» The Battle of Cape Sinop is brief. Battle of Sinop

The Battle of Cape Sinop is brief. Battle of Sinop

The spirit in the troops is beyond description. During the times of ancient Greece there was not so much heroism. I was not able to be in action even once, but I thank God that I saw these people and live in this glorious time.

Lev Tolstoy

The Battle of Sinop November 18 (30), 1853 - a naval battle between the Russian and Ottoman empires as part of the Crimean War. The Russian fleet, under the command of Nakhimov, won, but it was a victory in the battle, but Russia lost the war itself. Many rumors and myths have been created around the Sinop naval battle today, so I want to sort out this page of Russian history.

Balance of forces and means

The Russian Squadron, commanded by Vice Admiral Pavel Nakhimov, consisted of 11 ships with 734 guns. The squadron was divided into 3 classes of ships:

  • Frigates: " Kulevchi"(60 guns) and " Cahul"(44 guns)
  • Battleships: " Three Saints" And " Grand Duke Constantine"(both 120 guns), " Paris"(Novosilsky's flagship with 120 guns), " Rostislav" And " Chesma"(about 84 guns each), " Empress Maria"(Nakhimov's flagship with 84 guns).
  • Steamboats: " Chersonesos», « Odessa" And " Crimea».

The Turkish squadron, commanded by Vice Admiral Osman Pasha, consisted of 12 ships with 476 guns, which were additionally assigned 2 brigs and 2 military transports. The warships of the Turkish squadron were also divided into three classes:

  • Sailing corvettes: " Feyzi-Meabood" And " Nejmi-Feshan"(24 guns each), "Gyuli -Sefid"(22 guns).
  • Sailing frigates: " Nizamiye"(64 guns), " Forever-Bahri" And " Nesimi-Zefer"(60 guns each), " Damiad"(56 guns), " Kaidi-Zepher"(54 guns), " Fazli-Allah" And " Avni-Allah"(44 guns each). The flagship was " Avni-Allah».
  • Steam frigates: " Taif"(22 guns), " Erekli"(2 guns).

We see a clear superiority of the Russian squadron, but here it is important to understand that the Turkish side had the support of coastal artillery, and the Russian steamers were late for the start of the Battle of Sinop. They reached the shores of Sinop at a time when the outcome of the battle was already a foregone conclusion. However, even if we do not take into account the steamships of the Russian squadron, the superiority of the Russian side over the Turkish side is obvious. Why, under such conditions, did the Ottoman Empire declare war on Russia and was ready to conduct a naval battle off the coast of Sinop? The main reason is the hope for the promised support from England and France. This support was refused, but only after the Ottoman Empire lost the Battle of Sinop, and when a real reason appeared for England and France to enter the war against Russia. As has happened many times in world history, the British are sacrificing allies in order to obtain a plausible pretext for entering the war.

Progress of the battle

The chronology of the Sinop naval battle on November 18, 1853 can be presented as follows:

  • 12:00 - the Russian squadron of the Black Sea Fleet is approaching Turkish ships near the Sinop roadstead.
  • 12:30 - Turkish ships and coastal artillery of Sinop open fire on Russian ships.
  • 13:00 - the Russian fleet focuses on attacks on the Turkish frigate Avni-Allah. Within a few tens of minutes, the frigate was flooded and thrown ashore.
  • 14:30 - the main part of the Battle of Sinop is over. Most of the Turkish ships were destroyed. Only the steamship Taif managed to escape, which headed to Constantinople, where it reported to the Turkish Sultan about the defeat.
  • 18:30 - the Russian fleet finally destroyed the Turkish ships and suppressed the resistance of coastal artillery.

The Battle of Sinop began with attempts by the Russian fleet to take the necessary positions, in response to which fire was opened by the coastal artillery of Sinop and the fleet of the Ottoman Empire. Regarding the coastal artillery, it should be noted that it had 6 lines: the first 2 opened fire in a timely manner, 3 and 4 - late, 5 and 6 did not reach the Russian ships. From the very beginning of the battle, the Turkish side tried to damage the flagship ships, so shots were fired in the direction of the battleships Paris and Empress Maria.

Pavel Nakhimov also chose the flagship ships of the Ottoman Empire as his target in order to defeat the enemy command’s fleet. Therefore, from the first minutes of the battle, the main blow fell on the sailing frigate Avni-Allah, which very quickly caught fire and sank. After this, the fire was transferred to another flagship of the Turkish side, Fazli-Allah. This ship also very soon received serious damage and was put out of action. After this, the fire was equally divided between the enemy ships and the coastal battery. The skillful actions of Nakhimov and the entire Russian fleet led to the fact that in just a few hours the Battle of Sinop was won.

