them chocolate, but is excited and asks if they like how she's a bit mischievous.)

https://www.reddit.com/r/AzureLane/s/nWZjIZJX3R

Happy Launch Day to our cute granny.

Avrora is best ship!!

Her party shall have as many vodka as my funds allow

All the shipgirls are really beautiful almost too beautiful

Tell me, how high are the chance to beat Avrora in a drink contest as non-NP Commander?

Happy Birthday, Drunken, forgotten best girl

u/RepostSleuthBot

Our beloved and sweet Russian grandma

С днём рождения,моя любимая,родная Аврора

What does HMIRS stand for ?

Avrora is my only oathed in AL. Happy launch day, my only snow queen.

I've been looking forwards to this day. I knew it was Avrora's launch day today.

I'll share some headcanons I have for her, as well as my personal history with her in Azur Lane.

I'd imagine she makes her own vodka, and once you become friendly with her, she would give you some.

I'd imagine she would get flustered if you mention her age. In real life, Avrora is an old ship, being launched on May 11th, 1900.

I'd imagine she would be sensitive about being seen as outdated. In real life, due to the rapid advancement of naval technology in the late 19th and early 20th century, combined with the along amount time her sisters needed to be built, the Pallada-class were seen as obsolete by the time they launched.

I'd imagine she would get along well with the other Northern Parliament ships that served in the Imperial Russian Navy, such as Gangut and Poltava. In real life, Avrora was launched into the Imperial Russian Navy.

I'd imagine if they ever add Leningrad to Azur Lane, she would have a few lines with Avrora. In real life, Avrora was locked in Petrograd, and a shot from her guns signaled the started of the Russian Revoultion. Avrora was then docked in Leningrad after the city was renamed, and she remained there even after the USSR collapsed and Leningrad was renamed to Saint Petersburg.

(There is even a joke that goes that a person was born in Saint Petersburg, attended school in Petrograd, worked in Leningrad, and retired in Saint Petersburg, all without having moved once.)

I'd imagine she is no stranger to the cold, and will often have her dorm's temperature as cool as possible.

I'd imagine she would get flustered if you confuse her for the Royal Navy shipgirl, Aurora.

I'd imagine she would have a fascination with the Auroras, both the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) and the Aurora Australis (Southern Lights).

I'd imainge she would be on friendly terms with the shipgirls of the Eagle Union. In real life, after the Battle of Tsushima, Avrora was able to limp to Manilla in the Philippines, where she was detained for the rest of the Russo-Japanese war.

And now for my personal history with Avrora in Azur Lane.

In Azur Lane, I have Avrora. She is currently in my Northern Parliament fleet at level 70.

I want to wish Avrora a happy launch day. I suppose it's fitting the Auroras are on full display for her launch day.

I know I'm way late, but Happy Birthday to Avrora. Our strong, but lovely Russian lady should definitely enjoy her birthday with her friends. I only hope that her pet bear is at least as nice as Yogi Bear, or Winnie The Pooh, otherwise, the party could go sideways badly.

Plus, while it would be nice to see her town, but if it's in the cold, I won't lie, it would bother me. Me being from the Hampton Roads area in Virginia, a southern/mid Atlantic state, my region don't do winter. Then again, we do rain, and floods, and it gets hot. So I can see Avrora having to adjust herself in that part, too.

But Avrora is definitely a good character, and someone who is wife material in more ways than one that needs to be recognized. I hope her celebration goes well today.