December 1
Victory Day of the Russian squadron under the command of P.S. Nakhimov over the Turkish squadron at Cape Sinop (1853)

Sinop naval battle

The naval battle of Sinop took place at the very beginning of the Crimean War. Starting in October 1853 between Russia and Turkey, it soon developed into an armed conflict between Russia and a strong coalition of Turkey, England, France and Sardinia. This was the last major battle of sailing ships and the first in which bomb guns (that is, fired explosive shells) were used.

On November 18 (30), 1853, the squadron of Vice Admiral P. S. Nakhimov (6 battleships and 2 frigates) in Sinop Bay launched a preemptive strike against the enemy, unexpectedly attacking the Turkish fleet, which consisted of 16 ships. The flower of the Turkish fleet (7 frigates, 3 corvettes and 1 steamship) was burned, and coastal batteries were destroyed. The Turks lost about 4 thousand people killed and wounded. About 200 more were captured. Nakhimov's squadron did not lose a single ship. The brilliant victory of the Russian fleet deprived the Turks of dominance in the Black Sea and did not allow them to land troops on the Caucasus coast.

In the Sinop battle, the effectiveness of the advanced system of training and education of Black Sea soldiers was clearly demonstrated. The high combat skill shown by the sailors was achieved through persistent study, training, campaigns, and mastery of all the intricacies of maritime affairs.

The Battle of Sinop on September 30 (November 16), 1853 went down in world history as the last battle of sailing ships in history. This battle took place during the next Russian-Turkish war of 1853 - 1856.

Reasons for the battle

The Battle of Sinop was the first battle of the Crimean War to attract public attention. The reason for the war was the keys. The Turkish Sultan took the keys of the Bethlehem Church from the Orthodox clergy and gave them to the Catholics. This happened in 1851 at the request of France. Then Nicholas I ordered the entry of Russian troops into the Porte's vassal principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia. In response, the Turkish Sultan declared war on Russia.

The creditors of the Ottoman Empire, England and France, presented Russia with an ultimatum: as long as Russia defends itself, England and France will remain neutral. As soon as Russia invades the territory of the Ottoman Empire itself, England and France will also enter the war. From the moment the ultimatum was announced, the Russian fleet sought dominance in neutral waters.

The sailing and semi-sailing fleet of Russia is dispersed throughout the Black Sea. During this time, only one collision occurred between the Russian and Turkish fleets. At the same time, fighting began in the Danube region and in the Caucasus. At the beginning of the war, the forces of the Ottoman Empire won a number of victories: at Oltenica, at Kalafat and at Silistra. And at that moment, the commander of the Black Sea Fleet decided to attack the main Turkish port, from where ships with reinforcements were leaving for the Caucasus.

Progress of the battle

Vice Admiral Nakhimov (84-gun battleships "Empress Maria", "Chesma" and "Rostislav") was sent by Prince Menshikov to cruise to the shores of Anatolia. There was information that the Turks in Sinop were preparing forces for a landing at Sukhum and Poti.

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.

On November 16 (28), 1853, Nakhimov’s detachment was joined by the squadron of Rear Admiral F. M. Novosilsky (120-gun battleships “Paris”, “Grand Duke Konstantin” and “Three Saints”, frigates “Kahul” and “Kulevchi”). The Turks could be reinforced by the allied Anglo-French fleet located in Beshik-Kertez Bay (Dardanelles Strait).

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’s, 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 it was planned to use 68-pound bomb guns.

On the morning of November 18 (November 30), it was raining with gusty winds from OSO, the most unfavorable for the capture of Turkish ships (they could easily run ashore).

At 9.30 in the morning, keeping the rowing vessels at the sides of the ships, the squadron headed for the roadstead. In the depths of the bay, 7 Turkish frigates and 3 corvettes were located in a lunar shape under the cover of 4 batteries (one with 8 guns, 3 with 6 guns each); Behind the battle line there were 2 steamships and 2 transport ships.

At 12.30 p.m., on the first shot from the 44-gun frigate "Aunni-Allah", fire was opened from all Turkish ships and batteries. 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 non-stop and, operating with battle fire at enemy ships, dropped anchor against the frigate "Aunni-Allah"; the latter, unable to withstand half an hour of shelling, jumped ashore. Then the Russian flagship turned its fire exclusively on the 44-gun frigate Fazli-Allah, which soon caught fire and also washed ashore. After this, the Empress Maria's actions focused on 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 exploded 20 minutes after opening fire, showering debris and the bodies of sailors on battery No. 4, which then almost ceased to function; the second was thrown ashore by the wind when its anchor chain was broken.