Map of the Sinopo naval battle

Losses of the parties

The losses of the Turkish side as a result of the Battle of Sinop were catastrophic. Of the 15 ships that took part in the battle in one way or another, only one remained afloat - the steam frigate Taif, which managed to escape from the battlefield and was the first to reach the shores of Constantinople, reporting to the Turkish Sultan about what had happened. The Turkish squadron at the start of the battle numbered 4,500 people. At the end of the battle, the losses of the Turkish side were as follows:

  • Killed - 3,000 people or 66% of the personnel.
  • Wounded - 500 people or 11% of personnel.
  • Prisoners - 200 people or 4.5% of the personnel.

Vice Admiral of the Ottoman Empire Osman Pasha was also captured by the Russians.

The losses of the Russian squadron were insignificant. Of the personnel, 230 people were wounded and 37 people were killed. During the battle, all the ships of the Russian fleet received damage of varying severity, but each of them was able to reach Sevastopol under its own power.

Western myths about the victory of the Russian fleet

The reaction to the victory of the Russian fleet in the Battle of Sinop in the west followed immediately. This reaction resulted in the emergence of 3 myths, which are still widespread today:

  1. Russia won a bloody and brutal victory.
  2. Russia captured Osman Pasha. He died in captivity.
  3. Russia targeted the city with targeted fire, resulting in large numbers of civilian casualties and severe destruction of the city.

To show the West’s reaction to the battle at Sinop, it is enough to quote from a note in the English newspaper “The Hampshire Telegraph” dated December 12, 1853.

Russia continues to celebrate their bloody victory in the battle as they continued to fire at Turkish ships that were out of action and unable to resist. The squadron bravely resisted, but the Russians, cold-blooded and cynically, completely destroyed it. Before the battle, there were 4,490 people in the Turkish squadron. After the battle, only 358 remained alive. The city of Sinop was completely destroyed due to heavy fire from Russian artillery. The entire coastline is strewn with the corpses of the dead. The local population that remains alive has neither food nor water. They are not provided with proper medical care.


Now let's figure out what really happened, and whether these myths have at least some basis. Let's start with the simplest myth - the death in Russian captivity of Vice Admiral of the Ottoman Empire Osman Pasha. The English version is that the wounded Osman Pasha was captured, where he was not given medical care, as a result of which he died. In fact, the wounded Osman Pasha was indeed captured, but in 1856 he was released and returned to his homeland. After that, he held a position for a long time on the Admiralty Council under the Turkish Sultan, and died only in 1897.

The myth of the Bloody Victory of the Russian fleet is also nothing more than fiction. First, you need to understand that there was a war going on. Moreover, the war that was declared by Turkey. Any war, and especially between serious geopolitical rivals, is always accompanied by cruelty and casualties. And the British press, which attacks the Russian fleet for the Battle of Sinop, absolutely forgets to consider, for example, the issues of the bombing of Dresden in 1945. Of course, almost 100 years passed between these events, but the reaction itself is indicative. The victory of the Russian fleet in the naval battle at Sinop is a bloody victory, and the bombing of the peaceful city of Dresden, when the Second World War was actually over, is a normal occurrence. This is a manifestation of double standards. An important point regarding the Battle of Sinop concerns the civilian population. According to the English version, almost all of it was exterminated by the barbaric Russian fleet. In fact, most of the population left Sinop long before the battle. They had time, because a few days before the battle, Osman Pasha gave the order to bring the Turkish fleet into the harbor, since the Russian ships managed to detect the enemy. As a result, during bombings and explosions of ships, debris fell on residential areas, where there was simply no one to put out the fire. Therefore, if we consider, for example, the Greek part of the city, it was practically not damaged. This is not due to the fact that it was not bombed, but because its inhabitants did not leave the city and were able to put out the fire. Therefore, the fact of destruction, and quite strong, of Sinop is true, but the cause-and-effect relationship is absolutely broken. The destruction of the city is not due to targeted bombing, but to the fact that the battle took place directly off the coast of the city, and also to the fact that there was simply no one to liquidate the consequences of the fire in time.

Victory results

The Sinop victory of the Russian fleet is usually called “fruitless.” The victory itself was outstanding, but did not bring any significant dividends to Russia. Moreover, it was this naval battle that ultimately became the pretext that England and France used to enter the war against Russia on the side of the Ottoman Empire. As a result, the Crimean War was finally formed - one of the few wars that the Russian Empire lost.

