Ivan Vladimirovich Messer (Russian: Иван Владимирович Мессер; 7 September 1884 – 16 December 1952) was an officer of the Imperial Russian Navy.[1][2]
Ivan Messer | |
|---|---|
| Born | 7 September 1884 Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire |
| Died | 16 December 1952 (aged 68) Cleveland, Ohio, US |
| Allegiance |  Russian Empire |
| Service |  Imperial Russian Navy |
| Rank | Captain 1st rank |
| Unit | Baltic Fleet Submarine Brigade |
| Commands | |
| Battles / wars | |
Messer was the most successful Russian submarine commander of World War I, capturing one German merchant ship while commanding the submarine Kaiman and sinking four while commanding the Volk, for a total of 10,756 gross register tons (GRT).[3] He was the highest achieving in tonnage, though Mikhail Kititsyn sank a larger number of ships.[4]
Ivan Messer was born in Saint Petersburg on 7 September 1884.[1] He graduated from the Naval Cadet Corps in 1903 and from the submarine training unit in 1910 before commanding the submarine Beluga.[2] When World War I broke out Messer was the commanding officer of the submarine Kaiman.[3] In late 1915 he was reassigned to be the captain of the submarine Volk,[5] with which he carried out nine war patrols[2] and sank four merchant ships.[5]
After the Russian Revolution, Messer supported the White movement and went to Arkhangelsk, where he was in charge of lighthouses on the White Sea coast. Following the Russian Civil War he emigrated to Finland, Serbia, and finally to the United States, where he died on 16 December 1952 in Cleveland, Ohio.[1][2]
Summary of career
editMesser was credited with sinking or capturing five merchant ships for a total of 10,756 gross register tons (GRT).[3]
| Date | Submarine | Name of Ship | Nationality | Tonnage | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 October 1915 | Kaiman | Stahleck[5] |  Germany
|
1,127 GRT | Captured in the Sea of Åland |
| 17 May 1916 | Volk | Hera[5] | Germany
|
2,800 GRT | Sunk in the Bay of Norrköping |
| 17 May 1916 | Volk | Kolga[5] | Germany
|
2,086 GRT | Sunk in the Bay of Norrköping |
| 17 May 1916 | Volk | Bianca[5] | Germany
|
1,054 GRT | Sunk in the Bay of Norrköping |
| 8 July 1916 | Volk | Dorita[5] | Germany
|
3,689 GRT | Sunk off Örnsköldsvik |
References
editNotes
edit- ^ a b c "Подводный ас Российской империи Иван Мессер" [Underwater ace of the Russian Empire Ivan Messer]. Zen News. Yandex. 25 December 2020. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
- ^ a b c d Kurgansky, Yu. N.; Siryi, S. P. "Подводные силы России в дореволюционный период" [Submarine forces of Russia in the pre-revolutionary period]. Flot.com (in Russian). Retrieved 21 May 2024.
- ^ a b c Stevenson 1990, pp. 78–79.
- ^ Khaiminov, Sergei (11 October 2021). "Как русский "Тюлень" потопил 5 пароходов и 30 парусников" [How Russian "Tyulen" sank five steamers and 30 schooners] (in Russian). Combat Brotherhood (All-Russian Organization of Veterans). Retrieved 11 May 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g Stevenson 1990, pp. 89–90.
Works
edit- Stevenson, Gene C. (1990). "Russian 'Lake' Type Submarines and the Baltic War 1914–1916". In Gardiner, Robert (ed.). Warship 1990. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. pp. 76–90. ISBN 1-55750-903-4.