The battleship "Chesma" destroyed batteries No. 4 and No. 3 with its shots.

The battleship Paris, while at anchor, opened battle fire on battery No. 5, the corvette Guli-Sefid (22 guns) and the frigate Damiad (56 guns); then, having blown up the corvette and thrown the frigate ashore, he began to hit the frigate “Nizamiye” (64 guns), whose foremast and mizzen masts were shot down, 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" (54 guns) 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. Turning the stern again, he very successfully began to act on the Kaidi-Zefer and other ships and forced them to rush to the shore.

The battleship "Rostislav", covering the "Three Saints", concentrated fire on battery No. 6 and on the corvette "Feize-Meabud" (24 guns), and threw 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 "Crimea" and "Khersones". These ships immediately took part in the battle, which, however, was already nearing its end; The Turkish forces were greatly weakened. Batteries No. 5 and No. 6 continued to harass the Russian ships until 4 o'clock, but the Paris and Rostislav soon destroyed 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.

About 2 o'clock the Turkish 22-gun steam frigate "Tayf", armament 2-10 dm bomb, 4-42 lb., 16-24 lb. guns, under the command of Yahya Bey, broke away from the line of Turkish ships, which were suffering a severe defeat, and fled. Taking advantage of the speed advantage of the Taif, Yahya Bey managed to escape from the Russian ships pursuing him (the frigates Cahul and Kulevchi, then the steam frigates of Kornilov’s detachment) and report to Istanbul about the complete destruction of the Turkish squadron. Captain Yahya Bey, who was expecting a reward for saving the ship, was dismissed from service and stripped of his rank for “inappropriate behavior.” Sultan Abdulmecid was very dissatisfied with the flight of Taif, saying: “I would prefer that he did not flee, but died in battle, like the rest.” According to the French official newspaper Le Moniteur, whose correspondent visited the Taif immediately after its return to Istanbul, there were 11 killed and 17 wounded on the frigate. Statements widespread in Russian historiography that the Turkish admiral Mushaver Pasha and the chief adviser to Osman Pasha, the Englishman Adolf Slade, were on the Taif are not true.

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.

The broadsword of the commander of the Turkish squadron Osman Pasha, which he gave to the winners

History knows a number of wars between Russia and the Ottoman Empire. The Battle of Sinop is the victorious beginning of the Crimean War of 1853 - 1856. The historical paradox is that the Crimean War, having begun gloriously for Russia, ultimately ended in its tragic defeat.

Crimean War 1853-1856

The Crimean War broke out as a result of the clash of interests between Tsarist Russia and England, which sought to divide the decrepit Ottoman Empire. England, seeing Russia as its main competitor, tried in every possible way to weaken its influence in the Balkans and the Middle East. Therefore, Türkiye during the Crimean War was a puppet in the hands of England. France, which had long sought to grab a piece of the once mighty Ottoman Empire and joined its island neighbor, did not stand aside either.

Both England and Russia were eager for war. Nicholas I mistakenly believed that his country was capable of defeating anyone. As for England, which was a leading economic power, it was truly capable of resisting any enemy. The formal reason for the start of the Crimean War was Turkey’s refusal to hand over to representatives of the Orthodox Church the keys to several churches especially revered by Christians in Palestine, which was demanded by Nicholas I.

Admiral Nakhimov and Osman Pasha

The Battle of Sinop was the first major naval battle of the Crimean War. In this battle, the Russian squadron was commanded by the great naval commander, Vice Admiral Pavel Stepanovich Nakhimov.

In mid-November 1853, the flotilla of Admiral Nakhimov, sent to cruise to the Turkish shores of the Black Sea, discovered the main enemy forces in the bay of the city of Sinop, consisting of 7 large frigates, 2 corvettes, 2 armed steamers and 1 sloop. Their arsenal consisted of 460 guns.

