« Everyone’s life belongs to the Fatherland, and it is not daring, but only true courage that benefits him».
Admiral P. Nakhimov

The Sinop naval battle took place on November 18 (30), 1853 between the Russian squadron under the command of Admiral P.S. Nakhimov and the Turkish squadron under the command of Osman Pasha, during the Crimean War of 1853 - 1856. The battle took place in the harbor of the city of Sinop. The battle was won by the Russian squadron. This was the last major battle of the era of sailing fleet

Crimean War 1853–1856 entered Russian history as a symbol of one of the most severe defeats, but at the same time it gave the clearest examples of the unprecedented courage that was shown by Russian soldiers and sailors. And this war began with 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 in a few hours. However, this same battle served as a reason for Great Britain and France to declare war on Russia and turned the Crimean War into one of the most difficult tests for the people and government.

Background

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

Squadron commanders: 1) P.S. Nakhimov; 2) Osman Pasha

Battle plan

Admiral Nakhimov decided to attack the enemy fleet in two columns: in the first, closest to the Turks, Nakhimov’s ships, in the second, Novosilsky’s. The frigates needed to observe the Turkish steamers under sail in order to prevent the possibility of their breakthrough. They 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.

Progress of the battle

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

The Turks fired mainly at the spar and sails, thereby trying to hamper the advance of Russian ships to the roadstead and force Nakhimov to abandon the attack.

The battleship "Empress Maria" was bombarded with shells, most of its spars and standing rigging were broken, and only one shroud remained intact at the mainmast. But the Russian flagship moved forward and, acting with battle fire on the Turkish ships, dropped anchor against the enemy 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 battleship turned its fire on the 44-gun frigate Fazli-Allah, which soon caught fire and also washed ashore. After which, the actions of the flagship "Empress Maria" focused on the enemy 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 the fire of its guns. 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 shot down by bomb fire, and the ship itself drifted to the shore, where it soon caught fire. Then "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 its spring, and the ship, turning into the wind, was subjected to well-aimed longitudinal fire from battery No. 6, while its mast was badly damaged. But, turning the stern again, he very successfully began to act on the Kaidi-Zefer and other Turkish ships, forcing 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 was able to throw the corvette ashore.

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 entered into battle, which, however, was already approaching its end, because the Turkish forces were very weakened. Batteries No. 5 and No. 6 still fired at the Russian ships until 16 hours, but Paris and Rostislav were able to destroy them. Meanwhile, the rest of the 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, was able to escape from the line of Turkish ships, which were suffering a severe defeat, and took flight. Moreover, of the entire Turkish squadron, only this ship had two ten-inch bomb guns. Taking advantage of the advantage in speed, the Taif was able to escape from the Russian ships and report to Istanbul about the complete destruction of the Turkish squadron.

Losses of the parties

In the Battle of Sinop, the Turks lost 15 of 16 ships and more than 3,000 people killed and wounded out of 4,500 who took part in the battle. About 200 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. Russian losses amounted to 37 people killed and 233 wounded, 13 guns on the ships were hit and disabled, and there was serious damage to the hull, rigging and sails.

Results

The defeat of the Turkish squadron in the Battle of Sinop significantly weakened the Turkish naval forces in the Black Sea, dominance of which completely passed to the Russians. Plans for a Turkish landing 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 time had come for steam ships. However, this same outstanding victory caused extreme discontent in England, which was frightened by such significant successes 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, at the beginning of 1854 turned into a fierce Crimean War.

After this battle, the head of the 5th Fleet Division P.S. Nakhimov was awarded the Order of St. George, 2nd degree, but this time Menshikov refused to present him to the rank of admiral, because the direct consequence of the Sinop victory was to be the intervention of the Allied forces in the war . And Nakhimov himself said: “The British will see that we are really dangerous to them at sea, and believe me, they will use every effort to destroy the Black Sea Fleet.” Later, Nakhimov would be awarded the rank of admiral. The captain of the battleship "Paris" V.I. Istomin was promoted to rear admiral.

The fears of the leadership of the Black Sea Fleet came true: the destruction of part of the city of Sinop actually served as a reason for war. In September 1854, a huge allied Anglo-French army landed in the Crimea to destroy the fleet and its base - the city of Sevastopol.

Text: Sergey Balakin

162 years ago, on November 30, 1853 (November 18, old style), the famous Battle of Sinop took place, considered one of the largest naval victories in the history of our country. The words of Vice Admiral Kornilov are widely known, who said about the battle of Sinop: “The battle is glorious, higher than Chesma and Navarino... Hurray, Nakhimov! Lazarev rejoices at his student!” And Emperor Nicholas I awarded Vice Admiral Nakhimov the Order of St. George, 2nd degree, and wrote in a personal rescript: “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.” However, these enthusiastic assessments are dominated by emotions. In reality, the results of the Battle of Sinop are far from clear...