Directly for the victory at Sinop in 1853, Vice Admiral Nakhimov was awarded the Order of St. George, 2nd degree. Nicholas 1 was absolutely delighted with the victory and called Nakhimov the best admiral in history.


New types of ships and guns

The Crimean War and the Battle of Sinop are characteristic from the point of view of the use of new types of ships and new guns. The use of steam engines in industry led to the idea of ​​transferring them to ships. Before this, ships were only sailing, which means they were highly dependent on the wind for movement. The first steamboat was built in America in 1807. These steamships operated on the paddle wheel principle and were vulnerable. After that, the wheel got rid of and classic steamships appeared. Russia, the last of the world powers, began to use steam engines in shipbuilding. The first civilian steamship was built in 1817, and the first military steamship, Hercules, was launched in 1832.

Along with the development of steamships, ship cannons also developed. At the same time as the development of steamships, “bomb guns” appeared. They were developed by the French artilleryman Henri-Joseph Pecsant. The use was based on the principle of land artillery. It was based on the bomb principle. First, the shell made a hole in the wood of the ship, and then the bomb exploded, causing the main damage. In 1824, a unique event was achieved - a two-deck battleship was scuttled with two shots!

Battle of Sinop

The Crimean War of 1853–1856 went down in Russian history as a symbol of one of the most severe defeats, but at the same time it provided the clearest examples of unprecedented courage shown by Russian soldiers and sailors. And the beginning of this war was marked by one of the most outstanding victories of the Russian fleet. This was the defeat of the Turkish fleet in the Battle of Sinop. The large Turkish fleet was defeated within a few hours. But this same battle served as a reason for Great Britain and France to declare war on Russia and turned the Crimean War into the most difficult test for the people and the government.

Even before the start of the war with Turkey, Vice Admiral F.S. Nakhimov with a squadron that included the 84-gun battleships Empress Maria, Chesma and Rostislav, was sent by Prince Menshikov to cruise to the shores of Anatolia. The reason was information that the Turks in Sinop were preparing forces for a landing at Sukhum and Poti. And indeed, approaching Sinop, Nakhimov saw a large detachment of Turkish ships in the bay under the protection of six coastal batteries. Then he decided to closely blockade the port, so that later, with the arrival of reinforcements from Sevastopol, he could attack the enemy. On November 16, 1853, the squadron of Rear Admiral F.M. joined Nakhimov’s detachment. Novosilsky - 120-gun battleships "Paris", "Grand Duke Constantine" and "Three Saints", as well as frigates "Kahul" and "Kulevchi".

Nakhimov decided to attack the Turkish fleet in two columns: in the first, closest to the enemy, the ships of Nakhimov’s detachment, in the second, Novosilsky’s. The frigates were supposed to observe enemy ships under sail in order to prevent the possibility of their breakthrough. It was decided to spare the consular houses and the city in general, if possible, concentrating artillery fire only on ships and batteries. For the first time it was planned to use 68-pound bomb guns.

The battle began on November 18, 1853 at 12:30 p.m. and lasted until 5:00 p.m. Initially, Turkish naval artillery and coastal batteries subjected the attacking Russian squadron, which was entering the Sinop roadstead, to heavy fire. The enemy fired from a fairly close range, but Nakhimov’s ships responded to the fierce enemy fire only by taking advantageous positions. It was then that the absolute superiority of Russian artillery became clear.

The battleship "Empress Maria" was bombarded with shells, most of its spars and standing rigging were broken, only one shroud of the mainmast remained intact. However, the ship moved forward and, acting with battle fire on enemy ships, dropped anchor against the Turkish flagship 44-gun frigate Auni-Allah. After a half-hour battle, "Auni-Allah", unable to withstand the crushing fire of Russian cannons, jumped ashore. Then the Russian flagship turned its fire on the 44-gun frigate Fazli-Allah, which soon caught fire and also washed ashore. After this, the actions of the ship "Empress Maria" concentrated on the Turkish coastal battery No. 5.

The battleship "Grand Duke Konstantin", having anchored, opened heavy fire on battery No. 4 and the 60-gun frigates "Navek-Bakhri" and "Nesimi-Zefer". The first was blown up 20 minutes later, showering debris and the bodies of killed Turks on battery No. 4, which then almost ceased to function; the second was thrown ashore by the wind when its anchor chain was broken by a cannonball.

