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EESTI ELU reedel, 12. märtsil 2021 — Friday, March 12, 2021
Seedrioru Žurnaal
Battle in the Baltic – The Royal Navy and the fight to save Estonia & Latvia 1918–20 At the time of the World War I Armistice on November 11, 1918, when most European nations were grieving their war losses and looking towards rebuilding their countries’ infrastructures, one region was still involved in a hot war with a multitude of comba tants seeking to gain territorial control of the lands south of the Gulf of Finland and east of the Baltic Sea. Author Steve R Dunn looks at this conflict in his book, ‘Battle in the Baltic – The Royal Navy and the Fight to Save Estonia & Latvia 1918-20’ [Seaforth Publishing 2020], through a British naval perspective. The Royal Navy supported the indigenous Estonian and Latvian peoples fight for inde pendent countries, providing artillery support from the sea at strategic targets and onto land battles, while also preventing the Bolshevik controlled Rus sian navy from being able to range far from its Kronstadt base. From 1918 into 1920, British Royal Navy battleships pa trolled the Baltic Sea from home base Copenhagen to out side the mined waters of the Russian naval fortress at Kron stadt at the eastern end of the Gulf of Finland 30 kilometers west of Petrograd. One battle theatre where the Royal Navy fleet provided escort assistance and artillery cover fire was east of Reval [Tallinn] for General Juhan Laidoner’s Estonian free dom fighters helping push back the Bolsheviks at the end of December in 1918. Other im
portant battles where the Royal Navy’s ships heavy artillery bombardment played a major role was at Riga and Libau in Latvia in November of 1919, when the Royal Navy’s fire power aided the Latvians in driving back German forces. Dunn also relates that when the White Russians were pre paring to attack the Bolsheviks in Petrograd in October 1919 with Royal Navy action against Kronstadt, Finnish General Mannerheim was willing to take his troops into that battle against the Bolsheviks, if the White Russians would commit to Finnish independence after the war. That Finnish offer was rejected by White Russian Admiral Kolchak and the subse quent Whites’ attack fizzled. Was this a potential history changing moment missed? Although the Royal Navy did not land any troops for battles during their Baltic cam paign, they still suffered signifi cant losses on and under water, as 128 men were killed [inclu ding 5 Royal Air Force], 60 wounded and 9 taken prisoner. In total, 238 ships were de ployed to the Baltic during this campaign, of which 19 were sunk and 61 others needed to return to home base for repairs. Back in London there were many differing views about the Baltic operation, and it was an unpopular assignment for the sailors serving as they ex perienced many hardships with poor pay for this undeclared war. However on the sea, Rear Admiral Edwyn AlexanderSinclair and Rear Admiral Sir
On Thin Ice: Estonian Ice Road Driving Vincent Teetsov Can you imagine a situation in which you would want to deliberately take off your seatbelt, maybe make sure your car doors are unlocked, and then watch the speedometer so that you aren’t driving at less than 40 kilometres per hour? There’s actually a very good reason why you would want to do this in Estonia. Not on the main roads, but when you get behind the wheel and hit the gas pedal on one of the nation’s seven official ice roads. The longest ice road in Europe, at 26 kilometres, is between the island of Hiiumaa and Rohuküla in mainland Estonia. Another large one is a 15 kilometre track from Triigi on the island of Saaremaa to Tärkma in southern Hiiumaa. With two minute intervals and at least 250 metres of distance between each car, you are pretty well isolated on a barren sheet of ice and snow. Estonia’s highway authorities have made what could other
wise feel like a heart palpitating episode of Ice Road Truckers into an orderly part of everyday life. It’s very clearly indicated by the Traffic Management Centre which roads are open during the daylight hours, and which ones aren’t. You might see some birch branches line the sides of these roads so you don’t veer off. Otherwise, fol low the tire tracks and keep these points in mind. You’ll have to keep moving at a steady velocity! Consistent speed up to 25 kilometres per hour, or alternatively, between 40 and 70 kilometres per hour, is very important. Heavy surface pressure and ice breakage is more likely between those two speed ranges. As BBC’s Top Gear has suggested, moving at a fast clip distributes the pres sure of the car across a larger surface area of ice. However, your car also needs control and grip. So leave the drifting for Lake Winnipeg in Gimli, Manitoba. Don’t stop your car either. If an ice road is closed at short notice, due to visibility
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Winter Edition 2021, Vol. 1 No.1 Congratulations to the newly elected Seedrioru board. Below are short messages from the 2020–2021 Seedrioru Board of Directors.
