Russian gunboat Korietz Korietz ( , this translates Korean into English ) was a gunboat in Russian Imperial Navy . She was the lead vessel in a class of nine ships in her class ( including the " Mandzhur " and " Khivinets " served on the Baltic , " Donets " , " Zaporozhets " , " Kubanets " , " Terets " , " Uralets " and " Chernomorets " on the Black Sea . ) The etymology of the names of this class of ships was : Korietz is a Russian word for " Korean man " , Mandzhur - " Manchuria man " , Khivinets - " Khiva man " , Donets - " Don Cossack " ( literally " Don man " ) , Kubanets - " Kuban Cossack " ( " Kuban man " ) , Terets - " Terek Cossack " ( " Terek man " ) , Uralets - " Ural Cossack " ( " Ural man " ) , Chernomorets - " Black Sea man " and Zaporozhets - " Zaporozhian Cossack " . Operational history . " Korietz " was laid down in Stockholm , Sweden at the Bergsund Mekaniksa shipyards in December 1885 , launched on August 7 , 1886 , and commissioned in 1888 . Assigned to service with the Russian Pacific Fleet in 1895 , she was a frequent visitor to ports in Korea , Japan and northern China . During the Boxer Rebellion , she participated in the Eight - Nation Alliance attack on Taku Forts on June 1900 . During this battle , she was hit six times by shells fired by the Chinese defenders , and suffered nine crewmen killed and 20 wounded . Together with the cruiser , " Korietz " was dispatched from Port Arthur to the main Korean port of Chemulpo ( modern - day Incheon ) in early 1904 to protect Russian interests , as diplomatic tensions continued to increase between Russia and the Empire of Japan . After the Russian transport " Sungari " arrived at Chemulpo on 7 February 1904 , reporting the sighting of a large Japanese force approaching , " Korietz " ( under the command of G . P . Belyaev ) was ordered to return to Port Arthur to report and request instructions . In the early morning of 8 February 1904 , " Korietz " spotted outside the Chemulpo roadstead , and mistaking it for a fellow Russian ship , loaded its guns for a salute . On closing in , the crew of the " Korietz " realized their mistake and in the ensuing confusion the guns were discharged . " Chiyoda " responded by launching a torpedo . Both sides missed , but this was the first actual exchange of fire in the Russo - Japanese War , and it is highly unclear which side actually opened fire first . " Korietz " retreated back to Chemulpo harbor . In the subsequent Battle of Chemulpo Bay , Captain Vsevolod Rudnev of the " Varyag " refused an ultimatum by Imperial Japanese Navy admiral Uryū Sotokichi to surrender , and on February 9 , 1904 attempted to break through the Japanese squadron from Chemulpo to the open sea . Vastly outnumbered and outgunned , " Korietz " fired 52 rounds at the Japanese ships , but was at a distance that most of its shots did not even reach the Japanese fleet . " Varyag " took heavy damage ; " Korietz " suffered from only light damage from shrapnel with no casualties . Unable to break past the Japanese squadron by mid - afternoon , " Korietz " and " Varyag " returned to Chemulpo harbor , where both took refuge near the neutral warships . At 1600 the same day , " Korietz " was scuttled by its crew by blowing up two ammunition magazines . The crew was taken aboard a French cruiser " Pascal " , taken to Saigon , French Indochina , and returned to Russia . In St . Petersburg all the officers were awarded the Order of St . George ( 4th class ) , the highest military decoration of the Russian Empire . After the end of the Russo - Japanese War , the wreckage of " Korietz " was raised by Japanese engineers , and scrapped . Second gunboat . There was a second gunboat named " Korietz " , laid down in 1906 at the Putilov Plant in Saint Petersburg , Russia . She was of the " Gilyak " class . At the end of the First World War she participated in the Battle of Moon Sound , but was blown up by her crew on August 8 , 1915 in to avoid having to be surrendered to German forces .