The Turkish commander, Admiral Osman Pasha, received a clear order from the Sultan: to ensure the transportation by sea of ​​large military reinforcements to the Russian borders, which were supposed to break through to Armenia and Georgia. If the Turks had managed to advance further to the north, their troops would have united with the murids of Imam Shamil operating in the Russian rear. In turn, the commander of the Crimean armed forces, Prince Menshikov, set the exact opposite task for Nakhimov: to prevent the transport of Turkish troops to the Caucasian front and to destroy the main forces of the enemy fleet.

Having discovered a Turkish squadron in Sinop Bay, having carried out reconnaissance and assessed the situation, Nakhimov realized that attacking the Turks standing in the fortified bay was adventurous. Osman Pasha's ships were covered by coastal batteries, numbering 40 guns, and Nakhimov knew well that there was only one gun on the shore of St. O It's a multi-gun ship at sea. However, after four more ships under the command of Rear Admiral Novosilsky approached Sinop, Nakhimov decided to attack.

Battle of Sinop 1853

Admiral Nakhimov: a lesson in tactics

The Battle of Sinop began on a cloudy morning on November 18 (30), 1853. The attack was favored by the north wind; In addition, Nakhimov skillfully determined the locations of his ships, and the Turkish squadron was locked in the bay. Only a few coastal guns were able to open fire on Russian ships, while they freely fired at both enemy ships and coastal batteries.

From the very beginning of the battle, the advantage was on the side of the Russians. In addition to Nakhimov’s carefully thought-out disposition and the excellent training of his subordinates, the technical advantage of Russian ships also played an important role. Russian battleships used 68-pounder cannons that fired special bombs filled with black powder that exploded on impact. The Turks fired ordinary cannonballs, which could only pierce the side of the ship. The valor and heroism of Russian sailors deserve special attention. A famous fact has gone down in history: on the battleship “ Rostislav” a fire started, threatening to explode the kruyt chamber - the room where gunpowder is stored. Then the sailors, risking their lives, rushed into the hold and put out the fire.

Start

The Battle of Sinop has begun. The squadron moved towards the bay, dividing into two wake columns. The first was headed by Nakhimov on the flagship" Empress Maria”, the other was led by Novosilsky on “ Paris" Nakhimov's column was weaker, although it had to fight with 6 Turkish ships. Nakhimov specifically gave Novosilsky stronger ships, since he had to take on the main attack of the enemy’s coastal batteries, the destruction of which was the primary task of the Russian artillerymen.

Both flagships, ” Maria" And " Paris”, taking the brunt of the first minutes of the Battle of Sinop, inflicted serious damage on the enemy. Within half an hour the frigate “ Auni-Allah”, where the Turkish admiral Osman Pasha was located, having received serious damage, he weighed anchor and was carried to the coastal rocks, where he ran aground.

The next Turkish ship to fail was the former Russian captured by the Turks. Raphael"frigate" Fazli-Allah”, which repeated the fate of the Turkish flagship: it was also thrown aground. Literally after him, a corvette died from a gunpowder explosion in the cruise chamber.” Guli-sefid”.

Victory

Forty minutes into the Battle of Sinop, five Turkish ships were already out of action, fighting only two Russian battleships. However, the coastal batteries continued to operate, and Nakhimov directed all the flagships' guns against them.

Bye " Maria" And " Paris“Fought with the fifth coastal battery, in their rear, the ships of the right, Nakhimov column, “ Konstantin" And " Chesma", withstanding increased fire from the fourth and third batteries, two frigates attacked - " Fringes forever" And " Nasim-Zefer" After a successful hit, “ Forever-Bahra"exploded, and after a while" Nasim-Zefer“was thrown ashore after the cannonball broke his anchor chain.

Of course, the Russian ships did not remain unharmed. “ Konstantin”, received serious damage and was almost blown up. “ Maria” was also badly damaged. “ Three Saints”, having broken the anchor chain, turned stern towards the enemy batteries and lost his masts under fire. But all this was insignificant compared to the losses of the Turks: as a result of the Battle of Sinop, almost all enemy ships either burned in flames, were firmly aground, or were sunk.

After three hours of the Battle of Sinop, all Turkish ships were disabled. But Nakhimov began to celebrate victory only when all the enemy’s coastal batteries were buried under the fire of his squadron. The Battle of Sinop, the last major battle of the sailing fleets, came to an end.

Battle of Sinop: results

After Russia's triumphant victory over the Turks in the Battle of Sinop, England and France immediately entered the war, realizing that without their help Turkey would have to capitulate and submit to any demands of Russia. After the heroic defense of Sevastopol, which lasted almost a year, the fall of the fortress city marked Russia's defeat in the Crimean War.