The battleship "Chesma" destroyed batteries No. 3 and No. 4 with its shots. The battleship "Paris", while at anchor, opened battle fire on battery No. 5, the corvette "Guli-Sefid" with twenty-two guns and the 56-gun frigate "Damiad" " Then, having blown up the corvette and thrown the frigate ashore, he began to hit the 64-gun frigate Nizamiye, whose foremasts and mizzen masts were knocked down by bomb fire, and the ship itself drifted to the shore, where it soon caught fire. Then the Paris again began to fire at battery No. 5.

The battleship "Three Saints" entered into battle with the frigates "Kaidi-Zefer" and "Nizamiye". The first enemy shots broke his spring, and the ship, turning to the wind, was subjected to well-aimed longitudinal fire from battery No. 6, and its mast was badly damaged. But, turning the stern again, he very successfully began to act on the Kaidi-Zefer and other Turkish ships and forced them to retreat to the shore. The battleship "Rostislav", covering the "Three Saints", concentrated fire on battery No. 6 and on the 24-gun corvette "Feize-Meabud" and threw the corvette ashore.

Sinop battle. The night after the battle. I. Aivazovsky. 1853

At 13.30, the Russian steam frigate Odessa appeared from behind the cape under the flag of Adjutant General Vice Admiral V.A. Kornilov, accompanied by the steam frigates “Khersones” and “Crimea”. These ships immediately took part in the battle, which, however, was already nearing its end, since the Turkish forces were very weakened. Batteries No. 5 and No. 6 continued to harass Russian ships until 16 hours, but Paris and Rostislav managed to destroy them. Meanwhile, the remaining Turkish ships, apparently set on fire by their crews, took off one after another. This caused a fire to spread throughout the city, and there was no one to put it out.

At about 2 p.m., the Turkish 22-gun steamer Taif, on which Mushaver Pasha was, broke away from the line of Turkish ships, which were suffering a severe defeat, and fled. Moreover, of the entire Turkish squadron, only this ship had two ten-inch bomb guns. Taking advantage of its speed advantage, the Taif managed to escape from the Russian ships and report to Istanbul about the complete destruction of the Turkish squadron.

In this battle, the Turks lost fifteen of the sixteen ships and over three thousand people killed and wounded out of the four and a half thousand who took part in the battle. About two hundred people were taken prisoner, including the commander of the Turkish fleet, Osman Pasha, who was wounded in the leg, and the commanders of two ships. The losses of the Russian squadron amounted to thirty-seven people killed and two hundred and thirty-three wounded, thirteen guns on the ships were hit and disabled, and there was serious damage to the hull, rigging and sails.

The defeat of the Turkish squadron in the Battle of Sinop significantly weakened Turkey's naval forces in the Black Sea, dominance of which completely passed to the Russians. Plans to land Turkish troops on the Caucasus coast were also thwarted. This battle, moreover, became the last major battle in history of the era of the sailing fleet. The era of steam ships was coming. But this same outstanding victory caused extreme discontent in England, which was frightened by such a significant success of the Russian fleet. The result of this was the soon formed alliance against Russia of two great European powers - England and France. The war, which began as a Russian-Turkish war, turned into the fierce Crimean War in early 1854.

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Commanders
P. S. Nakhimov Osman Pasha
Strengths of the parties Losses

Battle of Sinop- the defeat of the Turkish squadron by the Russian Black Sea Fleet on November 18 (30), 1853, under the command of Admiral Nakhimov. Some historians view it as the "swan song" of the sailing fleet and the first battle of the Crimean War. The Turkish fleet was destroyed within a few hours. This attack was the reason for Britain and France to declare war on Russia.

The statement that this was the first battle of the Crimean War is incorrect: on November 5 (17), that is, 13 days before the Battle of Sinop, a battle took place between the Russian steam frigate "Vladimir" (at that moment Admiral V.A. Kornilov was on it) and Turkish armed steamship "Pervaz-Bahri" (Lord of the Seas). The three-hour battle ended with the surrender of the Turkish steamer.

Progress of the battle

Approaching Sinop, Nakhimov saw a detachment of Turkish ships in the bay under the protection of 6 coastal batteries and decided to closely blockade the port in order to attack the enemy with the arrival of reinforcements from Sevastopol.

It was decided to attack in 2 columns: in the 1st, closest to the enemy, the ships of Nakhimov’s detachment, in the 2nd - Novosilsky, the frigates were supposed to watch the enemy steamers under sail; It was decided to spare the consular houses and the city in general if possible, hitting only ships and batteries. For the first time, 68-pounder bomb guns were proposed to be used.

