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Object description
British officer commanded Royal Navy coastal motor boats in Baltic Sea, 1919 including transporting MI6 agents into Estonia and Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and award of Victoria Cross for sinking Soviet cruiser Oleg at Kronstadt, Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic, 17/6/1919
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of operations as officer with Royal Navy in Baltic Sea, 1919: prior experience of operations with coastal motor boats based at Osea Island, GB; reason for being sent to Baltic Sea; description of motor boats and armaments; question of wearing civilian clothes; duties transporting secret agents from Finland across the Baltic Sea to Estonia and Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic; role of Admiral Sir Walter Cowan in requisitioning Royal Naval destroyer to tow motorboats; opinion of Admiral Sir Walter Cowan; question of carrying torpedoes; reason for carrying naval uniforms on boats; crews; motorboats towed to Gulf of Finland by HMS Voyager; loading supplies and arming with torpedoes; use of base at Terijoki, Finland with concealed harbour; use of dacha as headquarters; purpose of mission to contact main agent SD 25 in Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic; voyage from Terijoki, Finland to mouth of River Neva, Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic; problem of navigation of breakwaters; landing Russian agent; weather conditions; design of motor boats; further comments on breakwaters; reconnaissance of Soviet naval positions in Kronstadt, Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic.
REEL 2 Continues: description of Gulf of Finland and fortifications; observation of rebellion at Kronstadt, Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic; problem of firing torpedo; sinking Soviet cruiser Oleg using HM CMB-4, at Kronstadt, Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic, 17/6/1919; use of observation post in church steeple at Terijoki, Finland; reaction of Finnish Army commandant to sinking of Soviet cruiser Oleg; sight of wreck of Soviet cruiser Oleg from air; reaction of Admiral Sir Walter Cowan to sinking of Soviet cruiser Oleg; adverse comments on sinking in GB; award of Victoria Cross.