Historians know two opposing views on the Battle of Sinop. According to one of them, this battle is the greatest and indisputable victory of our fleet. But there is another point of view: they say that Sinop is a skillfully placed trap into which the clumsy “Russian bear” fell, and which predetermined the defeat of Russia in the Crimean War. Let's try to analyze the arguments of both sides.

At first glance, everything seems obvious. On November 18 (old style), 1853, a Russian squadron under the command of Vice Admiral Nakhimov, consisting of six battleships and two frigates, entered Sinop Bay and defeated the squadron of Osman Pasha stationed there. Of the twelve Turkish warships, eleven were sunk, 2,700 enemy sailors were killed, more than 550 were wounded and 150, including Osman Pasha himself, were captured. Our losses were 38 killed, 232 wounded; all ships, despite the damage received, returned to Sevastopol on their own.

Such impressive results are explained, first of all, by the quantitative and qualitative superiority of our fleet over its enemy. For example, in terms of the total weight of a broadside salvo, the Russian squadron was two and a half times larger than the Turkish one. Moreover, the Russian ships were armed with 76 heavy 68-pound guns that fired explosive bombs, deadly for wooden ships. If we also add that the training of personnel in the Turkish fleet was extremely poor, then Admiral Nakhimov could only wisely use all his advantages. Which he did, and he did it brilliantly. Figuratively speaking, the Battle of Sinop put an end to the centuries-old history of sailing fleets and anticipated the onset of a new era - the era of armor and steam.

It is not surprising that a triumphant meeting awaited Nakhimov in Sevastopol. At that moment, few people thought about how this victory would turn out for Russia...

On the eve of the Crimean War, the weakened Ottoman Empire found itself completely dependent on the Western powers - primarily on England. The strained relations between St. Petersburg and Constantinople led to Nicholas I ordering troops to be sent to Bessarabia and Wallachia. These principalities formally remained vassals of Turkey, and Sultan Abdul-Mecid declared war on Russia on October 4, 1853. At the same time, he counted on military assistance promised by London and Paris. It should be borne in mind that the British were quite happy with the existing state of the Ottoman Empire, but they sought to prevent the strengthening of Russia. Therefore, British Prime Minister Lord Palmerston openly stated that in the event of an attack by the Russian fleet on Turkish ports, England and France would use force against the “aggressor”. But in St. Petersburg they clearly underestimated the seriousness of this threat.

The decision to attack the Turkish squadron in Sinop was extremely risky. After all, it gave the West an excellent reason to “teach a lesson” to the unyielding Russian emperor, whose foreign policy London really did not like. In general, the thought involuntarily arises that the Sinop massacre was planned in advance and not without the participation of English advisers. After all, the most combat-ready Turkish ships, including all the battleships, and almost all experienced sailors remained in the Bosphorus. A squadron of weak and outdated ships was sent to Sinop, moreover, staffed with inexperienced recruits - yesterday's peasants. The presence of ground forces on Osman Pasha's squadron, allegedly transported to the Caucasus (this was repeatedly mentioned in various publications), is not confirmed by documents. That is, everything suggests that the squadron destroyed in Sinop was just a bait, obviously sent for slaughter...

Well, what happened next is well known. A coalition of Western states (Great Britain, France and the Kingdom of Sardinia) declare war on Russia. The Anglo-French fleet enters the Black Sea and troops land in Balaklava. Then - the battle on Alma, the siege of Sevastopol, the self-sinking of the Black Sea Fleet, the death of admirals Nakhimov, Kornilov, Istomin... The Paris Congress, at which Russia admitted its defeat... By the way, in the ranks of the anti-Russian coalition under the flags of the Zaporozhye Sich, the “Slavic Legion” marched under the command of Mikhail Tchaikovsky, or Sadyk Pasha, as the Turks called him...

So, what is the Battle of Sinop? In our opinion, his most balanced assessment looks like this: in tactical terms, this is an indisputable military victory, in strategic terms, this is a blunder that led to Russia’s defeat in the war. However, this is by no means a mistake of Russian sailors or Admiral Nakhimov. This was a mistake of the then Russian politicians and diplomats, who in the field of intrigue were unable to resist their sophisticated colleagues from London and Paris.

We must not forget about one more result of the Battle of Sinop - the moral effect it produced. The defeat of the Turkish squadron caused an unprecedented rise in morale among Russian soldiers, sailors and officers. Without this, the subsequent defense of Sevastopol would hardly have been so stubborn, and the losses of the attackers would have been so great.