Walter Henry Cowan both took assertive control, and with their fleet and crews provided timely assistance and effective cover for the freedom fighters in all situations. Admiral Cowan ex plained the Royal Navy assign ment in the Baltic this way, “… until all nations bordering on it have found a stable government and are at peace with each other, or until I receive further orders”. Steve Dunn’s research and thorough documentation in ‘Battle in the Baltic’ are con veyed in an easily readable manner. This book will become a reference manual for the ‘Royal Navy’s Baltic Campaign of 1918-20’ for Estonian and Latvian wars of independence historians. Dunn delivers a per spective from an important ally, magnifying a key reason why the Latvian and Estonian free dom fighters were successful. Estonia with the Treaty of Tartu on February 2, 1920, and Latvia with the Treaty of Riga on August 11, 1920, signed peace treaties with the Bolsheviks, so as per Admiral Cowan, it was “mission accomplished for the British Royal Navy in the Baltic Sea in 1920!” TOOMAS TREI
issues for example, drivers have to turn back and inform every one behind them of the change. So there’s a sense of looking after other road users. As mentioned before, un buckle your seatbelt in case you have to make a fast exit from your car. And if you do get into a precarious situation, you’ll want to have the number of the surveillance staff on hand to get help. Falling through the ice and walking back would be perilous. Yet, if you follow the rules, this won’t happen. Don’t be alarmed, though, when you pass a large passen ger ship breaking through the ice in the distance. You may even go up and over small cracks filled with bluish icy water, driving across wooden slats. But the ice quality and thickness is examined impecca bly so that it is safe to cross. A usable ice road will be 22 centi metres thick or more. In fact, due to freshwater runoff, shal lowness, and considerably less salt content than other bodies of water, the Baltic Sea freezes easily. And this contributes to its suitability as a driving surface in winter. Sometimes as
Lia Hess – President
Rein Pertens – Treasurer
Lia has been a leader in many o rg a n i z a t i o n s within the Esto nian community. Seedrioru’s sum mer camp program is an inspi ration not only for children but also their families and friends. We hope that anyone who comes to Seedioru will support and embrace this beautiful place as a multigenerational gathering site for all who love Estonian culture and traditions.
Rein Pertens is a third generation Seedrioru camp er/director, giv ing him a unique perspective and insight into what it takes to lead a successful camp community.
Karen Must – Camp Coordinator Karen has been a camper, cook, kasvataja, board member at laager and brings 30 years in Edu cation as a teacher and Administrator to the job. She looks forward to generation 4 starting laager this year!
Toomas Aasa – Secretary Toomas’ lifelong relationship with Seedrioru started with their fami ly’s Cottage, then attending camp as a child, and later as a counsellor and kitchen staff member. Toomas has been involved with the organization of the 2011 and 2016 Alumni Reunion Camps, the re-opening of the rifle range on site, and countless hours of volunteer labour in support of property and community.
Ruth Yalle – Fund Raising
Helle Torm-Newland – Fund Raising
Ruth Yalle is a business owner and has been on Kitcheneri Eesti Selts for over 30 years. Rutti was a camper, kasvataja and a pre vious board member. Her chil dren were campers as are her grandchildren. Her love of Seedrioru keeps her coming back!
Helle Torm-New land has been a part of Seedrioru from the very beginning. She has been a camp er and a previous board member. Helle has many years of customer service expe rience. Her children, grandchil dren, as well as herself love Seedrioru.
Madis Tambre – Leases
Ken Ahlberg – Vice-Chair
Madis is a multiyear board member who is currently responsible for tracking Leases at Seedrioru.
Ken is a multiyear board mem ber who is currently responsible for the Seedrioru’s website, and IT related issues.
late as mid March. Ice roads have become a ne cessity for people getting from place to place efficiently, to get work done and make it back home. Before the combustion engine came around, people travelled by horse across these passages. Sometimes with war on their minds. Nowadays, the icy routes may be an expedient, discount shortcut compared to ferries and other roads. Beyond their practical usage, in a country with a strong rally tradition, ice roads are the scene of motorsports, too. For in stance, icedriving.ee lists a
number of courses for rally drivers and other confident drivers. One package includes instruction from Pentus Racing Academy, operated by racing driver Sten Pentus. In this course, you get to drive 300 kilometres over one day in a BMW on Võrtsjärv between Viljandi and Tartu, plus all of the automobile essentials. It’s a good way to throw some off-season cross-training into the mix. While in most other places, ice driving would be an impos sibility, here it seems to be both practical and sporty.
Photo: icedriving.ee
