4th Affair.
The Rustchuk Attack.—The fourth torpedo attack was made on the afternoon of the 20th of June, 1877, on a Turkish monitor off Rustchuk.
The only Russian torpedo boat sent to the attack on this occasion was a Thornycroft named the Choutka, commanded by Lieutenant Skrydloff, and accompanied by a celebrated Russian artist, Verechtckaguine by name. The instant the torpedo boat was observed, so well directed and steady a fire was kept up by the monitor that both the lieutenant and the artist were badly wounded, and the electric wires of the torpedo severed, thus obliging the Choutka to beat a retreat. According to the Russian account, the monitor was struck by the boat's torpedo spar, but the above seems the more likely version. This was certainly a most audacious attack, and had the Turks only succeeded in hitting the Choutka with her big gun, it would have ended fatally for the Russians; as it was, the boat was struck by several bullets, but none of the crew were wounded.
5th Affair.
The Aluta Attack.—The fifth attack was made on the 30th of June, 1877, on a Turkish monitor off the mouth of the Aluta, in the river Danube. This attempt, like the last, took place in broad daylight. Four Russian boats were sent forward, but in spite of the captain of the Turkish vessel doing all he could to run the boats down, none of them succeeded in getting sufficiently near the vessel to enable a torpedo to be placed in contact. The captain of the monitor took the precaution to rig his lower booms out, and so managed to keep the enemy's boats at a respectful distance, they imagining that mines were fixed to the ends of the booms. After two hours of this dodging about, the Russians, finding the case hopeless, abandoned the attack.
The Russian account states—1st, that the captain of the monitor was an Englishman; 2nd, that the vessel was protected by nets and torpedoes lashed to the extremities of her booms—both of which statements are radically wrong.
The torpedo boats forming the attack were the Choutka, Midshipman Niloff, and the Mina, Sub-Lieutenant Arens, both armed with the spar torpedo.
Unless indeed the Russians acted up to the old proverb which says "Discretion is the best part of valour," it is difficult to understand how four small easily handled boats could have been for one hour endeavouring to strike a ship (which ship was at the same time being manœuvred with a view of running them down) without either effecting their object or being sunk or damaged in the attempt.
The Russians, though unsuccessful, behaved gallantly. Midshipman Niloff was severely wounded, but no mention is made as to the number of the crew that were killed and wounded, or of the damage received by the boats. Niloff received the 4th Class of the Cross of St. George, and Arens the Order of Military Merit.
The Turkish captain, Ali Bey, behaved most pluckily and skilfully. The only wonder is that both the boats were not sunk by the monitor's fire.