Among the prisoners were the commander of the Turkish squadron, Vice Admiral Osman Pasha, and 2 ship commanders.

At the end of the battle, the ships of the Russian fleet began to repair damage to the rigging and spars, and on November 20 (December 2) they weighed anchor to proceed to Sevastopol in tow of steamers. Beyond Cape Sinop, the squadron encountered a large swell from NO, so the steamships were forced to give up tugs. At night the wind grew stronger, and the ships headed further under sail. On the 22nd (December 4), around noon, the victorious ships entered the Sevastopol roadstead amid general rejoicing.

Order of battle

Battleships

  • Grand Duke Constantine 120 guns
  • Three Saints 120 guns
  • Paris 120 guns (2nd flagship)
  • Empress Maria 84 guns (flagship)
  • Chesma 84 guns
  • Rostislav 84 guns

Frigates

  • Kulevchi 54 guns
  • Cahul 44 guns

Steam frigates

  • Odessa 12 guns
  • Crimea 12 guns
  • Chersonesos 12 guns

Frigates

  • Aunni Allah 44 guns - washed ashore
  • Fazli Allah 44 guns (formerly Russian Raphael, captured in 1829) - caught fire, washed ashore
  • Nizamiye 62 guns - washed ashore after losing two masts
  • Nesimi Zefer 60 guns - washed ashore after the anchor chain was broken
  • Forever Bahri 58 guns - exploded
  • Damiad 56 guns (Egyptian) - washed ashore
  • Kaidi Zefer 54 guns - washed ashore

Corvettes

  • Nezhm Fishan 24 guns
  • Feize Meabood 24 guns - washed ashore
  • Gyuli Sefid 22 guns - exploded

Steam frigate

  • Taif 22 guns - went to Istanbul

Steamboat

  • Erkile 2 guns

Notes

One of the earliest manifestations of propaganda is documented when, immediately after the Battle of Sinop, English newspapers wrote in reports about the battle that the Russians were finishing off the wounded Turks floating in the sea.

Links

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  • Turkish naval battles
  • Events of November 30
  • November 1853
  • Crimean War
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  • 19th century battles

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    See what the “Battle of Sinop” is in other dictionaries: November 18 (30), 1853, in Sinop Bay (on the northern coast of Turkey), during the Crimean War of 1853 56. The Russian squadron of Vice Admiral P. S. Nakhimov destroyed the Turkish squadron of Osman Pasha. The Battle of Sinop is the last battle of the era of the sailing fleet...

    BATTLE OF SINOPE, naval battle 18(30). 11.1853 in Sinop Bay (on the northern coast of Turkey) during the Crimean War 1853 56. The Russian squadron of Vice Admiral P. S. Nakhimov destroyed the Turkish squadron of Osman Pasha. S. s. the last battle... ...Russian history

“By the extermination of the Turkish squadron, you decorated the chronicle of the Russian fleet with a new victory, which will forever remain memorable in naval history.” Emperor Nicholas I “Destruction of the Turkish fleet in Sinop by a squadron consisting of...

“By the extermination of the Turkish squadron, you decorated the chronicle of the Russian fleet with a new victory, which will forever remain memorable in naval history.”

Emperor Nicholas I

“The destruction of the Turkish fleet in Sinop by a squadron under my command cannot but leave a glorious page in the history of the Black Sea Fleet.”

P. S. Nakhimov

December 1 is the Day of Military Glory of Russia. This is the day of the victory of the Russian squadron under the command of Vice Admiral Pavel Stepanovich Nakhimov over the Turkish squadron at Cape Sinop.

The battle took place in the harbor of the city of Sinop on the Black Sea coast of Turkey on November 18 (30), 1853. The Turkish squadron was defeated within a few hours. The Battle of Cape Sinop was one of the major battles of the Crimean (Eastern) War, which began as a conflict between Russia and Turkey. Moreover, it went down in history as the last major battle of sailing fleets. Russia gained a serious advantage over the armed forces of the Ottoman Empire and dominance in the Black Sea (before the intervention of the great Western powers).

This naval battle became an example of the brilliant preparation of the Black Sea Fleet, led by one of the best representatives of the school of Russian military art. Sinop amazed all of Europe with the perfection of the Russian fleet and fully justified the many years of hard educational work of admirals Lazarev and Nakhimov.