Admiral Nakhimov took a direct part in the defense of Sevastopol, often directing defensive work at the most dangerous points. As if defying death, he categorically refused to wear camouflage and walked around the redoubts in an admiral's uniform, richly decorated with orders, striking against the background of a dull military landscape. They say that before his death, Nakhimov told one of the soldiers asking him to take cover from the naughty English snipers: “Not every bullet is in the forehead.”

The next moment, Admiral Nakhimov received a fatal wound to the head.

• Victory Day of the Russian squadron at Cape Sinop

  When even a big victory is not a joy at all
  
  Painting by I.K. Aivazovsky's "Battle of Sinop" (1853) was written from the words of the participants in the battle.

  View from Cape Kioy-Hisar, where battery No. 6 was located. From right to left, stern to the viewer, the Russian ships “Rostislav”, “Three Saints”, “Paris”. In the center, with its bow facing the viewer, is the flagship "Empress Maria", behind it the masts of the "Grand Duke Constantine" and "Chesma" can be seen. Russian ships do not have their sails removed so as not to endanger the sailors. There are transports behind the battle line of Turkish ships, and the Sinop fortress is visible to the left. To the right of the Rostislav there are three Kornilov steamships on the horizon, coming to the aid of the Russian squadron.

  
  December 1 is the Day of Military Glory of Russia in honor of the victory of the Russian fleet near the city of Sinop in 1853 during the Crimean War. The battle in which the Russian squadron under the command of Vice Admiral P.S. Nakhimova defeated the Turkish squadron of Osman Pasha, which happened on November 18 according to the old style or November 30 according to the modern calendar. It must be assumed that legislators had good reasons for setting this victorious day for December 1st. But this is not the only or even the main paradox of this significant event in the history of the Russian fleet.

  The fact is that historians and naval experts still cannot come to a consensus about the meaning of this battle. “The battle is glorious, higher than Chesma and Navarino!” This is what V.A. wrote about the Sinop victory. Kornilov and not only him. Indeed, the defeat of the Turkish fleet disrupted Turkey's already prepared major offensive operation in the Caucasus. Others pointed out that the Russians had a great superiority in strength, in weapons, and also in moral terms, and saw no reason for such enthusiastic assessments. In England and France, which actively helped Turkey, they generally declared that this was not a battle, but a sea robbery.

  And the creator of this victory - Vice Admiral P.S. It did not so much please Nakhimov as worry him. Unfortunately, Nakhimov’s fears came true in the worst possible way. Having received news of the Battle of Sinop, England and France first sent their squadrons into the Black Sea, explaining this with the desire to protect Turkish ships and ports from attacks from the Russian side, and then declared war on Russia. Nakhimov considered himself the involuntary culprit of all these tragic events.

  And now how it was

  One of the main directions of Russian foreign policy in the first half of the 19th century was the desire to ensure freedom of access to the Mediterranean Sea and strengthen its position in the Balkans. This was most actively prevented by England and France, who saw this as a threat to their interests. England pushed Turkey to regain Crimea and the northern coast of the Black Sea by military means. Yielding to these persuasion, in October 1853 Turkey declared war on Russia and immediately began preparing a major offensive in the Caucasus. The 20,000-strong Turkish army, concentrated in the Batumi area, was supposed to land in the Poti and Sukhumi area, encircle and destroy the entire Russian army in the South Caucasus. An important role in the implementation of this operation was assigned to the Turkish squadron under the command of Osman Pasha, which went from Constantinople to the shores of the Caucasus.

  Nakhimov's squadron, consisting of 3 battleships and one brig, discovered the ships of Osman Pasha on November 8 in the bay of the city of Sinop. Nakhimov decided to block the Turks and wait for reinforcements. The detachment of Rear Admiral F.M. Novosilsky, consisting of three battleships and two frigates, arrived on November 16.

  By the middle of the 19th century, Russian sailing ships had reached complete perfection in size, speed, artillery and sailing weapons. The basis of their combat power was the bomb guns located on the lower battery deck. They fired bombs that exploded when they hit the target, causing great destruction and fires. Such guns were extremely dangerous for wooden sailing ships. The Russian squadron had 716 guns, of which 76 were bomb guns.

