Аннотация

When the First World War broke out, Russia was poorly placed to supply her massive armies with ordnance and materiel, and came to rely strongly on her allies to keep her armies in the field. Given the German blockades of both the Black and Baltic Seas, and the great distance of Vladivostock from the front, supply could only come through Archangelsk on the White Sea (Murmansk would become operational only late in the war). The White Sea was blocked by ice for approximately half-a-year, hence ice-breakers became a critical war need for Russia. She acquired 11 ice-breakers and ice-capable ships from Canada and Newfoundland, virtually her whole ice-breaking fleet until mid-1916. This article tells the story of their acquisition and delivery to Russia, and comments on their contribution to Russia’s great war effort in 1914-1917.