Collected Works of V. I. Lenin - Vol. 26 - From Marx to Mao

268V. I. LENIN3CONVERSATION WITH N. F. IZMAILOV,DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF TSENTROBALTHow many destroyers and other warships can you send?We can send the battleship Republic and two destroyers.Will they also be supplied with rations from your end?Our fleet has enough rations, and they will be supplied. I want tosay I am sure the Republic and all the destroyers we send will dotheir duty in defending the revolution. Have no doubt about thedispatch of the armed forces. This will be fulfilled without fail.In how many hours?Eighteen, at the most. Is there any need to send them out now?Yes. The government is absolutely convinced that thereis need for their immediate dispatch so that the battleshipcould enter the Ship Canal as close to the shore as possible.The battleship is a large vessel with 12-inch guns, and cannotanchor offshore: if it did it could be easily boarded and captured.This can be done by the destroyers, with their small-calibre guns andmachine-guns- as for the battleship, it should be in the roads or closeby, or near the cruiser Aurora, because its guns have a range of25 versts*; in short let the sailors and their command handle this.The destroyers must enter the Neva near the Rybatskoyevillage, in order to protect the Nikolayevskaya railway lineand all the approaches to it.Right, all this will be done. What else is there?Is there a wireless telegraph on the Republic and can itcommunicate with Petrograd while on its way?Not only on the Republic, but also on the destroyers, they can allcommunicate with the Eiffel Tower. Let me assure you that everythingwill be done well.May we expect that the ships will set out immediately?Yes, that is so. We shall issue urgent orders right away so thatthese ships will get to Petrograd in time.Have you stocks of rifles and ammunition? Let’s haveeverything you can spare.* 25 versts= 16.5 miles.—Tr.