  Six Russian battleships were opposed by 7 Turkish frigates with 472 guns and 38 guns from six coastal batteries. Basically, the Turkish guns were of a smaller caliber, and there was not a single bomb among them. For clarity, we can say that in a salvo from one side, Russian ships threw out 400 pounds of metal, and Turkish ships - a little more than 150 pounds. However, according to foreign experts, the situation of the Turkish admiral was far from hopeless. He just needed to effectively take advantage of his position and the coastal batteries covering him, which, firing red-hot cannonballs, could very effectively hit wooden sailing ships even with a relatively small number of guns.

  At 9:30 am on November 18, 1853, the Russian squadron, consisting of two columns, went to the Sinop roadstead. In an order with very detailed instructions on how to conduct a battle, Nakhimov allowed ship commanders to act at their own discretion if the situation changes, but emphasized that everyone must “certainly fulfill his duty.” At the meeting before the battle, it was decided to protect the city as much as possible and shoot only at ships and coastal batteries.

  In the right column, the leading ship was the Empress Maria under the flag of Nakhimov. The left column was headed by “Paris” under the flag of Novosilsky. At 12:30 p.m. the battle began. The corvette “Guli-Sefid” was the first to take off from the fire in the crew chamber. Then, one after another, unable to withstand the fire of Russian cannons, the Turkish frigates left the battle and washed ashore. During the first 30 minutes of the battle, the ships of the first line were destroyed - four frigates and a corvette.

  Then our ships transferred fire to the coastal batteries and soon suppressed battery No. 5. A few minutes later, the frigate “Navek-Bahri” exploded, its burning debris covered battery No. 4, which no longer fired. The steamship Taif, having strong artillery armament, could provide great assistance to its squadron, but it did not even enter the battle, but went to sea and headed for the Bosphorus.
  
  
  I.K. Aivazovsky. "Battle of Sinop November 18, 1853 (the night after the battle)."
  

  The painting was painted in December 1853 according to a diagram that was sketched on the spot on behalf of P.S. Nakhimov Prince Viktor Baryatinsky; the artist also asked the eyewitness about the colors and shades of various details.

  
  By 16:00 the battle had practically ended with the complete defeat of the Turkish squadron. Fires and explosions continued on Turkish ships until late at night. Not a single ship survived. According to Turkish data, more than 3 thousand people died during the battle. The flagship of the Turkish squadron, Osman Pasha, was seriously wounded in the leg and was captured. In this battle, the Turkish admiral showed great personal courage, and his subordinates showed courage and perseverance, but this was not enough for victory. The losses of the Russian squadron amounted to 37 killed and 229 wounded.

  All ships except the frigates were damaged. On Nakhimov’s flagship ship “Empress Maria,” 60 holes were counted in the hull and a lot of serious damage to the mast and rigging. Despite these damages and a strong storm, all ships arrived in Sevastopol on November 23.
  
  
  N.P. Krasovsky. Return of the Black Sea Fleet squadron to Sevastopol after the Battle of Sinop. 1863.
  For this battle, Nakhimov was awarded the Order of St. George 2nd degree, a rare and very prestigious military award. Almost all squadron officers received various awards and encouragement. The glory of the winners resounded everywhere. The victory at Sinop, and then the heroic death on the bastion of Sevastopol, immortalized the name of Nakhimov, and our best maritime traditions are associated with him. Nakhimov became a national hero.

  The significance of this victory is clearly visible from the congratulatory letter from the commander of a detachment of Russian ships off the coast of the Caucasus, Rear Admiral P. Vukotich: “The extermination of the Sinop squadron, the great thunderstorm of the entire Caucasus, saved the Caucasus, especially Sukhum, Poti

  And Redutkala, by conquering the latter, would have become a spoil for the Turks of Guria, Imereti and Mingrelia.” (Main regions of Georgia).

  The main political result of the first months of the war and, above all, the Battle of Sinop, was the complete failure of the plans of England and France to wage war by proxy. The real organizers of the Crimean War were shown. Convinced of Turkey's complete inability to wage war with Russia, England and France were forced to openly enter into war with Russia.
  
  Modern view of Sinop Bay - the site of the battle
  The Battle of Sinop was the last major battle of the sailing fleet, but at the same time, it was the first naval battle in which the effectiveness of bombing guns was so convincingly demonstrated. This significantly accelerated the transition to the construction of an armored fleet.