A. P. Bogolyubov. Destruction of the Turkish fleet in the Battle of Sinop

Background

In 1853, another war between Russia and Turkey began. It led to a global conflict involving the world's leading powers. The Anglo-French squadron entered the Dardanelles. Fronts were opened on the Danube and in Transcaucasia. St. Petersburg, which was counting on a quick victory over the Porte, a decisive advancement of Russian interests in the Balkans and a successful solution to the problem of the Bosporus and Dardanelles, received the threat of war with the great powers, with vague prospects. There was a threat that the Ottomans, followed by the British and French, would be able to provide effective assistance to the Shamil mountaineers. This led to a new large-scale war in the Caucasus and a serious threat to Russia from the south.

In the Caucasus, Russia did not have enough troops to simultaneously hold back the advance of the Turkish army and fight the mountaineers. In addition, the Turkish squadron supplied the troops on the Caucasian coast with weapons and ammunition. Therefore, the Black Sea Fleet received two main tasks:

  1. urgently transport reinforcements from Crimea to the Caucasus;
  2. strike at enemy sea communications. Prevent the Ottomans from landing a large landing force on the eastern coast of the Black Sea in the Sukhum-Kale (Sukhumi) and Poti area to help the highlanders.

Pavel Stepanovich completed both tasks.

On September 13, an emergency order was received in Sevastopol to transfer an infantry division with artillery to Anakria (Anaklia). The Black Sea Fleet was in turmoil at that time. There were rumors about an Anglo-French squadron acting on the side of the Ottomans. Nakhimov immediately took over the operation. In four days, he prepared the ships and placed troops on them in perfect order: 16 battalions with two batteries (more than 16 thousand people), and all the necessary weapons and equipment. On September 17, the squadron went to sea and on the morning of September 24 arrived in Anakria. By evening the unloading was completed. The operation was considered brilliant; there were only a few sick people among the sailors and soldiers.

Having solved the first problem, Pavel Stepanovich proceeded to the second. It was necessary to disrupt the enemy landing operation. A 20 thousand Turkish corps was concentrated in Batumi, which was supposed to be transported by a large transport flotilla (up to 250 ships). The landing was to be covered by Osman Pasha's squadron.

At this time, the commander of the Crimean Army and the Black Sea Fleet was Prince Alexander Menshikov. He sent a squadron of Nakhimov and Kornilov to search for the enemy. On November 5 (17), V. A. Kornilov met the Ottoman 10-gun steamer Pervaz-Bahre, coming from Sinop. The steam frigate "Vladimir" (11 guns) under the flag of the Chief of Staff of the Black Sea Fleet Kornilov attacked the enemy. The battle was directly led by the commander of the Vladimir, Lieutenant Commander Grigory Butakov. He used the high maneuverability of his ship and noticed the weakness of the enemy - the absence of guns at the stern of the Turkish steamer. Throughout the battle I tried to stay in such a way as not to fall under Ottoman fire. The three-hour battle ended in Russian victory. This was the first battle of steam ships in history. Then Vladimir Kornilov returned to Sevastopol and ordered Rear Admiral F. M. Novosilsky to find Nakhimov and reinforce him with the battleships Rostislav and Svyatoslav, and the brig Aeneas. Novosilsky met with Nakhimov and, having completed the assignment, returned to Sevastopol.

Nakhimov and his detachment had been cruising between Sukhum and part of the Anatolian coast since the end of October, where the main port was Sinop. The vice admiral, after meeting with Novosiltsev, had five 84-gun ships: Empress Maria, Chesma, Rostislav, Svyatoslav and Brave, as well as the frigate Kovarna and the brig Aeneas. On November 2 (14), Nakhimov issued an order for the squadron, where he notified the commanders that in the event of a meeting with an enemy “superior to us in strength, I will attack him, being completely confident that each of us will do his job.”

Every day we waited for the enemy to appear. In addition, there was the possibility of meeting with British ships. But there was no Ottoman squadron. We only met Novosilsky, who brought two ships, replacing those battered by the storm and sent to Sevastopol. On November 8, a severe storm broke out, and the vice admiral was forced to send 4 more ships for repairs. The situation was critical. Strong winds continued after the storm on November 8th.

On November 11, Nakhimov approached Sinop and immediately sent a brig with the news that an Ottoman squadron was stationed in the bay. Despite significant enemy forces standing under the protection of 6 coastal batteries, Nakhimov decided to block Sinop Bay and wait for reinforcements. He asked Menshikov to send the ships “Svyatoslav” and “Brave”, the frigate “Kovarna” and the steamer “Bessarabia” sent for repairs. The admiral also expressed bewilderment why he was not sent the frigate "Kulevchi", which is idle in Sevastopol, and sent two more additional ships necessary for cruising. Nakhimov was ready to fight if the Turks made a breakthrough. However, the Turkish command, although at that time had an advantage in strength, did not dare to engage in a general battle or simply make a breakthrough. When Nakhimov reported that the Ottoman forces in Sinop, according to his observations, were higher than previously thought, Menshikov sent reinforcements - Novosilsky's squadron, and then a detachment of Kornilov's steamers.