So the Russian fleet can rightfully be proud of the Sinop victory.

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-Meabud" 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!

The new, not the first Russian-Turkish war in Crimea began with a religious insult - the Sultan of Turkey handed over an important Christian shrine to Catholics, taking it from Russian priests. In response, Nicholas I sent forward troops, after which the Turkish Sultan declared war on Russia.

On the side of the Ottomans were two strong military powers - France and England. However, they were ready to remain neutral - with the condition that Russia would only defend itself. It was agreed that as soon as Russian troops were on foreign territory, the allies of the Ottoman Empire would enter the war.

Prerequisites for the battle.

The Russian fleet drifted in the Black Sea, not committing any reprehensible actions, but simply increasing its military presence. The Russian leadership remembered the ultimatum from England and France.

However, at that time there were battles on land, and the situation was not in Russia’s favor: the Ottomans won victories in the Caucasus and on the Danube. The Russians were defeated at Silistra, at Kalafat.

And at the end of September it took place Battle of Sinop by Admiral Nakhimov- he could not stand it, deciding to attack Sinop Bay, the port from which fresh Turkish forces were sailing to the Caucasus.

Battle of Sinop.

On the morning of September 30, 1853, Russian ships moved into Sinop Bay and blocked the exit from it to Turkish ships.

The Turkish fleet and artillery located on the shore opened fire. However, the Russian ships, firing back, continued to move forward. Only half a day passed when most of the Turkish artillery on the shore was suppressed, and by evening the fleet was completely defeated - only one steamer was able to escape from the battle.

Results of the battle.

Nakhimov’s brilliant victory cost Russia dearly in this war. Having learned about Battle of Sinop, England and France demanded that the Russian emperor withdraw the army from Turkish territory - and when he refused, they entered the war, as promised, on the side of the Ottoman Empire.

After the Ottoman Empire declared war on Russia, London warned the Russian ambassador that if Turkish ports were attacked, Allied ships would intercede on their behalf. At that time, the Anglo-French squadron was based in the Sea of ​​Marmara. Nakhimov left Sevastopol to cruise off the Turkish coast and prevent the supply of weapons and ammunition. Soon the vice admiral received news of the beginning of the war and of the Turkish ships stationed in Sinop. According to information from the Minister of Naval Affairs, Prince Menshikov, the Turks planned to land troops near Sukhum and Poti. Nakhimov moved there, at the same time a detachment of Vice Admiral Osman Pasha was heading to Sinop. He managed to miss the Russian squadron and move unhindered to the city. When the ships of the Black Sea Fleet approached Sinop, they discovered much larger forces there than expected - 7 frigates, 2 corvettes, 1 sloop and 2 steamers, which covered five of the six coastal batteries. Pavel Nakhimov decided to block the port until reinforcements arrived. A squadron of Rear Admiral Fyodor Novosilsky was sent from Sevastopol to help him, which joined the Nakhimov ships, doubling their strength.

Vice Admiral Pavel Nakhimov

Thus, Nakhimov had the 84-gun battleships “Empress Maria”, “Chesma”, “Rostislav” and the 120-gun “Paris”, “Grand Duke Konstantin”, “Three Saints”, frigates “Kahul” and "Kulevchi". The Turks had 7 frigates, including the Fazli Allah, the former Russian ship Rafail, which surrendered to the enemy without a fight in 1829, 3 corvettes, the steam frigate Taif and the steamer Erkile. From the shore they were covered by five batteries, which cost an entire battleship. In addition, the Turks could count on the help of French and English ships that were stationed in the Dardanelles Strait. The Turks stood in a crescent formation, which ensured cross-fire of any squadron entering the roadstead. Ottoman Pasha had orders to remain in the bay until good weather returned.

On November 29, Nakhimov received an order from Menshikov to spare the city if possible, so as not to give the European powers a reason to enter into conflict. The vice admiral, fearing that reinforcements would arrive to the Turks, decided to fight the next day. At 10 a.m. he held a meeting of the command staff on the flagship Empress Maria. It was decided to attack in two columns: the first was commanded by Nakhimov, the second by Novosilsky. They decided to protect the city and attack only ships and batteries. It was intended to use bombing guns for the first time. On the same day, three steamships “Odessa”, “Krym” and “Khersones” left Sevastopol for Sinop, but arrived at the site only towards the end of the battle.