  100 great battles Myachin Alexander Nikolaevich

  Sinop naval battle (1853)

  The Battle of Sinop went down in history as the last major battle of sailing fleets. The Russian fleet under the command of Admiral P. S. Nakhimov won a brilliant victory over the Turkish fleet.

  With the beginning of the Crimean War (1853–1856), a squadron of the Black Sea Fleet, consisting of sailing ships, under the command of Admiral Nakhimov, began cruising to the Anatolian shores of Turkey. In one of his first orders, Nakhimov announced that “in the event of meeting an enemy superior to us in strength, I will attack him, being absolutely confident that each of us will do his job.”

  At the beginning of November 1853, Admiral Nakhimov learned from a survey of the commands of merchant ships that the Turkish squadron under the command of Vice Admiral Osman Pasha and the English adviser A. Slade, consisting of seven frigates, three corvettes, two steam frigates, two brigs and two military transports ( 472 guns in total), traveling from Istanbul to the Sukhum-Kale (Sukhumi) and Poti area for landing, took refuge from the storm in Sinop Bay under the protection of strong coastal batteries. To verify the information received, the admiral went to Sinop. At night a strong storm arose, as a result of which several Russian ships were damaged and were forced to go to Sevastopol for repairs.

  On November 8, the ships approached Sinop Bay and discovered the Turkish fleet. Despite the serious weakening of the squadron, Nakhimov decided to block the enemy in the bay, and with the arrival of reinforcements from Sevastopol, destroy him. On November 16, Nakhimov received reinforcements. Now his squadron consisted of six battleships and two frigates.

  The Russian squadron had some quantitative superiority in artillery, especially bomb guns, which the enemy did not have. But the opposite side had coastal batteries installed on the elevated banks and kept the approaches to Sinop Bay under fire. This significantly strengthened the position of the Turks.

  Correctly assessing the current situation, in particular the possibility of large forces of the Anglo-French fleet appearing at any moment on the Black Sea, which was at that time in the Sea of ​​Marmara, the strengths and weaknesses of the Turkish squadron, as well as the excellent training of its artillerymen and the high moral and combat qualities of the Russians sailors, Nakhimov did not wait for the enemy fleet to leave Sinop, but decided to attack and destroy it in the bay. Nakhimov’s tactical plan was to bring his ships into the Sinop roadstead as quickly as possible and attack the enemy simultaneously with all battleships from a short distance. Based on this plan, Nakhimov decided to approach the enemy in two columns of three battleships each. The formation of ships in two columns and the rapid deployment of forces shortened the time the ships remained under enemy fire at the moment of approach and made it possible to bring all battleships into battle as soon as possible. In an effort to quickly and decisively defeat the Turkish squadron, Admiral Nakhimov established a battle distance of 1.5–2 cables, and a firing position was assigned in advance for each ship. The distance between the ships in the Sinop roadstead and the battle distance established by Nakhimov ensured the effective use of artillery of all calibers and the concentrated fire of several ships on one target.

  In his combat order, Nakhimov paid special attention to the use of artillery, which was supposed to destroy the enemy fleet in the shortest possible time. The order contained practical instructions on how to conduct targeted fire, make adjustments, and transfer fire to other targets. To prevent the possibility of escape of individual, especially steam, enemy ships, Nakhimov allocated two frigates and tasked them with monitoring the exits from the Sinop roadstead and, if Turkish ships appeared, attacking them.

  Attaching great importance to the reasonable initiative of the ship commander, Nakhimov refused to detail the attack plan. He believed that well-trained commanders, having understood his tactical plan, would themselves be able to make decisions based on the specific situation.

  Having developed a battle plan, Admiral Nakhimov introduced it to his junior flagship, Rear Admiral F. M. Novosilsky, and the ship commanders. The day of the attack was set for November 18th. On this day, at 9:30 a.m., the Russian squadron weighed anchor and in two wake columns, three battleships in each, headed for the Sinop raid. The right column was headed by Nakhimov, Derzhavin led his flag on the ship "Empress Maria", the left column was led by Rear Admiral Novosilsky, who was on the battleship "Paris".