The battle of the frigate Vladimir with the Turkish-Egyptian military steamer Pervaz-Bahri on November 5, 1853. A. P. Bogolyubov

Strengths of the parties

Reinforcements arrived on time. On November 16 (28), 1853, Nakhimov’s detachment was reinforced by the squadron of Rear Admiral Fyodor Novosilsky: 120-gun battleships “Paris”, “Grand Duke Konstantin” and “Three Saints”, frigates “Kahul” and “Kulevchi”. As a result, under the command of Nakhimov there were already 6 battleships: the 84-gun “Empress Maria”, “Chesma” and “Rostislav”, the 120-gun “Paris”, “Grand Duke Constantine” and “Three Saints”, the 60-gun frigate “ Kulevchi" and the 44-gun "Kahul". Nakhimov had 716 guns; from each side the squadron could fire a salvo weighing 378 pounds 13 pounds. 76 guns were bomb guns, firing explosive bombs that had great destructive power. Thus, the Russian fleet had the advantage. In addition, Kornilov rushed to Nakhimov’s aid with three steam frigates.

The Turkish squadron included: 7 frigates, 3 corvettes, several auxiliary ships and a detachment of 3 steam frigates. In total, the Turks had 476 naval guns, supported by 44 coastal guns. The Ottoman squadron was led by the Turkish Vice Admiral Osman Pasha. The second flagship was Rear Admiral Hussein Pasha. There was an English adviser with the squadron - Captain A. Slade. The steamship detachment was commanded by Vice Admiral Mustafa Pasha. The Turks had their advantages, the main ones being parking in a fortified base and the presence of steamships, while the Russians only had sailing ships.

Admiral Osman Pasha, knowing that the Russian squadron was guarding him at the exit from the bay, sent an alarming message to Istanbul, asking for help, significantly exaggerating Nakhimov’s forces. However, the Turks were late; the message was transmitted to the British on November 17 (29), a day before the attack of the Russian fleet. Even if Lord Stratford-Radcliffe, who at that time actually led the policy of the Porte, gave the order to the British squadron to go to the aid of Osman Pasha, help would still be late. Moreover, the British ambassador in Istanbul did not have the right to start a war with the Russian Empire; the admiral could refuse.


Nakhimov's plan

The Russian admiral, as soon as reinforcements arrived, decided not to wait, to immediately enter Sinop Bay and attack the enemy. In essence, Nakhimov was taking a risk, albeit a well calculated one. The Ottomans had good naval and coastal guns, and with appropriate leadership, the Turkish forces could inflict serious damage on the Russian squadron. However, the once formidable Ottoman navy was in decline, both in terms of combat training and leadership.

The Turkish command itself played along with Nakhimov, positioning the ships extremely inconveniently for defense. Firstly, the Ottoman squadron was positioned like a fan, a concave arc. As a result, the ships blocked the firing sector of part of the coastal batteries. Secondly, the ships were located right next to the embankment, which did not give them the opportunity to maneuver and fire on both sides. Thus, the Turkish squadron and coastal batteries could not fully resist the Russian fleet.

Nakhimov's plan was imbued with determination and initiative. The Russian squadron, in the formation of two wake columns (the ships followed one after another along the course line), received the order to break through to the Sinop roadstead and deliver a fire strike on the enemy ships and batteries. The first column was commanded by Nakhimov. It included the ships “Empress Maria” (flagship), “Grand Duke Konstantin” and “Chesma”. The second column was led by Novosilsky. It included “Paris” (2nd flagship), “Three Saints” and “Rostislav”. The movement in two columns was supposed to reduce the time it took for ships to pass under the fire of the Turkish squadron and coastal batteries. In addition, it was easier to deploy Russian ships into battle formation when anchored. In the rearguard were frigates, which were supposed to stop the enemy’s attempts to escape. The targets of all ships were distributed in advance.

At the same time, ship commanders had a certain independence in choosing targets, depending on the specific situation, while implementing the principle of mutual support. “In conclusion, I will express the idea,” Nakhimov wrote in the order, “that all preliminary instructions under changed circumstances can make it difficult for a commander who knows his business, and therefore I allow everyone to act completely independently at their own discretion, but will certainly fulfill their duty.”