Sinop battle

On the morning of November 30, the weather was not on the side of the Russian fleet: there was fog, it was drizzling, which turned into downpour by 4 p.m., and the gusty east-south-east wind prevented the capture of enemy ships, which could easily have washed ashore. At 9:30 the squadron headed for the roadstead. At 12:30 the first shot was fired by the 44-gun frigate Aunni-Allah, after which fire was opened from all Turkish ships and batteries. The Empress Maria was bombarded with shells, the spar and standing rigging were broken, but the ship continued to move forward. The squadron followed him unquestioningly until both frigates anchored. “Empress Maria” stood up against “Aunni Allah” and sprayed him for half an hour. Unable to withstand such fire, the Turkish frigate ran ashore. Then the Russian flagship set to work on the Fazli Allah. It, too, soon caught fire and washed ashore; the remains of the “treacherous” ship, as ordered by the emperor, were burned. Nakhimov later reported to Nicholas: “The will of Your Imperial Majesty has been fulfilled - the frigate Raphael does not exist.” Now the flagship's actions focused on battery No. 5.

Battle Map

At this time, "Chesma" dealt with batteries No. 3 and No. 4. "Grand Duke Konstantin" after 20 minutes of battle blew up the frigate "Navek-Bahri", showering debris and the bodies of sailors on battery No. 4. The second frigate "Nesimi-Zefer", which was fired upon by a Russian battleship and was thrown ashore by the wind. The Paris, under the command of Captain 1st Rank Vladimir Istomin, brought down the dangerous battery No. 5 in just 4.5 minutes. After this, shelling began on the corvette Guli-Sefid and the frigate Damiad. At 13:05 the corvette exploded and the Damiad washed ashore. After the shelling, the 64-gun Turkish frigate Nizamiye lost two masts and also ran ashore. Then the Paris began to finish off battery No. 5. Nakhimov, speaking about the Paris, noted that “it was impossible to stop admiring the beautiful and calmly calculated actions of the ship.”

Russian ships in the Battle of Sinop

The battleship "Three Saints" entered into battle with the "Kaidi-Zefer", but Turkish shots broke its spring, and fire from battery No. 6 damaged the mast. Turning around, he again began firing at the enemy frigate and forced it and other ships to rush to the shore. "Rostislav", covering the "Three Saints", opened fire on battery No. 6 and the corvette "Feize-Meabud", throwing it ashore.

At 13:30, Russian steamships appeared to help. The battle was already nearing completion, the Turks were greatly weakened, but the ships immediately entered the battle. "Paris" and "Rostislav" finally destroyed batteries No. 5 and No. 6. Here and there Turkish ships, probably set on fire by their crews, caught fire and flew into the air. Burning debris fell on the city, and a strong fire began. Before the battle, the Turks left their part of Sinop, leaving only the Greeks in the city, who considered the Russians friends. When the fire started, the Greeks quickly put out the fires in their part of the city, but the Turkish half suffered greatly.

At about 2 p.m., the enemy frigate Taif broke out of the line of defeated Turkish ships and headed towards Istanbul. The ship fleeing from the theater of military operations was pursued by the Kagul and Kulevchi, but they did not have enough speed, then the Russian steamships followed the fugitive. The captain of the Taif, Yahya Bey, arrived in Istanbul and reported the death of the Turkish squadron; his ship was the only one to survive. The Ottoman government fired the captain for “misbehavior,” and the Sultan was furious at the Taif’s flight. Meanwhile the battle continued. By 15 o'clock the Turkish ships ceased fire, and by 16 o'clock all coastal batteries were suppressed. The Turkish ships were burning, ammunition was flying into the air, the guns of the burning frigates were dangerous, and at 20 o'clock Nakhimov ordered his ships to be withdrawn from the shore. During the inspection of enemy ships, 180 people were captured. Among them was Osman Pasha, wounded, robbed and half-naked by his own sailors. The Turkish vice admiral himself handed Nakhimov his broadsword. For a couple of days, Russian sailors repaired their ships, and on December 2 they moved to Sevastopol. Amid general rejoicing, two days later they entered the bay.

The night after the battle

Nakhimov was awarded the Order of St. George, II degree, but Menshikov refused to promote him to admiral. The Sinope victory, which the British called a "massacre", especially due to the devastating fire in the city, provoked the entry of Great Britain and France into the war, which the Minister of Navy had tried to avoid. Nakhimov understood this very well and said: “The British will see that we are really dangerous to them at sea, and believe me, they will use every effort to destroy the Black Sea Fleet.” Captain "Paris" Istomin was promoted to rear admiral. The Emperor granted 250 St. George's Crosses to the heroes of the battle. Since there were more sailors proposed for the award than crosses, they were distributed by lot. It was not for nothing that the fleet leadership feared the entry of European powers into the war. In September 1854, the Anglo-French army landed in Crimea. The defense of Sevastopol began. Nakhimov took it seriously, considered himself guilty and knew that this was revenge for Sinop.