  At 12 hours 28 minutes, the enemy flagship Avnilah was the first to open fire, followed by the remaining Turkish ships and coastal batteries opening fire on the approaching Russian ships. The Turks fired mainly at the spars and sails, trying to impede the movement of Russian ships to the roadstead and force Nakhimov to abandon the attack.

  Despite the fierce fire, the Russian ships continued to approach the enemy without firing a single shot, and only when they arrived at the designated places and were positioned on the spring they opened fire. The numerical superiority of the Russian squadron in artillery and the excellent training of the Russian gunners immediately affected the results of the battle. Firing from bomb guns was especially destructive, the explosive bombs of which caused great destruction and fires on Turkish wooden ships.

  Half an hour after the start of the battle, the Turkish flagship Avni-Allah, which was being fired upon by the battleship Empress Maria, was seriously damaged and stranded. Afterwards, the Empress Maria transferred the fire to the Turkish frigate Fazl Allah, which also caught fire after the flagship.

  Other Russian ships were no less successful. Interacting, they consistently destroyed enemy ships. In it; While the battleship Paris, commanded by Captain 2nd Rank V.I. Istomin, destroyed two other enemy ships within an hour, after which it transferred fire to a coastal battery. When the Russian ship “Three Saints” found itself in a difficult position due to the fact that its spring was broken and it could not respond to the strong fire of the Turkish battery, the nearby “Rostislav” came to its aid, which transferred the fire from the enemy frigate to its battery. This made it possible for the battleship Three Saints to repair the damage and continue the battle.

  The firing of Russian ships was highly accurate and fast. In three hours, the Russian squadron destroyed 15 enemy ships and silenced all its coastal batteries. Only one steamship, the Taif, commanded by the English officer A. Slade, an adviser to the Turkish fleet, managed to escape. Russian sailing frigates, left by Nakhimov on mobile patrol, tried to pursue the Turkish steamer, but to no avail. In this case, Captain Slade was helped by a steam engine, against which the sail was powerless.

  Thus, the Battle of Sinop ended in complete victory for the Russian fleet. The Turks lost 15 ships out of 16 and about 3 thousand killed and wounded. The commander of the Turkish squadron, Admiral Osman Pasha, three ship commanders and about 200 sailors were captured. The Russian squadron had no losses in ships, but many of them received serious damage, especially to the spars and sails. Personnel losses were 37 killed and 233 wounded. During the battle, the Russian squadron fired 18 thousand shells at the enemy.

  Summing up, Nakhimov wrote in an order dated November 23, 1853: “The extermination 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. I express my sincere gratitude to the second flagship as my main assistant and who, walking at the forefront of his column, so fearlessly led it into battle. To the gentlemen commanders of ships and frigates for the cool and precise ordering of their ships according to this disposition during strong enemy fire, as well as for their unshakable courage in continuing the work itself, I express gratitude to the officers for the undaunted and precise execution of their duty, I thank the teams who fought like lions."

  The outstanding victory of the Russian fleet in the Battle of Sinop had a great influence on the subsequent course of the war. The destruction of the enemy squadron, the main core of the Turkish fleet, disrupted the landing on the Caucasus coast being prepared by the Turks and deprived Turkey of the opportunity to conduct combat operations in the Black Sea.

  The Battle of Sinop is one of the most striking examples of the complete destruction of the enemy fleet at its own base.

  The Russian fleet secured victory at Sinop thanks to the courage and decisiveness of the tactical plan of the battle, the skillful deployment of forces and the rapid occupation of designated firing positions by ships, the correct choice of the battle distance from which artillery of all calibers operated effectively. In this battle, bomb artillery was widely used for the first time, playing a decisive role in the rapid destruction of the enemy’s wooden ships. The most important reason for the victory was the high combat training of the personnel of the Russian squadron, especially the ship commanders and mendors, on whom the art of maneuvering and the accuracy of artillery fire directly depended. Mutual support of ships and continuous control of forces in battle on the part of Admiral Nakhimov also greatly contributed to the success of the Russian squadron.

  The Battle of Sinop was the last major battle of sailing fleets, in which, along with sailing ships, the first steam ships - steamships and frigates - took part.

  1. Beskrovny L.G. Russian military art of the 19th century. - M., 1974. S. 237–242.

  3. History of naval art / Rep. ed. V. I. Achkasov. - M<| 1954. - Т.2. - С. 131–139.

  4. Kucherov S.G. Admiral Nakhimov and the Sinop victory of the Russian fleet // Russian naval art. Sat. Art. / Rep. ed. R. N. Mordvinov. - M., 1951. S. 174–184.