In the late 40s and early 50s. In the 19th century, a new conflict began to brew in the Middle East, the reason for which was a dispute between Catholic and Orthodox clergy over “Palestinian shrines.”

The discussion was about which of the churches had the right to own the keys to the Temple of Bethlehem and other Christian shrines of Palestine - at that time a province of the Ottoman Empire. In 1850, the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Kirill turned to the Turkish authorities for permission to repair the main dome of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. At the same time, the Catholic mission raised the issue of the rights of the Catholic clergy, putting forward a demand for the restoration of the Catholic silver star taken from the Holy Manger and for the key to the main gate of the Bethlehem Church to be handed over to them. At first, the European public did not pay much attention to this dispute, which continued throughout 1850-52.

The initiator of the aggravation of the conflict was France, where during the revolution of 1848-1849. Louis Napoleon, the nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte, came to power and proclaimed himself Emperor of the French in 1852 under the name Napoleon III. He decided to use this conflict to strengthen his position within the country, enlisting the support of the influential French clergy. In addition, in his foreign policy he sought to restore the former power of Napoleonic France at the beginning of the 19th century. The new French emperor sought a small, victorious war in order to strengthen his international prestige. From that time on, Russian-French relations began to deteriorate, and Nicholas I refused to recognize Napoleon III as the legitimate monarch.

Nicholas I, for his part, hoped to use this conflict for a decisive attack on the Ottoman Empire, mistakenly believing that neither England nor France would take decisive action in its defense. However, England saw the spread of Russian influence in the Middle East as a threat to British India and entered into an anti-Russian alliance with France.

In February 1853, A.S. arrived in Constantinople on a special mission. Menshikov is the great-grandson of the famous associate. The purpose of his visit was to obtain from the Turkish Sultan the restoration of all former rights and privileges of the Orthodox community. However, his mission ended in failure, which led to a complete break in diplomatic relations between Russia and the Ottoman Empire. To increase pressure on the Ottoman Empire, in June the Russian army under the command of M.D. Gorchakova occupied the Danube principalities. In October, the Turkish Sultan declared war on Russia.

On November 18, 1853, the last major battle in the history of the sailing fleet took place in Sinop Bay on the southern coast of the Black Sea.

The Turkish squadron of Osman Pasha left Constantinople for a landing operation in the Sukhum-Kale area and made a stop in Sinop Bay. The Russian Black Sea Fleet had the task of preventing active enemy actions. The squadron under the command of Vice Admiral P.S. Nakhimova, consisting of three battleships, during cruising duty, discovered the Turkish squadron and blocked it in the bay. Help was requested from Sevastopol.

By the time of the battle, the Russian squadron included 6 battleships and 2 frigates, and the Turkish squadron included 7 frigates, 3 corvettes, 2 steam frigates, 2 brigs, 2 transports. The Russians had 720 guns, and the Turks - 510.

The Turkish ships began the artillery battle. The Russian ships managed to break through the enemy's barrage, anchored and opened a crushing return fire. The 76 bomb cannons that were first used by the Russians, firing not cannonballs, but explosive shells, turned out to be especially effective. As a result of the battle, which lasted 4 hours, the entire Turkish fleet and all batteries of 26 guns were destroyed. The Turkish steamer Taif, under the command of A. Slade, the English adviser to Osman Pasha, escaped. The Turks lost over 3 thousand people killed and drowned, about 200 people. were captured. The commander-in-chief himself, Osman Pasha, ended up in Russian captivity. He, abandoned by his sailors, was rescued from the burning flagship by Russian sailors. When Nakhimov asked Osman Pasha if he had any requests, he replied: “To save me, your sailors risked their lives. I ask them to be rewarded properly.” The Russians lost 37 people. killed and 235 wounded. With the victory in Sinop Bay, the Russian fleet gained complete dominance in the Black Sea and thwarted plans for a Turkish landing in the Caucasus.

The defeat of the Turkish fleet was the reason for the entry into the conflict of England and France, which sent their squadrons into the Black Sea and landed troops near the Bulgarian city of Varna. In March 1854, an offensive military treaty between England, France and Turkey against Russia was signed in Istanbul (in January 1855, the Sardinian kingdom also joined the coalition). In April 1854, the allied squadron bombarded Odessa, and in September 1854, allied troops landed near Yevpatoria. The heroic page of the Crimean War was opened - the defense of Sevastopol.

 


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