  5. Marine atlas. Descriptions for cards. - M., 1959. -T.3, part 1. -WITH. 520.

  6. Marine atlas / Answer. ed. G. I. Levchenko. - M., 1958. - T.Z, L. 26.

  7. Pitersky N.A. Admiral Nakhimov - organizer of the glorious victory of the Russian fleet at Sinop // Admiral Nakhimov. Art. and essays. - M.

  8. Soviet military encyclopedia: In 8 volumes / Ch. ed. commission N.V. Ogarkov (pred.) and others. M., 1979. - T.7. - pp. 349–351.

  9. Shigin V. Sinop. [On the victory of the Russian squadron in the naval battle of 1853] // Naval collection. - 1993. - No. 11. - P. 79–82.

  10. Encyclopedia of military and maritime sciences: In 8 volumes /Under the general. ed. G. A. Leer. - St. Petersburg, 1895. - T.7. - pp. 206–207.

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  Reasons for the battle

  The Battle of Sinop was the first battle to attract public attention. The reason for the war was the keys. The Turkish Sultan took the keys of the Bethlehem Church from the Orthodox clergy and gave them to the Catholics. This happened in 1851 at the request of France. Then he ordered the introduction of Russian troops into the Porte's vassal principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia. In response, the Turkish Sultan declared war on Russia.

  The creditors of the Ottoman Empire, England and France, presented Russia with an ultimatum: as long as Russia defends itself, England and France will remain neutral. As soon as Russia invades the territory of the Ottoman Empire itself, England and France will also enter the war. From the moment the ultimatum was announced, the Russian fleet sought dominance in neutral waters.

  The sailing and semi-sailing fleet of Russia is dispersed throughout the Black Sea. During this time, only one collision occurred between the Russian and Turkish fleets. At the same time, fighting began in the Danube region and in the Caucasus. At the beginning of the war, the forces of the Ottoman Empire won a number of victories: at Oltenica, at Kalafat and at Silistra. And at that moment, the commander of the Black Sea Fleet decided to attack the main Turkish port, from where ships with reinforcements were leaving for the Caucasus.
  

  Progress of the battle

  Admiral Pavel Nakhimov and Rear Admiral Fyodor Novosilsky sent six frigates, two battleships and three steamships to Sinop Bay. Eleven ships were equipped with 720 guns. Russian ships formed two columns and blocked the exit from Sinop Bay to fourteen enemy ships. On the day of the battle, at half past nine in the morning, Russian ships on oars approached the bay.

  At half past one day, the Turkish fleet began to fire at Russian ships. Osman Pasha's fleet was also supported by coastal artillery batteries. Despite the shelling, the Russian fleet continued to approach the Turkish fleet, while returning fire. The flagship battleship Empress Maria received about 60 holes, but continued to move forward. At this time, the artillery of other ships began shelling the coastal batteries.

  By half past one, almost all enemy guns on land were destroyed. By five o'clock in the evening the battle was over. Only one Turkish ship, the steamship Taif, was able to escape from the encirclement and arrived in Istanbul on November 20 (December 2). The captain of the ship reported to the Sultan about the death of the commander of the imperial fleet and the complete defeat of the Sinope flotilla.

  Results of the battle

  The Battle of Sinop disrupted the Vienna Conference - negotiations between Russia, England, and France on a peaceful settlement of the Russian-Turkish conflict. Unlike the battles on the Danube and in neutral Black Sea waters, the battle of Sinop was a violation of the Anglo-French ultimatum put forward to Nicholas I. England and France demanded that Russia return the army within its borders, and, having received a refusal, entered the war on the side of Turkey .

  The entry of England and France into the Crimean War strengthened Turkey. The Battle of Sinop was the last major victory of the Russian fleet in that war. It was also the last victory of the sailing fleet in world history. Admiral Nakhimov, who achieved this brilliant victory, died a year and a half later during the siege of Sevastopol.

  The “intercession” of England and France, the economic blockade of Russia and attacks on Russian ports outside the Black Sea helped the Ottoman Empire gain an advantage in the war. The Anglo-French siege of Sevastopol destroyed the most important base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Defeat in the Crimean War slowed the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and stimulated reforms in Russia.